Biography reported that Kroc showed early promise as an entrepreneur. As a child, he opened his own lemonade stand and worked at a soda fountain.

He eventually found a job as a salesman and manager at a cup company, which connected him with Earl Prince, the owner of an ice cream shop.

Prince had invented a mixer machine that could make five batches of milkshakes at once. By the 1940s, Kroc had left his job to sell these "multi-mixers" to soda fountains and restaurants across the country.

The original menu was long and included items like barbecue. However, by 1949, the McDonald brothers had reduced the restaurant's offerings to just nine items.

The new menu included hamburgers, cheeseburgers, soft drinks, milk, coffee, potato chips, and a slice of pie.

By having a small menu, the brothers were able to focus on quality and efficiency. Their innovative self-service model eliminated the need for waitstaff, while pre-cooked, paper-wrapped burgers that were kept warm under heat lamps ensured customers got their food quickly and at the quality you could expect from a made-to-order restaurant.

Britannica wrote that the McDonald's brothers also reduced the price of their burgers to just 15 cents, about half the cost of their local competitors' burgers.

Kroc wrote in his biography that multiple restaurants had been referred to Multimixer by the McDonald's brothers, who he was shocked to learn owned eight Multimixer milkshake machines — most restaurants and soda fountains he worked with only needed one or two.

When he visited the brothers' restaurant, he was amazed by their "Speedee Service" concept and saw promise in the restaurant, which had already become a success among locals who loved the 15-cent hamburgers.

He imagined scores of McDonald's restaurants, all utilizing the Multimixer machines he sold, and took his plans for expansion back to the McDonald's brothers. He offered to be one of the restaurant's first franchisees.

Kroc opened his first restaurant on April 15, 1955. The chain reported that first-day sales at the new location were $366.12, the equivalent of about $4,300 today.

The restaurant differed slightly from the first burger joint opened by the McDonald brothers. For one, it had a new look created by architect Stanley Meson, who designed a modern-looking red-and-white exterior. Believing the roof appeared too flat, Dick McDonald introduced the idea of the now-iconic yellow "golden arches."

The oldest operating restaurant still featuring the original red-and-white design is located in Downey, California.

Kroc, envisioning a larger future for the newly established McDonald's System, Inc., the precursor to the McDonald's Corporation, secured the exclusive rights to the McDonald's brand name and control over all McDonald's locations.

Kroc implemented strict standards for preparation, portion sizes, cooking techniques, and packaging to guarantee that McDonald's food would be consistent across the chain's many franchises.

He also created a training program for employees that would later be known as Hamburger University.

In 1965, the company's stock was publicly traded for the first time, and the number of restaurants reached 1,000 units. The brand's identity also changed a lot during the '60s, with the introduction of Ronald McDonald as the chain's mascot, the launch of the Filet-O-Fish, and the now-iconic double-arch "M" logo.

The iconic burger was created by franchisee Jim Delligatti of Pittsburgh in 1967.

Fox News reported that Delligatti believed that McDonald's should sell a larger burger to compete with another local fast-food chain, Eat'n Park, which sold a "Big Boy" sandwich.

In 1968, as the company planned to launch the burger nationwide, a 21-year-old secretary came up with its name.

AP reported that multiple executives and other employees thought the "Big Mac" name sounded silly. However, it stuck.

The burger was an immediate hit and remains one of the chain's most popular items.

Kroc held this role until January 14, 1984, when he died of heart failure at Scripps Memorial Hospital in San Diego.

At the time of Kroc's death, there were 7,500 McDonald's restaurants in nearly 30 countries around the world, and the company was worth $8 billion.

Quality of life score: 7.0

Population of the metro area: 113,010

Median household income: $70,165

Median home price: $281,646

Median age: 33 years old

Known for: Located among the Ozark Mountains, Fayetteville is an outdoorsy town that's known for its friendly residents, love of college football, and local favorites like a deep-fried catfish sandwich.

Quality of life score: 7.0

Population of the metro area: 240,938

Median household income: $68,814

Median home price: $321,874

Median age: 36 years old

Known for: Richmond is a historic city founded in 1737, but that doesn't mean it's old-fashioned. A thriving downtown scene with art galleries, concert halls, and trendy restaurants meld the city's rich history with the modern times, and Richmond's more than 100 local parks offer plenty of outdoor recreation for residents.

Quality of life score: 7.0

Population of the metro area: 118,273

Median household income: $46,377

Median home price: $214,546

Median age: 36 years old

Known for: While the population of Hartford skews older than some cities on this list, there's no shortage of buzzy restaurants and corporate offices for those looking to grow their careers in the Connecticut capital. The Bushnell Theater brings Broadway shows to town regularly, and The Mark Twain House and Museum is a popular destination for literary buffs.

Quality of life score: 7.0

Population of the metro area: 77,387

Median household income: $76,193

Median home price: $393,809

Median age: 37 years old

Known for: College football is huge in Greenville, which is home to Clemson University, but there's a thriving art scene, too. Outdoor activities also abound in this Southern city, thanks to multiple hiking and biking trails.

Quality of life score: 7.0

Population of the metro area: 1,404,745

Median household income: $109,765

Median home price: $807,264

Median age: 38 years old

Known for: San Diego residents enjoy outdoor activities, from surfing to boating and volleyball on one of the city's over 80 beaches. The city is also home to the world-famous San Diego Zoo and is known for its authentic Mexican cuisine.

Quality of life score: 7.0

Population of the metro area: 113,353

Median household income: $69,429

Median home price: $400,587

Median age: 42 years old

Known for: Set among the Blue Ridge Mountains and defined by a thriving farm-to-table food scene, brewery culture, and a focus on local artisans, Asheville is an easygoing city with a lot to offer people of all ages, whether visiting or putting down roots in this creative Southern city.

Quality of life score: 7.1

Population of the metro area: 673,264

Median household income: $95,674

Median home price: $744,221

Median age: 35 years old

Known for: One of the most historic cities in the country, Boston offers many exciting cultural activities, including walks along the Freedom Trail and performances by the Boston Pops Orchestra. Fine dining and buzz-worthy restaurants abound, as do historic taverns and bars, and two Boston chefs were nominated for the James Beard Awards in 2024, Eater reported.

Quality of life score: 7.1

Population of the metro area: 460,069

Median household income: $96,805

Median home price: $358,477

Median age: 39 years old

Known for: Virginia Beach boasts 38 miles of coastline, offering plenty of activities from swimming to fishing, kayaking, and waterskiing. If you're not outdoorsy, however, there are plenty of opportunities for shopping, museums, and taking in the local cuisine.

Quality of life score: 7.1

Population of the metro area: 68,430

Median household income: $77,286

Median home price: $449,949

Median age: 39 years old

Known for: Portland, Maine, has quickly become the New England city to watch, thanks to its thriving food scene, plethora of outdoor recreational activities, and exciting music and nightlife scenes. However, the cost of living in Portland is rising steadily, leaving the city at a crossroads of how to create more affordable housing while retaining Portland's small-town feel.

Quality of life score: 7.2

Population of the metro area: 269,692

Median household income: $79,166

Median home price: $367,653

Median age: 35 years old

Known for: As the capital of Wisconsin's Dairyland, Madison has a thriving food scene built off local cheese and breweries. The city's lakes and bike paths also make this city a great place to live in the warmer months.

Quality of life score: 7.2

Population of the metro area: 469,960

Median household income: $87,708

Median home price: $382,677

Median age: 37 years old

Known for: Raleigh-Durham is quickly becoming a premier destination for great food and entertainment with a second-tier city feel. Home to some of the state's top universities and colleges, as well as more than 20 craft breweries, shopping centers, and local museums, this region of North Carolina is a great place to lay down roots.

Quality of life score: 7.4

Population of the metro area: 408,930

Median household income: $103,096

Median home price: $869,639

Median age: 45 years old

Known for: Honolulu is a slice of paradise on Earth with stretches of stunning beaches, fine dining establishments, resorts, a diverse local culture, and shopping destinations. History buffs can also visit sites relating to the World War II attack on Pearl Harbor, including the USS Arizona Memorial.

Quality of life score: 7.4

Population of the metro area: 277,498

Median household income: $85,886

Median home price: $422,080

Median age: 39 years old

Known for: Boise's stunning natural surroundings are just one reason to move to this up-and-coming city. In addition to more than 180 miles of public trails for hiking, biking, and running, artistically inclined folks can take in a show at one of the city's theaters, while sports fans can root for the Boise State University Broncos.

Quality of life score: 7.4

Population of the metro area: 122,362

Median household income: $97,017

Median home price: $854,424

Median age: 36 years old

Known for: Boulder is known for its more than 60 parks and 155 miles of hiking trails for nature lovers. The city's downtown area also abounds with restaurants, cafés, and bars, while the outdoor Pearl Street Mall is a popular shopping destination.

Quality of life score: 7.7

Population of the metro area: 125,664

Median household income: $86,628

Median home price: $456,578

Median age: 34 years old

Known for: Home to the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor combines a small-town feel with the benefits of a bigger city.

According to US News & World Report, more than 90% of Ann Arbor residents live less than a 10-minute walk from a public park, which gives them access to hiking, kayaking, and cross-country skiing. The city's downtown is also a thriving hub for shops and restaurants, as well as craft breweries and distilleries.

Alabama's famous white barbecue sauce, which is made with mayonnaise, vinegar, salt, and ground black pepper, is described as both creamy and tangy.

The sauce, which is said to have been invented in the 1920s by Bob Gibson of Big Bob Gibson Bar-B-Q in Decatur, Alabama, often comes served on a sandwich, or with grilled or fried chicken.

Alaska is famous for its salmon, though whether locals prefer it smoked, grilled, or pan-seared is up for debate. For a classic Alaskan dish, pairing salmon with vegetables or a bagel and cream cheese are both good ways to enjoy the state's most famous fish.

You might not know that chimichangas were invented in Arizona.

As Tucson Foodie reported, two different restaurants in Tucson claim they originated the dish, which features a large meat burrito filled with vegetables and spices, deep-fried, and topped with cheese and sauce.

Fans of fried pickles have Arkansas to thank for the iconic snack. The first fried dill pickles ever sold anywhere first appeared on the menu of the Duchess Drive-In in Atkins, Arkansas, in the summer of 1963, Encyclopedia of Arkansas reported.

California is famous for its avocados, so it should come as no surprise that avocado toast is one of the most popular and famous local dishes in the Golden State. The San Francisco Chronicle reported that California residents have been making avocado toast for more than 130 years.

An issue of The Daily Alta California from 1885 lists a recipe that suggests spreading avocado "on slices of bread, and season with salt and pepper."

The first "Fool's Gold" sandwich, a sourdough loaf stuffed with peanut butter, blueberry jam, and a pound of bacon, was invented by the now-closed Colorado Mine Company, a restaurant in Denver.

The sandwich shot to fame after Elvis Presley tried the sandwich and loved it so much, he took his private jet to Denver and back in one night just to order one.

Culture Trip reported that the first documented lobster roll was served at a Milford, Connecticut, restaurant named Perry's in 1929.

However, while you might be familiar with New-England style or Maine lobster rolls, the folks down in Connecticut do things a little differently. In a Connecticut-style lobster roll, a split bun is stuffed with warm lobster meat and just a drizzle of melted butter.

Delaware's official state dessert is peach pie, and peaches are an integral part of the state's agricultural industry.

According to the Delaware government website, "peach farming is an important part of Delaware's agricultural heritage, as the peach was introduced to Delaware in Colonial times and expanded as an industry in the nineteenth century."

At its peak in 1875, the state shipped six million baskets of peaches to market.

While these sandwiches can, of course, be traced back to Cuba, what we know now as a "Cuban sandwich" is largely thanks to Cuban immigrants in Tampa, Florida. Thrillist reported that the sandwiches made in Cuba and the United States had a few key differences in ingredients.

The Florida version, which used salami imported from Italy in some cases, became known as a "Cuban sandwich."

Both Brunswick County, Virginia, and Brunswick, Georgia, lay claim to inventing Brunswick stew.

However, a 25-gallon iron pot on top of a town monument in Brunswick, Georgia, reads that the very first Brunswick stew was cooked inside it way back in 1898.

Kālua pork, which is smoked, shredded pork shoulder sometimes mixed with cabbage, is one of Hawaii's most famous local dishes — in Hawaiian, kālua translates as "to cook in an underground oven."

Many have traced the origin of finger steaks — fried pieces of beef — back to Milo's Torch Lounge in Boise. Idaho Beef says that chef Milo Bybee invented the dish in 1957 as a way to make use of the restaurant's leftover tenderloin.

While you might assume that all pizza originates in Italy, deep-dish pizza is actually American.

The BBC reported that restaurant owners Ike Sewell and Ric Riccardo introduced their creation, an Italian-American pizza they called deep-dish, at Pizzeria Uno in Chicago's Near North Side neighborhood in 1943.

Pork tenderloin sandwiches, also called "Hoosier sandwiches," can be traced back to Nick Freienstein, a Huntington, Indiana, native-born to German parents. Eater reported the dish was originally inspired by wiener schnitzel, a Viennese-style veal dish that is breaded and pan-fried.

In 1904, Freienstein began selling sandwiches and burgers out of a food cart. While veal was hard to come by in his hometown, pork was readily available. After he added pickles and onions to his fried pork tenderloin sandwich, Freienstein's cart took off. He is credited with creating the first "Hoosier sandwich."

While fried catfish is a popular dish throughout the South, Iowans are also fond of the dish.

A cross between a sloppy joe and a cheeseburger, loose meat sandwiches are a favorite among Kansas locals. The Nu-Way Cafe, a Wichita-based chain of restaurants, is famous for its loose meat sandwiches.

In other parts of the county, they are known as tavern sandwiches or Maid-Rites, named after the Iowa chain.

According to local lore, beer cheese was invented by Chef Joe Allman for his cousin Johnnie, the owner of the Driftwood Inn near Winchester, Kentucky. The Downtown Winchester Beer Cheese Festival reported that the dish was originally created by Allman to entice customers to order more beer with their meals.

Gumbo, a traditional stew consisting primarily of a strong-flavored stock, meat or shellfish, a thickener, and vegetables, is the official state cuisine of Louisiana.

Its roots have been traced back to the late 1800s, and many food historians believe it to have evolved from ki ngombo, an okra-based stew brought over by slaves to colonial Louisiana. 

Maine is famous for its lobster rolls, largely due to the fact lobster is one of Maine's most profitable exports.

However, while the first lobster roll can be traced back to Connecticut, Maine-style lobster rolls often consist of cold lobster meat, rather than warm meat, dressed with mayonnaise and served in a toasted bun.

Crab cakes can likely be traced back to Native American cooking in the Chesapeake Bay region of the United States.

However, the first official recipe for crab cakes appeared in a cookbook written by Crosby Gaige in the 1930s, under the name "Maryland Crab Cakes," Baltimore Magazine reported.

Clam chowder has roots all over the Northeast but New England-style clam chowder is said to have been first served in Boston at Ye Olde Union Oyster House in 1836, Eater reported.

Wet burritos, which come covered in red chile sauce and tons of cheese, are said to have been created at the Beltline Bar in Grand Rapids, Michigan, the restaurant's website says. 

While some say corn dogs, then called "corny dogs," were introduced at the State Fair of Texas between 1938 and 1942, Pronto Pup vendors at the Minnesota State Fair claim to have invented the first breaded-and-fried hot dog in 1942, Eater reported.

Eater reported that Mississippi mud pie, a dessert made with pudding, cake, biscuits, ice cream, whipped cream, marshmallows, and some kind of liqueur like Kahlua or amaretto, was reportedly invented in the Vicksburg-Natchez area outside Jackson, Mississippi.

Henry Perry is known as the "father of Kansas City barbecue" — he began selling slow-smoked meats wrapped in newspaper for 25 cents in the Garment District of Kansas City, across the Missouri border, in the early 1900s.

He later opened Kansas City's first official barbecue restaurant in an old trolley barn. Perry loved barbecue so much that, on his death certificate, his occupation was listed as "barbecue man."

