Kings of The Road
We are two friends who went on a road trip around the United States 20 years ago to serve churches. We kept a journal as we traveled and are reading through the journal and remembering our adventures. Listen and laugh with us as we go back in time and inspire others to go on an adventure.
Kings of The Road
From Burritos to Burgers: Del Taco's Rise and Fast Food Revelations
Can you guess which fast food chain has recently dethroned Chick-fil-A as America's favorite? Prepare for a shocking revelation as we discuss the surprising results of a USA Today poll that crowned Del Taco the new champion. Join us on this exciting journey as Scott Hawkins and Andrew Gere reminisce about our Cleveland episode and tease a potential adventure to Savannah. The episode kicks off with us hitting the road and diving into the art of podcast introductions, all while some catchy tunes play in the background. Scott then shares his culinary adventure with a California burrito from Del Taco, sparking a lively discussion about the dish's origins and how it has gained popularity across the country.
In a playful twist, we engage in a spirited guessing game to uncover other top fast food contenders, only to be surprised by the unexpected names like Arby's, Zaxby's, and Captain D's. Our banter leads us through the rankings, offering our thoughts on beloved chains such as Hardee's, In-N-Out, and Popeyes. This episode is a must-listen for any fast food aficionado, as we navigate through regional favorites and global giants, all while sharing laughs and insights about America's fast food landscape. Don't miss out on this fun-filled discussion that highlights the ever-evolving preferences of fast food lovers nationwide.
Hey, there you are, and here we are, ready to go down the road, ready to dive into some history, to talk about things of the road and live as the kings of the road. So, Scott Hawkins, that's me. Andrew Gere, that's you. There, you are Not saying anything, leaving me out to dry.
Speaker 2:Here we go. I can't talk while the music's playing. It's too distracting for me, so I rely on you. I rely on you 100% for the introduction.
Speaker 1:Okay, so until we get to no music, then you don't talk.
Speaker 1:Yeah, my brain's like can't, can't do it, can't do it. Multitasking, just do the one thing. Um, if you haven't yet, follow us on facebook, follow your the podcast so it downloads. Tell friends about it, let people know, they know if they're going to places. Oh, I heard an episode of that. You should listen to that episode about that city. They say some things about that place. Um, yeah, so we just are glad to be here with you and, um, we are. We enjoyed the stock Cleveland episode because we sure enjoyed that. If you haven't listened to it, go back and listen. He's a awesome dude and we're gonna try to go to Savannah next year yeah, that was.
Speaker 2:That was super fun. Um, so cool that, uh, we were able to connect with him after this time.
Speaker 1:And, yeah, what a guy yeah, what a guy, what sad that you got around sad about the jeep? Yes, but, like you said, when your foot goes to the floor and the pedal to the metal is no longer the pedal, to the metal, and the metal is is gone.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it is time.
Speaker 1:It's not the.
Speaker 2:Flintstones mobile.
Speaker 1:It's not but what a great car, what a great car. So, as we're going and going down the road, one of the things that I just partook of was a delicious Del Taco burrito which I had the California burrito, and it was very good. But I kind of ashamed to say that I didn't know that california burritos were a thing till not that long ago. I mean, have you felt like you've done that forever or is that a new thing that's emerged, that that I shouldn't feel weird.
Speaker 2:I think it's emerged. I first heard about it I was in san diego and I went to lunch with somebody and they're like, oh, you got to get a california burrito as if it's like a newish thing, so so maybe it's new or not new, but like I mean, I've known about it for less than 10 years for sure.
Speaker 1:Yeah, me too, and it came out like my nephews from the Valley, from the Imperial Valley where Emily's from. We're like, oh, we want California burritos. I'm like, uh, we're in California and here's a burrito Like, no, it has French fries in it. I'm like, oh, right, okay, and that because that's just 100 miles east, so maybe it's been working up from.
Speaker 1:Mexico, I don't know, but they had an El Perito Junior. When I called, oh, they have one at El Perito Junior, they did. They were like, oh yeah, el Perito Junior. I thought they'd be like, of what are you speaking? But they weren't. They were like. Yes, sir Like all of our burritos. Do you know where you are? Yeah, in it, because that's used to be the California thing, right?
Speaker 2:Right, right, yeah. So if you haven't had a California burrito again, it's a burrito with whatever. But the thing that makes it a California burrito is french fries, and I will say Del Taco has like I don't know if they're number one, but they are definitely in the top five French fries category.
Speaker 1:Oh, I do enjoy their French fries.
Speaker 2:Their crinkle cut fries.
