Hendy Tendy’s food guide
Timnath High School edition
By Jack Henderson
Ever since my friends and I got our licenses, lunch has never been the same. We would go to lunch every single day, which is fun, but after a while it got boring and stopped being good for me. This was because my friends wanted to go to the same 2 places every day- McDonald’s and Maverick the gas station. After a while, this just didn’t sit right with me because eating McDonald’s every day is basically food torture. At that point, I would rather have school lunch, which is something NO ONE should ever say. That got me thinking there has to be way better food places around Timnath, especially better than McDonald’s. That’s why I am writing this article to help inform people and Timnath students about the restaurants near Timnath. I am going to review 6 restaurants around Timnath within a 10 min drive based on important things every student should know when going out to lunch.
The Criteria
First, I reviewed each restaurant’s 6 criteria: food quality, taste, price, distance, wait times inside and drive-through, and overall ratings. These 6 criteria will influence how I review the restaurants and how I rank them at the end of this article.
Food Quality-
I am going to rate food quality. I am going to research the actual food quality of these restaurants but also include my own opinion on how I think the food quality at the restaurants is. For food quality, I will also include how healthy each fast food restaurant is.
Taste-
I am going to rate the taste of the food in 3 different ways. The first way I am going to rate the food is with my own personal opinion on if I like it, how good it is in my opinion, and also how it compares to other places similar to it nearby. The second way is I am going to ask my friends for their opinion on said restaurant on how much they like it and how it compares. The last way I am going to rate taste is from research on how the general public likes the restaurant.
Price-
I am going to rate the price on how expensive it is; can I eat there a lot without spending a lot of money?.
Distance-
I am going to rate distance on how long it takes to get to the location and how long it takes to get back. There is a 10-minute limit on how long it takes to get to the restaurants I have chosen because if it is longer than 10 minutes away, you would never get back on time.
Wait Times-
I am going to rate wait times in 2 different ways. The first way is to rate how long it takes to order your food/ how long the line is when going inside. The second way I am going to rate wait times is how long it takes to get through the drive-through and how long the drive-through line is.
Overall ratings-
I am going to rate the restaurant overall and give my final opinions on the restaurant.
Now, knowing the criteria of how I am going to rate these restaurants, let’s start with the review. First, the restaurants I am going to review are: In-N-Out, Chick-fil-A, G-Que Barbeque, Taco Bell, Freddy’s, and Panda Express.
In-N-Out Review
The First food review in the article will be In-N-Out. It is one of my favorite restaurants. In-N-Out is the newest restaurant. In-N-Out is a burger place with a very small menu consisting of burgers, fries, and drinks, including shakes and soda.
Taste-
Personally, I think In-N-Out has great food, and it is one of my favorite fast food places out there, but I know a lot of people think In-N-Out is just an ok fast food place and is very overrated.
Food Quality-
The food quality at In-N-Out is great, with me never even once having a bad meal. I have never once had something wrong with my meal, and it has always been the same greatness every time. In-N-Out is also always fresh and never tastes stale or like it has been out for a while. Online, people agree with In-N-Out’s great food quality.
Price-
In-N-Out’s price is insane, especially with how it tastes, with a full meal ranging from 8–12 dollars depending on what you get. In-N-Out is very affordable and probably the cheapest restaurant on this list. Personally, I think this is great pricing, especially with what you get once again. Also, going here a lot would not be nearly as much money as going to other places like Chick-fil-A. Overall, In-N-Out prices are crazy good for the food, and I highly recommend going here for just the price alone during lunch.
Distance-
In-N-Out is in an average spot when it comes to distance because it is a solid 8 minutes to get there and 8 minutes to get back with no traffic. It is a very average distance because most of the restaurants on this list are in this area near Costco or Walmart, meaning they all have a similar distance to the school. For this rating, it is tough because it is in the area where most places are, but it is one of the furthest back restaurants in that area and deep within the Costco parking lot, meaning depending on how busy the day is, it could take a lot longer to get out of that area and to get back to school. Overall, In-N-Out is in a pretty average spot for distance, and the distance will most likely not restrict you from being able to get in and out during lunch.
Wait times-
In-N-Out wait times is the only thing that brings In-N-Out down on going to In-N-Out during lunch. In-N-Out has the longest wait time during lunch, with going inside on average waiting around 10 to 15 minutes to order and get your food. It doesn’t seem that bad, but when you are in a time crunch, it is a long time. In-N-Out drive-through is a lot worse, with it being 20 to 45 minutes on average to order and get your food. This basically makes it impossible for you to do In-N-Out drive-through during lunch because you won’t have enough time. Since you only have 45 minutes, this makes it very hard to get In-N-Out.