While meat pies originate from New Zealand and parts of Europe, they're also really popular in Montana.

Oftentimes called "pasties," the meat pies grew in popularity due to the large population of Irish miners living in Butte, Montana, who found them easy to transport to work each day.

The classic Reuben sandwich, made with corned beef, sauerkraut, Swiss cheese, and Thousand Island dressing, and served on rye bread, was supposedly invented by an Omaha, Nebraska, grocer in 1925, The Nebraska State Historical Society reported. 

Although the shrimp cocktail may not have been invented in Nevada or even the United States, Las Vegas residents have certainly claimed it as their own.

The Golden Gate Hotel & Casino says that in 1959, it introduced Las Vegas to its famous, world-recognized 50-cent shrimp cocktail. Ever since, visitors have enjoyed partaking in the city's signature dish.

While Vermont produces more maple syrup than any other state, New Hampshire is also known for its syrup production. True Granite State natives are known to douse their pancakes in 100% New Hampshire syrup.

Disco fries, which are french fries smothered in gravy, mozzarella, and other toppings, originate from the Garden State.

Local legend has it that the late-night dish got its name from the hoards of people pouring into New Jersey diners after a long night of dancing, in search of the perfect snack.

Green chiles are the state's signature vegetable, so it comes as no surprise that New Mexico natives would want to add the ingredient to their burgers.

New York is undeniably famous for its pizza, from cheap and cheerful $1 slices to more gourmet versions. New York City is also home to the nation's first pizzeria, Lombardi's, which opened in Little Italy in 1905. 

Krispy Kreme began operating in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, on July 13, 1937. At the time, the owner Vernon Rudolph was only selling his donuts to local grocery stores.

However, after people passing by the bakery asked about the heavenly scent, he cut a hole in an outside wall and began selling glazed donuts to people on the sidewalk.

North Dakota is famous for its walleye, and the state is known not only for selling the fried fish on its own but also in sandwiches.

What's Cooking America reported that Cincinnati prides itself on being the chili capital of the United States with more than 180 chili parlors. Thinner in consistency and commonly served over pasta, the dish is slightly different from traditional chili.

Cincinnati-style chili is also often topped with chopped onions, shredded cheese, beans, and crushed oyster crackers. 

Chicken-fried steak often comes served with mashed potato and gravy and is popular all over the South.

However, one state loves the dish so much that it decided to make it official. In 1988, Oklahomans named chicken-fried steak one of their state meals, the Oklahoma Historical Society reported.

Clamming is a popular activity in Oregon, where shellfish is abundant. So, it makes perfect sense that one of the most famous dishes from Oregon would involve clams.

The state's most famous food by far is the classic Philly cheesesteak, which is believed to have been invented by a hot dog vendor in 1930, Visit Philadelphia reported. 

The sandwich contains thinly cut steak handsomely topped with cheese on a roll, plus sautéed onions, peppers, mushrooms, mayonnaise, hot sauce, salt, pepper, or ketchup.

Also called stuffed Quahogs or stuffies, stuffed clams are the unofficial dish of Rhode Island.

To make them, you'll just need to mix chopped clam meat, breadcrumbs, herbs, diced onion, bell pepper, and celery together, then bake the mixture inside a clamshell.

While the exact origin of shrimp and grits is largely unknown, it's thought that the dish might have stemmed from Charleston, South Carolina, or the larger Carolina region.

Today, shrimp and grits is a favorite dish in South Carolina.

Instead of traditional taco shells, those in South Dakota use frybread, which is flattened dough cooked in hot oil until puffy and crispy, to make Navajo tacos.

However, while the dish is delicious, it also has a controversial history. Native Americans living in South Dakota invented the dish, but it was less about making a tasty meal and more about survival. 

Lisa Ironcloud, who works with food sovereignty programs, told Argus Leader that frybread was invented because Native Americans could make it using rationed ingredients like yeast and because it "filled their stomachs."

Nashville hot chicken, which is famous for being extremely spicy, also has quite a spicy history. Nashville hot chicken was originally invented when Thornton Prince, the owner of Prince's Hot Chicken where legend says hot chicken was first created, came home to find his lover upset.

To get revenge, she served him chicken covered in extra-hot spices. However, Prince liked the dish so much that he decided to open a restaurant and serve a version of it to local people in Nashville.

Texas is practically synonymous with barbecue. However, while other states have their own way of barbecuing, Texas-style barbecue focuses on beef as the main course.

The New York Times reported that pastrami burgers were popularized by Crown Burgers in Salt Lake City, and are still one of the city's most famous foods. The burgers come topped with a Thousand Island-style sauce as well as tomatoes, shaved lettuce, and onions, but can also come served with cheese or other toppings.

Vermont corn chowder is a state-favorite dish made with a milk-based broth, corn, and other vegetables like onions, potatoes, and cabbage, thickened with flour or Vermont cheddar cheese. Bacon is also commonly added to the dish.

Virginia's government website claims that "Virginia is for Oyster Lovers," and there's a reason. Not only is Virginia home to multiple oyster festivals but Virginia oysters can be harvested in eight different regions of the state.

While fish and chips are often thought of as a quintessentially British dish, the state of Washington is equally famous for its flaky, fried fish and chips.

The roots of biscuits and gravy can be traced back to the Southern Appalachian region of the United States in the late 1800s. The Washington Post reported that the earliest version of this Southern food used sausage gravy, which was also called "sawmill gravy" at the time.

Historians believe that the food was hearty enough to power sawmill workers through their long days lifting heavy logs, and also thick and flavorful enough to make biscuits of that era "more palatable."

Fried cheese curds are a favorite dish in Wisconsin, the state famous for its cheese and dairy products. What's Cooking America reported that cheese factories in the state have to make cheese curds daily to meet the high demand for the product.

Turducken, an over-the-top hybrid food that consists of a chicken stuffed inside a duck that's then stuffed inside a turkey all separated by layers of stuffing, was reportedly invented by Louisiana chef Paul Prudhomme in a lodge in Wyoming, The New York Times reported.

What to order: Cuban sandwich

What customers say: "I think they do a good job with what they serve, what more can you ask for? We ordered a Classic Cuban Sandwich and a Hot Cuban Tamales. Both were fresh and hot when we got it. The sandwich bread was crispy on the outside and soft on the inside, so how a good sandwich should be. The Cuban tamales are not served with sauce like Mexican tamales, but it's very flavorful on its own and not dry at all. I would definitely recommend you trying it if you haven't before," wrote Yelp user Virginia H.

Learn more about Kool Korner Sandwiches here.

What to order: The Mariner

What customers say: "Oh my goodness this sandwich (The Mariner) was good!!! It was the perfect way to start the day being a tourist in Homer. The chicken was so tasty, and the texture was perfect for the sandwich. The sauce tied all the veggies, chicken, and bacon together. I think my ONLY complaint was that it was really small and a little confusing that we had to sit in the next-door Boba place," wrote Yelp user Allie N.

Learn more about Mike's Alaskan Eatery here.

What to order: The Tony

What customers say: "Great sandwiches, nice to find good Italian meats in the desert. Had the Tony, tasted just like out east," wrote Yelp user Nathan P.

Learn more about Frank's New York Style Deli here.

What to order: Funky Chicken

What customers say: "Very cute local restaurant! We stopped here while doing a scenic fall drive in the area. I had the Big Cheese with bacon and my husband had the Funky Chicken. The service is good, the prices are average and everyone that was working was nice to us. Both of us enjoyed lunch and the ambiance," wrote Yelp user Monica E.

American Artisans is temporarily closed, but reopens on January 22, 2025.

Learn more about American Artisans Eatery & Gallery here.

What to order: Tri-tip sandwich

What customers say: "Tri-tip sandwich was delicious, meat cooked to perfection and well seasoned. Owner offered the best customer service super nice and kind! The little sitting area had a map where you can pin where are you from too! For sure will come back," wrote Yelp user Pia M.

Learn more about Prunedale Market here.

What to order: Prosciutto basil sandwich

What customers say: "Ordered the small prosciutto basil sandwich and I would order it again and again. Reasonable prices too," wrote Yelp user Emma S.

Learn more about European Market & Bistro here.

What to order: Roast beef sandwich

What customers say: "The roast beef sandwich was the best one my wife ever had. That is saying a lot as she gets roast beef everywhere. I had the tuna sandwich with arugula and Swiss — it was also fantastic," wrote Yelp user Sergio P.

Learn more about The Dilly Duck Shop here.

What to order: Philly cheesesteak sandwich

What customers say: "Absolutely the best, fresh sliced to order for the best cheesesteak you'll ever have, and I grew up in Philly and AC eating nothing but cheesesteaks. So give it a try," wrote a Yelp user.

Learn more about Gaudiello's Italian Hoagies here.

What to order: Italian sandwich

What customers say: "The sandwiches at Frankie's are nothing short of exceptional. Whether you opt for a classic Italian sub bursting with flavors or a creative vegetarian option, each bite is a testament to their commitment to quality ingredients and skilled craftsmanship," wrote Yelp user Beatriz A.

Learn more about Franky's Deli Warehouse here.

What to order: ABC (The "American Born Chinese")

What customers say: "I ordered their famous ABC sandwich. It was a huge portion and the flavor was very unexpected. It was sweet, smoky, and crunchy! This particular sandwich came with a slaw and sweet pickles on it. It was an interesting flavor combination, unlike anything else that I've ever tried," wrote Yelp user Nisha B.

Learn more about Java Saga here.

What to order: Vietnamese sandwich

What customers say: "My go-to all the time is the Vietnamese sandwich. The bread hit the spot! Crunchy on the outside and soft on the inside. Packed with pork, Vietnamese sausages, and lots of veggies. It's super juicy and don't forget to add the spicy sauce to add that kick of spiciness," wrote Yelp user Pamela P.

Learn more about No Name BBQ Sandwich here.

What to order: Reuben sandwich

What customers say: "Wow, wow, wow! Tried this place for the first time today and was not disappointed. The Reuben sandwich is amazing. A half is plenty large enough for one person. Not to mention the gals that work here are the sweetest! Home-made soups and desserts as well. I'll be back to try all the things," wrote Yelp user Becca P.

Learn more about Midtown Deli here.

What to order: Spicy soppressata sandwich

What customers say: "I ordered the spicy soppressata sandwich for lunch. The ingredients were fresh and I loved the bite of spiciness followed by the creaminess of the ricotta spread. The flavors really melded well," wrote Yelp user Samuel A.

Learn more about Firenze Italian Street Food here.

What to order: The Dip

What customers say: "Our company ordered in Subito for lunch and the brisket French dip was delicious! Tender and thinly sliced it was not chewy at all. The provolone and mayo made for almost a cheesy sauce, and the ciabatta was hearty enough not to fall apart when devouring this mighty sandwich! Even the Caesar side salad was tasty and well crafted," wrote Yelp user Erik T.

Learn more about Subito here.

What to order: Crab rangoon chicken sandwich

What customers say: "I got the crab rangoon sandwich, let's start with the chicken itself. The breading is tasty, the chicken is juicy. It's good all on its own. Then you add the extras. A lovely cream cheese spread, a wonderful sweet chili sauce with wonton strips and lettuce. It's a surprise from the first bite and a wonderful one. One of the best chicken sandwiches in town," wrote Yelp user Eric C.

Learn more about Charlotte's Kitchen here.

What to order: Chef's Club

What customers say: "We ordered the Chef's Club sandwich, Cindy the Boy sandwich, chicken curry soup, and the tomato curry, they were amazing," wrote Yelp user Jill K.

Learn more about Tanya's Soup Kitchen here.

What to order: Italian sandwich

What customers say: "My husband and I split the spicy Italian sandwich, he had a side of potato salad. It was delicious! Piping hot upon delivery, if you are splitting a sandwich, let them know, and they will cut them in half for you," wrote Yelp user Veronica B.

Learn more about Heavens To Betsy! Bakery here.

What to order: Occidental Oriental

What customers say: "Milk Bar has hearty sandwiches with flavorful combinations from simple to unusual made with love by a lovely local couple who love and know their community. Offerings have vegetarian options and great salads, too," wrote Yelp user Cynthia C.

Learn more about The Milk Bar here.

What to order: Nashville Samurai

What customers say: "My husband loved his Italian sando, and we also split the Nashville Samurai, which was made with Japanese karaage and local honey — it was perfectly sweet and spicy," wrote Yelp user Naomi S.

Learn more about CERA here.

What to order: Crab cake sandwich

What customers say: "The crab cake sandwich has some big lumps of crab throughout, which is nice to see because a lot of restaurants will spread the lumps down. The cobb salad is also another one of my favorites," wrote Yelp user Lia H.

Learn more about Full On Craft Eats & Drinks here.

What to order: Lazy Susan

What customers say: "One of the better sandwiches I've ever had. Was staying in Plymouth for a weekend with some local friends and they couldn't have recommended a better spot just up the road. Fresh bread and fresh ingredients made the sandwich a knockout. Highly recommend the orzo salad too," wrote Yelp user Ian M.

Mae's Sandwich Shop is currently closed for its winter break, but reopens on January 24.

Learn more about Mae's Sandwich Shop here.

What to order: The Monster

What customers say: "I had the Monster sandwich and it was pure heaven on an onion roll! So much flavor! Certainly worth the drive from the Eastside," wrote Yelp user Adrian G.

Learn more about Ernie's Market here.

What to order: Tuna Ciabatta

What customers say: "Everything always goes well — consistent for the many years I've been enjoying their menu. The food is fresh and of higher-than-average quality. Service is as good and professional. Ambiance — clean and overhead menu. Daily specials. Don't miss this place," wrote Yelp user Rickie G.

Learn more about Zuppa Cucina here.

What to order: Kathy's Kickin' Reuben

What customers say: "Great vibes, friendly staff, and quick service! The Reuben is great, and the potato salad was delicious. Will definitely be back," wrote a Yelp user Ashton D.

Learn more about The Grind Coffee and Nosh here.

What to order: Original roast beef sandwich

What customers say: "My boyfriend goes back and forth between the roast beef and turkey. Got the beef this time. Long lines often but it goes quickly. Never any complaints other than we wish they were open later," wrote Yelp user Deyna J.

Learn more about Blues City Deli here.

What to order: Megadeath

What customers say: "New Jerseyans recommended Tagliare, and that was good enough for us. They were spot on and led us to a delicious lunch. All the sandwiches are named for Bands, which was an added kick. We ordered a Zeppelin (turkey, dry salami, pastrami, provolone, greens, balsamic marinated onions, and oil & vinegar) and Pretenders (fresh mozzarella, tomatoes, basil and marinated onions). My Pretenders was scrumptious, a caprese that had gone to college," wrote a Yelp user named Laura S.

Learn more about Tagliare Delicatessen here.

What to order: Spicy Thai chicken sandwich

What customers say: "A MUST TRY in Lincoln! There are so many options and combinations to try to fit your cravings. My spouse loves spicy and always gets #2 with extra meat and I always get the Korean BBQ, love me some kimchi and spicy mayo. Don't forget your sweet tooth! You have to get a boba tea and try the green waffle," wrote Yelp user Annie S.

Learn more about Banhwich Cafe here.

What to order: Italian sandwich

What customers say: "I found this place driving home from work one day. This should be an extremely busy lunch spot and should be crawling with people. It's definitely a hole in the wall, but one of the best mom 'n pop sandwich places I've been to," wrote Yelp user Randy L.

Learn more about Panino here.

What to order: The Pilgrim sandwich

What customers say: "Walking into John's you immediately get the feeling you're entering an old fashioned sandwich shop, not a fast food joint. I got two roast beef sandwiches and they were both delicious. Great service and food. I'll definitely be a repeat customer. Highly recommended!" wrote Yelp user Peter T.

Learn more about Jon's Roast Beef & Deli here.

What to order: Braised pork belly banh mi

What customers say: "Saigon Subs and Café has been on so many top food lists in New Jersey that I had to try it! [...] I would definitely come again for this chicken sandwich. This is one of the top places to eat in Morristown," wrote Yelp user Todd C.

