Jump to content

Recommended Posts

I searched high and low, but found no thread or other post regarding 7-11. I'm surprised because, though I am known among my friends as someone to consult regarding all things culinary, I must confess a love of 7-11 hot dogs, particularly the 1/4 pound spicy bite. But this post is not about that. It's about the other things they serve, which have seemingly been shoe-horned into tube shape so they can be cooked on the hot dog grills. I speak, specifically, about the "taquito."

My girlfriend has a dog. This dog loves me, and usually won't leave me alone, so I walk him often. I also am frequently the one that feeds him. In short, there is a bond, so hopefully it doesn't seem cruel when I reveal that my nickname for him is "dumb-dumb." He's a sweet guy, and terribly inquisitive, but basically a simpleton. Notwithstanding, or perhaps because of this, he will eat anything. When I lived in DC, he found chicken bones and other detritus that no one could have -- and consumed it. And he still does this now that he lives in the 'burbs, though to a lesser extent. But, honestly, he did something the other day that surprised me. On a normal walk, I saw a whole, seemingly fresh, taquito in our path and decided not to avoid it. The dog came to it while smelling the ground incessantly, presumably looking for things to eat. But when he encountered the taquito, he passed right by, not even recognizing it as food.

So, if you're tempted, don't be. My--de facto--dog has decided that a taquito is not food. Clearly you should not eat one.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I never want to know what's in it, but many a 1/4-lb Big Bite with that horrible "chili" and cheese helped me through undergrad.

Agreed on the Taquitos, though - also, I tried one of their Polish Kielbasa one time and it had a small but still somewhat significant bone shard in it. I haven't tried their pizza or the wings they claim are decent - honestly both just seem to hold the distinction of being the only pizza and wings you can get after last call in the absence of a diner or nearby 24hr pig-out joint.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

7-11s in Japan (and convenience stores generally) were so good for quick, tasty snacks. My favorite aspect of them was the constant availability of various flavors of McVitie's Digestive Biscuits. No uniformly cylindrical taquitos, but they did have a vast array of prepackaged rice balls with various fillings: tuna mayo, kimchi, pickled plums, salmon, teriyaki beef. . .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My--de facto--dog has decided that a taquito is not food. Clearly you should not eat one.

I love taquitos.

OK, I have never had a 711 taquito. However, if I have leftover pot roast or roast chicken, I make taquitos and guacamole and have a feast.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I love taquitos.

OK, I have never had a 711 taquito. However, if I have leftover pot roast or roast chicken, I make taquitos and guacamole and have a feast.

If you whip your pot roast or roast chicken together with Elmer's glue, snow-melting salt and a little bit of hate, you have 7-11's exact recipe. No idea why you don't love 'em! I've never had 7-11's guacamole, but I would assume it contains the normal guac ingredients...avocado, red onion, dog's blood, unicorn farts, dirty diapers and cilantro.

(This could be how far apart a freshly made taquito is from 7-11's. Just sayin'.)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to like their Slurpees when I was a kid. I didn't have that many, but the last one was an hour or two before I broke my arm when I was nine. The anesthesia and the Slurpee didn't play too well together. I've never had another one. That's the only thing I ever ate from there and thinking about it... :unsure: .

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I used to love Hostess fruit pies as a kid. (don't judge me)

I used to love the lemon pies in elementary school. They were 30 cents!

I've never had 7-11's guacamole, but I would assume it contains the normal guac ingredients...avocado, red onion, dog's blood, unicorn farts, dirty diapers and cilantro.

In a 7-11 the other day, I saw this guacamole near the register - it looked *horrible*.

When I was in high school, I would go out of my way to head to 7-11 and microwave a bean burrito - I absolutely loved them - and would finish my "meal" with a Krispy Kreme glazed donut. My, how the human physiology changes over the decades - when you're 17, pretty much anything that tastes good, has bulk, and doesn't cost much, qualifies as good eatin'.

Coca-Cola Slurpee's, on the other hand, are something I was getting regularly after my runs as recently as twelve years ago. When you're running for fitness, instead of weight loss, you can handle these no problem after 6 miles on a 90-degree day. No longer.

Now, I find that 7-11s, especially the older ones, smell *so bad* that I can't wait to get out of there. It's probably just me, but I cannot fathom the people who go out of their way to eat those nasty taquitos and hot dogs (generally holding up the line by simultaneously buying lottery tickets). I'm actually getting a little queasy just writing about this.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In the last six months, the price of a coffee refill on an up-to-24 ounce mug has increased to $1.19. Often much more convenient than the line at Starbucks or Dunkin for a brewed coffee, and occasionally some interesting flavors of simulated cappucino from the multipurpose machine. Half pseudo banana-nut cappucino, half regular-brew coffee is a pretty tasty combo. Stay away from the iced coffee, currently on special for $1, however: Dunkin's product is far, far better.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Seconding the "stay away from the iced coffee" recommendation. It's not brewed at all - it's kept in sealed rubber bladders that have a tube attached that has to be cut open with scissors to free the contents within. To me, that's not coffee, it's a *coffee-flavored drink*.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Originating as a Dallas ice house in 1927, 7-11 has become the world's largest operator of convenience stores, and is now featuring, among their already formidable selection of hot foods (*) which includes "the best pizza around," wings needing "A fire extinguisher. Seriously," "Bacon & Cheese Potato Stix" requiring foreigners to point and say "that thing," and Breakfast Sandwiches "delivered fresh before sunrise," ... the "new" Italian Sausage from Hillshire Farm (***): "The hot dog's suave European cousin."

