Best fast-food chicken sandwiches, mac ‘n’ cheese, chili & more: 2022 rankings in review

CLEVELAND, Ohio — Whether or not you have got a love or hate relationship with quick meals, the actual fact is that all of us eat it.

Don’t consider us? A survey from the U.S. Facilities for Illness Management and Prevention (CDC) says as many as one out of each three Individuals are consuming quick meals each single day.

We’ve all discovered ourselves sitting in a drive-thru line questioning whether or not to go along with the outdated ‘tried and true’ or one thing completely different.

Over this previous yr, cleveland.com reporters Brenda Cain and Yadi Rodriguez accomplished a quick meals journey, rating the most well-liked meals in any respect the native chains, and rating every thing from fried rooster sandwiches to mac ‘n’ cheese.

We’ve gathered all our gastronomic conquests right here, so the following time you — and your folks — are debating the alternatives for lunch or a fast dinner, you possibly can examine our ideas that can assist you make your selections.

Ditch the Burger

Had sufficient purple meat and simply wish to chunk right into a juicy, tender rooster sandwich? We’ve acquired you lined.

We break up our seek for the right rooster sandwich into thirds.

Hungry for quick fried rooster? We checked out 6 fast-food rooster stands to see which has the most effective sandwich – cleveland.com

Which fast-food burger joint has the most effective crispy rooster sandwich meal? We tried 6 and ranked them worst to greatest – cleveland.com

Greatest fast-food grilled rooster sandwich: We tried 8 varieties and ranked them worst to greatest – cleveland.com

Oh Child! It’s chilly outdoors!

As soon as winter units in, we’re all searching for a method to shake off the chill-to-your-bones chilly. Nothing hits the spot like a hearty bowl of chili. In Northeast Ohio, 9 fast-food chains supply chili on the menu, and we tried all of them.

Which fast-food restaurant has the most effective chili? We tried 9 and ranked them worst to greatest – cleveland.com

Fish tales

It’s not all in regards to the burger at fast-food eating places. The fish sandwich is a long-time staple of fast-food eating places. We ranked fish sandwiches at 15 chains and, then, in a unique spin taste-tested tuna sandwiches at 10 sub chains.

Which fast-food restaurant has the most effective fish sandwich? We tried 15 sandwiches and ranked them worst to greatest – cleveland.com

The place can you discover the most effective tuna sub? We tried 10 sandwiches and ranked them worst to greatest – cleveland.com

Sizzling Canine!

Few issues are as satisfying as a wonderfully grilled sizzling canine on a sizzling summer season’s day or on the ballpark.

However if you’re spending that day bustling about doing errands and find yourself at a fast-food joint — however aren’t feeling a burger — there are a number of burger chains that supply the choice of a grilled sizzling canine.

The place can you discover the most effective fast-food sizzling canines? We tried 19 varieties and ranked them worst to greatest – cleveland.com

Mac ‘n Cheese anybody?

Let’s face it. There are days whenever you simply want a steaming bowl of tacky consolation — aka mac ‘n’ cheese. Making it from scratch could be time-consuming and generally you simply aren’t feeling the blue and yellow field.

We discovered 10 fast-food eating places that supply the tacky goodness.

Greatest fast-food macaroni and cheese: We tried 10 varieties and ranked them worst to greatest – cleveland.com

Rooster salads

As increasingly more Individuals attempt to clear up their diets, fast-fooderies responded with an unlikely menu possibility: salad. Nobody will fault you in case you have an unfavorable opinion of a fast-food rooster salad. However cleveland.com’s Better of Cleveland workforce nonetheless puzzled if the fast-food rooster salad choices on the market would make you are feeling full and energized and nonetheless fulfill your style buds.

We hit the street and visited six fashionable fast-food eateries throughout Northeast Ohio to style take a look at as many fast-food rooster salads as we may get our palms on. It turned out to be 19 in all.

Skip the burgers and the fries: Listed below are the most effective (and worst) fast-food rooster salads – cleveland.com

Sub wars

It’s fairly wonderful how deli meat, cheese, greens, and a condiment (or a number of) could be so magical when mixed collectively between two slices of bread, or, on this case, a sub roll. Whether or not you name it a hoagie, a submarine sandwich, or a hero, there’s no denying that these double-sized sandwiches are one thing price craving.

After we visited native sub outlets, we all the time requested what their largest vendor is — and with out exception, everybody answered Italian or Meatball. In fact, we needed to strive each!

Rating meatball subs from 5 fashionable chain sub outlets – cleveland.com

Rating 12 Italian subs from 9 fast-food sub outlets – cleveland.com

Crucial meal of the day

Whether or not you’re operating late or simply not within the temper to whip up one thing earlier than leaving the home, there are these days when a fast-food drive-thru breakfast sandwich could make all of the distinction, so we launched into a quest to search out out which fast-food chain provides up the yummiest breakfast basic: the sausage, egg and cheese sandwich.

Rating fast-food breakfast sandwiches from worst to greatest – cleveland.com