u/Pale-Lynx328

I have been reviewing a different fast food/fast casual restaurant every day for the past 200 days, and earlier I reviewed the following three restaurants. However, these three received "poor" scores for one reason or another, but based on previous experience and visits I knew they could do better. Perhaps it was an "off day", perhaps it was the specific item I ordered. In any case, here are some "second chance" reviews, where I am re-visiting the chain, to see if it can redeem itself and earn a higher score.

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13. Day 29: Freebirds World Burrito (66 locations, 2 states)

Freebird's used to be the "edgy upstart with attitude" build-a-burrito place, the Texas version of Chipotle-Only-Better. For a while several years ago, I would go there regularly, probably once or twice a month. But somewhere along the way, something happened, and I can't exactly put my finger on what, or when. All I know is at some point, the cheap five-dollars-plus meal I would normally order, ended up costing me thirteen dollars out of the blue, and I pretty much stopped going cold for a while after that.

And when I tried again, it just wasn't the same. The menu is pretty much the same - all build-a-burrito places (and there are LOTS of them) are built on the same menu and same options. The only thing I can point to that is clearly different are their tortilla chips. Terrible chips for nachos, they don't hold up in the slightest, so it's just toppings on soggy used-to-be-corn-chips. This plate of nachos was better than the meal I had before, but still mid at best.

I dunno, man - it just seems that Freebird's is losing its edge, to better places, with better ingredients and better service, who are actually really really nice. Why go here, when I can go to Cabo Bob's instead, for (my regional) example?

Meal Quality: +1.5, going from 3.5 -> 5. Meal Value no change, going from 5 -> 5 (out of 10)

14. Day 77: Steak n' Shake (394 locations, 23 states)

Buckle up, it's multi-paragraph long-winded exposition time. If you want to skip to the actual review, go down to the first bolded sentence. There was a time, a little before COVID, when the owners of Steak 'n Shake thought they were the hottest shit in the world. The decades-old American staple casual-dining restaurant was in serious decline, losing money and locations at an alarming rate, until snatched up by the Biglari's, who slashed the menu drastically, cut costs sharply, closed unprofitable locations, and had quickly turned Steak n' Shake around...well, at least financially, which is all that they were concerned about. The Biglari's were the type of corporate weasels that only really saw the company as a way to make the money, so they could show up at their big, glitzy events in a limo and pretend they were the fast food version of Elon Musk.

But the cost-cutting came at a price, and that was left-handed-upper-cut of severe under-funding of their aging locations, which combined with the right-handed one-two-roundhouse of COVID ended up turning their darling profits once again deeply into the red, and Steak 'n Shakes were closing nationwide by the dozens, then low hundreds.

During the Biglari high-point, they moved their headquarters to San Antonio, and planned a big expansion that never came to fruition. Exactly one Steak 'n Shake opened in town from those expansion plans, a new concept Steak 'n Shake they called their "flagship", which was a counter-order fast food place that ONLY served a selection of burgers and fries and shakes, as well as alcohol.

Finally in 2022, Biglari cut their losses and sold Steak 'n Shake to the embattled and controversial Frisch's Restaurants (of Big Boy fame), and since then has taken an extreme hard-right political turn, embracing anti-American values and even anointing a protege of the Brainworm Guy as the company's 'Chief MAHA Officer'.

During this time, Steak n' Shake has made wide-scale changes to convert their remaining restaurants to a fast food model, with kiosk-only ordering, limited menu options, and a discontinuation of table service. That 'flagship' location I mentioned above? That, too, was part of the conversion, as I soon found out as I visited for this review.

The previous visit, I ended up with some crappy patty melt burger and fries that was literally SWIMMING in a pool of grease; literally as in probably the greasiest meal I've had in years, and with 200+ fast food reviews that's saying a lot. They pride themselves on their 'beef tallow' they use, but I couldn't give a shit one way or another, or taste any difference. It was just greasy as fucking hell fries swimming in the bottom of the basket. Ew.

