Bigger Isn't Anywhere Near Better

A new Consumer Reports reader survey of fast food chains finds that the kings are so far from the top of the hill when it comes to taste, and have so much competition, that they're now at the bottom of the hill.

We asked subscribers this direct question: On a scale of  1 to 10, from least delicious to most delicious you’ve ever eaten, how would you rate the taste? We heard about 53,745 burger chains’ burgers, chicken chains’ fried or roasted chicken, Mexican chains’ burritos, and sandwich chains’ sub—or heroes, hoagies, grinders, or wedges, depending on where you call home.

The tables reveal that some signature dishes came close to our readers’ benchmarks for excellence. But many of the biggest names earned significantly lower scores for the foods that made them famous, notably McDonald’s. The chain, which serves flash-frozen patties made with 100 percent USDA-inspected beef, touts them as free from  “preservatives, fillers, extenders, and so-called pink slime.” Such a pledge might be comforting, but it’s hardly a rousing endorsement. McDonald’s own customers ranked its burgers significantly worse than those of 20 competitors, including Hardee’s, White Castle, and Carl’s Jr. No other house specialty scored as low. 

Taco Bell’s burritos were also voted least luscious. And the subs from Subway, the world’s largest restaurant chain with more than 40,000 units in 106 countries, are near the bottom of the list.

I can't say I'm surprised.  KFC also came in dead last for chicken, too  The only things that the big fast food chains have going for them anymore is price, and even then there's so much competition for the nearly $700 billion yearly restaurant business, that's simply no guarantee of success anymore.

It's still a pretty big component of success however.  There's a reason the big guys remain the largest chains, especially Subway and McDonald's.  That $5 footlong and the cheeseburger for a buck still makes a lot of profit...especially with the terrible wages these places pay.

Likewise, when you can't afford a $7 Chipotle burrito, you buy a bunch of 99 cent tacos at Taco Bell and call it a day.  It's good to see that fast casual dining chains are doing better, but not everyone can afford to eat there.