Speaker 1:So this led us to a conversation then that Andrew said and I had heard and reveal what you said, andrew, say it again so that we all can be on the same page.
Speaker 2:I couldn't believe this, but Scott told me that he ate at Del Taco and I recalled something that my wife had told me which I couldn't believe, and I think the headline was that Chick-fil-A falls from the number one spot of favorite fast food and number one is Del Taco.
Speaker 1:Curveball.
Speaker 2:Who would have seen Curveball? So we looked into this and we're like, okay, what are they measuring on?
Speaker 1:Yeah One tangent, not tangent. One connection piece is I actively have the memory from the road trip of going Del disappear once you get to, like utah, they're. They're just not east of utah and like when I, we were seeing them, we're seeing them. And then the other thing that we don't have is cracker barrel. Cracker barrel doesn't make it to la, but they're everywhere. When you're outside of california you can't go very far without a tractor barrel, which is a great breakfast, but it's just that funny thing. Oh, there's no more tacos and there's none on these shows. So the fact that this that's my opinion maybe I'm wrong because that was 20 years ago, but has del taco made it like east? Maybe colorado? Now is it in colorado?
Speaker 2:I'm looking now and it is saying oh, here we go. All Del Taco locations in the United States, I think it's oh weird, okay Okay they're scattered all over. They are.
Speaker 1:Yeah, they're all over, primarily in the West.
Speaker 2:I think well, it's like Alabama, arizona, california, Colorado, florida.
Speaker 1:Georgia, idaho.
Speaker 2:Michigan, mississippi, nevada, north Carolina, ohio, oklahoma. So they're in a lot of states, but I think it's primarily California Because I looked is Del Taco a California thing, because I looked is Del Taco a California thing and they're definitely from the history of Del Taco. This is the first one was in Yermo, california. Oh, that's a great place In 1964 with a menu of 19 cent tacos, tostadas, fries and 24 cent cheeseburgers.
Speaker 1:Love it. Thank you, Del Taco.
Speaker 2:That's the thing, thing that was like my burgers yeah, that would be like the classic order. For me back in the day, it was like a cheeseburger fries and a couple of tacos chicken soft taco right, oh my chicken soft taco yeah, soft taco or like in high school when you had. You're like I'm hungry and I have three dollars and I'm like I could get six tacos and have money and a cup of water exactly and some french fries.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and you're happy here so good, I love it so good, yeah, so I think it's primarily okay, so they have expanded some, but back to the headline back to the headline. So well, I can't go back to the headline quite yet, because I do want to. Let's get on the topic of French fries for just a second, can we?
Speaker 1:Ooh Okay. I do think we're in some controversial territory, but I'm willing to go there with you. Let's do it.
Speaker 2:Okay, I don't know if I could say what my number one is, so I'm just going to go in the tops Like who has good French fries.
Speaker 1:You're doing like a pyramid. These are the tip of the pyramid. These are your tops. I order, but like this is the top of the pyramid, I get it. I like the. I like the style.
Speaker 2:Okay, I will say just hands down bar none like the best French fries.
Speaker 1:Okay.
Speaker 2:Red Robin. Okay, it's the big steak fries and it's their seasoned salt that you put on it with the ranch dressing. Like to me, perfection.
Speaker 1:All of the listeners remember, but you probably don't remember that me and Red Robin do not get along. No, I remember. Okay, of course I remember. Okay, of course I remember, which is why I looked at you like I think it very well might be the French fries that do me in dude, I do, I don't know. I have to try again. I have to try. This time I'm in orange.
Speaker 2:Next time you come out this way, let's go.
Speaker 1:We're going to have to know that within 15 minutes, there's a very strong chance that I might be at your house, okay.
Speaker 2:So we'll just so, so we'll, maybe. Maybe let's eliminate. Like restaurants, let's just say fast food fries has to have a drive through, go ahead. Okay, del tacos up there for me.
Speaker 1:Way up there McDonald there. Mcdonald's solid again like mcdonald's been riding a lot of things. Good french fries. It's hard to argue with that. I say, um, wendy's has good fries. They've really come up, I agree with you. Yeah, I love wendy's and the, the ones that have the bottom, and I would agree with this. They they tend to like track towards the bottom in and out. Fries are very controversial because they're great hot, but you let them sit for any amount of time and you're in trouble yeah, I in and out fries like I order, like I never go to in and out and don't order their fries.
Speaker 2:Right, they're good, they're like an add-on, yeah, and but they're just I don't know. Um, here's one okay.
Speaker 1:So I'm gonna say oh good, what are you? No, I had a crazy story that just happened. Here's a tie.