Learn more about Saigon Subs & Café here.

What to order: Fried tofu banh mi

What customers say: "I love everything about this Vietnamese bakery — delicious food and great value! The grilled pork is delicious on anything (spring rolls, banh mi, vermicelli bowls, you name it!) and their pastries are so buttery and rich. The tofu is also great, nicely fried and super soft inside. Grilled chicken is also great and flavorful! Portion size is great, and even the salads are delicious," wrote Yelp user Su Yee-L.

Learn more about Coda Bakery here.

What to order: Chicken cutlet sandwich

What customers say: "Food, service, ambiance, EVERYTHING about this place screams Italy! The ingredients are so fresh & delicious. I recommend getting a simple panini press. The bread is to die for!!!! Definitely top 2 delis and it ain't 2. (I got ham & muenster cheese with sweet and hot peppers in a panini press) I will be dreaming about it until further notice," wrote Yelp user Nikol P.

Learn more about Tony's Beechhurst Deli here.

What to order: Eddie V sandwich

What customers say: "Waveriders is a must for breakfast when we're in OBX. The combinations they have are great, and the ability to make modifications is easy. I ordered online for ASAP pickup at 7:45am and the food was ready at 7:56am. This is included 4 sandwiches and two ice coffees. Highly recommend!" wrote Yelp user Tina M.

Learn more about Waveriders Coffee, Deli & Market here.

What to order: Chicago Italian beef

What customers say: "I travel for work a lot. When I know I'm passing by Minot I will plan my day to ensure I'm here for lunch. Friendly and courteous staff, clean establishment and a great location downtown. The owner knows her sandwiches and her passion and attention to every detail comes through in the finished product. [...] I would provide a photo of the beautiful monthly special I just picked up, however I inhaled it faster than than my cameras shutter speed could capture... should have gotten the 12"er!" wrote Yelp user Nathan A.

Learn more about Magic City Hoagies here.

What to order: Bella Donna

What customers say: "When I say that their Shipyard Tuna Melt is the best tuna melt I've ever had, I'm not lying. Maybe even the best sandwich — or best lunch I've ever eaten," wrote Yelp user Jane G.

Learn more about Newfangled Kitchen here.

What to order: Macaroni Pony

What customers say: "The mule is an excellent choice for lunch or casual dining. The restaurant is fun with a good vibe. Good food, varied menu, good service, and moderate prices. My favorites are the Macaroni Pony and the Philly Cheese Steak, but all their sandwiches are hearty and delectable. Their soups are good. Their half sandwich and cup of soup is a good lunch offering. Their fried cheese curds are excellent," wrote Yelp user William Y.

Learn more about The Mule here.

What to order: Hot Pastrami

What customers say: "Fantastic sandwich, ordered the Dagwood and it is a sandwich that Dagwood himself would have been proud of!" wrote Yelp user Benjamin H.

Learn more about Josie K's Deli and Kitchen here.

What to order: Pesto turkey sandwich

What customers say: "Superb sandwiches. Quality ingredients, reasonable prices, truly enjoyed our food, and hope to be back for more soon," wrote Yelp user Maria R.

Learn more about Tredici Italian Market here.

What to order: Avocado Toast sandwich

What customers say: "I saw this on a local bloggers page and I was in the area thought to stop by. It's adorable. Friendly staff ! The sandwiches along with a latte were really delicious. I had the turkey gobbler and my husband enjoyed the Vinny / Italian. Everything was so fresh," wrote Yelp user Margie S.

Learn more about Shayna's Place here.

What to order: The B-fast

What customers say: "There's nothing to not love about this small spot. It may be small in size, but it's big and bold in flavor! Only recommendation is to get there EARLY as they will sell out any time between 11-1 (at the latest) on the day(s) they are open. Chat with the owner - service and conversation was excellent! Cool spot, good vibes, leaves you wanting more after every visit!" wrote Yelp user Kalyn M.

Learn more about Cold Shoulder Gourmet here.

What to order: Vietnamese Fried Chicken

What customers say: "Stopped by while on a road trip. Great service and loved everything we ordered; curried cauliflower sandwich, Cuban sandwich, beet and asparagus salads. What a pleasant surprise," wrote Yelp user Fred M.

Learn more about Bread & Circus Sandwich Kitchen here.

What to order: Turkey bacon ranch sandwich

What customers say: "First off I dived in to this sandwich before I remembered to take a picture! Jump off the main drag of downtown Gatlinburg and treat yourself to the delicious food here. Everything is prepared fresh daily and the service is amazing. $3 dollar beers after 3:00pm and top off your meal with butter cake or peanut butter pie!" wrote Yelp user Sharon N.

Learn more about Tennessee Jed's here.

What to order: Sophia Loren

What customers say: "We've been going to Tony's for many years... ever since Hottie and Mary owned it. It has always kept its food quality and friendliness. These are definitely the best sandwiches in the greater Houston area...and always in a family friendly atmosphere," wrote Yelp user Tito E.

Learn more about Tony's Italian Delicatessen here.

What to order: Deluxe Philly cheesesteak

What customers say: "I drove up from Salt Lake on a day off, and was very impressed with so many things about this business. The quality of my meal was fantastic and watching g someone make it in front of you really sets this apart. […] Fantastic sandwich, great experience, and the only thing slowing me down from visiting again are the limited hours," wrote Yelp user Rafael J.

Learn more about Vito's here.

What to order: Roast beef sandwich

What customers say: "Immediately after walking into the sandwich shop I was met with the most Italian 'Hey how you doing' I've ever heard. After recommendations from the owners I decided to get the Italian Stallion sub and it was the greatest Italian sub I've ever had. For only $9.50 this super was loaded with meats and veggies that ended up being two meals for me. If I lived in Rutland, Vermont I know I would become a regular at this joint," wrote Yelp user Lina P.

Learn more about Sandwich Shoppe here.

What to order: El Cubano sandwich

What customers say: "Very swanky place with absolutely delicious food! The coffee is also strong, just the way I like it, and service was great as well. Would definitely return, a great place to catch breakfast/brunch for sure. Some highlights: there is a small parking lot as a heads up, and this restaurant only takes reservations for dinner. Breakfast and lunch you can walk in!" wrote Yelp user Chiamaka N.

Learn more about Guajiros Miami Eatery here.

What to order: Mama Lils peppers breakfast sandwich

What customers say: "Located upstairs inside the QFC Market, you'll find Konvene Coffee. There's bar style seating, a couple high tables, a couple low tables, and a couch to relax and enjoy your food. There's a variety of hot & cold caffeinated beverages to choose from and freshly made hot foods. Tried the ham, egg, & cheese breakfast sandwich and it was soooooo good. There's some kind of garlic aioli in there that tastes homemade and is truly chefs kiss. The place is operated by one person who does it all - he's the chef and the barista, very friendly guy. Would definitely come back here the next time I'm in Seattle," wrote Yelp user Helen L.

Learn more about Konvene Coffee here.

What to order: Breakfast sandwiches

What customers say: "Visited Battle Grounds Bakery recently. Walking by, the smells were amazing. On our way back from our walk through Harpers Ferry, we stopped in and looked at the menu. My wife and mom drink coffee, so I requested two large coffees to go. I also requested a sausage, egg, and cheese croissant. It was busy, but the coffee was served quickly. […] Next time we're in HF, we'll visit again. Great food. Great service," wrote Yelp user Rodney W.

Learn more about Battle Grounds Bakery & Coffee here.

What to order: Paradigm

What customers say: "I got a make your own turkey sandwich on foccacia and this was phenomenal. Each of the ingredients tasted fresh and contributed to the overall deliciousness of the sandwich. Despite the large portion size, I finished eating it and immediately wanted more. All the staff were so friendly as well! Missed out on trying the chocolate chip cookie and chicken cutlet but looking forward to those next time!" wrote Yelp user Akshita P.

Casetta Kitchen is currently closed for its winter break, but it reopens on January 6.

Learn more about Casetta Kitchen and Counter here.

What to order: Cabbage burger

What customers say: "Was pleasantly surprised how good my sandwich was. A little pricey for 2 small sized slices of bread and meat, but the bread here was great, and the ingredients were fresh. Bakery items here looked delicious as well! Definitely stop by to avoid a fast food joint!" wrote Yelp user Jack S.

Learn more about Bread Basket Bakery here.

Railcar-style diners were modeled after dining cars or sometimes converted from the original train cars into stand-alone eateries, The Telegraph reported.

Diners, which were relatively affordable to purchase at just $1,000, were constructed in factories and then shipped to their destinations, much like mobile homes. Since they had to be transported using a truck or railcar, they were purposefully designed to be narrow, the Telegraph reported.

Once they arrived, the utilities simply had to be connected. 

Curbed reported that nearly 95% of the shippable restaurants were once manufactured in New Jersey because of the state's high working population and proximity to major highways. 

The Summit Diner in New Jersey, one of the oldest diners in the country, opened in 1928, was rebuilt in 1939, and is still open today.

However, after World War II ended and the suburbs began to boom, more people began opening diners nationwide.

Since the restaurants themselves were so small, and the kitchens so narrow, not many employees were required, which kept costs down and profits up, Curbed reported.

Travelers along the new highways could stop off and grab a quick bite at the roadside establishments.

Diners typically operate around the clock, allowing patrons to stop by at any time for a meal.

Most diners had galley kitchens that made it easier for cooks to move from one dish to another, making service quicker than in a traditional restaurant, the Telegraph reported.

Items like pancakes, sausages, meatloaf, burgers, and sandwiches were standard on diner menus, and still are today. 

The meals were priced low, making diners popular even before their rise in the 1950s. During the Great Depression, diners provided an inexpensive way for families to go out to eat, the Telegraph reported.

Edward Hopper's 1942 painting "Nighthawks" shows a diner and its few occupants late at night. The painting is based on a diner in New York City's Greenwich Village.

Young couples could stop into a diner for a couple of burgers, hang around the jukebox, and meet up with friends in a casual, public setting.

"In the movies, the diner is a special kind of space, a mythic place, a zone of escape," film critic John Patterson told the BBC in a 2011 interview.

Suzanne Vega, who wrote the '80s hit song "Tom's Diner," added, "The attraction of the diner is that it's a sort of a midway point between the street and home."

Michael C. Gabriele, who wrote "The History of Diners in New Jersey," told the Telegraph that "diners are the state's ultimate gathering places — at any moment, high school students, CEOs, construction workers, and tourists might be found at a counter chatting with the waitresses and line cooks."

During the Civil Rights Movement, NPR reported, diners became a popular place for activists to hold "sit-ins" in restaurants that refused to seat Black people, despite many of them employing Black people to work there.

In 1964, Congress outlawed segregation in businesses such as theaters, restaurants, and hotels through the Civil Rights Act, but many diners in the South continued to segregate their establishments, afraid that seating Black people "would drive away white patrons," NPR reported.

Curbed reported in 2017 that new diners can cost more than $1 million to produce, and restoring or renovating old ones can be extremely pricey as well. Many '50s-style diners in operation are built on-site to cut shipping costs.

As McDonald's, Wendy's, and Burger King restaurants continued to pop up nationwide, it became difficult for small business owners to compete with the huge corporations also selling cheap, convenient food.

In 2022, Time Out reported that two notable New York diners, Good Stuff Diner in Chelsea and Meme's Diner in Crown Heights, had closed their doors in the previous two years. The New York Times also reported that between 2014 and 2019, 15 diners were sold across four of New York City's five boroughs: six sales in Queens, six in Brooklyn, two in the Bronx, and one in Staten Island.

However, a recent embracing of nostalgia — such as the increased popularity of speakeasies, as reported by USA Today — has also revitalized the typical American diner.

A recent addition to New York's SoHo neighborhood is the trendy '50s-style Soho Diner, part of the Soho Grand Hotel. Other New York diners, like the Waverly Diner and the Empire Diner, have managed to keep their doors open despite changing tastes.

Carter lived at the farm from the age of 4 until he departed for college in 1941. Carter's family didn't have running water until he turned 11, and they didn't get electricity until three years later.

"The greatest day in my life was not being inaugurated president, [and] it wasn't even marrying Rosalynn — it was when they turned the electricity on," Carter said, according to the New York Times.

Carter received a bachelor's from the United States Naval Academy in 1946 and served as a submariner in the United States Navy before entering politics. When he became president in 1977, he put the farm into a blind trust, allowing a third party to take control of it while he was in the White House, avoiding any conflicts of interest, according to the National Park Service.

When he left the White House in 1981, the law firm managing the trust revealed the farm was $1 million in debt due to drought and changes in management, and the Carters sold it, the National Park Service said. 

As a living museum, visitors can press buttons located throughout the historical site to hear recordings of Jimmy Carter's experience growing up on the farm, and guided tours are also available on weekends.

The farm is located in Archery, Georgia, about 3 miles from the nearby town of Plains.

Many of the farm's original buildings, from Earl Carter's commissary to Carter's childhood home, have been preserved.

Visitors can also tour the Clark home, once occupied by tenants Jack and Rachel Clark who worked on the Carter farm.

The official Jimmy Carter website wrote that Carter spent a lot of time with the Clarks growing up, to the point where the Clarks set up a sleeping pallet filled with either corn shucks or wheat straw that he would sleep on when his parents were out of town. 

In 1994, the National Park Service purchased Carter's three-bedroom childhood home and 17 acres of the once 360-acre farm to create the historical site. 

The furnishings inside the home were never owned by the Carters, but they were chosen to reflect the time period and are similar to what would have been used when the Carters lived there. 

In addition to a more formal dining room, visitors can tour the family's kitchen, breakfast room, living room, the bedroom of Jimmy Carter's parents, Earl and Lillian, and the bedroom his two sisters, Gloria and Ruth, shared at the farmhouse. 

Carter also had a younger brother, Billy, who slept in their parents' room until Jimmy left the farm for college in 1941.

Carter continued to enjoy the sport throughout his life, especially during his tenure at the White House, but it was here where he first learned the game during matches with his father.

The commissary was run by Earl Carter in order to make extra money, provide his tenants and the residents of Archery a place to buy needed supplies, and sell gas to passing motorists, according to the National Park Service.

The store wasn't always open during standard work hours, but Earl Carter would make sure to open it — or ask Jimmy to open it — in order to make a sale.

The property is still an active farm, and crops are still grown periodically throughout the year. Some of the crops still grown on the farm include sugarcane, cotton, corn, tomatoes, and peanuts.

Honeybees, goats, chickens, mules, and farm cats also call the Boyhood Farm home.

Carter built the ranch-style home in 1961. Rosalynn died in November 2023 at 96 years old. Jimmy Carter died in December 2024 at 100 years old.

"My father was a hero, not only to me but to everyone who believes in peace, human rights, and unselfish love," Chip Carter, the former president's son, said in a statement shared by The Carter Center. "My brothers, sister, and I shared him with the rest of the world through these common beliefs. The world is our family because of the way he brought people together, and we thank you for honoring his memory by continuing to live these shared beliefs."

Jeff Clements, a part-owner of the Buffalo Peanut Company, a commercial peanut sheller and seed treater that owns what was once the Carter family's warehouse, previously told The New York Times that "you wouldn't have the downtown atmosphere that you have" in Plains without Carter. Clements also commended Carter's humanitarian work.

"The fact he was still willing to be a Christian and act in a Christian way and not be afraid to do so in today's time," he said, "that's more so his legacy than anything he did while he was president."

It is the oldest surviving McDonald's location in the world. It doesn't even have a drive-thru — instead, customers walk up to the restaurant's windows to order.

Speedee, a chef with a hamburger for a head, appeared on the original McDonald's signs alongside the brand's logo of two interlocking golden arches.

Some signs also advertised the low price of McDonald's hamburgers — just 15 cents at the time.

Before being converted into a McDonald's and McCafe restaurant, the building was known as a cultural relic that was the residence of politician Chiang Ching-kuo for one month during the 1940s, CNN reported.

CNN reported that many locals objected to the restaurant opening inside the historic building, calling it a prime example of Western commercialism invading Chinese culture.

