Arby's question

Re:Arby's question (okc_rn)

Fri, 12 Apr 2013 02:39:38 GMT

I actually worked at, and briefly managed an Arby's in the Oklahoma City area back in the early 80's. Never in that time did they use anything but a processed Roast. I can't say I have been too impressed with some of the changes over the years. For instance, they used to have a motto, "60 seconds through the drive through." Man, not any more! Maybe 60 minutes. . . Their drive thru service has gone down hill, and the predilection for significant errors in your order has not gotten any better. Customer service? Whats that?

I've still not forgiven them for changing their fries to waffle and curly fries several years back.

Re:Arby's question (Ketteract)

Fri, 15 Feb 2013 09:04:40 GMT

I can testify that, as recently as last year, the Arby's near NW Barry Road in Kansas City had a fixins bar. Pepperoncinis, pickle chips, sliced red onion, jalapenos, and banana peppers are what I remember, next to the sauce dispensers. I was surprised when I first saw it - it was more than I expected from Arby's. Good way to double or triple the thickness of a sandwich without making it too much worse for you health-wise (except for the salt of course).

Reading these descriptions of 1960's/1970's Arby's makes my mouth water. Real rounds of beef, roasting right in front of you, freshly sliced to order... that sounds amazing.

RE: Arby's question (PapaJoe8)

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:50:29 GMT

Nice info Michael! NEBA, I wish there was one near me! Oh, I wish there was one anywhere.

Oh, I got 5 of the Arby's BBQs for $5.95. With some Arbey's horsey sauce they wern't bad.
Joe

RE: Arby's question (angeltearsmc)

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 15:00:16 GMT

I haven't eaten at an Arby's since I got a nasty icky bug the same day I last ate there.

RE: Arby's question (wheregreggeats.com)

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 09:41:56 GMT

I've only eaten at Arby's once ... and if I recall, I didn't even finish whatever I had ... it goes back to my theory that you only get to eat any meal once -- don't waste the experience on bad food.

Other place I've only been to once: Taco Bell (1980-something!)

An aside: Once every 15 years or so, I say to myself "Maybe my memory is unfair. How can they screw up fried chicken that badly?" And I wind up with another half eaten meal at KFC.

RE: Arby's question (MiamiDon)

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 08:47:56 GMT

Some posters have expressed horror that Arby's now uses chopped and formed beef. I would guess that 90% of the ham, turkey breast and chicken breast cold cuts sold in supermarkets and delis and served in sub shops, etc., is chopped and formed. Take a look at the huge logs of uniform pink ham or white turkey. What part of an actual ham or turkey breast would that be cut from? (answer: none) What's the difference if it is beef? A slice of fine mortadella is chopped and formed. How about the best hot dog or sausage you ever had? Not to mention gyro meat.

I don't personally have any use for Arby's (there is one a mile from my house, and I have never been in it), and I like beef with more character, but I am not afraid of their food. I prefer a place with on-site owners, not run by children, and with more personality. But, if I went to a football-watching party, and there was a table full of the little Arby's sandwiches, I would pick up one to munch with my beer.

Your Milage May Vary.

RE: Arby's question (wheregreggeats.com)

Thu, 03 Jan 2008 07:00:00 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by Michael Hoffman

NEBA (Never Buy Arby's). Oh, wait, there was a roast beef chain by that name.

Anybody remember NEBA ???

RE: Arby's question (leethebard)

Wed, 02 Jan 2008 17:27:35 GMT

Oh come guys...there's no accounting for taste...or lack of it..over at our other thread...Arbies is frequently voted the WORST fast food...and that's being nice.....How can anybody...(I include my dog) eat at a place that considers itself a roast beef place when they can't get their signature item edible...I don't care what else they serve...they don't deserve my business then!!!!!You Arbies people probably loved mystery meat in you h.s cafeteria.
Lee

RE: Arby's question (porkbeaks)

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 21:20:25 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by thediningroom

I love ARBY's my favorite is the French Dip and Potato Cakes with a Mocha Shake. Can't beat that, allthough sometimes I will opt for the plain large roast beef smothered in Horsey sauce. The ARBY's in Michigan discontinued the "works" bars about 3 years ago! Today is Christmas now, I am bummed ARBY's is closed, I got a craving for ARBY's now.

I think the time has come to close this dining room. pb

RE: Arby's question (ann peeples)

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 19:39:17 GMT

No offense to you Arbys lovers, but my husband and I wont step foot in one-chopped and formed beef is not our favorite.My feeling is if you have to pile a bunch of sauce on something just to eat it, then the original product cant be good.