As for this second time around...to my complete and utter shock, they redeemed themselves! This time, I ordered their world-famous Frisco Melt, and a side of chili-cheese fries. And I do honestly mean world famous, they really are known for knocking that burger out of the park when they do it right. And here, they did it right. When made correctly, the Steak 'n Shake Frisco Melt is *orgasmically* good. Damn good. If I had three of them in front of me, I could have scarfed them all down in a matter of a few minutes. Perfectly toasted sourdough, well cooked 'steak'burger, the cheese, and the sauce they use all come together perfectly. This is the way to order and eat Steak 'n Shake.

The chili cheese fries were also a significant improvement over the grease sticks I had before. Fries by themselves were just okay (and once again, Steak 'n Shake, screw the heavy promotion of that beef tallow nonsense shit, no one cares, it does NOT make them better). And it's the normal chili and normal nacho cheese you would expect in a situation like this, but it worked well together. (Could've done with a bean-less chili, though, which works better when used as a topping). Good job.

And the cherry on top is that all of this was relatively less expensive than what you would expect to pay at similar places. Nearly a complete 180-swing from first review to second chance review. Good job, Steak 'n Shake. That being said, I'm not eating here again until they drop their hard-core anti-American ways, but that's a personal decision just for me alone, YMMV.

Meal Quality: +5, going from 3 -> 8. Meal Value: +2, going from 5 ->7 (out of 10)

15. Day 36: Wayback Burger (168 locations, 35 states)

After writing way too much above, let's wrap this up quickly, with a trip to another lackluster burger place. I do want to like Wayback, I really do, but in the original review, and this review, as well as the few times I've been in years past, they're just not hitting on all cylinders. At least not yet.

This time I ordered the "Cajun Burger" with onion rings. I asked them, what makes it specifically "Cajun". Apparently, it's a regular burger -- with some extra seasoning (in this case, a remoulade). Well, okay then. That's not a deal-breaker by any means. Normal burger is with an extra sauce is still good.

And it was an okay burger, but that's all it was: Okay. There's nothing special about their burgers at all that make me want to spend an extra couple of bucks here, rather than some other fast food place that can give me an equally okay burger for less. This burger was better than the A-1 Steak Sauce burger I had in the first review, but not by much, and nothing here worth noting specially.

Onion rings were also okay (at least they weren't fries), even if they were just the normal Sysco/US Foods/whatever brand tossed in the fryer. Extra bonus for being lots of them, though.

Meal Quality: +1, going from 5 -> 6. Meal Value: +1, going from 3 -> 4 (out of 10)

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More "Second Chance" reviews coming down the line, in addition to the regular reviews! (And no, not every second chance review will be a positive one :))

Chain Name	Dutch Bros. Coffee
Food category	Primary: Beverage
# of US Locations	1199
# of US States	25
Primarily located in	California, Texas, Oregon, Arizona
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	44th
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $9.62, standard dev. $3.81)	46th out of 55 snacks
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	5 (out of 10) / 4 (out of 10)

It seems like Dutch Brothers is popping up all over the place.

It's actually the nearest 'restaurant' to where I live, about 7/10ths of a mile walking distance, beating out the nearby Starbucks on the same intersection by a few hundred feet. And they have been growing by leaps and bounds, with their easily-identifiable blue-and-white buildings seeming like they are around every corner.

Dutch Brothers wants to give industry leader Starbucks a run for its money, and as the second largest beverage-based "restaurant", it is in the prime position to try just that, with year-over-year sales growth at an eye-watering 31%. But...it has a long way to go. They may SEEM like they are everywhere, but Starbucks has an order of magnitude-plus more locations (16941 vs 1199) and an even wider gap in gross annual sales ($31.5 billion vs. $1.8 billion). Dutch Brothers may be a very respectable 44th place among restaurants (putting it around the same in revenue as Texas Roadhouse), but Starbucks is a whole 'nother level as the 2nd largest US "restaurant".

Sure, Starbucks has a target on its back...but it will be many years before Dutch Brothers is nearly as ubiquitous. Even in the town where I live, there are only 14 Dutch Brothers locations compared to 78 Starbucks.

And secondly, they are somewhat different restaurant models. Starbucks drove its growth as a coffee-based beverage restaurant with indoor seating where you could chill a few hours while studying or doing business. They may be transitioning more towards a takeout/delivery model these days to meet changes in customer demand, but their indoor footprint remains.

