this post was submitted on 14 Nov 2024
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I’m genuinely curious. Years ago, I was a chubby young pothead who lived on fast food. Taco Bell, McDonald’s, KFC, you name it—I ate it. Back in college, fast food probably made up at least 50% of my diet. And it wasn’t just because it was quick and cheap—I actually enjoyed it.

But these days, I find myself craving it less and less. Besides being more health-conscious, it just doesn’t hit the spot like it used to. It’s more expensive than ever, mostly bland, and I feel terrible after I eat it. So what’s changed? Is it just part of the enshitification of everything? Have I just gotten old, or has fast food really gone downhill?

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[–] [email protected] 13 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago) (1 children)

I worked in a "European" US bakery for a hot minute around 2012, and one of the things I remember most was them trying to find new providers with cheaper products. This lead to a difference in taste because obviously in this case the cheaper products are actually a sub-par product.

A big part of it has been the consolidation of the businesses who sell food to restaurants. They all pull from the same places, and so the variety has gone down and the filler gone up.

It's not just fast food, it's all restaurants that are suffering this plague.

I never did anything better than learning to cook at home. My home-made pizza tops any delivery, and I always get to eat it hot out of the oven.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

My home-made pizza tops any delivery, and I always get to eat it hot out of the oven.

What state/country do you live in?

[–] [email protected] 12 points 1 day ago (1 children)

i freakin love fast food, and as soon as covid hit i had to start a 'blacklist' of places that have gotten so bad (chipotle/tacobell/bugerking), its just not even kind of worth it.

fiveguys is one of my favorites as it did not change in any way.

[–] [email protected] 11 points 1 day ago (1 children)

fiveguys is one of my favorites as it did not change in any way.

Besides that price haha

20 bucks you can get a proper burger at a pub

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Yeah. But their fries go hard. Lmao.

[–] [email protected] 4 points 1 day ago (1 children)

They used to load up... We get two burgers and mid fry to split with partner. Last time they shorted me on the fries on 30 bucks order for two.

Haven't been back since

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

Oh fuck. That’d give me pause too. Haven’t experienced a lack of fries yet. But for 2 burgers at 30 bucks. I’d expect enough for both of you lol

[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

The only fast food I enjoyed in recent memory was Pizza Hut. During some scare about MSG they removed all of the MSG and I ordered it a time or two after that and it was nearly inedible.

I suspect similar things happened with other types of fast food. I think there's a flanderization effect happening with a lot of it. The same is definitively not the case for things like pizza in general, as I can order from my local NY-style pizza place and pizza is still just as good as it ever was.

All that is to say it wouldn't surprise me at all if fast food was objectively shittier across a number of different metrics.

[–] [email protected] 8 points 1 day ago

im in my 40s and feel the same as you. things like fast food dont hold the same appeal, just nostalgia wishing for the 'old taste'

[–] [email protected] 7 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Genuinely shocking to me how disgusting fast food places have gotten. But I’m also not sure if it’s just my perception

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago (1 children)

It super isn't. Pizza is still alright in my experience, but everywhere that has fried chicken tastes significantly worse than it used to.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 23 hours ago

The big chains got worse since there is basically a cheese monopoly in the US and its products have gotten cheaper to produce and worse quality. The expensive pizza places are still great because they typically don’t source their cheese from them. Can’t remember where I read that.

Ex. Pizza Hit in the 80s was incredible pizza. It’s meh now.

[–] [email protected] 5 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Taco bell has turned to ass. Even their bean burrito tasted off and most of the menu items I see are crazy shit that doesn't resemble anything in terms of Mexican food.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 23 hours ago

It’s always been trash …

[–] [email protected] 6 points 1 day ago (2 children)

Depends on the company and where you live, I feel. Some has gotten worse, some has improved.

But they have all gotten more expensive. So goddamn expensive. These days I can order a well made, flame-grilled burger at a burger joint for the same price as fast food slop.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

The only thing I'll say there is that with burgers you can sometimes get out over your skis and take a tumble. A lot of sit-down places think some giant watery meatball is a good burger. While photogenic, it is not necessarily good, and a short-order smashed patty or (smashed patties) generally taste a lot better and are easier to eat.

The best burgers are almost certainly not fast food burgers, but the worst burgers aren't either.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

And about the same speed. Most places take call in orders too now so call ahead and it's basically ready when you get there

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago
[–] [email protected] 3 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Like everything else they are dropping quality and portion sizes while increasing prices. Line must go up. Last time I bought a quarter pounder at mcdonalds it was definitely made from 70% mongolian horse lung. Yea, I remember when it used to be a tasty burger. Fucking weird that their "beef" has become gamey. And I definitely took a bite where I was like "yea, that was definitely spoiled meat".

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

Oh it absolutely has. I don't eat much fast food, but it's absolutely gotten worse. I prefer fried chicken if I'm eating trash food and i have to assume the oil has gotten way worse.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

I think the taste and texture may have become noticeably worse after the ban on artificial trans fats. It definitely impacted some of the junk food I used to buy in the grocery store. (I'm not saying the ban was a bad thing, just that a lot of us noticed the change).

Whatever the cause, I have noticed it, too.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Doesn't pot famously make food more enjoyable?

I agree, fast food is not worth what it costs. The reasonably quick food landscape has expanded though, we can get different things, better Mexican food, a Chinese fast to go place with some really good tasting stuff, a restaurant that advertises "curry in a hurry" even.

Popeyes is still good though.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago (1 children)

Gonna have to disagree with you on Popeyes. They're generally good for the first few months they're open, the nosedive. The fries are good, the chicken is dry and extremely thin for what you pay.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

It's still good where we are, is in a run down part of town, not generally even fast, technically, but still so good. Publix has good fried chicken too but the spicy Popeye's, so good and the only 'fast food' I will eat. Even french fries I generally just make oven fries now, but I never even try to make fried chicken.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago* (last edited 1 day ago)

It's gotten worse and the portion sizes are like fucking 1/3rd of what they used to be. It's also like 3 times the price now. So yes, fast food is absolute dogshit now and not even worth the price.

[–] [email protected] 2 points 1 day ago

Deny these parasites profit!

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

I'm in my 40s.. similar to you, used to eat fast food often, and enjoyed it. I was having a horrible day a couple weeks ago, and thought "fuck it.. I'm eating at McDs." It was disgusting, not like I remembered it all.

[–] [email protected] 1 points 1 day ago

If you eat it regularly then you become accustomed to it, but when you stop for awhile it no longer appeals

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