Overall-
Overall, In-N-Out is a great spot for Lunch if you want a burger and fries, but it is not good if you want to make sure you get to class on time. In-N-Out is overall a great restaurant to go to besides the wait times. The lunch hour wait times are the only thing bringing in and out down
Chick-fil-A Review
The second food review of this article is a classic Chick-fil-A. This is another restaurant that I personally really like. This was one of the first restaurants to come into Timnath. Chick-fil-A is a chicken restaurant that only has chicken. The menu consists of chicken sandwiches, chicken nuggets, and grilled chicken.
Taste-
In my Personal opinion, I think Chick-fil-A is one of the best fast-food chicken places. In my opinion, it is so good, especially the spicy chicken sandwich. The chicken is always so juicy, and I have only ever had a bad sandwich once out of the many, many times I have had Chick-fil-A. In general, Chick-fil-A is a well-liked restaurant, and most people online really enjoy the food, and so do all my friends.
Food Quality-
The food quality of Chick-fil-A is great, with me only having a bad piece of chicken once throughout all the times I have gone there, which is a lot. Online, many people agree that Chick-fil-A has great food quality and is rarely ever bad at all.
Price-
Chick-fil-A is also on the lower end of prices, with a full meal costing around 8–14 dollars on average, which is insanely good for how Chick-fil-A tastes. It rivals In-N-Out on pricing and taste, with them both being insanely good. For a chicken restaurant, it is great pricing and great food.
Distance-
Chick-fil-A is in a very average spot and is located near most of the restaurants on this list. It averages around an 8 to 9 minute drive to get there and 8 to 9 minutes to get back. It is located in the Walmart parking lot across from the Costco parking lot. It is the only restaurant on this list on the Walmart side of the parking lot. Chick-fil-A is in a great location and would be easy to get out of if they are really busy.
Wait times-
Chick-fil-A wait times are great, with going through the drive-through and inside only taking around 4–7 minutes to order and get your food. This is very fast, especially during lunch hours, which makes Chick-fil-A a great spot to go to lunch just for the wait times. Chick-fil-A can also be even faster if you order ahead with the app, allowing you to get your food right away with little to no wait time.
Overall-
Overall, Chick-fil-A is one of the best places to go on this list, with Chick-fil-A having little to no downsides. The food is great here. The price is okay but not too expensive; the distance is average, with every other restaurant being the same distance from school, and the wait times are great. Chick-fil-A has to be one of, if not the best, places to go for lunch, with the only thing bringing it down a little bit is the price being average.
G-Que Barbeque Review
The Third food review is G-Que Barbeque. G-Que Barbeque is fairly new to Timnath, with it opening less than 6 months ago. It opened before In and Out. The G-Que Barbeque menu consists of all Barbeque items like brisket and pulled pork, with sides like fries and onion rings. G-Que Barbeque also has ice cream with a variety of flavors.
Taste-
I personally think G-Que Barbeque is great and is a great barbecue place. I personally love the wings and the pulled pork sandwich, and those are both great options and really good. G-Que Barbeque not only has barbecue stuff, but they also have great ice cream, specifically the salted caramel Oreo ice cream, which sounds a little weird, but it is great and one of my favorite ice creams in Timnath/Fort Collins. Online, people really enjoy G-Que Barbeque, with people praising how good the meat is there.
Food Quality-
G-Que Barbeque’s food quality is great, and the few times I have been there having no problems with any of the meat or the food in general. The meat is always great, with little to no fatty pieces and overall very high-quality food. Online, people agree and think that G-Que Barbeque’s food quality is great.
Price-
At G-Que Barbeque, an average meal costs around 13 to 20 dollars. Personally, I think G-Que Barbeque is expensive in general. This is one of the more expensive restaurants on this list, which is why it will be ranked lower for price. I think the food is great for the price, but there are much better options nearby that are way cheaper than G-Que Barbeque.
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Distance-
G-Que Barbeque is also in an average spot when it comes to distance because it is a solid 8–9 minutes to get there and 8–9 minutes to get back with no traffic. It is a very average distance because most of the restaurants on this list are in this area near Costco or Walmart, meaning they all have a similar distance to the school. G-Que Barbeque is right next to in and out making it basically in the exact same place in and out is when it comes to rankings. For this rating, it is tough because it is in the area where most places are, but it is the furthest back restaurant in that area and deep within the Costco parking lot, meaning depending on how busy the day is, it could take a lot longer to get out of that area and to get back to school. Overall, G-Que Barbeque rates the exact same as in and out for distance as pretty average.
Wait times-
G-Que Barbeque has little to no wait time on average, with ordering inside averaging no wait and getting your food in around 5 minutes or faster. G-Que is great if you want to get in and out of a place fast so you can get back to school on time.
