Carl's Jr. in Calgary

[phreezee]

I'm pretty happy about this!

http://i.imgur.com/AbhwVQJ.png

[Xtrema]

Isn't that old Arby's?

[OU812]

Love CJ!!!!!!

:drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool: :drool:

[flipstah]

I've had that big Six Dollar Burger thing... It's meh?

I don't get it lol.

But yes to Kate Upton,

FRDSQAigCsE

:eek: :drool: :poosie: :love:

[dj_rice]

We have it in Edmonton. Never actually been since its on other side of city but based on the Google reviews, its not like the USA counterparts

[spikerS]

Originally posted by dj_rice
We have it in Edmonton. Never actually been since its on other side of city but based on the Google reviews, its not like the USA counterparts

I challenge anyone to name any store that has expanded into Canada that is even similar to what the version in the states is like.

[beecue]

IHOP seems pretty similar although I've only been to one in the states a couple of years ago.

[benyl]

Originally posted by spikerS


I challenge anyone to name any store that has expanded into Canada that is even similar to what the version in the states is like.

Starbucks, Apple Store, Nordstroms, Costco, McDonald's, Etc...

There are plenty of examples.

Even Krispy Kreme was exactly the same. Canadians just didn't like it.

[FixedGear]

carl's jr. is not good - worst of the worst when it comes to fast food.

[K3RMiTdot]

I don't mind it - this is close to work. I'll be making frequent visits :D

[darthVWader]

I like Carls Jr but a Sonic is what I need.

[GQBalla]

i had it in Penticton.

Wasn't bad, a glorified McDonalds IMO

[03ozwhip]

Originally posted by benyl

McDonald's

I respectfully disagree. Their fries are different and they don't know anything about vinegar lol

[killramos]

Its a burger joint. They serve burgers all day ( ie during breakfast) as a notable point.

They also use bbq sauce which is good sometimes.

I dunno i think its kindof gross but my wife loves it. Hopefully now that we have one here she will let us eat at reasonable places when we travel in the US instead of stupid burgers joints with a cute star.

Still its a ton better than Arbys :dunno:

I also beg to differ on Nordstroms here vs the US. US they have nice shit, here they have crap for expensive prices. To date i have found one thing in that store worth buying.

[G-ZUS]

Originally posted by killramos
Still its a ton better than Arbys :dunno:


Anything is better than Arbys :barf: :barf:

[Kloubek]

I think they are OK for a fast food joint, but nothing special. Prices are higher than others as well....

[toshi45]

Happy for something new on 16th.

From the website of locations, looks like there will be two more in Calgary....32nd. NE and near the stampede area.

[Disoblige]

Originally posted by benyl


Starbucks, Apple Store, Nordstroms, Costco, McDonald's, Etc...

There are plenty of examples.

Even Krispy Kreme was exactly the same. Canadians just didn't like it.
What are you talking about man?
Costco and Nordstrom is nothing like the US version...

[benyl]

Originally posted by 03ozwhip


I respectfully disagree. Their fries are different and they don't know anything about vinegar lol

spikers was talking about the overall experience. So you are suggesting that the because they source the potatoes from a different farm, that makes the who experience entirely different?

[phreezee]

Originally posted by darthVWader
I like Carls Jr but a Sonic is what I need.

Oh man, the shakes at Sonic :drool:

[03ozwhip]

Originally posted by benyl


spikers was talking about the overall experience. So you are suggesting that the because they source the potatoes from a different farm, that makes the who experience entirely different?

I'm my overall experience, yes their fries are different and you can't get vinegar so those are at least 2 things different than the McDonald's here.

I love McDonald's fries here, not so much in the US.

[freshprince1]

Carl's Jr. is by far the best fast food out there. Their Six Dollar Big Bacon Guacamole Burger is unrivaled. Super excited for this...except I'm never in the NW, so I won't get there very often.

I just hope it's the same as it is in the US!

[sexualbanana]

Originally posted by Kloubek
I think they are OK for a fast food joint, but nothing special. Prices are higher than others as well....

