u/Pale-Lynx328

Chain Name	Pretzelmaker
Food category	Primary: tiny bite-size bits of bread
# of US Locations	199
# of US States	32
Primarily located in	Nationwide malls, mostly
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	not ranked (out of top 500 list)
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2025	not ranked (out of top 500 list)
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $9.88, standard dev. $3.81)	61st out of 95 snacks
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	4.5 (out of 10) / 2 (out of 10)

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If you go to a place like Pretzelmaker, you might expect them to....oh, I dunno....make pretzels. But you would be WRONG! Nope, this place usually found inside malls doesn't even sell a full pretzel, they sell them in little bites - cuts of bread that are baked individually in bite-size pieces, rather than one big twisted pretzel we all know and love.

Pretzels plain (salt or no salt), or with sweet or savory toppings. Or, with dipping sauces. Or, as little pretzel-dogs. All little bits of bread you can pop in your mouth with your hands. And, to be honest, there really isn't anything wrong with that concept, it's just that it's hard to imagine being able to make a profitable enterprise based entirely on that concept.

Which is why they charge through the nose. That cup of pretzels in the photo? That's a bit under EIGHT dollars. (And you thought a family-size bag of Doritos was expensive?) You, eight bucks for a cup of bread, what a world we live in. Which is why Pretzelmaker is mainly found in malls, I suppose - you're a captive audience, people line up to spend crazy money inside malls because they don't want to bother to break up their shopping spree by going elsewhere. Just like you can charge crazy money at food stalls in convention centers or stadiums or amusement parks.

I kept it very simple to try them out with their classic pretzel bites with salt - because if you can't get that right, the rest of the menu doesn't matter. And they were alright, just bread-like bits with salt, not particularly "pretzel-y" with that typical hardened crust and soft inside. Too small to really have that tear-apart soft interior, or maybe too old/stale - who knows how long ago these were actually baked?

But, despite my grouching about them, they seem to be doing okay, even in a GLP-1 era where protein is king and bread is not. There's still no shortage of people willing to get a, ahem, cup of pretzel bites, I guess. Pretzelmaker was one of more than a dozen brands that was acquired in a buying frenzy by FAT Brands, a mega-conglomerate that is better known for Fatburger and Round Table Pizza, among others. They went belly-up earlier this year, putting all of their franchises in jeopardy (in fact, nearly every FAT Branded restaurant in the state of Texas has closed down). But a majority of their concepts, including Pretzelmaker, were just bought out of bankruptcy by a new company, called OHG Brands. Too soon to tell what plans they have, but you bet they didn't buy out a dozen restaurant concepts for $600 million just for funsies. We'll see where Pretzelmaker falls into that equation.

Coming up next: Noodles and Co., Dumont Ice Cream, Taco John's

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. UPDATE: This review series is scheduled to wrap up on Day 365. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	Starbird Chicken
Food category	Primary: Chicken tenders and sandwiches
# of US Locations	21
# of US States	4
Primarily located in	Northern California
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	not ranked (out of 500)
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2025	not ranked (out of 500)
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $16.21, standard dev. $3.03)	136th out of 321 meal reviews
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	5 (out of 10) / 5 (out of 10)

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Does the boneless chicken fast casual market need another competitor? Apparently Starbird Chicken thinks so. Hailing from San Francisco, like many other chains they like to say they are better than the rest with their better quality ingredients and elevated menu offerings - nothing new there. But even though they've only been around for ten years, they've spent nine of those years on the Fast Casual's 'Movers and Shakers Top 100 list", and also have cracked Technomic's Future 50 list, which is nothing to sneeze at. Right now they are aiming to double their footprint by opening a slew of new franchise locations in Washington.

All that is fine and dandy, though, but you can say all you want, what really matters is how good the food actually is. And with at least two dozen other restaurant brands focusing on chicken tenders across the nation as well, can they do anything to stand out? Ordering their classic tenders is a good place to start, because if you can't get at least the basic tender right, the rest of the menu falls apart.

And, well, they *kinda* don't. Yes, it's a chicken tender with breading and a variety of dipping sauces. But not exactly flavorful chicken, in fact it was a bit dry. And completely bland breading as well, in fact a bit too crunchy. Ubiquitous Side of Fries was Ubiquitous - also neither good nor bad. This was an excruciatingly middlin' meal. Better than Cane's by a smidge, but for a few dollars more.

Which is a bit disappointing, I kinda want some of these upstarts to succeed, put some of the older, more entrenched chains in their place. And there are some that are doing just that (Layne's comes immediately to mind, for example) - but if this one Starbird Chicken meal is any indication, Starbird Chicken has a ways to go before they can conquer the chicken world.

Coming up next: Dumont Ice Cream, Noodles and Co., and Pretzelmaker

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. UPDATE - I will be wrapping up this review series with Day #365. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	Flower Child
Food category	Primary: Healthy bowls
# of US Locations	51
# of US States	18
Primarily located in	Texas, Arizona
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	258th (out of 500)
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2025	228th (out of 500)
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $16.21, standard dev. $3.03)	10th out of 321 meal reviews
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	8 (out of 10) / 2 (out of 10)

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This is the type of place that I want to hate. But, dammit, they won me over.

Did you know that Flower Child is actually one of over a dozen franchise brands under the Cheesecake Factory umbrella? I didn't even know Cheesecake Factory had other restaurant concepts, let alone one that is almost the polar opposite of what the much-maligned massive-menu monstrosity.

So, what is Flower Child? It's one of those smarmy, ultra-healthy slop bowl places that just exudes a "we are so much better than you" attitude. The CEO says that unlike most fast casual places that are just transactional, that Flower Child is more "experiential", providing more of a holistic eating experience. Well, they must be doing something right, as they are the most profitable corner of the Cheesecake Factory empire right now.

Okay, I was biased going in. I hate slop bowls. I dislike the whole health food "attitude" (I don't dislike health food itself, just the whole attitude that seems to come with it). But I ordered the shrimp "forbidden rice" bowl - which contained a very generous portion of grilled shrimp, along with snap peas and black pearl rice and broccoli and more.

