Hardee's new Monster Thickburger Tribune headline

"At 1,420 calories, Hardee's new Monster Thickburger is actually pretty darn tasty"

By Phil Vettel
Tribune restaurant critic
Published December 14, 2004
copyright 2004 Chicago Tribune/Online Edition

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/ ... etempo-hed

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Nothing would take me to those caloric heighths unless it was dessert.

Some of us surely saw the film Supersize Me: ridiculous, yet chilling.

I'd like to see the calorie count on one slice of Lou Malnati's sausage w/ buttercrust.

extramsg wrote:I'd like to see the calorie count on one slice of Lou Malnati's sausage w/ buttercrust.

I thought about that when this hub-bub started over the Monstrosity burger. What about a beautiful dipped beef from Al's?

It's big! It has 1400 calories! It tastes like crap!

Now you guys have me dreaming about a Butterburger from Culvers - and even the jumbo is under 1000 calories.

This has nothing to do with the monster burger and everything to do with sheer gluttony and disgust. I saw a woman on the bus eating doritos one at a time and spraying a 2 inch blob of sprayable cheese on each one before consuming it. I promptly asked if she had some hot fudge I could put on my candy bar.

This all points to one of Mike G's Laws, which is, if you're going to eat stuff that's going to kill you, make sure it's at least really, really good. It's one thing to die happy having lived on Arthur Bryant's brisket sandwiches and fries, another to have killed yourself with Arby's sandwiches. I suppose either is a bit of a waste, but one is a double waste.

It's only in my "old age" that I've ALMOST given up Big Macs completely.

There's just something about McDonald's on a road trip. You need to eat there at least once on the road.....

The film Seven does a good job freaking one out about the 7 deadly sins.
Morgan Freeman, Brad Pitt, Kevin Spacey.

extramsg wrote:I'd like to see the calorie count on one slice of Lou Malnati's sausage w/ buttercrust.

This doesn't include buttercrust, but the nutritional info for the 9" pizzas is on Lou Malnati's website: http://www.loumalnatis.com/about/nutritionals.html

The sausage pizza has less total calories and less saturated fat than the cheese pizza! Bless the pork products!

Hi,

Itty bitty Hardee's query ... someone who'd likely prefer not to be named told me Hardee's is known more for their breakfast. I have never been to a Hardee's for breakfast, don't know what they offer and never heard anyone highlight their breakfast. Does this ring true to anyone else's experience?

The most difficult part of the Indiana Toll Road is seemingly every rest stop is a Hardee's. Yes, I can jump off the tollway to visit the Amish. Sometimes my goal is to get from A to B as quickly as possible.

Regards,

Cathy2 wrote:Itty bitty Hardee's query ... someone who'd likely prefer not to be named told me Hardee's is known more for their breakfast. I have never been to a Hardee's for breakfast, don't know what they offer and never heard anyone highlight their breakfast. Does this ring true to anyone else's experience?

I also associate Hardee's with breakfast. My family moved to the US from Canada when I was 8, and, especially during those first few years, we made a lot of road trips between Chicago and Montreal and Toronto. My experience with Hardee's is limited to early morning rest stops on those trips. In reality, I think they are quite different, but, I guess I kind of think of Hardee's as an American Tim Hortons sans the baked goods.

Hardee's biscuits are remarkably good for fast food biscuits and their breakfast menu centers around them. They have a pretty standard array of breakfast sandwiches on biscuits (a sausage and biscuit sandwich from Hardee's is an occasional indulgence for me, their sausage is an extra thick and peppery patty that somehow maintains crisp edges while while also seemingly melting into the biscuit). They also have a cinnamon and raisin biscuit which is served excessively glazed and I believe they're serving biscuits and gravy now too. Also they have a "Frisco" breakfast sandwich consisting of thin sliced ham, swiss cheese and egg on toasted sourdough.

Can you tell the town I grew up in had 3 Hardee's locations?

I went to a Hardee's in West Virginia and was reminded why they're not around Chicago anymore, they're not very good. Granted I think the golden arches and the king don't serve good burgers either! I'd rather go so Gus as WASC and eat an Undisputed if I want 1000+ calories and enjoy it!

Cathy2 wrote:Hi,

Itty bitty Hardee's query ... someone who'd likely prefer not to be named told me Hardee's is known more for their breakfast. I have never been to a Hardee's for breakfast, don't know what they offer and never heard anyone highlight their breakfast. Does this ring true to anyone else's experience?
Regards,

Two words. Biscuit breakfast.

And the biscuits are a whole lot better as you move into the Southeastern states.

"At 1,420 calories, Hardee's new Monster Thickburger is actually pretty darn tasty"

By Phil Vettel
Tribune restaurant critic
Published December 14, 2004
copyright 2004 Chicago Tribune/Online Edition

[dead link]

Vettel's review is quoted in this book:

Nanny State: How Food Fascists, Teetotaling Do-Gooders, Priggish Moralists, and other Boneheaded Bureaucrats are Turning America into a Nation of Children

Anybody read it? I'd love to meet a "Twinkie" fascist.

