Best Regional Fast Food in each state

[HuskyHawk]

For the folks at Food and Wine. I have eaten at zero of these places. I am still confident that some are wrong.

Vermont: The correct answer is Worthy Burger. The #2 answer is Mad Taco. Some French fry place is not the answer.
California: The correct answer is Tommy's Burgers (not In-and-Out). Not some chicken joint.
Connecticut: No idea, but a Grinder place feels right
Kansas: I have grave doubts that a Wichita burger joint beats the KC area BBQ joints. Probably Q39.
Missouri: same problem as with Kansas.
Louisiana: Ice cream? In Louisiana? Come on. Some place that has Po-Boys, gumbo, red beans etc.
Massachusetts: Kelly's is overrated. But I can accept the roast beef sandwich as the right choice generally.

We Found the Best Fast Food in Every State, and They're All Local Obsessions

These quick-service, locally loved restaurants across America are the future of fast food.

www.foodandwine.com

 

[Waquoit]

I like Nardelli's. But the answer is gas station fried chicken. And Al's, is in fact the answer, all day long.

 

[HuskyHawk]

I like Nardelli's. But the answer is gas station fried chicken. And Al's, is in fact the answer, all day long.

I think Gas Station fried chicken is the answer in South Carolina for sure. But CT?

 

[Waquoit]

I think Gas Station fried chicken is the answer in South Carolina for sure. But CT?

It's common in Hartford. So accordingly, I wouldn't expect Boneyarder's to know much about it.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I'll assume it's click bait and the choices are horrible.

 

[storrsroars]

For the folks at Food and Wine. I have eaten at zero of these places. I am still confident that some are wrong.

Vermont: The correct answer is Worthy Burger. The #2 answer is Mad Taco. Some French fry place is not the answer.
California: The correct answer is Tommy's Burgers (not In-and-Out). Not some chicken joint.
Connecticut: No idea, but a Grinder place feels right
Kansas: I have grave doubts that a Wichita burger joint beats the KC area BBQ joints. Probably Q39.
Missouri: same problem as with Kansas.
Louisiana: Ice cream? In Louisiana? Come on. Some place that has Po-Boys, gumbo, red beans etc.
Massachusetts: Kelly's is overrated. But I can accept the roast beef sandwich as the right choice generally.

We Found the Best Fast Food in Every State, and They're All Local Obsessions

These quick-service, locally loved restaurants across America are the future of fast food.

www.foodandwine.com

Not buying fish tacos (and mahi mahi at that) as being the #1 fast food of NJ.

And since I live in western PA, I have to note that if you're going to nominate Wawa, you have to give Sheetz equal billing. The state is basically split in half, east is Wawa, west is Sheetz. Although I wouldn't argue either as the #1 fast food (and both are MAJOR chains, not mom & pop indies).

 

[Chin Diesel]

Not buying fish tacos (and mahi mahi at that) as being the #1 fast food of NJ.

And since I live in western PA, I have to note that if you're going to nominate Wawa, you have to give Sheetz equal billing. The state is basically split in half, east is Wawa, west is Sheetz. Although I wouldn't argue either as the #1 fast food (and both are MAJOR chains, not mom & pop indies).

Good lawd. Wawa is multitudes better than Sheetz. And I have nothing against Sheetz.

 

[HCCForever]

Speaking of Sheetz and Wawa, has anyone gone to Buc'ees? I was traveling back to CT from Florida over the weekend and stopped in at the Buc'ees in Florence SC. It is referred to as the biggest convenience store in South Carolina with about 120 gas pumps. Good crowd in there at midnight.

Food was good which included some pork sandwiches and store made jerky. We especially liked the cinnamon cashews. Gas prices were very good. Cheapest on our trip at $2.87 a gallon for 87 octane.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Speaking of Sheetz and Wawa, has anyone gone to Buc'ees? I was traveling back to CT from Florida over the weekend and stopped in at the Buc'ees in Florence SC. It is referred to as the biggest convenience store in South Carolina with about 120 gas pumps. Good crowd in there at midnight.