To cut to the quick: It was delicious. They did a great job on the bowl itself, the flavors all worked well together, it was hot and tasty and shrimp and more shrimp, I can see why this is featured item on their menu. But the biggest drawback? The price. Yeah, fast casual restaurants that are big on touting the quality of their ingredients and make everything from scratch are known to be hard on the wallet, and this is definitely on the upper end of the fast casual pricing scale (10th out of 321). Not for the value-seeking fast food customer. But this was good enough that (as long as I can afford it), it's worth it and I'd order it again.

Still never plan to step foot inside Cheesecake Factory, tho.

Coming up next: Maple Street Biscuit Co., Vitality Bowl, and Chester's Hamburgers.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. UPDATE - I will be wrapping up this review series with Day #365. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	Sea Island Shrimp House
Food category	Primary: Seafood
# of US Locations	7
# of US States	1
Primarily located in	San Antonio
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	not ranked (out of 500)
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2025	not ranked (out of 500)
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $16.21, standard dev. $3.03)	75th out of 321 meal reviews
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	8 (out of 10) / 4 (out of 10)

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This is less of a standard review, and more of an advocacy post.

I've done this a couple times before, reviewing fast food/fast casual places that are hyper-local, but I am claiming reviewer's prerogative to use my soapbox to bring attention to a restaurant worthy or more attention.

Sea Island Shrimp House is a San Antonio institution, born way back in 1965 and has remained in the same family ever since. Still drawing a crowd every day, Sea Island could have chosen the private equity path and spread across the nation, but instead have decided to remain small and 100% under family control. Just as well, if you look at the hollow shells of other seafood restaurants like the casual-dining Red Lobster, or the fast food former-giant Long John Silver's.

It's not fancy seafood, but it's fast and it's fresh. Known for their grilled shrimp kebobs, and Gulf (of Mexico) fresh fish. Also seafood in general is not particularly cheap, so good seafood comes at a cost. And why is this 'fast food'? Because you line up and order at the counter, no table service or reservations or waitstaff, open seating and no tipping. That checks off the boxes for fast food for me.

For my review, I chose one of their most "fast food" type menu items, the "Sea Monster", which is two whitefish spiced filets with remoulade sauce, on a bed of Cajun fries, for thirteen bucks. Not that bad of a deal, actually. Fresh fried filets cooked at the time of order, hot and flaky fish (that is thankfully not the dreaded tilapia), and just a bit of a kick.

So, yeah, I'm a Sea Island fan. And I'm using this opportunity to say if you're in the San Antonio area to give it a try (so sue me). It's not seafood fine dining, and doesn't try to be - but it is a very solid meal and they've never done me wrong.

Regular reviews return tomorrow with Flower Child, then Maple Street Biscuit and then Vitality Bowl. So many places, so little time!

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. UPDATE - I will be wrapping up this review series with Day #365. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	Yonutz Donutz
Food category	Primary: Injecting sugar into your veins
# of US Locations	20
# of US States	14
Primarily located in	Sprinkled all over, a bit more in TX, FL
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	not ranked (out of top 500 list)
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2025	not ranked (out of top 500 list)
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $9.88, standard dev. $3.81)	7th out of 95 snacks
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	5 (out of 10) / 1 (out of 10)

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Basically might as well pour an entire bag of sugar into an IV, then hook it up to a vein in your arm. That's what Yonutz Donutz is.

I'm hardly any stranger to sugary treats or huge calorie snacks that take up half your daily allowance. But Yonutz Donutz has this sort of vibe where they just take that to a whole 'nother level. Founded less than ten years ago, they are one of the many recent donut places that are offering 'elevated' or 'gourmet' donuts and treats. Forget your plain glazed yeast donut for a buck. Nope, double the size, slather it with frosting and drizzle with chocolate or caramel, add candies or fruit pieces or cookies or, hell, another fucking donut on top, just for giggles. And you're looking at a confection likely with four-figures in calories and a price tag to boot.

Yonutz Donutz is hardly unique with this, of course. There's the more famous Voodoo Donuts, and other places like Duck Donuts or Parlor Donuts or Pinkbox that do the same. But what Yonutz does as their "claim to fame" is to offer their signature "Smashed" menu of donuts and shakes. What is a "Smashed Donut"? Basically take a big donut and smash it up with a bunch of crushed oreos or Froot Loops or Fruity Pebbles or whatever, and charge nine bucks for it. That's right. Nine bucks.

Or, you can get it in shake form, with a shake layered with various sweets and mix-ins, topped with, you guessed it, a smashed donut. Ten to fifteen bucks, thank you very much.

I have little issue dropping a bunch of bills for fancy, fru-fru treats, and have done so at all sorts of places like this over the past year. But this takes that to yet another level. And damn, just looking at their menu makes my teeth HURT.

I kept it simple, with two "big" donuts (the non-smashed kind) from their selection under the glass, plus an iced refresher drink (not a smashed milkshake because, again, damn that price). What you see in the photo? Eighteen bucks. Bam.

Now, it all tasted fine - just like normal donuts and just like a nice fruity iced drink. No problems there. Donuts are made on-site but were a few hours old so they were in the intermediate-still-okay-but-soon-would-be-getting-stale stage. But the issue is that everything was just okay - and I'm not paying eighteen frickin' bucks for 'just okay'. I can get something similar at Shipley's for maybe five or six bucks. Or, if I prefer to go all-out for a fancy fru-fru donut treat, I can go to Parlor or similar for just-as-good or better for maybe 30-50% less.

Once again, it's not the quality that's an issue here. It's the value. For snacks like this, it is ALWAYS the value proposition that is the deciding factor, And Yonutz, you lose.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. UPDATE: This review series is scheduled to wrap up on Day 365. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	Spitz
Food category	Primary: Mediterranean inspired bowls and wraps
# of US Locations	39
# of US States	12
Primarily located in	Utah, Arizona
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	not ranked (out of 500)
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2025	not ranked (out of 500)
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $16.21, standard dev. $3.03)	79th out of 321 meal reviews
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	4.5 (out of 10) / 5 (out of 10)

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Could this possibly be the most unfortunately named restaurant in existence?