However, since opening in 2015, the restaurant has become somewhat of a tourist attraction, welcoming visitors from all over the world.

The restaurant opened on October 8, 1990, in Shenzhen's special economic zone.

The South China Morning Post reported that on its opening day, the unique McDonald's received over 40,000 customers despite only having a maximum seating capacity of 460. It was the first McDonald's to open in mainland China, which made it a popular destination for locals and tourists at the time.

The restaurant's roof is still adorned with the iconic golden arches to make it recognizable to passersby.

Author and photojournalist Gary He, who's dined at over 100 McDonald's restaurants around the world, told Business Insider it was one of the most "epic" locations he's ever visited. 

Named one of the "world's coolest McDonald's" on a sign outside the restaurant, customers can enjoy everything from a classic Big Mac to Chicken McNuggets and McCafe beverages inside the plane.

Visitors to this unique McDonald's restaurant can also view the D3 plane's cockpit.

The building was originally the United Kingdom Hotel and was designed by architect James Hastie Wardrop.

Constructed between 1937 and 1938, this restaurant has been called one of the most beautiful McDonald's buildings in the world.

The restaurant, which spanned two floors and was a replica of Ray Kroc's first McDonald's, was filled with music and pop-culture memorabilia.

After the restaurant was partially demolished and modernized, the memorabilia once housed in the restaurant went into the franchise owner's personal collection, The Chicago Tribune reported.

Known for its giant marquee featuring thousands of light bulbs, the restaurant — perhaps surprisingly — closed in 2020 not as a result of the coronavirus pandemic but rather as part of McDonald's regular review of its restaurant portfolio, a spokesperson told NBC.

However, there's a new McDonald's restaurant located in Times Square, meaning you can still get your fix.

The restaurant, which was built in 1993, is located in one of Arizona's most beautiful cities; it's known for its awe-inspiring red-rock mountains, canyon walls, and pine forests. 

While the bright yellow color of most McDonald's signs might work in other parts of the country, the turquoise color chosen by the Sedona, Arizona, location blends much better with the surrounding landscape.

Sedona also has strict restrictions on the height of buildings and signage, which is why the famous arches are placed lower than at most other McDonald's restaurants.

On top of the large McDonald's restaurant, which also had a play place, was a statue of a NASA astronaut holding a container of fries.

Ronald McDonald and the rest of the "McDonaldland" characters lined the walls wearing space suits and posing against a starry background.

Moored slightly south of the Gateway Arch on the Mississippi River, this McDonald's was the very first McDonald's to be opened on a riverboat.

It was open for 20 years before closing in 2000.

Some McDonald's locations attempt to blend in with the local buildings and are designed more sympathetically. 

This McDonald's location, however, was actually built inside a preexisting colonial mansion that's more than 150 years old. Located in Freeport, a small seaside town in Maine, the building was converted into the town's only McDonald's in 1984.

The restaurant is on Rue Saint-Lazare in Paris, France. Though the building is now a McDonald's, it is also a UNESCO World Heritage Site.

Inspired by Roswell's extraterrestrial history, the interior of the spaceship contains a space-themed play area.

Though you might think patrons can stroll up the steps to enter one of the most unusual McDonald's buildings in the world, customers actually enter from a side entrance.

The building almost resembles the White House. It's known as the Méqui1000 because it was the 1,000th McDonald's to open in Brazil.

However, past its columns and grand facade, customers can still enjoy McDonald's favorites like the Big Mac or Brazilian menu items like the McCrispy Chicken Legend and the cheddar McMelt.

The giant bronze eagle, designed by Portuguese sculptor Henrique Moreira, is usually the first thing customers notice when they approach the restaurant. 

The colorful window is original to the coffee shop that previously occupied the space, and it features beautiful coffee-related scenes.

The restaurant has been called the world's most beautiful McDonald's.

It was designed in accordance with building requirements from the city.

"The building is unique to any I have ever seen and it is a joy to take a break and walk to the second floor and enjoy the view while I enjoy breakfast or lunch," wrote one TripAdvisor user.

The "train station" opened in 1975, and is also occupied by a Starbucks and a Popeyes.

Despite having a unique theme, the restaurant still serves up McDonald's favorites.

The building was originally an 18th-century farmhouse that was converted into a Georgian-style mansion in the 1860s.

However, Atlas Obscura reported that the fast-food giant faced pressure from preservationists to restore the home to its former grandeur.

The town then allowed the chain to build onto the existing building to create space for a drive-thru. 

The station was built in 1877 by the Eiffel Company, which also built the Eiffel Tower. The New York Post reported that the restaurant temporarily closed before being reopened in September after an extensive renovation.

Located in downtown Batumi, this McDonald's stands out for its reflective glass exterior. Patrons eating inside the restaurant can also gaze out onto the pool of water and manicured grass surrounding the building.

This location was built in 2013 and won the award for The Best Commercial Building of 2014 by the architecture website ArchDaily.

This makes for a great photo-op or simply a beautiful sight while patrons eat their meals.

Resembling a ski lodge, the restaurant fits in perfectly in the mountain town. However, the inside is grander than perhaps any outside viewer could expect.

The interior is also decorated with wallpaper, pieces of art, and hanging chandeliers. 

Located in Lindvallen, one of Sweden's premier ski resorts, this one-of-a-kind "ski-thru" McDonald's allows guests to enter the building and order their food without ever even removing their skis. 

Gary He told BI that it was the most unusual location he had ever visited. 

"The air is so clean and crisp — it's like being on top of the world," He said. "When I visited, it wasn't even busy. It was just me, the McSki, and the mountains. I was just hanging out and enjoying myself."

"A few sandwiches short of a picnic" means someone who lacks common sense. The phrase was first documented in the BBC's "Lenny Henry Christmas Special" in 1987.

"She's great fun, but she's a few sandwiches short of a picnic."

"Anorak" refers to someone who's a little bit geeky, with strong interests or expertise in a niche area.

Although it's more often used as a synonym for raincoat, an anorak is something slightly different in playground slang. This word probably originates from the "uncool" appearance of anorak coats and the people wearing them.

"Thomas is such an anorak when it comes to train trivia."

"Bagsy" is the British equivalent of calling "shotgun" or "dibs" when something, like the front seat of the car or food, is offered up to a group. School kids might call "bagsy" on items in their friends' pack lunches, like an apple or a cereal bar, that the friend isn't going to eat.

"Does anyone want thi—"

"Bagsy!"

"Bee's knees" refers to something at the "height of cool." This phrase became mainstream in the USA in the 1920s despite its British origins, but its popularity has dwindled since the turn of the century.

When first documented in the 18th century, the "bee's knees" referred to small or insignificant details. Since then, the phrase has evolved and now refers to something popular or cool.

"The Beatles are the bee's knees."

A "bender" is an extended period of drinking, usually in excess. Someone on a spree of excessive drinking and mischief is "on a bender." Benders can last over 24 hours, and so you might say that someone is on "a weekend bender," or a "three-day bender."

"I bumped into him towards the end of his four-day bender. He was a wreck."

A "bird" is an informal word for a girl or young woman.

While the phrase can be interpreted as misogynistic, it's still commonly used. It's usually used to describe a woman between the ages of 18 and 50, particularly one who is attractive.

"Look at that bird over there. She's fit."

To "pull a blinder" involves achieving something difficult faultlessly and skillfully. The phrase is most commonly used when the individual has been lucky and the person saying it is in disbelief that the first person has managed to pull it off.

"And did you see that equalizing goal in the last minute of injury time? He pulled a blinder there."

"Bloody" or "bleeding" is used to add emphasis to adjectives, similar to how "wicked" is used in New England. The origins of the word are widely disputed. Some believe it's derived from the Dutch word "blute," meaning "bare." Others believe the word is a contraction of the 17th-century phrase "by our lady," and is blasphemous.

This second theory has been disproved, however, by the slang's first documentation predating the widespread use of the phrase "by our lady."

Nowadays, "bloody" is used widely — it's even used in children's films such as "Harry Potter" — and is arguably one of the most quintessentially British words on the list.

"That was bloody good."

"Bob's your uncle" is the very British equivalent to "hey presto!" or "et voilá!" This phrase is often used to describe a process that seems more difficult than it actually is.

"Press down the clutch, put it into gear, then slowly ease off the clutch again. Bob's your uncle — you're driving!"

Something that is "bog-standard" is completely ordinary with no frills, embellishments, or add-ons. Its origins are somewhat unclear, but a "bog" is another word for a toilet in British slang, adding to the connotations that something "bog-standard" is unglamorous and unspecial.

"How was the hostel?" "Oh, nothing exciting to report. Just your bog-standard dorm, really."

The "boot" of a car is the trunk in American English. A popular pastime in the United Kingdom is attending or having your own "car boot sale," in which people usually sell knickknacks and old personal items out of the back of their cars.

"Shove the shopping in the boot."

A "botch job" is a repair job that's been completed in a hurry and will probably fall apart reasonably soon. A "botch job" can also refer to anything that's been done haphazardly, like a work assignment.

"Sam did a botch job on these shelves — they're wonky!"

A "brolly" is a shortened word for an umbrella. On a rainy day in London, you would definitely want a brolly on hand.

"Grab your brolly, it's drizzling outside."

"Budge up" is similar to "scoot over" or "move over." An informal way of asking someone to make room where they are sitting for you to sit down, too, would be asking them to "budge up."

"Hey, there's loads of room on that bench. Budge up and make some room for us, too!"

"Builder's tea" is the name of a strongly brewed cup of English breakfast tea with milk and sugar.

It's common courtesy to offer a laborer or builder working on your house a builder's tea while they're working — especially if they're working out in the cold. This is probably how the term came about.

"A bacon sandwich and a builder's tea. Now that's a proper breakfast."

"Butcher's hook" is Cockney rhyming slang for "look." Therefore, if you're "having a butchers," you're having a look at something.

"Would you take a butchers at this broken bike for me?"

"Cheeky" refers to an act that could be deemed impolite or shameless but, for some reason, comes across as funny or endearing to others. "Being cheeky" means being funny or humorous, but slightly mischievous at the same time. 

"Joe's children are absolute rascals — they tied my shoelaces together last week!"

"Those cheeky monkeys."

A "good old chinwag" is a good chat, catch-up, or gossip with someone.

The action of chatting away — with the jaw bobbing up and down — resembles a chin "wagging" like a dog's tail.

"Those two are having a proper chinwag — I haven't been able to get a word in edgeways for half an hour!"

"Chockablock" could be used to describe something that's full to the brim or rammed. This is sometimes shortened to "chocka." The phrase is most often used to describe heavy road traffic.

"We should've taken the other route. This road is chocka!"

"Chuffed" means overjoyed and full of pride. If you get a promotion or meet someone special, you might describe yourself as "chuffed."

"I heard you got the promotion. Congratulations! You must be chuffed."

"Codswallop" means something untrue, often made up for dramatic effect.

Although no one is completely sure of the word's origins, it could derive from the words "cod" and "wallop," which historically meant "imitation" and "beer" respectively — implying that "codswallop" is the kind of rubbish you make up when drunk.

"Oh, what a load of codswallop!"

"Cream crackered" is Cockney rhyming slang for "knackered," or incredibly tired.

The term probably came about because it rhymes with "knacker." A "knacker" was the person who slaughtered worn-out horses in the 19th and 20th centuries for their meat, hoofs, and hides. So, if you're "ready for the knacker's yard," you're exhausted beyond relief.

"This week's done me in already, and it's only Tuesday. I'm cream crackered."

"Dench" is an adjective used to advocate something that is impressive or agreeable. Dench is also the equivalent of "solid" or "cool" when used in response to someone else.

Its reported creator, British rapper Lethal Bizzle, elusively told The Guardian that the word "means anything you want." 

"I'm going to make us spaghetti carbonara for dinner."

"Dench."

"Dim" refers to someone who lacks common knowledge. On the other hand, someone who's intelligent might be described as "bright."

"She's a bit dim."

A "doddle" is an easy task. The word could be a variation of "toddle" — like a young child's first steps.

"This will be a doddle."

A "dog's dinner" is a mess or fiasco. It is also sometimes referred to as a "dog's breakfast."

"You've made a dog's dinner of that paint job."

To "faff" or "faff about" is to waste time doing very little. "Faff" comes from the 17th-century word "faffle," which means to flap about in the wind.

"What did you do on your day off from work?"

"We were just faffing about."

"Fit" is used to describe someone physically attractive, usually referring to their physique. If you see someone you find attractive, you would call them "fit."

"He's fit."

To "flog" means to sell something, usually quickly and cheaply.

"Flogging" also refers to whipping a racehorse in order to make it move faster, so there is some speculation into whether you flog goods in order to make them shift faster, too. However, there is no proof for this theory.

"I'm trying to flog my old sofa. Do you know anyone who might be interested?"

A "full Monty" refers to pursuing something to the absolute limits.

After "The Full Monty" film was released in 1997, there was some international confusion over the phrase, which was taken as a euphemism for stripping. However, "the full Monty" now usually refers to taking something as far as it can go, similar to "the whole nine yards."

"The full Monty" historically refers to an old tailor called Sir Montague Burton. Going "the full Monty" meant purchasing a full three-piece suit, a shirt, and all of the trimmings.

"Our Christmas dinner had everything from sprouts to Yorkshire puddings. If you're going to have a roast, have the full Monty!"

"Full of beans" can be used to describe someone who's energetic, lively, or enthusiastic. This phrase could be a reference to coffee beans, although these claims have been disputed.

"Goodness, you're full of beans this morning!"

"Gaff" is an informal word for "home." Although the origins of this phrase are largely unknown, a gaff in the 18th century was a music hall or theater, and so it's believed to derive from this.

"What are you up to this weekend? We've got a party at our gaff, if you fancy it?"

A "geezer" is a man who could be described as "suave" or "dapper," and is often suited and booted. Men from east London are also commonly referred to as "geezers," where the term is more interchangeable with "lad."

Geezer is thought to stem from the 15th century "guiser," which meant well-dressed.

"That guy's got such swagger — he's a proper geezer."

"Gutted" means devastated or extremely upset. If your favorite football team were to lose, you'd be "gutted."

"I was absolutely gutted."

"Innit" is an abbreviation of "isn't it," most commonly used among teenagers and young people. This phrase is used to confirm or agree with something that another person has just said.

"It's really cold today."

"Innit."

A "kip" is slang for a short sleep or nap. The term is usually used to refer to a nap, but it can also mean a long sleep.

"What a long day. When we get home, I'm going to take a quick kip."

"Leg it" means to make a run for it, run away, or escape. It's used most commonly when you're trying to get out of a situation by physically running away.

"That's when all of the lights came on, and so we legged it."

"Miffed" means slightly irritated or annoyed and possibly derives from the German "muffen," meaning "to sulk."

"I was a bit miffed, I can't lie."

"Mint" might be used when referring to something of the highest caliber. It's derived from "mint condition," which refers to something pre-owned that retains its pristine condition — although something that's just "mint" doesn't have to be pre-owned.

"Those shoes are mint!"

"Mortal" describes someone highly intoxicated or drunk in a sloppy manner. Derived from the Newcastle sociolect, "mortal" became widely known across the country in 2011 by the reality TV show "Geordie Shore."

"Did you see Scott last night? He was mortal."

A "mug" is someone who has been made a fool of. "Mug" likely originated in London with Cockney slang. It means a stupid, often gullible, person who is easily taken advantage of.

"You signed that contract? You're such a mug."

In the same vein, to "mug off" someone is to make a fool of them, usually by deceiving or cheating on them. The phrase is common on the hit British reality show "Love Island."

"He's going on a date with Amber? I feel so mugged off right now."

"You're mugging me off."

To "nick" something means to steal it. "The Nick" can refer to a prison. The origins of the phrase are largely debated online, however, it's believed that "to nick" as in to steal influenced the slang term for prison, as being imprisoned is similar to being "stolen" away.

"Did you just nick that?"

"Don't get caught, or you'll end up in the Nick!"

