And in Fast Food News Part 2

[Tank]

On 4/17/2024 at 7:47 PM, The Ghost of Bob Starr said:

Great.  I haven’t had a Soda in 24. 

[katie]

Did in n out get new ice??

[CaliAngel]

15 minutes ago, katie said:

Did in n out get new ice??

Sometimes if ice machines break the store will go buy bagged ice and toss it in the machine temporarily till its fixed.

Might be the case here.

But just to make sure, you should go to 5 or 10 other locations to confirm, then report back to us post haste. 

[katie]

9 minutes ago, CaliAngel said:

Sometimes if ice machines break the store will go buy bagged ice and toss it in the machine temporarily till its fixed.

Might be the case here.

But just to make sure, you should go to 5 or 10 other locations to confirm, then report back to us post haste. 

On it!

[katie]

It’s the little crunchy pebble ice

[Tank]

5 hours ago, katie said:

It’s the little crunchy pebble ice

taco bell used to ice like that. it was great. 

[Stradling]

On 5/29/2024 at 12:19 PM, katie said:

Did in n out get new ice??

Yes and no 

On 5/29/2024 at 12:39 PM, CaliAngel said:

Sometimes if ice machines break the store will go buy bagged ice and toss it in the machine temporarily till its fixed.

Might be the case here.

But just to make sure, you should go to 5 or 10 other locations to confirm, then report back to us post haste. 

Every once in awhile if both ice makers go down we buy the same kind of ice from an ice company. 

On 5/29/2024 at 12:49 PM, katie said:

On it!

I appreciate your dedication. 

On 5/29/2024 at 12:49 PM, katie said:

It’s the little crunchy pebble ice

We have two kinds of ice machines. I would think at some point all of our stores will use the “little crunchy pebble ice”. I am not positive but I think all new stores use that type of ice. I also think that when an ice machine reaches its end of life we replace it with pebble ice. 

[m0nkey]

I started getting my burgers with fried mustard.  Honestly can't taste it but I still get that with ketchup as a spread alternative.

[CaliAngel]

I'm only a fan of the pebble ice in things like iced tea or lemonade. Pink lemonade at In N Out is my favorite, especially with a fresh squeezed lemon (makes it a little more tart, as the pink lemonade is a little to sweet for my lemonade tastes).

Pebble ice in things like soda that are carbonated, not so much. The ice melts too quickly and waters down the soda and makes it flat.

Gotta say I'm not sure how I feel about them transitioning to the pebble ice! Off the top of my head I'm going to say I probably won't like it, just because I'm used to the cubes they've had forever. It really is going to change the entire beverage experience!

[Tank]

i like the pebble ice. i wish more places used it. 

[Blarg]

Not a fan of Pebble ice. It's like having a 3rd rate 7/11 slurpee.  

[CaliAngel]

1 hour ago, Tank said:

i like the pebble ice. i wish more places used it. 

A lot of it depends on the beverage container.

Take Sonic, or QT for example, they have styrofoam cups for their beverages, so the contents stays much colder and the pebble ice doesn't melt as fast.

Now use that same ice in the thinly lined cardboard cups at In-N-Out, or the clear plastic cups Taco Bell or McDonald's uses (which I hate, btw, the drinks warm way too fast and the lids never stay on) at your typical fast food joint, and those cubes melt significantly faster, essentially ruining your beverage experience.

Sans styrofoam cups, I'm team cubed ice.

[gotbeer]

If I remember my in N out vs other companies soda procedures. There is a reason why in N out ice seems to last longer than other places. And it doesn't have to do with the ice or what the cup is made of. But that the water used in making the soda is chilled instead of room temperature like other places.  @Stradling   is that right, or was that an urban legend i believed in?

[Blarg]

Nope, not a legend. McDonalds uses chilled water and syrup as well. We used to test the brix levels three times a week along with temperature to make sure of consistency. Chilled syrup and water hold more Co2 which means more crispness in the final mix.

[James]

This is why Circle K Polar Pops are the best. Styrofoam cups with both types of ice available. 

[Taylor]

I stopped drinking soda in March. But I do prefer the "little crunchy pebbly ice" over ice cubes.

[gotbeer]

48 CA Rubio's Close Due To 'Rising Cost Of Doing Business'

[Jason]

On 5/31/2024 at 11:59 AM, Taylor said:

I stopped drinking soda in March. But I do prefer the "little crunchy pebbly ice" over ice cubes.

Cutting out soda will make a noticeable difference in your health 

[Taylor]

12 hours ago, gotbeer said:

48 CA Rubio's Close Due To 'Rising Cost Of Doing Business'

Rubio's sucks ass anyway. Bad service and mediocre food.

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

On 6/2/2024 at 8:43 AM, Taylor said:

Rubio's sucks ass anyway. Bad service and mediocre food.

Pretty much all fast food sucks (not discussing InNOut)

Edited June 3 by The Ghost of Bob Starr

[Taylor]

25 minutes ago, The Ghost of Bob Starr said:

Pretty much all fast food success (not discussing InNOut)

[The Ghost of Bob Starr]

24 minutes ago, Taylor said:

My fingers were transplants from Jose. They do not sync with my brain. 

[CaliAngel]

On 6/2/2024 at 8:43 AM, Taylor said:

Rubio's sucks ass anyway. Bad service and mediocre food.

Too bad to hear that, they used to be pretty good. Back in the day for Taco Tuesdays I think they had $2 fish tacos? Never had anything besides that and their chips.

The sauce on their fish tacos was pretty bomb, and they had a decent salsa bar.

[Taylor]

4 minutes ago, CaliAngel said:

Too bad to hear that, they used to be pretty good. Back in the day for Taco Tuesdays I think they had $2 fish tacos? Never had anything besides that and their chips.

The sauce on their fish tacos was pretty bomb, and they had a decent salsa bar.

I don't know if it's simply growing up, but so many of those "fast casual" places I remember being great back in the day have all gotten way worse.

Especially Panera and Chipotle. Five Guys is still quality (though pricey).

[gotbeer]

1 minute ago, Taylor said:

I don't know if it's simply growing up, but so many of those "fast casual" places I remember being great back in the day have all gotten way worse.

Especially Panera and Chipotle. Five Guys is still quality (though pricey).

 

It's probably a combination of that and tastes changing.  Kind of like how back in the day, Claim Jumpers used to be great, especially their beer selection, but now sucks ass.  Rubio's when they first opened was a pretty big thing, as fish taco's were not really found anywhere.  Fast forward a few decades, and people's tastes really aren't for fish taco's.  But I also remember when McDonalds was good and fresh, and not the sitting in a heat drawer, cooked 2 weeks ago, with minimal toppings and buns smashed like someone was using them as a seat cushions.  Come to think of it, one thing is for sure.  Once a corporation/hedge fund buys a chain, the quality plummets.