Really? Spitz? Of all things? Even now, I wonder what they were thinking.

But it is what it is, and what Spitz is, for the uninitiated (like me), is a "Mediterranean-style" fast-casual restaurant that serves up various wraps, bowls, doners and gyros, all in a hip and edgy-interior-decorated space. They're not the first and only fast food/casual chain in the United States with this focus, but it is a fairly new area of growth that didn't widely exist in the fast food space until recently.

My choice to try it out was the Berliner doner, which is sort of a 'greatest hits' of eastern Mediterranean flavors, with feta and cabbage and carrot slaw, sumac, tomato, onion, cucumber, corn and tzatziki sauce, all wrapped in a grilled flatbread. First of all, it was huge all by itself - no need for any of their sides (like loaded fries), this was more than enough ("burrito as big as your forearm" comes to mind). It was alot to eat, and more than I could finish (if I wasn't on the road, probably would have been good for two meals, one in a doggie-bag).

Flavor-wise, well....it just wasn't for me. No, it was not bad - when it comes to all the individual ingredients mixed inside the wrap, they were fine. I think, though, that this just boils down to personal taste, and this mixture of flavors just wasn't hitting it for me. Maybe if I chose something else instead, that would be better. If I have the chance, that is (the nearest Spitz is 300 miles away from me). Kind of a poor review to just say "it's not for me", I know, but it is what it is.

For those who are familiar with Spitz, what would you recommend, if I am able to give it another try?

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. UPDATE - I will be wrapping up this review series with Day #365. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	SusieCakes
Food category	Primary: cupcakes
# of US Locations	29
# of US States	4
Primarily located in	California and Texas
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	not ranked (out of top 500 list)
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2025	not ranked (out of top 500 list)
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $9.88, standard dev. $3.81)	3rd out of 95 snacks
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	5.5 (out of 10) / 2 (out of 10)

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Whoever made up the phrase, "Third time's the charm" is a lying liar.

This is third bakery shop I've visited in the last few weeks that specializes in making and selling cupcakes. First it was Smallcakes, then Gigi's Cupcakes, now SusieCakes. The concepts for all three are almost identical - where they make and bake small-batch cupcakes of various flavors (vanilla, chocolate, strawberry, etc.) and then top them with a healthy dollop of flavored frosting, and then maybe add on crumbles or sprinkles or other sweet garnishments.

And for the third time, the result is the same.

They're perfectly fine cupcakes, to be sure. If all you do is make cupcakes all day, I'm sure you're going to know how to bake it just right so it's nice and moist and the exact right proportions of sugar to flour to oil to get the right fluffiness. Same with the sugary-sweet icing, whipped up light and airy and a little calorie bomb by itself. And each one is flavored appropriately, too - in fact, all three cupcake places produced decent cupcakes. No complaints there.

But on the other hand, hand-made small-batch cupcakes come at a definite cost. SusieCakes, just like the two bakeries before it, charge around five dollars each per cupcake. Five dollars. If they were somehow the best cupcakes in the world, something special and extravagant, then you might be able justify that. (In the same way that the over-the-top concoctions at Parlor Donuts and Voodoo Donuts are a special creation above and beyond what you might get at your normal donut shop, as a comparative example).

But that's not the case. Despite saying they use 'quality ingredients' and 'recipes their grandma used', the cupcakes were really no different from you could make yourself from a box of Betty Crocker mix (in a twist of coincidence, I'm actually baking up a batch in the oven even as a type this - few minutes prep and half an hour baking, easy-peasy). Or, if you don't want to do that, then no different from what you might buy by the dozen at your local supermarket. My unsophisticated palette doesn't notice a difference. No need to drop twenty bucks on four cupcakes.

So, third time's the charm? Hardly. All I see is me paying through the nose for average quality cupcakes. Or, rather, I see myself in the future NOT doing that. The only nice thing about this? They did throw in an extra-large snickerdoodle cookie at no charge because it was near closing time.

I can't imagine how places like this remain in business, unless it's through catering orders for office parties where cost is not a barrier or stuff like that. Because damn, girl, even I cannot afford to keep up with prices like this.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. UPDATE: This review series is scheduled to wrap up on Day 365. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	Beck's Prime
Food category	Primary: Hamburgers, Steaks
# of US Locations	9
# of US States	1
Primarily located in	mostly Houston
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	not ranked (out of 500)
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2025	not ranked (out of 500)
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $16.21, standard dev. $3.03)	28th out of 321 meal reviews
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	5 (out of 10) / 1 (out of 10)

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Ah...Beck's Prime. What an enigma.

I've gone back and forth a couple of times on whether or not to review Beck's Prime or not. I went half a year ago, then changed my mind and tossed the photos, then came back and decided yeah why not give it another try. So, why the indecision?

Because it's one of those places that has **some** trapping of a fast food joint, and some that are clearly not. For example, it's a counter-order place with a drive-thru, seat yourself, no waiters, tipping optional. Yet, on the other hand, their prices are anything but fast-food-friendly, and some of their menu items are closer to what you would find at Ruth's Chris.

They're a Houston original, and have been chugging along for over forty years, with the business model of offering unabashedly higher-priced food. It's part of their business model, aiming to offer higher-end food (with the price to go along with it), but in a fast-food style, less formal atmosphere. And, yes, there is a market for that sort of place - there are people out there that are willing to shell out more money just for the cachet and reputation of the place.

What do I mean about higher prices? As in, $14-16 for a basic burger, $6-8 for fries, $4 for a soda. $25 for a salad. And if you really want to get fancy, you can order their $57 filet mignon or NY strip plates, or seared ahi tuna place, or $42 for a chicken plate. Yes, they offer up a few high-end dinner plates for your fast food enjoyment, if you're willing to shell out the shekels for it.

