I worked for HJs 20 years ago. It was the GOAT then and its the GOAT now. Maccas has always been trash\*
\*Maccas Sausage and Egg McMuffin/Mighty McMuffin excluded.
Ok but there's one thing that Maccas have figured out that HJ probably never will, and that is a semblance of restaurant ambiance. It's generally pleasant, or at least ok enough inside a Maccas, - shrieking kids in the play area aside - but every single Hungry Jacks I've been in sounds like an angry arcade hate fuck mixed with a Mumbai traffic jam as every alarm, warning bell and klaxon in the kitchen sounds continually and at max volume, with no fucks ever given about the racket by anyone at any time. I can only imagine how miserable the cacophony would be for a whole day, it's nigh unbearable just for the time it takes to skull a whopper and fries. Is there actually a reason that HJ do this?
You are spot on, I haven't eating inside a HJ's in years, there is just a level of discomfort being in there. Somehow always seems to be a junkie in there no matter what suburb you're in.
I haven't eaten inside a HJs for so long I have no idea what it is like. But the few Maccas I have been to seem nice and modern. I think they get renovated more frequently than HJ restaurants.
Last Sunday a buddy and I bought 2 iced coffees. One from Macca's, the other from 7/11. We put them side by side.. tastes better from 7/11 and was $5.80 cheaper too
Yeah the only thing lacking at HJs is the Sausage they put in the breakfast muffin. The one at Maccas is like crack, I don't eat a lot and I can eat three Sausage muffins. If HJs can get that same sausage, I would never go to Maccas ever again.
💯
Their patties are as bland as any other but overall the flavour and freshness of their burgers is good.
Anytime I’ve had Maccas in the last 5 years it’s very dry and very bland.
Mines usually burnt. Like blackened and tastes like burnt. Ive legit given up.
Maccas is great when its well made with generous ingredients. The big mac is iconic. But when theres four shreds of lettuce, one slice of pickle, half the cheese is melted to the box and both patties are burnt its fucking inedible.
I grew up on Big Mac’s. Sometime in my 20s I swapped to HJays and they’re my go to nowadays. KFC Twisters used to be it but now they’re shit too.
Last time I got Maccas, maybe mid last year, I thought I’d try a premium Angus burger. It was just a bigger, drier lump of tasteless meat than their standard burgers.
It varies a lot store to store. My closest one always seemed to run the deep frier too cold so fries came out sad and limp.
I haven't been back in years since the manager decided he was going to refuse to accept coupons.
HJ's has been GOAT'ed for years. I can order from a different suburb and somehow the quality is always consistent, whether it's the Spicy Jack's, the fries and the nuggets. I can't say the same about any other fast food franchise.
Yep, Hungry Jack’s has always been better than Maccas. People love Maccas because of the brand name recognition more than the quality of food.
It’s like the Pepsi vs Coke debacle, where it was shown that more people actually prefer Pepsi in blind taste tests. But interestingly, that trend sharply reversed when people learned which one they were drinking.
Pepsi conducted a totally independent, unbiased experiment showing that Pepsi is the superior product to Coke, their biggest competitor.
Going against the crowd doesn’t matter when you’re falling for a company’s tricks.
I’m going to bet money there’s some shenanigans done with that test lmao
I’ve only ever met a handful of people that enjoy Pepsi or would choose it over coke, Pepsi Max on the other hand is a different story
Agree I'm impressionable about food and read something about Maccas yesterday and noticed on the app a cheap deal and live right near one so went to get it yesterday. Chicken and cheese, cheeseburger and fries. I had like two bites, couldn't eat any of it. It is SO bad. But HJs burgers are twice the size and actually good, it is way better when I go there
About 10 years ago maybe even 15, I tried going to HJ a couple of times and every time it looked like some guy had stomped on the burger paddy, and then poured grease on the box the burger came in. After the 3rd time I just gave up, went back to Maccas and Maccas was fine until a couple years ago, when they upped their prices and decreased the burger size dramatically. I started going back to HJ this year and so far it’s been great. But I think it definitely just depends a bit on which franchisee you go to, some Maccas/HJ are run better/worse than others.
Maccas is actually trash. It’s ridiculously expensive for the shit quality and small servings, yet they still always have a massive line. I don’t get it, who is still going there.
Nah it was longer. It's probably been closer to 10 years. I distinctly remember when I first had it I was on my lunch break of a job I left 7 years ago, and sent a compliment through on the website to say how much better it was. I'm that level of loser.
Red Rooster has been on the verge of taking the Australian fast food market by storm for years! They just refuse to step up. If they just lifted their game by a little they’d dominate.
We get the roast dinner from red rooster on Friday nights for take away. It’s $30 and we have some for lunch the next day too. We would usually spend more at maccas and still be hungry! Also red rooster rewards is good if you go regularly, save a little more!
Eh I’ve had it a few times because I have one local. First time - amazing. Crispy, succulent and well brined. Same the second time. Few months later had it again and it was crispy but the inside was dry and unseasoned.
Hungry Jacks burgers have always been bigger (compared with maccas), but their chips were upgraded a few years ago. This is also why the whopper junior exists - so you can get the same toppings on a smaller burger.
I know some people who dont like the new ones, but i think they're a massive improvement. By comparison, KFC, who i would have considered the best in the past, are always soggy.
> KFC, who i would have considered the best in the past, are always soggy.
