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This Chain Was Just Named Best Fast Food Restaurant In The U.S—And It's Not Chick-fil-A

This Chain Was Just Named Best Fast Food Restaurant In The U.S—And It's Not Chick-fil-A

Yahoo2 days ago
Hold on to your chicken biscuits!
Hold on to your chicken biscuits, but Chick-fil-A has once again been dethroned as the top fast food chain. For years, the Georgia-based Chick-fil-A topped the annual USA Today Readers' Choice Awards for ​​best fast food restaurant in the United States. In 2024, the Southern chicken chain dropped from the top spot, and this year it once again fell to the mighty Del Taco.
According to a new reader survey from USA Today, Del Taco is the most popular fast food chain in the country. While we love Chick-fil-A around here, this isn't a huge surprise. Del Taco consistently has great food, fresh guac, good prices, and a little something for everyone on their menu. In fact, fans specifically mentioned appreciating the chain's diverse menu, which offers tacos, burritos, quesadillas, and nachos, as well as burgers and fries. Making sure everyone can find something they want to eat,
Del Taco also offers full breakfast menu, packed with breakfast burritos and donut bites, as well as a dedicated menu for anyone on a vegan or vegetarian diet. The restaurant also was also the reader's choice winner for the best fast-food fries and was runner-up for best fast-food breakfast. There's clearly a lot to love about the chain. Luckily there are locations all over the South for anyone wanting to try their crispy chicken tacos, stacked cheeseburgers, queso loaded nachos, or epic carne asada steak cali bacon burrito.
Turns out readers like having diverse menu choices, because Jack in the Box came in at number two on the list, with readers touting not only the chain's burgers, but also it's tacos.
A&W sits at number three thanks to its burgers, but also the choices of chicken tenders and cheese curds. Diners also appreciate the chain's expansive dessert menu from shakes to hot caramel fudge sundaes, and of course, root beer floats made with A&W's trademark root beer.
Chick-fil-A is at the number four spot on the list, continuing its reign as one of the top fast food spots in the country thanks to its chicken, lemonade, and fries.
Other Southern favorites in the top ten, include KFC at number 6, Raising Cane's at 8, and Zaxby's coming in 9th place. Check out the full rankings over at USA Today.
Did they get it right?Read the original article on Southern Living
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Teen Decides to Eat at His Favorite Restaurant for His Birthday. His Parents Say He Should've Catered to His Brother
Teen Decides to Eat at His Favorite Restaurant for His Birthday. His Parents Say He Should've Catered to His Brother

Yahoo

time8 minutes ago

  • Yahoo

Teen Decides to Eat at His Favorite Restaurant for His Birthday. His Parents Say He Should've Catered to His Brother

A teen finally gets his dream birthday dinner, but it leads to fights, blame, and a battle over family favoritismNEED TO KNOW A 16-year-old chooses his favorite restaurant for his birthday dinner after years of being denied it His younger brother, who usually gets his way, sulks and insults the restaurant, causing a family fight The teen is blamed by his parents, leading him to ask Reddit if he was wrong for finally picking a place he enjoysA teen seeks support from the Reddit community following a birthday dinner that sparked family tension and exposed deeper issues of favoritism. In a post, the 16-year-old explains how what should have been a joyful celebration turned into yet another reminder of how his family dynamics leave him feeling second best. 'My parents never let me eat at my favorite restaurant when we celebrate my birthday or other stuff,' he writes. 'My brother doesn't like the food there and they say any celebration needs to include stuff we all like.' But he points out a double standard that's hard to ignore. 'We always eat at his favorite place,' he says, even though it's a 'really small pizza shop' where the food is, in his words, 'awful.' 'I should like some of the stuff but it tastes so gross,' he continues. 'I'm not the only person who thinks so either but since my brother loves it they don't care if I hate the food there.' There have been times when he's had nothing but water during meals there. On other occasions, he's forced himself to eat and ended up feeling sick afterward. His dad even gets stomach issues from the food, but still goes along with it to please his younger son. Meanwhile, none of the 16-year-old's top choices are ever seriously considered — even on his birthday. 'They always go with choices I'm just okay with because my brother likes them,' he shares. 'I have tried telling them I don't like those restaurants anymore and they say I can find something but none of my top five places work for my brother.' Meals out only happen for special occasions like birthdays, graduations or really good report cards. Still, even on those rare outings, the family always defaults to places that cater to his brother's preferences. So when his grandparents came to visit in June, right around his birthday, he saw a rare opportunity to actually celebrate his way. They asked him privately where he wanted to go, and he didn't hesitate. 'I told them about the Thai place that's my favorite ever,' he writes. His grandparents, well aware of how overlooked he usually is, told him his parents "couldn't dictate to them.' When the big day came, the grandparents surprised the rest of the family by announcing they'd be eating at the Thai restaurant, taking full credit for the choice. 'They said they heard us talk about that place before and knew it was my favorite and how they wanted to surprise me,' he says. The teen was thrilled and described the night as a rare moment of joy. 'It was the best meal out I had with my family in forever,' he adds. But his 14-year-old brother sulked the entire time. 'He insulted the food, the restaurant and the staff the whole night,' he says. The grandparents stood up for him and scolded his parents for allowing the behavior. That only escalated things into a fight between the adults at the table. Despite the chaos, he says he was just happy to enjoy a meal he genuinely loved. But the joy was short-lived. Later, his parents confronted him and said they knew he was the one who chose the restaurant, even though his grandparents had claimed responsibility. 'They told me I knew my brother didn't like it,' he recalls. He pushed back, reminding them that he's expected to go along with his brother's favorites all the time. 'He knows I don't like his favorite but [I have] to go there,' he told them. That didn't sit well with his parents. 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The reaction from readers makes it clear they don't think so. 'Good for your grandparents,' one commenter writes. 'Also, sounds like your parents are grooming a monster AH Golden Child.' He responds that it's not the first time his brother's behavior has caused tension with the rest of the family. 'They pissed off dad's side a couple of years ago when we all went to this really nice restaurant and he was loudly insulting the restaurant and the food.' Read the original article on People Solve the daily Crossword

