Barstool Chicago Fast Food Draft Grades

Round 1 Pick 1: Chipotle, Clem

Very strong first-overall pick. It would not be my choice, but it will be popular among voters. Chipotle is good and it is usually pretty quick despite how busy it typically is. I usually go there at least four or five times a month, so I have to rate it well. The only reason it isn't an A+ is; no free guac or queso. 

Grade: A

Round 1 Pick 2: Chick-Fil-A, Eddie

This would have been my choice if I had the first pick. The food is incredible, the service is great, the restaurants are always clean, they are super fast, and they almost never get your order wrong. Also, the mac and cheese is underrated, more people should order it. 

Grade: A+

Round 1 Pick 3: McDonald's, Chief

I am by no means a McDonald's hater, but I think this is an overdraft. Back in the day, it was king, but now too many people have passed them. However, their breakfast is incredible. I think it is the second best fast food breakfast not including places that are breakfast only. 

Grade: B+

Round 1 Pick 4: Taco Bell, Trent

I like Taco Bell, but something has to be said for the fact that it is pretty much only good after midnight. But, it is very good. My personal favorite item is the chicken quesadilla but everything on the menu is solid. Also, they have Baja Blast, so that's cool. 

Grade: A-

Round 1 Pick 5: Culver's, Dave

In a draft full of midwesterners, how on Earth did this fall to number five? It is either my favorite or second favorite fast food place. First, their burgers are incredible. Second, they have incredible variety on their menu. Fries, pretzels, cheese curds, etc. It is just amazing. 

Grade: A+

Round 2 Pick 1: Wendy's, Dave

Go from a great pick to Wendy's... not great! Wendy's is fine, but it was taken much too high. The quality of food is average at best, but they do have many different menu items. Also, I love the frosty. 

Grade: C+

Round 2 Pick 2: Arby's, Trent

Huh? What? Arby's is the greasiest food I've ever had. The only redeeming quality is the curly fries.

Grade: D

Round 2 Pick 3: Shake Shack, Chief

Shake Shack is good but very overrated. They are very expensive and usually don't give you a ton of food. Also their non-burger food stinks. With this being said, they are overall a good restaurant just not worth the price tag. 

Grade: B

Round 2 Pick 4: In-N-Out, Eddie

So, I have never had In-N-Out, so I will base this off my knowledge of it. They are pretty cheap, which is a positive. They also have good sauce for the fries, which I think I would like. Overall, solid pick. 

Grade: A-

Round 2 Pick 5: Five Guys, Clem

Best fast food burger and fries, hands down. I love five guys, it tastes good, it is a nice ambiance, you get free peanuts, and you get huge portions. The only downside is the cost, fast food shouldn't make me take out a mortgage. 

Grade: A

Round 3 Pick 1: Panda Express, Clem

This is an underrated pick. I don't get it often, but when I do get Panda Express, it is very good. I think the best part about Panda is the value. You get a ton of food for cheap. Also, it has a good variety of options. Good pick, but not a true heavy hitter. 

Grade: B+

Round 3 Pick 2: Jimmy John's, Eddie

Jimmy John's is the poster child of okay fast food. It isn't amazing and it isn't terrible, it is just okay. With that being said, I probably would not have drafted it this high. 

Grade: C

Round 3 Pick 3: Panera, Chief

I am a fan of Panera, especially the broccoli cheddar soup. That is possibly one of the best soups in the world. They have a unique menu and I respect that. So much of fast food is a copy cat game and they are something different. 

Grade: B+

Round 3 Pick 4: Burger King, Trent

So Trent appears to be just going for the big fast food brands. He has picked a bunch of places you find along the highway and none of them are amazing. Burger King is alright, but there are so many better options available. 

Grade: B

Round 3 Pick 5: Potbelly, Dave

Not my favorite pick on the list. While Potbelly is good, it really does not have the same brand recognition as many of the other picks. I feel like Dave could have gotten this later in the draft. 

Grade: B-

Round 4 Pick 1: Steak N' Shake, Dave

Very good pick here. I feel like there needs to be more Steak N' Shakes, they are a quality establishment. 

Grade: B+

Round 4 Pick 2: KFC, Trent

Just another restaurant picked for its name. KFC is fine, but it is not amazing by any stretch of the imagination. I wish Trent would have taken a bit of a riskier pick here to spice up the board. 

Grade: B

Round 4 Pick 3: Dairy Queen, Chief

I like this pick from Chief. Dairy Queen's food is actually not too bad, but obviously it will get its love because of the ice cream. The Blizzard is an immaculate creation but the rest of their options are also good. A very underrated pick.

Grade: B

Round 4 Pick 4: Wingstop, Eddie

Alright, this is another one that I have never had before. Honestly, I have not heard great reviews. Overall it does seem like a place on the rise as I have heard more about it in the past few years than I had in my entire life. So maybe more people are starting to like it. 

Grade: B-

Round 4 Pick 5: Dunkin, Clem

What an incredible value pick. I would have graded Dunkin as an early second or maybe even first-round pick. It is by far the best fast food coffee place. On top of this, their food is really solid. Just an overall great pick from the goat guest drafter. 

Grade: A+

Round 5 Pick 1: Boston Market, Clem

This may be Clem's first blunder of the draft. Now I like Boston Market, but it isn't my favorite. It is fine, but I don't think I have ever once craved its rotisserie chicken in my life. However, it is still a fine pick and overall I think it won't hurt Clem that much. 

Grade: B-

Round 5 Pick 2: White Castle, Eddie

White Castle isn't my favorite too be honest. I'm also just surprised that they are still in business. 

Grade: B

Round 5 Pick 3: Jersey Mike's Chief

For my money, this is the best fast food sandwich chain. It is good quality and you can get a cheesesteak which I like. The one problem is cost and speed if you get a hot sub. Overall a solid pick. 

Grade: A-

Round 5 Pick 4: Subway, Trent

Yuck. Subway is so gross. Now I know it is popular to hate on Subway and that is with good reason. The food is just never fresh, the service is typically slow, and it has become a bit more expensive recently. Also how can you not have the five dollar foot long anymore?

Grade: C

Round 5 Pick 5: Popeye's, Dave

Great Mr. Irrelevant. Over the past five years, Popeyes has made tremendous strides. They have some good, unique items and their food is high quality. I think their best feature is the amount of sides you can pick from. You have fries, biscuits, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, and so much more. The one bad thing is the service, which is almost always slow. 

Grade: A

I always hate doing it because I don't want to seem like I'm meat-riding, but damn Clem has a good board. If he doesn't win, I wouldn't be surprised if Chief pulls it out.

Predicted Winner: Clem