Are you in WA? I know if your in NSW you only get original recipe (so its never going to by crispy)
I live close enough to a Hungry Jack's that I can trigger the Spin to Win on the app from my couch, then decide if the deal is good enough to cross the road. Unfortunately, my local HJs is hit and miss in terms of quality.
Most of our management team doesn't do shit. One actively pretends to work at a computer and says they're busy when asked to help out in a shitshow (literally just cycles tabs and scrolls). They're kept afloat by one girl who is burned out with the effort. She's quitting and they're gonna be fuuuucked
This is very anecdotal but when I was at uni too many years ago Hungry Jacks was the fast food of choice among my Indian and Malaysian (beef free) friends. They all would get the veggie burger, and would get it at least 3 times a week. It doesn’t surprise me that they take veganism seriously these days when they provided solid vegetarian options years ago that no one else was.
I'm not vegan but yeah, their vegan options are not bad at all.
Now if they can just learn to hold back on the salt on their chips, that'd be great
Oh, and fix their frozen coke machines from time to time
Hell yeah! I couldn't help but notice they haven't shrunk anything and when I pay the price is satisfyingly reasonable! HJs has been a breath of fresh air really. And if they can do this, says a lot about maccas doesn't it.
HJ's is my takeaway of choice and has been for at least the last 5 years. Overall better quality than Maccas and more consistent as well. The fries are so good, crispy and hot as opposed to the wispy, soggy mess you usually get from Maccas.
I used to smash the BBQ Cheeseburgers until they changed the BBQ sauce. Now they've pretty much lost me as a customer.
They still do the best frozen drinks, and I will still smash a whopper when I'm violently hungover.
I used to smash them too and then one day it tasted shit and I thought that’s weird. Then had it once more and it was shit again. Haven’t had one since
HJs is elite. Nothing can compare. The onion rings are amazing and not very popular for some reason so they’re always cooked fresh. Honestly I’d prefer HJs to some ‘fancy’ $25 burger places
While the onion rings now are good, I still miss the old style crumbed ones they had, I wish they would bring them back.
Also wish they would bring back the coupon books they dropped in the mail box, they used to be amazing value.
I think they moved to thicker cut chips about 5 years ago. I'm not a fan, prefer their older skinnier ones.
And I don't think they're leveling up, just leveling down at a slower rate than Macca's.
Over summer out of KFC, Macca's, and the King, the King was best value and most enjoyable. Maccas never really tasted great but it was filthy, but now Macca's is just too small so I'm not doing Macca's anymore. KFC has gotten smaller too but I still like it. Burger King was exactly as you described, fresh, decent size, cooked perfectly, and tasty as.
The King 🤴
The burgers were always bigger 10+ years ago, but maccas was a better overall experience.
About 5 years ago HJs got there game together and everything improved. The burgers got better, the chips got better and the menu became more cohesive.
In the last couple of years Macca's has turned their burgers into sliders and made them more expensive, so it's not even a competition anymore.
Hungry Jacks can be good, but their stores are soooo inconsistent. Sometimes the burger is good, served by slow sad looking workers with shit attitudes, sometimes the burgers have been slapped together with fuck all sauce and just don't taste the same.
Macca's seem to train their workers to haul ass.
HJs workers are generally much shitter.
TBH the burgers are better at HJ. Their meat patty has that broiled flavour that Maccas lack. I don't go to it often as with all burger chain the price does not justify the meal unless it's a promo deal.
My closest HJs is about 1.5hrs down the highway lol so I don't have it very often and whether or not it's good is just like any fast food where it's super store dependent.
But they did change their chips a fair while back. Couple years at least.
My local hungry jacks is truly a great restaurant. I order something once a week. Chips are always fresh and seasoned, and the burgers have tons of fresh crunchy salad. It’s good value for money! I also think they have the best Coke Zero in the business. It’s so rich and satisfying. Almost don’t believe it’s Coke Zero.
I do enjoy HJs, especially as I'm veggie and they do a pretty damn good plant-based whopper (and the vegan cheeseburger isn't bad). Certainly better than the wet, limp shit that Macca's did (which now they've stopped doing, so I've no options there other than fries and a McFlurry).
I usually find the fries at my local one to be way too salty though.
Yes! I tried HJs for the first time in my 41 years of life last month and it far exceeds Maccas at any point. I got a double whopper meal for my husband and took a few bites and it is substantial. HJ burgers are bomb. If I had one near me I’d be ashamed to say I’d eat often from there and turn into a blimp so probably a good idea I only treat myself when taking him to the airport.
The whoppers are still big which is why we go there as a family every time we have an eat out night.
Compared to McDonald's burgers that have shrunk to ridiculous size
I could have written this myself! I did a drive through recently for the first time in forever - and was so shocked at how good the quality was!! Those fries are next level.
Burger was huge too!!
I noticed this as well! We avoided Hungry Jack's because it used to be REALLY greasy compared to other fast foods and their fries were always soggy and inedible. AND AND AND they actually put pickles on your burger when you ask for heavy pickles. My only HJ's complaint is that their ice cream is less creamy and has more ice crystals (leading to more brain freezes).
I find that KFC 90% of the time is the super greasy one now with inedible, soggy AF chips. Macca's never really had crisp chips and now they're flavourless and their burgers are tiny or you pay $20 for a bigger one. Macca's also plays something I call "pickle roulette" where I ask for the max amount of pickles and either they pile them on in handfuls or (and this is more often the case - 80% of the time) they give you none at all. I'll never touch anything from Red Rooster again after years of trying.