Dutch Brothers, on the other hand, is almost-EXCLUSIVELY a drive-thru. No indoor, no seating. Furthermore. even though they have 'coffee' in their name, turns out that nearly half of their sales are non-coffee related - mainly with a mix of iced or slushed drinks, milkshakes and sparkling soda mixes, and in particular various preparations of energy drinks. They have actually introduced two entire company-specific energy drink brands to the market: Rebel and Myst.

They lean heavily into their energy drinks, so I decided to try their "Aftershock Rebel", which is an iced mix of berry and lime flavors with their Rebel energy drink. And while I drink regular sodas like there's no tomorrow, I have never been a fan of energy drinks. Not because of the extra caffeine (which my heart really doesn't need), but mostly because I have never found one that has a flavor I like. It seems like they intentionally all have these shocking "extra extra" flavors, and I end up with some bitter concoction with "Guarino-chai-berry-ghost-pepper-shock!" or whatever. In the energy drink market, it seems the weirder the flavor, the better. Not a Millennial, sorry.

And sorry to say, the "Aftershock Rebel" did not dissuade me from that - it still had that weird bitter taste you get from most energy drinks, the fruits they added did not help to disguise that. I was not impressed. Especially for something that was north of six bucks.

Then again, I WAS impressed with their overall broad menu of other options, so maybe I just chose poorly, and might be worth a reconsideration. And if Dutch Brothers continues on their meteoric growth trajectory, I'll probably have plenty of opportunities.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. Originally I thought this might end around 100 days, but I keep discovering new places I wasn't aware of before, so I keep going until I run out, which at this point may be around 300 days. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	Little Caesar's Pizza
Food category	Primary: Pizza Pizza
# of US Locations	4203
# of US States	50
Primarily located in	Everywhere.
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	22nd
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $15.97, standard dev. $3.03)	171st out of 258 meals.
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	6.5 (out of 10) / 5 (out of 10)

Did you ever notice that Little Caesar's stopped using its iconic catchphrase, "Pizza Pizza!"?

One of the "Big Four" in the pizza business, behind Domino's and Pizza Hut, but ahead of Papa John's, Little Caesar's can be found in all fifty states, multiple countries, and is still growing. Pizza may be a tough market to crack for all of the crabs in the bucket in the second tier trying to break through (Marco's, Round Table, Mountain Mike's, Jet's, Godfather's, Hungry Howie's, Pizza Ranch, Donato's), but Little Caesar's has firmly entrenched themselves and are here to stay - more likely to rise to second place than fall to any usurper.

That being said, I've never really been a customer of Little Caesar's. Not for any particular reason or dislike, and through all sorts of office "pizza parties" and movie nights and whatever else over the years, I've had my share of their pies. I have neither fond memories nor bad thoughts - they have always just sort of been 'there', and that's it.

So, jumping in to order a meat-heavy pizza to compare against the other chains I've tried, I end up with their three-meat pizza. And I have to say, it's pretty decent. Hot and fresh, just like they advertise, plenty of toppings, lots of cheese, good sauce. This is a solid pizza. (And, one should add, by itself more calories than FIVE Big Macs).

If I had to voice a concern, it's with the somewhat pedestrian crust, which wasn't bad but not a fan of, either. Then again, they do have multiple crust types available, and I just defaulted to whatever seemed normal, so they may have other better options for that, too.

Not going to say it's the best pizza out there (especially since I still have other chains to review before I can even judge that), but Little Caesar's definitely ends up on the positive side of my list.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. Originally I thought this might end around 100 days, but I keep discovering new places I wasn't aware of before, so I keep going until I run out, which at this point may be around 300 days. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	Wendy's
Food category	Primary: Disappointment
# of US Locations	5685
# of US States	50
Primarily located in	Everywhere.
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	5th
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $15.97, standard dev. $3.03)	241st out of 258 meals.
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	4 (out of 10) / 4 (out of 10)

(insert sad trombone noises here)

Oh, Wendy's, how you disappoint me so. You were never great, but at least you were the closest fast food place to reach the all unobtainable ideal of 'you can get it fast, you can get it cheap, you can get it good'.