Now, $14-16 is on the highest end for a fast-casual cooked-to-order burger, even above what you pay at some of the places that are notoriously expensive like Shake Shack or Five Guys or BurgerFi. Now, it is high-quality ground beef and fresh ingredients, and if you look at the photo, it does look pretty good. But when you get right down to it, it's...pretty average tasting. A reasonably-decent cheeseburger, but for that price you expect to have an orgasm in your mouth. And trust me, I was not orgasming anywhere.

On both visits (the one I mentioned earlier, and this visit here), there's something a little off about the burger, and reminded me of those limited-time-offer angus hamburgers that are served at Arby's. It's as if the burger was pre-formed and pre-cooked, and then just finished on the grill or something. I dunno how to describe it, there's almost a different type of texture to it.

And while Beck's Prime has been known as a "yes we know we're pricy but it's worth it" type of place for many, many years -- it seems over that same period of time, all the other fast-casual gourmet burger joints have sort of caught up to them. And are offering better burgers, better cooked also with better beef and better ingredients, for less moolah and less pretentiousness. This one burger and soda alone was over twenty bucks total bill; I passed on the fries, because if I had ordered them, the final bill would have pushed this all the way to the single most expensive "fast food" meal I've had in my year-long journey. Crazy.

Beck's Prime may have done better in decades past in an era of the oil boom and Conspicuous Consumption. But in a time when fast food places are facing increasing price resistance and are rolling out the value combos instead, I'm not sure if there's much room for this sort of business model in today's world. All I can say is, at least for me, there's at least a dozen burger joints I'd rather go to before returning to Beck's again.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. UPDATE - I will be wrapping up this review series with Day #365. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	Gigi's Cupcakes
Food category	Primary: cupcakes
# of US Locations	19
# of US States	10
Primarily located in	Texas, Tennessee
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	not ranked (out of top 500 list)
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2025	not ranked (out of top 500 list)
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $9.88, standard dev. $3.81)	5th out of 95 snacks
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	5.5 (out of 10) / 2 (out of 10)

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It would be easy to clown on a retail store that sells nothing but overpriced cupcakes. But remember back ten to twenty years ago, when this was somewhat of a novel concept, and places like this were popping up in every strip mall of every soccer-mom suburb in America. Gigi's was truly an American success story, of a house cleaner fed up with her life down to her last $300, decided this wasn't how she wanted to spend the rest of her life, and took a gamble at opening a store doing what she loved. And it worked - by the mid 2010's, there were over a hundred Gigi's Cupcakes locations around the country.

At the height of its game, she decided to cash out and sell her entire stake in the company to a private investment firm, a decision she wrote just a few years later she regretted terribly, because her name and reputation was still on the store, and every change and shortcut made by the corporate owners still ended up on her doorstep.

I'm not so big in these types of stores, mainly because I grew up baking whatever I want at home, and see no reason to spend the extra bucks to save a few minutes. I chose a 4-cupcake sampler, and that put me back - I shit you not - almost twenty dollars. This, for perfectly copacetic cupcakes, but nothing more than that. The cake mix is no better than what you would get from a Duncan Hines do-it-yourself box, each with enough sugar icing to cause four individual diabetic comas. Just swap out the flavorings on each one - so one is vanilla, another chocolate, another strawberry, but in the end it's pretty much the same thing with customization.

Yeah, I get it - and I've mentioned it before. Buying stuff at a place like this is not about the cost compared to what you can do at home. This is more about the convenience of paying someone to do the work for you. But some value propositions are better than others, and this one is pretty damn lopsided.

And I suspect much of America has reached the same conclusion when it comes to cupcakes at five dollars a pop. Because today, there are just 19 locations left. I guess the fad of the storefront cupcake is over?

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. UPDATE: This review series is scheduled to wrap up on Day 365. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	Roly Poly
Food category	Primary: "Rolled" sandwiches
# of US Locations	19
# of US States	8
Primarily located in	Louisiana, Georgia
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	not ranked (out of 500)
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2025	not ranked (out of 500)
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $16.21, standard dev. $3.03)	261st out of 321 meal reviews
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	3.5 (out of 10) / 7 (out of 10)

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They call this a 'sandwich', although Roly Poly is pretty unique in how they present their creations. Instead of bread or a bun, it's all wrapped up in an unleavened flatbread. Basically a big, cold flour tortilla.

Which, apparently at one point was a fairly novel concept and popular, as Roly Poly grew to 170 locations in the early 2000's, before starting their long, slow and steady decline in stores ever since. It's really not that different from the various slop bowl places that will wrap up everything inside some sort of similar wrapping, usually a nice warm pita. I guess Roly Poly was just ahead of their time?

Plenty of hot and cold "sandwich" options to choose from, I picked a roast beast wrap. Which probably would have gone over better if they just sold the damn thing between two slices of slightly toasted bread. But nope, tightly wrap that into a cold burrito, and...it's just not the same. This is not a concept I can really get behind.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. UPDATE - I will be wrapping up this review series with Day #365. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

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I have been reviewing a different fast food/fast casual restaurant every day for the past 200+ days, and earlier I reviewed the following three restaurants. However, these three received "poor" scores for one reason or another, but based on previous experience and visits I knew they could do better. Perhaps it was an "off day", perhaps it was the specific item I ordered. In any case, here are some "second chance" reviews, where I am re-visiting the chain, to see if it can redeem itself and earn a higher score.

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Second Chance Review #46. (Original Review from Day 147.5): Smoothie King (1266 locations, 38 states)

Dear Journal: It is Day 283 on my quest to find The Perfect Smoothie. A seemingly impossible task, my dear journal, as a hack away at the dense tropical undergrowth with my machete, the jungle is neverending.

Smoothie King and Tropical Smoothie Cafe are perhaps the "Big Two" of the smoothie world right now, with near-national coverage and supplanting the previous Jamba king. But that doesn't mean it's any better, alas. A second try at a smoothie, and a second less-than-impressive drink. You can't tell from the cup (yeah, I know it's a damn picture of a damn cup, how exciting), this time a Berry Punch instead of a Caribbean Way. Same idea, just different fruits. This time, it was somewhat better tasting (as opposed to the downright bitter thing I had the first time), but overall somewhat bland with an indistinct "some sort of fruit in there" flavor. Smoothie King seems to be moving away from the just-fruit smoothies anyway, and now their big thing is "Protein Smoothies" and that whole silly protein trend-of-the-moment that is going on.

