- Dec. 16, 2017, 10:25 AM
- 0
Hollis Johnson/Business Insider
- We ate dozens of meals at fast-food restaurants in 2017.
- A couple of the big names came through with strange new menu items that were actually good.
- A few newcomers wowed us, too, and made our list of the best things we’ve eaten this year.
A lot happened in 2017.
McDonald’s ran out of Schezuan sauce, inspiring riots. Taco Bell served fried chicken. Millions retweeted a teen desperate for free Wendy’s chicken nuggets. And some other stuff, too.
As two fast-food reporters and superfans, we’ve eaten dozens upon dozens of meals at chain restaurants across the country this year. From Filipino fast-food to all-American McDonald’s, we’ve traversed the culinary globe of chain dining.
Looking back at the year, we wanted to pay tribute to the menu items whose stars shone the brightest. These aren’t all new menu items, but they were new to us. Here’s the best of the best, the cream of the crop, the crown jewels of quick service in 2017.
Raising Cane’s chicken fingers
Hollis Johnson
We thought we knew chicken. But no man knows chicken until they have tried Raising Cane’s chicken fingers.
Time for a little Cane’s theory: by focusing exclusively on chicken fingers, Raising Cane’s is able to perfect the form in a way few competitors can even dream of. They’re crispy yet light, perfectly juicy, and tender.
Waffle House’s steak melt
Hollis Johnson
Waffle House is an American icon, but one that Hollis had sadly never visited prior to this year. On a trip to Virginia, we decided to right this egregious wrong.
The entire menu was fantastic, but the steak melt is a hit more so due to its underdog status. As we said at the time, “the gestalt of its harmoniously greasy, cheesy, perfectly tender, and masterfully toasted creation nearly drove us to tears.”
Taco Bell’s Naked Chicken Chalupa
Hollis Johnson
Taco Bell’s stunt menu items are hit-or-miss. This year, we had a runaway hit on our hands with the Naked Chicken Chalupa. To be honest, we were initially incredibly suspicious of a chalupa that uses fried chicken as a shell.
But our suspicions were soon allayed. The Naked Chicken Chalupa showcases surprisingly tasty and spicy chicken and classic Taco Bell fillings, balanced against the crux of the very chalupa itself: a smooth avocado ranch sauce.
Hooters’ boneless wings
Hollis Johnson
In retrospect, it’s a disgrace that neither of us had been to Hooters before this year. When we finally made the pilgrimage, we stumbled upon one of our best meals of the year.
Any schmuck can cook a wing, but to paraphrase Flannery O’Connor, a good boneless wing is hard to find. Hooters delivers with impressively large, tender, and meaty chunks of chicken slathered in the sauce of your choice.
Teremok’s blini
Hollis Johnson
Russia has been on America’s mind this year; and now, it has been on our plates. Teremok is the “McDonald’s of Russia,” serving blini, soups, and dumplings at its hundreds of locations. It recently opened its first location in the US in New York City — and we had to try it.
Let’s just say … we loved it. In particular, the “Butcher Block” blini — filled with mashed potatoes, bacon, fried onions, and pickles — was a rich and decadent feast packed into the simple, crepe-like pancake. The caviar-stuffed “Red Star” was another favorite.
Basically, 2017 was the year we learned to stop worrying and love the borscht.
Shake Shack’s breakfast sandwiches
Hollis Johnson
It’s a crime that Shake Shack doesn’t serve breakfast at all of its locations. The sandwiches — egg and cheese; bacon, egg, and cheese; and sausage, egg, and cheese — are truly some of, if not the best breakfast sandwiches in a very crowded market.
The buns are soft, the eggs are runny, the sausage is perfect, and the bacon is plentiful. What more can we say?
McDonald’s Chicken McGriddle
Hollis Johnson
The Chicken McGriddle is an indie hit from a big name — launched with little fanfare, yet with a flavor pedigree deserving celebration.
A chicken-and-waffle inspired treat, it takes the maple pancake bun of the the McGriddle and plops a spicier version of the McChicken patty between.
Unfortunately, the sandwich has yet to roll out nationally, and it may never do so — a true loss for our nation.
Jollibee’s Aloha Burger
Hollis Johnson
American burger could learn a thing or two from Jollibee. We visited the Filipino burger for the first time this year, and despite the chain’s focus on spaghetti and fried chicken, we were most blown away by the Aloha Burger.
The pineapple elevates the perfectly charred burger patty and plays perfectly with the salty bacon strips and slightly sweet sauce reminiscent of McDonald’s Big Mac sauce. It’s a perfect flavor melody, an amalgamation of American burger tradition and Pinoy culinary inspirations.
Cook Out’s barbecue pork sandwich
Hollis Johnson
On a trip down south, Kate was eager to introduce Hollis to the wonders of the Carolinas’ finest burger chain: Cook Out. Prime among the menu items was the barbecue pork sandwich.
It’s filling without being overwrought. It’s unique but not showy. It’s just plain good. And in 2017, isn’t that the most we can ask for?
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