worst fast-food burger joint

I have fond memories of the Big Buford as a super-yummy burger experience. These memories are probably 20 years old, but I also respect Rally's battered fries as the antithesis of the misguided "we just cut potatoes directly into the fryer" puritanism.

― accordion folder full of Zoobooks (Sufjan Grafton), Wednesday, December 8, 2021 10:54 AM (one hour ago) bookmarkflaglink

There's a poem in my next book titled, "Buford Special," because I've never been able to get over a place calling their specialty burger a Buford. What in the fuck is that.

Perhaps named after Buford T. Pusser, the real life sheriff portrayed in the Walking Tall films?

or Bufo bufo, the common toad

Is there someone called Buford involved with the company, perhaps? Someone's child, maybe, or an early manager?

maybe Big Buford is what you call your butt after you gain twenty pounds from eating that damn burger

I cannot find, for the life of me, the reason for the name. I've been googling for like five minutes lol.

There's now a Super Loaded Buford, tho, if anyone's interested.

the original commercial has no clues:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SW6rgXwLYbM

lol the description says the commercial features two guys saying it was named after their Uncle Buford, but they don't say that in the commercial!

I'm now imagining a late 80s tv show where two detectives (Neanderthal, the table is the table), search for Big Buford, a missing hamburger magnate.

the trail went cold, Tabes. (takes off trenchcoat). i just don't know. maybe we never find 'im.

It's a great name. My brother and I use it all of the time to express appreciation, e.g. "Can you pick up this Christmas gift for me? I'll owe you a Big Buford."

It is, but it's also *funny*, so much so that it sounds a little bit like something in a Tim & Eric sketch.

maybe it should be typical film noir but a universe where the money is Big Bufords

Big Buford is the sickest drummer. Yes wasn't the same after he left.

Some sources say Rally's was founded in Tennessee, which is where Bufurd T. Pusser was a sheriff, so that really could be it. Although other sources say Rally's was founded in Louisville, KY, so I dunno.

There's also a town in Georgia named Buford.

perhaps the burger was big and Jim Patterson was a fan of alliteration

Automatic thread bump. This poll is closing tomorrow.

I got gout after this thread, asshole

oh wait, i started it

...

asshole.

haven't had many of these but jack in the box the worst of what I've had.

my favorites of this list - off-topic I guess- are probably a&w and white spot

Jack in the Box is unspeakable

Do not wind the crank

IHOP was only good when you could smoke in there. 2AM, drunk, the glass smokers cave filled with secondhand nicotine - tastebuds are irrelevant anyway.

just want to chime in and say i love Cook Out, Cook Out rules. also we had a Rally's where i grew up in the South and it was definitely a level or two above McD's/BK/etc. Rally's was good!

Automatic thread bump. This poll's results are now in.

Not sure how scientific this polling is, but BK wins in a landslide... I'm a little surprised, but I haven't been there in years

I thought I voted for Sonic, but I guess I just decided to shoot my mouth off instead. Well anyway, fuck Sonic.

haha me too! add another one for Sonic

Same

Silent majority

i also voted for sonic wtf

Stop the Steal!

White Spot kind of an unfortunate name

I don't understand why Burger King polled the most votes in this. My nearest Burger King - which I went to a few days ago - rules, while the McDonald's in the same town blows goats. I've eaten in a lot of Burger Kings and the worst experience I've had is getting a burger that wasn't terrible but could have been better, and felt a bit thrown together. MacDonald's on the other hand always seems to be disappointing - some places trend towards undercooking their burgers and slapping them together so the burger in its bun looks like it's been sat on, while in other places the burgers and buns are dry. Generally I think that McDonald's was much better in the mid to late 80s.