Someone who's "on the pull" has gone out, usually on a night out, with the intention of attracting a sexual partner. "Pull" can also be used as a verb. If you've "pulled," you've kissed someone.

"You look nice. Are you going on the pull?"

"Pants" means something is rubbish, trash, or garbage. It's most often used to say something is unsatisfactory, like "blows" or "reeks," rather than actual trash.

"That is pants."

A "pea-souper" is a thick fog, often with a yellow or black tinge, caused by air pollution. The idiom was first used to describe the thick, choking smog that settled over London as early as 1200 c.e., caused by many people burning fossil fuels in close proximity.

The smogs were compared to pea soup due to their color and density.

"Be careful when you're driving — it's a pea-souper out there."

To "pop your clogs" means to die. This cheery phrase is widely believed to originate from Northern factory workers during the Industrial Revolution. When they worked on the factory floor, employees had to wear hard clogs to protect their feet.

The idea is when someone popped or cocked their clogs, the toes of the clogs pointed up in the air as they lay down dead.

"Did you hear what happened to John's old man? He popped his clogs, didn't he..."

"Poppycock" means something that is nonsense, rubbish, or simply untrue. This quintessentially British idiom does not refer to actual poppies. It derives from the Dutch "pap" and "kak," which translate as "soft" and "dung."

"What a load of poppycock!"

"Quids in" means investing in something, sometimes — but not always — financially. Someone who's "quids in" has invested in an opportunity that will probably benefit them massively.

"Quid" is British slang for "pounds." For example, "five quid" means £5.

"If it all works out as planned, he'll be quids in."

"Shirty" could be used to describe someone who is short-tempered or irritated. The meaning of this slang has been debated at length.

The word "shirt" is derived from the Norse for "short," hence short-tempered. However, other people believe that "shirty" has connotations of being disheveled.

"Don't get shirty with me, mister."

"Skew-whiff" means askew. It means literally tilted on one side rather than slightly off or uneasy, as askew can mean in the US.

"Is it just me or is that painting a bit skew-whiff?"

To "skive" is to avoid work or school, often by pretending to be ill. "Skive" is derived from the French "esquiver," meaning "to slink away."

"He skived off school so we could all go to Thorpe Park on a weekday."

"Smarmy" is used to describe someone who comes across as scheming or untrustworthy.

Although the adjective's origins remain largely unknown, early documented uses seem to use the word as synonymous with "smear," further suggesting that someone who is "smarmy" is also "slick" or "slippery."

"Don't trust him — he's a smarmy geezer."

"Take the biscuit" is used similarly to "take the cake and is the equivalent of taking the nonexistent medal for foolishness or incredulity.

If someone has done something highly irritating or surprising in an exasperating fashion, you might say that they've "taken the biscuit."

"I could just about deal with the dog barking at 5:30 a.m., but the lawnmower at 3 a.m. really takes the biscuit."

To "take the Mickey" means to take liberties at the expense of others. It can be used in both a lighthearted and an irritated fashion.

"Take the Mickey" is an abbreviation of "taking the Mickey Bliss," which is Cockney rhyming slang for "take the p***."

"Hey! Don't take the Mickey."

To "waffle" means to talk at length while not getting to the point. When someone makes a great speech while skirting around a subject or saying little of any value, you might say that they're talking "waffle " or "waffling."

In the 17th century, to "waff" meant to yelp, and that quickly evolved to mean to talk foolishly or indecisively.

"I wish he'd stop waffling on."

"What a load of waffle!"

A "wally" is someone silly or incompetent. Although its origins are largely debated, the term's meaning has evolved over the last 50 years alone. In the 1960s, someone who was unfashionable might be nicknamed a "wally," Dictionary.com reported. 

"Don't put down a leaking mug on top of the newspaper, you wally!"

To "whinge" means to moan, groan, and complain in an irritating or whiny fashion. It is often deemed as unnecessary or over-the-top. 

"Quit whinging."

"Wind your neck in" means to mind your own business. If you want to tell someone to not concern themselves with issues that don't directly affect them, you might tell them to "wind their neck in."

This classic phrase is another way of telling someone that their opinion is not appreciated in the given scenario.

 "Wind your neck in and stop being so nosy!"

"Zonked" means exhausted or tired. It can also refer to someone already asleep or under the influence of drugs or alcohol.

"I was going to go out tonight, but when I finished work, I was absolutely zonked."

"When I got home, he was already zonked."

An earlier version of this story was written by Bobbie Edsor.

Carter grew up on his family's 360-acre peanut farm in the nearby community of Archery.

His father, James Earl Carter, Sr., was a farmer and businessman, while his mother, Lillian Gordy Carter, was a registered nurse.

The New York Times reported that the Carters were also the only white family in town. Despite achieving status in a rural town with a population of only 200, the family grew up in relative poverty. 

Carter's family didn't have running water until he turned 11 and they didn't get electricity until three years later.

"The greatest day in my life was not being inaugurated president, [and] it wasn't even marrying Rosalynn — it was when they turned the electricity on," the Times reported Carter said.

At the time, the Naval Academy did not offer specialized degrees, but Carter later did graduate work in nuclear physics at Union College in Schenectady, New York.

Though they knew each other distantly as children, a mutual friend formally introduced them while Carter was attending the US Naval Academy.

They were married on July 7, 1946, shortly after he had graduated from the academy.

Carter and his wife Rosalynn held the record for the longest-married presidential couple. She died on November 19, 2023.

He rose to the rank of lieutenant officer and is one of 29 American presidents who have served in the armed forces.

He is pictured third from left in the front row.

After the farm began to falter in the late 1940s, Earl Carter sold the family's farmhouse and surrounding land in 1949. moving the family to nearby Plains. However, after Jimmy Carter returned home and bought back the farm, the business became widely successful under his leadership.

In addition to the peanut farm, Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter operated Carter's Warehouse, a general-purpose seed and farm supply company in Plains, Georgia. 

The Carters had four children: Jack, born in 1947; James, born in 1950; Donnel, born in 1952; and Amy, born in 1967. 

The Miller Center reported that Carter served as chairman of the county school board and later became the first president of the Georgia Planning Association. In 1962, he was elected to the Georgia Senate. He attempted to run for governor in 1966 but was defeated. 

Carter served on multiple committees as governor and became the Democratic National Committee campaign chairman for the 1974 congressional and gubernatorial elections.

Carter, pictured with his family in 1976, won his party's nomination on the first ballot at the 1976 Democratic National Convention. 

Given that Carter had never held a national office before announcing his candidacy for president, many American voters had never heard of the Georgia politician when he launched his campaign. 

The Miller Center reported that a Georgia newspaper even ran a front-page headline that read, "Jimmy Who Is Running For What!?" after Carter announced his candidacy. 

However, a grassroots campaign team hailing from Plains, nicknamed "The Peanut Brigade," helped launch Carter as an outsider completely separated from the scandals of the previous Nixon administration. 

His campaign slogans focused on Carter's image as an everyday American, choosing phrases like "America Needs Carter, A Man of the Soil" and "Jimmy Carter For All of Us."

Carter chose Walter Mondale, a United States senator from Minnesota, as his vice presidential running mate.

In 1973, Ford was appointed to the vice presidency by Richard Nixon and confirmed by Congress under provisions of the 25th Amendment after Vice President Spiro T. Agnew resigned. Less than a year later, in August 1974, Nixon himself resigned, and Ford became president.

He was not a popular president, largely due to the aftermath of the Watergate Scandal and the Vietnam War. He also awarded Nixon a full pardon shortly after assuming office, which proved to be a controversial decision. 

Carter won with 297 electoral votes, a majority stemming from the Southern and Northern states, while Ford secured 240 votes.

"I pray that I won't disappoint the American people," President Carter told Walters in the December 1976 interview.

"This inauguration ceremony marks a new beginning, a new dedication within our government, and a new spirit among us all. A President may sense and proclaim that new spirit, but only a people can provide it," Carter said in his inaugural address. 

"You have given me a great responsibility — to stay close to you, to be worthy of you, and to exemplify what you are. Let us create together a new national spirit of unity and trust. Your strength can compensate for my weakness, and your wisdom can help to minimize my mistakes," he continued.

"Let us learn together and laugh together and work together and pray together, confident that in the end, we will triumph together in the right. The American dream endures. We must once again have full faith in our country — and in one another. I believe America can be better. We can be even stronger than before."

At the inauguration ceremony, Linda Ronstadt performed a cover of Willie Nelson's "Crazy," and Aretha Franklin performed "God Bless America."

The national anthem was performed by Cantor Isaac Goodfriend of Atlanta, a Holocaust survivor.

Carter famously broke royal protocol when he kissed the Queen Mother on the lips during his visit in 1977.

"I took a sharp step backwards – not quite far enough," the Queen Mother is said to have remarked after the encounter, according to Vogue.

After Queen Elizabeth passed away on September 8, 2022, Carter called her a "remarkable leader."

"Rosalynn and I extend our condolences to the family of Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II and the citizens of the United Kingdom," he wrote in a statement. "Her dignity, graciousness, and sense of duty have been an inspiration, and we join the millions around the world in mourning a remarkable leader."

During his presidency, Carter created the Department of Education and the Department of Energy. The White House reported that he also appointed record numbers of women, African Americans, and Hispanics to federal positions.

Carter was also the first president to install solar panels on the roof of the White House, though they were later removed by his successor, Ronald Reagan.

In addition to his work in the environment, Carter also established diplomatic relations with China and helped negotiate peace between Egyptian and Israeli leaders at Camp David in 1978, a peace agreement that came to be known as the Camp David Accords.

Carter claimed an increase of nearly 8 million jobs during his term and a decrease in the budget deficit. However, despite his gains, Carter's leadership came under scrutiny as Americans continued to struggle with high inflation and unemployment rates, the White House reported. 

The Iran Hostage Crisis also marred his presidency. On November 4, 1979, Iranian militants stormed the United States Embassy in Tehran and took 66 Americans captive. 

Thirteen of the captives were released on November 19 and 20, 1979, one was released on July 11, 1980, and the remaining 52 were released on January 20, 1981, over a year after they were initially captured, per the Jimmy Carter Presidential Library.

Eight American servicemen and one Iranian civilian were killed during a failed secret mission, spearheaded by Carter in April 1980, to rescue the hostages.

"As our team was withdrawing, after my order to do so, two of our American aircraft collided on the ground following a refueling operation in a remote desert location in Iran," Carter said in a statement at the time.

"There was no fighting; there was no combat. But to my deep regret, eight of the crewmen of the two aircraft which collided were killed, and several other Americans were hurt in the accident," Carter continued. "Our people were immediately airlifted from Iran. Those who were injured have gotten medical treatment, and all of them are expected to recover."

All of the hostages were eventually returned safely home, but many criticized Carter's lack of military retaliation after the incident, the failed 1980 mission, and the resulting loss of life. Secretary of State Cyrus Vance, who had opposed the mission, resigned in protest after the incident. 

"I promised you four years ago that I would never lie to you. So, I can't stand here tonight and say it doesn't hurt," Carter said in his concession speech on November 4, 1980. 

"I've not achieved all I set out to do; perhaps no one ever does. But we have faced the tough issues. We've stood for, and we've fought for, and we have achieved some very important goals for our country," he continued.

"These efforts will not end with this administration. The effort must go on. Nor will the progress that we have made be lost when we leave office. The great principles that have guided this Nation since its very founding will continue to guide America through the challenges of the future."

Carter founded the Carter Center, a nongovernmental, nonprofit organization in Atlanta, in 1982 with the goal of advancing human rights and alleviating suffering.

CNN reported that it has promoted conflict resolution, supervised democratic elections abroad, and worked to combat diseases worldwide, including the near eradication of a tropical disease called Guinea worm.

It is adjacent to The Jimmy Carter Presidential Library and Museum, which opened on October 1, 1986.

Following his presidency, the Carters returned to their ranch-style home in Plains, Georgia. The house costs less than the armored Secret Service cars that follow him around, The Washington Post reported in 2018.

Pictured, Jimmy Carter attended the wedding of his youngest child, Amy Carter, in 1996. The wedding, held at her family's Pond House estate in Plains, Georgia, was attended by 140 guests, the Los Angeles Times reported.

Through their joint work with Habitat for Humanity as part of the Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project, the former president and first lady worked alongside 104,000 volunteers and built, renovated, and repaired 4, 390 homes in 14 countries. 

"Habitat provides a simple but powerful avenue for people of different backgrounds to come together to achieve those most meaningful things in life. A decent home, yes, but also a genuine bond with our fellow human beings. A bond that comes with the building up of walls and the breaking down of barriers," Carter said.

Carter was awarded the prestigious prize for "his decades of untiring effort to find peaceful solutions to international conflicts," The Washington Post reported.

"God gives us a capacity for choice. We can choose to alleviate suffering. we can choose to work together for peace. We can make these changes and we must," Carter said in his acceptance speech.

They were seated alongside then-President Donald Trump, as well as former presidents Barack Obama and Bill Clinton. 

"Rosalynn and I are deeply saddened by the death of former President George H.W. Bush," Carter wrote in a statement following Bush's death on November 30, 2018. "His administration was marked by grace, civility, and social conscience."

The couple were married for 77 years, the longest of any presidential couple in history. 

On February 18, 2023, the Carter Center released a statement saying Carter, then 98, had chosen to stop receiving medical intervention and receive hospice care at home after "a series of short hospital stays."

Carter attended the funeral of his wife and former first lady Rosalynn Carter on November 29, 2023, in their hometown of Plains. She was 96 years old.

In 2015, Carter was diagnosed with melanoma, which later spread to four different parts of his brain. He received experimental treatment and went into remission, becoming cancer-free just four months later.

At a church service in late 2019, the then-95-year-old said that when he learned he had cancer at 90 years old, he assumed he was "going to die very quickly."

"I obviously prayed about it. I didn't ask God to let me live, but I asked God to give me a proper attitude toward death. And I found that I was absolutely and completely at ease with death," Carter said in 2019, CNN reported.

He died on December 29, 2024, in his Plains, Georgia home. At age 100, he was the nation's longest-lived president.

Macarons are small French cookie sandwiches made from meringue and almond flour, and they often come in bright colors.

However, while you've probably seen these desserts at least once or twice, many people mispronounce them by calling them "macaroons," which are actually a different kind of cookie made from shredded coconut.

Incorrect pronunciation: mah-kuh-ROON

Correct pronunciation: mah-kuh-RON

Popular in Paris and New Orleans, these fried doughnut-like desserts come with powdered sugar. While you may want to pronounce the "g" in this dessert's name, that's incorrect.

Incorrect pronunciation: beg-NAY or beg-NET

Correct pronunciation: ben-YE

Derived from the Latin word for curled — "crispus" — the accent in the word "crêpes" actually tells you exactly how to pronounce the "e": with an "eh" sound rather than an "ay" sound.

Incorrect pronunciation: KRAYPS

Correct pronunciation: KREHPS

Dulce de leche is popular across the world, but you still might be mispronouncing this popular dessert. Preply reminded us that when pronouncing "dulce de leche," keep the "e" letters open and don't pronounce them as "ee."

Incorrect pronunciation: dul-che-de-leh-chay

Correct pronunciation: dool-say-de-leh-chay

This French pastry is known for its flaky, buttery layers and sweet, crispy, and caramelized exterior. However, it can be difficult to pronounce at first glance. Remember that the first part of this royal dessert sounds like "queen."

Incorrect pronunciation: Coo-gun Ay-mun

Correct pronunciation: Kween Uh-mawn

While croissants are popular breakfast pastries in the United States, many continue to mispronounce this classic French pastry. To avoid looking like a tourist if you ever find yourself in Paris, remember that the "r" and "t" in "croissant" are silent.

Incorrect pronunciation: cross-aunt

Correct pronunciation: kwah-sahn

Pronounce this dessert the correct way by letting this Italian cheese's name roll off the tongue and giving it a little flair.

Incorrect pronunciation: mas-car-pohn

Correct pronunciation: mah-skar-poh-neh

While you might have grown up pronouncing this nut-filled dessert with a hard "t" at the end, that's actually not the correct way of saying it.

