best out-of-state fast food

[mothershipconnection]

Pita-Pit is pretty good when you're drunk hungry at 3am and need a delivery. Cheap too.

 

I'll second that. Also, as far as buffets go, I like Golden Corral. There used to be a chain called Tia's Tex-Mex which was awesome (think they're bankrupt). I've yet to find truly good pizza in Texas. Nothing like a good deepdish or Edwardo's-style mountain of pizza. All you get is bland generic hand tossed.

[SoCalBrewfan]

Though I tend to stay away from them, there are a lot of good ones out here...In'N'Out, Tommy's, El Pollo Loco, Baja Fresh, Rubio's.

 

When I lived in New Orleans, I was a fan of Popeye's and Rally's...nothing healthy about them, but that's not really the point, is it? Church's was like Popeye's, but even greasier, if that's even possible. Their biscuits were better than Popeye's but otherwise it was the inferior version to be sure. IMHO of course.

 

Some of the best, though, are local places with one or two outlets. Dick's drive in in Seattle, for example, or any number of Mexican places down here. Mmmm.

[LouisEly]

Must be some Cali people chiming in with the EPL - good stuff. Personally, Fatburger = way overrated, way overpriced - $8 for a Fatburger when you can get a 4x4 at In 'n Out for $5.50? Not big on the In 'n Out fries, but I'm surprised by the number of people who don't know that you can get the fries "animal style" too (w/cheese & chopped fried onions on them). Between In 'n Out and Culvers... I gotta give the nod to Culvers because of the ice cream. I prefer the crinkle fries of Culver's to INO; to each his own.

 

For those who do not live in WI (or Spokane, WA), Rocky's is not something you can get. Seems like Rocky's is something you love or hate ("ketchup and Wonder Bread" as my friend calls it), but every WI person out here has a fix for Rocky's. Like the sauce/crust or not, Rocky's does have the best sausage around. Whenever I get back to WI I gotta make a stop at Rocky's; my friends say that I have to get a pizza and bring it on the plane back with me.

 

(Beef 'n Cheddars - 2 for $4 right now... mmmmmm.)

[homer]

I'll second Rubio's. I try to get fish tacos whenever I'm out in Cali and if all else fails I end up at Rubio's.

[mothershipconnection]

Whenever I get back to WI I gotta make a stop at Rocky's; my friends say that I have to get a pizza and bring it on the plane back with me.

 

My best friend used to live in Sacramento back when I was in Eau Claire and he had me go to Rocky's on $1 slice night and bring 20 frozen slices with me when I came to visit. His mom had purchased the perfect sized soft-sided cooler to fit them in and we had to pick it up and drop off at his mom's before any trip.

 

Today for lunch I'm going to a dumpy Taco place in a dumpy town in north texas that has the greatest Tacos money can buy, and the meal is $3.99.

[rwa12]

Count me as one of the huge Rocky's fans. I stop there every time I come back to Racine/Waukesha area (and ate there a good percentage of the time while attending Case forever ago). There is a place in STL called Crazy bowls and wraps that has really good food, kind of in the fresh fast food market. Lion's Choice has excellent roast beef, much better than Arbys IMO.

[Terok Balefire]

Unfortunately there aren't too many around anymore in Wisconsin, but Hardees has been amazing ever since they switched the menu. I never like Mushroom and Swiss burgers but the Hardees one is ridiculously awesome because they put their gravy on it. It mixes with the melted swiss and it is heaven. Plus you can't go wrong with curly fries.

[strawbossisevil]

Skyline Chili. I recommend the three way.

[NeedMoreFans]

There is a fast food chain in Iowa that I quite enjoy...Maid-Rite. They serve only loose-meat sandwiches, and fantastic malts. Once upon a time, there was one in Madison on the west side, but it closed. I try to go any time I head back to Iowa.

[hawing]

Not quite so, NMF! If you are thinking of the Maid-Rite in one of the strip malls on Odana Road, it's still there - just under a different name, Nifty 50s.

Corporate Maid-Rite notified them a few years ago that the corporate menu was going to expand (to include stuff like salads) and - I believe (not sure) - alter the Maid-Rite recipe a bit. The Madison owners decided to part ways with corporate.

 

So it's still there, with the generic name and different names for the "rite" sandwiches - otherwise the same menu, same malts/ice cream options, same 50s decor, same old school candy offerings, same free jukebox. We ate there just Friday evening.

They're still closed Sundays, though, so I apologize if this post makes you want to head right over.