Fast Food Showdown: Debating Our Favorites!
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Hey guys, I'm Rachel Cruz. I'm George Campbell. And this is Smart Money Happy Hour. Cheers, George. Cheers. Wow. Jinx, you owe me a Coke. Or do I owe you a... What is this?

Raspberry Dream Dirty Soda Mocktail. I mean, that is... That's got a ring to it. Yeah, that's something. That is something. Well, this is the show where two friends who have too many experts talk about what you're talking about. Everything from pop culture, current events, and money. And today, we are unpacking a very controversial topic.

affordable food. That's right. We're tackling the heart issues today. And some people have big feelings about little things like Wendy's and Schlotzky's and other cheap meal spots on the go. So we're going to address this debate head on. We're going to talk about the financial aspect of it. And can we just say, not an episode about health. So before you say, do you know how bad fast food is for you? I know.

You are not the target demo for this episode. And I'm reading books and listening to podcasts about how terrible it all is, so we know. We know. I'm teaching Rachel that nutrition labels exist, so we're working on it. We're having a good time. It is real. What we put in our bodies is very important. And also, what are we sipping on, George? Here's what we're putting in our body today. It's a Raspberry Dream Dirty Soda Mocktail. Yeah. And we're going to give you the rating and reveal the cost per glass at the end of the episode. And this is the drink, apparently. I've not seen it yet, which I love reality TV. Yeah.

But apparently the Mormon controversial... Secret Lives of Mormon Wives. Yeah, apparently this is what they're doing. I only know because my wife was watching it and I... Did you watch any of it? She watched all of it. Oh my gosh, I need... It was like season two right now. Like she was obsessed. Okay, I need to get on the train. But if you didn't know, Mormons famously are into soda shops because they cannot have alcohol or caffeine. Yes. From coffee.

But soda's okay in energy drinks? I'm not sure. You guys tell me. Let us know. I'm still confused by that rule. But anyways, we got this pop culture, I'm going to call it, drink today. And this is one of Rachel's all-time requested episodes. Is it? Because you just want to talk about your love of fast food. No, I just have opinions about fast food. Not the health of it, again, but what I like. Because, listen, y'all all think I'm like this bougie...

debt-free tesla driving girl i'm not she's so i am but i'm so much more i love i do love fast food she loves a sonic and i and listen we're eating a broccoli casserole for dinner tonight tomorrow white bean chicken chili like i we eat healthy right on most of it but when you need fast food

I am here for it, and I will never say no. And we're going to break it down for you. We're going to rank it today. We're going to do some bracket-style challenges, and I'm going to class it up with my version of Fast Casual, so you don't want to miss this. It's going to be good, because I do think that the topic of food...

it has gone up, right? Inflation, groceries, all of it. And we do talk about that. When you go out to eat, you spend more money versus if you ate at home. And again, it may not be true for like a single person running through like a Taco Bell drive-thru versus going to the grocery, right? Like I think there's a level of it. But when you have a family,

And especially a sit-down restaurant, all of it, like you are end up spending more. But these are places that are cheaper because the quality is not good. But it's a reality that a lot of people face. It is a reality. And you're busy.

You've got to run through a drive-thru, and so we're going to talk about it. And we're going to sprinkle in some stats, prices, and fun facts for you along the way. And let us know in the comments who you're signing with, what your favorites are as we talk about them, because we want your hot takes too. We have two rounds. We've got the fast food round, which is your traditional cheap drive-thru. Then we have fast casual, which is more your in-line ordering at the counter, but no drive-thru situation unless you count the Chipotle. Yeah, and you pay $15 for a bowl of sauce.

something whoa i sensed the judgment already listen i like kava i'm not mad at it shots fired all right first match up you ready oh yeah mcdonald's versus taco bell okay who are you taking in the match i'm going taco bell taco bell final answer there is only one answer taco bell these two options are both for who would you say people desperate after 11 p.m

The lines after 11 p.m. at these places are out of control. Yeah, Taco Bell late night. It's like a DMV. Like if you went to a wedding, had a fun reception, and you're like, you know, we just need like a little cherry on top before we get home. How often are you going to weddings that need a nightcap at a McDonald's? I don't know. It happens. It's good. Yeah. No, but Taco Bell, two soft tacos, the nachos and cheese. I'm good to go. Get that fire sauce.

Peck it? Are you slapping it? I'm shaking it. I don't think it's shaking. I don't think it's that level of quality where it requires... I think it's all congealed to begin with. I know. It's very kind of you, though. What's yours? I pick Taco Bell. I do Taco Bell. This is one I actually did recently, not by choice, but out of desperation. Okay. It was 11.30 at night in Columbia, Tennessee. All right.

This is it. This is all we have. What an adventure. I had just sang in my friend's band to fill in for our friend Zach Ford. Okay. Who couldn't, he was sick. Oh my gosh. I went, I'm going to fill in. Late night, didn't get to eat dinner. Wow. I get the Doritos Locos tacos and a crunchy taco. How was it? It was food.