Suave!

Believe it or not, I found one that has drinkable beer, albeit on a "false micro" level (the kinds of beers that have deluded everyone into thinking that they're from microbreweries, when in fact they're nothing but industrial swill). I'm talking (get ready to have your feathers ruffled, dear fools): Starr Hill Northern Lights, Kona Brewing Company's Longboard Lager, Old Dominion Brewery's Double D IPA, etc.

"You're being way too harsh, Rocks - they have Fat Tire."

Spare me.

Just to recap:

Starr Hill: owned by Anheuser-Busch, production projected to triple in 5 years

Kona: production increased by 585% annually since 1995

Dominion: apparently owned by Fordham (49%) and Anheuser-Busch (51%)

New Belgium: 7th-largest brewery in the U.S., 582,000 barrels in 2009

Attention, Suits of the world: do you Grits realize how much your Big Beer (**) SUCKS?

(*) I would never ask that our members post "Website vs. Reality" pictures in this thread using their cell phone cameras.

(**) And Don and Jim, do you realize how much 23,000 BBLs is? Depending on the size of the BBL (which was conveniently left out of the note to you), we're talking between 6,678,367 - 13,002,666 bottles per year.

(***) Owned by Sara Lee! I swear to you this is owned by Sara Lee. The next time you see Hillshire Farm on anything, please remember that it's owned by Sara Lee. Let's repeat this:

Hillshire Farm is owned by Sara Lee.

Doesn't it suck that you paid a team of MBAs and Marketing majors a combined 20 gazillion dollars a year to build this brand, only to have it completely debunked by one internet post?

Think not? Let's allow time to run its course. :)

Yes, I know - you proudly display this on Sara Lee's website. Okay then, just consider this a favor, helping to increase product visibility.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

One of my many local 7-11s always has at least one variety of Flying Dog and sometimes Devil's Backbone.

According to Wikipedia, Flying Dog has the capacity to brew 100,000 barrels per year. This is over four times as much as Dominion Brewery (23,000 barrels) claims, and according to beer info.com, makes it the #38 brewery in the U.S. by size even at current production (which is much lower than capacity)

According to vaeagle.com, Devils Backbone is brewing 1,000 barrels per year, which works out to 13,000 cases of beer, or 312,000 bottles. Much smaller than anything we've discussed thus far on this thread. If you do the math, you'll see that this brewery isn't exactly making a ton of money on their very limited production. The math is somewhat depressing, and you can see why small microbreweries dream of being bought out one day.

This thread was borne of excitement at me finding some decent beers (on the warm shelves only) at $9.99 for a make-it-yourself six-pack. Fat Tire, despite its large production, has a malty nose which I find appealing, and I bought a six-pack of it when I was there - it was in the cooler for $9.49. I like malty brown ales, and this is one of my favorite widely available versions for uncritical quaffing.

The taquitos, et al, remain the most disgusting things I've ever seen for sale, food-wise, or at least right up there with gray, bowling alley pizza. It is so sad to me that people buy this food and eat it. Yes, I can understand desperately hungry construction workers needing cheap, caloric lunches (when you're hungry enough, shoe leather can look appealing), and I suppose in all fairness, these are about the only people I ever see buying them. I've never understood why the fast-food bashers don't take more of a sledgehammer to 7-11. It does not pass the Kangchenjunga litmus test.

Thanks for the info about Devil's Backbone - I've never tried it before, but will keep an eye out for it - is it a hop monster?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Thanks for the info about Devil's Backbone - I've never tried it before, but will keep an eye out for it - is it a hop monster?

The IPA is a slightly too malty and sweet for my taste and not hoppy enough, but it seems like most new IPAs are like that these days. If you like Fat Tire, you might enjoy it more than I did. That said I'd buy it over Sam Adams, Star Hill and most of the other 7-11 offerings.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

The IPA is a slightly too malty and sweet for my taste and not hoppy enough, but it seems like most new IPAs are like that these days. If you like Fat Tire, you might enjoy it more than I did. That said I'd buy it over Sam Adams, Star Hill and most of the other 7-11 offerings.

I had one the other day at Pizzeria Orso. :)

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Probably not apropos to this thread (I would be shocked to have found it at a 7-11), but my favorite beer that I have ever had, at least up to the present and not including potential future libations, was from New Belgium (together with Allagash, it was as sour beer called Vrienden).

As for 7-11, Dallas is only the national HQs, right? Isn't it Japanese?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

My kids always know which flavors of Slurpees are featured at our area 7-11s, & if we need close cheap beer, they carry Yuengling...I keep thinking about what sort of scenario (like Extreme Chef or disaster survival) would force me to shop for food at a 7-11, it would be an interesting challenge....

