Qdoba Mexican Grill – Delta Township

30 08 2009
  • 5415 W. Saginaw Highway
  • Lansing, MI 48917
  • (517) 977-0063
  • Website
  • Menu
Qdoba Mexican Grill on Saginaw Highway in Delta Township

Qdoba Mexican Grill on Saginaw Highway in Delta Township

I don’t think I need to tell you about our shopping patterns again….do I?  Of course, we were out in Delta Township and it was lunch time.  We weren’t in the mood to hunt out a sit down place and McDonald’s didn’t sound good either. 

I remember seeing a few months ago that Qdoba was moving into the space that used to be a Ya-Ya’s Chicken.  That was a while ago, so I assumed it was open. 

I’ve only eaten at Qdoba once in my life.  I used to work with a woman that loved it.  She would have lived inside Qdoba if they would have let her.  The closest one to us was forty minutes away, but if we were ever anywhere near it, I would have to take her for a burrito.  Only once did I actually eat lunch with her.  I wasn’t impressed, but I wasn’t turned off either. 

The newest Qdoba in the Lansing area is on Saginaw Highway across from the Lansing Mall.  Parking around the building isn’t great.  The entrance is actually on the side of the building and there are a few angled parking spots there.  If there’s a lot of traffic in the area of that strip mall, finding a close spot could be a challenge. 

The restaurant is set up sort of like a Subway.  There’s a counter where you order and it’s put together right in front of you.  I don’t like rice and it seems like all fast food Mexican likes to use rice filler.  Qdoba is no different.  That limits the options for me.  There were some things that sounded good, but I had a feeling it would be 90 percent rice and 10 percent meat.  Instead, I ordered three tacos.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Fast Food, Lansing, Mexican, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Sonic Drive-In – Birch Run

23 08 2009
  • 8650 Main Street
  • Birch Run, MI 48415
  • (989) 624-4700
  • Website
  • Menu
Sonic Drive In on Main Street in Birch Run.

Sonic Drive In on Main Street in Birch Run.

A few weeks ago, I put up a press release about Sonic opening a store in Birch Run.  I knew it was just a matter of time before we would find an excuse to make the trip east.

The Sonic in Birch Run is the chain’s fifth Michigan store.  It’s located on Main Street in front of the Prime Outlets.  You can see it as soon as you get off the Interstate.  The store has an exit and entrance from Main Street which was actually closed off when we first went by because of a lot of traffic, but most people will actually enter off Beyer Road in the back. 

When we took a trip to Flint just a few weeks after the Sonic opening there, we actually had to wait in a line to get a stall.  I assumed the same thing would happen in Birch Run.

We finally made our way to Sonic a little before six o’clock.  The main entrance is accessible from Beyer Road.  Since we were coming from the Outlet Mall, we were already close.  We pulled in to the drive way and I noticed a stall right away.  Instead of having two rows of stalls on one side of the building, they have one row on either side of the building.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Birch Run, Chains, Fast Food, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Sonic Drive In – Oregon, OH

3 08 2009
  • 2925 Navarre Avenue
  • Oregon, OH 43616
  • (419) 691-6600
  • Website
  • Menu
The Sonic Drive In in Oregon, OH

The Sonic Drive In in Oregon, OH

So, I’m sure many of you were expecting a review of one of Michael Symon’s restaurants in this spot.  I mean, if I’m going to Cleveland, you’d think I’d check out one of my favorite chef’s places, right?  Normally, you would be right, but this time, I was tired and already promised J we’d find a Sonic on the way home.  In addition to that, neither of us were really dressed for dinner at a fancy restaurant.  We would have been ok for lunch, but would have felt out of place at dinner.

We left Cleveland at about 5:30.  Had we used the GPS to look, we could have found a Sonic in Cleveland, but I already wrote down an address for one near Toledo.  Our original plan was just to go to Sandusky and Toledo was the closest one that was on the way home.  I had been planning that stop for days.

There are two Sonic’s in the Toledo area and both are in suburbs.  We chose the one in Oregon because it wasn’t that far off the Interstate and on the northwest side of the city.  On the way from Cleveland, I missed my turn to stay on I-90, so we ended up taking OH-2 until it turned into a two lane road.  We had about a half hour drive through the Ohio countryside which was fine with me.  When we got into town, OH-2 turned into Navarre Avenue.  A few blocks later, it ran into the Interstate we needed to head home. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chains, Fast Food, Ohio, Oregon, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

A & W Restaurant – E. Oakland Ave.

28 07 2009
  • 427 E. Oakland Avenue
  • Lansing, MI 48906
  • (517) 485-3950
  • Website
  • Menu
The A & W Restaurant on East Oakland Avenue in Lansing.