RE: Arby's question (thediningroom)

Tue, 25 Dec 2007 15:01:55 GMT

I love ARBY's my favorite is the French Dip and Potato Cakes with a Mocha Shake. Can't beat that, allthough sometimes I will opt for the plain large roast beef smothered in Horsey sauce. The ARBY's in Michigan discontinued the "works" bars about 3 years ago! Today is Christmas now, I am bummed ARBY's is closed, I got a craving for ARBY's now.

RE: Arby's question (MetroplexJim)

Tue, 18 Dec 2007 19:32:28 GMT

Circa 1964 my family used to drive 20 miles to eat at what (I think) was the first Arby's on Rt. 224 in the Youngstown suburb of Boardman, OH. All they served was a REAL roast beef sandwich and a"Jamocha" shake. It was 59 cents for the generous sandwich and 29 cents for the shake. No fries, no Coke, no cheesecake crumbles! At the time this was expensive fast food; McD's burger was 15 cents, fries 12 cents, and "shake" 19 cents. Hell, you could have a three piece fried chicken dinner with fries at Red Barn for 59 cents!

Arby's was a treat. They had a round of roast beef roasting before your eyes. From its immediate predecessor, they would thin slice your sandwich. The Jamocha milk shake was a true milk shake, not a McD "shake".

Sometime in the 1980's Arby's switched to the crap they sell today as "roast beef" (see the recipe above). By that time I had moved to Metro DC and was enjoying Roy Roger's "real roast beef" complete with the "fixin's bar" which the originator of this thread evidently remembers.

Arby's "transition" to what I call predigested beef was the occasion for one of the funniest radio ads I ever heard. Roy Rogers hired a George C. Scott sound-alike who gave a "Patton" speech lamenting "roast beef with binders". The punch line recalled the "You won't have to tell your grandson that you were shoveling sh*t in Lousiana" line with "You won't have to tell your grandson that you spent the great roast beef war picking BINDERS out of your teeth".

Well, you had to hear it!

RE: Arby's question (DavidEMartin)

Thu, 27 Sep 2007 16:03:38 GMT

Arby's is a tragic example of a chain that seriously lost its way.
The original style of Arby's shops was peerless. The beef roasts hanging in the glass cases, the wonderful mixture of smells (beef mixed with the cinnamon-cider), the simplicity of the menu. ROOT BEER SHAKES!!!!
The "retro-Arby's" is a damn good idea! I'd go there a couple times a week! (As opposed to going a couple times a year to the current Arby's)

RE: Arby's question (janifer)

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 23:45:00 GMT

For food - Roadfood or other - I can't imagine that I would ever choose value without taste. I wouldn't buy Arby's mystery meat sandwiches if they were 50 for $1.

RE: Arby's question (Svenskporr)

Tue, 25 Sep 2007 15:36:00 GMT

I only go to Arby's when they put out the big circulars of coupons and you can get like five roast beef and cheeses for $5. Otherwise, Arby's isn't good value to me.

RE: Arby's question (kland01s)

Mon, 24 Sep 2007 07:05:50 GMT

I remember Arby's from the old days too, when there was a slicer and your beef was sliced from a real roast. I still go, now and then. I like the Market Place Reubens and at Lent they have a really good fried fish, but I'm a real sucker for Potato cakes with a ton of horsey sauce. I don't get any of their beefs though.

RE: Arby's question (Michael Hoffman)

Sun, 23 Sep 2007 14:14:18 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by PapaJoe8

Marz, you just gave me an idea. Someone could open up a retro Arby's and do things like the old days, especilly the visable slicers. I bet folks would come.

But... what could you name it?
Joe

NEBA (Never Buy Arby's). Oh, wait, there was a roast beef chain by that name.

RE: Arby's question (PapaJoe8)

Sun, 23 Sep 2007 14:08:51 GMT

Marz, you just gave me an idea. Someone could open up a retro Arby's and do things like the old days, especilly the visable slicers. I bet folks would come.

But... what could you name it?
Joe

RE: Arby's question (marzsit)

Sun, 23 Sep 2007 12:14:54 GMT

arby's also has deep-fried fish and chicken sandwiches (at least in the seattle area) that are much better than the competition. the market fresh sandwiches are better than subway (imho..)

i'm old enough to remember the original burien, wa. arby's that looked like something from the jetson's.... both meat slicers were visible in the windows where real roast beef was sliced to order, but because the place was so busy they pretty much ran all of the time. not a single piece of lettuce in the building, it was pretty much sliced beef on buns with fries and soda.. simple usually works the best.

RE: Arby's question (PapaJoe8)

Sat, 22 Sep 2007 11:10:42 GMT

Thanks for the tips yall!