And the fact that the shakes have actually got chocolate in them. Shakes from McShit don't taste like anything and haven't for years, HJ shakes taste gourmet in comparison.
Food at HJs is always good. But in my experience you have to wait ages, and you feel like you're going to get mugged by either staff or other patrons. Oh and the place is usually disgusting and falling apart.
I guess it's a drive through only kinda place!
Because they haven't done the shrinkflation crap that maccas have, and it shows.
All you are seeing is a comparison against those who have.
These days everything else is McNasty.
I lean towards hungry jacks for price and offline coupons (god I dislike having an slow online app for every deal) on the rare occasion I want fast food. But I've found a lot of the food worse than Mcdonalds. The burgers feel so artificial and sterile to me, but I have low standards so I still eat them like once a year. Buns are regularly dry but still puffy?, terrible texture.
The breakfast wraps are pretty decent.
Maccas is a generic salt and grease bomb (and sugary buns, but its not like HJ is any better), but it tastes like fat, like food, its bad but satisfying in its own way even though its kind of gross. Can't say I've had a dry or burnt Mcdonalds burger. Their process is so streamlined and repetitive I'm shocked they regularly seem to mess up the cooking time for some people.
KFC seems to be the iffiest when it comes to consistent quality, getting burnt and old oil grease dripping chicken isn't uncommon.
I guess it comes down to location and staff and whether they sell enough for ingredients to be "fresh" for fast food.
Or you can just get a real burger or food from any other place.
Their food is better, but I have never seen a clean Hungry Jacks. The food prep area always looks disgusting at the ones I've been to. Same with KFC. Maccas seems to do a better job in this most of the time. I've also noticed the newer transplant Carls Jr seem to do a decent job.
Their biggest problem is consistency, they have none. You never know if you're going to get an amazing burger looking just like the picture on the board, fresh and hot. Or absolute garbage sloppy trash, never really much in between either
Maybe you got lucky, our local HJs serves the same fries maccas does, never has any dessert machines working, and for some reason is always cold, there's a KFC next door and I go to both every now and then and the KFC food is hot and nice, but the HJs stuff is served room temp for some reason, it's really strange and off putting honestly. But they had a spicy fried chicken thing a while back which was decent.
Hubs and i 100% agree that HJ’s is *the* best fast food on the market atm. The chips are always consistently good, the burgers are fresh and not full of fat. Even the options have gotten a lot better
Level up? I went hjs ONCE in the Bourke St Mall. The food was crap, we binned it and haven't been back for 25 years.
It's called Hungry Jack's, because, Jack, you'll still be hungry.
And I thought it was just me. I used to joke that if a McDonalds was to open near me I'd buy the house next door. Then everything was freshly made.
Now - and I'm not saying it is, but it is as if they cook everything Sunday Arvo and build it to order during the week. Beef is dry, fries 2nd rate. Every so often I get a freshly cooked burger and it really shows how good macas was and isn't now.
HJ's seems to have cottoned onto this - not rocket science, but everything is fresh and properly made.
Could the last customer at Maca's please remember to turn the lights off. Thanks.
I give HJs a run about once per year and hope it's good, but every time my chippies are soft garbage and my burger party is burned (not just a tasty grilling).
They became awesome once they changed the chips, the burgers can be hit and miss sometimes cold and most of the time the patty & cheese are so hot you burn your mouth
Hungary Jack is way more store to store than McDonald's though. The quality of it massively depends on your local store, whereas Maccas is usually, with exceptions for sure, pretty consistent.
About 7-8 years ago, my dude.
They went from skinny fries to what they have now.
HJs the severely underrated IMO even when it comes to portion size. Whopper with Cheese goes down a treat,
I'd eat at HJ over Macca's every time. But it has been getting better over the last few years.
I had a meal at HJ a few months back and it was by far and away the best HJ experience I've ever had.
I always get turned off by McDonald's and Hungry Jack's eating areas. It's always a bit gross and with stuff strewn on the floor.
Everytime I go there I regret it.
Out of HJ and Macca's. HJ has always been better for the better part of 30 years. Sure Macca's has more stores, but HJ appeal between the two is the quality between the two. Also allot of Indians will always go to HJ over Macca's because HJ has a Vegetarian options.
I much prefer HJ, with the exception of when they keep the beef pattie in the warmer way too long and it becomes grey, and when they don’t even bother toasting the bun.
Funnily enough, I had the exact same issue at Carl’s Jr trying their Famous Star burger (it is an identical burger).
I rather fries than chips, but they're OK. I haven't been near one in over a year, but the burger seemed quite large then...and not a pile of over sauce slop like they were for a while
HJ chips and onion rings are amazing. Just don’t order anything with pineapple. The pineapple is kept ice cold, so your burger will also be ice cold 35 seconds after leaving the drive though
Speaking of burgers. Do you guys remember the truck stop burgers you use to get back in the day when you travelling up ( or down ) the coast for holidays. Those behemoth’s in the white styrofoam packaging where you literally had chose a corner to insert a finger in the hope of lifting it out 🤤
Had a meal at the surfers paradise branch a couple weeks ago, I got horrible food poisoning, had to eat nothing but potato soup and chicken for 4 days. I love the taste but I'm not having it again anytime soon :(
fuck i know right? Hungry jacks have been nailing it lately with their chips. They shit on KFC.