Incorrect pronunciation: new-gat

Correct pronunciation: noo-gahh

This fan-favorite hazelnut-and-chocolate spread is commonplace in many people's cabinets, but its French name might be a little bit difficult to pronounce. Rather than pronouncing it like the "nut" in "hazelnut," Nutella actually sounds like "Nootella."

Incorrect pronunciation: nut-ella

Correct pronunciation: noo-tell-uh

The correct pronunciation of this tasty French pastry shouldn't be painful! Replace "pain" with "pan," soften the "ch" to make a "sh" sound, and ignore the "t" on the tail end of the phrase to sound like a true Parisian.

Incorrect pronunciation: payn-oh-choc-o-laht

Correct pronunciation: pan-oh-shoh-koh-lah

Remember to draw out the "e" at the end of this rum-and-vanilla-flavored French pastry's name.

Incorrect pronunciation: Cuh-nell-ee

Correct pronunciation: Cah-null-ay

While it might be tempting to pronounce these French cookies like the popular girl's name "Madeline," you should ignore the "e" found in the middle of the word. There are only two syllables in this dessert's name, not three.

Incorrect pronunciation: Maah-duh-line

Correct pronunciation: Mad-lenn

This French pie, often made with black cherries and other fruits, can be intimidating to pronounce correctly.

Incorrect pronunciation: Klaw-phoo-tiss

Correct pronunciation: Klah-phoo-tee

Crème brûlée is a creamy custard dessert that's often regarded as a symbol of decadence and indulgence, with an equally fancy name. While English speakers might be tempted to pronounce the end of this name with a long "e," it actually sounds like "ay."

Incorrect pronunciation: Kreem Brew-lee

Correct pronunciation: Krehm Brew-lay

This chocolate-covered pastry's name is short but often mispronounced. To get it right, avoid elongating the first "e" and remember that this light and fluffy dessert rhymes with "air."

Incorrect pronunciation: Ee-klar

Correct pronunciation: Eh-klair

While these cherries are popular in many desserts, people still seem to get the pronunciation wrong. Remember to replace "shee" with "ski" to get it right.

Incorrect pronunciation: ma-ra-shee-no

Correct pronunciation: ma-re-ski-no

These colorful and uniquely designed desserts are often tiny, hence the use of the French word "petit." To nail the pronunciation, forget the hard "t" at the end of "petit" and slightly elongate the "for" sound so that it sounds like "door."

Incorrect pronunciation: peh-teet for

Correct pronunciation: puh-tee foor

These French desserts resemble the wings of a butterfly or a palm leaf, which is where their name derives from. To get the pronunciation right, don't pronounce the "r" and instead use the "ay" sound.

Incorrect pronunciation: pal-mee-ayr

Correct pronunciation: pal-me-ay

The restaurant is located across from the Grand Central Holiday Fair, which features various shopping vendors.

Grand Central can be a little difficult to navigate if you've never been — or, if like me, you're running to catch a train whenever you're there — so I appreciated that the restaurant was in such an easy-to-find location inside the terminal.

The restaurant's curved entrance was adorned with a festive display of human-sized nutcrackers, wreaths, and holiday lights.

This made it easy for multiple passersby to check out the menu at the same time.

The brunch menu, pictured above, features mostly traditional French fare, from soups and pastries to sandwiches and steak frites. The restaurant also has a full bar and offers cocktails like a mimosa, Bellini, or espresso martini.

The menu changes for dinnertime, with a more extensive cocktail menu and entrée selection.

The restaurant occupies a massive 16,000-square-feet and can seat up to 400 diners, Eater reported.

I made a reservation the day before and was able to snag a table for one inside the restaurant's main dining room, but there were also tables available in the bistro dining area outside the restaurant and in the Green Room, a more dimly lit, cozy dining area located past the main dining room.

I've been to Paris three times, including once at Christmas, and have eaten in quite a few traditional French restaurants.

Even without the holiday decorations, many of the touches, from the mercury-glass sign and swooping red font of the restaurant's logo to the design of the tables, are reminiscent of the city of lights.

Guests can choose to be seated at the bar, at a high-top table, in a booth, or at a small bistro table dining table.

The dining room's design felt elevated and festive, and the booths looked comfortable for a larger group.

I was given the full brunch menu, a drinks menu with cocktails and wine, and the restaurant's pre-fixe menu.

When I sat down, I was also asked whether I would like something to drink while I settled in, so I asked for a bottle of tap water. It was promptly brought over to my table.

I'm a pretty adventurous eater but I have still struggled to find things to order while traveling in France and dining at more upscale eateries. However, I thought this menu was really approachable.

Brasseries tend to offer more comfort foods than upscale fine-dining options. Sure, there were more adventurous menu items (at least, perhaps to some people) like escargot and caviar, but there was also a classic cheeseburger, croque monsieur, and boeuf bourguignon for people who might only be familiar with a few traditional French dishes.

I felt there was something for everyone's tastes here, even kids who might not go anywhere near the steak tartare or duck confit.

The restaurant itself, at least in the main dining room where I sat, isn't particularly warm or cozy. But where it lacks in intimacy it makes up for in stunning views of Grand Central's architecture.

The terminal opened on February 2, 1913, replacing an older train station that was opened in 1871 and another that opened in 1900.

Many preservationists, including Jacqueline Kennedy Onassis, fought to save Grand Central from demolition in the 1970s and helped restore the building's historic grandeur, including its constellation-covered ceiling that was previously coated in cigarette smoke from the days that smoking was allowed inside the terminal.

The chandeliers were originally fitted with electric lightbulbs, making them a marvel for a society only recently introduced to electric lighting.

In the 1990s, the chandeliers were cleaned and fitted with energy-efficient bulbs, thus modernizing them yet retaining their historic charm.

I loved that I could observe a slice of American history right from my dining table.

The restaurant feels very open-air, like an extension of the rest of the terminal rather than an enclosed restaurant.

Even though the restaurant, which opened in September, is a permanent addition to the station, the open-air setup gave it a pop-up feel. I didn't necessarily mind, though, as it allowed me to admire some of Grand Central's architecture.

It cost $6.50, excluding tax and tip, which I actually thought was pretty fairly priced. Living in New York City, I'm used to sometimes paying upward of $6 or $7 for a latte, so this didn't jump out to me as more expensive than usual.

I thought it was less creamy than other lattes I'm used to having, but it was flavorful, hot without being scalding, and topped with a delicious amount of steamed milk.

The soup arrived covered in gooey melted cheese that dripped down the bowl.

It cost $18, which I thought was a bit expensive for an appetizer, especially one that's difficult to share between multiple people. However, it was still one of the cheapest appetizers on the restaurant's hors d'oeuvres menu.

Other menu items, like the steak tartare and shrimp cocktail, cost more than $20, and the crab persillade cost $31.

The gooey cheese practically melted in my mouth, while the soup itself was rich and loaded with deliciously caramelized onions. The bread inside the soup was super soft and easy to eat with the soup spoon. Overall, it was the perfect consistency — not too watery, not too thick or sludgy.

It was very flavorful and could have sufficed as my main meal.

I've had onion soup in Paris, and this rivaled even those.

The bread was crusty on the outside but soft inside. I was impressed.

While many might associate this dish with eggs Benedict, eggs Norwegian comes with smoked salmon and hollandaise rather than ham.

I was also given the choice of a side salad or potatoes with the eggs. I opted for salad because I was so full from the onion soup.

The eggs Norwegian cost $31, compared to $28 for the eggs Benedict. Again, this felt pricey, especially because the portion size wasn't huge. However, that's also a pretty standard price for a brunch entrée in New York City — let alone in a famous location like Grand Central.

I could clearly taste the lemon, and I really loved the consistency of the hollandaise. It wasn't too thick, making this dish feel light and easy to eat.

When I broke into the first poached egg, a beautiful cascade of jammy and gooey egg yolk emerged. This dish was simple but still extremely delicious. I'd definitely come back just for these eggs.

My only complaint with the eggs Norwegian was with the English muffin it was served on. It was on the thinner side, which didn't necessarily ruin the dish, but it didn't add to it, either. For more than $30, I expected more.

The salad was a simple spring mix, but it was well-dressed and complemented the richness of the smoked salmon and the eggs.

I ended up paying $71.53 for my brunch, including tax and tip. Don't get me wrong — I rarely, if ever, pay this much for a solo breakfast. And for many, this would be completely unaffordable.

Still, for others, the prices may not be that far-fetched for an appetizer, entrée, and specialty coffee at an iconic location in New York City. Pricing is completely subjective, though I did think the eggs, although delicious, were slightly overpriced.

As a special treat, I enjoyed getting to experience dining in one of New York's most famous locales, and if you're visiting New York City around the holidays, sometimes spending more than you normally would is part and parcel of that.

I enjoyed the food, the festive decorations, and seeing some classic New York architecture combined with the Parisian elegance I've come to love through traveling. For me, that was priceless.

Business Insider reached out to Grand Brasserie for comment but did not receive a response.

Pantos are humorous, slapstick entertainment for the whole family, often featuring men dressed in drag. They are sometimes based on a famous fairy tale or story, like "Cinderella," "Peter Pan," or "The Wizard of Oz." 

Pantomimes rely on specific tropes. For example, there's often a villain who will sneak up on the protagonist intermittently throughout the play. It's then the role of the audience to scream, "He's behind you!" to the main character while he or she struggles to figure out what's going on.

A traditional British roast dinner wouldn't be complete without Yorkshire puddings filled with Bisto or homemade gravy. Yorkshire puddings — not to be confused with sweet puddings — are made of eggs, flour, and milk or water.

After they're cooked in hot oil in the oven, they end up with a distinct hole in the middle. They closely resemble what Americans know as popovers.

While Yorkshire puddings are commonplace at Sunday dinners throughout the year, they're also eaten at Christmastime, though some argue they have no place on a Christmas plate.

While some do refer to old Saint Nick as Santa Claus in the UK, it is widely accepted that Father Christmas is his more traditionally British name.

"Santa Claus" is seen as an Americanism, and The Telegraph reported that even the British National Trust said that "Santa Claus should be known as 'Father Christmas' in stately homes and historic buildings because the name is more British."

In America, Christmas stockings are hung by the fireplace with care. However, some British children hang their stockings at the ends of their beds for Father Christmas to fill up while they're sleeping. 

Thanksgiving weekend is seen as an opportunity in the United States for students to reunite with friends from high school or middle school. In the UK, it's a tradition for school friends to come together on Christmas Eve, often at the local bar or pub.

A Christmas pudding is a dense fruit cake often made weeks or even months in advance. This time allows the dried fruit to soak up alcohol that's regularly poured onto the cake in the weeks before it's consumed.

On Christmas, the cake is set alight and then topped with a sauce of brandy butter or rum butter, cream, lemon cream, ice cream, custard, or sweetened béchamel. It is also sometimes sprinkled with caster or powdered sugar.

For many years, Queen Elizabeth II even gifted each member of her staff a Christmas pudding from Tesco.

While fruit cake is certainly a polarizing dessert wherever you are, Brits seem to make it a little better with thick, sweet white icing. Oftentimes, Christmas cake also comes topped with festive holly decorations. 

The BBC reported that the first-known mince-pie recipe dates back to an 1830s-era English cookbook. By the mid-17th century, people reportedly began associating the small pies with Christmas.

At the time, they were traditionally filled with pork or other kinds of meat, sage, and other spices. Nowadays, the pies are filled with dried fruits and sugar powder.

The perfect accompaniment to Christmas pudding and mince pies, brandy butter consists of butter and sugar beaten together before brandy is added. Rum butter is an alternative.

The result is still butter-like in consistency, and it's served cold alongside desserts. Americans might know it as "hard sauce."

You might remember a scene from the first "Harry Potter" movie in which Ron says, "Happy Christmas, Harry!" While this may sound strange to an American, saying "Happy Christmas" is commonplace in the UK, as opposed to "Merry Christmas." 

Christmas crackers are often pulled at the start of the meal, and the paper hats found inside are worn throughout the meal. Also inside each cracker is a "banger," which makes a loud pop when the cracker is pulled, a joke, and a small prize.

The jokes are usually cheesy and festive. For example: "Why did Santa's helper go to the doctor? Because he had low elf esteem!" 

However, be sure not to pack them if you're traveling to or from the UK on an airplane — they're not permitted to go through TSA in carry-on luggage.

On Christmas, the BBC usually runs a holiday special of the since-retired show "Top of the Pops," which features performances from the year's most popular musicians.

The program ran weekly from 1964 until 2006, when it was canceled. People were so upset that the BBC decided to keep the Christmas special, which airs late in the morning on December 25.

Every year, families gather to watch the royal Christmas address, informally known as the Queen's or King's speech.

The Telegraph reported that the first Christmas address was 251 words long, but Queen Elizabeth II later came to average 656 words in each speech. It is often one of the most-watched television programs on Christmas Day in the UK.

While Super Bowl commercials are highly scrutinized in the US, Brits pay just as close attention to Christmas commercials.

Not only is the John Lewis ad, or "advert," a Christmas tradition, but almost every supermarket and clothing brand tries to get in on the buzz with a talked-about Christmas commercial.

The British "Christmas No. 1" has been a tradition for over half a century. Starting in 1952, the top song on the British singles chart has been a coveted spot every Christmas. Christmas No. 1 alums include The Beatles, Queen, Ed Sheeran, and more.

While some Christmas No. 1s have indeed been Christmas songs — "Do They Know It's Christmas?" by Band Aid II in 1989, for example — they don't have to be.

While religious elementary schools in the United States may put on nativity plays, they are arguably much more popular and part of the culture in Britain.

In the popular British Christmas movie "Love Actually," the characters even attend a Christmas nativity play.

Boxing Day is typically called British Black Friday, but there are some differences between the holidays. Boxing Day, which is a public holiday in the UK, falls the day after Christmas and has a rich cultural history in Great Britain.

Originating in the mid-1600s, the day was traditionally a day off for servants. On this day, servants would receive a "Christmas Box," or gift, from their master. The servants would then return home on Boxing Day to give "Christmas Boxes" to their families.

Another difference between US and UK Christmas customs comes after all of the festivities have ended. 

In the UK, it's tradition to take down your tree and decorations 12 days after Christmas — known as Twelfth Night — to avoid bad luck in the new year.

In the Anglican tradition, Twelfth Night, or Epiphany Eve, is the day before Epiphany, which celebrates the coming of the Magi to baby Jesus and marks the end of the 12 days of Christmas. 

Just take a look at the success of Raising Cane's. The chain, known for its focus on chicken tenders and a limited menu featuring sides like coleslaw and Texas toast, has become one of the fastest-growing fast-food brands in the US. Bloomberg reported that the chain brought in over $2.3 billion in revenue during the first half of 2024, reflecting a 30% increase from the previous year.

When we first got to try Taco Bell's new chicken nuggets at the chain's headquarters in Irvine, California, we learned that the beloved fast-food brand had set out to create an "elevated" chicken nugget to compete in the crowded market. 

"This is truly a very premium nugget," Mira Leon, a member of the product development team, told us during a tasting at the secret test kitchen. "It's not a chicken nugget patty you might get at some fast-food restaurants. This is very much more elevated." 

"This is real chicken," added chef Brett Pluskalowski, who works on Taco Bell's food innovation team. "When you go to McDonald's, that's not what you see." 

The jalapeño honey mustard combines honey and hot mustard for a sweet and tangy dipping sauce, while Bell Sauce features red chilies mixed with tomatoes, garlic, and onions.

The newest sauce, the Fire Ranch sauce, is a collaboration with Hidden Valley — the first-ever ranch partnership for Taco Bell. It mixes the chain's signature Fire hot sauce with Hidden Valley Ranch.

The new chicken nuggets feature all-white chicken breast meat marinated in spiced jalapeño buttermilk and coated with a special crispy breading made from breadcrumbs and tortilla chips.

The nuggets are $3.99 for a five-piece order and one dipping sauce or $6.99 for a 10-piece order with two dipping sauces, though prices may vary depending on location. 

