I get a quarter pounder with cheese, fries and a drink. It costs almost $15. I can go to a cafe where I’m waited on and served decent food for $20.

  • edric
    link
    fedilink
    8916 days ago

    It’s in the name. It’s fast. You order at a drive-thru and you’re on your way in a couple of minutes. I agree though that prices are insane now and doesn’t justify the quality. I’d rather go to an asian restaurant for their lunch specials and get more for my buck.

    • @grue@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      English
      34
      edit-2
      16 days ago

      In a lot of cases it’s not actually fast (not just waiting in line at the drive thru, but also the time driving to and from the place), but people would apparently rather sit in traffic than cook, for some reason.

      • @Zorque@lemmy.world
        link
        fedilink
        English
        1516 days ago

        Cooking takes time, ingredients, and if you want it palatable, ability. Fast food takes driving up to a location and saying “give me something easy”.

        It’s not as fast as it used to be, but it’s still relatively quick, especially if it’s on your way home from wherever you are. Any extra time is just spent doomscrolling on your phone or listening to your preferred media pundit.

      • Ada
        link
        fedilink
        816 days ago

        I don’t drive. At work and at home I have multiple fast food options within a very short walking distance

      • sunzu2
        link
        fedilink
        216 days ago

        people would apparently rather sit in traffic than cook, for some reason.

        The thing sitting in drive through always takes time too lol

    • @Kintarian@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      816 days ago

      See, I don’t get the fast drive through thing. I pull up to the drive through. They have two lanes. Both are full and there are 10 cars ahead of me. I have to wait 10 minutes or more just to place an order and 10 minutes to get to the window to pay. It’s generally not fast at all.

    • @jacksilver@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      316 days ago

      Another thing I haven’t seen mentioned is its one of the last places open late anymore. I live close to a city, but if I need to grab something late (9:30+) fast food is about the only place open.

  • PlzGivHugs
    link
    fedilink
    English
    59
    edit-2
    16 days ago

    Its not really about the taste - its about the speed and convenience. If you want good food, you make your own. If you just finished a shift in a back-breaking job, and hate cooking, then its a chance to relax and free up some time.

    • sunzu2
      link
      fedilink
      1316 days ago

      the speed and convenience.

      Is this even true?

      • PlzGivHugs
        link
        fedilink
        English
        29
        edit-2
        14 days ago

        Relative to cooking a similar meal, absolutely. Getting McDonalds takes like 5 mins and almost no effort. Less if ordering for delivery or pickup. If I want to cook myself a burger its probably going to take me like 40 minutes to makes and fry the burger, and prepare toppings. Im sure a good chef could do it much faster, but thats not me, and esspecially not after a full work day.

        Edit: Plus, less directly measurable and comparable, but the time and work for planning, shopping, and dishes afterwards.

          • @rdrunner@lemmy.world
            link
            fedilink
            316 days ago

            I gotta say, I fucking hate doing dishes. I’m not sure what it is about it, but I just have this almost irrational dislike for washing dishes (especially pots+ pans). Sure, I’ll do it when it needs to be done, but my God do I dread it. Is there something wrong with me? Oh absolutely, but there’s plenty else to fix before the dishes issue lol

            • @Frozengyro@lemmy.world
              link
              fedilink
              316 days ago

              I’m not sure, but I know what you mean. I dread doing dishes, but my wife dreads putting dishes away. So before we had a dish washer, she would wash and I would dry/put away.

          • PlzGivHugs
            link
            fedilink
            English
            1
            edit-2
            16 days ago

            I left it out because its something that can (theoretically) be left for a more convenient time such as a weekend, so its a less one-to-one comparison. That said, thats still additional work compared to buying food.

        • sunzu2
          link
          fedilink
          716 days ago

          My point being that it is never 5 minutes anymore and it costs the same as any fast casual joint which can also be had. maybe no drive through and maybe thats the selling point for mcds but drive through aint fast either, just dont have to get out of the car.