So, dear journal, I shall keep fighting on, that perfect smoothie has to be out there somewhere!

Meal Quality: +1, going from 3 -> 4. Meal Value (no change), going from 3 -> 3 (out of 10)

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Second Chance Review #47. (Original Review from Day 119): Captain D's (513 locations, 23 states)

Captain D's, also known as 'That Other Seafood Place'. It must kill them to always be second banana in the fast food world, especially with LJS seriously underperforming of late and announcing they are de-emphasizing seafood in their menu (a decision that I'm sure will go down about as well as Dunkin' Donuts announcing they are removing donuts from their name).

I've had both good and bad experiences at Captain D's over the years, but since they have fewer locations (and farther away) than LJS, not many opportunities to try them out. My first review was an exercise in blah-ness, and now a second chance at another location on another day, was only marginally better. Two fish and two chicken. The fish was okay, well cooked and the texture was right, but they seem to have drained all flavor out of the fish. The chicken was a tad dry. Not the worst meal in the world, but not inspiring me to come back for more.

Meal Quality: +1, going from 4.5 -> 5.5. Meal Value: +1, going from 4 -> 5 (out of 10)

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Second Chance Review #48. (Original Review from Day 95): Cupbop (71 locations, 10 states)

(As an aside, I don't know about you, but I have a hard time taking the name of this place seriously, whenever I hear it, I have Hanson's voices echoing in my head. Mmmmbop.)

First attempt at trying this Korean-style cup-based restaurant was not a good one. Second try at another location pretty much was a reprise of the same problems I had the first time around. The mix of noodles and rice just does not go well together for me. The flavoring on the meat (in this case, barbequed beef) did not complement the meat itself. I did switch up with a spicier sauce instead of the sweeter one I had the first time around, and that was an improvement. But overall, I think this just boils down to a matter of personal taste. They're doing everything they are supposed to in the cup, it's just not for me.

Meal Quality: +1, going from 3.5 -> 4.5. Meal Value: (no change), going from 4 -> 4 (out of 10)

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More "Second Chance" reviews coming down the line, in addition to the regular reviews! (And no, not every second chance review will be a positive one :))

Chain Name	Pepperoni's
Food category	Primary: "NY-style" pizza
# of US Locations	18
# of US States	1
Primarily located in	mostly Houston
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	not ranked (out of 500)
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2025	not ranked (out of 500)
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $16.21, standard dev. $3.03)	6th out of 321 meal reviews
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	4 (out of 10) / 2 (out of 10)

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It's not every day that you get to try out a new pizza chain. I mean, life enough decades and over time you've pretty much tried all the Dominos and Godfathers and Happy Howies and Mountain Mikes and Pizza the Hutts and the two or three dozen other major and minor pizza chains that dot this country.

So, when a Houston-based chain I was unfamiliar with decided to open up a brand new location in town a few miles from home, I was like, hey, bring it on.

Pepperoni's has been around since 1990, but mostly local to the Houston area, serving up your standard selection of pizzas. Ordering a medium supreme was a hit on my wallet (6th most expensive meal out of my fast food reviews), but If it's a good pizza, then it's worth it.

Spoiler alert: It wasn't worth it.

Not the best pizza I've had, to be sure. More than anything, it was *bland*, which is a feat in itself when you're ordering a supreme loaded with the entire kitchen and pantry on top. Couldn't really taste the sauce, didn't like the dough. It wasn't a terrible pizza, but it was quite a mess, and once I was finished I couldn't think of a good thing to say about it.

Now, I did visit during the first week the storefront was open. Maybe they were still in the process of getting their 'pizza legs', but I dunno. First impression of Pepperoni's was no bueno.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. UPDATE - I will be wrapping up this review series with Day #365. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	Mochinut
Food category	Primary: donuts and corndogs
# of US Locations	99
# of US States	22
Primarily located in	California, Florida, Texas
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	211th (out of top 500 list)
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2025	209th (out of top 500 list)
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $9.88, standard dev. $3.81)	9th out of 95 snacks
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	7 (out of 10) / 3 (out of 10)

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Keeping it really short today, because I just drove 15 hours and it's after midnight and I'm in no mood to think any more for the day.

It's a portmanteau of mochi (the chewy Japanese treat) and donut, creating this unique super-ultra-chewy donut -- and I am so THERE for it. I can't stop eating these. Even though they are relatively expensive (almost three bucks per).

I ordered a sampler of six, but since it was the end of the day, it was literally just what they had left. All good, except for the atrocious coffee-flavored one. That's the only drawback was the limited selection - I really need to give this place a try earlier in the day.

In addition to their 'mochinuts', they also serve up Korean-style corndogs, which could be worth a try as well. Nearly a hundred locations around the country, but it really is a niche type of product, so let's see if the niche catches on or fad fades away.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. UPDATE: This review series is scheduled to wrap up on Day 365. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	Pokeworks
Food category	Primary: Ahi and Poke dishes
# of US Locations	75
# of US States	19
Primarily located in	Texas, California, New York
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	489th (out of 500)
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2025	477th (out of 500)
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $16.21, standard dev. $3.03)	18th out of 321 meal reviews
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	6 (out of 10) / 3 (out of 10)

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No, this is not a restaurant where they serve you grilled Pokemon (gotta eat 'em all). Pokeworks is part of a new type of fast casual restaurant where they serve custom bowls or wraps centered around raw fish, popular among Pacific Asian/Hawaiian culture. That's what the 'poke' means in this context.

And that has been why I have been putting off visiting this restaurant for so long, 280 days into the year-long fast food slog. If you've been around a while, you may have noticed I am not an especially picky eater, there are not that many things that I do not eat. But one of those things where I do draw the line is raw seafood. I have never liked it, never liked sushi or any type of uncooked seafood in any format.

