Fast Food Blues

It is interesting to compare the local fast food establishments. Of course, I question calling several of them fast anymore, at least the ones in Lebanon, Missouri. In this sprawling town of 12,000, we have a BK, Long John Silvers, Taco Bell, Sonic, McDonalds (the big daddy of them all), Wendys, and KFC along a main portion of our strip, aka Jefferson Avenue. To be fair, I haven't relied on all of these places to provide me with one of my daily meals. Yet, the one stop that I will give an A to is Wendys. They seem to be with it as we traverse the drive-thru. You order, you pay, and you have your meal usually within a few minutes. Great job, guys.

Tonight, I went thru BK to pick up some sandwiches for my wife and her co-workers. As my little son was with me, I ordered him a small fry to make the trip fun for him. Somehow, his fries were upside down in the sack. Come on, people! Remember gravity! It was this same BK awhile back that I waited in line for the ages (at really not a busy time) just to get to the register and order my Jr. Whopper. The young man serving as the only clerk, who unfortunately was slow as molasses (may have been a struggle with self-confidence), turned his fingers into a circle and said, "We ran out of the little buns." You're kidding. And of course, I must say this was the same BK a year or so ago that proceeded to serve my wife black onion rings while several of their employees were racing around the parking lot in a car. Needless to say, for a place that has a great burger, their associates sure ruin the pleasure of getting it.

I do have a Taco Bell moment that cracked me up. I actually went in there to pick up a job application, thinking I might be able to use some extra cash and I had seen their ad in the paper. The girl that handed me the app told me I had to take this computerized test they give their to applicants as well. So I asked her how long it took for my planning purposes. She said it had 80 questions and it took her an hour and a half. You mean to tell me the kid that screwed up my last taco salad had to pass an 80 question, 1 1/2 hour exam in order to have the opportunity to do that? Wow!

As for the big daddy, the golden arches has a drive-thru that also serves as a crowded parking lot. Everyone seems to love that place to the point they will wait half a day in that drive-thru. I don't know if that is good or bad, yet I find it frustrating waiting that long for one of the cheaper large drinks in town.

If you are traveling on I-44 and plan to make a stop at Lebanon to grab some fast grub, I recommend the Wendys. They seemed to have the knack for getting you served. And a plus is they actually put some healthy fresh produce on their sandwiches. Not bad. And if you are traveling, have a great and safe journey.