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In addition to my fondness for Big Bite hot dogs, I must confess a nearly life-long love of the Big Gulp (I was raised on diet sodas, and I'm pretty sure the chemicals in artificial sweeteners explain a lot of my issues, both psychological and otherwise). Naturally, I found this story (linked in Eater DC) fascinating.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

must admit. been eating the wings for years. I vary the sauce/spice....what the hell....its not for exquisite taste..its just to fill up late at night.

I tried their wings as they were giving out samples (I think it was a parade in Old Town) when the wings were first introduced. They were surprisingly good. -_-

Link to comment
Share on other sites

About once a month I pay a morning visit to the local 7-11 for two big bites (the regular ones, not the Ron Jeremy tube steak). One I load up with chili and the orange processed cheese food and every now and then I hit a home run and visit while they have the yellow Vidalia relish. The other I keep plain, eat half of it and give the other half to my dogs.

When traveling in Japan I have found that 7-11 is the best place to use an American ATM card.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

About once a month I pay a morning visit to the local 7-11 for two big bites (the regular ones, not the Ron Jeremy tube steak). One I load up with chili and the orange processed cheese food . . .

Years ago, Dame Edna dubbed this stuff "EVOTS"--Extra Viscous Orange Topping Substance--while watching somebody pump some of that stuff onto a basket of nacho chips. Still a fine description for a bunch of crap sold as "food."

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I tried their wings as they were giving out samples (I think it was a parade in Old Town) when the wings were first introduced. They were surprisingly good. -_-

LOL never said they were good or tasty. In fact late at night I couldn't care less which style sauce the wings were supposed to be b/c by that hour its all dried out. but at that hour and w/ a little walk they seem to do the trick. In fact the idea of 7-11 wings late at night somehow makes me think of college, being stoned, eating anything and thinking it was the most scrumptious food on the planet.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

LOL never said they were good or tasty. In fact late at night I couldn't care less which style sauce the wings were supposed to be b/c by that hour its all dried out. but at that hour and w/ a little walk they seem to do the trick. In fact the idea of 7-11 wings late at night somehow makes me think of college, being stoned, eating anything and thinking it was the most scrumptious food on the planet.

In all seriousness, Dave, if you eat these, and like them, what *won't* you eat?

I mean, this is it - the bottom of the totem pole. Any lower and it's insects or roadkill and even most roadkill is better than this.

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

Someone upthread mentioned Bangkok...I would trade all forms of 7-11 brand tubed meats for the cheap, giant bottles of Beer Chang and the spicy dried mango snacks with plum powder we lived off years ago during our honeymoon in Koh Samui.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

In all seriousness, Dave, if you eat these, and like them, what *won't* you eat?

I mean, this is it - the bottom of the totem pole. Any lower and it's insects or roadkill and even most roadkill is better than this.

LOL I didn't say it was good...I said I ate it. I don't think I even inferred I like it. These days after having eaten these things over some years...it seems it still does the "trick" for me.

and admittedly....they are damned low...damned low. :P:P

hmmm. what won't I eat?

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I believe the ingredients do mention Splenda. And maybe most people's bodies don't know it's sugar, but ever since I was diagnosed in 1971 as a Type 1 Diabetic I've been instructed, and it has been my experience, that I do have to take insulin for the carbs in all those "fake" sugars; it is just that they are digested much more slowly and will cause the blood sugar to rise later. Thankfully it is much easier to do this nowadays on a pump than with the longer acting insulin of the past!

Link to comment
Share on other sites

So...someone had *this* idea at 7-Eleven corporate:

"Review: 7-11 - Classic Cheeseburger" on brandeating.com

The author of that missed his chance - the article really should've been entitled: "7-Eleven's Classic Cheeseburger - I Ate One So You Don't Have To."

That thing reminds me of what Roy Rogers' burgers used to look like when we were driving up the Jersey Turnpike and didn't have time to eat at the sit-down Bob's Big Boys at certain Service Stops.

In other news, though - from 7/12-7/18 they've got a promo going where if you download their Android/Apple 7Rewards app, then buy seven any-sized Slurpees (the Peach Lemonade isn't a bad new flavor), they'll give you coupons for 11 free Slurpees (presumably any size) via the app that are good until 8/31.  Buy seven small 10oz and presumably get 11 larges for free?  Seems a decent deal to me. vOv

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I was in Lexington, VA last weekend and the 7-11 on the outskirts of town had a growler filling station. About 10 craft beers on tap and three sizes of growlers to purchase and fill.

Obviously, the greatest 7-11 in the world.

 

  • Like 1
Link to comment
Share on other sites

3 hours ago, B.A.R. said:

Almost all the beers available were "local": Starr Hill, SmartMouth, O'Conner, Pale Fire, Devils Backbone, DuClaw, Brother's, Hardywood, River Company, etc.

(BTW, I wasn't replying to "you"; I was replying to "You." (the universal You))

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
×
×
  • Create New...