And to be fair, this particular meal wasn't that bad, either. Just...sub-par and disappointing. The Wendy's of today just isn't the same as the Wendy's of twenty or thirty years ago. Dave's Not Here, Man...and it shows.

Much has been written about where Wendy's has gone wrong, by many journalists and fans alike. Yet they are still the 5th largest restaurant (of any kind) in all of the United States, in all major and minor markets in all 50 states. But while their competitors have been innovating, adapting, changing and meeting the newer needs of a newer market, Wendy's has not. Their stores are still in the same old highway intersections that were traffic centers decades ago; their store interiors and exteriors the same as they were decades ago; heck even their menu boards are mostly still analog in a world that went digital a generation ago. When was the last time Wendy's innovated ANYTHING?

Used to be, back in the nineties, I could order a bunch of cheap stuff off their value menu, and literally before I had time to get my change and stuff it in my wallet, they were already finished putting it all on the tray for me to walk away from the counter with. Literal FAST food.

And yeah, I knew full well it's not gourmet food - aiming for more like a seven-out-of-ten-is-good-enough, and that was, for the price, good enough. Now they can't even reach that.

I ordered the "Son of Baconator", one of the last "new" sandwiches added to their menu a full 19 years ago. Loot at that photo - see if you can spot the bacon. And as a side, rather than their legendarily-lackluster fries, I chose the chili. Which, I will readily admit, I have ALWAYS liked, and continue to like, even though I know full well what it is. So sue me.

And it was just...sad. Burger was okay I guess. But in a market where I can get a similar burger for the same price but MUCH better quality from about ten other places within a ten minute drive...why bother with Wendy's any more? Leave me to sit alone in an otherwise-completely-empty dining room during dinner "rush", old battered furniture inside a building that is probably nearly as old as I am, nothing but bright lights and buzzing air conditioning and employees somewhere hidden in back doing whatever the fuck no good they do to pass the time. Just a sad meal at a disappointing chain that is bereft of direction and ideas. Will someone just put Wendy's out of its misery already?

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. Originally I thought this might end around 100 days, but I keep discovering new places I wasn't aware of before, so I keep going until I run out, which at this point may be around 300 days. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	Teapioca
Food category	Primary: Beverage
# of US Locations	28
# of US States	5
Primarily located in	Texas, and in Texas mostly Austin
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	not ranked
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $9.62, standard dev. $3.81)	33rd out of 47 snacks
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	5.5 (out of 10) / 4 (out of 10)

Quick snack review - Teapioca - portmanteau of "Tea" and "Tapioca", which is what those slimy little boba balls are usually made of. Which I sidestepped this time by ordering something else on the menu that doesn't contain the slime-pearls.

Basically, another place that is pushing the boundaries of what a "beverage" is. As someone who has grown up with the pretty standard same selection of juices and colas and plain tea and whatnot, my general reaction to this new breed of drink places goes something like this.

Frappiocas? Bobanadas? Cream Blasteas?

Well, I'll stick to a smoothie, thank you very much. But at least I'm adventurous to get a red bean smoothie, which turned out to be pretty interesting. It has a very mild, understated sweetness to it, just a hint of sweet that I kind of liked. But because of the beans, it did end up being just a little gritty in the process.

To be honest, I probably would be okay with working through some of the options on the menu just to see what they are like -- and whether I actually would like them or not. After all, I've been drinking from the same list of standard American options for decades now, and the impetus for this Fast Food Death Match was to try out new things I likely would not try on my own. The only issue with that is -- many of these drink options are kinda pricy. It's not like I can keep throwing six, seven, eight bucks at places like this all the time, when a Big Gulp is still a buck-oh-seven.

Even so, with the sudden proliferation of places like Swig and Dutch Brothers and Gong Cha and Kung Fu Tea and Tastea and a dozen others like it, I'm sure I'll probably have my chance to try at least a few more new things.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. Originally I thought this might end around 100 days, but I keep discovering new places I wasn't aware of before, so I keep going until I run out, which at this point may be around 300 days. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	MAD Greens
Food category	Primary: Salad
# of US Locations	24
# of US States	3
Primarily located in	Denver, Phoenix and Austin areas
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	not ranked
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $15.97, standard dev. $3.03)	86th out of 227 meals.
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	5 (out of 10) / 3 (out of 10)

A funny thing happened on my way to this review of this Colorado-based salad chain.