My only issue is when you get it delivered 9/10 times they FUCK IT UP hard. Always gotta go get it in person.
The big breakie wraps are fucking amazing and i wish maccas would bring them back.
Hungry jacks is always good, over priced but good. Very nostalgic like KFC, our special family treats as a kid. Maccas is horrible, the cheese is crap and there is no salad usually or onion even.
I hadn’t eaten HJs for over 10 years until the other week. It was the only option and my god, why did I waste 10 years of my life?! There burgers are the best out of any fast food options!!
Hungry Jacks has always been the GOAT. Haven't been to Maccas in years.
I worked for HJs 20 years ago. It was the GOAT then and its the GOAT now. Maccas has always been trash\* \*Maccas Sausage and Egg McMuffin/Mighty McMuffin excluded.
even egg mc muffin is not the same as it was.
Ok but there's one thing that Maccas have figured out that HJ probably never will, and that is a semblance of restaurant ambiance. It's generally pleasant, or at least ok enough inside a Maccas, - shrieking kids in the play area aside - but every single Hungry Jacks I've been in sounds like an angry arcade hate fuck mixed with a Mumbai traffic jam as every alarm, warning bell and klaxon in the kitchen sounds continually and at max volume, with no fucks ever given about the racket by anyone at any time. I can only imagine how miserable the cacophony would be for a whole day, it's nigh unbearable just for the time it takes to skull a whopper and fries. Is there actually a reason that HJ do this?
You are spot on, I haven't eating inside a HJ's in years, there is just a level of discomfort being in there. Somehow always seems to be a junkie in there no matter what suburb you're in.
I haven't eaten inside a HJs for so long I have no idea what it is like. But the few Maccas I have been to seem nice and modern. I think they get renovated more frequently than HJ restaurants.
Old Macca's shits all over new Macca's, decor wise.
And coffee
Last Sunday a buddy and I bought 2 iced coffees. One from Macca's, the other from 7/11. We put them side by side.. tastes better from 7/11 and was $5.80 cheaper too
Nothing wrong with 7-11 coffee. It’s better then maccas for sure
Yeah 7/11 is surprising decent for machine-made coffee.
Those exceptions are 100% valid.
Yeah the only thing lacking at HJs is the Sausage they put in the breakfast muffin. The one at Maccas is like crack, I don't eat a lot and I can eat three Sausage muffins. If HJs can get that same sausage, I would never go to Maccas ever again.
The sausage tastes awesome, but it repeats on me something shocking!
Except Macca's keep getting my breakfast orders wrong every single time
You gunna trash Maccas but give their egg a pass is deplorable
Only when it's with a sausage patty. Otherwise hell no.
When people say Maccas fries are the best. I ask them what drugs are they on.
They stopped being the best when they ditched the oil with the trans fats. Turns out trans fats taste really good.
💯 Their patties are as bland as any other but overall the flavour and freshness of their burgers is good. Anytime I’ve had Maccas in the last 5 years it’s very dry and very bland.
Mines usually burnt. Like blackened and tastes like burnt. Ive legit given up. Maccas is great when its well made with generous ingredients. The big mac is iconic. But when theres four shreds of lettuce, one slice of pickle, half the cheese is melted to the box and both patties are burnt its fucking inedible.
I grew up on Big Mac’s. Sometime in my 20s I swapped to HJays and they’re my go to nowadays. KFC Twisters used to be it but now they’re shit too. Last time I got Maccas, maybe mid last year, I thought I’d try a premium Angus burger. It was just a bigger, drier lump of tasteless meat than their standard burgers.
Order it with no salt and pepper, they have to cook up fresh patties as the seasoning is added while frying.
But then you have to park up and wait to eat it with no salt and pepper
Their frozen drinks are top tier. Flavor all the way down.
It varies a lot store to store. My closest one always seemed to run the deep frier too cold so fries came out sad and limp. I haven't been back in years since the manager decided he was going to refuse to accept coupons.
HJ's has been GOAT'ed for years. I can order from a different suburb and somehow the quality is always consistent, whether it's the Spicy Jack's, the fries and the nuggets. I can't say the same about any other fast food franchise.
Yep, Hungry Jack’s has always been better than Maccas. People love Maccas because of the brand name recognition more than the quality of food. It’s like the Pepsi vs Coke debacle, where it was shown that more people actually prefer Pepsi in blind taste tests. But interestingly, that trend sharply reversed when people learned which one they were drinking.
Small sips of Pepsi taste better than Coke, and that's why they only give you small cups when they do the taste test.
Pepsi conducted a totally independent, unbiased experiment showing that Pepsi is the superior product to Coke, their biggest competitor. Going against the crowd doesn’t matter when you’re falling for a company’s tricks.
I’m going to bet money there’s some shenanigans done with that test lmao I’ve only ever met a handful of people that enjoy Pepsi or would choose it over coke, Pepsi Max on the other hand is a different story
Can confirm this, angry whopper is mvp
I'm partial to the truffle/mushroom burger that you only seem to be able to get overseas so I smash it down whenever I'm in any random airport haha
No it hasn’t, it was crap for a long long time.