20 +/- year ago ( and that was the last time I had anything at Hardee's) they had a really good biscuit and gravy dish for breakfast. We pass one in Chillicothe on the way to Peoria and I've never been tempted to stop.

Hi,

I'm convinced, I will stop at a Hardee's for breakfast sometime.

When my sister lived in Champaign, we were there at least once a month to visit the grandbabies. They had a Grandy's less than a mile from her place. I loved their peppery biscuits and gravy with biscuits made on the premises. It was also the first place I ever saw fried gizzards available.

From looking at Grandy's website, they appear to have left Illinois. Whenever the rare chance of coming up on a Grandy's ever happens, the car will park immediately. Not having seen any other Grandy's, this is rarer than a Waffle House.

Thanks!

Regards,

Grandy's is just a southern thing, isn't it? Our Texas Thanksgivings are never complete until MIL makes a Grandy's run for rolls.

I had always been under the impression that Hardee's is precisely the same as Carl's Jr, but I don't recall CJ's having breakfast at all, much less biscuits and gravy (an exotic, notable food item in California). Are they in fact the same, or merely affiliated?

A few of us tried the (new?) Most American Thickburgers at the office yesterday. Massively disappointing. Way worse than we thought they would be. Probably the cheapest, most low-grade hot dog imaginable. And a completely overcooked burger. Definitely way less than the sum of its parts . . .


1/3 Pound Most American Thickburger (w/ hot dog and potato chips)

I actually think this is a fun concept and with higher quality ingredients and better execution could be a great munch. Perhaps Redhot Ranch would be the ideal place to DIY this . . .

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:A few of us tried the (new?) Most American Thickburgers at the office yesterday. Massively disappointing. Way worse than we thought they would be. Probably the cheapest, most low-grade hot dog imaginable. And a completely overcooked burger. Definitely way less than the sum of its parts . . .


1/3 Pound Most American Thickburger (w/ hot dog and potato chips)

I actually think this is a fun concept and with higher quality ingredients and better execution could be a great munch. Perhaps Redhot Ranch would be the ideal place to DIY this . . .

=R=

Wait, there's a Hardee's by your office Ronnie?

pairs4life wrote:Wait, there's a Hardee's by your office Ronnie?

Yes, we were surprised to learn this, too.

9102 N Milwaukee Ave
Niles, IL 60714
(224) 938-9048
(Not recommended)

=R=

ronnie_suburban wrote:A few of us tried the (new?) Most American Thickburgers at the office yesterday. Massively disappointing. Way worse than we thought they would be. Probably the cheapest, most low-grade hot dog imaginable. And a completely overcooked burger. Definitely way less than the sum of its parts . . .


1/3 Pound Most American Thickburger (w/ hot dog and potato chips)

I actually think this is a fun concept and with higher quality ingredients and better execution could be a great munch.
=R=

Bingo: The Slayer at Kuma's.

Chicago’s only Hardee’s could soon open at the southeast corner of Halsted and Division, attached to an Exxon gas station at 736 W. Division Street.

https://chicago.eater.com/2023/1/18/235 ... ttractions

Dave148 wrote:

Chicago’s only Hardee’s could soon open at the southeast corner of Halsted and Division, attached to an Exxon gas station at 736 W. Division Street.

https://chicago.eater.com/2023/1/18/235 ... ttractions

I wonder if this is just a one off location or whether we will see more Hardee's in the area. It seems like they rapidly expanded into the area about 10 years ago and disappeared almost as quickly. Also, that article is wrong. Hardee's has a lot more than four locations in Illinois. According to their website, they have 85

Jim-Bob wrote:

Dave148 wrote:

Chicago’s only Hardee’s could soon open at the southeast corner of Halsted and Division, attached to an Exxon gas station at 736 W. Division Street.

https://chicago.eater.com/2023/1/18/235 ... ttractions

I wonder if this is just a one off location or whether we will see more Hardee's in the area. It seems like they rapidly expanded into the area about 10 years ago and disappeared almost as quickly. Also, that article is wrong. Hardee's has a lot more than four locations in Illinois. According to their website, they have 85

I remember when we got Hardee's out in DuPage back in the early 90s. And let's face it, Eater has never been known for their due diligence (or even correct neighborhood attribution).

Fuck Hardee’s. Let’s talk In-N-Out!!

In-N-Out just moved into Tennessee. Hopefully Chicago next.

Since I can't rec on this forum, I second G Wiv

As I have both Carl Jrs and In-n-Out right down the street, I would choose one of the quarter pound Carl Jrs sandwiches any day. First, there is more opportunity to customize. Also, it just tastes better.

Now if you are shooting food porn and want a sandwich that looks exactly the same, In-n-Out is a lot better.

Personally, I cannot believe how BAD the In-n-Out french fries are. They have the same cardboard taste of a Domino's box.

jlawrence01 wrote:... Personally, I cannot believe how BAD the In-n-Out french fries are. They have the same cardboard taste of a Domino's box.

Great Zeus, thank you for saying this. They are terrible. I can't figure out how they ruin them so thoroughly. Even worse than the fries at Del Taco. And spot on about the taste of Domino's pizza.