From humble beginnings spanning far before our time, before the conflict in Vietnam, and the hippies of Woodstock; prior to the baby boomers of the '50s, the tragedy of Pearl Harbor and even the American public’s greatest economic foible -- the Great Depression -- we have long since enjoyed the divine, savory deliciousness of char broiled beef sandwiched between golden buns -- all made-to-order in a matter of minutes. Preferably in disc form (unlike the ungodly quadrilateral shape coined by Wendy's that we shall discuss later), a small wad of beef, cooked rapidly fast, and served in a carbohydrate-based delivery system. With origins as early as the dawn of the 1920s, with the opening of the first White Castle sliding into Wichita, Kansas. In 1921, fast food took the nation by storm, as more and more quick-to-serve burger joints sprung up across the nation; for example, the first Kentucky Fried Chicken in 1930, and McDonald’s in 1940, respectively.
Needless to say, as the first decade of the 21st century has come to pass, fast-food has come a long way from the meat-like discs of its humble beginnings -- well, let’s be honest, as far as White Castle goes, maybe not that far. Regardless, in the magical present time we have a multitude of options at our whim; the blissfully overindulgent consumer can choose anything from Mexican to Italian, Chinese to Indian or, of course, the good old American bread and butter -- the hamburger. Although today there exists so much variety and flavor in the fast-food spectrum, we, the consumers, need not refer to Martin Luther King Jr.’s iconic adage. All food is not created equal.
In fact, it’s interesting that today there exists a bit of a hierarchy in the industry. Not all food is created equal, especially not dollar-menu food. Below I’ve illustrated a run-thru of the majority of today’s domestic fast-food chains, citing each in a category of comparison, and providing an insightful description of the bottom trio of the fast food industry, adding up to the lowest of the low; cheapest of the cheap.
Taco Bell
It’s a clear cut decision who exists at the very bottom of the fast food hierarchy; bottoming out with nothing less than sawdust infused, meat-like byproduct as our chief culprit.
The Crunchwrap Supreme
A mysterious, octagonal assortment of sauces and cheeses, sandwiched in a large flour tortilla, not failing to take into account a randomly placed hard corn taco shell, for bonus carb-age.
McDonald’s
Although it may or may not be America’s favorite fast-food chain, McDonald’s didn’t achieve the prestige they now enjoy today due to the quality of their food, more so their fame gained as being America’s first burger joint.
The McGangbang
Yes, this might not be on the exact menu, per say, but this beautiful conglomerate of both beef and chicken disc compile into a glorious mixture of savory, yet unidentifiable meat.
Arby’s
Masquerading under the cruel ruse as a roast beef peddling deli, Arby’s itself concentrates efforts toward shaving meat logs to stack high piling upon their signature sandwiches, be sure to take into account that these deli cuts in question may be cut in house, but even the most scrupulous of investigations cant identify a [plausible source or origin to it all.
Junior Bacon Roast Beef
Seated towards the lower end of the value menu spectrum, this sandwich provides an ample sustenance at a price vastly more agreeable compared to that of the more high-end Arby beef-like sandwiches. On a separate note, curly fries are always a safe bet.