            • sunzu2
              link
              fedilink
              116 days ago

              got set up account, and many people use those spy ware apps for mcdonlands

              chiptle shorts online orders.

              but yeah, pre-order is a good strategy, i prefer joints where i can call in tho

        • JoYo
          link
          fedilink
          English
          616 days ago

          mcds has never been 5 minutes since ive been alive.

          • @SolOrion@sh.itjust.works
            link
            fedilink
            14
            edit-2
            16 days ago

            It’s like… shockingly faster for me?

            If I have to wait five whole minutes for fast food they’re either slammed or they’re having equipment problems. I can literally count on one hand the amount of times it’s happened in the last few years.

            Tbf, though, I don’t eat fast food incredibly often. Maybe once a month.

  • @HipsterTenZero
    link
    2916 days ago

    the craving for absolute slop rears its ugly head every once in a while. I blame the ennui

    • @thrawn@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      916 days ago

      Yep. I love high quality food and spend a lot of time learning to copy from chefs I like. I’m very selective about ingredients (e.g. fish, only so much is flown in daily and accessible to normies), often make my own sauces, and have a pretty large collection of dinnerware and lacquerware for accurate plating.

      Yet like clockwork, several times a year I will eat multiple McRib patties in a single sitting. That shit has presumably the worst ingredients, the same sauce as every other year slathered inconsistently, and is presented in a cardboard box that has definitely gotten thinner. It is in no way worth anywhere near the price but I do it anyway.

      Sometimes slop hits the spot. Plus I can’t make my own heavily processed slabs of… whatever those things contain.

  • southsamurai
    link
    fedilink
    1916 days ago

    Same as they always have. It’s fast. You can grab taco bell in a flash compared to even the best run diner or cafe. And you don’t have to sit around with a bunch of strangers that are essentially walking disease vectors to do it, unless you want to.

    The draw of fast food joints has never been primarily about the food quality, or service. Yeah, you’ll likely pick the place that has what you consider better food, and avoid shit service, but that’s a different thing.

    Even joints that pretend to not be fast food (like chikfila) only pull a small portion of their consumers on the food primarily. They might draw some customers away from other fast food places, but not from sit-down places like you’re talking about

    • @XeroxCool@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      1116 days ago

      Most of this thread is overlooking familiarity, consistency. Aside from regional/international differences, the mcdouble you order at home is gonna be exactly as the same as the mcdouble ordered 400 miles away. Your usual will be there. Many people aren’t gonna take a chance on Jeff’s Cafe on the road. Jeff’s Cafe doesn’t spend a billion dollars on ads to tell you they still have the same thing you ate a decade ago. People don’t want to spend as much time and effort as it takes to read Jeff’s menu, decide what sounds good, and then see if it matches their expectation.

  • @Femcowboy@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    1616 days ago

    It’s addictive, it’s marketed well, people are uninformed about how awful it is for them, and think prepping healthy meals is a lot harder than it is.

  • originalucifer
    link
    fedilink
    1416 days ago

    pfft. sometimes its worth the 5$ to not have to slow down to cafe speed. and i like fast food, its designed to be overtly tasty

  • Ada
    link
    fedilink
    English
    1216 days ago

    Because it’s fast… Because I can take it home… Because it doesn’t feel like I’m trashing something nice when I order it to be delivered…

  • @Lost_My_Mind@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    1216 days ago

    Me 2001: Mcdonalds is running an anniversary special. Cheeseburgers are $0.10. Fuck yeah! I’mma order 20 them sumbitches!!!

    Me today at age 41: I haven’t had Mcdonalds since before the pandemic.

    “Hi, I’ll get a double quarter pounder with cheese meal, large, and I’ll wait for new fries.”

    “That’ll be $26.69”

    “HAHAHAHA, right??? Could you imagine??? what’s you’re name? James? Could you imagine that James? Charging that much for some Mcdonalds? HAHAHAHAHA!!! Ok James. That’s a good one. Now what’s the actual price?”