Higher in relation to other fast food places in the US, or higher in relation to the local competition?

Fast food prices in the US are ridiculously low.

[heavyD]

IMO they are a step above the McDonalds, Burger Kings, Wendy's of the world. The American sized portions are nice as well. Looking forward to this opening.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by sexualbanana
Fast food prices in the US are ridiculously low.

Meanwhile...

http://farm5.static.flickr.com/4094/4874492673_c84d9743f7.jpg

[rage2]

Originally posted by sexualbanana
Fast food prices in the US are ridiculously low.
All food prices in the US are ridiculously low period.

[pheoxs]

Tried it in Grand Prairie and I liked it better than other fast food (A&W, McDonalds, etc) though that might've been they had different selection and it was something new. Price wise it was around A&W pricing maybe a bit higher but cheaper than say five guys IIRC (this was 6 months ago)

[heavyD]

Originally posted by rage2

All food prices in the US are ridiculously low period.

Yeah and the portions get bigger as you venture further south. We get a fair bit of guys from Texas up for inspections and they are always typically really big men and when I say big I don't mean necessarily fat but guys that look like they came off the football field. A lot of them are surprised how much we pay and how small our portions are compared to what they are used to. That and they love ice tea (not our ice tea as theirs is real tea).

[asp integra]

If we ever got an In N' Out burger then I would be excited!

[hurrdurr]

Stoked for this. When is the opening date?

[sexualbanana]

Originally posted by rage2

All food prices in the US are ridiculously low period.

I just got back from Houston and noticed produce was way more expensive.

[dino_martini]

Originally posted by hurrdurr
Stoked for this. When is the opening date?

Nov 24 according to their twitter.

[BerserkerCatSplat]

Originally posted by asp integra
If we ever got an In N' Out burger then I would be excited!

This. Carl's is OK and kinda meh.

[saiyajin]

Originally posted by G-ZUS


Anything is better than Arbys :barf: :barf:

thought of this clip immediately

6vxQqdFOeoM

i do like their curly fries and chicken/bacon/swiss though :nut:

[sexualbanana]

Originally posted by asp integra
If we ever got an In N' Out burger then I would be excited!

I think they're all family-run locations, so you'd have to convince one of the children to move here.

[asp integra]

Originally posted by sexualbanana


I think they're all family-run locations, so you'd have to convince one of the children to move here.

I read that all locations must be within 600 (some number around there) miles drive from the burger factory location because they never freeze the patties. Because of this there is nothing north of Oregon.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by asp integra
I read that all locations must be within 600 (some number around there) miles drive from the burger factory location because they never freeze the patties. Because of this there is nothing north of Oregon.

This is the reason. It is well documented.

[frozenrice]

Although in the big picture, it's still burgers but at least they have a low carb option. Lettuce wrapped instead of a bun. The couple of times I've tried them they weren't that bad considering....

[shakalaka]

I drive by it quite often and it is close to the West Edmonton Mall but in 3 years I have been there once. Didn't know what the big deal was, next time I will pay better attention.

[FixedGear]

Originally posted by shakalaka
Didn't know what the big deal was

there is no big deal. some beyonders are just hyping it because they see the advertising but have never eaten there. 95% of the guys raving about it will try it a few times before deciding it sucks.

[FixedGear]

Carl's Jr has the crappiest "meat" in the industry. It's always very dry, with a texture that approaches dried play-dough. The buns also suck too. I don't eat much fast food, but CJ is definitely the worst of the worst.

I'll just leave this here: http://aht.seriouseats.com/archives/2010/01/reality-check-carls-jr-six-dollar-cheeseburger.html

Comments at the bottom are useful too.

Moar
http://www.laweekly.com/restaurants/the-breakfast-burger-from-carls-jr-hates-you-4670354

http://tomsfoodieblog.com/fast-food-review-carls-jr-all-natural-burger-the-verdict-is/

[jwslam]

Originally posted by asp integra
If we ever got an In N' Out burger then I would become much much fatter!
FTFY

[pheoxs]

In N Out and Shake Shack ... so much want

[sputnik]

Originally posted by FixedGear
Carl's Jr has the crappiest "meat" in the industry. It's always very dry, with a texture that approaches dried play-dough. The buns also suck too. I don't eat much fast food, but CJ is definitely the worst of the worst.