It was good because it was 11.30. Okay. I think most of the time fast food is only good because of your environment. Yeah, I agree with that. You are starving and you are desperate. What I found surprising though was it was over $5.00.

for two very basic tacos. Oh, yeah. The inflation, man. In my head, I was like, probably $1.19 for each of these tacos. Right, right, right. I apparently must have been in the 1950s mentally. We got the Doritos one. That's a big step up. Yeah. I mean, what are you doing? Why do you think this Doritos taco is worth $7 now? So I was upset at the price, but I ate it in regret and I left. We are filming this right before dinner and I am regretting this. We're both starving. Because I am so hungry and I stopped Taco Bell since I'm good. Here's a fun fact.

McDonald's, the world's largest restaurant chain by revenue, nearly 42,000 restaurants, a brand value of $38 billion worldwide. In the original price of a taco at Taco Bell, 19 cents. Man, I could have eaten everything for a dollar. Thanks, inflation. All right, next up, we got some chicken. Ready? Chicken on chicken. Okay. Chick-fil-A versus Zaxby's. This one's easy. Chick-fil-A.

I agree. Chick-fil-A. But man, a Zaxi's kicking chicken sandwich. It's like Texas toast, chicken tenders. And then you have like a ranch and then like another sauce on top. Like a spicy ranch? Where's the kicking part? It is...

so good but I'm still going I'm still going spicy chicken sandwich to Chick-fil-A but if you if I'm on a road trip and I see a Zaxby's I'm at least like you know what that's a better option because they have the salads they have good they have good salads at Zaxby's that's usually what I think I have to do but if I had my choice I see a Chick-fil-A and a Zaxby's I'm going Chick-fil-A every time what do you get at Chick-fil-A

uh usually a grilled nugget meal okay so i can have the fries the nuggets you get a drink yes so good now a spicy chicken wrap from chick-fil-a is actually really great their salads are actually very good too yeah i'll be at price here this is feeling better but i recently got a kid's meal at chick-fil-a alone sat in a booth alone like a crazy person waiting on my tire to be done oh yeah

And I felt strange, I'm going to be honest. But I got a kid's meal. It was over $8 for a kid's meal. I know. It's expensive. Chick-fil-A is expensive. So fast food is not what it once was price-wise. Back in my day, it felt like it was like four or five bucks gets you a kid's meal. Okay. And why do we feel like when you eat Chick-fil-A, you're eating a healthier version of fast food? Is it true or is it really not? I think it's because the environment. The people are nicer. The facilities are cleaner. And they act like they're putting effort into it. I have an app.

You put in your order. You go and you sit down. You go and put your order in as you're getting there. Sit down at the table. Put in your table a number. The kids go play. They bring you your food. Like it's all done. And it is. It's a higher quality experience. But the ingredients, frightening. I dare you to read the ingredients on a Chick-fil-A sauce. You won't sleep tonight. You will spend all night Googling. You're like, what the heck am I putting in my body? Oh my gosh. All right. You're ready for this.

Arby's versus Sonic. Man. That's a tough one. Man, Sonic was like, that's like where we went to in high school. It's nostalgic for you. You would go to Sonic. Is that why you still love it? Is like the drive-in? Maybe so. My wife worked at a Sonic and she did the roller skates and everything. You get like an extra quarter. You get paid more. An extra quarter an hour. I was a car hop. Yes, my friends worked at Sonic.

Man, Sonic is good. Sonic Cheeseburger. You don't know anyone that worked at Arby's. We don't. Who's working there? We don't know. George, heartbreaking Americans. I'm saying that like your friends in high school worked at Sonic. You know what I mean? Yeah, yeah, yeah. It was like the place. Sonic and Smoothie King.

Those were like the places that they worked. What do you know about Arby's? They have the meats. That's all we know. Very mysterious. I know. Okay, Arby's is one of Winston's favorites. Really? Is it the roast beef? Yeah. And I have roast beef cheddar with horsey sauce. The horsey sauce hits. It's not bad. I don't care who you are. It's not bad. And the curly fries. Their fries are some of my favorites. Oh, I did love their curly. You're right. Man. I'm starting to get nostalgic for Arby's now. I know. What do you do? Like, it's just, it's tough. Growing up, I don't think we had Sonic. And I know he's roast beef.

Ever. When's the last time you purchased roast beef? Ever. Never. I don't think I've ever bought roast beef at the grocery store. Ever. But Arby's, suddenly it's okay. Which is probably disgusting. I know. Okay, so Sonic. My kids like Sonic. I like the variety of Sonic. It's kind of like the Cheesecake Factory of fast food. The mozzarella sticks at Sonic.

They're so good. Wow. That's your go-to? Yes. And now I got my kids on and I introduced them to my kids. I selfishly was like, I don't really want them to eat it because they're going to know how great it is. And every time I order them, they're going to want some. But you're like, I can't gatekeep if I want to be a good mom. Yeah, but I do. And now they're all addicted. They're like, oh my gosh, with mozzarella sticks. Wow. But they still eat all the food at home. They'll still eat broccoli casserole. Yeah, they're eating broccoli casserole tonight. Okay. So we're okay. We're okay, people. That's my fear as a parent. My mom cannot hear this episode. She...

be so disappointed i can totally see her being like do you know what's in oh man all right here's a fun fact for you arby's you can get a double roast beef or double beef and cheddar meal for just seven bucks which is cheaper than the chick-fil-a kids man oh my gosh that's crazy yes that's a bang for the buck and did you know that saying make it dirty at sonic means adding coconut and lime to your drink you know i think i did know that uh-huh i don't know what makes it dirty

Yeah, coconut and lime. That feels very refreshing and clean. Diet cherry limeade is what Rachel in high school got all the time. You go get the Route 44 during happy hour. Which just feels like way too much liquid for us to be in. So true. You're not drinking that much water in a day. I know, I know. All right, let's go sandwiches. My other favorite topic. This is a really hard one for me.

