Nebraska's fast-food landscape is a culinary disaster zone where dreams die and taste buds surrender to mediocrity.
The Cornhusker State has somehow managed to unite the lower members of the national fast food pyramid.
From fat-soaked disasters to food safety nightmares, these establishments prove that not all calories are created equal.
When your state's most famous food contribution is a Runza, the bar for fast food excellence is pretty low anyway.
1. McDonald's, Nebraska
McDonald's faced significant safety issues at all of its Nebraska locations.
The company recently removed Quarter Pounders from menus in parts of Nebraska as an E. coli outbreak in 10 states sickened 49 people.
Food safety isn't the only problem – locations in Nebraska consistently perform poorly in nationwide customer satisfaction surveys.
The Golden Arches have lost their luster in the Cornhusker State due to repeated violations.
Multiple health inspections have found temperature control failures at various locations in Nebraska.
2. KFC, Nebraska
KFC locations in Nebraska have struggled with consistent food quality and service issues.
Several online reviews suggest cold, greasy chicken and long wait times at various Nebraska locations.
According to consumer perception studies, the chain is one of the least socially responsible fast food restaurants.
Her famous recipe seems to have been replaced by a formula of disappointment.
Transit wait times often exceed 20 minutes, even during slow times.
3. Taco Bell, Nebraska
Taco Bell has developed a reputation throughout Nebraska for inconsistent food preparation.
Customer complaints often center on incorrect orders and soggy tacos at multiple locations across the state.
The chain was ranked among the least socially responsible fast food restaurants in a national study.
At most sites in Nebraska, there appears to be virtually no staff training.
The once innovative menu has turned into a carousel of repackaged disappointments.
4. Subway, Nebraska
Subway faces ongoing challenges with food safety and ingredient freshness at its Nebraska locations.
The chain has been flagged for inconsistent quality control, with some locations serving stale bread and wilted vegetables.
Here's the deal: Many Nebraska Subway locations are struggling to maintain proper food storage temperatures.
Their “fresh” marketing slogan rings hollow in the face of reality.
Sandwich artists seem more interested in speed than actual food quality standards.
5. Pizza Hut, Nebraska
The food quality of Pizza Hut locations in Nebraska has declined significantly in recent years.
Customer reviews repeatedly mention overcooked pizza, poor sauce quality and long delivery times.
The chain's buffet locations in particular have been criticized for problems controlling food temperature.
The pan pizza that made them famous is now an approximation of cardboard.
The Nebraska locations appear to have given up on even appearing to be competitive.
6. Dairy Queen, Nebraska
Dairy Queen is struggling to maintain consistent food quality across its locations in Nebraska.
Several customer complaints focus on melted ice cream, soggy french fries and unclean dining areas.
The chain performed poorly in nationwide customer satisfaction rankings.
Appliance failures seem to be more common than functioning freezers.
The Blizzard test has become more of a liquid disaster than a quality check.
7. Wendy's, Nebraska
Wendy's locations in Nebraska face ongoing challenges with food preparation consistency.
Customer reviews often mention cold burgers, stale fries, and slow service at peak times.
The chain is among the worst-performing fast-food restaurants in nationwide satisfaction surveys.
Their fresh, never frozen beef apparently arrives frozen in the spirit, if not actually.
Rush hour turns every location in Nebraska into a case study for downtime.
8. Sonic Drive-In, Nebraska
Sonic locations in Nebraska have struggled with equipment reliability and food quality issues.
Because of this, many customers report receiving warm drinks, melted ice cream, and incorrectly prepared orders.
The drive-thru format presents additional challenges for maintaining proper food temperatures.
The novelty of cart service wears off when your milkshake arrives as soup.
At most locations in Nebraska, ice machines seem to be broken all the time.
9. Papa John's, Nebraska
Papa John's has received poor reviews in Nebraska due to delivery delays and pizza quality issues.
Customer complaints often point to burnt crusts, sparse toppings and cold deliveries.
According to mapping data, the chain was specifically mentioned as one of the worst in Nebraska.
Better ingredients and better pizza have become their most ironic marketing slogan.
Delivery drivers apparently take scenic routes that ensure your pizza arrives cold.
10. Little Caesars, Nebraska
Little Caesars locations in Nebraska are being criticized for rushed food preparation and quality control.