The A & W Restaurant on East Oakland Avenue in Lansing.

As I’ve mentioned in the past, I still haven’t figured out the fascination with Sonic Drive-In’s.  J, on the other hand, loves the place.  Mostly because of their Limeade.  While watching TV the other night, we saw a commercial for A & W and they were promoting their new Fruit Flavored Limeades.  The commercial caught her attention and the next chance we got, we headed to A & W.

There are two A & W Restaurant in Lansing.  One is on West Saginaw Highway.  The other is on East Oakland.  We chose the Oakland store because it was the one I knew.  The A & W is at the corner of East Oakland Avenue and North Cedar Street.  Like many businesses in the area right now, their parking lot is only accessible from one street because of the CSO project. 

As we were pulling up to the stoplight at Cedar Street, I had serious doubts that they were open.  It was lunch time, but there was only one car in the parking lot.  It looked desserted.  As I pulled into the parking, there was a car that drove around to the drive thru window so we knew they were open. 

We were wanting to eat in the store because our next stop was grocery shopping.  It wouldn’t make sense to take our meals with it.  The inside of the store is tiny.  Very, very tiny.  There’s an order counter that only has one register and almost no counter space.  There are less than ten tables jammed into the small space…most of which are two tops.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Chicken, Fast Food, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Arby’s – E. Oakland Avenue

28 06 2009
  • 500 E. Oakland Avenue
  • Lansing, MI 48906
  • (517) 487-5154
  • Website
  • Menu
Arbys on East Oakland Avenue in Lansing.

Arby's on East Oakland Avenue in Lansing.

In the last year, Arby’s has drastically changed their menu.  They’ve added the Roastburger, Fajita Flatbread Melts, and Toasted Subs.  Usually when places make that many changes in a short time, the old formula isn’t working.  Still, there’s nothing I like better than an Arby’s roast beef and when I saw the 5 for $5 campaign had been brought back, I started looking for a reason to stop for lunch.

I was on my way to Oldsmobile Park for a Sunday afternoon baseball game.  First, I needed to grab something quick and cheap for lunch.  I drove by the Arby’s on South Cedar and that reminded me of the 5 for $5.  I missed the turn and instead of turning around, I kept going and hit the Arby’s a little farther north. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Chains, Fast Food, Lansing, Michigan, Old Town, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Fatburger – Orland Park, IL

16 06 2009
  • 15110 S. La Grange Road #A
  • Orland Park, IL 60462
  • (708) 364-8380
  • Website
  • Menu
Fatburger on La Grange Road in Orland Park, IL

Fatburger on La Grange Road in Orland Park, IL

Our wedding planning trip to Chicago continued this morning with a trip to meet with the Reverend we chose for the ceremony.  After we took care of that meeting, we had a couple hours before our next appointment and J was starving.  Since we were already in Orland Park, we headed over to the big business street and started looking for food.  J’s mom suggested a brew pub on La Grange Road.  I said any place with a burger was fine with me.  We started towards the brew pub, but as we were driving, J noticed the Fatburger.  She figured that would be faster than a sit down restaurant and it would satisfy the burger criteria. 

Fatburger is a west coast burger chain that, at one time, was co-owned by former Spartan Magic Johnson.  The chain was started in 1952 in Los Angeles.  Up until the mid-9o’s, the chain pretty much only existed on the west coast, but expansion brought store farther to the east.  The company now has 93 restaurants across North America, Asia, and the Middle East. 

The store in Orland Park is in a strip mall on La Grange Road near 151st Street.  We pulled in just after 11:00 and there was only one other person in line.  Fatburger’s slogan is “The Last Great Hamburger Stand.”  The decor is that of a sixties diner and while it’s technically considered fast food, they do cook your food to order.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chains, Fast Food, Illinois, Orland Park, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

McDonald’s – South Cedar

12 06 2009
  • 4700 S. Cedar Street
  • Lansing, MI 48910
  • (517) 393-8678
  • Website
  • Menu
McDonalds on South Cedar near Jolly Road in Lansing.

McDonald's on South Cedar near Jolly Road in Lansing.

I know I haven’t blogged all week and I always feel bad when the only thing I have to blog about is a chain restaurant, but I left Oldsmobile Park after a heartbreaking Lugnuts loss and I was starving.  The game went longer than I had anticipated due to yet another extra inning game.  When I started heading home a little after ten o’clock, my choices were limited.  I knew there was some fast food along the way, so I waited until I got a little bit closer to home.