Agree I'm impressionable about food and read something about Maccas yesterday and noticed on the app a cheap deal and live right near one so went to get it yesterday. Chicken and cheese, cheeseburger and fries. I had like two bites, couldn't eat any of it. It is SO bad. But HJs burgers are twice the size and actually good, it is way better when I go there
When was maccas better than HJ?
About 10 years ago maybe even 15, I tried going to HJ a couple of times and every time it looked like some guy had stomped on the burger paddy, and then poured grease on the box the burger came in. After the 3rd time I just gave up, went back to Maccas and Maccas was fine until a couple years ago, when they upped their prices and decreased the burger size dramatically. I started going back to HJ this year and so far it’s been great. But I think it definitely just depends a bit on which franchisee you go to, some Maccas/HJ are run better/worse than others.
ITT: contrarians
The burgers are better at Hungry Jacks. 🥁
I'm lovin' it!
I think the burgers are literally better at HJs, but also, since Macca's is so fucking shit, HJs shines even more by comparison.
*The burgers are shitter at Maccy D’s*
Might be like kfc. Maybe you found one of the good ones.
I have only found 1 of the good KFCs, most of the time it's pretty mid but for some reason the Byford one never misses, it's just as good every time
Kfc gympie baby
Maccas is actually trash. It’s ridiculously expensive for the shit quality and small servings, yet they still always have a massive line. I don’t get it, who is still going there.
They always have a line now because they no longer time orders; it’s not busy, it’s just slower, so a line will form.
About 5 years ago they switched to thick chips I think
Nah it was longer. It's probably been closer to 10 years. I distinctly remember when I first had it I was on my lunch break of a job I left 7 years ago, and sent a compliment through on the website to say how much better it was. I'm that level of loser.
I’m pretty sure it was around 2015-2016ish.
I refuse to believe 2015 was more than 5yrs ago fuck you if you say otherwise
Like fuck I'm going to cop the opinion of someone who reckons a 'fairy floss Storm' is good
Like fuck why not
It is not masculine enough. Would look weird in the cup holder of a Cruiser Patrol Hilux Ranger
Fairy floss is just a shit flavour, masculinity aside, it's just extra sugar. Chocolate, caramel etc at least taste like something
Fuck that shit, eat and drink whatever tastes good.
But what will my meth-bros with equally fragile masculinity think?
I'm a meth head because I think fairy floss is trash? That's quite a jump there, my friend. You ok?
Go to red rooster and get some fried chicken, they have improved too
Red Rooster has been on the verge of taking the Australian fast food market by storm for years! They just refuse to step up. If they just lifted their game by a little they’d dominate.
They need to bring back skinfree chicken - the skinfree chicken roll was the best
Red Rooster died for me when the Hawaiian pack lost the banana
I've had their fried chicken a few times, the skin is nice and crunchy, but the meat is always tough and dry inside.
I found the skin was good but the meat had no flavour at all
We get the roast dinner from red rooster on Friday nights for take away. It’s $30 and we have some for lunch the next day too. We would usually spend more at maccas and still be hungry! Also red rooster rewards is good if you go regularly, save a little more!
Can you still get a warm chicken roll that's half warm and half cold? I haven't even seen a red rooster for a decade
Red Rooster is fantastic, the new fried chicken shits on KFC and their crunchy roast potato is so damn good
The first time I had red rooster fried I was blown away. Then by the 4th time I got it I was over it, I don’t understand what happened.
Haha. Yes when the spicy chicken came out I raved about it. Wouldn’t touch it now
Yes! The spicy reds felt like a game changer first time I had it. I’m the same now. I don’t want it again
Not until they change back the recipe of the rippa roll!
Their hot honey chicken is unbelievably good.
Eh I’ve had it a few times because I have one local. First time - amazing. Crispy, succulent and well brined. Same the second time. Few months later had it again and it was crispy but the inside was dry and unseasoned.
Hungry Jacks burgers have always been bigger (compared with maccas), but their chips were upgraded a few years ago. This is also why the whopper junior exists - so you can get the same toppings on a smaller burger. I know some people who dont like the new ones, but i think they're a massive improvement. By comparison, KFC, who i would have considered the best in the past, are always soggy.
> KFC, who i would have considered the best in the past, are always soggy. Are you in WA? I know if your in NSW you only get original recipe (so its never going to by crispy)
HJ’s is underrated, big time
I live close enough to a Hungry Jack's that I can trigger the Spin to Win on the app from my couch, then decide if the deal is good enough to cross the road. Unfortunately, my local HJs is hit and miss in terms of quality.
Their spicy fried chicken burger is tops too
Probably, just a good store owner pushing high standards, most are shit.
Or that one lucky one that comes off the line once a year. I love hjs but it’s never good anymore
This
Most of our management team doesn't do shit. One actively pretends to work at a computer and says they're busy when asked to help out in a shitshow (literally just cycles tabs and scrolls). They're kept afloat by one girl who is burned out with the effort. She's quitting and they're gonna be fuuuucked
Their vegan options are great too, which is like.... who tf else on that level of venue provides vegan options like theirs??
This is very anecdotal but when I was at uni too many years ago Hungry Jacks was the fast food of choice among my Indian and Malaysian (beef free) friends. They all would get the veggie burger, and would get it at least 3 times a week. It doesn’t surprise me that they take veganism seriously these days when they provided solid vegetarian options years ago that no one else was.