Luckily for me, though, it turns out that Pokeworks has some cooked dishes as well. And that's what I chose - their "dynamite" shrimp, comes fully cooked, and mixed with various spices, vegetables and a side of mac salad (natch) and greens.

Even more lucky for me, it turns out I like it! A fairly large-sized portion of shrimp, not too spicy (even though they used sriracha) on top of a bed of rice. Well flavored, the shrimp thankfully was not overcooked, and the sides went well with the meal. They also had salmon and chicken hot dishes as well, along with their regular menu of bowls featuring raw ahi tuna and salmon (no thanks).

This might be something I would be interested in exploring further, except that this plate alone with drink ended up one of the most expensive meals I've had on the fast food journey (18th out of 321 meals), which puts a damper on trying out the rest of their menu. But other people do not seem distracted by the relatively high price for their meals, and Pokeworks is aggressively expanding, growing more than 10% since the first of this year alone.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. UPDATE - I will be wrapping up this review series with Day #365. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	The Flaming Bird
Food category	Primary: Rotisserie chicken
# of US Locations	31
# of US States	1
Primarily located in	San Antonio, Laredo, the RGV
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	not ranked (out of 500)
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2025	not ranked (out of 500)
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $16.21, standard dev. $3.03)	152nd out of 321 meal reviews
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	5 (out of 10) / 6 (out of 10)

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Some weeks back, I reviewed one of The Flaming Bird's "sister" restaurants: True Texas BBQ. This is all part of a fairly new trend, where Texas' dominant supermarket chain, H-E-B, has been embedding their own restaurants within their supermarket locations. It's not all H-E-B's - in fact, only a quarter of them (mostly the newer or remodeled locations) have these restaurants, but it has proven to be a very successful strategy. There's about 50 True Texas BBQ locations, and 31 Flaming Bird Locations, depending upon the store's demographics.

If you draw a horizontal line through the middle of San Antonio, the H-E-B's that have a restaurant north of that line are almost entirely the barbeques, and the locations south of that line are almost entirely the rotisserie chicken places. A very clean and very clear demographic split. (There's also H-E-B's that sell pizza under the 'So Flo Pizza' brand, and breakfast tacos under 'True Texas Tacos - but fewer of these locations overall)

So, what is The Flaming Bird? Flame-grilled chicken, sold in quarters or halves or whole chickens, plus the normal sides that go along with it. Very popular in south Texas, and there are stand-alone chains like El Pollo Regio and Pollo Rico that specialize in pollos asados. El Pollo Loco is also a national chain that does the same, albeit not as good.

For The Flaming Bird, they have the ordering counter and dining area and kitchen either as a section within the supermarket, or as a structure attached/adjacent with a separate entrance, depending upon the architecture of the store (and whether they sell alcohol at that location or not).

I chose a quarter chicken, plus a second entree of sausages, plus the requisite side of rice and some mixed veggies (that were overcooked to the point of mush). And no, I did NOT order that much sausage you see in the photo - I think they just gave me that much because it was approaching closing time. Not that I don't mind - the sausage was pretty good and juicy, so you won't hear me complaining. The sides are the normal rice and beans you might find just about anywhere else.

The focus on the meal, however, is going to be the chicken itself. This is The Flaming Bird, after all - it's all about the bird. And, unfortunately, it did not hold up quite as well as everything else. It was just 'okay' chicken, a bit overcooked and small, a bit on the stringy side. Seasoning was good, though. Although, to be honest, I may have brought some of this on myself, as I mentioned it was approaching closing time, which means I was stuck with whatever was left over at the end of the day. Perhaps I need to give it a second chance at an earlier time for a TRUE test. (Although, given what high marks I gave Pollo Regio and Pollo Rico many months ago, they'll be tough to beat)

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. UPDATE - I will be wrapping up this review series with Day #365. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	DeSano Pizzeria Napoletano
Food category	Primary: Neopolitan-style pizza
# of US Locations	11
# of US States	6
Primarily located in	Austin, Nashville
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	not ranked (out of 500)
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2025	not ranked (out of 500)
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $16.21, standard dev. $3.03)	1st out of 321 meal reviews
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	6 (out of 10) / 1 (out of 10)

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This should not be part of a "fast food" review.

I never planned this review series to last as long as it has, and didn't really set up the 'rules' as to what constitutes fast food and what doesn't with much rigor. If I had the opportunity, I'd go back and exclude places like this, fitting into some other category instead. But, it fit the rules that I set up way back a year ago (counter ordering, no wait staff, open seating, etc.), so in order to be consistent, I'm including it here.

Okay, now that is out of the way...what *IS* DeSano's pizza? It's a small chain that reallllllly leans heavily into the "Hey, we're Italian!" schtick. They seem to mention it as much as possible, about how they import all their ingredients from Italy, they cook their pizzas Neapolitan-style in a giant Italian wood-fired oven, and everything is named Italian. In fact, when I brought up the menu online, the browser asked me if I wanted to translate the page from Italian into English.

As you might expect, the pretentiousness level of DeSano's Pizza is practically off the charts. It's one of those fancy-schmancy places (despite the fast food ordering process) that you feel a little plebian walking into with just jeans and t-shirt. Us plebs should be going to Domino's or Pizza the Hutt instead of *sniff* a place like this. The interior architecture is carefully crafted with intentional minimalism and an industrial-warehouse feel, with large communal (unreasonably uncomfortable) benches and tables large enough to seat twenty of your closest friends, or those annoying nobody-likes high-top seats where even normal adults feet dangle.

They have a set menu of pizzas and sizes (no customization here, plebs!), and I chose the 12-inch 'sausage pie', which was, and I'll quote, "San marzano tomato sauce, scamorza, oregano, Italian sausage, roasted garlic and pecorino Romano". But really it's essentially crumble sausage and cheese on a wood-fired thin crust. Overall, taste-wise, it was a decent pizza, they do indeed use quality ingredients and I liked the sausage flavor. A bit of sharpness in the flavors, which I like. Out of all the styles of pizza, I like Neapolitan-style the least, so I wasn't expecting greatness. But they hit the flavor profile right, and cooked just right, too (only takes a few seconds to burn in a thousand-degree oven), so six points to Gryffindor for that.