The McDonald’s on South Cedar Street sits just north of Jolly Road.  Being late, the drive-thru was the only option.  As I was heading south, I pulled in to the second drive.  I always think if you pull in the one farther to the north, it gives you a bad angle at the drive thru. 

I’m not a very adventurous eater when it comes to the Golden Arches.  I always get the same thing.  It’s a good thing I looked at the menu board as I pulled up to the speaker though.  It must have been a while since I’ve eaten a burger McD’s because they moved the Double Quarter Pounder w/cheese meal to #3 instead of #4.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chains, Fast Food, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews, Sandwiches

Burger King – Holt

27 05 2009
  • 2464 Cedar Street
  • Holt, MI 48842
  • (517) 694-2600
  • Website
  • Menu
The Burger King on Cedar Street in Holt.

The Burger King on Cedar Street in Holt.

Sorry, I’m a few days behind in blogging.  Things are a little hectic at MMD World Headquarters which is why, on Monday night, I suggested a fast food run.  Usually, we do Taco Bell or Steak ‘n Shake, but I thought we’d mix it up.  I couldn’t tell you the last time I had Burger King and there’s one right down the street.  J didn’t object.

We chose the Burger King on Cedar in Holt.  It sits near the Holt/Lansing city line right across the street from the Kroger.  There is an entrance on Cedar Street, but there is also one on Willoughby which is easier to access than crossing traffic. 

As I’ve said before, I despise drive thrus, so we went inside.  The place was desserted at 7:00 on Memorial Day.  We were the only ones inside and there was just one car in the drive thru.  Since we hadn’t eaten at a BK in a long time, we needed a minute to look over the menu.

I got, if memory serves me correctly, the #11 which is a double cheeseburger with fries and a drink.  The prices on the board are for the small combo, but they list prices for medium and large under it.  I went with the medium and got a Diet Coke with just a splash of regular Coke from the fountain. Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chains, Fast Food, Holt, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

Rally’s Hamburgers – Oakland Ave.

24 04 2009
  • 505 E. Oakland Avenue
  • Lansing, MI 48906
  • (517) 482-6464
  • Website
  • Menu
Rallys Hamburgers on Oakland Avenue in Lansing.

Rally's Hamburgers on Oakland Avenue in Lansing.

If you follow this blog, you know my feelings on fast food and drive-thru’s.  I’m not a big fan.  So, it surprised even me when I decided to stop at Rally’s Hamburgers for a pre-Lugnuts game meal.

Rally’s Hamburgers is a drive-thru fast food chain with two locations in Lansing.  I chose the Oakland Avenue location since it was close to downtown.  It took me FOREVER to get there.  I really feel sorry for the businesses at the Oakland Avenue/Cedar Street intersection.  With the construction from the CSO project, there is really no easy way to get there if you miss the turn at Oakland Street like I did.  It was a long way around, but I finally did make it back.

There is a walk up window, but I decided just to do the drive thru.  There was a guy standing there who was leaning halfway through the window and talking to one of the workers.  I’m guessing he knew the lady working since he didn’t move the whole time I was there.  I turned in and headed right for the first drive up window.   Rally’s is a unique concept because there are actually two windows.  There is one on either side of the building.  Stupid me.  I just chose the one closest to where I was.  Read the rest of this entry »


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Categories : Burgers, Chains, Fast Food, Lansing, Michigan, Restaurant, Reviews

McDonald’s Outsources Jobs

26 02 2009

You know the economy is in the crapper when McDonald’s is outsourcing minimum wage jobs.

I ordered a cup of coffee today from a woman in North Dakota. It was in my hands within about 10 seconds, and was plenty hot enough to scorch a lap.

The process went like this: I pulled up to the drive-through squawk box at the Charlotte McDonald’s.

[snip]

After thanking me for my “persistence,” Scott confirmed that the Charlotte McDonald’s is, indeed, a test site for an experimental “call center” approach, and that drive-through orders went “out of state

Go to the LSJ’s website and read the whole article.  Great job by LSJ columnist John Schnieder for digging this up.  A few weeks ago, there was a storyline on King of the Hill where Bill fell in love with the drive thru lady who worked for a call center out of state and went on a road trip to find her.  I thought it was all a joke.  I never imagined that someone would actually outsource their drive thru operation.  I laughed out loud when J pointed out this article to me.  Seriously?  They’re outsourcing minimum wage jobs? 

I hate drive thrus as it is.  This is even more incentive to stay the hell away.  I can never understand the person on the other end.  What if the call center is in the south or New England and the person on the other end has an unfamiliar accent.  I’ll never get my food.  I’m at a loss for words.  Outsourcing drive thrus.  Wow.


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Categories : Chains, Fast Food, Food News, Michigan

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