Places That Lived Up To The Hype

[SlammedZero]

Any fast food/restaurants/etc. that had a bunch of hype behind them that lived up to it for you?

For me:

Krispy Kreme: I always heard about their amazing donuts. Closest one to me was Salt Lake City. Finally was visiting three and tried them. Loved it!! Thought it was amazing. They finally built one in the Boise area and I still love to visit it from time to time for an amazing dozen of donuts.

Whataburger: I am extremely jealous of you that live in the Whataburger region. I was visiting a friend in Phoenix and finally got to try one. I was not disappointed. It was really good. Unfortunately, I don't see them entering the Pacific Northwest region anytime soon. So, it'll definitely be an instant visit next time I ever see one.

Raising Cane's: I had heard about this place and how great their chicken is. Again, got to try it in Phoenix and was super impressed. When I went to Lake Tahoe a couple summers ago, there was one in Reno that we stopped at. Again, fantastic. Love their food. They have them in Reno and now Portland and Salt Lake, so, they are getting closer to the Boise area. I'll stay hopeful!

Fat Burger: We were walking through a casino at Lake Tahoe and I turned the corner and there was a Fat Burger. I've always heard of the burger chain, but have never got to try one. I wasn't super hungry, but I had to try it. So I ended up buying a burger alone. It was really good. I enjoyed it immensely. Not sure how the fries are there, but I would absolutely roll through one again for a burger.

Kind of:

In-N-Out: Here is the big one that gets a lot of spotlight. First time I had it was in Salt Lake and I loved it. Thought it was really great and it lived up to the hype. I had it again in Phoenix, and it was just good. Decided to stop there when I was in Reno a couple years back, and it was OK that time. The shake was actually pretty disappointing. So, it's been a bit all over the spectrum for me. They officially announced they are building in Boise, so I will get the opportunity to see how it is in the long run.

 

[Tabascocat]

While growing up with Shipleys donuts, I can honestly say that no donut has ever come close to them….and I want to like Krispy too.

https://shipleydonuts.com/

Grew up with Whataburger as well and was tired of them. In came In-N-Out and loved it when we relocated to LA. I like the simplistic approach….just burgers(has to be animal style), fries and shakes.

I have always heard of this place called Bojangles from family who lives in the SE. Well, finally tried it last Summer and I was hooked!

https://www.bojotogo.com/

 

[JohnnyTheFox]

Any fast food/restaurants/etc. that had a bunch of hype behind them that lived up to it for you?

For me:

Krispy Kreme: I always heard about their amazing donuts. Closest one to me was Salt Lake City. Finally was visiting three and tried them. Loved it!! Thought it was amazing. They finally built one in the Boise area and I still love to visit it from time to time for an amazing dozen of donuts.

Whataburger: I am extremely jealous of you that live in the Whataburger region. I was visiting a friend in Phoenix and finally got to try one. I was not disappointed. It was really good. Unfortunately, I don't see them entering the Pacific Northwest region anytime soon. So, it'll definitely be an instant visit next time I ever see one.

Raising Cane's: I had heard about this place and how great their chicken is. Again, got to try it in Phoenix and was super impressed. When I went to Lake Tahoe a couple summers ago, there was one in Reno that we stopped at. Again, fantastic. Love their food. They have them in Reno and now Portland and Salt Lake, so, they are getting closer to the Boise area. I'll stay hopeful!

Fat Burger: We were walking through a casino at Lake Tahoe and I turned the corner and there was a Fat Burger. I've always heard of the burger chain, but have never got to try one. I wasn't super hungry, but I had to try it. So I ended up buying a burger alone. It was really good. I enjoyed it immensely. Not sure how the fries are there, but I would absolutely roll through one again for a burger.

Kind of:

In-N-Out: Here is the big one that gets a lot of spotlight. First time I had it was in Salt Lake and I loved it. Thought it was really great and it lived up to the hype. I had it again in Phoenix, and it was just good. Decided to stop there when I was in Reno a couple years back, and it was OK that time. The shake was actually pretty disappointing. So, it's been a bit all over the spectrum for me. They officially announced they are building in Boise, so I will get the opportunity to see how it is in the long run.

Raising Cane's has pretty good chicken, but love their sweet tea. Also Chicken Express has wonderful sweet tea if that is your sorta thing.
Krispy Kreme is very good but there are a couple local places that do donuts just as good or better.
Whataburger has great hamburgers and amazing fries when they are hot and fresh.

While growing up with Shipleys donuts, I can honestly say that no donut has ever come close to them….and I want to like Krispy too.

https://shipleydonuts.com/

Grew up with Whataburger as well and was tired of them. In came In-N-Out and loved it when we relocated to LA. I like the simplistic approach….just burgers(has to be animal style), fries and shakes.

I have always heard of this place called Bojangles from family who lives in the SE. Well, finally tried it last Summer and I was hooked!

https://www.bojotogo.com/

Shipleys opened up here a few years ago, thought the donuts were pretty good but not mind blowing like i expected.