But here's the killer. No matter how sophisticated the dining area, no matter the quality of the ingredients and no matter how good the pizza turns out to be, it suffers from one fatal flaw: the price. Out of 321 meals in the review series so far, it ranks as the SINGLE MOST EXPENSIVE in the series 1st out of 321. 12-inch pizza in the photo (that's *six*, count'em, *six* normal-size slices) and a bottle drink clocks in north of twenty six dollars. Ouch and a half. Pretentiousness in the restaurant world comes at a steep price. And unlike all those other plebian pizza places, no coupons to bring the price down to sane reality limits.

Yeah, this is a one-and-done place for me. Arrivederci, DeSano's.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. UPDATE - I will be wrapping up this review series with Day #365. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

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I have been reviewing a different fast food/fast casual restaurant every day for the past 200+ days, and earlier I reviewed the following three restaurants. However, these three received "poor" scores for one reason or another, but based on previous experience and visits I knew they could do better. Perhaps it was an "off day", perhaps it was the specific item I ordered. In any case, here are some "second chance" reviews, where I am re-visiting the chain, to see if it can redeem itself and earn a higher score.

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Second Chance Review #43. (Original Review from Day 181.5): JuiceLand (57 locations, 1 state)

The first of three "second chances" on a swing through Houston, first hitting up the rising juice/smoothie/digestive cleanse/fitness drink spot, JuiceLand. Born out of Austin, but has recently been spreading to other Texas cities, JuiceLand maintains their "crunchy" Keep-Austin-Weird roots, with concoctions containing ingredients like bee pollen, hemp, pea protein, beet juice, spirulina, whey, goji berry and whatever else they can find. Basically more health-fitness-freaky than most other juice and smoothie places.

Already not my type of place, but who knows, they may be hiding the perfect smoothie that I have been searching for. Alas, second choice is Strike Two - first the Clementine, second the Berry Godmother, chosen because they have a more "normal" list of ingredients like actual fruit. This second try was not an improvement, just another relatively bland iced fruit drink that was offered in a smaller size than other smoothie places for a higher price. I know full well I'm not the target audience for JuiceLand (this location was paired with Hot Yoga studio, for example), so I'll let them do their thing, and continue on my quest for the Perfect Smoothie. I know it's out there somewhere!

Meal Quality: (no change), going from 4 -> 4. Meal Value (no change), going from 3 -> 3 (out of 10)

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Second Chance Review #44. (Original Review from Day 87): James Coney Island (5 locations, 1 state)

This is EXACTLY like what Steak and Shake used to be like! Hooray!

The remaining James Coney Island locations seem to be undergoing a transformation, the hundred-plus-year institution is but a relic of a distant past, but the few spots that remain appear to be updating their interiors and their menus for the 2020's. They still offer up their staple classic coneys, but also a few new items as well.

For example, the "Nolan Ryan Sliders", which are four King's Hawaiian slider-size hamburgers with cheese and grilled onions and pickles and Nolan Ryan "Goodstock" branded beef. Fucking delicious. Krystal and White Castle got nothing compared to these. Also, added to it, a massive Maxwell Street Polish Sausage, which must have been half an entire fucking grilled onion on top of it. Also, I am happy to report, fucking delicious.

All the while as I'm sitting there stuffing my face like a fat pig, I'm reminiscing how this harkens back to what the classic Steak n' Shake used to be like decades ago, before their private equity takeover, before they went full anti-American MAGA insane, back in the Takhomasak Days. I really miss when fast food was simpler.

Meal Quality: +4, going from 4 -> 8. Meal Value: +2, going from 4 -> 6 (out of 10)

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Second Chance Review #45. (Original Review from Day 182.5): Kolache Factory (60 locations, 5 states)

On the other hand, the second review visit to the Kolache Factory did not turn out nearly as enjoyable. Setting aside the semantics of what a true kolache is, and the "klobasneks" that they offer as pretenders to kolaches, I switched it up and "When in Rome" went ahead and ordered their meat-filled pastries. I've been utterly disappointed by their sweet offerings, might as well give what their fans keep coming back for a try instead.

So, up to bat came one long Polish sausage (hidden inside their kolache-bread roll), and one egg, sausage and cheese kolache. I wish I could report these were better than their weak-ass fruit options, but NOPE. These were also colossal failures. The only advantage they had this time around is these weren't undercooked (underbaked) at least. But it's totally the wrong kind of bread, and totally unremarkable fillings. Might have well just grabbed a freakin' "Uncrustable" from the freezer instead. Bleah.

I really don't get the appeal of Kolache Factory. Every time I've been here (for reviews, and before that too) they've sucked. Maybe it's because I know what a real honest-to-god Czech kolache is supposed to taste like, that I am able to tell they fail so miserably in comparison. Screw this, I'm done with Kolache Factory. I'll stick to Weikel's or Hruska's or Slovacek's or Gerik's instead. Hell even Buc-ee's weak-sauce kolaches are better than this. At least they get the pastry right.

Meal Quality: +0.5, going from 2 -> 2.5. Meal Value: -1, going from 5 -> 4 (out of 10)

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More "Second Chance" reviews coming down the line, in addition to the regular reviews! (And no, not every second chance review will be a positive one :))

Chain Name	Rita's Italian Ice
Food category	Primary: Italian ice, gelato, frozen custard
# of US Locations	627
# of US States	30
Primarily located in	Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Maryland
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	211th (out of top 500 list)
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2025	209th (out of top 500 list)
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $9.88, standard dev. $3.81)	54th out of 95 snacks
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	6 (out of 10) / 5 (out of 10)

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You have places that serve frozen custard. You have places that serve Italian ice. You have places that serve gelato.

And then, there are placed like this, that like to mix it all up.