We got my favorite, Schlotzky's. I've never darkened the door of a Schlotzky's. I don't even know what they sell, to be honest. I would not know based on the name. I've never been to a Schlotzky's. I've never been that desperate, I guess. I don't know. Like, why would I go to a Schlotzky's not knowing what it is? It's just, I know. My friends have never been like, hey, let's go to Schlotzky's. Also, how do you make it nine syllables?

schlotzkies isn't it just schlotzkies schlotzkies schlotzkies schlotzkies like it's two syllables schlotzkies like you gotta give it credit where credit's due okay schlotzkies versus subway shoot i have trust issues with subway i just love subway too but you're going subway over schlotzkies no no i can't number one no olives schlotzkies

uh the cracked pepper chips and a diet coke wow that was way too fast okay schlotzky's is expensive and slow it feels like it's higher quality in my head it is i think so yeah but it takes for it's a long probably because they make it because they're actually making it takes them a moment to make the sandwich uh but they don't have sandwich artists like subway do they do there's no artistry at schlotzky's they're just throwing it all together

At Subway, that's what they call themselves, sandwich artists. Really? Yeah. What do you get at Subway? Okay, I get the Italian BMT. Oh, that's a good one. With banana peppers and tomato and lettuce. Back when I could eat Subway, I was doing like the meatball marinara or the sweet onion chicken teriyaki. Wow, you went like real crazy. I'm shocked. Is that crazy? A meatball at Subway and chicken at Subway feels like a lot. What are you getting?

Italian BMT salami ham like like he's been cold cuts like a sub like a regular meat. What animal does that come from? But yeah, all right. She's like game recognized game. What the heck is pastrami? It's pork.

It's pork. Oh, man. That's a good one. What do you pick? Well, you've got to pick Subway because you haven't been to Chlasky's. I don't know. Maybe I need to go and experience Chlasky's. Chlasky's bread is good. I need to check if they have gluten-free bread. That might change my mind. Subway, here's a fun fact, began in 1965 when 17-year-old Fred DeLuca asked Dr. Peter Buck, who's a family friend and nuclear physicist, feels like a flex of a detail, but okay, asked him for advice on how to pay his college tuition.

which by the way, go Fred, love debt-free college tuition. It's awesome. And Fred's idea for a submarine shop and a thousand dollar investment from Dr. Buck, they formed a business partnership. And today it is known as Subway. 37,000 restaurants worldwide. Feels generous to call it a restaurant, but I appreciate that. I respect the hustle.

I feel like Subway is everywhere. It's in every gas station. There's one in your house probably right now. They're everywhere. There may not be. I may be jumping the gun. I'll wait because I have other subs that I love. Next up.

Burgers. Okay, this is the fight or fight. Texas versus California. Oh, yes. In-N-Out versus Whataburger. This one's contentious. This is like choosing a football team in a sense. Oh, I'm like, I know exactly. I've had both, and I know. Okay, you do yours. We're going to count to three. One, two, three. In-N-Out. Yes. She does have class. We found it. In-N-Out. And here's the best fun fact that has changed, I think, changed my family tree.

There is an In-N-Out headquarters coming to Franklin, Tennessee, legitimately right down the road from Ramsey. We feel it. We feel it's right there. If I could throw a football, I could throw a football and hit In-N-Out. It's going to be right there. And not only is there a headquarters, there's a restaurant paired with it across the street. And is it going to be like an hour-long drive-thru every day? Initially, I think so. I know. But eventually, people move on with their life, except for us.

And we'll be there. We are feral for this. It's so cheap, easy. It is so good. I will say their fries are not my favorite. Oh, see, I love them. I get them well done. If you didn't know, you can get them extra crispy. So they're literally like they are so crisp.

Okay, that's probably what I need to do because they are a little – they're – yeah, the fries are not my favorite. They're thin. But they're – I mean you watch them hand cut the potatoes. So as far as quality goes, I love that I can actually see the quality right before my eyes. So good. And it's very affordable. Very much so, yeah. So In-N-Out's profit margin is estimated to be 20%, which is on the higher end of most restaurant chain spectrum. Good for them. So it's good. Which is impressive because their burgers are like $3. And do you know they have bursts at the bottom of their cups?

Yes. Bible verses? Yeah. And their fries, all their labels. And it's still a family-owned company. Wow. I know. But here's another fun fact. If we're going to start, you know, starting some religious beef here, Whataburger employees are encouraged to play Christian music over the restaurant speakers. Really? Well, that's interesting. I think Chick-fil-A does that with Muzak. You know, it's like an instrumental version of that.