Agreed. Carl's Jr is terribad.

The only good US fast food chain that has come to Canada worth talking about is Five Guys (best FF burger IMO). All of the others have been pretty mediocre or just plain awful.

At the end of the day my top 3 fast food burger list is...

1. Five Guys
2. A&W
3. Burger King

[jwslam]

Originally posted by sputnik
<snip>
I guess Clive Burger doesn't count because it's not a chain? Still fast food

I like Fatburger :dunno:
Dislike South St.

[phreezee]

At the end of the day, it's great to have more choice and variety.

My experience at the Carl's Jr in Kamloops was pretty good, so I'm hoping it's at least that quality here in Calgary. May all depend on the franchisee, so I won't pass any judgements until I've actually visited the place.

[sputnik]

Originally posted by jwslam
I like Fatburger :dunno:


I have tried Fatburger a couple of times. Both times I found the burgers pretty bland and the fries are pretty boring too.

[Manhattan]

Is this place open yet? I will try it once but we hardly need another fast food burger joint in this city. There's already a plethora of choices. It's obviously not the healthiest choice either. I like burgers but I like to limit myself to once or twice a month as a treat. We need more variety and better ethnic food.

[killramos]

It doesn't look even close to done from the times i have driven by.

Once its done they need to do all their training and probably still a ton of hiring.

No way this is open in November.

[BensonTT]

I had Carls Jr down in Kamloops and its not that great.. Better then Fatburger but shit compared to Five Guys.. :)

[FixedGear]

Originally posted by BensonTT
I had Carls Jr down in Kamloops and its not that great.. Better then Fatburger but shit compared to Five Guys.. :)

If anyone wants an authentic Carl's Jr. experience before they open, just get a Boca Burger and bake it at 350 for about 2 hours. :thumbsup:

[phreezee]

Originally posted by killramos
It doesn't look even close to done from the times i have driven by.

Once its done they need to do all their training and probably still a ton of hiring.

No way this is open in November.

My online searching says it was postponed from the 24th to today.

Drove by over the weekend and they had a bunch of staff all wearing "Size Does Matter" black t-shirts, presumably for training.

[killramos]

^ Source? Can anyone at sait or who commutes that way confirm it is open?

edit: did my own quick look, from corporate fb page its tomorrow. Won't let me link the image.

https://www.facebook.com/carlsjrcanada/photos/a.240737052646131.64156.236039973115839/902233983163098/?type=3&theater

[dino_martini]

Originally posted by killramos
^ Source? Can anyone at sait or who commutes that way confirm it is open?

On their facebook everything indicates Dec 1 opening.

[stillworking]

"Before you even unwrap the package, you can almost see all of the plans you had for the day leaving you, your ambitions swirling the drain with the self-respect that you already lost last week."

It opens tomorrow. I'll be giving it a try soon.

[ExtraSlow]

I think they must have been doing a soft open yesterday, i drove past there around 2:00, and there were folks inside sitting at the tables, and they didn't look like staff.

[cancer man]

Originally posted by ExtraSlow
I think they must have been doing a soft open yesterday, i drove past there around 2:00, and there were folks inside sitting at the tables, and they didn't look like staff.

That sir was an investor meeting..They are looking to open up a another location.
All their beef will be Alberta beef.

[killramos]

My wife grabbed some on the way home on Tuesday. Alright burger, i had to work late so mine was cold but i appreciated the charbroiled taste. Kind of like a burger king burger. Of course on day 1 the ingredients will be top notch. I will reserve my judgement for some time in January when they settle in to a normal rhythm and supply pattern. Thats when these places start to reach a normal level of nastiness.