Between the time I actually visited and now, MAD Greens has announced they are undergoing a major menu redesign to improve their product and increase the value proposition. Behind the scenes at several fast food and fast casual restaurants, the C-suite is looking at lackluster first quarter sales and engagement, and dreading the direction the US economy is heading. MAD Greens took a hard look and realized, if they want to remain relevant, they have to be proactive and make their move now.

So, MAD Greens has announced menu changes, updating what they offer to include bolder, more memorable flavors, increase portions especially with proteins, so that they would be viewed more than just one of the many local/regional salad-based fast food spots around the nation.

Will it work? *shrugs* I dunno - I mean, a salad is a salad is a salad. I guess the key is not so much to change how people view the salad, but to make it a better salad bowl than their local competitors.

I have to admit, it's probably the right move at the right time, though. Because when I visited and ordered the cobb salad bowl, it was a pretty uninspired bowl of salad, and a little pricey for what I got. It was a boring salad, full stop. Not bad *per se*, just more along the lines of take-it-or-leave-it. Everything was fresh, dressing was somewhat light, and there were a LOT of greens compared to everything else you would expect in a cobb salad.

So, if they want to redesign it, so that it's bolder with more everything-but-lettuce, I'm all for that.

Sigh - you know I really really do miss the days of Sweet Tomatoes and Souplantion and similar restaurants that were effectively killed off by COVID. These carefully curated bowls put together by people behind the counter, rather than letting us pile on our plates ourselves....it's just not the same.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. Originally I thought this might end around 100 days, but I keep discovering new places I wasn't aware of before, so I keep going until I run out, which at this point may be around 300 days. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	Mr. Teriyaki
Food category	Primary: Asian-Inspired
# of US Locations	3
# of US States	1
Primarily located in	San Antonio
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	not ranked
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $15.97, standard dev. $3.03)	82nd out of 227 meals.
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	9 (out of 10) / 5 (out of 10)

This is an "indulge me" review.

By my own 'rules' I set up for myself to determine what fast food chains are eligible to review, and which ones are not, Mr. Teriyaki fails those rules. It's too small (3 locations, with the 4th one under construction) and too local (San Antonio only). But I really like this place, dammit, so I'm reviewing it. Consider this a matter of personal indulgence and this is more advocacy than review.

Mr. Teriyaki is a new chain (just a couple years old) that, true to its name, serves mainly teriyaki dishes with beef, chicken or shrimp, and bento boxes. On a national level, it is similar (and at a similar price point) to what Teriyaki Madness offers. Or, Sarku Japan, or F&F Japanese Grill.

And the final dish itself is nothing especially fancy - a serving of grilled meat on top of a bed of rice, with a side of vegetables. But Mr. Teriyaki has it down pat - perfectly cooked and abundantly spiced, and a really large portion size at that. Not the dried out, overcooked stringy stuff you might find at some mall place, but good and juicy right off the grill. When done right, it shows.

Still only limited to one city, so for the fraction of one percent of people reading this who are in San Antonio, this is for you.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. Originally I thought this might end around 100 days, but I keep discovering new places I wasn't aware of before, so I keep going until I run out, which at this point may be around 300 days. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

I have been reviewing a different fast food/fast casual restaurant every day for the past 200 days, and earlier I reviewed the following three restaurants. However, these three received "poor" scores for one reason or another, but based on previous experience and visits I knew they could do better. Perhaps it was an "off day", perhaps it was the specific item I ordered. In any case, here are some "second chance" reviews, where I am re-visiting the chain, to see if it can redeem itself and earn a higher score.

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10. Day 12: Arby's (3284 locations, 48 states)

I have fond memories of Arby's when I was little, one of our family's few luxuries our family would indulge in about once a month, because that's what our family could afford. It's always been the 'odd man out' compared to other fast food places, the only one (at least where I lived) that sold roast beef, when everyone else was burgers or chicken.