Of a song that you know and you're like, okay, a little subtle. Yeah. I hear that third day. There you go. Guitar. I'm glad we agree so far on most of these. All right. You ready for the next one? Domino's versus Papa John's. I know you're going Papa John's. All day. People might think you're sponsored by Papa John's. I...

Love Papa John's. You talk about Papa John's more than you do your kids. I forget your kids' names. I know your Papa John's order. It's just so good. It's so good. You get the pepperoncini. Pepperoncini and pepperoni. And you get the garlic sauce. And their crust is thick, which I like. Now, I like Jets. Jets is like an elevated pizza order for us. Like, you're going to be spending more.

But I get Papa Doe a lot on my app because we order it so much. Can you explain that to people what Papa Doe is? Yeah, if you order enough on the app, you get like credit back. So I'll have like 10, 20. I mean, I'll have a lot on the app. Because you spend hundreds on Papa John's a month. I figure like...

Well, if we have kids like over, like for movie nights, I'm always going Papa John's. I'm not going to like order Jets for the kids. So when parents are like, hey, let's get pizza. I got it in my app. I got to get my Papa dough. Yeah. No, not parents, but just like the kids are there. So I'm like, I'll order pizza for the kids. You know? Okay. I just, I, y'all, the crust is so good. It's just so good. It is so good. And you get delivery.

I do. And sadly, it's been door dashed recently. I don't think they have enough employees. I didn't grow up with Papa John's. It's not a part of my zeitgeist like it is for you. I did grow up with Domino's. My friend worked there, so he'd give us free pizza after a shift. Oh, that's fun. And he would do a custom pizza. It was a barbecue sauce base with chicken and bacon. Remember the sausage and bacon? It was amazing. So good. Delicious. Okay, would you pick...

Would you pick Papa John's or Domino's? I've had Domino's gluten-free, and it's actually decent. I need to try Papa John's to see if it's up to snuff. Yeah. But if I had to order today, you know I'm a Marcos guy. If I'm going to go with a chain. Yeah, true. Marcos is good. But I feel like Domino's, there's like a trust there I have built. Probably similar to what you've built with Papa John's. What you guys have is special. It is. It's...

It's pretty great. Here's a fact for you. At 2023, Domino's brought in $9 billion in sales. Papa John's only had $2.1 billion. Ouch. Wow. Oh,

Only a measly 2.1. But here's the deal. Diehard fans have discovered Papa John's uses less sauce on their pizzas than Domino's. So you can order extra sauce on your order. I'm an extra sauce guy. I am too. If it's just like cheese and bread, I'm like, I should have just ordered cheese and bread. Okay, I did notice that it's less sauce. So that's like a known fact. Try doing extra sauce. It should be free. There's your life hack. Thank you. I will. All right. Let's go burgers again, George. Wendy's versus Burger King.

See, I feel like Wendy's is so much more than just burgers. It's true. My childhood is like you get a dollar for the five-piece nugget, a dollar for a chili, a dollar for a burger, and a dollar for fries. So I could get out of there. Four or five bucks. It was a lot. And other spicy chicken sandwiches. Yeah.

So good. That hits. So good. So I'm going to choose, but Burger King had us a lot of nostalgia. The Rodeo Burger had an onion ring on there with barbecue sauce. I love Burger King's chicken sandwich, those long ones. So good. That's why I get in the Nashville airport. There was something special about that. Yeah, I agree. It's still around. Still around. So that's a hard one to debate. I'm going Wendy's though. If I had to go into a place, I think Wendy's I'd go into today over Burger King. Okay. Well, Wendy's actually beats Burger King in sales by just $0.8 billion. Wow.

That's 800. Is that 800 million? That feels like not an insignificant amount. Sounds like a lot. It's just 0.8 billion. It's not that much. All right. Before we head into our fast casual rounds, when we talk about other restaurants and maybe some apps that we have. Let's do it.

Listen, spammers, scammers, they're everywhere. Just like fast food, right? You see them everywhere. They are everywhere. So removing your online data, you guys, is so, so crucial. And Delete.me is a great company and service to help you do that. That's right. I feel like data is the new currency and we are giving it out to sign up for every fast food app out there.

And so Delete Me helps remove your info from all these data broker websites that are selling it for a profit. And they send you a report showing you exactly what they did, how much time they saved you. I'm at 55 hours of time saved, which is time I could be spending in a drive-thru. I don't know.

and ordering some food. There we go. I know, but for real, your information's out there, you guys. Get it removed and use Delete Me. It's fantastic. We'll put the link below. Yes. And there's actually a great deal for our listeners. 20% off. Go to joindeleteme.com slash smartmoney. You'll get 20% off any of their plans. Very affordable and great peace of mind.

And you know what else I love? What's that? Cozy Earth. Yes. So this company, you guys, it has clothes, it has bedding, it has towels. I mean, it has anything you need. Athletic gear, blankets, robes, you name it. But the material is amazing.