Speaker 2:I think it's a tie okay arby's and jack in the box curly fries I like curly fries, but I think that's that's controversial.
Speaker 1:But I like them because they've got whatever that seasoning.
Speaker 2:They're probably the same fry, probably, but that like seasoning, that's good stuff.
Speaker 1:You know, what always comes in low on fries are Chick-fil-A fries. Those waffle fries do not, people don't like them.
Speaker 2:I like the waffle fries.
Speaker 1:Yeah, but I think they get voted pretty low, they're not?
Speaker 2:going to be in my top list I like them.
Speaker 1:But when I'm thinking about like, who's got good fries? What about raisin canes? Good fries? They got the waffle, well, they got. They got the same as del taco going on.
Speaker 2:They got the crinkle cut fries, which those are good, and that and that raisin cane sauce. I know so much that's good, um, we were.
Speaker 1:We were boated the other day with a family. Oh, go ahead, you have something.
Speaker 1:No, go ahead because I can't remember what I was gonna say we boated with a family and there was a fifth grade girl with us and you know, it's like that age is fun. She's like discovering that there's like a, oh, a secret menu in and out, like, yeah, let's look it up, let's see what I was like. Okay, so we're coming home and we're gonna stop putting it out. And so she discovers something called the roadkill fries and what I know, and I'm like this I've never heard of this, but okay, and what it is. And what it is is it's it's a flying dutchman. Do you know what that is?
Speaker 1:oh, yes, okay it's a flying dutchman on top of animal style fries. She went up and she ordered it. I'm like, great, order it, girl, let's see how this goes. And so the person's like I don't know what that is, and she's like, well, it's a flying Dutchman on top of. And she's like I'll get you a flying Dutchman and animal style fries. She's like, okay, and she's like you put it. She's like you put on top yourself. So we tried it. It's not bad. It's. In fact it might make enough fries superior at that point, because then it's like a casserole almost I, yeah, I would say okay.
Speaker 2:So if you're not familiar listening, yeah, in and out has like a secret menu. Most people probably know that. Yeah, so animal fries? Well, because you can order your burger animal style, and what that means is grilled onions instead of raw onions and pickles and um, yeah, burn and they mustard, and this they, they do mustard on the burger pies.
Speaker 1:But yes, you're right, absolutely right.
Speaker 2:That's enough to say yeah, so when you get animal fries, they put their secret sauce, which is like a Thousand Island Yep, grilled onions and cheese on the fries, which is delicious. It's good, makes them look good, and then a Flying Dutchman is just burger, patty and cheese. Like that's it Two burger patties, two cheeses.
Speaker 1:Oh, two burger patties, two cheeses, it's a double-double. Just the meat, just the cheese, nothing else. And cheese, like that's it. Burger patties, two cheeses. Oh, two burger patties, two cheese, it's a double double. No, just the meat, just the cheese.
Speaker 2:Nothing else, nothing else so you, you put the meat in with the fries.
Speaker 1:Then you go to town of the fort at knife. That's a good time, it's a good time, it is. It is a good time and it was great that she's like let's all order one. I'm like, oh, we'll get one for the table, oh, man, and we'll have a little bit of it.
Speaker 2:It was fun yeah, that's good, that was that was a curveball, but you should do that one time who? Who else has fries? Who are we missing? Oh, you know who's got some good fries?
Speaker 1:uh, five guys yeah, yes, I just can't do. The fact is is so expensive now.
Speaker 2:I haven't gone to Five Guys in years because it was expensive before things got expensive.
Speaker 1:It was a first. It was like we're going there before you're all there.
Speaker 2:Yeah, okay.
Speaker 1:Here's one.
Speaker 2:Here's one. Tell me People, I feel like talk about this as a good thing. Yeah, granted, there aren't very many of these in Southern California, and maybe you know where I'm going already, but I don't. I feel like Sonic is known for tots.
Speaker 1:Oh, and I don't think tots are that great. I agree with you that they're known for tots. I love tots, pro tots.
Speaker 2:Like tots are good. Don't get me wrong, I like tots. But I think if somebody's like do you want tots or do you want crinkle cut fries, there is no chance. I'm ever asking for tots interesting.
Speaker 1:Yeah, that's a great question. There is a chance I'd ask for tots for sure.
Speaker 2:However, sometimes we make tots at home. You know what I like, you know what I like to dip my tots in uh ranch nope, not ranch no what I'm I make. I mix sriracha and ketchup together. Oh, try it it's delicious that's good. It's like the perfect hot concoction. That's good. It is good. Yeah, it is good. All right, well, let's go. Let's get back to our off topic topic before we get into our actual topic topic. Um, because, man, we've got, we've got the cliffhanger to get to today.
