My friends and I are, in a word, cheap. Last week my friend bought a crushed box of Triscuits--not because he liked them--but because they only cost a dollar. With the same mentality at lunch, we go to places where the beef is always ground, and the chicken is usually fried. Fast food Dollar Menus reign supreme. Sure, it isn’t the best food…in fact it could be the worst…but I can fill my gut for $4 or less. For this post, I rated two restaurants on their number of dollar items, the deliciousness of their fare (from 0-10), and the duration of my fast food coma (that fuzzy, artery-clogged feeling) after eating it.

$1 Items – 3
Taste – 5
Coma Level – Cat nap

KFC boasts nine value menu items, ranging from 99 cents to $2. I went with a 99 cent original snacker, two biscuits for 99 cents, and a $2 Snack Box. While everything was fairly good, the Snack Box was the best deal. The popcorn chicken and jojos offers enough breading to make a firm base for any meal. Update: I went with a snack bowl instead of biscuits this time. With this lineup, I up the taste to 6 and coma level to “woke up with short beard.”

$1 items – 1
Taste – 3
Coma Level – Family notified

With a coupon I was able to get the unholy trinity of two tacos, a nacho cheese chicken sandwich and a fish pita snack for $3.50. I’ve always referred to Jack in the Box as disgustingly delicious, and their new pita snack didn’t disappoint. Since it used a whole grain pita, I felt that any unhealthy effects from the rest of the meal would be completely nullified. I reconsidered this when I woke up on the floor of our office. Winner: My wallet. Neither of these meals were great, but they were cheap.  Let us know about your favorite value menu, or other ways you get a cheap, quick lunch.

--Cody