Unbelievable. It's what the influencers would say is buttery. Oh. It's very buttery. I don't follow those people. But it's literally like silk. Like it is amazing. I have some pajamas. I have some joggers. Our sheets. Yes. I mean, y'all, it is, it's unbelievable. We did the sheets. We cleaned the sheets this week as we do. By the way, clean your sheets. It's probably time. Once a week. But we like unfurled them on the bed and there was like,

It was like Aladdin's magic carpet. And Whitney was like, these are really the best sheets we ever had. I was like, I know. They are. I'm telling you. It's so good. It's so good. And then Winston loved all this stuff so much, he went online and bought a hoodie and

without our code. Your boy's out here paying retail when we have a code for 40% off. I was like, babe. He was like, well, I just love the material, so I wanted a hoodie from it. I was like, well, we've got a code. So y'all, don't be crazy. I know you're going to buy some Cozy Earth stuff, but buy it with her code. Don't be like Winston. Go to CozyEarth.com slash smart money, or you can just use the code smart money at checkout. Let them know if you take the post-purchase survey you heard about Cozy Earth on this show. So get a great discount up to 40% off. They're great. They're great.

All right, George, let's go a little fast casual. Let's go a little classier, okay? To be fair, in the meeting, I said, Rachel, we can't just do fast food. The people deserve better. And so these are my, I don't know, pretentious, casual. Just the elevated. Yeah. But probably healthier, let's be honest. Option. Let's start off with an easy one. Chipotle versus Moe's. Everyone say Chipotle. If you like Moe's, you don't like Mexican food. You don't like tacos. You like queso.

So true. I would say, yeah, Chipotle is actually great. Get a, I get a bowl. Yes. And I make it a chicken. I do the hack where I can get two bowls out of one.

What? Because you stack the ingredients and you can get extra of a lot of the things without paying more. So you can't get extra meat without paying more, but you can get extra fajita veggies, extra rice, extra salad. So when I get the bowl, they barely get the lid on there. So funny. And so either Whitney and I will split it as a meal or I'll eat half and then save half for the next day. Yeah, it's good though. You pay 11 or 12 bucks, but you get two meals out of it, which makes it cheaper than most fast food. I love it. And it's higher quality. All right, next up, Panera versus Jason's Deli.

I'm kind of mad at Panera. What'd they do to you? Is it glorified hospital food now? It was on what we called the strip at UT in college. So it's called the strip. It was where all the restaurants were. And Panera was like on there and it was one that we would always go to. You just grab bagels or coffee. Like it's kind of off campus a little bit, but it was so affordable, so easy. And then I went in probably like two years ago, y'all. And I got like a sandwich sandwich.

A side, a drink, and it was like $18 or something. Whoa. It was very expensive. And they've upped their prices so much that I'm like...

It's not worth it. I can't justify it. Panera's overpriced for me right now. I agree. And I do think the quality has gone down. I mean, I don't know how they get, like, they must GMO their apples to be tiny. Have you ever got an apple from Panera? Or even worse, the bread. I'm like, are you paying for my dentist visit after I have to shoot through this bread? Yeah, it's so hard. How do you make bread that hard? It's so true. I know. It makes me so sad. And the chips, it's one ounce of chips. That bag is just air and there's like seven chips in there. I know. But I used to love that you picked two. I used to.

I used to love it all. A little soup, a little half a sandwich. I went all the time in college, and I just can't anymore. And I'll be honest, I haven't been to a Jason's Deli in a while, but they have lots of options. They had a Turkey Bravo sandwich back in the day that was delicious. Oh. No, no, it was a Turkey O'Boy or something. I think Turkey Bravo was at Panera. Okay, so this was the Turkey O'Boy. And do you remember, I'm sure they still have it, so it's just when I was a kid, the bread that you'd put on sandwiches and it had onions in it?

- Amy O's. - Amy O's! - I can't get that! - I can't get that! - Onion bread? - It's me, Amy O's at Jason's Deli. - So good. - That's my favorite thing to get there. - Me too. - Wow. - With the avocado. Oh my gosh. - But if you're on a road, here's my test. If you're on the road trip and you see both, which one are you going to? I'm probably still going to Panera, even though I know-- - Just feel safe. - It's like the devil you know. I know they're gonna have decent coffee. I know they're gonna have like the energy drink that I like, you know. It's in every hospital. So if you've ever been in a hospital, you've seen a Panera. - Is it really?

It's in a lot of the halls. I've been in several. You okay, George? I'm doing all right. I'm going to go Jason Salley on the road trip. Wow. So brave. All right. We're going to go Shake Shack versus Five Guys. Shake Shack all day. Shake Shack wins. Shake Shack's good. I think back in the day, Five Guys, their Cajun fries were life-changing. Yeah. See, I don't like their fries either. Everything's too greasy. Everything's greasy. You're going to get it all over. But Shake Shack is good.

though. Shake Shack is good, but I'm like, I might as well go eat out if I'm going to get Shake Shack because the burger is like $8 or $9. Then we got to get the gluten-free bun. Extra $17 for a gluten-free bun. Then you got to get the fries separate. Then you got to get a drink separate. They don't do meals. Yeah, that's true. That's true. But I do feel like it's a trendier, you know, you see it in big cities. I'm going Shake Shack if I see. And I had a bad experience at Five Guys in New York.