 

[JIMMYBUFFETT]

I like Panera Bread. I thought it was just a sandwich shop until one opened up locally and I really enjoy their menu. I love Asian food and PF Chang's was also surprisingly good for a chain. Everybody has their favorite burger joint and while I live deep in the heart of Whataburger country I'd grab an original 10 stack at White Castle over anything. Their chicken and waffle slider with gravy gets an honorable mention as well.

 

[DallasEast]

My wife is a big Popeye's fan but I am confident saying Raising Cane's is her second favorite fried chicken fast food place. Occasionally, she asks me to try some. It is probably just me but I am not sure what is special about it. Heck, I enjoy the bread more than the chicken.

My opinion is in the minority though. There is a Cane's across from where I work so popular it creates traffic problems due to all the number of customers pulling in and out all day. Makes it a huge hassle trying to enter the street via the center turn lane due to the number of cars trying to enter its lot. Seeing two cars waiting is a good day. Most days it is five, ten, fifteen freaking vehicles! Crap!

Enough ranting. My thread contributions are Logan's Roadhouse and Texas Roadhouse. My wife and I make reservations for Texas Roadhouse and still wait 30 minutes to an hour before getting a seat. It is still worth the wait though.

A bit off-topic but I love Bubba Gump Shrimp Company SO much that I eat at their Universal Studios location every time we vacation there. They make the best Blue Hawaiian I have ever tasted.

 

[Vtwin]

None of the places in the OP exist around here so I don't know what I'm missing. There is a Krispy Kreme in Boston and the hype got so big that there were people taking orders here, and driving to Boston and back with a car load of donuts. They would pick them up hot out of the oven but it's about a four hour drive so they weren't fresh and warm when they arrived. I wasn't impressed the few times I tried one. Everyone said you have to get them fresh out of the oven to enjoy them at max potential, though. Any donut maker has admittedly got a tough row to hoe with me since I grew up on fantastic donuts from a local family bakery and my Aunt Mildred. It's been my life's work to find a Bismarck as good as the bakery and a buttermilk as good as Aunt Mildred's.

As far as chains go.... Five Guys was hyped pretty hard when they opened up in this area and I would give them two thumbs up.

I can't think of any others off the top of my head.

 

[Runwildboys]

Finally tried Popeye's Spicy Chicken Sandwich not too long ago, and I loved it. Nice and thick, but still cooked perfectly. What I hadn't heard about were the fries. They're really good with whatever spice they put on them.

 

[DallasEast]

None of the places in the OP exist around here so I don't know what I'm missing. There is a Krispy Kreme in Boston and the hype got so big that there were people taking orders here, and driving to Boston and back with a car load of donuts. They would pick them up hot out of the oven but it's about a four hour drive so they weren't fresh and warm when they arrived. I wasn't impressed the few times I tried one. Everyone said you have to get them fresh out of the oven to enjoy them at max potential, though. Any donut maker has admittedly got a tough row to hoe with me since I grew up on fantastic donuts from a local family bakery and my Aunt Mildred. It's been my life's work to find a Bismarck as good as the bakery and a buttermilk as good as Aunt Mildred's.

As far as chains go.... Five Guys was hyped pretty hard when they opened up in this area and I would give them two thumbs up.

I can't think of any others off the top of my head.

The thing that got me every time I visited Five Guys (the location near me closed recently) were the stacks of bagged potatoes sitting inside the dining area. At first I thought it was just a case of not stocking the potatoes in the back. However, I visited locations in other cities and saw the same thing. Crazy stuff for me.

 

[Runwildboys]

The thing that got me every time I visited Five Guys (the location near me closed recently) were the stacks of bagged potatoes sitting inside the dining area. At first I thought it was just a case of not stocking the potatoes in the back. However, I visited locations in other cities and saw the same thing. Crazy stuff for me.

I've only the burger and fries once, and was very disappointed...but to be fair my friend's kid rode his bike to pick up the food and bring it back, so it wasn't exactly as fresh as it could be. Still, the fries were really greasy.

 

[DallasEast]

I've only the burger and fries once, and was very disappointed...but to be fair my friend's kid rode his bike to pick up the food and bring it back, so it wasn't exactly as fresh as it could be. Still, the fries were really greasy.

Yeah the fries turned me off when I ordered them the first time. I do enjoy their burgers though. Tried a milkshake there once. It was so thick I let it melt for about 40 minutes to loosen it up.

 

[Tabascocat]

Five Guys needs it’s own ‘overrated’ thread

 

[Runwildboys]

Yeah the fries turned me off when I ordered them the first time. I do enjoy their burgers though. Tried a milkshake there once. It was so thick I let it melt for about 40 minutes to loosen it up.

That's a long thaw time! I put two bottles of water in a cooler filled with ice yesterday morning, and left it in my car to drink at the gym. When I opened them, one was frozen solid at the top of the bottle and the other I was swallowing shards of ice. That's a pretty good cooler! It's a soft side Cowboys cooler I just got, so at least they made me happy once this off season!

