Community Chat

[Moonchilde]

In the area I recently moved to, I have found that many times where there is a KFC there will be a Long John Silver's in with it. I haven't eaten in a LJS for decades. I used to love them. I went a couple of days ago.

The breading for the fish was not tempura-style as it used to be, and they were using the same spices in the batter as are used in the chicken.  Uck. The hush puppies were undercooked and I tasted zero corn taste - have no idea what they were doing there, but hush puppies w/o cornmeal aren't hushpuppies.

I have in the past also noted "not the same taste" issues with H. Salt fish & chips, and Pioneer chicken.

I realize the names might or might not mean anything, many franchises are regional, but my question is - have you similarly been excited to spy a long-ago favorite franchise that in your opinion is now very little like the originals?

[Mothertrucker]

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@Moonchilde wrote:

In the area I recently moved to, I have found that many times where there is a KFC there will be a Long John Silver's in with it. I haven't eaten in a LJS for decades. I used to love them. I went a couple of days ago.

The breading for the fish was not tempura-style as it used to be, and they were using the same spices in the batter as are used in the chicken.  Uck. The hush puppies were undercooked and I tasted zero corn taste - have no idea what they were doing there, but hush puppies w/o cornmeal aren't hushpuppies.

I have in the past also noted "not the same taste" issues with H. Salt fish & chips, and Pioneer chicken.

I realize the names might or might not mean anything, many franchises are regional, but my question is - have you similarly been excited to spy a long-ago favorite franchise that in your opinion is now very little like the originals?

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Yes, most of them LOL! I thought it was just me, getting o,d...I went to InNOut the other day, and thought

 "hmm, this is not as good as I remember"..I can recall a similar experience with aBig Mac a couple of years ago...and the Taco Bell enchirito went from corn tortilla to flour long ago, alas...

I don't get out for fast food much, but had always heard of Long John Silvers and wanted to try it..you just cured me of that..No, it is not a hush puppy without cornmeal!

[tedEbear]

@Moonchilde-----I haven't had H.Salt in so long, I am now salivating.  Thanks a bunch!!!!

   To answer your question, nothing tastes the way it use to.  With all the no thises and the no thats are have been put in place, it is sad.   Monte Christo sandwiches are not MC sandwiches anymore, just egg and ham with powder sugar on them, etc.  I thinknalot has to due with the oil and the cook time.  I do like LJS, but, never ate there until about 7yrs ago. I do like it though. -tedEbear

[scotnovel]

I think the quality may be somwhat related to your location.  The recipes would be the same across the franchise, but how long the item sits and the execution of the battering and cooking can be quite different.  About 6 months ago I ate at a LJS for the first time in several years and found the food to be exactly as I remembered.  I got a quarter pounder at McDonalds when on a road trip last year and it was terrible compared to what I remembered.  It didn't even taste like meat.  

[Moonchilde]

Yes, I'm sure that in some cases the oils and other ingredients used have made a big taste difference. In goes health, out goes (remembered) flavor :-(

I'm one who thinks the Mystery Meat and fillers in Taco Bell and Jack-in-the-Box tacos tasted better 🙀

In-n-Out still tastes the same to me, though - but it has to be fresh!

I think the true franchises disappear and whoever bought out the name sells franchise licenses without caring what the franchisee does with the food, which is sad. Like old perfumes and old favorite candies - they may own the name but I guess can pretty much do what they want with the recipes :-(

What's really sad is, even though another franchise-holder in another town might be a lot better, most of us aren't going to keep trying.

[Marp]

I don't eat at fast food or franchise places often enough to notice a difference but recent cravings for foods from childhood created surprising how could I have ever liked that reactions.

Food tastes change and as we age how we taste foods changes.

[millieshops]

Along that same line, a friend and I finally made our way to a local restaurant which we had decided had the best burger, fries, and cole slaw in our town.  Not nearly as good as our memory had made them.

As for the fast foods, I used to think each storefront was the same as all the others in the chain -- and although that's the way they're supposed to be, they aren't all the same. Very disappointing most of the time!

[Moonchilde]

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@Marp wrote:

I don't eat at fast food or franchise places often enough to notice a difference but recent cravings for foods from childhood created surprising how could I have ever liked that reactions.

Food tastes change and as we age how we taste foods change.

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I still am surprised at how "young" taste buds can be so different to more mature ones. Quite a few things I just honestly didn't like the taste of when young that I now can't live without. Avocados and cranberry sauce come to mind.

The first time I had a Hostess cupcake in my 30s-40s I was bitterly disappointed. Same with Twinkies - they had cheapened the ingredients LONG before they stopped making them and sold the rights. They were literally almost nothing like those from my childhood.

[Moonchilde]

@Mothertrucker, the swing everywhere to tacos with flour tortillas is just - nooooo! Burritos=flour tortilla, taco=corn! I literally cannot gag down a taco made with a flour tortilla -especially an uber-thick, full of preservatives commercial/restaurant flour tortilla.

[VanSleepy]

I recently had KFC for the first time in quite a while, and I thought it was better than I remembered.  On the other hand, I was all excited for an Arby's opening since I hadn't  had that in 30 years.  It was gross lol