... do McDonalds and Burger King insist on calling their beefburgers, HAMBurgers?

I mean dammit, the nearest they've ever been to pork is being on the same farm as the pigs!

And why do I always get served by the new girl who's just started the job today and can speak no English?

And another thing - I could have sworn the basic Burger King "Ham" (sheesh) Burger used to be cheaper, what does it cost in the UK and the US at the moment? Nothing fancy, just yer basic cheeseless weeny HAMBurger.

Mutter Mutter Growse Grommish

1. Origins in a medieval culinary practice popular among the Tartars, who shredded the low quality (i.e., tough) beef. Whence we get steak tartar (they didn't use capers and eggs though).

2. Russian Tartars introduced it to Germany prior to the 14th century. The Germans mixed in regional spices and the dish was eaten both cooked and raw and became common among the poorer classes. In Hamburg, the dish acquired the name "Hamburg steak" during a visit by a visiting Irish chieftain who was an ancestor of John F. Kennedy (well, I might be joking about the Chieftain part).

3. The dish went to England and met with Dr. J.H. Salisbury. This guy was a food reformer and physician (popular combo in those days, it seems) who was big on shredding all foods prior to consumption to improve digestibility. He was also big on eating beef 3 times a day, washed down by hot water. Now we get Salisbury steak which was no big deal until Swanson over promoted it (well I might be semi-kidding about Swanson).

4. Concurrently, Hamburg steak traveled with German immigrants to the US in the 1880s and we get "hamburger steak," then "hamburger." The timing of the bun business is not known though Panati says that by the 1904 World's Fair in St. Louis, it was already a sandwich and was also known as "hamburg."

All I can say to that post is "wow."

And I'm vegetarian!

I don't understand why Wendy's hasn't overtaken McDonalds and Burger King as the largest fast food chain. Everyone I know likes Wendy's burgers better.. They use fresh burgers instead of frozen ones the lettuce is always fresher, the cheese seems better, etc. I have to admit the fries are better at McDonalds, but if you pour about two or three tablespoons of salt on your Wendy's fries, your mind will be tricked into thinking they're McDonalds' fries.

Funny how this conversation came up so close to Dave Thomas's death (the Wendy's founder.)

Oh yeah and for vegetarians like you, Wendy's has better salads and stuff.

It is probably all due to advertising and creating brand loyalty at a young age by offering "Happy Meals" and "Ronald McDonald" to kids...

Bingo. Own the next generation....

Yeah, the fries are way better at Macdonalds. even if you pour all the salt on Wendy's fries, you still have cold fries, whch is what I always seem to get there.

Now, here's a question. Frosty or McFlurry?

Ahhh.. Frosties are yummy, never had the McFlurry so I can't compare. I LOVE the McDonald's Shamrock Shakes they have here around St Patrick's day, though.

Now if you go to japan McDonalds have the teriaki burger now that is fine

Ahhh.. Frosties are yummy

Agreed. Even though there is something in the ingredients (one of the preservatives, perhaps?) that makes me ill (stomach cramps and diarrhea) any time I eat/drink one -- I do it anyway.

So either they are really good, or I am really stupid. And please don't tell me which...

tanstaafl.

I have to agree that Wendy's, by far, makes the best hamburgers on the planet.

Sorry to disagree with you all, but In-N-Out beats EVERYONE hands down. Unfortunately, they're not widespread (only California?).

The best part is all the secret ordering names, like "Animal Style" or "Protein Burger". Oh, and being able to order 2x2, 3x3, 4x4, etc...

We have a similar chain here in central North Carolina since the 50s, the Char-Grill. If you get a good one, it's the best hamburger you've ever eaten. There's no seating (except for a metal picnic bench bolted to the ground right outside), and it has an odd ordering concept where you fill out a form and stick it through a slot to order. You can see the guys cooking your burgers or whatever right through the glass (it's right up front and the only room in the place besides the storeroom and bathroom). And it consistently gets incredibly high sanitation ratings, like 99.9%. There have been several years where they've actually gotten 100%, which is unheard-of. (Unlike a Burger King I used to go to, which had a D rating the last time I went.) There are always people outside the Char-Grill at night freezing their asses off waiting for their burgers to be cooked.

I've been to a couple different In-n-out's here in my area, and the only thing that impressed me was the fries. The burgers were kind of blah. But those fries were awesome.

Oh, sorry, "chips".

Dave Thomas just died the other day ... Incidentally, Wendy lives a couple of miles from my apartment.

Sadly I'll never be able to convice Dave to make the Honey Ham and Chicken sandwich a permanent item on the menu now.

Greg

Something my wife and I have started doing, in order to combat the like-named products and services at restaurants ... mix up the names on purpose.

At a recent Wendy's trip I asked for a chocolate McSquishy. When questioned, I rephrased it to a chocolate slurpy. Then a fluffy. Then a splishy ... then he figured out what I wanted, and probably spat in it.

At Sonic Burgers I often ask them to Biggie Size it (a Wendy's term), or vice versa .... Sonic Size a Wendy's order.

Greg

Anyone partial to Jack in the Box burgers? They have this bacon double cheeseburger that is heaven.

Calvin

I tried in n out 3 times and the food sucked compared to Jack in the Box.

Calvin

Heh, in a similar vein, I like to go into McDonald's and order things like McFries, McCoke, and a McShake, then ask where the McBathroom is.

LOL

In-n-Out has been in Nevada for at least 7 years now... probably longer, but thats when I started going there . We _FINALLY_ have a few in the Phoenix area (one not 10 mins from my house). Nothing beats a double-double animal style... and the fries are second to none.

Jack-in-the-Box is good, and by far the most prevalent fast food burger joint in this area (I have 3 in a 3sq mi area of my house). I like the bacon ultimate cheeseburger. For some reason I only end up ordering it after being at the bar all night though...

Boy, I don't know that I'd trust those special names. I have trouble here getting the illegal aliens to understand ``two hamburgers'', much less ``Flying Dutchman''.

So what percentage of threads on this board end up at food

There hasn't been a Jack in the Box around here for years. People tended to avoid them when local residents died from their E.coli outbreak years ago.

Alrighty... all you guys need read this book... now.

Fast Food Nation

Here is the first section of the book over at the NYTimes book review. You'll be wanting much less fast food after reading it, and you'll have a much better understanding of the spreading disease that is American Fast Food Culture.

Every fast food place has a bad period. The heck with E Coli, the food tastes great. Best tasting fast food.

Calvin

Like me with Pastrami - I absolutely love it. The smell, the taste, even the way it looks on the sandwhich. Yumm...

Around three hours later I inevitably have to spend the rest of the day talking to God on the great white telephone.

Why do you do things like that to me, Oh Lord? I mean, I know Rob and the naughty Hugo made you wait in the queue like everyone else, but you got yours in the end, didn't you? I mean, why put Pastrami on this earth for me and then punish my weakness when I want to eat it? Why, why?

Yep particularly the Bacon Ultimate Cheeseburger is my favorite jack in the box item. It's so yummy...

Calvin