Fast-Food. We all know the general reality: calorie-heavy, sometimes problematic meals served in spaces that feel more like a pit stop than a dining venue. Regardless, we continue to flock to these joints for a quick fix of fries and questionable meat. Fast-food remains a culinary mainstay around the world as a cheaper and often more convenient option than any other. So, there’s an implicit irony that goes into the thought of a beautiful fast-food restaurant.
To facilitate both affordability and speed, fast-food restaurants are generally plain. For many, the interior of our own car offers a more inviting ambience as a dining room to one that features hard plastic benches and swooping digital advertisements on every flat surface.
For most major food chains, the difference between one location and another is pretty negligible. After all, isn't part of the appeal knowing, for better or worse, exactly what to expect?
But wait, believe it or not, there are fast-food joints out there that are different. The occasional outposts that break the run-of-the-mill mold and become totally unique. Yes, beautiful fast-food restaurants exist. Some set up shop in historical buildings after locals refuse to see them bulldozed. Other times, their beauty is on the outside, as with California’s Linda Mar Taco Bell, which offers a life-affirming ocean view. And surely Colonel Sanders never imagined that one day, there would be a KFC covered in Tang-dynasty Chinese poetry.
Yes, there are indeed some fast-food spots around the world where the destination alone is worth a visit. And after you see some of them, we guarantee that you won’t be able look at your neighborhood Pizza Hut the same way ever again.
Now for those outraged when massive multinationals seek out glorious surroundings to sling burgers and chicken, don’t fret too much. Only a few years ago, the world’s largest KFC left its haunt, a 1926 train station in Azerbaijan styled as a Moorish palace. It will become a train museum. So, enjoy the high-low beauty of these elegant fast-food restaurants - while supplies last.
Linda Mar Taco Bell, Pacifica, California: A meal at Taco Bell is normally illuminated with neon lights and scented with mists of Baja Blast from the soda machine. It’s different here. Here your quesadilla is dappled with sunlight filtering through the Northern California fog.
The building from the 1960’s blends in well with the Linda Mar beach it sits on. Out the windows, breaching whales can be spotted. And there’s even a surfboard stand out front.
The San Francisco Chronicle newspaper dubbed it “the greatest Taco Bell in the world.” And if all this beauty wasn’t enough, in 2019 it became a Cantina, meaning it also offers alcoholic drinks. So, you can now get your Baja Blast spiked with tequila.
Du Fu KFC, Chengdu, China: Du Fu was an eighth-century Chinese poet. Lauded as one of the greatest wordsmiths who ever lived, he wrote lyrically about cooking cold noodles garnished with leaves from the scholartree. But we’re pretty certain he never had a fried chicken sandwich and a Pepsi. Yet at the KFC in the heart of Chengdu, a holographic pyramid beams 3-D images of his hut in spring, summer, winter, and fall.
The tables are covered in poems by Du Fu, while tiles on the wall and brush paintings display rich designs of the Tang dynasty. All quite elegant really.
But fear not, because etched in neon on one wall is another example of immortal wordsmithery: KFC’s catchphrase, “It’s Finger-Lickin’ Good!”
Batumi McDonald’s Batumi, Georgia: The Georgian seaport of Batumi, also known as the “Las Vegas of the Black Sea,” is home to an architectural award-winning McDonald’s.
The futuristic glass structure juts into the sky like a spaceship ready for take-off. The polyhedronal structure is softened by a reflective pool streaming around its perimeter and the golden arches logo looks almost like an afterthought against the towering edifice. And, though it’s built on top of a gas station, diners won’t notice the pumps because a sloping garden offers both a green interlude for the dining room, while also serving as a canopy over the gas station.
The building’s pool and lush vegetation make the experience of munching on a Big Mac and fries feel less like fast food and more like fine dining.
Starbucks, Paris, France: Located near the Opéra Garnier in the center of Paris, the Starbucks along the Boulevard des Capucines is housed in a structure that dates back more than three centuries.
Don’t let the unassuming exterior fool you. Once inside, the elegant chandeliers and intricate 19th-century ceiling murals of this romantic building takes sitting in a coffee shop to a new level.
McDonald’s Airplane, Taupo, New Zealand: Who wants to do drive-thru when you can eat your Big Mac and fries in a decommissioned aircraft?
The restaurant is on the site of a former car dealership, the Aeroplane Car Company, and when McDonald’s purchased the property in 1990, the DC-3 plane came along with it. With seating for 20 inside the plane,
this may be the only place in the world where one can have the chance to join the mile fry club.
Minsk KFC, Minsk, Belarus: It’s difficult to miss the irony when you spot the smiling face of Colonel Sanders beckoning you in for fried chicken beneath a dramatic Soviet mural. Here, communism and capitalism collide in a confusing contrast of heroic sculptures and crispy fried chicken.
While KFC set up business here in 2015, the Soviet sculpture was carved back in the 1960’s. Perhaps this is how the Cold War was always meant to end, as the workers of the world unite to dine on bargain buckets of Kentucky Fried Chicken. The reality is less idealistic, but whether you’re a fan of the Colonel’s fried chicken or not, there’s no doubt that this is one of the most striking KFCs in the world. In fact, it’s probably the most Soviet KFC in the world.