Whitney needs to use the bathroom. I went, hey, Five Guys has a bathroom. And I know New York, they're going to be like, hey, you got to be a customer. Yeah, you do. But they gave me some heck. And I was like, I'm going to buy a water. Like they gave me a big attitude about it. I slammed the water on there. I was like, I'm buying a water. She's using the bathroom. Yeah. And I was like, go. You just go. I'm going to pay for this. I'm going to take care of it. I don't like the attitude in a Five Guys. That was one store, George. Yeah.

A Shake Shack, while they don't care, at least they're a little bit more friendly. Okay, that's fair. Maybe it was a New York, a rough and tumble five guys situation. They were ready to fight. Okay, I'm ready for this one. This is a really hard one for me. Jersey Mike's versus Firehouse. I know where I'm going, but man. I know you're doing Firehouse. I'm doing Firehouse. The Italian, fully involved, on wheat, so good.

Is that a way to order? Yeah, fully involved at Powerhouse. Yeah, it's like your onion. It's just everything. I just don't think you've ever used the words fully involved until now. I know. But man, Jersey Mike's.

is so good though it is so good okay but i'm going warm sub warm sub every day i'm a warm sub guy there's very few subs i think are better i'm going firehouse and it's partially because they gave you a free sub on your birthday so it's like it's a part of my they do the fabric of my life on my birthday they do get a

And it used to be you could just show an ID. Yeah, what do you do now? Now if you get to like sign up for the rewards program or whatever. Oh, man, okay. Yeah. All right, all right. I don't have that. But I'm going Firehouse. It feels higher quality. All right. And I like the branding. Oh, it's so fun. Makes me feel like a fireman. Ladders, fireman. Jersey Mike's feels a little bit like there's a guy with some chest hair and a gold chain. I know there isn't, but it gives off that vibe. And no offense to Jersey, but we can do better. Well, Jersey...

I prefer New Jersey Michaels. I think it's a classy name. They needed a rebrand. Just go full. Full on name. Comes from a good family. All right, let's jump on the plane, George. We're leaving America. We're going international here. You ready? Okay. Panda Express versus Pei Wei. One of a cultural icon. Yeah.

If you went to a P.F. Chang's, you were like, I'm so like, wow, we are really branching out. Like this is a real different palette. This is Payway though. This is the fast food version of P.F. Chang's. That's right. Same company. Same company. I'm going Payway because I can actually eat things at Payway. Panda Express is too in the fast food realm for me. Oh, Panda Express.

Like, pay way, no, there's no drive-thru. I agree. It feels more like, I hear you. Panda Express feels like going to Sarku Japan in the mall, which I loved growing up. Hey, the free samples, you eat it, and you're like, that's actually really good. You know what they're handing me? Free chicken teriyaki. I'm like, pull my leg, my guy. Then I get Sarku Japan at the mall. And as a teenager, you felt like you were like, oh, I'm not going to tell mom I got a free sample. That's right. It felt really cool.

But yeah, Panda Express over Payway. I'm going Payway. I feel like it's higher quality at Payway. I can actually see the guy like sauteing it back there. I know. It's better food. I don't know what's going on at Panda Express. I'm going Panda Express. We don't know what's happening back there. We're not sure.

But it's fine. There's one right down the street by Ramsey, and I've never been, but I have friends that love it. Okay, this one is near and dear to my heart. Okay, go. Cava vs. Zoe's. Oh. Zoe's R.I.P. used to be a staple. It was then replaced by Cava. Okay, Zoe's gone forever. Is it out of business? Do we know? We don't know. There may be still one in Green Hills. We don't know.

I'm for sure going kava. Kava, the amount of pickled items they have makes me so happy. And as a person of Middle Eastern descent, it's closer to the food of my people than any fast food I've ever had. It's true. You know what I mean? It's like, I can't get my mom's cooking, but I can get kava. Can I tell you my order? Oh my gosh, I'd love to hear it.

It's fully involved. So I do a grains bowl. Yeah. Half saffron basmati rice, half brown rice, red pepper hummus, crazy feta, grilled chicken, fire roasted corn, pickled onions, salt brined pickles, tomato and onion, tomato and cucumber, cabbage slaw, Persian cucumber, kalamata olives, shredded romaine, garlic dressing drizzle on top, the skug drizzle on top, roasted eggplant dip, and I skip the pita. Wow, George. Holy crap. No joke. No joke.

But do you see what I mean? That bowl is very filling. That's so good. Very nutritious. And probably two meals, honestly. Definitely two meals. And it's like 11 or 12 bucks. There's a spicy... Harissa. The harissa. Yeah. So good. But I gotta get on the side. If I'm splitting with Whitney, I try to tame down the spice just so I don't, you know, blow her away. But I think kava's still up there for me at Top Fast Casual. Well, it's probably the night. It's probably the best quality food. Yeah. That and Chipotle. I'm going to end with that.

