Top Ten Tuesday: Best Fast-Food Chains

The National Champion Clemson Tigers visited the White House last night, and President Trump purchased thousands of fast food items (because of the government shutdown) for the team to dine on.

 

Congratulations @ClemsonFB! pic.twitter.com/w8viax0OWY

— Donald J. Trump (@realDonaldTrump) January 15, 2019

 

Earlier this evening, President @realDonaldTrump treated the Clemson Tigers football team to dinner in the State Dining Room! #ALLIN pic.twitter.com/P5JAo6yzfR

— The White House 45 Archived (@WhiteHouse45) January 15, 2019

 

“The reason we did this is because of the shutdown.” Pres. Trump followed through on his plan to serve Clemson Tigers football team a collection of fast food as the national champs visited The White House on Monday. https://t.co/DXjbgixKR1 pic.twitter.com/f92vfgr1Bt

— ABC News (@ABC) January 15, 2019

 

If it’s good enough for the national champions at the White House, it’s probably good enough for a lot of us. So, this week’s Top Ten Tuesday goes over the best fast food restaurants. Please note, this list does not include pizza or dessert (such as Krispy Kreme, which would be high up on the list) places.

 

10. In-N-Out Burger

If they were a nation-wide chain, perhaps In-N-Out Burger would be higher than No. 10 on the list. However, only West Coasters get the benefit of one of the better burger chains in the country. The In-N-Out quality is steady, but the menu isn’t as expansive of some other places,

 

9. Burger King

Burger King has made progress with their breakfast slate in an attempt to catch up with competitors like McDonald’s in the department, and it’s helped make them better overall. BK is solid, but most likely agree it’s not quite in the elite tier of fast food restaurants. One major mishap was not eliminating toys from the kids menu (aside from partnerships, such as a recent one for the Aquaman movie), as that’s a definite boost for children.

 

8. Whataburger

Many of the Clemson players are probably big fans of Whataburger and might have been hoping it somehow made it to Washington D.C. for last night’s dinner. If you haven’t been in the south, you never had the burger chain before, but just take a look at the huge menu and you’ll want to give it a try someday.

 

7. McDonald’s

McDonald’s gets the slight edge over Whataburger because it’s available across the United States and is among the most convenient fast-food chains in the world. Also, McDonald’s has a wide arrangement of desserts (including the McFlurry, despite them becoming a meme because of broken machines), coffees, and breakfast options.

 

6. Popeyes

Most of these restaurants focus on burgers for their lunch and dinner offerings, but Popeyes delivers chicken with a Southern twist. The majority of states have Popeyes, and the chicken is arguably normal-restaurant-quality. And if you aren’t into chicken, there are other Southern-style non-chicken options from Popeyes, including fish and shrimp.

 

5. Five Guys

Has anyone tried the hot dogs from Five Guys? They’re probably fine for a non-sandwich option (hot dogs are not sandwiches), but the burgers are what Five Guys are known for. There are plenty of toppings to choose from to make a burger to your liking, you can order plenty of boardwalk-style fries to go with it. Also, while a bacon shake they offer might not be for you, there are several great options available at locations that offer milkshakes.

 

4. Taco Bell

Taco Bell has exploded in popularity the last several years, focusing on younger generations and utilizing social media—along with solid television commercials. The menu has also gotten better in recent years, as Taco Bell hasn’t been afraid to try new things to attract people to them—and tacos just work. There are also vegetarian options for those living that lifestyle.

 

3. Wendy’s

Similarly, Wendy’s has done a good job of driving home the point that their beef is “fresh, never frozen.” It shows in their burgers, as they probably have the best when compared to McDonald’s and Burger King. The fries and chicken are of pretty good quality, and they get the bacon right on their burgers. Also, the simple Frosty remains a timeless dessert item to go with a meal.

 

2. KFC

There arguably isn’t a better fast-food place to get a full meal than Kentucky Fried Chicken. They have an excellent choice of sides to go along with the classic chicken and chicken sandwiches that are tough to top. Non-meat-eaters aside, you can just buy a bucket of chicken, some Popcorn nuggets, a combo, a pot pie, or a $5 fill-up box and you’re probably good to go ordering from KFC.

 

1. Chick-fil-A

It was a big surprise that Chick-fil-A wasn’t included in Clemson’s White House feast, as it would have been a good fit with the religious, faith-driven squad led by Dabo Swinney. There have been many stories about Chick-fil-A employees going above and beyond for their customers, which gives the restaurant a boost in the rankings. Chick-fil-A also happens to have truly excellent, tasty food—from the chicken, to salads, to yogurts, to soups, to great milkshakes.