[ExtraSlow]

Originally posted by cancer man


That sir was an investor meeting..They are looking to open up a another location.
All their beef will be Alberta beef. good to know.

[JustinMCS]

The lineup is crazy whenever I drive past - lining up on 16 ave. Someone is going to be texting/not paying attention and rear end someone.

[killramos]

That strip mall has always been a clusterfuck.

This is not helping.

[JustinMCS]

never a line up like it is now with carls jr.

[killramos]

No thats for sure. But even if CJ goes to 1/10 of its current volume long term i see this being a problem. The best thing Arby's had going for that block is no one went there lol.

[JustinMCS]

yep, there is just not much parking between 3 major places like carls jr, starbucks and earls :o

[darthVWader]

Went at 11:30 and the line was massive. Headed over to Jimmy's A&A :drool:

[RX_EVOLV]

The website said they close at 10pm so we went there last night at 940pm hopefully it wouldn't be too bad, but it turns out to be a huge cluster fuck. At least 30+ ppl waiting for the food inside, and ~8 cars lining up for the drive thru, beyond the parking lot and onto 16 ave. The drive thru line is actually in front of all the parking spots, and it's a narrow lot to begin with so there were a bunch of empty spots because no one could access them!

Luckily I live a couple blocks away so we just walked over. Waited ~ 5 mins to order and ~ 20 mins for the food. The food was okay but given the crowd ( mostly younger people) and the energy, it felt like I was on vacation! It was like having a midnight burger on the Vegas strip hah.

[lilmira]

If I have to wait that long for a burger, you'd better give me a beer first. Or I'm making my own, while drinking beer. Just give me a fucking beer goddammit.

[stillworking]

I had a burger that had jalapeño poppers on it. They call it El Diablo, it was pretty good.

I would avoid the bacon ranch poutine. It had bacon bits with a little ranch sauce and was terrible. Not sure if they forgot the cheese or what but even with cheese it wouldn't have been good.

[Hallowed_point]

I'm a big fan of the El Diablo burger as well as the oreo shake. I always stop in when I'm driving through Kelowna. I also agree on that strip mall being a cluster fuck though.

[speedog]

It's not a strip mall. Earl's, Starbucks and Carl's are three separate businesses and three separate parcels of land and could, if they wish, barricade their own parking lots from the others. Now wouldn't that be fun.

[R154]

Originally posted by speedog
It's not a strip mall. Earl's, Starbucks and Carl's are three separate businesses and three separate parcels of land and could, if they wish, barricade their own parking lots from the others. Now wouldn't that be fun.

For whatever reason, I just burst out laughing when I read this.

[03ozwhip]

Went to try it yesterday but like others have said, it was a cluster fuck. I was going to park and go in, until I saw how many people were in the place, jesus fuck.

Moral of the story, went to Peters instead.

[rx7_turbo2]

Originally posted by darthVWader
Went at 11:30 and the line was massive. Headed over to Jimmy's A&amp;A :drool:

Did the same thing. Planned on Carl's Junior but on the walk over got a text from a buddy that it was a zoo, so detoured up to Jimmy's :drool:

[sabad66]

Had it today. They screwed up our order (gave me a regular $6 instead of el Diablo). Was really busy at around 12:45 but that's peak time so it was expected.

Decent overall but honestly nothing special. And pretty expensive to boot... Cost us $29.50 for 2 thick burgers, poutine, crissfries, milk shake and pop

I might go back but won't go out of my way for it

[FixedGear]

^$30 for that? Jesusfuckingchrist

[speedog]

Originally posted by FixedGear
^$30 for that? Jesusfuckingchrist
How so?

Two $6 burgers, poutine $5, fries $4, $4 shakes, $3 pop = $29.40 including GST..

[FixedGear]

What I meant is that $30 is expensive to feed 2 people such low grade food. I'd rather eat a microwave chicken burger from gas station.

[firebane]

Originally posted by FixedGear
What I meant is that $30 is expensive to feed 2 people such low grade food. I'd rather eat a microwave chicken burger from gas station.

