Fast Food Chains to Try on Vacation

McAlister's Deli sandwiches are the Cadillacs of sandwiches. Hot, toasted, pressed, loaded with toppings, fresh, and delicious, they are everything you need for a good lunch. Except you might also want a cup of their daily made soup and their Famous Sweet Tea.

If you are worried about calories, you can check their nutrition list before you start stacking all your favorite meats and cheeses. They have roast beef, ham, smoked meats, turkey, fish, and so much more. And then the cheeses – there are so many to choose from! There is a good reason their cold tea is so famous: it is made fresh three times a day and served with ice and refreshing lemon. That way you get some vitamins too.

Dickey's started selling their hickory-smoked meats in 1941, and they have not stopped since then. Now they have stores all over the country, but each store still smokes their meats on-site, in the restaurant, the same way they did it in 1941. You can get Dickey's famous beef brisket, ribs, pulled pork, turkey breast, ham, Polish sausage, and chicken.

You can have your meats by the pound, in a sandwich, or on a plate with sides. They have some great sides perfected through the decades, including jalapeño beans, macaroni and cheese, baked potatoes, and much more. It is Dickey’s tradition that kids eat free every Sunday.

In order to exceed your expectations when it comes to fabulous pizza, Blaze Pizza hired the Pizza Whisperer, Executive Chef Bradford Kent. And he has a few rules: everything has to be fresh, the dough is made from scratch daily, ingredients are healthy and artisanal, and the oven is blazing hot.

The result is delicious pizza that is ready in 180 seconds, crisp on the outside, and loaded with your favorite things – you design your own pizza. Unless you are one of those people who like their pizza cold, this fabulous pie tastes even better warmed up as leftovers. Just do not use the microwave – the word of advice is that the only way to warm this perfect pizza is in your oven.

We call Arby's sandwiches delicious. They call it “meatcraft,” meaning they put a lot of effort into making sure their eight kinds of meat are just perfect for their delicious sandwiches. From Angus steak and smoked brisket to roasted chicken breast and wild caught Alaskan pollock, every piece is carefully chosen, sliced fresh, and piled up on the freshly baked bread together with your favorite salads and dressing.

Don’t miss their famous curly fries, and if you are having friends over, get a bunch of stuffed sliders. If you are wondering what on Earth a slider is, it is the same as a sandwich, but bite-sized. They come on small soft buns, and you can choose the filling, just like you do with your sandwiches.

Pie Five offers something special. You get your own individual pizza with whatever you want on it in five minutes or less. They call this concept “fine, casual, and fast.” They do not make large pizzas you slice and share. The restaurant gives each person complete and undivided attention with regards to their dining choice. Their 10-inch pizza can be crispy thin, Neapolitan whole grain, classic pan, or gluten-free, and all the options except gluten-free are baked in-house. Your choices of sauces are “Tuscan” marinara, barbecue, spicy sriracha, ranch, buffalo ranch, olive, or alfredo.

As for the cheeses, you get to choose between whole milk mozzarella, ricotta, and cheddar. They have seven kinds of meat — pepperoni, ham, grilled chicken, beef, bacon, Italian sausage and meatballs. Plus there are sixteen vegetables. Not easy to choose, right? And what makes it even more difficult is that for the same price you can choose as many toppings as you wish.

Fresh, hot, hand-made bread is one of life’s greatest pleasures. Panera Bread has been making great breads for the last 30 years. There are no shortcuts, no preservatives, no trans-fats, no artificial preservatives, no MSG, and no artificial sweeteners, colors, or flavors. Of course, they could not stay with just great breads and pastries.

They naturally extended their menu to include sandwiches and paninis and then soups and salads. There is no better place to order a sandwich than at the bakery – it will be incredibly fresh, and whatever you put in it tastes even better. And their soups and salads are made daily, from scratch, just the way your mom used to do.

You better be hungry when you order Lenny's Subs . The regular 7-inch sub comes with a half pound of meat and cheese, and the large 15-inch version comes with a pound of stuffing. And that does not count all the veggies and sauces that go with it. Each sub starts with freshly baked bread, white, whole wheat, or multigrain. You can also get a Kaiser bun.

Each sub is made fresh while you wait. And you will be happy to wait for delights such as Philly Cheesesteak or meatball sub. If you prefer your sub cold, there are so many choices, such as ham, bacon, prosciutto, turkey, capicola, roast beef, Genoa salami, tuna salad, chicken salad, and so much more. If you want a complete meal, pick a combo to get a soda, chips, and a delicious cookie.

It all started with a sandwich stuffed with grilled Philly-inspired cheesesteak, fresh-cut fries, and fresh-squeezed lemonade. By preparing sandwiches in front of each customer with the freshest available ingredients, Penn Station had created a concept that was an instant hit. Today you can find the famous Penn Station Philadelphia Cheesesteak sub in 290 restaurants in 15 states.

Your Philly Steak sandwich comes with sautéed onions, banana peppers, fresh mushrooms, spicy-brown mustard, pizza sauce, and mayo. You can also find chicken and Italian subs, Club and Reuben sandwiches, or you can make your own, with plenty to choose from: five meats, four cheeses, five veggies, and eight condiments.

Modd’s pizzas are called “simple food for complex times.” The idea is to make good, cheap food, pay the workers well, and make everyone’s life a little better. Not a bad goal, and it worked. The way it goes is simple: first, there are no waiters: you go up to the station where “pizza builders” will pile up the toppings on the freshly made pie.

Then you pay, and at this time you can also buy drinks and shakes. After three minutes, your pizza is baked and ready for you to pick up. All pizzas cost the same regardless of the toppings, and there is a lot to choose from: five sauces, six cheeses, ten meats, and twenty-one veggies. Simple, right?