There are hundreds of popular fast food chains across the country, but which ones are actually worth it to go to?

I have very strong opinions on food and fast food to me is a very hit or miss option for dining (if you can even call it that). My personal favorite fast food restaurant is Culver’s, a more midwestern chain that makes the best fast food burgers in the country. And yes, I am including in-n-out. The double butter burger combo with onion rings and a shake is the best fast food order in the country. Chic-fil-a also has a good argument for the top spot, the deluxe chicken sandwich is elite and the fries are amazing, plus Chic-fil-a sauce is undefeated. My last example of a top-tier fast food restaurant is Jersey Mike’s. The best hot subs around, no questions asked. The chicken Philly has several different variations like chicken bacon ranch and buffalo chicken and all of them are incredible. It’s the perfect combination of juicy meat and delicious cheese. Mcdonald’s for me is on the other end of the spectrum. I am an avid hater of Mcdonald’s, they have good fries and good sprite but the good pretty much stops there. Their burgers are terrible, their nuggets are mid and their happy meals don’t even make me that happy anymore. Not to mention their ice cream machine is always magically “broken.” Subway is down there with Mcdonald’s, it’s a dollar store version of Jersey Mike’s. When you go to a subway you smell like you went to a subway for the next three weeks. Their bread is gross and they constantly have health problems that make headlines. 

Back home in Rhode Island, my family’s favorite restaurant is Al Forno in the capital city of Providence. We’ve been going to this restaurant for as long as I can remember and it’s always a special occasion. It was founded by a married couple who both went to school at RISD in Providence with my mother which makes our connection to the restaurant that much more special. They are known for their tucked away location right near the Providence River in their subtle building. But even more than that, they are known (obviously) for their delicious food. There are a few details that make their menu unique, they have a core set of appetizers, entrees and desserts, but the majority of their menu rotates based on the season. It makes it fun to visit and try all the different dishes they serve at different times in the year. While I love the half chicken entree, the most popular dish is the four cheese pasta (first picture). when it comes to desert there is a fairly unanimous decision on which is best, and that is the flourless chocolate cake (second picture). That is one that I definitely agree with.

This restaurant is a very important place to my family and we were very glad to see it make it through COVID when so many similar small restaurants similar to this struggled and failed. Almost every birthday, graduation, anniversary or any other special occasion was spent there. We were even lucky enough to be some of the first customers back after the pandemic break.

Lowry sucks major ass