| Food | * * * |
| Speed | * * 1/2 |
| Ambience | * * |
| Value | 4.0 |
| Cost | $ |
| Dish | Price | Value | Rating | |
| Famous Star | $0.99 |
* * * * | * * * 1/2 | |
| Famous Big Star | $2.99 |
* * | * * * 1/2 | |
| Criss-Cut Fries | $1.49 |
* * | * * 1/2 | |
| Onion Rings | $1.49 |
* 1/2 | * * 1/2 |
Carl's Jr. is your fairly typical faster food hamburger joint. Aside from the flack they've been getting for their ad campaigns: "If it doesn't get all over the place, it doesn't belong in your face," among others, they charbroil their burgers (though Burger King does this as well) in a special broiler (like one of those automated pizza cookers with a conveyor rack) for a crisp, fresh taste. This does cause hamburgers to take a little longer, but the difference in quality between a place that fries/microwaves burgers vs. charbroils is incredible.
Carl's presentation is also helpful to the burger connoisseur. They wrap the hamburger in a half-wrap, so that you can grip the burger through the wax paper as you eat it, rather than trying to manufacture your own from the outer wrapper without spilling sauces and juices on your lap.
The two other "original" items Carl's produces are Onion Rings and Criss-Cut French Fries. The onion rings have a good taste - crisp and not too oily - but you don't get very many for the price you pay. The Criss-Cut Fries have seasoning salt on them, rather than the usual white clumps of salt. These have a nice flavor, yet each time I've had them, they're lukewarm, as if they've been under a heat lamp for some time.
Carl's Jr.'s burgers are probably the best quality faster food burgers. They taste like they've just been cooked outside on a grill. Unfortunately, the service isn't too fast. Whether you're dining in or out, you're given a number and you have to wait for your food, which isn't always warm. However, given the unpredictability of faster food joints, the service could be better or worse on a different given day or location.