The “Hot-N-Ready” concept often results in pizza sitting under heat lamps for extended periods of time.
Several locations have received complaints about dried out pizza and poor customer service.
Hot and ready apparently means being hot and sitting around for hours.
The low price comes at the expense of anything resembling a fresh pizza.
11. Burger King, Nebraska
Burger King locations across Nebraska are struggling with food quality and consistency issues.
Customer reviews repeatedly mention flame-grilled burgers arriving cold and soggy.
Based on recent satisfaction surveys, you're better off choosing almost any other burger chain in the state.
The flame grilling process seems to have been replaced by disappointment grilling.
At locations in Nebraska, you wonder if anyone even checks the food before it's served.
12. Arby's, Nebraska
Arby's has received poor reviews in Nebraska for slow service and lukewarm food temperatures.
The roast beef sandwiches are often left under heat lamps for too long, which causes the meat to dry out.
Several locations in Nebraska have received complaints about stale rolls and cold french fries.
They have the meat, but apparently don't have the motivation to serve it properly.
Heat lamps have become meat mummification stations at most locations in Nebraska.
13. Long John Silver's, Nebraska
Long John Silver's presents the challenges of turning seafood into fast food in Nebraska.
The chain has difficulty maintaining the correct oil temperature, resulting in greasy, overcooked fish.
The chain consistently ranks among the worst seafood options in customer satisfaction surveys.
Your nautical theme would be more accurate if it depicted a shipwreck.
Oil quality management seems like an afterthought at best.
14. White Castle, Nebraska
White Castle's Nebraska locations have experienced ongoing issues with the speed and quality of food preparation.
Despite the quick-serve format, the small slider burgers often arrive cold.
Several customers report receiving stale rolls and undercooked onions at various locations.
At most Nebraska locations, sliders pass directly through quality control.
The cult that this chain enjoys obviously hasn't visited Nebraska recently.
15. Church's Texas Chicken, Nebraska
Church's Texas Chicken is one of the top 10 worst-rated fast food chains nationwide.
Sites in Nebraska have oil quality issues, resulting in greasy chicken with poor texture.
The chain performed particularly poorly in recent customer satisfaction surveys across the state.
Texas chicken doesn't seem to translate well to Nebraska standards or any other standards.
The fat content in their chicken could probably power a small vehicle.
16. Hardee's, Nebraska
Hardee's has earned a spot among the worst-rated fast food chains in America.
In Nebraska, burgers are often served that are either overcooked or arrive cold.
I made the classic mistake of thinking their thick burgers were better – they're often dried out because they're overcooked.
Temperature control seems to be a foreign concept at locations in Nebraska.
Thick burgers require real cooking skills, which seem to be completely lacking.
17. Carl's Jr., Nebraska
Carl's Jr. locations in Nebraska are struggling to maintain food quality during peak periods.
Due to poor assembly techniques, the oversized burgers often fall apart.
Several customer complaints involve receiving incorrect orders and stale french fries.
Building a burger apparently requires technical skills that the Nebraska locations don't have.
Peak times turn any location into a masterpiece of operational chaos.
18. Jack in the Box, Nebraska
Jack in the Box faces challenges with menu complexity and food preparation consistency.
The extensive menu leads to longer wait times and frequent order mix-ups.
But here's the deal: Their 24-hour service often means food sits under heat lamps overnight.
A huge menu sounds great until you realize that nothing is prepared properly.
Late night service means your food has likely been aging under heat lamps for hours.
19. A&W, Nebraska
A&W locations in Nebraska have declined significantly in terms of food quality and service standards.
The root beer floats often use flat lemonade, and the burgers often arrive lukewarm.
Customer reviews consistently mention dirty dining areas and sticky tables at multiple locations.
Their signature root beer has lost its fizz and any quality standards.
Cleanliness seems to be optional at most locations in Nebraska.
20. Captain D's, Nebraska
Captain D's carries all the risks that come with trying to turn seafood into fast food.
The chain is struggling to maintain proper food safety temperatures for seafood products.
Locations in Nebraska have received several complaints about fishy-tasting oil and overcooked food.
Fast food seafood is risky enough without Nebraska locations making it worse.
The captain has clearly lost track of quality control.