Port Pirie Barnacle Bill, Port Pirie, Australia: Barnacle Bill has been operating a chain of franchise seafood outlets in South Australia since 1970. The Port Pirie Congregational church opened its doors in 1879. About five years after the church closed its doors, it was reborn as a Barnacle Bill outlet.
The pulpit is now a deep-frying counter, the pews have been replaced by tables and a salad bar, outside the main entrance, instead of Bible study times, a banner advertises the lunch specials.
Today the faithful come to worship at the altar of this sacred seafood space. And as for the seafood? We’re betting that it’s quite delicious. But that would just be preaching to the choir.
Freeport McDonald’s, Freeport, Maine: In 1984, McDonald’s wanted to build a location in the town of Freeport, Maine. However, building restrictions were strict, wanting the town’s aesthetic not to be disturbed. Ipso facto, no golden arches. McDonald’s solution was to remodel an existing structure, the Gore House built in 1850,
which the Freeport Historical Society describes as “a mix of Greek Revival and Italianate architecture.” Entering, one could be forgiven for thinking they might be walking into a posh tavern.
However, you won’t find prime steaks and fine wine in this one. It’s burgers and fries all the way.
Buenos Aires Burger King, Buenos Aires, Argentina: All along Buenos Aires downtown Florida street you will find beautiful historic buildings. One of these, the former residence of the Elortondo Alvear family, built in 1880, became the home of a king.
Yes, Burger King took up residence here about 20 years ago. Dining areas of the restaurant, outfitted with elegant furniture, are located on two floors and connected by a wide staircase with carved rails. And the ceiling on the second floor retains its original stained-glass windows.
McDonald’s “Behind the Mosque, King Faisal Causeway, Bahrain: McDonald's claims to serve over 50 million customers a day around the world, and their location on the King Faisal Causeway (connecting Bahrain's man-made islands to Saudi Arabia) proves their dedication to making sure no one is deprived of their Big Mac’s and McNuggets.
So it should come as no surprise that the fast-food giant placed a store right behind a mosque-- with helpful directions on the sign for hungry, wayward worshippers
Muslims who strictly follow Halal can relax while enjoying their Big Macs with the knowledge that all McDonald's restaurants in the Middle East serve “pure Halal prime-cut beef.”
Starbucks Reserve Roastery, Chelsea, New York: This store in the heart of New York’s Meatpacking District is the pinnacle experience around all-things-coffee, from small-batch roasting to single-cup brewing.
It’s nearly 23,000-square-foot sprawl includes five bars: two for coffee, and one each for cocktails, takeaway beans, and pastries.
The space here is full of New York design details spread across a working coffee roaster, tubes in the ceiling that carry freshly roasted beans to the coffee bar, tons of seating, 10 bathrooms, and every kind of coffee brewing style one can imagine.
And, though this one is still just what you might call a “pie in the sky” dream, we had to include Domino’s Pizza’s plan to build a Domino’s on the Moon. Yes, some time ago the Japanese branch unveiled plans to build a dome-shaped Domino’s Pizza on the moon. The plans feature a drive-thru for those with space-motorcycles.
Estimated cost to build – USD $21.8 billion – with about USD $7.3 billion required just to get the materials to the moon. Some 15 rockets would be required to deliver 70 tons of construction materials and pizza-making equipment to the moon. A Domino’s spokesperson had said “we have not yet determined when the restaurant might open.” And while we can’t help but think that “never” might be an appropriate answer to that question, we don’t deny that the views of Earth would be worth 1,000 pizza pies!
In a world where fast food often conjures images of fluorescent-lit interiors and hastily devoured meals on the go, the concept of beautiful fast-food restaurants might seem like a paradoxical daydream. Yet, as we’ve seen, scattered across the globe, there exist culinary sanctuaries that defy convention. Establishments that redefine fast-food dining. They challenge our perceptions, offering not just sustenance, but an experience worth savoring.
These remarkable eateries, nestled within historical buildings or boasting futuristic designs, beckon travelers and locals alike to indulge in the unexpected. They tell stories of cultural collisions and of culinary innovation. These aren’t just places to grab a quick bite; they’re destinations that blur the line between fast-food and the experience of fine dining.
As we marvel at these architectural wonders and ponder the possibility of a Domino's on the Moon, we're reminded that the world of fast food doesn’t have to be mundane. It can be a realm where creativity knows no bounds, where tradition dances with modernity, and where every bite is infused with a taste of adventure. So, the next time you find yourself craving a quick meal, dare to seek out the extraordinary. Who knows? You might just stumble upon a hidden gem that leaves you hungry for more.
Have you found a unique fast-food experience? We’d love to hear about it in the comments below.
Okay, next time take a look at some super nice restaurants because I gained 30 lbs reading through these restaurants.
Sadly, with all the great restaurants in SF I did eat at that Taco Bell and same with the Mickey D’d in Freeport, which Mainers pronounce Free-part. And the Starbucks in the meat packing district is a tad overwhelming. They aren’t cool, they are just weird!!!!!
Damn thanks a lot, it’s 7:00 pm EST and I want a crappy McDonald’s Milkshake!!!!
I guess your job is done! Ahhhhhh