Wow, so good, George. There's a lot of good stuff there. And again, these are all in a similar price range. I mean, no matter where you go now, fast food is expensive. It's going to go, you cannot leave a fast food joint for one person without spending at least six, seven, eight bucks. Yeah. And then fast casual, you're looking at more like 11, 12, 13. You get the guac, that's an extra two bucks. Right. It can add up, especially if you're getting a drink. So I try to avoid getting a drink. I try to avoid any extras. I try to go with the base and make the most of that.

if that makes sense. Yeah, and to know what the extras are because if you want more protein or anything else, just know. And hey, in the sub stuff, like there are things that you're like, oh, we'll just get some sandwiches to go but have the chips at home and have the drinks at home, right? Like there's ways to get the bill. And I've seen the hack where you get the big Chipotle bowl and get tortillas on the side and you can make

like, you know, two full burritos with one bowl or... So smart. Yeah. So there's some hacks out there that are legitimate. You can get some decent bang for the buck. It's still cheaper to eat at home. Don't hear me say you're going to hack your way to just eating out all the time. Right. But if you're going to do it, yeah. But going to Chick-fil-A with a family now, I mean, it could cost you 60 bucks. Oh, yeah. I could probably look to see what, yeah, what we spend. We were just there. Charles, it was his birthday, told him he can go to any restaurant.

Jay Alexander. Like, Jay Alexander's. We can go wherever. Yeah, that's swanky. Guess where he picked? Chick-fil-A. Chick-fil-A. What did he get? Oh, just the kid's meal. Just chicken nuggets and fries. I don't know. My man. And a chocolate milk.

Stay humble, King. Okay, there are some great local fast casual spots here in Nashville. People always ask us, hey, I'm coming to Nashville. Where should I eat? So some fast casuals. Again, this isn't like the big restaurants. One of my favorites, Naniac's. Oh, that's a good one. It used to be behind our old office. Great chicken fingers. And then if you're going to be more in the Nashville area, closer to downtown, there's a spot called Baja Burrito. That is a local favorite.

Sushi, all the way back from when Rachel was in high school. It's still around, and it's still one of the best. It's Peter's Sushi and Burnt Wine. It's so good. And now a new location right by the Ramsey headquarters is Ed Lee's Barbecue. If you want good barbecue in Nashville area, Martin's Barbecue and Ed Lee's Barbecue are probably your top tier spots. Yep.

Mojo Tacos is another great spot, too, for some Mexican tacos. There's some local Nashville places. That's a good one. Okay, what's the spot that you love? Honorable mention. Yeah. Culver's. We didn't mention Culver's, but I think it deserves a mention. I think we should start out there with a little cheese curds sandwich.

I went there recently. This was the weirdest thing. For some reason, Whitney and I decided to go to Culver's. We sat like on their little patio. Yeah, it's great. And for some reason I was like, I felt weird. I was like, what am I doing on a Culver's patio? But we had a great meal out there. So good. I love that little nod to Culver's. I appreciate that. It's a good spot. Is that Wisconsin based with the Kurds? Or Minneapolis. Was it Wisconsin? It's Wisconsin. Okay. Because my friends in Minneapolis, when we go visit them like 10 years ago, they always had it just there. They didn't have one in Nashville for a long time.

Then when it opens here, I thought, oh, we've made it. I hear cheese curds and I just feel like the people of Wisconsin must own the rights to cheese curds. Thank you, Wisconsin. Thank you. So my takeaways, go-to for me, I'm going to do a $12 kava bowl because there's a strong potential for leftovers and it's nutritious and filling. I'm going to go large firehouse sub and split it with Winston.

How generous. That is giving like no one else. Because we both like the same word there. Outrageous generosity. It's so great. And if you find yourself leaning on the option of it's fast, cheap, easy, challenge yourself to pivot by number one, using an every dollar budget to find margin to buy affordable meals to make at home. That's right. Yeah, because honestly, eating at home, even though we've just talked about fast food and restaurants and all of it,

especially with a family, long-term, it's going to save you more money. And then I will bookend because I just listened to a two-hour podcast about how terrible the food is here in America.

We know it's not good for you. They're like, in Europe, that ingredients ban. I know. I know. Okay. And can I just say this for just a hot second? There is a part of me on this health kick because I am reading ingredients now and I'm like, oh, yeah, here we go. But there is a thing of like, okay, we need healthy. And then they're like, oh, well, if you eat healthy, like fruit, it can't be in plastic at the grocery store. Then she's like, okay. And then if it's even not in plastic, does it have, you know, it starts to feel like a black hole. Like I'm not Amish. Like I don't live on a farm. Yeah.

That is fair. I don't even assume that about you. I live in the suburbs. I just need a little help. And I may not be perfect on this new journey that I'm on. Love the humility. But thanks for your patience. That's very kind. Well, I did find this fact out. Well, I eat my firehouse. Here's the fact that changed my mind about eating out so often. Restaurants have to mark up their ingredients by 300% in order to cover overhead, labor, profit, all of that stuff. You're in the business, y'all. No, it's cheaper to eat out. I'm going...