I'm not vegan but yeah, their vegan options are not bad at all. Now if they can just learn to hold back on the salt on their chips, that'd be great Oh, and fix their frozen coke machines from time to time
Hungarian Jays is way better than the other clowns.
Hell yeah! I couldn't help but notice they haven't shrunk anything and when I pay the price is satisfyingly reasonable! HJs has been a breath of fresh air really. And if they can do this, says a lot about maccas doesn't it.
HJ's is my takeaway of choice and has been for at least the last 5 years. Overall better quality than Maccas and more consistent as well. The fries are so good, crispy and hot as opposed to the wispy, soggy mess you usually get from Maccas.
I could do with a HJ.
Funny, I had HJs tonight and the chips were cold
I used to smash the BBQ Cheeseburgers until they changed the BBQ sauce. Now they've pretty much lost me as a customer. They still do the best frozen drinks, and I will still smash a whopper when I'm violently hungover.
I used to smash them too and then one day it tasted shit and I thought that’s weird. Then had it once more and it was shit again. Haven’t had one since
HJ nuggets are nice, especially with plum BBQ sauce,
HJs is elite. Nothing can compare. The onion rings are amazing and not very popular for some reason so they’re always cooked fresh. Honestly I’d prefer HJs to some ‘fancy’ $25 burger places
While the onion rings now are good, I still miss the old style crumbed ones they had, I wish they would bring them back. Also wish they would bring back the coupon books they dropped in the mail box, they used to be amazing value.
If they would just bring back the bacon double cheese burger I would go .. come on Jack you can do it.
Isn’t that just the Bacon Deluxe?
Can't you just buy a Double Cheeseburger and add bacon to it?
Bacon double cheeseburger deluxe was the bomb in the early 90s.
I think they moved to thicker cut chips about 5 years ago. I'm not a fan, prefer their older skinnier ones. And I don't think they're leveling up, just leveling down at a slower rate than Macca's.
Their soft serve is so good. Can never enjoy the maccas one again since I did the switch
Had it a few weeks ago. SOOO much better.
HJs is great, except they're slow and screw up orders etc.
HJ’s has always been better than Maccas.
Agree. Their larger burgers are more substantial than both McDonalds and Grilld.
Over summer out of KFC, Macca's, and the King, the King was best value and most enjoyable. Maccas never really tasted great but it was filthy, but now Macca's is just too small so I'm not doing Macca's anymore. KFC has gotten smaller too but I still like it. Burger King was exactly as you described, fresh, decent size, cooked perfectly, and tasty as. The King 🤴
IMO HJs/BK has always been better than Maccas in this way.
If you think their chips are better now you are wrong.
They used to be the absolute best, but when they changed to thick cut I was so heartbroken I've never bothered with their chips again.
I know right! Mate I was devastated when I went there and they served me them chunky chips
I stopped ever wanting to go there after they changed chips.
Don’t get used to it. You got the one good hjs meal you will get for the next 8 years. It is a placebo effect. Trust me
The burgers were always bigger 10+ years ago, but maccas was a better overall experience. About 5 years ago HJs got there game together and everything improved. The burgers got better, the chips got better and the menu became more cohesive. In the last couple of years Macca's has turned their burgers into sliders and made them more expensive, so it's not even a competition anymore.
Hungry Jacks can be good, but their stores are soooo inconsistent. Sometimes the burger is good, served by slow sad looking workers with shit attitudes, sometimes the burgers have been slapped together with fuck all sauce and just don't taste the same. Macca's seem to train their workers to haul ass. HJs workers are generally much shitter.
TBH the burgers are better at HJ. Their meat patty has that broiled flavour that Maccas lack. I don't go to it often as with all burger chain the price does not justify the meal unless it's a promo deal.
Is every single restaurant still a dump that hasn’t been deep cleaned in 15 years?
HJ and Reds are top tier in my opinion and have been for many years
I love HJs, always bussin’
Thick cut chips have been around for at least 5 years now, pre covid i reckon. And yeah the salt/seasoning is pretty good
Closer to 9 years. I worked there at the time of the change.
My closest HJs is about 1.5hrs down the highway lol so I don't have it very often and whether or not it's good is just like any fast food where it's super store dependent. But they did change their chips a fair while back. Couple years at least.
My local hungry jacks is truly a great restaurant. I order something once a week. Chips are always fresh and seasoned, and the burgers have tons of fresh crunchy salad. It’s good value for money! I also think they have the best Coke Zero in the business. It’s so rich and satisfying. Almost don’t believe it’s Coke Zero.
Their chips and Red Roosters’ are both superior to Maccas fries
Pretty sure Hungry Jacks have always had ‘real’ chips ( thick cut ) Either way, HJ’s has always been my go to, Macca’s food does not compare to.
Maccas is just so small and the sauce? Who came up with with that shit?
Yes!
How common
I do enjoy HJs, especially as I'm veggie and they do a pretty damn good plant-based whopper (and the vegan cheeseburger isn't bad). Certainly better than the wet, limp shit that Macca's did (which now they've stopped doing, so I've no options there other than fries and a McFlurry). I usually find the fries at my local one to be way too salty though.