Anneta: Chicken nuggets were my favorite thing to eat as a kid (groundbreaking, I know), and I've tried dozens of iterations from different chains and restaurants — many of them soggy, bland, or just forgettable. 

Taco Bell's chicken nuggets are none of the above. The meat tasted juicy and fresh and was clearly premium. The breading was true to the "crispy" name, providing a super satisfying crunch that gave way to the tender meat underneath. There was actually texture, which is more than I can say for some other very popular chains' nuggets. 

I tried these nuggets during a tasting that featured six different menu items, and I still couldn't resist finishing the entire box. They were really that good. 

Erin: These chicken nuggets, which come coated in a blend of breadcrumbs and crunchy tortilla chips, really impressed me with their texture and well-balanced flavor. When I first held one in my hand, I worried it would be hard to bite into — it had some weight to it. However, when I bit in, I found juicy, flavorful meat inside.

They were salty, with a subtle corn taste from the tortilla-chip breading, and reminded me more of a boneless wing than a chicken nugget. I also liked how the outer breading wasn't completely uniform. You could clearly see the tiny pieces of tortilla chips that made up the breading.

Anneta: I was a fan of both the Bell Sauce and the jalapeño honey mustard, which had very different flavor profiles. The Bell Sauce carried a smokiness that reminded me of barbecue sauce, while the jalapeño honey mustard was deliciously creamy with a zingy kick. 

Erin: I was a fan of all three sauces, but the jalapeño honey mustard and Fire Ranch stole the show for me. The jalapeño honey mustard was the perfect balance between a classic, tangy honey mustard and a slight kick of heat from the jalapeño flavor. I also quickly noted that this sauce actually tasted like I was biting into a real jalapeño pepper, unlike some sauces that say they're flavored with jalapeño but just taste generically spicy.

The Fire Ranch was a good balance between creamy and a slight kick from the Fire sauce, but it didn't have as much heat as the other two sauces. The Bell Sauce was also good and reminded me of a chipotle aioli. It was more smoky than spicy. 

It's been years since the fast-food chains were embroiled in the chicken sandwich wars. But what they should really be worried about now is Taco Bell coming for their nugget crown. 

The crispy chicken nuggets and their new sauces taste elevated, and it's clear that Taco Bell's big swings and risks are paying off.

The menu continues to feel fresh and exciting at a time when so many other chains are sticking to the norm. During the 2023 tasting, one of Taco Bell's representatives explained that the nuggets were also designed for people who don't like tacos but are along for the drive-thru ride — which is an extremely smart strategy move.

People might think Taco Bell has no place in the nugget space, but it's been delivering delicious chicken for a long time, and chicken chains should be a little scared.

Cost: $3.89 — excluding tax and tip — for an eight-piece pack at a Burger King in New York City.

Note: All prices listed here may vary in different markets.

Erin: I thought the nuggets' coating was well-seasoned, but the breading was slightly on the thicker side. While they were a good vehicle for one of the chain's dipping sauces — such as the Zesty sauce, which is a personal favorite — these nuggets work better as an accompaniment to one of the chain's burgers rather than an entrée themselves. Burger King is known for its burgers, after all.

If you're craving chicken the next time you visit a Burger King, I suggest opting for the chain's chicken sandwich or one of its chicken-tender wraps.

Priyanka: When I held the chicken nugget in my hand, I could feel its crisp texture and was excited to try it. However, upon taking my first bite, I found the bread coating, although crunchy, was too thick and overpowered the chicken, leaving a slightly salty aftertaste.

I agree with Erin that the chain's nuggets are a side order, best enjoyed when dipped in some sweet-and-sour sauce.

Business Insider reached out to Burger King for comment but did not receive a response before publication.

Cost: $3.36 — excluding tax and tip — for a four-piece pack at a Wendy's in New York City.

Erin: Like Burger King and McDonald's, Wendy's is primarily a burger chain. So, it should come as no surprise that its chicken nuggets are pretty unremarkable, in my opinion.

They were well-seasoned, and the breading had a lot of flavor, but they were also pretty small. Wendy's nuggets definitely act more as a side dish than a reason to go to the chain.

Priyanka: I'd heard great reviews about Wendy's chicken nuggets, especially its spicier offering, so when the time came to try them, I was looking forward to becoming a loyal fan, too.

Instead, I found myself yearning for old favorites, like Chick-fil-A.

While Wendy's does a great job with the nuggets' coating, which is both well-seasoned and crispy, it fails to show off the star ingredient: the chicken.

It took some effort on my part to pull apart the chicken, which felt slightly chewy instead of how I usually prefer it: juicy and easy to bite into.

Cost: $4.90 — excluding tax and tip — for a five-piece pack at a KFC in New York City.

Erin: They were a little bland in the flavor department, but I thought the chicken itself tasted higher quality than the nuggets from Wendy's, Burger King, and McDonald's. It was more shreddable and paired well with the chain's new Comeback sauce — launched in October with its new chicken tenders — but I would have liked more breading to give it that crunch.

Speaking of KFC's chicken tenders, I'd probably recommend those over the chain's nuggets.

Priyanka: For a chain that specializes in fried chicken — and one that I usually enjoy eating at — I also felt a bit let down by KFC's chicken nuggets, which were only introduced last year.

In terms of size and texture, KFC's chicken nuggets look pretty similar to Chick-fil-A's, and yet, when it comes to taste, the two are quite different.

While KFC delivers with its succulent chicken, it falls short when it comes to seasoning. I agree with Erin: skip the nuggets for its much nicer tenders instead.

In a comment to Business Insider, KFC said, "Feedback on our nuggets has been overwhelmingly positive, and we sold more than 100 million nuggets in the first eight weeks that they were available. Our fans can enjoy KFC Chicken Nuggets nationwide seven days a week, and we take pride in their quality."

Cost: $5.39 — excluding tax and tip — for a four-piece pack at a McDonald's in New York City.

Erin: McDonald's chicken nuggets are the stuff of legend. They've been around since the early '80s, and there's something about the tempura-style-fried chicken nuggets that keep me coming back for more.

They're always crispy, always salty, and always the same — I always know what I'm going to get with a McDonald's nugget.

Priyanka: I'm a big fan of the brand's spicy chicken nuggets, which were introduced for a limited time earlier this year but not so much of its regular recipe.

While they're consistently crunchy, I find them slightly underseasoned, and the salty after-taste a tad bit too overpowering for my liking.

Cost: $5.79 — excluding tax and tip — for a five-piece pack at a local Chick-fil-A in New York City.

Erin: While some of the other nuggets leaned on the drier side, these nuggets were moist and would likely pair well with practically any dipping sauce. Each nugget was on the smaller side but packed a lot of flavor into a small bite.

Priyanka: Until I tried Taco Bell's chicken nuggets, Chick-fil-A's bite-sized chunks were my go-to. I've had them on multiple occasions, and they've always tasted consistently good. When eaten fresh out of the box, they're satisfyingly crunchy, and the chicken is perfectly juicy.

While they're bite-sized and often thought of as a side dish, I recommend sizing up — I usually opt for the 12-piece pack with a side of waffle fries and Chick-fil-A sauce — and giving them a chance as a main meal.

Cost: $3.99 — excluding tax and tip — for a five-piece order and one dipping sauce.

However, we were invited to taste the new chicken nuggets at an early preview hosted by Taco Bell in New York City, so we received complimentary tastings of the nuggets.

Erin: These chicken nuggets, coated in a blend of breadcrumbs and crunchy tortilla chips, stood out from the competition with their well-balanced flavor. They were salty, with a subtle corn taste from the tortilla-chip breading. They reminded me more of a boneless wing than a chicken nugget.

Paired with the chain's new Hidden Valley fire ranch sauce, a standard creamy ranch sauce with a slight hint of heat, and the jalapeño honey mustard, an unusual combination of tangy mustard and strong yet balanced jalapeño flavor, these nuggets truly blew me away.

Priyanka: When it comes to nuggets, the three things that matter the most to me are a crisp exterior, well-seasoned coating, and juicy chicken. Taco Bell's latest offering checked off all three.

At first glance, the nuggets — all in different shapes and sizes — seemed as though they had a tough exterior, but as soon as I took my first bite, I was pleasantly surprised at how easily the chicken tore apart. I also enjoyed the "Taco Bell twist," as one representative called it at the preview, wherein breadcrumbs were combined with crispy tortillas in the coating.

Usually, I pair my chicken bites with regular ketchup or mayonnaise, but since I've tried Taco Bell's jalapeño honey mustard sauce, I've found myself swapping the regulars for this combination instead. The jalapeño adds a subtle yet nice kick, pairing beautifully with the new nuggets.

At the time of the film's production in 1964, Julie Andrews was just 29 years old. Initially, Andrews was hesitant to accept the role. The star's breakthrough Disney film "Mary Poppins" was still in production, and she was worried about playing another "wholesome nanny" role, Biography reported.

Other actresses, including Audrey Hepburn, Doris Day, and even Grace Kelly, were considered for the role, but in the end, Andrews was screenplay writer Ernest Lehman's first choice.

It ended up being the right one — Andrews received an Oscar nomination for best actress at the 38th Academy Awards.

Andrews, 89, has had a prolific acting career. Among her roles, she played Queen Clarisse in the "Princess Diaries" movies, although she revealed she likely won't be returning for the third film.

Over the past 10 years, she's mostly voice-acted, appearing as characters in the "Shrek" and "Despicable Me" movies, among others. Andrews also voices the narrator and elusive gossip columnist Lady Whistledown in "Bridgerton." 

"She was at the top of our list for Lady Whistledown," "Bridgerton" showrunner Chris Van Dusen told Oprah Magazine in 2020. "We offered her the part, sent her the scripts, not thinking anything would really come of it. But surprisingly she read the scripts and fell in love with them."

"Bridgerton" series author Julia Quinn said she was shocked. "When they told me I legitimately stopped breathing," she said. "I mean, I should be dead."

Speaking to Vanity Fair in 2022, Andrews said her pivot to voice acting over the last decade has been "wonderful."

"I don't have to get hair and makeup anymore. I just go into the studio and do my voiceovers," she said. 

Plummer also recalled being hesitant about the script, "because it was so awful and sentimental and gooey," he told the Hollywood Reporter in 2011. "You had to work terribly hard to try and infuse some minuscule bit of humor into it."

However, Plummer's background as a dramatic actor made him perfect for the role in the producers' eyes. Despite his acting chops, his singing ended up being dubbed in the final version with singer Bill Lee's voice, NPR reported.

He was nominated for three Academy Awards, ultimately winning the best supporting actor award for "Beginners" in 2012. At 82, he became the oldest actor to ever receive an Oscar.

In 2019, Plummer starred in Rian Johnson's "Knives Out" opposite Chris Evans and Ana de Armas.

However, his part as Captain Georg von Trapp in "The Sound of Music" is arguably his most fondly remembered role, though he frequently shunned the movie in later years.

"I was a bit bored with the character," Plummer told The Boston Globe in 2010. "Although we worked hard enough to make him interesting, it was a bit like flogging a dead horse. And the subject matter is not mine. I mean, it can't appeal to every person in the world. It's not my cup of tea."

Despite not liking his role in the movie, Plummer remained "the best of friends" with his costar Julie Andrews for decades, she told ABC.

On February 5, 2021, Christopher Plummer died at his home in Connecticut with his wife, Elaine Taylor, by his side. He was 91. 

Rather than being 16 going on 17, the actor was actually 21 years old when she played the eldest von Trapp child in her breakout role.

The Telegraph reported that Carr's mother recommended her to a casting agent for "The Sound of Music," saying, "She's 21, but she could pass for 16."

The actor was working as a physician's assistant at the time and had no theatrical or musical training. However, she captivated the casting agents with her beautiful voice and appearance.

Carr starred in the musical "Evening Primrose" in 1966, the year after "The Sound of Music" was released.

"It was hard to have your first role as the high spot of your career," she told the London Daily Telegraph, The Washington Post reported. "I felt smothered by Liesl. She began to feel like my evil twin, the perfect one that everyone loved."

While taking a short break from touring the world promoting "The Sound of Music," Carr met and married her husband, Jay Brent. Carr continued acting for a while, but after becoming a mother to two children, she decided to leave Hollywood and focus on building an interior design company. She and her husband divorced in 1991, after which she wrote her autobiography, "Forever Liesl."

On September 17, 2016, Carr died due to complications from a rare form of dementia at the age of 73.

When "The Sound of Music" was released, Nicholas Hammond was 15 years old. His mother, Eileen Bennett, was also an actor, but the one who indirectly influenced him to go into acting was Julie Andrews herself. 

"I saw her onstage in 'My Fair Lady' when I was nine and I made a decision that night that I wanted to do what that lady does," Hammond told Parade in 2013.

Hammond was the first actor to play Spider-Man in a live-action production of the comic. Born in 1950, he is also the only actor born before the character first appeared in a comic book in 1962.

Hammond, 74, was born in the US but moved to Australia in the mid-1980s. The actor now lives in Sydney where he works as an actor, screenwriter, and director. He's also remained close with his "The Sound of Music" costars, especially the other von Trapp children.

"We bonded because, for all of us, and particularly the seven kids, it was an extraordinary experience as a young person to go through — where one day you're an unknown child actor and literally the day after the film opens, we were the seven most famous children in the world," he told Parade.

The film was released when Menzies-Urich was just 15 years old.

Though Louisa didn't have much of a storyline, Menzies-Urich was able to display her ballet background during the performance of "So Long, Farewell."

The series, which was a spinoff of the movie of the same name, only ran for one season between 1977 and 1978. Menzies-Urich continued to act until 1990, mostly appearing in television shows and TV movies.

She died in 2017 at the age of 68. Her son, Ryan Urich, shared the news.

"She was an actress, a ballerina, and loved living her life to the fullest," Urich said, USA Today reported.

Chase had a short-lived career as a child actor. Following his breakout role as Kurt von Trapp at 15 years old, Duane Chase acted in the family films "Follow Me, Boys!"  and "The Big Valley." 

After "The Sound of Music," Chase briefly fought fires with the forestry service. Later, in 2020, he volunteered to drive supply trucks down to Southern Oregon to fight the wildfires sweeping across the state and California. 

Now 74, he lives in Seattle and works as a computer software analyst and designer for oil and mining companies.

Prior to landing the role of Brigitta, Cartwright acted in the 1950s TV series "The Danny Thomas Show."

"Thousands were interviewed to play the parts of the von Trapp children, and when I got word I had been cast, I was so excited," she wrote on her website. "Danny Thomas released me from the last show of the 'Danny Thomas Show' season so I could begin working on this movie. For that, I am so grateful because he didn't have to do that."

Angela Cartwright, now 72, had a relatively successful acting career following "The Sound of Music." Her acting credits include roles in "Lost in Space," "My Three Sons," and "The Love Boat."

She's continued acting and voiced the role of Edna Platt in a 2022 episode of "Adventures in Odyssey."

Debbie Turner grew up in a showbiz family and moved to California in the 1950s. She was involved in TV, commercial, and print modeling work before landing the role of Marta in "The Sound of Music."

Turner, 68, lives in Chanhassen, Minnesota, and has operated her floral design company for over 30 years, according to her website.

During the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Turner paid homage to her "The Sound of Music" roots with a new business venture: making face masks based on the iconic curtains used to make the children's play clothes in the movie.

She also makes and sells scarves made out of a similar fabric to the one used in the movie. 

Karath had a successful career as a child actor in the early 1960s before landing her role in "The Sound of Music" when she was 5.

At the time of the movie's filming, Karath couldn't swim, which made the boat-flipping scene challenging. 

"The little one can't swim, please fall to the front of the boat so you can get to her quickly," Andrews told ABC News the directors asked her. "Of course, I went to the back of the boat."

Another von Trapp child ended up having to lift Karath to safety.

After "The Sound of Music," Karath had roles in television shows like "Dr. Kildare," "Lassie," "Lost in Space," and "The Brady Bunch."

