Hate to Love Arby's

Don't ask me why I like Arby's.

I don't really have a good reason.

Maybe it's those tasty curly fries

Maybe it's the juicy roast beef

Maybe it's because I used to go there as a kid.

Whatever the reason, I like them even though my intuition tells me I'm crazy.

To finish up the $5 Showdown I hit up Arby's tonight to give their 4 for $5 menu a try. It has probably been a good 5 years since I last visited Arby's, however as a kid I remember going there all the time to get the kids meal, so I have fond memories.

Stepping into Arby's tonight however was like a journey through the Twilight Zone back to the 1970s. I assume it was just my particular location, but except for the menu board nothing had changed since my last visit.

The floors had ugly tile, the tables and booths clearly haven't changed since the restaurant opened and the lamp shades hanging from the ceiling topped the whole experience off. The staff was really no better, shirts un-tucked, wrinkled, unshaven, but happy at least.

When looking over the menu I realized that the 4 for $5 was the only thing I would ever considering ordering at Arby's. The rest of the menu items are extremely expensive. Many of them upwards close to $7 - higher than any of their fast food competitors.

It was difficult to pick 4 options. However I landed on the Jr. Roast Beef, Jr. Arby's Melt, Jr. Curly Fries and Small Drink....all for $5. Don't be fooled by the quantity. The key word here in all of the items I bought is, "Jr." and trust me they were Jr. portions.

The cup was about the size of my daughter's sippy cup, it was roughly a handful of fries and I could have easily fit both sandwiches in the palm of my hand. I filled up my tea (the iced tea container was just sitting on the counter by the register) I put my off-brand sweet and low in (that's all they had, but at least they had something) and I went to sit down at one of the not so luxurious booths.

Man those stupid curly fries are so good. What I should have done if I was thinking was just gotten four orders of those and forgotten the sandwiches all together. It may seem odd but when it comes to Arby's I'm very boring. I just like good old fashion roast beef with nothing extra. I hate to admit it, but they are just plain good.

The atmosphere was awkward at best, but I got my refills, ate my cheap food and was done in a few minutes. When I asked where the restroom was the employee told me it was "round back outside." Ok......why is the restroom outside in the back of the building?

As he grabbed the key to walk me to the restroom he explained that this Arby's used to be a gas station. When I got in the restroom I wasn't surprised. It smelt, looked and felt like a gas station restroom and I left feeling dirtier than when I came in. The best part? It was so small the door hit you when you opened it in order to get out.

So....Arby's. Why the heck do I like them? This time I think it really is all about the food, although I doubt I'll be back for another 5 years....maybe then they will have updated their atmosphere.

P.S.: What the heck is an Arby?