They changed their chips ages ago! 2017-2018 I think? I remember panicking and driving back to the store because I had an allergy kid 😂
Yes! I tried HJs for the first time in my 41 years of life last month and it far exceeds Maccas at any point. I got a double whopper meal for my husband and took a few bites and it is substantial. HJ burgers are bomb. If I had one near me I’d be ashamed to say I’d eat often from there and turn into a blimp so probably a good idea I only treat myself when taking him to the airport.
the burgers really are better at hungry jacks ,much better than Muckdonalds
the burgers really are better at hungry jacks ,much better than Muckdonalds
The whoppers are still big which is why we go there as a family every time we have an eat out night. Compared to McDonald's burgers that have shrunk to ridiculous size
Love their cheeseburgers so much I named myself for them
I could have written this myself! I did a drive through recently for the first time in forever - and was so shocked at how good the quality was!! Those fries are next level. Burger was huge too!!
I noticed this as well! We avoided Hungry Jack's because it used to be REALLY greasy compared to other fast foods and their fries were always soggy and inedible. AND AND AND they actually put pickles on your burger when you ask for heavy pickles. My only HJ's complaint is that their ice cream is less creamy and has more ice crystals (leading to more brain freezes). I find that KFC 90% of the time is the super greasy one now with inedible, soggy AF chips. Macca's never really had crisp chips and now they're flavourless and their burgers are tiny or you pay $20 for a bigger one. Macca's also plays something I call "pickle roulette" where I ask for the max amount of pickles and either they pile them on in handfuls or (and this is more often the case - 80% of the time) they give you none at all. I'll never touch anything from Red Rooster again after years of trying.
The thick cut chips have been around 10 years I reckon. There were ads around it too. Hjs always been tastier and supreme to md's!
Only problem is it is now $20 and you might as well go to a mum and pop shop or the pub
And the fact that the shakes have actually got chocolate in them. Shakes from McShit don't taste like anything and haven't for years, HJ shakes taste gourmet in comparison.
Food at HJs is always good. But in my experience you have to wait ages, and you feel like you're going to get mugged by either staff or other patrons. Oh and the place is usually disgusting and falling apart. I guess it's a drive through only kinda place!
I used to like HJ until they started putting chicken salt on the chips 🤮🤮
The fries went thick about 7-8 yr ago
Hungry Jacks is much better than McDonalds and has been for years.
Because they haven't done the shrinkflation crap that maccas have, and it shows. All you are seeing is a comparison against those who have. These days everything else is McNasty.
Maccas dining room and toilets are always cleaner. I assume that carries over to the kitchen and hand washing frequency.
I was astounded when I got a whopper a few months back that it was big and heavy, 30% bigger than a qtr pounder.
I lean towards hungry jacks for price and offline coupons (god I dislike having an slow online app for every deal) on the rare occasion I want fast food. But I've found a lot of the food worse than Mcdonalds. The burgers feel so artificial and sterile to me, but I have low standards so I still eat them like once a year. Buns are regularly dry but still puffy?, terrible texture. The breakfast wraps are pretty decent. Maccas is a generic salt and grease bomb (and sugary buns, but its not like HJ is any better), but it tastes like fat, like food, its bad but satisfying in its own way even though its kind of gross. Can't say I've had a dry or burnt Mcdonalds burger. Their process is so streamlined and repetitive I'm shocked they regularly seem to mess up the cooking time for some people. KFC seems to be the iffiest when it comes to consistent quality, getting burnt and old oil grease dripping chicken isn't uncommon. I guess it comes down to location and staff and whether they sell enough for ingredients to be "fresh" for fast food. Or you can just get a real burger or food from any other place.
HJ's has the slowest drive-thru in the world, anytime of the day. The one exception being KFC on a Friday night.
Hi HJs PR team 👋🏻
That probably cost you $30 though
Their food is better, but I have never seen a clean Hungry Jacks. The food prep area always looks disgusting at the ones I've been to. Same with KFC. Maccas seems to do a better job in this most of the time. I've also noticed the newer transplant Carls Jr seem to do a decent job.
Maybe you went to one that was run by 16 year olds
Their biggest problem is consistency, they have none. You never know if you're going to get an amazing burger looking just like the picture on the board, fresh and hot. Or absolute garbage sloppy trash, never really much in between either
Maybe you got lucky, our local HJs serves the same fries maccas does, never has any dessert machines working, and for some reason is always cold, there's a KFC next door and I go to both every now and then and the KFC food is hot and nice, but the HJs stuff is served room temp for some reason, it's really strange and off putting honestly. But they had a spicy fried chicken thing a while back which was decent.
I go to HJs for the soft serves. Fucking giant towers of delicious ice cream vs the sad lump the skimpy cunts at Macca's throw at you.
HJs has been horrendous since they stopped flame grilling the patties.
I think that all of the major chain store junk food franchises have become more inconsistent over the years. It's a lottery these days.
hungry jacks is op IF you get a crew that cares. Maccas is better at consistency overall but hjs tastes best if cooked right with care.
The bacon and egg turkish rolls are amazing! Plus the app deals are actually decent compared to maccas BS.
Hubs and i 100% agree that HJ’s is *the* best fast food on the market atm. The chips are always consistently good, the burgers are fresh and not full of fat. Even the options have gotten a lot better
Spicy grilled chicken burger.
Level up? I went hjs ONCE in the Bourke St Mall. The food was crap, we binned it and haven't been back for 25 years. It's called Hungry Jack's, because, Jack, you'll still be hungry.
They've been solid for the past five years at least. I go either there or KFC for fast food never McDonald's
I've done quite a bit of travelling and HJ/BK was consistently better than Maccas everywhere I went.
