KP: For my next pick: Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Dog. The favorite of weary airport travelers. You’ve got that buttery, vaguely-crisp exterior, spiraling around a Nathan’s Famous wiener — arguably the most flavorful of the sausaged meats.

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DA: Genuinely didn’t see that coming.

KB: I definitely haven’t had this.

KP: I also travel quite a bit and there’s always people getting this at airports

To me it’s a borderline first-rounder.

DA: For my third pick I have to go with the fast food item I’ve ordered more than any other: Taco Bell’s Spicy Potato Soft Taco. The beauty of The Bell has always been the versatility, and this highlights that perfect. It costs a buck, has nicely fried potatoes, some chipotle sauce, and some shredded lettuce. It’s not fancy, but it’s a utility player that can be added on to any meal and still make an impact.

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KP: And, the first entree that is vegetarian

KB: Oh, I like a fast food potato that isn’t a fry or hash brown.

DA: Let me tell you, Taco Bell is a great equalizer when you have vegetarian and vegan friends in tow.

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KP: We’ve written about this before but Taco Bell does have some excellent hot sauces.

Complex, and legit spicy.

DA: The diablo sauce is one of the best there is.

GI: Also, saves lives

Image for article titled The Takeout's fantasy food draft: Best fast food menu item
Photo: Kevin Pang
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Round 4

DA: And for my fourth pick, I’m going back to the beef realm. And though I’ve besmirched their name, the Arby’s Beef ’n Cheddar gets the call.

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GI: Good one

KB: I can never fully get on board with Arby’s meats.

KP: Drenched with cheese and Horsey sauce it’s pretty great

DA: I don’t go to Arby’s much, but there’s something about the softness of the meat mixed with the melty cheese and the slight onion flavor on the bun that is enchanting to me.

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GI: The beef-and-cheddar has excellent meat-to-cheese ratio. Also, onion roll.

KB: Enchanting is not a word thrown around in fast food discussion much. Respect.

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KP: For my 4th round pick: Popeyes’ Spicy Fried Chicken Wing 

GI: I’m just surprised it took you this long to get to chicken.

KP: That KFC original recipe seasoning is nostalgic, but as fried chicken goes, there’s few things as satisfying as that crunch of Popeyes’ batter with a few swigs of Crystal hot sauce

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DA: Popeyes’ has always been my preferred fast food fried chicken and I’m glad it’s getting represented here.

GI: Also the biscuits are spectacular.

GI: Okay, can we get some BK love up in here? What about The Whopper?

DA: I feel like The Whopper doesn’t get the love it deserves.

GI: Agree. Flame-broiled! Customized, so I can get my preferred lettuce, tomato, mayo ratio! And its name is spot-on, it’s ginormous

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KP: Sorry, you just negated your otherwise excellent first three rounds, Gwen :-)

GI: I think I cemented them.

KP: I honestly thing the only thing going for a Whopper is that chargrill taste. Everything other component, to me, doesn’t work. The tomato/lettuce always ends up soggy, in my opinion.

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But hey, it’s one of America’s best-selling burgers for a reason!

GI: I suspect operator error at your BK, then. The Whopper rules.

KB: Alright, Gwen stole Frosty from me so I plant my flag squarely in: Dairy Queen’s Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard.

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GI: Oh, ask David about the time he ate like 50 Blizzards.

DA: I will never forget. And neither will the internet, apparently.

KB: Blizzards are wondrous. Way more substantial than a milkshake, good textural contrast with the peanut butter chunks in there.

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And by know the commenters know peanut butter is my catnip.

Round 5

KB: Last pick: Culver’s cheese curds

GI: NICE

KB: I really love those little guys.

They’re... springy? And really, not enough cheese-based sides on fast-food menus that aren’t liquidy/nacho cheese.

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DA: When it comes to fast food sides, they really break up the monotony.

KP: The favorite term among food writers in describing cheese curds is, I believe, squeaky

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GI: Damn guys, I swear I go to more than one fast food place, but have to get this one in: McDonald’s Big Mac.

Perfect combo has never been changed for a reason. Two all-beef patties, special sauce, lettuce, cheese, pickles, onions, on a sesame seed bun. Some 1970s kind of wizardry alchemy created the ideal burger combo to really put McDonald’s on the map.

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DA: Aside from the sauce, the Big Mac has never really done it for me. It’s not bad, I just never feel compelled to get it.

GI: But isn’t it nice just to know that it’s there, and will always be there?

I may only get it once or twice a year, but those are happy days.

Image for article titled The Takeout's fantasy food draft: Best fast food menu item
Photo: Joe Raedle (Getty Images)
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KP: My very last pick: Chick-fil-A’s Waffle Fries with Chick-fil-A sauce

I know having two potato sides isn’t the best for team construction, but those fries with that sauce is a magical combination.

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DA: Honestly, I’d just take the sauce. The fries are good, but the sauce is the star.

KP: When you get a really fresh waffle fry, where it’s crisp around the edges but fluffy in the middle? <chef's kiss>

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Okay David, you have the honor of closing our draft with the final pick of the day.

DA: I am so honored!

I find fast food dessert options somewhat limiting, but not Potbelly’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie. Unlike other sandwich chains that sell cookies that have the consistency of cement, or other fast food spots that basically just mix ice cream and candy together, this feels distinct. It’s soft, gooey, and the perfect addition to any meal.

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KP: Wow, what a finish!

KB: Ooo, kind of a wild card. I like your style.

Week 4 Draft Results

Kate Bernot

  1. Taco Bell’s Cheesy Gordita Crunch
  2. KFC Original Recipe Chicken Thighs
  3. Taco John’s Potato Olés
  4. Dairy Queen’s Reese’s Peanut Butter Cup Blizzard
  5. Culver’s Fried Cheese Curds

Gwen Ihnat

  1. McDonald’s Quarter Pounder with Cheese
  2. Wendy’s Frosty
  3. McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish
  4. Burger King’s Whopper
  5. McDonald’s Big Mac

Kevin Pang

  1. Wendy’s Junior Bacon Cheeseburger
  2. McDonald’s French Fries
  3. Auntie Anne’s Pretzel Dog
  4. Popeyes’ Spicy Fried Chicken Wing
  5. Chick-fil-A Waffle Fries with Chick-fil-A sauce

David Anthony

  1. McDonald’s Sausage McMuffin with Egg
  2. McDonald’s Hash Brown
  3. Taco Bell’s Spicy Potato Soft Taco
  4. Arby’s Beef ’n Cheddar
  5. Potbelly’s Oatmeal Chocolate Chip Cookie

Your vote matters. Vote now!