 

[nightrain]

chik-fil-a

 

[DallasEast]

That's a long thaw time! I put two bottles of water in a cooler filled with ice yesterday morning, and left it in my car to drink at the gym. When I opened them, one was frozen solid at the top of the bottle and the other I was swallowing shards of ice. That's a pretty good cooler! It's a soft side Cowboys cooler I just got, so at least they made me happy once this off season!

This is totally off-topic but your bottle water story reminded me of something. Here is a tip for anyone sustaining a joint injury.

My wife had knee replacement surgery. One device, the hospital used to reduce swelling, consisted of a small tank that pumped water to a plastic sleeve that can be placed on the joint. The nurses always filled it with ice.

They discharged my wife with the device. I would fill a few water bottles and freeze them solid. No need constantly refilling the tank with ice and it took much longer for the bottles to thaw too.

Just another trivial life hack.

 

[Roadtrip635]

As a confirmed carnivore, anything that is 100% plant based makes me skeptical, but Cinnaholics blew me away. A couple years ago, a vegan friend's B-Day was coming up and wanted to get her a vegan cake or something similar. I had heard about how good Cinnaholics were but didn't have high hopes for anywhere that is 100% vegan, dairy & lactose-free, egg-free, and cholesterol-free.

I gave them a shot, the pictures looked awesome, figured she would like it, so ordered a dozen baby buns and a variety box of their full sized buns. Every bit as good everyone told me and just as good as the pictures looked. Everything is made in house, all their toppings, cookies, even marshmallows and all plant based. Don't know how they do it, but dang they are good.

 

[CouchCoach]

This is totally off-topic but your bottle water story reminded me of something. Here is a tip for anyone sustaining a joint injury.

My wife had knee replacement surgery. One device, the hospital used to reduce swelling, consisted of a small tank that pumped water to a plastic sleeve that can be placed on the joint. The nurses always filled it with ice.

They discharged my wife with the device. I would fill a few water bottles and freeze them solid. No need constantly refilling the tank with ice and it took much longer for the bottles to thaw too.

Just another trivial life hack.

They make that for the shoulder too, my wife had one and I was Ice Boy. In addition to filling my roles as Cabana Boy, Pool Boy and Boy Who Goes to the Store When She Forgets Something. Thankfully, the last one was too much to go on the shirt. Her best friend actually had a Pool Boy polo and Cabana Boy Hawaiian shirt made for me to wear when I was entertaining her by the pool. Never got an Ice Boy shirt but that was only temporary, the others were considered full time positions in the summer.

 

[Runwildboys]

This is totally off-topic but your bottle water story reminded me of something. Here is a tip for anyone sustaining a joint injury.

My wife had knee replacement surgery. One device, the hospital used to reduce swelling, consisted of a small tank that pumped water to a plastic sleeve that can be placed on the joint. The nurses always filled it with ice.

They discharged my wife with the device. I would fill a few water bottles and freeze them solid. No need constantly refilling the tank with ice and it took much longer for the bottles to thaw too.

Just another trivial life hack.

I'm planning to fill a 2 qt. iced tea bottle with water, and use that instead of loose ice. (It's a square Pure Leaf Tea bottle, and I refill the smaller sized square bottles with water, so the surface area contact will be optimal.)

 

[DallasEast]

They make that for the shoulder too, my wife had one and I was Ice Boy. In addition to filling my roles as Cabana Boy, Pool Boy and Boy Who Goes to the Store When She Forgets Something. Thankfully, the last one was too much to go on the shirt. Her best friend actually had a Pool Boy polo and Cabana Boy Hawaiian shirt made for me to wear when I was entertaining her by the pool. Never got an Ice Boy shirt but that was only temporary, the others were considered full time positions in the summer.

 

[Runwildboys]

As a confirmed carnivore, anything that is 100% plant based makes me skeptical, but Cinnaholics blew me away. A couple years ago, a vegan friend's B-Day was coming up and wanted to get her a vegan cake or something similar. I had heard about how good Cinnaholics were but didn't have high hopes for anywhere that is 100% vegan, dairy & lactose-free, egg-free, and cholesterol-free.

I gave them a shot, the pictures looked awesome, figured she would like it, so ordered a dozen baby buns and a variety box of their full sized buns. Every bit as good everyone told me and just as good as the pictures looked. Everything is made in house, all their toppings, cookies, even marshmallows and all plant based. Don't know how they do it, but dang they are good.

They probably lie a lot.

 

[DallasEast]

I'm planning to fill a 2 qt. iced tea bottle with water, and use that instead of loose ice. (It's a square Pure Leaf Tea bottle, and I refill the smaller sized square bottles with water, so the surface area contact will be optimal.)

The great thing about the loose ice alternative is that there is zero need for an ice maker or buying bagged ice. Simply fill and refreeze.