No, scientifically and business-wise, absolutely not. Not at all. Because you're paying for all of that with every order. Yeah. Even the materials, the fork, the takeout box, all of that is being paid for by you. So know what you're getting into. Try to limit eating out. Even if you're out of debt, on a budget, it's still wise to limit it both health-wise and financially. And Kelly was just talking about her Crock-Pot meals tonight, and I was jealous. I was like, I wish I was on Kelly's level. Yeah, just getting some –

Getting some meals made. And it just takes some extra thought and prep. The meal plans. Just make a routine. She gets up Saturday mornings like the great mom she is, gets her coffee, and just starts planning out. Hey, what's going on this week? And it works. And it's great. Well done, Kelly. You're an inspiration to us all. Thank you for being you. Thank you for being you. Thank you for being you. All right.

All right, George, it's almost the end of the episode and we close out every episode with Guilty as Charged. And this is where our producer Kelly gives us a new Guilty as Charged question every week. And if we're guilty, we take a sip. So, Kelly. All right. Have you ever complained or sent food back because you didn't like it? It's like George's hobby. Yeah. I think I did it while we sat here. I tried to return the drink. I was like, no, no, no.

I almost did this in our own cafeteria, Ramsey. But I was like, I'm not going to do that. I'm not going to do it. The most recent time I can remember doing this was a date night. It was a nicer steakhouse in Franklin. You know it well. And the steak was...

Let's just say I think the cow may have still been alive. Oh my gosh, George. It was that. I ordered it medium. I did not order... Medium rare. Rare. No, I ordered medium and it came out... Okay, steak is... I feel like that's a... That's a...

a socially acceptable take back. To return. Steak. To return to be cooked more. That's not terrible. But in my mind, I was like, they're just going to cook it more and bring it back. No, no, no. They surprised and delighted and said, you know what? We're going to make you a brand new steak. Wow. And then they comped the meal. What? The whole meal? The whole meal. Stop it, George. I was shocked. I was shook. I was aghast. So...

didn't do it for that purpose at all. It was very nice of them. And we were pretty, you know, I'm always like, Hey, if you're going to do that, be kind. Don't be a jerk about it. Don't make a big scene. Just say, Hey, like we ordered medium and this one came out this, or Hey, this actually is not what we ordered or it's a wrong. If it's a wrong order. Yeah. Yeah. Mine was a cocktail.

And it was like some kind of pepper cocktail or something. It was like a little bit of pepper. And I drink it, y'all. And I mean, I like almost spit it out. Like I couldn't handle it. Was it too spicy? Just like think about black pepper just being a whole thing dumped and stirred in that drink. And I made Winston try it and he was like, that's not drinkable. So I did. I told him. And then the bartender took a sip or like took the straws they have now.

And he was like, oh, bad ratios. So I felt better about it. That's good. I'm impressed that they tried it. I always want them to be like, hey, this is not me being like, I just didn't like it. Yeah, yeah, yeah. You try it and you tell me. Yeah. I respect that. Yeah. He wasn't having it either.

So maybe I feel better. So they comped the drink. That happened to us once. And we're like, they're like, hey, if you don't like it, just let us know. I'm like, wow, that's okay. So we tried it. We're like, yeah, this was not for us. So they brought a new one and they charged us for all the drinks. And I was like, that was kind of lame. Yeah, that's not fun. That's not fun. So yeah, guilty as charged. All right, guilty as charged. Okay, who finished first, George? I think I'm closer. I think you are too. All right. Can I be honest?

This Raspberry Dream Dirty Soda kind of tastes like a raspberry chocolate milk. Yeah. I mean, it's pretty good. And this is apparently a Swig dupe, I am told. Yes. Swig is a soda shop chain that's very popular in Utah with the Mormon community because sodas, their thing. Some of the influencers are following. They always have a Swig cup in their stories. Always got a Swig. And it's gained popularity because of these influencers. So what's your rating on this?

It's a little sweet. I'm going to go 7 out of 10. Okay. I'll go 7 out of 10 as well. Okay. I was pleasantly surprised. Yeah, it's better than not.

But you'll soon know why it's a solid drink. So the cost breakdown is just $1.63, which I imagine they charge like seven times that at one of these soda shops. It's got raspberry puree, which is fresh raspberries and sugar, coconut creamer. Apparently this is a non-dairy one. Great. And Dr. Pepper, which is a great base. It's hard to screw it up when your base is Dr. Pepper. Dr. Pepper is really, really holding it down. Is that one of your go-to sodas? Like what is your go-to soda when you're ordering fast food?

Diet Coke or Diet Dr. Pepper. That's a good American. How are you? You're a true patriot. Diet Dr. Pepper if I'm feeling like, wow. Yeah. I'm going to live on the edge. Diet Dr. Pepper is pretty good. But Chick-fil-A sometimes if I want to be better, I'll get like an unsweet tea lemonade kind of situation. Yeah, I'll get a sweet tea at Chick-fil-A. They call it a Sunjoy now. They gave it a fancy name. Really? They do half and half? It's so good. So get the recipe in the show notes if you want to make this. It's fun for the whole family, kids included, because it's a mocktail. So great. Well, it's closing time. And if you guys enjoyed this episode...

Make sure to leave us a review. Subscribe. We want to hear from you guys. And if you love a little treat, make sure to check out our episode on harmless purchases that drain your bank accounts. So we'll see you guys next Thursday on an all new episode of Smart Money Happy Hour.