What's the Longest You'd Wait in Line for Fast Food?

[jdb in AZ]

https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/massive-line-colorado-in-n-out-burger-joints
If the line is longer than 15 mins, I'll go elsewhere.

 

[Disneylover99]

5-10 minutes. I hate waiting in lines. I'll go elsewhere.

 

[Kitty 34]

Almost a half an hour at Burger King over 15 years ago. It was the one and only time I ever went to that particular place. It was in the Drive-thru.

 

[Wendy1985]

Not long dh and I eat at very odd times so we never hr ave to wait long

 

[bcla]

The first time I'd ever been to an In-N-Out was the one near the outlet malls in Gilroy, California. That was back when the procedure was to take the name of the customer rather than just give a number. I think we waited about 45 minutes. Not sure why we waited that long, but it seemed like a lot of people were doing it.

Another long wait was at Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco - also at In-N-Out. It was during Fleet Week after the Blue Angels had finished their show. We waited maybe a good 25 minutes and had a difficult time finding a place to sit. I took a counter stool and got my kid a high chair.

Not sure about in line, but for some reason In-N-Out can have ridiculous lines for the drive-thru even though there's plenty of parking and maybe a 3-4 minute wait inside. Some locations get complaints about traffic backing up into the street. I saw one that looked to be about 40 cars deep since they're not even open inside (Covid-19) for takeout.

But that's nothing like some of the buffet lines I've seen in Vegas. On Thanksgiving Day the line at the Wicked Spoon Buffet at The Cosmopolitan was estimated at 3 hours. We had friends who had already been seated and we were allowed to join them.

 

[Meriweather]

No more than a few minutes......too many places to go to if the line is long at one

 

[missnic]

The drive thru lines around me have steadily gotten longer since covid shut the dining rooms again. I waited about 25 minutes at Wendys at lunchtime on Friday. Not exactly on purpose.. but every other line in the area was about the same length and I didn't have any food at home.

 

[RangerPooh]

The first time I'd ever been to an In-N-Out was the one near the outlet malls in Gilroy, California. That was back when the procedure was to take the name of the customer rather than just give a number. I think we waited about 45 minutes. Not sure why we waited that long, but it seemed like a lot of people were doing it.

Another long wait was at Fishermans Wharf in San Francisco - also at In-N-Out. It was during Fleet Week after the Blue Angels had finished their show. We waited maybe a good 25 minutes and had a difficult time finding a place to sit. I took a counter stool and got my kid a high chair.

Not sure about in line, but for some reason In-N-Out can have ridiculous lines for the drive-thru even though there's plenty of parking and maybe a 3-4 minute wait inside. Some locations get complaints about traffic backing up into the street. I saw one that looked to be about 40 cars deep since they're not even open inside (Covid-19) for takeout.

But that's nothing like some of the buffet lines I've seen in Vegas. On Thanksgiving Day the line at the Wicked Spoon Buffet at The Cosmopolitan was estimated at 3 hours. We had friends who had already been seated and we were allowed to join them.

I know that I’m n’ Out (I’m originally from Gilroy). It was always busy, and the outlet shoppers only aided to the wait. Locals would go weekdays, off hours.

I don’t like waiting more than 10 minutes for fast food. Of course if it’s a peak lunch or dinner time rush I anticipate waiting a little longer, but not too much. Although I have been known to wait in the Chick fil’A drive thru 15+ minutes. If we had an In n’ Out here in Tennessee I’d gladly wait 20 minutes for a cheeseburger with extra sauce and grilled onions.

 

[Colleen27]

I'd put my wait time tolerance at 10-15 minutes, tops, and that would have to be in a place where there aren't other, quicker options nearby (I live in a town with only one fast-food place, so it does happen). If there are more than 4 or 5 cars ahead of me, I don't even get in the drive thru line. I certainly wouldn't brave November weather and a pandemic to spend hours in line for a burger!

I've actually only been to In N Out once, in three trips to California, because usually when we pass one the lines look too long to be bothered with. So other than going the one time, with an aunt who lives out there and was playing tour guide for us, we eat elsewhere. And I've only been to Chik-Fil-A once even though my alma mater had the only non-airport location in Michigan for many years, because the line was always too ridiculous. Why would I wait 30min of my lunchbreak waiting for Chik-Fil-A when I could have Subway or Panda Express in <10?

 

[J'aime Paris]

How about the fact that I've never even been to an In-N-Out Burger??

 

[Kittyblue]

Maybe 20 min? At some point it's not fast food anymore...

 

[ronandannette]

Nobody likes waiting in lines but back in the day (pre-Covid ) I've been to summer festivals where the wait at the food booths was a 1/2 hour or more. In that setting it didn't seem so bad. What does really bug me is when the McDonald's drive through makes you pull over to wait for your order, sometimes taking 10 or more minutes. That's unacceptable.

 

[Micca]

I seldom get food from drive-thru windows, I wouldn't want to wait longer than 10 minutes.

 

[PrincessShmoo]

https://www.foxnews.com/food-drink/massive-line-colorado-in-n-out-burger-joints
If the line is longer than 15 mins, I'll go elsewhere.

I like In-n-Out, but I'm never waiting more than 10 minutes to order. Too many other options that are fine with me.

 

[wenrob]

10 minutes tops. When I get fast food it’s because I want FAST food. None of it is worth that kind of wait. I got trapped in a BK drive thru for nearly 30 mins. It was one of those double ones and maybe four cars ahead of me. By the time I realized it wasn’t going to go well it was too late. There were cars behind me and on the side, I had no way to get out. My kids were calling me worried I’d been in an accident. Never went back.

Nobody likes waiting in lines but back in the day (pre-Covid ) I've been to summer festivals where the wait at the food booths was a 1/2 hour or more. In that setting it didn't seem so bad. What does really bug me is when the McDonald's drive through makes you pull over to wait for your order, sometimes taking 10 or more minutes. That's unacceptable.

I HATE that! It’s not like you can really tell them no since they already have your money.

 

[low-key]

about 10 min, but I stand in front of my microwave and yell HURRY

 

[chickapin parterre]

How about the fact that I've never even been to an In-N-Out Burger??

but all that Disney park waiting, training for In-N-out....going to waste....you are in excellent mental health to wait for a in -out burger, surrounded by other burger franchises...

 

[chickapin parterre]

about 10 min, but I stand in front of my microwave and yell HURRY

microwave wait time would be a good time for your to think of more lyrics for us to use our time reading your lyric request that you think of when time in front of the microwave is ticking off in seconds and time more suited for you to think of more lyrics.....unless you don't own a carousel microwave .... because statistically people yell at popcorn bags more than any other food in the microwave....then that would be a dangerous time.

 

[AlohaNow]

DS18 had many friends who were in that line yesterday. He provided us with periodic updates on their progress throughout the day. They were doing their online schooling from their phones. One friend's dad called out of work for the day to go wait in line. I've been to In-N-Out twice, but I just don't get it. I think you have to be from California!

 

[J'aime Paris]

but all that Disney park waiting, training for In-N-out....going to waste....you are in excellent mental health to wait for a in -out burger, surrounded by other burger franchises...

True, true
Looks like I'd need to travel several states to find an In-N-Out....does my 14 hour wait begin when I leave home, lol??