Overall-
Overall, I think G-Que Barbeque is a great option for lunch, with the food being really good, the wait times being very low, and the distance being average, but the price really holds back G-Que Barbeque because it is just way too expensive compared to all the other options. G-Que Barbeque’s only flaw is the price; otherwise, it is a great place to eat.
Taco Bell Review
The Fourth food review in this article is Taco Bell. Taco Bell has been in Timnath for 10 years, so it is fairly old for Timnath. Taco Bell’s menu consists of burritos, tacos, nacho fries, chicken nuggets, and mainly Mexican food. Taco Bell has quite a variety of food and also has its own Mountain Dew flavor called Baja Blast.
Taste-
In my personal opinion, I think Taco Bell is just okay. I have never personally loved Taco Bell or hated it. I have always been neutral about it. I think there is some really good stuff but also a lot of just okay or not great stuff at Taco Bell. Taco Bell’s drink selection, though, is great, with them having Baja Blast, which is the best Mountain Dew flavor by far. Online, people also think Taco Bell is okay.
Food Quality-
Taco Bell’s food quality is the worst on this list, with it being basically bare minimum and all the food already coming processed and frozen. Taco Bell is also the most unhealthy restaurant due to all the food being frozen beforehand and because the food is very unhealthy. Online, it says they meet the standards, and that is really it for food quality.
Price-
At Taco Bell, a full meal costs between 6 and 14 dollars, which is the cheapest restaurant on this list. Due to Taco Bell’s cheap food, it is very affordable for the average person. Even though Taco Bell’s food is just okay, the pricing alone is a reason to go here. Overall, Taco Bell’s price for a meal is great and the cheapest one yet, and definitely worth going to for the price.
Distance-
Taco Bell is one of the faster places to get to, not by much, but to get there it is 7–8 minutes and 7–8 minutes to get back on average with little traffic. It has a slight advantage, with it taking a minute less to get there, but not by much, making it still a very average time to get there. Taco Bell is located at the very front of the Costco parking lot, making it probably one of the easiest places to get out of on the entire list if it is busy. Overall, it is in a great location, but it is a very average time to get there and back.
Wait times-
Taco Bell’s wait time is weird, with them focusing mainly on drive-through rather than in-store orders. Taco Bell’s average drive-through wait time is 5 minutes, making Taco Bell the fastest for drive-through. Taco Bell’s average wait time inside is 10 minutes and could take longer. For maximum efficiency, Taco Bell drive-through is definitely the way to go.
Overall-
Overall, I think Taco Bell is a great option if you want to get cheap food with little wait time and a good distance. But I think Taco Bell’s food quality and taste really bring it down because, to me, I personally don’t really like Taco Bell. Also, Taco Bell is really unhealthy and not good for you. If you want cheap fast food, Taco Bell is your place, but otherwise I do not recommend it.
Freddy’s Review
The Fifth food review of this article is a classic Freddy’s. Freddy’s has been around even longer than Taco Bell and has been in Timnath for 11 years now. Freddy’s menu consists mainly of burgers with a variety of sides like fries, onion rings, and cheese curds. Freddy’s also has amazing frozen custard with a variety of flavors.
Taste-
I think Freddy’s has great food. Freddy’s is different from your average burger place because instead of normal beef burgers, Freddy’s has smashed steak burgers. I think Freddy’s is great but isn’t as good as in and out burgers, due to Freddy’s burgers lacking flavor sometimes compared to in and out burgers. Freddy’s also has great fries and definitely some of the best on this list. Even though their burgers aren’t the best near Timnath, their frozen custard is great and is definitely one of my favorite things to get. Online, people agree and think Freddy’s is pretty great all around with their burgers, custard, and fries.
Food Quality-
Freddy’s food quality is great, with me never experiencing anything bad involving the food or anything else. The food is very high quality and always tastes great. Online, they say Freddy’s food quality is great, with the food having high quality and great consistency.
Price-
Freddy’s is on the more expensive side, with an average meal costing around 9–14 dollars. It is under G-Que Barbeques’ high price, but it is the second most expensive on this list and sits in between expensive and medium. Freddy’s being on the more expensive side, I would say, is pretty good for the price, with portions being pretty big and food being good. Freddy’s is not really affordable and would definitely be very expensive if you come here a lot. Overall, Freddy’s price is on the more expensive side and is not as affordable as other options.
Distance-
Freddy’s is around an 8–9 minute drive to get there and 8–9 minutes to get back to school. Freddy’s is at a very average spot for distance, being 8 minutes away. Freddy’s is located in the middle of the Costco parking lot, which could make it a little more difficult to get out of if very busy. Freddy’s is located right next to Panda Express, making Freddy’s the 4th restaurant in the Costco parking lot on this list. Overall, it is at a very average spot and won’t affect the rating much
Wait times-
Freddy’s wait time averages pretty long, with ordering inside’s wait time averaging 110 to 15 minutes to get your food and drive-through averaging 15 to 25 minutes when really busy to order and get your food. Freddy’s wait time is pretty long, giving Freddy’s a downside to going there during lunch.