Rita's Ice emerged out of Philadelphia in the 1980's, and has been growing ever since, as one of the more popular franchises it now operates over 600 locations in 30 states. As far as I can tell, there is only one other chain (about a third the size) that offers up a mixture of Italian "water" ice and frozen custard or gelato in the same cup, Jeremiah's Italian Ice. We'll see which one achieves world domination first.

Rita's offers up a smorgasbord of flavors, ranging from the old standards to some more inventive combinations, including with limited-time media tie-ins. My choice to test them out was a watermelon "gelati", which is a layered combination of watermelon-flavored ice and vanilla gelato. And it tasted pretty good, although somewhat muted and subtle, although that's on me because watermelon as a flavor isn't exactly strong. Maybe I should have chosen the green apple.

This is pretty neat - I liked Jeremiah's, and I like Rita's as well, both of them offer literally dozens of flavor combinations of ice and custard and gelato layered and swirled and mixed however you want, and perhaps it's a good thing there isn't a location too near where I live or I could be tempted to drop by to test out a bunch of their flavors...for science, of course!

In any case, Rita's gets the thumbs up.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. UPDATE: This review series is scheduled to wrap up on Day 365. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	Oh-K-Dog and Egg Toast
Food category	Primary: Korean-style hot dogs and egg toast
# of US Locations	31
# of US States	14
Primarily located in	nationwide, usually in Asian market areas
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	not ranked (out of 500)
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2025	not ranked (out of 500)
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $16.21, standard dev. $3.03)	100th out of 321 meal reviews
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	6 (out of 10) / 5 (out of 10)

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This is the second "Korean hot dog" place I've visited, the first being the larger chain "Two Hands", and the current wave of Korean influence in American pop culture doesn't show signs of waning as Americans are enamored with K-Pop groups and K-dramas and Korean-style fried chicken and of course, hot dogs.

Oh-K Dog only has a few dozen locations, but seems to be spread out all over in big cities (like NYC and Atlanta and Dallas) and small cities (like Texarkana and Wichita and Fayetteville), often (but not always) located in strip malls or Asian markets that feature other Asian stores and restaurants. Around here, they seem to be paired with H-Marts.

The restaurant itself is pretty simple, and they serve variants on exactly two menu items: Hot Dogs and Egg Toast. These are hot dogs on a stick, or mozzarella on a stick, or half-and-half, and then covered with a breading (like a corn dog) and fried. And these aren't your normal wimpy State Fair-brand corn dogs (which are also a guilty pleasure, BTW), but each one is a pretty hefty serving by itself - look at the photo on the size of the potato-breading hot dog in comparison to the soda can for size.

And the other thing they serve is Egg Toast...which is exactly what it sounds. It's a large slice of soft bread, sliced in half, and stuffed with cooked egg (and maybe some meat or cheese or other flavoring).

The hot dog was pretty good - and there is this mental block where I think, how can a single dog be enough for a meal, but yeah it's big enough to do just that. I must admit, though, I'm not crazy about the potato-style, even if it is popular. And the only real comparison I can make, based on experience, is to the dogs I had at Two Hands a couple months back. Two Hands Dogs gets the edge.

Frankly, I would have preferred to order two different dogs, but felt that, because this place has "Egg Toast" right there in its name, I gotta try that as a second menu item instead. And it tastes just like you would imagine it would - it's egg on toast, similar in taste to the same kind of thing I would make at home for breakfast in years past. Kinda bland, really.

It was okay overall, but in the inevitable comparison to Two Hands, in the future if I have a hankerin' for a Korean dog, I'd choose Two Hands instead, which has a larger selection and more sauces for more flavor.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. UPDATE - I will be wrapping up this review series with Day #365. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)

Chain Name	Paciugo Gelato Caffe
Food category	Primary: gelato
# of US Locations	about 15
# of US States	about 3
Primarily located in	mostly Dallas
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2024	not ranked (out of top 500 list)
Restaurant Rank in US $ Sales 2025	not ranked (out of top 500 list)
Rank of price (high to low) (Average: $9.88, standard dev. $3.81)	66th out of 95 snacks
Quality / Value Rating for this specific meal	5 (out of 10) / 5 (out of 10)

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Another day, another "premium" frozen dessert brand. I'm pretty sure every ice cream, gelato and frozen yogurt place in existence likes to tout that they used "premium quality" ingredients, it's like saying water makes things wet.

Paciugo Gelato Caffe leans heavily into promoting how authentic they are, even to the point of how their ingredients are imported from Italy. Founded in 2000 by Italian immigrants who moved to Dallas, their gelato is all made in-house at each location, rather than a central factory. Over the years they managed to grow to several dozen locations in ten states, but at some point and they filed for bankruptcy in 2017.

Bought out in 2019 by the same company that owns Which Wich and Genghis Grill doesn't appear to have resulted in their salvation - all of the companies have faced major troubles over the past several years. I cannot even find out how many Paciugo locations remain open - their store locator is broken, and third-party aggregator sites contain multiple closed locations in their lists. As near as I can tell, about fifteen retail stores remain, most of which are throughout the Dallas area.

But those stores that do remain -- keep making their gelato, and that's what I'm here for! Avoiding their famous novelty "spaghetti gelato", which looks disturbingly realistic, and their cutesy 'Paciunicorn', I went for a rather mundane two-scoop sampler. Based on the color of the gelato in the photo, you'd think I ordered 'tan' and 'another tan', but believe it or not one of those is pistachio and the other is amaretto. And just as you couldn't really tell by the color, I am sorry to say you couldn't really tell by the taste as well. By this point I have managed to have many different store varieties of pistachio (seems to be one of my obsessions du jour right now), and some are stronger-flavored than others; this one...wasn't.

A rather disappointing performance from Paciugo, unfortunately, but as I said each location makes their own batches, so may be worth trying a different location and giving them a second chance.

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(About this review series: Starting in late 2025, I am visiting a different fast food/fast casual chain every day, until I run out of places to visit. Aiming to review as many chains on the Technomics Top 500 Restaurants list as possible, plus key/important regional and some local chains as well. UPDATE: This review series is scheduled to wrap up on Day 365. And no, I haven't gained weight, and no, it hasn't hurt my health.)