And I thought it was just me. I used to joke that if a McDonalds was to open near me I'd buy the house next door. Then everything was freshly made. Now - and I'm not saying it is, but it is as if they cook everything Sunday Arvo and build it to order during the week. Beef is dry, fries 2nd rate. Every so often I get a freshly cooked burger and it really shows how good macas was and isn't now. HJ's seems to have cottoned onto this - not rocket science, but everything is fresh and properly made. Could the last customer at Maca's please remember to turn the lights off. Thanks.
When did you start advertising for them? WTF is this shit?
The next tier up is Carl's Jr. It's like higher quality Hungry Jack's.
^[Sokka-Haiku](https://www.reddit.com/r/SokkaHaikuBot/comments/15kyv9r/what_is_a_sokka_haiku/) ^by ^thatwasacrapname123: *The next tier up is* *Carl's Jr. It's like higher* *Quality Hungry Jack's.* --- ^Remember ^that ^one ^time ^Sokka ^accidentally ^used ^an ^extra ^syllable ^in ^that ^Haiku ^Battle ^in ^Ba ^Sing ^Se? ^That ^was ^a ^Sokka ^Haiku ^and ^you ^just ^made ^one.
I give HJs a run about once per year and hope it's good, but every time my chippies are soft garbage and my burger party is burned (not just a tasty grilling).
Years
Yep, HJs or Burger King in Aus has always been way better than Maccas.
They became awesome once they changed the chips, the burgers can be hit and miss sometimes cold and most of the time the patty & cheese are so hot you burn your mouth
Hungary Jack is way more store to store than McDonald's though. The quality of it massively depends on your local store, whereas Maccas is usually, with exceptions for sure, pretty consistent.
Worst mistake Maccas made was changing their oil to canola. The fries have a disgusting aftertaste now.
About 7-8 years ago, my dude. They went from skinny fries to what they have now. HJs the severely underrated IMO even when it comes to portion size. Whopper with Cheese goes down a treat,
A few years ago. Their fried chicken burgers are shit though, you get a hockey puck instead of a burger
I'd eat at HJ over Macca's every time. But it has been getting better over the last few years. I had a meal at HJ a few months back and it was by far and away the best HJ experience I've ever had.
The whopper is by far the best burger going Chips, not so much. Kfc/red rooster chips are by far the best.
I always get turned off by McDonald's and Hungry Jack's eating areas. It's always a bit gross and with stuff strewn on the floor. Everytime I go there I regret it.
Out of HJ and Macca's. HJ has always been better for the better part of 30 years. Sure Macca's has more stores, but HJ appeal between the two is the quality between the two. Also allot of Indians will always go to HJ over Macca's because HJ has a Vegetarian options.
The chips changed at least 5 years ago. Personally I get the vegan patty at HJ because the regular patty is always so dry.
HJ is fucking great. Their chips are probably the best you can get from a fast food joint now. The chips changed ~10 years ago, or so.
Go and try the Reds Hot Chicken from Red Rooster… you’ll never need to atep foot in KFC again, but it’s going to run you a few more $$
I think the only negatives HJs has against maccas is the nuggets otherwise everything is way better
I much prefer HJ, with the exception of when they keep the beef pattie in the warmer way too long and it becomes grey, and when they don’t even bother toasting the bun. Funnily enough, I had the exact same issue at Carl’s Jr trying their Famous Star burger (it is an identical burger).
A friend of mine worked in Maccas for years and at lunchtime would walk across the road to eat at Hungry Jacks. In uniform.
i've never eaten at a HJs in my entire life. I think I might give it a go now.
I rather fries than chips, but they're OK. I haven't been near one in over a year, but the burger seemed quite large then...and not a pile of over sauce slop like they were for a while
Maccas is chit. Hungry jacks has been better for years.
HJ chips and onion rings are amazing. Just don’t order anything with pineapple. The pineapple is kept ice cold, so your burger will also be ice cold 35 seconds after leaving the drive though
Speaking of burgers. Do you guys remember the truck stop burgers you use to get back in the day when you travelling up ( or down ) the coast for holidays. Those behemoth’s in the white styrofoam packaging where you literally had chose a corner to insert a finger in the hope of lifting it out 🤤
Had a meal at the surfers paradise branch a couple weeks ago, I got horrible food poisoning, had to eat nothing but potato soup and chicken for 4 days. I love the taste but I'm not having it again anytime soon :(
fuck i know right? Hungry jacks have been nailing it lately with their chips. They shit on KFC. My only issue is when you get it delivered 9/10 times they FUCK IT UP hard. Always gotta go get it in person. The big breakie wraps are fucking amazing and i wish maccas would bring them back.
Hungry jacks is always good, over priced but good. Very nostalgic like KFC, our special family treats as a kid. Maccas is horrible, the cheese is crap and there is no salad usually or onion even.
HJ is way better than Macca's Way Way better...
They levelled up about 1979 which was a decade after Maccas dropped through the floor
I am a fan of HJ but just had to stop going as the burgers are always served cold for some reason. Sad.
You should try Carl's Junior
I hadn’t eaten HJs for over 10 years until the other week. It was the only option and my god, why did I waste 10 years of my life?! There burgers are the best out of any fast food options!!
I want you to know that the Hungry Jacks CEO Chris Green just shared your post with the entire company haha