Food was good which included some pork sandwiches and store made jerky. We especially liked the cinnamon cashews. Gas prices were very good. Cheapest on our trip at $2.87 a gallon for 87 octane.

Buc'ees is incredible. And yes, I have a coffee yeti mug, multiple beer coozies, a blanket, and several other souveniers from there. Their breakfast sandwiches are phenomenal as is the wall of jerky and pretty much everything else.

The bbq sandwiches are all good and you gotta grab a bag of Beaver Nuggets for the road trip.

 

[HCCForever]

Buc'ees is incredible. And yes, I have a coffee yeti mug, multiple beer coozies, a blanket, and several other souveniers from there. Their breakfast sandwiches are phenomenal as is the wall of jerky and pretty much everything else.

The bbq sandwiches are all good and you gotta grab a bag of Beaver Nuggets for the road trip.

I will have to try the Beaver Nuggets. I believe they are the top seller. There is a Buc'ees about 80 miles from me in Daytona so I will need to go there again and try the nuggets and breakfast sandwich.

 

[Chin Diesel]

I will have to try the Beaver Nuggets. I believe they are the top seller. There is a Buc'ees about 80 miles from me in Daytona so I will need to go there again and try the nuggets and breakfast sandwich.

If you remember what Corn Pops cereal was when you are a kid, that's basically what Beaver Nuggets are. And they sell them all over the store. It's impossible to get to a register without passing a kiosk of beaver nuggets.

One more thing. When grabbing a bbq sammich, you better grab a 'nanner pudding to go with it.

 

[Chin Diesel]

Speaking of Sheetz and Wawa, has anyone gone to Buc'ees? I was traveling back to CT from Florida over the weekend and stopped in at the Buc'ees in Florence SC. It is referred to as the biggest convenience store in South Carolina with about 120 gas pumps. Good crowd in there at midnight.

Food was good which included some pork sandwiches and store made jerky. We especially liked the cinnamon cashews. Gas prices were very good. Cheapest on our trip at $2.87 a gallon for 87 octane.

A bit north of Florence right on the SC/NC border is Pedro's South of the Border complex. Now that is a pure tourist trap location that is sight to see.

 

[HCCForever]

A bit north of Florence right on the SC/NC border is Pedro's South of the Border complex. Now that is a pure tourist trap location that is sight to see.

I haven't been to Pedro's in years. I believe the last time was on my road trip to Miami from CT to watch UConn play Florida in the 1994 NCAA's.

 

[Deepster]

It's common in Hartford. So accordingly, I wouldn't expect Boneyarder's to know much about it.

Or have lived to tell about it....

 

[HuskyHawk]

A bit north of Florence right on the SC/NC border is Pedro's South of the Border complex. Now that is a pure tourist trap location that is sight to see.

I stopped once while driving from CT to Beaufort. How could I pass it up? Tacky bumper stickers and crap, plus food straight out of a HS cafeteria.

 

[Waquoit]

I haven't been to Pedro's in years. I believe the last time was on my road trip to Miami from CT to watch UConn play Florida in the 1994 NCAA's.

Do they still have all the signs on I-95? I always enjoyed them. And they work! Going west I was adamant we stop at Wall Drug. Pretty much all they had of interest to me were fresh donuts. Which isn't nothing.

 

[HCCForever]

Do they still have all the signs on I-95? I always enjoyed them. And they work! Going west I was adamant we stop at Wall Drug. Pretty much all they had of interest to me were fresh donuts. Which isn't nothing.

We drove north from Florida so we saw signs for Pedro's but not as many as I remember driving south on I-95. I usually take I-81. I went to Wall Drug on a cross country road trip for the same reasons you did. I was not impressed either.

 

[Chin Diesel]

The OP's link lists Milo's for Alabama. Where I live in Florida every grocery story and convenience store sells Milo's Ice Tea and Lemonade. I lived in the south for over a decade before I realized Milo's actually was a fast food joint.

Typical of the south the sweet tea is a diabetic event waiting to happen. Cut it 50/50 with the unsweet and it's on point. Their lemonade, with ice and vodka is a very good summertime anytime drink.

