Best Chain Businesses That Don't Have A Cult Following

[1995hoo]

So, Five Guys, it is.

Nah.  Any greasy burger it is.  If you're gonna be on the toilet 18 minutes after dinner, you might as well not spend $10,623.87 for the burger.

$1,329,063.

(Who will get the reference?)

[SectorZ]

Five Guys has a cult following with itself. I've never been someplace that wallpapers their location with people praising how good they are. It's a weird flex because anyone who is there likely intends on buying something and finding out for themselves. The whole having to eat out of a bag inside like a vagabond is a tad annoying.

[epzik8]

I've found that no two Five Guys stores seem to use the same amount of grease. I feel like it varies just a little with a certain consistency (and a little less than average is preferable).

Maybe someday I too will have the ability to detect how much grease is used by individual fast-food outlets.

[Dirt Roads]

So, Five Guys, it is.

Nah.  Any greasy burger it is.  If you're gonna be on the toilet 18 minutes after dinner, you might as well not spend $10,623.87 for the burger.

$1,329,063.

(Who will get the reference?)

[Big John]

[minneha]

I'm going to say Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers. It started as a single restaurant in Kansas in 2002 and has grown to around 500 restaurants in most U.S. states. I've never had a bad burger from them. Their burgers have thin meat patties that are crispy on the edges, but moist in the middle. I'm not 100 percent certain, but I think their burgers are cooked-to-order, because it usually takes longer than other fast food places to get your order, but when you get it, it's really good. They even sell their sauces in grocery stores and their frozen custard in pint and quart containers, like packaged ice cream.

[Scott5114]

I've had Freddy's a few times and I liked it all right, but I think I've been to their Norman location all of one time. No matter what I'm doing, I would have to do a left turn into or out of their parking lot, and the intersection they're at is busy enough that I would really rather not do that. So I kind of forget that they exist.

(In order to have all right turns, I would have to be following a trajectory that takes me in the direction away from both the grocery store—the main reason I would be in that part of town—and my house! Not likely to happen naturally.)

[freebrickproductions]

As I've said earlier, my favorite chain restaurant burger is Cheeseburger Bobby's. It's a decently-greasy burger, so that may be why.

Good luck finding one though, lol.

[kphoger]

greasy burgers are generally good.

Any greasy burger it is.

I'm going to say Freddy's Frozen Custard & Steakburgers.

Yep.  Greasy burgers are good burgers!

[minneha]

The reason why I think Freddy's qualifies for this is because it's exactly the type of business that has the quality of product, consistency across locations, and uniqueness of product, but doesn't have the name recognition or cult following. I watch food reviews on YouTube occasionally and whenever I see one for Freddy's, the reviewers always rave about their burgers. They usually say something like they don't know much about this Freddy's place but they drive by it all the time and decided to try it. Then they taste the burger and can't believe how good it is.

The quality is there, the freshness of ingredients, the consistency from one restaurant to another, the cleanliness of the stores, even the retro style of decor and the 50s diner-style name. It has everything from a product and quality standpoint that the best fast food burger places do, but it doesn't have the name recognition or cult following. It just flies under the radar. I used to live in Wichita, where Freddy's originated, and even there it didn't seem like they had a bigger following than some of their competitors, such as Braum's. I think Freddy's might be too modest in their marketing, because I think a lot of people think it's just another burger place and don't realize how good it actually is.

[Rothman]

Yep, Freddy's is strange in how it doesn't put itself out there.  Been there once or twice, but I think a lot of people just pass by it because they don't know what it is and haven't heard of it.

[1995hoo]

You got it. I had a copy of that game as a kid. Don't know whether it may still be in my mother's basement.

[formulanone]

I didn't realize Freddy's was that recent; sort of figured it has been around since the 1950s-60s with the decor. And I don't think I've ever seen an advertisement from them, other than scattered billboards or local coupon mailer.

Also, I think their cheese curds are better than Culver's.

[Rothman]

You got it. I had a copy of that game as a kid. Don't know whether it may still be in my mother's basement.

I think getting that bill was a bad thing in the game.

[kphoger]

I think getting that bill was a bad thing in the game.

So spending it on a greasy burger would be a good idea?

[jeffandnicole]

Five Guys has a cult following with itself. I've never been someplace that wallpapers their location with people praising how good they are. It's a weird flex because anyone who is there likely intends on buying something and finding out for themselves. The whole having to eat out of a bag inside like a vagabond is a tad annoying.

I thought this was sorta a cute idea when they were just in their core original area, or maybe just expanding out. 

When they're country-wide and the articles are 20 years old, it doesn't make sense anymore. 

[kphoger]

When they're country-wide and the articles are 20 years old, it doesn't make sense anymore. 

Yeah, when I see an eight-year-old newspaper headline from the Bumfuck Gazette posted on the wall, it just makes me think they couldn't actually come up with any better, more recent headlines that praised the restaurant.

[1995hoo]

You got it. I had a copy of that game as a kid. Don't know whether it may still be in my mother's basement.

I think getting that bill was a bad thing in the game.

Given that the object was to lose all your money, I would say so. But there were only two ways you could get that bill—if your name was Alfred E. Neuman (because one of the cards said that if that was your name, you receive that bill, otherwise you lose a turn) or if you were playing the game with someone who had that name and you wound up having to switch seats with said person (per a card telling you to change seats).

[hbelkins]

I thought Freddy's originated in California.

I'd nominate Braum's as a chain without a cult following.

Speaking of greasy burgers, Wendy's has become much less greasy than it used to be.

[Big John]

I thought Freddy's originated in California.

As stated, Wichita KS: https://www.freddys.com/about

[Road Hog]

Tractor Supply has a very loyal customer base. Definitely not cultish but loyal nonetheless. It biggest business is, believe it or not, dog food.

[Scott5114]

I'd nominate Braum's as a chain without a cult following.

Braum's is actually somewhat divisive. It seems like you either love it or hate it. (Most people seem to love it, but my dad thinks it's disgusting because he's made a lifelong habit out of being wrong about everything.)

[Rothman]

I'd nominate Braum's as a chain without a cult following.

Braum's is actually somewhat divisive. It seems like you either love it or hate it. (Most people seem to love it, but my dad thinks it's disgusting because he's made a lifelong habit out of being wrong about everything.)

So...Everyone else versus your dad makes it divisive?

I enjoyed my one visit there.  At least, I think I've only been there once.

[hbelkins]

Tractor Supply has a very loyal customer base. Definitely not cultish but loyal nonetheless. It biggest business is, believe it or not, dog food.

Rural King > Tractor Supply.

(Although some of our cats are exclusively eating 4Health cat food, available only at Tractor Supply.)

[SSOWorld]

I'm truly surprised that the goog hasn't shown evidence of a cult following at Culver's.