The Market Fresh sandwiches, stuffed jalapenos, corned beef reubin, tater cakes, spicy curley fries.... Is that the whole list of not so bad stuff at Arby's?

Hey, I like their horsy sauce. I use the leftover packs for other stuff. But... I was not the guy Greymo saw!
Joe

RE: Arby's question (David_NYC)

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 21:57:30 GMT

HAHAHA,

Hi db,

Pigiron already posted the answer to that question a bit further up on this thread:

ARBY'S ROAST BEEF INGREDIENTS: Trimmed Boneless Beef Chunks (Minimum 70%) Combined With Chopped Beef For a Maximum of 12% Fat. Contains up to 9.0% of a Self-Basting Solution of Water, Salt, Sodium Phosphate.

Maybe the Feds should formalize a new food definition such as: "Beef Product, up to 20% Liquid Solution Added". This gives the consumer a fighting chance. He now knows he is looking at swill.

RE: Arby's question (db1105)

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:40:11 GMT

I though the question would be what is arby's beef made of.

RE: Arby's question (Michael Hoffman)

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:36:52 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by janifer

MH, You are oh so right about the Arby pseudo meat. I remember back when the chain was first starting out in NE Ohio (Youngstown, if my memory stretches back correctly)

Your memory does, indeed stretch back correctly. Arby's began in Youngstown.

RE: Arby's question (ces1948)

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 20:24:13 GMT

Their "Market fresh" sandwiches aren't bad. I've always liked the potato cakes and get them no matter what else I may order.

RE: Arby's question (janifer)

Fri, 21 Sep 2007 19:56:29 GMT

MH, You are oh so right about the Arby pseudo meat. I remember back when the chain was first starting out in NE Ohio (Youngstown, if my memory stretches back correctly) and they would dangle the roasted piece of actual beef from a chain in an enclosed glass case on the counter, spinning as if on a vertical rotisserie. The places had hardly any seating area & the place would smell wonderful -- especially when you came in from the cold in the winter.

About 10 years after I moved to the FL panhandle they opened an Arby's. I was ecstatic! Couldn't wait to get an RB & potato cake!! Took my first bite and was aghast; absolutely could not finish the sandwich, but I did eat the potato cake. So sad that Julie thinks Arby's RB's are good; she was obviously born too late.

As a passenger on a trip last year to Western NC I found myself at Arby's. Since I'd skipped breakfast to get an early start ... I figured I'd make do with a Coke and whatever fried potato they offered but I was drawn in by the "Market Fresh" corned beef reuben placard in the window and it wasn't bad. Not the best I'd ever had but tolerable and certainly better than any burger McD has to offer.

RE: Arby's question (RibRater)

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 14:08:48 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by PapaJoe8

Has anyone tried any of the Arby's stuff that is not made w/ the roast beef? Like the BLT or....????.
Joe

i'm a blt'aholic and arby's, while not great, is a very good blt. a blt and the stuffed jalapeno's is usually what I order when i go(at the drive through of course ;-)

RE: Arby's question (Scorereader)

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:56:26 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by PapaJoe8

Has anyone tried any of the Arby's stuff that is not made w/ the roast beef? Like the BLT or....????.
Joe

Yeah. I've had their market fresh sandwich. For fast food, it's not bad. Certainly, much better in flavor than their roast beefs or a McD/BK/Wendy hamburger.

But, "Market Fresh" is just an ad campaighn, the sandwiches are high in calories and fat - making them not too much better healthwise than the roast beef sandwich. But, they don't taste like crap, so when Arby's is the only choice, I say go for the Market Fresh sandwiches.

RE: Arby's question (SurrealGourmet)

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 13:00:56 GMT

I just had lunch at Arby's yesterday. Our's has a self-serve sauce bar (arby sauce, horsey sauce 3 pepper sauce and ketchup)and a bar that has onions, pepperoncini's, onions, jalapenos and pickles.

RE: Arby's question (PapaJoe8)

Wed, 19 Sep 2007 11:56:16 GMT

Has anyone tried any of the Arby's stuff that is not made w/ the roast beef? Like the BLT or....????.
Joe

RE: Arby's question (kozel)

Tue, 18 Sep 2007 07:19:07 GMT

quote:
Originally posted by David_NYC

I'm surprised Roll and Roaster is not on the rosters of Roadfood places. One problem is that they are in a dead end - Sheephead Bay, Brooklyn. I used to go there when visiting a friend who used to live in the neighborhood. Also felt I got good value for money.

Actually they are on Emmons Ave; just a hop off and back onto the Belt Parkway. If roast beef isn't your desire, there's a ton of sea food places there.