Speaker 1:We do so like three weeks ago I think what we need to do, and I've been thinking about this. I think let's finish our off topic, let's end this, call it a detour, and then let's do a Rucklefanger episode.
Speaker 2:Okay.
Speaker 1:Because we're 15 minutes into French fry talk.
Speaker 2:That is true.
Speaker 1:It's hard to cut that short, it's hard, which I'm fine, fine with, and I think some people are really going to enjoy it. And we still have one more piece of information, so let's just bundle this bad boy boom, detour it and then fair enough okay okay, so give us a round, us out round us all right all right, so back to Del Taco being number one.
Speaker 2:Del Taco being number one, which I can't believe. So this is Del Taco was crowned America's favorite fast food chain, dethroning Chick-fil-A. That's the headline here, and this is According to a recent fast food poll conducted by USA Today. So I mean, this is this is like a legit poll right.
Speaker 1:I mean it's a lot of people. It's not just like the Daily Breeze.
Speaker 2:Right, right and very like, hyper, Like, I think this is oh. Del Taco was also ranked as the best place to get french fries. Oh, uh, huh, ok. Ok, so this looks based on the names on this list. Yes, this looks to be a national list, okay, because there are some that don't exist out here to my knowledge. So this hearty is on there I'm going to ask you, okay, let's do this family feud style, except there's no family, it's just you're a single guy playing against yourself.
Speaker 2:Okay, I love it. Del Taco's number one. So say a name, so Hardee's.
Speaker 1:Are we doing fries? This is not just the fries, this is the whole restaurant. This is fast food chain. Okay, so, okay, hardee's is on the list. I think Number five. Okay, hardee's is on the list. I think Number five, number five. I have to have Chick-fil-A on the list because it's at East Throne. Chick-fil-a is not number two, it's number three Okay, it can't be one of the good old faithfuls. It can't be a McDonald's or a Burger King. Wendy's, no, wendy's, no Wendy's.
Speaker 1:Okay's no, wendy's okay, didn't make the list Ding I got a miss. I only get three misses in this made-up game, that's right. Okay, I'm also going to throw at you Whataburger. Oh, whataburger is good. That's a Texas move. I did on think I think.
Speaker 2:I think because it's just in texas texas.
Speaker 1:Yeah, everything's bigger in texas, but not on the list. Yeah, okay, I need a safe one actually surprising. I need a safe one.
Speaker 2:Daddy needs a daddy's a new car okay, I'm gonna give you a hint, I'm gonna give you a hint, I'm going to give you a hint. Yes, for this particular one. Think global presence. Okay.
Speaker 1:Oh man, that's a good hint, but it leads me to two places.
Speaker 2:Yeah, it's not Subway, oh well done, sir, okay. Well done.
Speaker 1:McDonald's, mcdonald's. Then no, no, no, what the no? That's my third strike. Mcdonald's isn't on the list. What's my third strike? Oh, no, you struck out quickly. I did, I did With the ladies and with this.
Speaker 2:Oh man, you're used to it. You're used to it. Okay, I find this list shocking. Okay, hit me.
Speaker 1:And.
Speaker 2:I really want to know.
Speaker 1:Okay, I'm gonna go from 10 to 1, yeah all right, there's 10 and I I start out with 10 there's five.
Speaker 2:Oh gosh, number 10 yeah they have the meats oh, arby's, arby's.
Speaker 1:Oh, I'm like this list is this list is starting to lose its, lose its power, okay I, I'm not buying it like this.
Speaker 2:This list is I'm like who?
Speaker 1:the heck did they ask number?
Speaker 2:nine zaxby's.
Speaker 1:Oh, I've had that a lot. That's a southern thing. Is it good? It raising canes, it's raising canes in the south.
Speaker 2:Oh okay, yeah, yeah, don't have their competitors number eight very similar popeyes, which I do love Popeyes.
Speaker 1:That's not higher. Arby's is on the list. I'm all for an Arby's sandwich every now and then. Popeyes.
Speaker 2:Number seven Taco Bell. Okay, oh Scott.
Speaker 1:Number six.
Speaker 2:I've never heard of this one. Captain D's yeah, I have.
Speaker 1:I think it's a fish place. Captain D's, yeah, I have, I think it's a fish place. Oh, is it like Long?
Speaker 2:John Silver's. Is it a Hardee's Carl's kind of thing? Are they the same or are they different? I don't think so.