Most places like this are stupid expensive; fat burger, 5 guys, smash burger and South street

[FixedGear]

Originally posted by firebane


Most places like this are stupid expensive; fat burger, 5 guys, smash burger and South street

How is Carl's Jr. anything like the restaurants you listed? Is Carl's Jr. taking a more upscale approach in Calgary? Here in the US, they are a typical fast food chain and actually serve lower quality food than the other big players such as McDonalds, Burger King, Arby's, etc. Their "sister chain" is Hardee's, if that tells you anything.

5 guys and Smashburger are able to charge higher prices because they serve a higher quality product. They use fresher, less processed ingredients and cook to order. That justifies the premium price. But Carl's Jr. is not that - they serve dry, pre-cooked from frozen hockey puck burgers and have to drench them in high fructose corn syrup 'sauces" so people don't choke to death trying to swallow it. It's some of the lower quality fast food you can buy. If I had to eat fast food, I'd take any of the major chains before Carl's Jr. Or like a I said, a microwave chicken burger from gas station.

Maybe Carl's Jr. is doing things differently in Calgary, or maybe they're just charging exorbitant prices from people that have seen the advertisements but never actually had the product (and are thus expecting more than they're going to get).

Does anyone really think this looks like high quality food? (note they *almost* edit out the guy grabbing a pre-cooked hockey puck from the warming tray):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kITx9j9ScLg&t=0m32s

[The_Rural_Juror]

I was there at 11:20 yesterday right before the zoo.

It came to just under $30 for two 1/3" thickburgers (combo with 2 bottles of water, poutine and onion rings) and small fries.

Burger buns were better than average, patties themselves were just alright. Fries and onion rings were average at best. Sauces were a bit too sugary and rich for me.

Overall, I still prefer 5 guys at the same price point.

[FixedGear]

This just screams quality:

http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_7_c21lvVMoI/S8TqA42vJFI/AAAAAAAALcI/NCqmVtaq7Vs/s1600/carl's-Jr-02.jpg

[speedog]

We get it, you have a hate on for Carls Jr, but it's quite apparent that many do not share your opinion.

I am, however, curious as to how you've come to your conclusions regarding Carls Jr - is it personal first hand experience or not?

[killramos]

Publicly disliking a fast food joint is one thing.

Coming out and defending it as strongly as you are is a far more ridiculous thing imo. Heck you even argued with me when I called the place a strip mall lol.

Are you the franchise owner or something? That's the only reason why I could see someone getting worked up about people criticizing Carls junior on the internet lol.

[FixedGear]

Originally posted by speedog
We get it, you have a hate on for Carls Jr, but it's quite apparent that many do not share your opinion.

you must be reading a different thread than I am. :rofl:


Originally posted by speedog
I am, however, curious as to how you've come to your conclusions regarding Carls Jr - is it personal first hand experience or not?

what do you mean you're curious - it's a massive western US fast food chain, and I live in the western US. are you really curious about how I would have experience with it? That's like asking if I've ever eaten at McDonald's or filled my tank at Shell.

[speedog]

Originally posted by FixedGear


you must be reading a different thread than I am. :rofl:

The Carls Jr here in Calgary seems to be quite busy with even beyond members in this thread at attpting to try or having tried it out - this is what I based my statement on.


Originally posted by FixedGear

what do you mean you're curious - it's a massive western US fast food chain, and I live in the western US. are you really curious about how I would have experience with it? That's like asking if I've ever eaten at McDonald's or filled my tank at Shell.
So simply put, first hand experience - good to know.

[FixedGear]

Originally posted by speedog

The Carls Jr here in Calgary seems to be quite busy with even beyond members in this thread at attpting to try or having tried it out - this is what I based my statement on.