    “$26.69”

    “HAAAAAAAA, ok, ok, funs fun, but c’mon. I gotta pay for my food. What is it really?”

    “$26.69”

    “Wha—are you being serious?”

    “Yes.”

    “ARE YOU HIGH???”

    “Yes.”

    “Well…uhhhhh…”

    checks the board and does the math

    “WHAT THE FUCK??? IS RAY CROC HIGH???”

    “He’s dead.”

    “WELL I DON’T THINK YOU CAN BE HIGH WHEN YOU’RE DEAD JAMES!!!”

    “I know. That’s why we gotta spend the time that we’ve got on this planet doing what we love, with the people that we love. We don’t have a lot of time on this planet, and someday, maybe someday soon, something could happen. Then your best friend is just taken from you. With no warning. Maybe a lightning strike. Maybe hit by a drunk driver. You never know. So you gotta live your life doing what you can while you can to make sure that you have no regrets. Last thing you want is for someone to die before you can tell them you love them.”

    “Wow. That was beautiful. I’m sorry about your friend.”

    “Oh no. All my friends are still living. I tell them I love them all the time. And they love me too. Not in a romantkc way, but in a pure of heart real human connection kind of way. We love each other like brothers.”

    “That is a surprising level of introspection from someone of your age. You have a real sense of emotional maturity.”

    “Hey, thanks! That’ll be $26.69”

    “FUUUUUUUUUUU-----”

  • @AgentGrimstone@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    1216 days ago

    Because it’s fast and good enough. Not looking for a restaurant experience. I just want to eat and I forgot to defrost my chicken.

  • @AA5B@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    1115 days ago

    Do they have options?

    I gave up Taco Bell after college as “not actual food”, and for decades only went to McDonald’s in a road trip or Wendy’s for a frosty. There was a cheap local-ish burger joint that sometimes took their place but it was a bit out of the way …… then we got Chipotle and Panera!!! Fast food that’s actual food and not quite as bad for you. And now it’s the same price or cheaper.

    My burrito cost less than your Big Mac meal while being more filling. It has less sodium, less saturated fat, actual fiber and vegetables, and tastes so much better.

    We do have at least one authentic burrito place that’s even better and cheaper but you can’t order online. Chipotle group orders are the god of food apps

    • @Buttflapper@lemmy.world
      link
      fedilink
      714 days ago

      Do they have options?

      Returned to Atlanta after a vacation out west in a small town where there were tons of small biz cafes and restaurants… My entire street is lined with nothing but fast food bullshit. In a quarter mile radius we have McDonald’s, Arby’s, Freddy’s, Wendy’s, Chick-fil-A, Zaxby’s, Domino’s, Buffalo wild wings. Fast food has basically conquered medium to large size towns and forced out any sort of small business that’s healthy or has real food. You won’t find them anywhere, so you get exhausted and tired of driving and what is left for you? Fast food. No one wants to drive 25 minutes every time they need to get something to eat

    • @Kintarian@lemmy.worldOP
      link
      fedilink
      215 days ago

      We have Burrito Bandito. Really good and a good price.

      We finally have a Penaro that I haven’t checked out yet.

  • @Surp@lemmy.world
    link
    fedilink
    1015 days ago

    I think you answered your own question. It’s still “cheaper” than your second option.

  • @ContrarianTrail@lemm.ee
    link
    fedilink
    English
    916 days ago

    I like fast food. A steakhouse hamburger from Burger King is just as good, if not better than most hamburgers I’ve gotten from restaurants. On top of this I don’t need to wait 30 minutes to get it, I don’t need to deal with waiters and I can just leave when I’m done rather than wait for someone to bring a a check.

  • @nimble@lemmy.blahaj.zone
    link
    fedilink
    English
    9
    edit-2
    16 days ago

    It’s not about the quality, it’s about the speed.

    That said, i generally plan ahead and rarely eat fast food. And rarely eat out in general. That shit is expensive