Overall-
Overall, Freddy’s is a decent option for lunch, with Freddy’s having great food, food quality, and distance from school. But Freddy’s price and wait times really bring it down. With Freddy’s being on the more expensive side of this list and it having long waits, there are just better options on this list to go to that don’t have these problems. Freddy’s is by no means a bad option, just more pricey and with longer waits.
Panda Express Review
The Sixth food review in this article is Panda Express. Panda Express is newer than Taco Bell and Freddy’s but quite a bit older than In-N-Out and G-Que Barbeque, with Panda Express being open in Timnath for around 4 years. Panda Express’s menu consists of asian food like orange chicken, fried rice, noodles, beef, and ect.
Taste-
I think Panda Express food is great. Panda Express has great food for being an asian fast food restaurant. I personally really enjoy the orange chicken in a bowl. Panda Express has great food and is definitely worth going if you want to get Asian food. Online agrees and thinks Panda Express’s food is great and fast to get.
Food Quality-
I think Panda Express food quality is good, with me having a couple of fatty, creepy-looking pieces out of the many times I have had Panda. The main thing with Panda’s food quality is that most of their meat/main dishes are great, but some of them lack in quality. Online, it says Panda varies in quality depending on the dish and can be not great, so they agree with me.
Price-
At Panda Express, an average meal costs between 9–16 dollars. This is very close to Freddy’s as the second most expensive, but is technically more expensive since it can be up to 16 dollars. Panda is also in a rough spot with price since some of the other restaurants are cheaper and more affordable. Overall, Panda Express’s price is on the more expensive side but has great food taste and portion.
Distance-
Panda Express is around an 8–9 minute drive to get there and 8–9 minutes to get back to school. Panda Express is at a very average spot for distance, being 8 minutes away. Panda Express is located in the middle of the Costco parking lot right next to Freddy’s, which could make it a little more difficult to get out of if very busy. Panda Express and Freddy’s are ranked the exact same on distance, with them both being very average. Overall, it is at a very average spot and won’t affect the rating much.
Wait times-
Panda Express’s wait times average kinda long, with inside orders taking on average 5 to 10 minutes to order and get your food, and drive-through on average 10 to 20 minutes to order and get your food. Panda Express’s wait times are long but not horribly long and can be managed to have no problems with waiting.
Overall-
Overall, Panda Express has great food, pretty good food quality, and great distance, but it lacks in wait times and price. Panda Express really lacks in price, with it being the second most expensive restaurant on this list. Panda Express isn’t bad at all, but for lunch it is just not worth it unless you want to pay a lot of money and wait a decent amount of time.
Conclusion/Ranking
After reviewing all 6 of these restaurants, there is a clear top 2 among the restaurants. These top 2 are the most worth it to get between all of them:
- Chick Fil A
Chick-fil-A is ranked number 1 on this list because Chick-fil-A has little to no downsides. The only downside i can think of for Chick-fil-A is that the wait times can get long, but that can easily be fixed by ordering ahead with the app. Otherwise, the food is great, the food quality is great, the pricing is good with it not being too expensive, the distance is good, and finally the wait times are okay but never too crazy. Chick-fil-A is the only restaurant on this list with all attributes being good. Overall, I 1000 percent recommend you go to Chick-fil-A for lunch, not only for the food but also for all the great attributes, while also getting back to class on time.
- In-N-Out
In-N-Out is ranked number 2 on this list because In -N-Out has great food, food quality, distance, and price, with the only downside of In-N-Out being the wait times to order and get your food. In-N-Out during lunch is always busy, and that will never change, but all the good stuff about In-N-Out outweighs the bad wait times. In-N-Out’s pricing alone outweighs the bad, with it being the second cheapest restaurant on this list but also having amazing food. I cannot say this enough, but for a good second pick, I would 100 percent recommend you go to In-N-Out for lunch even though you may be a little late getting back to school.
Even though G-Que Barbeque, Taco Bell, Freddy’s, and Panda Express didn’t make the top 2, it doesn’t mean in the slightest that they are bad restaurants; it just means that Chick-fil-A and In-N-Out have the best attributes and fewer cons, or the pros outweigh the cons more. Overall, I would recommend going to every restaurant on this list at least once, whether it be for lunch one day or outside of school, but specifically for lunch, Chick-fil-A and In-N-Out are the most worth it to go to during your precious lunch.
