No Stupid Questions

Seeing the brand names you cited, I'll assume you're in the US, so my comment may or may not be as useful as some brands are way different in France (for example, Subway is decent most of the time).

Growing up I sure got less and less attracted to fast food, and trying it occasionally did feel bad in some case. Although there's a definite shift in not wanting to clog my own arteries, it's not all there is to it. Some brands really feel awful now (McDonald's being the worst fast food out there these days), but there are also other that still "hit that spot" (BK mostly). I think it's safe to say that some big names let themselves go bad, AND it is still possible to find good fast food stuff.

With that said, it do gets more expensive, as everything else. The craving for fast food really become less common as time pass, and although it's still good while eating, there's still a tinge of guilt afterward, knowing it's both too expensive for what it is (I mean the actual food, not necessarily that it's too expensive for service and stuff) and that it's not that great for yourself.

I'd say if you keep them as an occasional treat and know a few good places to indulge, it can work. But it sure feels like it requires more thinking than just dropping in any fast food joint to have a good time.

Is it just part of the enshitification of everything?

Yes

Have I just gotten old

Get off my lawn.

Yes, and you can thank private equity for it.

Fast food is called "fast food" because it's fast, not because it's food.

Apart from that, there is probably no production chain that has profited better from making things the cheaper way than anything related to food.

So this does not just concern fast food, but the HFCS loaded soda you drink, your bread swimming in dough raising and stabilizing chemicals, or your tinned soup made from water, starch, food coloring, flavors, and preservatives.

Just because of the masses produced and sold, any cent saved on a single Burger quickly adds up to a million dollar in extra profits. Don't expect them to waste that money on better ingredients or flavor, as long as you keep buying that stuff, they keep on making it worse to save yet another cent.

Mmmm, tastes like supply chain optimization.

It’s gotten worse, however, I think the perception is compounded by how expensive it is now and also just eating better as I get older. Now that I know how to cook real, delicious food, fast food just seems so much grosser than it used to. It’s a little worse compared to 10 years ago, but much worse compared to the 80’s and early 90’s, depending on the chain. For example, Taco Bell was a LOT better back in the 80’s. You were more likely spend a bunch of time on the toilet later, but hey, give a little take a little.

Not just fast food, chains and franchises in general. Local only may be more of a quality gamble when trying things out but when you find that unassuming diner or small restaurant that takes pride in their daily soups, and doesn't do delivery or apps, and closes at reasonable times for their workers, and is usually packed on weekends, you've found something special.

I'm 60 now and am literally a Boomer; fast food has definitely gotten worse. Especially in the last 10 years or so. The foods and processes have been tweaked and tuned to the point that the value of the food hovers just barely above the price and not a tick more.

Health concerns also play a role. McDonald's fries are a good example. When I was young they were cooked in beef tallow and they were so good they would roll your eyes back in your head in in ecstacy (not kidding). They switched to vegetable oil due to health concerns over saturated fats and they've just never been the same.

29 and it's worse now

I used to actively enjoy Carl's Jr, they made good burgers, especially for a fast food place

Starting 2022ish they started all tasting.... Bland? Like no matter what's put on it there's a never-ending bland flavorless ness underneath it all and it sucks

Basically everywhere else too but that's the one I noticed

Maybe folks have just grown out of most fast food. It is generally too greasy for my stomach now. Most candy feels so sweet to me now that it makes me a little nauseous.

We sense less and less as we get older. I’ve learned this from observing my kids and seeing them react to things like needles and spicy food with such greater sensitivity than me. I can remember being like them, too. But I just plow through experiences now with less sensation of them. Part of it is that my senses are physically more dull, but also important: my cognitive filters are much more established and sensations that are outside of them get little notice. Meanwhile my kids are like raw nerves at the mercy of every experience that comes their way. Bubble gum probably doesn’t blow your hair back anymore either but I bet it was awesome when you were a kid.

KFC has gotten shittier chicken. I don't even eat there anymore. I would rather get a rotisserie from a food library.

Wendy's has gotten worse with their 'sauced nuggets'. I'm 100% convinced the quality of meat in their chicken nuggets got worse and the new CEO is trying to cover it up by adding sauces as a gimmick.

It has gone to shit.

In some cases like McDonald's, the ingredients have been on par while the cooking quality has tanked.

For a lot of other places, both the cooking and ingredient quality tanked.

Taco Bell is probably one of the few major chains I still eat at because their ingredients are hard to fuck up cooking and putting it together isn't that difficult.

27 years old here, its gone to complete shit. Last mcdonalds I tried was just weirdly uniform mush with barely any discernable flavour.

I think it was always shit, you and your taste buds just grew up.

At the time I ate lots of fast-food I also liked to drink lots of soda and ice tea, like 2 liters in one sitting when hung over. Now I puke a little in my mouth just thinking of that garbage.

It doesn't pay a living wage so the people working there don't give a shit about anything

I think enshittification is hitting everything, but it's probably also that you are old. I find that I just can't eat the same way that I could 20 years ago.

Most certainly. When I was young a burger king the food was better and you did not need to say fresh from the broiler as that was default that way. Ironically mdconalds has in some ways gotten better compared to long ago. they made the warming light thing famous. Wendys I would say has kept its quality up the best but still has fallen. taco bell does some interesting things over time but I swear they have invented new technology to slather less and less of their meat flavored slop onto the product. Chicken places have kept up quality in their main sutff but have come out with more and more cheap stuff to stay competitive and cheapened the sides to. Honestly when you had buck stuff and meals under 5 bucks combined with needing something fast to fill your pie hole it was a temptation, but now with many meals over 10 and anything a dollar is now pure trash I find I prefer to miss a meal than pick up anything. Heck even gas station roller stuff is like 5 bucks now.