So I really do want to like Arby's now, but sometimes they make it hard -- mostly because there can be a huge range in quality and experience from one franchised location to the next. Their lack of consistency is their greatest challenge.

But here, I found one of the "good" locations, and ordered two items off their 2-for-7 menu (regular roast beef and beef & cheddar), plus a buffalo chicken slider as a side in lieu of fries. Remember when the sliders first came out, for 99 cents? Now they're two and a half bucks, but still the buffalo slider is worth it. Arby's is rarely a knock-it-out-of-the-park type place (except for their Thanksgiving Deep Fried Turkey sandwiches, which are god-tier), but they are usually solid and filling, even if their signature sauce does give me heartburn later on. You just have to make sure you find one of the "good" locations and stick with it.

Meal Quality: +1.5, going from 5.5 -> 7. Meal Value +1, going from 4 -> 5 (out of 10)

11. Day 124: DoubleDave's Pizza (34 locations, 3 states)

There was a time, pre-COVID, when I was working in the office every day, and near the office was a DoubleDave's that had their lunch buffet, which I would destroy once a week without fail, then return to work that afternoon in a food coma. Then COVID came, remote work started, buffets came to an end everywhere, as well as eating in at pizza places in general, and DoubleDave's the chain has been in a bit of slump since then because of it.

But one thing hasn't changed - and that is that their hot pizzas right out of the oven with cheese still bubbling and sauce so hot it burns the taste buds off the roof of your mouth, are something else. Great when fresh and hot on the buffet line, and also just as amazing when ordered individually. Their minutes-old hot pepperoni pizza is terrific, but you have to eat it fast, because within a matter of minutes it loses its luster, and by the last piece it's cooled down to just 'average'. The same is somewhat true for other pizza chains as well, but seems to be extra-extra true for DoubleDave's in particular.

Meal Quality: +1.5, going from 5 -> 6.5. Meal Value: no change, going from 5 -> 5 (out of 10)

12. Day 23: Golden Chick (246 locations, 6 states)

Out of all the 'second-tier-size' chicken chains, I really want to like Golden Chick the most. They seem to have an extra something that raises them just a shade above Chicken Express or Bush's Chicken, for example. But there's one major problem: The value.

This time around I chose their three-piece 'Golden Roast' chicken with corn nuggets, and I don't know what spice mix they use, but it tastes terrific. This is wonderful chicken, super-extra juicy, too. Problem is, how much of it you actually get for what you spend. These were three of the least-meaty chicken pieces I've seen in a long time (especially that wimpy wing). Not just small, but pitifully small, as if they intentionally chose the smallest pieces possible, just for me. Tastes great, Golden Chick, but damn you're stingy, especially at the prices you're charging.

Meal Quality: +2.5, going from 3.5 -> 6. Meal Value: -1, going from 3 -> 2 (out of 10)

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More "Second Chance" reviews coming down the line, in addition to the regular reviews! (And no, not every second chance review will be a positive one :))

I have been reviewing a different fast food/fast casual restaurant every day for the past 200 days, and earlier I reviewed the following three restaurants. However, these three received "poor" scores for one reason or another, but based on previous experience and visits I knew they could do better. Perhaps it was an "off day", perhaps it was the specific item I ordered. In any case, here are some "second chance" reviews, where I am re-visiting the chain, to see if it can redeem itself and earn a higher score.

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10. Day 12: Arby's (3284 locations, 48 states)

I have fond memories of Arby's when I was little, one of our family's few luxuries our family would indulge in about once a month, because that's what our family could afford. It's always been the 'odd man out' compared to other fast food places, the only one (at least where I lived) that sold roast beef, when everyone else was burgers or chicken.

So I really do want to like Arby's now, but sometimes they make it hard -- mostly because there can be a huge range in quality and experience from one franchised location to the next. Their lack of consistency is their greatest challenge.