Move Over, Training Wheels: There's a Better Way to Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike
Move Over, Training Wheels: There's a Better Way to Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike

New York Times

timean hour ago

  • New York Times

Move Over, Training Wheels: There's a Better Way to Teach a Kid to Ride a Bike

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Older, taller children may need to begin with a pedal bike, but any bike can be converted to a balance bike: Just remove the pedals with a 15 mm wrench (most bikes ordered online come with one) and lower the seat so they can sit on the saddle with their feet flat on the ground, knees slightly bent. For a proper no-pedal fit, feet should be flat on the ground with knees slightly bent. Laura Motley for NYT Wirecutter The most important factor to consider when selecting a bike for your kid is size. 'Oftentimes parents buy big bikes that kids can grow into, which causes a lot of frustration for their kid,' Alison Dewey, education director of The League of American Bicyclists, told me. A low seat height offers a feeling of security and allows riders to push their feet against the ground with power and control. Build confidence with an anatomy lesson. 'A bike is basically a really large, cumbersome toy that has a mind of its own,' Dewey said. Explain the different parts of the bike to your kid, and have them hold the handlebars and walk beside it — this will give them a sense of how heavy it is and how it tends to lean and fall. Next, encourage your kid to sit on the bike and practice 'walking' while seated. Then they can start pushing their feet and gliding. A properly fitting helmet will also increase confidence (and keep them safe). Find the right environment. Large, open spaces like empty parking lots are more conducive to learning than sidewalks or driveways. 'A flat area free of obstacles with at least 100 feet or more open space will allow for unencumbered pushing and gliding,' said Doug Ballew, a cycling educator with Woom. 'That straightaway is where they're gonna develop their skills.' Both Ballew and Bassett recommend finding a location with a slight grade, if possible; a gentle downhill gives your kid extra momentum as they learn to glide. 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50 States, 50 Desserts: America's Favorite Sweet Treats
50 States, 50 Desserts: America's Favorite Sweet Treats

Condé Nast Traveler

time2 hours ago

  • Condé Nast Traveler

50 States, 50 Desserts: America's Favorite Sweet Treats

It's no easy feat to pinpoint the most iconic desserts in the US. In a country so sprawling, so shaped by the comings and goings of communities, so contoured by unique terrains and the harvests they produce, how does one even describe the American table, for starters—and whose American table are we talking about when we do? What makes it onto our plates varies as widely as the definition of what it means to be American, but if there's one thing we can all agree on, it's our love of desserts. Even if what that constitutes varies from coast to coast, state to state, or home to home, there is some common ground to be found. If you're amid the apple groves in Washington State, or the peach trees of Georgia, you can usually put your money on a few desserts that will be a hit at a potluck; in Hawaii, or New York, locals know exactly what to bring as a gift to out-of-state friends. So, in this patchwork quilt of a country, we've decided the only way to identify our favorite desserts is to go state by state, naming the unofficial state sweet as you might a state bird. What results below, after months of reaching out to sources around the country and whittling the answers down, is a list of the most iconic desserts from every US state—and Puerto Rico and DC. From berry-stuffed pastries and buttery cakes to use-what-you've-got pies and sugary frozen treats, they tell our stories and bring us together. Read on for the best dessert to try in every single US state. These are the sweets that'll make you turn to your server and say, 'I'll have what she's having!'. — Megan Spurrell & Arati Menon We also did a deep-dive on beloved Indigenous sweets across the US—read more about these dishes, and where to find them, here. Peanut butter pie Daniel Tingcungco Alabama: Peanut Butter Pie Peanut butter pie's exact origins have yet to be cracked, but its presence is far-reaching. Across Alabama the dessert tempts diners at barbecue joints, seafood shacks, and white-tablecloth restaurants alike. The pie's ubiquity nods to a key crop—Alabama routinely ranks among the top four peanut-producing states—and to a pioneering historical figure: trail-blazing scientist George Washington Carver, the child of once enslaved parents who changed the face of farming with his hundreds of inventions for peanuts' uses, while teaching at Tuskegee Institute. Later, in the 1920s, one of the country's first commercial peanut butter manufacturers began operations in Brundidge, Alabama, a fun fact celebrated during the small town's annual Peanut Butter Festival. Perhaps it's no wonder that, today, peanut butter pie has such a grip on Alabama. In this storied dessert, pie crust and toppings can vary—graham-cracker and chocolate-cookie crust are common, with chocolate sauce drizzles and whipped cream or meringue on top—but some combination of peanut butter, whipped cream, cream cheese, and sugar is blended into a fluffy, sweet, and nutty filling. Standouts include the slices on offer at Decatur's century-old Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q, where creamy peanut butter pudding rests on peanut butter crumbles in a flaky pastry crust under a crown of melt-in-your mouth meringue and chopped peanuts. Acre in Auburn serves the treat with a fine-dining flex: Banana meringue sits atop layers of chocolate-cookie crust, chocolate ganache, and rich, silky peanut butter filling, all of which gets torched tableside. —Jennifer Kornegay

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