Quiznos - Chain

Ever since Subway utilized Jared as the face of their company, as well as their weight loss and healthy eating ad campaigns, Subway has been the dominant sandwich chain in the country.  They continued to pick up steam with the slogan that you can’t get out of your head: 5 Dollar Footlong.  These factors, among others, have allowed Subway to overtake McDonald’s as the most franchised fast food restaurant in the world.  Meanwhile, chief competitor Quiznos has struggled mightily in recent years.  I have always considered Quiznos to be better than Subway and recently made a trip to a near Quiznos for lunch.

One of the positives of Quiznos is their menu.  It offers a wider variety of options compared to Subway.  The options also offer a gourmet flair, with options such as the French Dip, Chicken Carbonara and more.  There is also a little less of a factory assembly feel.  Unfortunately, the commitment to quality has gone down a bit from about a decade ago.  The sandwiches feature a bit less meat and now occasionally do suffer from the factory assembly quality that is too resemblant of the Subway standard.

Before heading over, I went online and found a coupon for a free small sandwich with the purchase of another and a fountain drink.  For my first one, I got the Chicken Bacon Ranch, with the second being a Chicken Carbonara.  The bread was a bit thin, but everything in the sandwiches had a decent taste.  The creams worked well and while it could have used a little more meat, I still walked away with a higher opinion than the bland Subway offerings.

Food: 4.5

Price: 5.5

Overall: 4.5

In N' Out - Los Angeles, CA

As an East Coaster, everyone hears the legend of In N’ Out and is always eager to try it upon a visit to the West Coast.  Partly due to its limited expansion, as well as their fresh ingredients, In N’ Out has developed a cult following, with many devoted fans.  After years of having In N’ Out on vacations, I never quite saw the obsession, though it was always a decent burger.  However, about a year ago, one day the light finally went on.

What makes an In N’ Out burger so good is the way that all the elements blend together.  A double double wedges two patties and two slices of cheese in between a pair of lightly grilled buns.  Also in between these buns, there is lettuce, tomato, onions and their spread, somewhat similar to Thousand Island Dressing, but much better.  The toppings add a nice cooling sensation to the warm meat, and the ingredients are so fresh that it feels as though you can taste some water splash out of the lettuce with each bite.  Part of the reason that the ingredients are so fresh is that they are not frozen and each restaurant is located within a days drive of one of their regional distribution centers.  Additionally, all the potatoes are sliced into fries right in customer view.  The fries are unspectacular, a bit chewy and tasting much more like potatoes than at other fast food chains, but still a recommended addition for the price and to complete the meal.  If you do add on fries though, be sure to use a packet of salt.

As a family owned restaurant chain that moves slowly to expand in order to ensure quality control throughout all its locations, In N’ Out does what it can to do the right thing.  They treat their employees well, paying them well above industry standard, as well as offering benefits.  The prices also stay respectable, making it one of the few fast food chains that does not seem to be raising prices daily.  It may have taken a while, but I finally realized what I had been unable to realize was the magic behind In N’ Out and am I glad I did.

Price: 9

Food: 9

Overall: 9