 

[Kolumbo]

Not buying fish tacos (and mahi mahi at that) as being the #1 fast food of NJ.

And since I live in western PA, I have to note that if you're going to nominate Wawa, you have to give Sheetz equal billing. The state is basically split in half, east is Wawa, west is Sheetz. Although I wouldn't argue either as the #1 fast food (and both are MAJOR chains, not mom & pop indies).

Wouldn't yinz all be voting for Primanti Bros? No way I want my fries on the sammich though. It's hard enough to find great fries, no need to slop them all up and stick them on bread. It's hard to find a regional fast food shop but Nardelli's in CT is good.

 

[dvegas]

It's hard to find a regional fast food shop but Nardelli's in CT is good.

Duchess is CT born and based, and blows Nardellis (barf) away, not a real Italian deli in state that has lots of great ones

 

[storrsroars]

Wouldn't yinz all be voting for Primanti Bros? No way I want my fries on the sammich though. It's hard enough to find great fries, no need to slop them all up and stick them on bread. It's hard to find a regional fast food shop but Nardelli's in CT is good.

These days, even most Pittsburghers would agree Primanti's is overrated and wish the national media would stop talking about it. The shame of it is that the fries aren't actually half bad when you get them on the side, but on the sandwich between the greasy meat and wet slaw, they turn to mush.

Insider's tip: Big Jim's in the Run. An anachronistic dump in a run-down neighborhood with sandwiches that can feed 2-3.

 

[Kolumbo]

These days, even most Pittsburghers would agree Primanti's is overrated and wish the national media would stop talking about it. The shame of it is that the fries aren't actually half bad when you get them on the side, but on the sandwich between the greasy meat and wet slaw, they turn to mush.

Insider's tip: Big Jim's in the Run. An anachronistic dump in a run-down neighborhood with sandwiches that can feed 2-3.

I have no doubt Primanti is overrated. But if trying to find a regional fast food favorite, it has to be a tad higher than Wawa's, which is neither regional nor fast food. Is Big Jim's a chain? There are a slew of great local joints in CT which serve great burgers, but they are not regional chains. I took the word "regional" in the title to mean some type of chain. If not a chain, then the article isn't worth crap. Plenty of local joints serving great food.

 

[Waquoit]

Duchess is CT born and based, and blows Nardellis (barf) away, not a real Italian deli in state that has lots of great ones

It's amazing that I lived in central-CT for decades and it wasn't until I visited a college buddy in Stamford that I ever heard of Duchess. It's fine but so is Nardelli's. I just had a nice sandwich fom there a couple of weeks ago.

 

[Kolumbo]

It's amazing that I lived in central-CT for decades and it wasn't until I visited a college buddy in Stamford that I ever heard of Duchess. It's fine but so is Nardelli's. I just had a nice sandwich fom there a couple of weeks ago.

I've lived in CT almost my entire life and have never been to a Duchess. Seems odd they have a dozen or so locations but only in New Haven and Fairfield counties. Closest one to me is Naugatuck. Wallingford closed last year.

Wallingford Duchess owner cites rising costs, staff shortage for closure

Wallingford Duchess owner cites rising costs, staff shortage for closure- WALLINGFORD — After 36 years of serving the community, the Duchess Restaurant in Yalesville closed last week.Owner Stuart Levitz cited the increased cost of goods and services and difficulty finding staff since the...

www.myrecordjournal.com

 

[Chin Diesel]

These days, even most Pittsburghers would agree Primanti's is overrated and wish the national media would stop talking about it. The shame of it is that the fries aren't actually half bad when you get them on the side, but on the sandwich between the greasy meat and wet slaw, they turn to mush.

Insider's tip: Big Jim's in the Run. An anachronistic dump in a run-down neighborhood with sandwiches that can feed 2-3.

Again, the linked article was click bait but if I was doing a regional/state fast food joint I'd want something that could be found throughout most of the state.

A place like Primanti's which is way out in western PA wouldn't make a list for me just because it's not spread out.