But here, I found one of the "good" locations, and ordered two items off their 2-for-7 menu (regular roast beef and beef & cheddar), plus a buffalo chicken slider as a side in lieu of fries. Remember when the sliders first came out, for 99 cents? Now they're two and a half bucks, but still the buffalo slider is worth it. Arby's is rarely a knock-it-out-of-the-park type place (except for their Thanksgiving Deep Fried Turkey sandwiches, which are god-tier), but they are usually solid and filling, even if their signature sauce does give me heartburn later on. You just have to make sure you find one of the "good" locations and stick with it.

Meal Quality: +1.5, going from 5.5 -> 7. Meal Value +1, going from 4 -> 5 (out of 10)

11. Day 124: DoubleDave's Pizza (34 locations, 3 states)

There was a time, pre-COVID, when I was working in the office every day, and near the office was a DoubleDave's that had their lunch buffet, which I would destroy once a week without fail, then return to work that afternoon in a food coma. Then COVID came, remote work started, buffets came to an end everywhere, as well as eating in at pizza places in general, and DoubleDave's the chain has been in a bit of slump since then because of it.

But one thing hasn't changed - and that is that their hot pizzas right out of the oven with cheese still bubbling and sauce so hot it burns the taste buds off the roof of your mouth, are something else. Great when fresh and hot on the buffet line, and also just as amazing when ordered individually. Their minutes-old hot pepperoni pizza is terrific, but you have to eat it fast, because within a matter of minutes it loses its luster, and by the last piece it's cooled down to just 'average'. The same is somewhat true for other pizza chains as well, but seems to be extra-extra true for DoubleDave's in particular.

Meal Quality: +1.5, going from 5 -> 6.5. Meal Value: no change, going from 5 -> 5 (out of 10)

12. Day 23: Golden Chick (246 locations, 6 states)

Out of all the 'second-tier-size' chicken chains, I really want to like Golden Chick the most. They seem to have an extra something that raises them just a shade above Chicken Express or Bush's Chicken, for example. But there's one major problem: The value.

This time around I chose their three-piece 'Golden Roast' chicken with corn nuggets, and I don't know what spice mix they use, but it tastes terrific. This is wonderful chicken, super-extra juicy, too. Problem is, how much of it you actually get for what you spend. These were three of the least-meaty chicken pieces I've seen in a long time (especially that wimpy wing). Not just small, but pitifully small, as if they intentionally chose the smallest pieces possible, just for me. Tastes great, Golden Chick, but damn you're stingy, especially at the prices you're charging.

Meal Quality: +2.5, going from 3.5 -> 6. Meal Value: -1, going from 3 -> 2 (out of 10)

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More "Second Chance" reviews coming down the line, in addition to the regular reviews! (And no, not every second chance review will be a positive one :))

Chain Name	ShareTea
Food category	Primary: Beverage
# of US Locations	140
# of US States	24
Primarily located in	Texas, California, Washington
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	470th
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $9.62, standard dev. $3.81)	30th out of 33 snacks
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	4 (out of 10) / 4 (out of 10)

Quick snack review - ShareTea is an international chain that sells primarily milk and fruit-flavored tea iced drinks with boba. And for those of us who grew up in the Flyover American Monoculture, 'boba' are these little pearls of squishy, soft, slimy tapioca (or similar starch) that are added to drinks. ShareTea does have some other non-boba drinks, but it's the fruit or milk teas they are known for.

Given that's what they are known for, I figured, well, to be a decent reviewer, that's what I should be reviewing. So, I ordered the "Berry Lychee Burst", which mixes green tea with strawberry and lychee flavors and ice, then adds "strawberry bursting boba".

Thanks I Hate It.

Well, hate is too strong a word. I hate the boba. One does not "chew" tea. It's just weird, has an unpleasant texture, and no sir I don't like it. Otherwise, the drink itself is okay...but really just a sweet fruity drink, where I am paying a few bucks for the iced tea, and several more for some squirts of 'fruit flavors'. I grew up with straight black unsweetened ice tea, the way god intended tea to be made in Flyover America; this is okay as a sweet kool-aid type drink (90% sugary fruit flavor and a hint of tea tartness), but it ain't my cup of tea. Especially when I'm basically paying twice as much as what I could get at the nearby Sonic, or even the new 'HTeaO' chains out there.

