themadpooper

Who says American food is bad?

Anyone who says that should step away from McDonald's and find something local, even in shit holes there will usually be a bar or something that does decent grub and good, local beer. Can't say that about the UK

dc koop

This just inspired me to play Charlie Pride singing "Burgers and fries and cherry pie" on You Tube

amideislas

Please... It was only an anecdotal example of local culture, not an animal rights statement.

Besides, bullfighting is now illegal in most of Spain. Much to the chagrin of tourists, 95% of which come from Britain and Europe.

amideislas

Yes, there's that stereotype too. I remember discussing my last US trip with friends, who asked if I ever got tired of burgers. As if that's the only available food.

I find the food in the US is generally of very good quality and certainly offers a broader range of choices than the UK or Europe. But I have to admit the yanks do a crackin' burger. Great salads, too. And American pizza - not "authentic" at all, but great just the same - and endless varieties.

And there's no arguing the fabulous Mexican food. European Mexican food always seems, well, rather "European". I often characterise European Mexican as "Mexiterranean".

I suppose local varieties of favourite dishes emerge anywhere. We've adopted our own "Mediterranean" version of curry. Your choice of curries, served with "Mediterranean" Cole slaw. Regular (freshly made) Cole slaw with the addition of fresh chopped garlic and peanuts. Great with curry.

moneypenny20

Oh bullshit. I get that you love your adopted country but perleease sort yourself out.

LondonSquirrel

I agree most pubs do food in the UK now and many are excellent and great value, with plenty of choice for us veggies. You often get two main meals for £10 including drinks and such offers.

amideislas

Never have I seen anything that cheap. Last trip (in Feb.), paid £14 for really awful fish & chips - Southend on sea. But only because I was peckish and it was the cheapest around. Modest evening meal for 3 with a cheap bottle of wine at a not-so-posh, very average local pub was £78. And the food wasn't remarkable by any stretch. Chelmsford.

Where can I find a deal like that? Sounds more like Spain than the UK

Nutek

Bristol in April. Four quid. (Haddock)

scrubbedexpat097

..now I'm hungry

petitefrancaise

he's never been to west texas. Thousands of square miles of absolute crap - the worst food that makes you glad to see the golden arches.

scrubbedexpat097

But you're not talking about the real West Texas. We've just come back from there and we ate at some of the quirkiest small home town restaurants with some great southern recipes, some Tex-Mex and some authentic Mexican food plus of course the best barbecue ever!

Sure there are plenty of chain food places but if you get off the beaten track you will always find something good. It might look like a run down shack but often they are the best and friendliest places.

petitefrancaise

OK, I am referring to Abilene-Lubbock-west towards New Mexico and Santa Rosa... we've done the trip many times and now take our own food.

johnwoo

Bad American food is as true as bad British food. You can find good and bad in both countries. Seriously where do people get their ideas from? I've had bad food in France and Italy. All American food is bad, all British food is bad. FFS

dc koop

There is no such thing as bad American food or any other kind of food. Only bad cooks who make a bad job of cooking any kind of food.


BTW if anyone thinks that French food is the yardstick for any standard of judging food quality then that's absolute bullshit. I 've lived in France. They eat more French fries than the Americans do and I once had a French hamburger with nothing but cheese and some kind of sauce in it heated up in a microwave before serving. The standard of service amongst French waiters doesn't match Americans for attitude and courtesy either

amideislas

You can certainly find "bad" (whilst expensive) food in Spain too. But mainly in the tourist resorts and expat enclaves. The small village places tend to be very cheap with abundant sized meals, prepared only with fresh ingredients on wood-fired grills etc. And the ambiance in these places is often really fab. And authentic.

I reckon that's somewhat true anywhere, but some of the most surprisingly good meals I've had were in American touristy areas, but perhaps my expectations were low.

In contrast, I've not had any remarkable dining experiences in England in the past 20 years or so - and always expensive - with one exception, "Rules" in London, but that was OTT expensive, IIRC.

And service, well, there's hardly any argument there. The Yanks just have a thing about that.