It's busy because it's novel. Calgarians have grown up watching commercials with bikini babes and cute little stars, but haven't been able to actually try the food. So of course people are going to want to try it, but the comments in this thread show what it really is - low quality fast food. I don't have a "hate on" for CJ, I'm just trying to make people aware of the reality since the expectations seem so high. People seem to be expecting Buchanan's or something. :rofl:

[firebane]

Originally posted by FixedGear


How is Carl's Jr. anything like the restaurants you listed? Is Carl's Jr. taking a more upscale approach in Calgary? Here in the US, they are a typical fast food chain and actually serve lower quality food than the other big players such as McDonalds, Burger King, Arby's, etc. Their &quot;sister chain&quot; is Hardee's, if that tells you anything.

5 guys and Smashburger are able to charge higher prices because they serve a higher quality product. They use fresher, less processed ingredients and cook to order. That justifies the premium price. But Carl's Jr. is not that - they serve dry, pre-cooked from frozen hockey puck burgers and have to drench them in high fructose corn syrup 'sauces&quot; so people don't choke to death trying to swallow it. It's some of the lower quality fast food you can buy. If I had to eat fast food, I'd take any of the major chains before Carl's Jr. Or like a I said, a microwave chicken burger from gas station.

Maybe Carl's Jr. is doing things differently in Calgary, or maybe they're just charging exorbitant prices from people that have seen the advertisements but never actually had the product (and are thus expecting more than they're going to get).

Does anyone really think this looks like high quality food? (note they *almost* edit out the guy grabbing a pre-cooked hockey puck from the warming tray):

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kITx9j9ScLg&amp;t=0m32s

LOL higher quality food? All these places taste exactly the same and are exactly the same when it comes time to food quality.

Have I eaten at Carls yet? No. Will I probably not.

[FixedGear]

^I've been to 5 Guys, Smashburger, and Carl's Jr., and IMO 5 guys and Smashburger as far superior to CJ. They do not taste the same and the quality is not the same. There is a BIG difference in the meat quality.

[Sugarphreak]

...

[Clever]

We wanted to try the Carl's Jr. when we were in California. Saw the Cancer Notice sign on the front door and turned around, then drove to In and Out burger instead. I figured if I was going to eat junk might as well be junk that we actually like.

[flipstah]

Krispy Kreme. That is all.

[InRich]

Cancer notice? wtf you talking about?

[max_boost]

Originally posted by InRich
Cancer notice? wtf you talking about?

Yea in California most if not all the restaurants will have disclaimers at the front door saying it may cause cancer, food poisoning and whatever else. You know, America likes to sue over everything. :D

[InRich]

Originally posted by max_boost


Yea in California most if not all the restaurants will have disclaimers at the front door saying it may cause cancer, food poisoning and whatever else. You know, America likes to sue over everything. :D

wow no way!!!! I did NOT know that. shit I wouldn't eat there either. lol

[ExtraSlow]

In California, places that serve eggs or red meat have that cancer warning notice. Cracks me up every time.

Know what causes cancer? The fact that our life expectancy has gone past age 50 in the last century or two.
Living longer causes illness. Fact.

[CompletelyNumb]

Well I'm sitting in Carl's Jr right now. Crowd is massive. There actually was an accident in the drive thru line that spanned all the way back to 10th St.

Hope its good!

[XylathaneGTR]

Originally posted by killramos
Are you the franchise owner or something? That's the only reason why I could see someone getting worked up about people criticizing Carls junior on the internet lol.
It's beyond (and the internet in general); tards will argue about anything just for the sake of arguing.

See: any thread that either fixedgear or 01RedDX enter.

[rage2]

It's not just restaurants, it's every single building in California. The signs are meaningless cuz it's everywhere.

http://3.bp.blogspot.com/-yrRuPK6NPSk/T_EizzQUaeI/AAAAAAAADv8/zv7EgHDQJwQ/s1600/photo-751245.JPG

[flipstah]

CANCER

[CompletelyNumb]

Originally posted by CompletelyNumb
Well I'm sitting in Carl's Jr right now. Crowd is massive. There actually was an accident in the drive thru line that spanned all the way back to 10th St.

Hope its good!


It was actually not bad. On par with 5 Guys easily. Wife preferred it and said the shakes were better than Peters.

Not worth the wait, but still good. Guess fixedgear was misinformed.