Speaker 1:No, I think it's different. I think it may be owned by one of the big boys, like a Yum Foods or something.
Speaker 2:Go ahead, oh okay, yeah, number five is Hardee's Number four In-N-Out.
Speaker 1:Suck dude, I would not be going to Family Feud, I guess.
Speaker 2:This is a bad thing. Number three is Chick-fil-A. Like we said, number one was Del Taco, so number two. Come on, Dig deep. What Now? Of course not KFC People like.
Speaker 1:KFC still KFC's freshening, I think.
Speaker 2:I mean globally sales. I think that's why I was like globally. I think you can get KFC anywhere around the world.
Speaker 1:But that's a weird list.
Speaker 2:That is not the list I would come up with.
Speaker 1:Not even close, no, not even close, no, not even close, no, but that, oh, there's some things. The other thing that we haven't even mentioned and this, this was I believe you discovered this on the road trip was a white castle. Oh lord, you don't have fond memories of white castle I have memories of white castle.
Speaker 2:This is one of those things. If you're from the upper midwest, I think so, I think then you're like white castle is the greatest tom shulkin.
Speaker 1:If you're out there I think you're that way you're gonna get your undergarments in a ruffle, but I I think that people who come into White Castle they're like oh, this is what we're talking about, these steamed little tiny burgers that I can eat a dozen of.
Speaker 2:Freezer gut bombs.
Speaker 1:Tastes like liver sandwiches, oh my gosh White Castle is definitely not sponsoring us White Castle.
Speaker 2:I think we got those on the way to visit your aunt in Detroit. I think we got those like on the way to visit your aunt in Detroit. We did yeah, and you, yeah, you're like, oh, andrew, you got to try these white castle. I'm like, yeah, let's do it.
Speaker 1:Yeah.
Speaker 2:We could get 40. Should we get 40 of them or?
Speaker 1:we're 80. How are you, since we're in our detour now, how are you at ordering food for groups? Are you pretty like? Are you pretty good at it or do you feel like? Because I mean, we all know that I, I over order and I order a lot of food for live groups. Yeah, so I always go big, but I find that there's really two people there's those who like over order or those who deeply underestimate. Yeah, I, I definitely an order orderer over orderer where are you at that's?
Speaker 2:it um, I try to defer to somebody else as often as possible when it comes to group orders. That's my strategy okay but I I I come across it quite a bit, especially with pizza, because now that we have a pool, we host a lot of pool parties, right, and if it's like kids pool, it's just the easiest thing to do is go with pizza. Yeah, and girls are challenging, because girls will either eat one slice or 10 slices? Yeah, it just depends on the day.
Speaker 1:Yes, fair. So sometimes I think the last one.
Speaker 2:We ordered like four pizzas and we had like three and a half pizzas left over.
Speaker 1:I was like what in the heck? And then other times like four are gone.
Speaker 2:Yeah, and I'm like what just happened and I'm like, well, get out the ice cream now. Then we got s'mores and everything else we got, and who wants cereal? So yeah with adults it's a little bit more predictable and pizza is pretty easy to figure out like slices and all that stuff.
Speaker 1:So, but the squares? The squares are the game changer If you have them square cut, because my this is my theory on the square cut, so you know you can ask most places will square cut and I think so. When I talked to you about being a pizza person, how many slices of pizza do you normally eat, andrew?
Speaker 2:Me.
Speaker 1:Oh, I will eat somewhere between I don't know two and four slices of pizza right, right yeah let's call it three yeah, but you have no idea how many squares you eat, no, and so that's where I think they help you, because people aren't automatically grabbing two or three, yeah, where they're grabbing a couple of squares, which I believe is less than three pieces of pizza, and that's pretty good right, like I'm satisfied with that, especially they're a little tiny, random square. You know big one that has a lot of toppings on it right square cut throws the curveball.
Speaker 1:So people just grab, knowing themselves, they grab going okay. Uh, this looks like the normal amount of pizza. I eat three squares, but three squares is definitely less than three pieces so that's my, that's my theory on. If you want to stretch a pizza out to get more people square, cut it.
Speaker 2:Hmm, yeah, so it's good friends that's a good thing to leave you with. On our, on our food, our, our fast food based detour. Hey, let us know your favorite French fries Love it, and let us know. Well, I'll post this list when we air this episode of the top 10, according to USA today, and let's see what you think is your top.
Speaker 1:Love it. It's going to be a great, because that's a very controversial list, so this is great. Okay, it's been fun, detour, and we will see you on the other side. Bye, everybody.
Speaker 2:Bye-bye.