I guess I'm just not a 'cutesy drink' sort of man.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. Originally I thought this might end around 100 days, but I keep discovering new places I wasn't aware of before, so I keep going until I run out, which at this point may be around 300 days. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	Coco Shrimp
Food category	Primary: Seafood
# of US Locations	10
# of US States	1
Primarily located in	D/FW and College Station
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	not ranked
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $15.97, standard dev. $3.03)	94th out of 227 meals.
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	9 (out of 10) / 6 (out of 10)

I can already tell that once all is said and done and I'm putting together my Top Ten list, Coco Shrimp is going to be a strong candidate.

It's a local chain, with locations surrounding the Dallas/Fort Worth Metroplex, plus one outpost in College Station, but it is bubbling on the verge of breaking out to a larger regional presence. Until that happens, though, you'll have to travel to Texas to enjoy this little slice of the North Shore.

Starting out as a food truck a decade ago, it retains one characteristic that many similar food truck businesses retain when they start opening retail locations: a limited menu focused on one thing. And for Coco Shrimp, that one thing is shrimp, and only shrimp.

They have grilled or fried shrimp in five flavors, available as a plate with rice and salad, or as tacos. And that's it. The owners say they are intentionally following the In 'n Out model of ownership (for strong control and consistency) and laser-focusing on serving only one item. Don't expect the menu to expand any time soon.

And that's fine with me, because as far as I am concerned, what they are doing is PERFECT. I ordered the 'sampler', which is seven shrimp (coconut, butter garlic and spicy), which comes with sweet chili sauce for dipping, on top of buttered rice and a side of salad with poppy-seed dressing. (I missed adding the grilled pineapple for an extra dollah, otherwise it would have been perfect). These ain't your little popcorn embarrassments you get at Long John Silver's or Zaxby's - these were full-on jumbo shrimp (maybe 15/16 size or thereabouts), or what I live to call "three/four-bite shrimp")

They frickin' nailed it. Perfectly cooked without getting overcooked and rubbery, juicy large shrimp. Coconut-battered shrimp was my favorite, because the sweet chili sauce was the best pairing. Couldn't miss the drenched garlic butter and spicy sauces on the grilled shrimp, which also dripped into the rice. Great friendly da kine atmosphere, too.

Now, if they would only open up location near me, instead of hours away, that would be great...for everything except my waistline and my wallet.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. Originally I thought this might end around 100 days, but I keep discovering new places I wasn't aware of before, so I keep going until I run out, which at this point may be around 300 days. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	Nick the Greek
Food category	Primary: Mediterranean
# of US Locations	95
# of US States	8
Primarily located in	Nearly all locations in California
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	318th
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $15.97, standard dev. $3.03)	98th out of 227 meals.
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	7.5 (out of 10) / 5 (out of 10)

Finally, a Greek fast food place that I ended up liking!

For now, Nick the Greek is largely a west coast chain, with only a handful of locations in other states. Founded a decade ago by three guys named Nick, it has been on a tear recently, opening up new stores in new markets at a pretty fast clip. Their menu is pretty straightforward with basic Greek menu items like gyros and souvlaki and spanakopita and baklava, plus salad and plate and 'protein' options.

Keeping it simple, I chose a single gyro and fries, which seemed a bit on the pricy side for one gyro. That is, until I received it, and realized it was HUGE. This ain't some sad Arby's imitation, this is the Real Deal. Loads of slivered meat, plus the tzatziki sauce was not just some bland white stuff, but had a bit of a punch, inside a fresh pita. Very tasty, very juicy, and very filling. One gyro is all you need here.

Yeah, I know I've been putting down fries, but these are Nick the Greek fries with seasoning (paprika and something else?), cooked right. So, these are the "good" fries, as opposed to the 80% of fast food places which serve crap fries.

First time visit to Nick the Greek, and I am impressed. This was better than my local mom-and-pop joint. I look forward to them expanding into more new cities, so that they are within driving distance for me, because I'd destroy their gyros on the regular if I could.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. Originally I thought this might end around 100 days, but I keep discovering new places I wasn't aware of before, so I keep going until I run out, which at this point may be around 300 days. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)