• Sterile_Technique@lemmy.world
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    4 months ago

    Hole-in-the-wall ethnic food shops/take out are the way. If you want 'murican fast food, you gotta break the bank… but find a little family owned taqueria that does their shit right and you can stuff your face with the best tacos you’ve ever eaten for like $3. Highly dependent on your local options ofc, so keep an eye out.

    In my experience, the sketchier the restaurant looks, the better the food is.

    • Croquette
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      4 months ago

      If a restaurant looks shady and stays in business, it’s either a front or the food is delicious.

      • Ms. ArmoredThirteen@lemmy.ml
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        4 months ago

        And if it’s a front the food might still be awesome because it’s some rando doing their home cooking to cosplay as a restaurant worker

      • hydroxycotton@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Does this pretty much imply that if it looks shady and stays in business, but the food is shite, then then business is a front for money laundering or other criminal activities? Because there is this absolutely trash Mexican place near where I live and it’s always dead (no business) and the food is suspiciously bad like “the refried beans are dry and look like they’ve been sitting out for days” kind of bad. And this place has been “in business” for like 15 years.

        • Soggy@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          It could also be a hobby business to keep someone’s spouse/family busy and out of the house.

        • P00ptart@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          There’s a Bosnian place right next to an amazing Mexican place we like to go to. The Bosnian place always has people coming and going, but never staying for more than 5 minutes, and never walking out with food in hand. I’m pretty sure it’s a front.

        • Croquette
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          4 months ago

          Yes. Otherwise there wouldn’t be any point in keeping it open.

          Restaurants have notoriously thin margins, so to stay in business 15 years, something shady is happening most likely.

    • Icalasari@fedia.io
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      4 months ago

      I was amazed to find out the chicken place I order from looked nice (for a sketchy hole in the wall ethnic food place). $30 CAD for two or three days worth of INCREDIBLY good chicken and fries

      Like seriously, it was dying mall food court sketchy when I expected, “…You killed the health inspector with a pan to the head didn’t you?” sketchy

    • PrincessLeiasCat
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      4 months ago

      In Louisiana some of the best fried chicken and other Cajun food is in gas stations. Not even joking. It’s usually small towns, but there are some around NOLA and other cities, too.

      • BakerBagel@midwest.social
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        4 months ago

        Best fried chiicken i ever had was at a gas station in the middle of nowhere off ther interstate in Mississippi.

        • ElegantBiscuit@lemm.ee
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          4 months ago

          One of my best fried chicken experiences was a $5 fried chicken buffet somewhere in rural Kentucky near Lincoln’s birth home.

      • nomous@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        Those breaded skewers with chicken/pickle/onion/potato you can get at roadside stations down in the MS delta area are absolutely incredible and I love them. Any time I’m passing through there I have to find some.

      • Jerkface@lemmy.world
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        4 months ago

        What is Dick’s charging these days? My local equivalent burger joint has a double with fries for just over $8. Easily the best I can do around here.

        • somethingsnappy@lemmy.world
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          4 months ago

          $8.10. Their advertised base wage ($21/hr) must be lower than their actual base wage. I saw a posted at location janitorial position with a $23/hr start.

        • travysh@lemm.ee
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          4 months ago

          $5.30 for a deluxe, $2.80 for fries.

          Dick’s and a taco truck in the same area ($2.50/taco) are my go to cheap but delicious lunch options.

    • catloaf@lemm.ee
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      4 months ago

      I wish we had those around here. Even the hole-in-the wall Indian places start their plates at like $12. It’s absurd.

    • almar_quigley@lemmy.world
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      4 months ago

      You absolutely can get great American food from a hole in the wall. Also, I’m not sure why you had to say ‘murican as if our food has something wrong with it. Just a weird flex. I’m lucky to live in a city with a plethora of food trucks all around and you can get pretty much any kinda cuisine for cheaper than fast food joints.