After graduating from the University of Southern California, the actor, now 66, moved to Paris to study art history and model. She married her husband, Philippe L'Equilbec, and returned to the US. However, she took a lengthy break from acting to raise their son.

In 2005, the cast of "The Sound of Music" reunited to share what they were up to now. At the time, Karath said she was resuming her acting career in Los Angeles, but she hasn't had any roles since 1981.

I ordered an eight-count of bone-in traditional Buffalo wings at the restaurant I visited in Massachusetts. They cost $12.19, excluding taxes and fees, and came with celery sticks and sides of ranch and blue cheese.

I live in New York City, but I had to travel further afield to try the chain's wings because many of my local TGI Fridays restaurants have closed.

In early November, the chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and Reuters reported that it was facing $37 million in debt, which led to some underperforming restaurants closing.

The TGI Fridays location I visited in Massachusetts is locally franchised and owned, so it's not included in the larger brand's bankruptcy filing.

Unlike some of the other chains I tried, TGI Fridays also doesn't appear to make its own Buffalo sauce.

On the menu, it's advertised as simply Frank's Red Hot Buffalo. While I do like that brand of sauce, I could easily make the same wings at home, which made it feel less unique.

I also thought they were slightly smaller than some of the other wings I tried.

Business Insider reached out to TGI Fridays for comment but did not receive a response.

Though I liked the crispy skin and texture of these chicken wings, as well as the tender meat inside, I thought they were lacking in sauce and flavor.

Overall, I probably wouldn't order these again.

At my local Applebee's in Brooklyn, an order of nine classic bone-in wings costs $18.99, excluding tax and fees. They came with celery sticks and sides of ranch and blue cheese.

Applebee's partnered with the NFL this year as the league's official grill and bar partner after finding a major crossover between their customer base and NFL viewers.

"We know our guests are football fans," Applebee's chief marketing officer Joel Yashinsky told Business Insider.

Since Buffalo wings are a favorite among football fanatics, I was excited to see how the chain fared.

The wings were a rich red-brown color and fried to a crisp.

The Buffalo sauce had a nice balance between the heat and the more savory, buttery flavor, making for a balanced bite. I thought the meat inside was pretty juicy, and I loved the sheer size of these wings.

My only real complaint was the price — $18.99 for a plate of wings felt pretty pricey, even though the wings were on the larger side. However, the price will vary depending on which location you visit.

At the Massachusetts location I visited, an eight-count of bone-in Buffalo wings cost $14.99, excluding tax and fees. They came with two dipping sauces: ranch and blue cheese.

However, the wings cost slightly more, $17.99, at the Chili's location I typically visit in Queens, New York.

I've tried these wings before and commented that they could have been slightly saucier and crispier. However, when I tried them this second time, I didn't encounter those issues.

They were perfectly crispy and almost dripping in sauce.

The Buffalo sauce had a strong buttery flavor with just the right amount of heat. The chain is also known for its ranch dipping sauce, which paired very nicely with the wings.

Though the wings were smaller, I thought they packed more flavor than the ones from Applebee's and TGI Fridays.

The chain's Buffalo bone-in wings are arguably Buffalo Wild Wings' most famous menu item, so I was eager to see how they would stack up against other chain restaurants' wings. I certainly wasn't disappointed.

I ordered a six-count of traditional Buffalo wings through the Buffalo Wild Wings app for $12.49, excluding tax and fees, and a side of ranch.

The wings were crispy and had a light coating of Buffalo sauce that covered every part of the wings.

There was a selection of both drumsticks and flats, but I noticed that the drums were particularly meaty.

The chicken meat inside the wing was moist and tender, and the crispy skin and slightly sweet, just-spicy-enough sauce added a lot of flavor. Overall, these were really solid Buffalo wings.

I also thought these wings were a great value for the money and would definitely order them again.

I ordered 10 classic bone-in wings for $17.29, excluding tax and fees.

Wingstop doesn't offer Buffalo sauce on its menu, but it does have its Original Hot sauce, which is the chain's version of Buffalo. I ordered them with a side of ranch.

The sticky sauce clung to my fingers as I ate these wings, which were the perfect size: not too big, not too small, and just the right amount of tender chicken meat.

The sauce had a lot of levels, balancing between a strong vinegar flavor, to buttery, and topped off with a layer of spice that was slightly smoky yet not overpowering.

The Wingstop wings stood out as the spiciest among all the chains I tried. However, the heat didn't overpower the flavor — instead, it enhanced it.

Each element, from the crispy seasoned skin to the tangy undertones of the sauce, came through distinctly. These wings balanced bold, spicy flavor with a depth of taste, making them the best chain-restaurant Buffalo wings I tried.

After receiving the heartbreaking news, Iris is depressed and distraught. However, after getting a request from Los Angeles movie trailer executive Amanda, played by Cameron Diaz, to switch homes for the holidays, everything starts to look up for Iris. 

While in Los Angeles, she befriends an elderly neighbor who wrote for many old Hollywood movies and gains self-confidence. She also meets a film score writer, played by Jack Black. Their adorable friendship turns romantic at the end of the movie.

After "The Holiday," Winslet starred alongside Leonardo DiCaprio in "Revolutionary Road," for which she won a Golden Globe award for best actress in a leading role. She also won an Academy Award for best actress in a leading role for "The Reader" in 2009.

More recently, Winslet starred alongside "Little Women" star Saoirse Ronan in "Ammonite," a period drama released in 2020, and multiple television series, including "Lee." Winslet also received an Emmy Award in 2021 for her role on HBO's "Mare of Easttown."

Winslet also starred in "Avatar: The Way of Water," the highly anticipated sequel to James Cameron's "Avatar," which was released in 2022.

After breaking up with her unfaithful boyfriend and switching homes with Iris for the holidays, Amanda enters a whirlwind romance with Iris' brother, Graham. They fall head over heels for each other but recognize their relationship will be complicated if they're living on opposite sides of the world. 

Amanda leaves to go back to Los Angeles but finds herself crying over the idea of leaving Graham. In the end, they decide they'll try to make it work.

In addition to her decades-long acting career, Cameron Diaz has also worked as a producer and an author. The star announced her retirement from acting in 2014. 

"I got a peace in my soul, because I finally was taking care of myself," Diaz told Gwyneth Paltrow on her Goop podcast in August 2020. "It's a strange thing to say; I know a lot of people won't understand it; I know you understand it, but it's so intense to work at that level and be that public and put yourself out there."

Diaz and her husband, Benji Madden, announced the birth of their first child, Raddix, in 2019.

After an eight-year hiatus from Hollywood, Diaz returned to acting to star alongside Jamie Foxx in the upcoming Netflix movie "Back in Action."

Graham is a widower and explains that he never introduces anyone to his two children, or even tells the women he sees that they exist. He prefers to be seen as a young, single guy with no attachments or complications.

However, this changes when he meets Amanda and they fall in love.

Law also co-starred with Robert Downey Jr. in the Sherlock Holmes films and Keira Knightley in "Anna Karenina."

In 2016, Law starred in the title role in HBO's "The Young Pope." The actor has also played prominent roles in "Fantastic Beasts: The Crimes of Grindelwald" and "Captain Marvel."

His most recent acting credits include appearing again as Albus Dumbledore in "Fantastic Beasts: The Secrets of Dumbledore" and as Captain Hook in "Peter Pan & Wendy."

Miles is originally introduced as one of Amanda's ex-boyfriend's friends and his friendship with Iris grows throughout the movie. They connect by watching old Hollywood movies, many of which were written by Arthur.

Their friendship turns romantic after they decide to help prepare Arthur for an event in his honor. Miles breaks up with his actress girlfriend Maggie, who has said she's been filming on location but has instead been cheating on him. In the end, Miles asks Iris if she will be his date on New Year's Eve and she says yes.

After "The Holiday," Black starred in films like "Tropic Thunder," "Gulliver's Travels," and "Goosebumps." He also held starring roles in the "Kung Fu Panda" franchise and in the two most recent "Jumanji" movies. 

In 2018, Black was awarded a star on the Hollywood Walk of Fame.

Most recently, he starred as Satan in the 2024 holiday comedy "Dear Santa" and reprised his role as Po in "Kung Fu Panda 4." He also voiced the role of Bowser in "The Super Mario Bros. Movie."

In addition to his acting career, Black is the lead singer of the band "Tenacious D." The band, which formed 30 years ago, continues to tour, although their 2024 tour was cut short in light of a comment Black's bandmate, Kyle Gass, made about the assassination attempt on Donald Trump in July. Gass apologized for the remark, and Black told Variety in August, "We'll be back."

He also runs the YouTube channel Jablinski Games.

After befriending his new next-door neighbor Iris and Miles, he attends an event celebrating his achievements in the film industry. 

Wallach's prolific acting career spanned more than six decades, with his most notable film appearances including roles in "The Good, the Bad and the Ugly," "The Godfather: Part III," "How to Steal a Million," and "The Misfits," which is most commonly known as Marilyn Monroe's last completed film.

"The Holiday" was one of Wallach's final film appearances.

After leading Iris on for years, Jasper gets engaged and announces it in front of his and Iris' entire office at a Christmas party. Iris tells Jasper she is going on holiday to get over him.

However, instead of leaving her alone, Jasper asks Iris for notes on his manuscript while she's on vacation. He also shows up in Los Angeles unannounced to tell Iris he's afraid of losing her but is still engaged. Finally, Iris breaks it off.

Sewell has appeared in "The Man in the High Castle" and "Victoria," and he guest-starred in "The Marvelous Mrs. Maisel" as a stubborn but genius artist.

His most recent acting credits include roles in "Kaleidoscope" and "The Trouble with Jessica," and he stars alongside Keri Russell in Netflix's "The Diplomat," which is in its second season.

After a rip-roaring fight in one of the first scenes of the movie, Ethan tells Amanda he has cheated on her with his secretary but blames it on the fact that he doesn't feel connected to Amanda. He also points out that she doesn't "even shed a tear" during their breakup. 

In recent years, Burns has directed and produced several of the projects he's acted in, including "27 Dresses," "Public Morals," "Summertime," "Beneath the Blue Suburban Skies," and "Bridge and Tunnel." 

He is married to model Christy Turlington — they wed in 2003. They have two children, Grace and Finn.

Not much about Maggie is known other than the fact she's beautiful, likes to talk on the phone while Miles is listening to classical music in the car, and she cheats on him while pretending to be acting on location.

In the end, Maggie tries to win Miles back, but they break up.

Her most recent television credits included roles in "Mistresses," "Wayward Pines," and "Sleepy Hollow." She's also acted in several indie movies.

As of 2020, Sossamon was working on a project called "The Maude Room," a short-form variety show that she described as "a little picture show theater."

"What I wanted to do is to create a space that's like film school in a way. I'm doing mostly everything myself, holding the camera and doing all the post [production], and I'm loving it," she told Refinery 29 in September 2020.

However, the project has yet to be released.

Sophie appeared in adorable scenes alongside her younger sister, Olivia.

Englefield, 6, was living with her dad when filming started and had only recently become permanently housed after being homeless, the actor told Vulture in 2020.

According to her Instagram page, Englefield, now 25, lives in West Sussex, England. In April 2020, she welcomed her first child. 

"She has the largest and most loving family with the most ridiculous mix of beautiful people around her," she wrote in an Instagram post at the time. The former actor's account has since been set private. "We cannot wait for you all to meet her once the world begins to return to a more normal state."

Englefield, who now has dark hair and tattoos, said in a 2019 Instagram story that she struggled to find acting gigs because of her new look, People reported.

"As an adult, I've found that casting directors aren't overly seeking people who 'look like me' to play roles, even though body modifications aren't rare these days and are the most common they have ever been," she said.

Englefield has also shared a behind-the-scenes look at what it was like to work on "The Holiday" on her TikTok page.

In a 2022 TikTok video, she answered frequently asked questions about starring in the film and said she hasn't stayed in touch with any of her costars, but that "they were all so lovely."

One of Pritchard's character's most notable scenes is the one where she and Sophie beg their father to "do Mr. Napkin Head." Graham hilariously places a napkin and his glasses over his face, much to the delight of his daughters and Amanda.

Pritchard has kept a low profile and does not have any public social media accounts.

The bag cost $5.79 at my local Key Food Marketplace.

This is comparable to other brands of packaged cookies I usually buy.

Sometimes I find ginger snaps can be a little tough, but these ones crumbled easily.

I thought the cookies tasted strongly of spices like cinnamon and molasses but were slightly off-balance in sweetness.

These cookies were borderline spicy, which I'm personally not a huge fan of. However, I did enjoy the texture.

These cookies, the most expensive of the ones I tried, cost $5.99 at my local Key Food Marketplace.

However, unlike the ginger snaps, these cookies supposedly contained pieces of crystallized ginger. I was excited to see how the flavors would measure up.

I could also see the pieces of ginger on the surface of the crispy cookies.

I loved the texture of the crispy cookies and the crystallized ginger and thought these were just as good as any non-gluten-free cookies I've ever tried.

At my local Stop & Shop grocery store, a box of eight cookies cost $3.59. They were the least expensive, but the box also contained the fewest cookies.

I thought these cookies would be a really cute touch for a festive school lunch or snack on the go.

The icing and smattering of red and green sprinkles upped the sweetness, but I also preferred the softer texture of these gingerbread cookies compared to the other two kinds.

Aesthetically, I also thought these were the most festive for the holiday season.

While I enjoyed all of these cookies, I would choose the classic gingerbread cookies for a sweet, festive treat.

Founded in 1994 in Garland, Texas, Wingstop has grown a cult following over the years for its chicken offerings, from its wings to its recently released chicken sandwich, which has caught the attention of Gen-Z consumers.

Wingstop does have dine-in options, but I felt it was more authentic to the Wingstop experience to order in.

I ordered four crispy tenders plain with a side of honey mustard sauce from my local Wingstop in Brooklyn, New York, for $10.39, excluding tax and fees.

I ordered these tenders plain, but they also come in all of the chain's signature sauces, from lemon pepper to Buffalo. I liked the ability to customize my tenders according to my preferences.

The tenders paired well with the honey mustard, which was creamy and had an ideal level of tanginess. I also thought the classic breading had a nice amount of flavor and peppery seasoning.

Each Wingstop tender had a different amount of juicy chicken meat, with some pieces being thicker and more satisfying than others. While the flavor was spot-on, I found myself wishing there was a bit more meat in each bite to really hit the mark.

These tenders would make a decent addition to a spread of wings from Wingstop, especially for folks turned off by spicy food.

Next time I order from Wingstop, I'll probably stick to their specialty: their wings.

Business Insider reached out to Wingstop for comment but did not receive a response before publication.

I visited my local Applebee's in Brooklyn, New York, to try these chicken tenders.

Applebee's partnered with the NFL this year as the league's official grill and bar partner after finding a major crossover between their customer base and NFL viewers.

"We know our guests are football fans," Applebee's chief marketing officer Joel Yashinsky told Business Insider, adding, "This season, we've been all in on the NFL."

Data collected by Applebee's in April showed that 64% of its guests were interested in or very interested in the NFL, and about 34% had watched the NFL in the last 12 months, which informed the chain's football season strategy, Yashinsky said.

While the chain is consistently lauded for its boneless wings, I haven't heard much about its chicken tenders.

At my location, the chicken tender plate typically costs $12.99, excluding tax and fees. However, I ordered them as part of the chain's "2 for $2X" deal, which also allowed me to get an order of boneless wings and a classic cheeseburger.

They were really crispy, but slightly on the smaller side. The serving size of the honey mustard was also smaller than the Wingstop version.

However, unlike Wingstop, these chicken tenders came with a generous serving of fries, which I thought made this meal an excellent value.

I appreciated the seasoning on the breading, which was a highlight since this chain serves its tenders plain without coating them in signature sauces like those available at Wingstop, Chili's, or Buffalo Wild Wings.

My only complaint, other than the smaller size of the chicken tenders, was just how fried they were. I thought the breading was a little overcooked, to the point that it left a dry, almost burned taste in my mouth.

However, this could have just been the batch I received and not standard for all Applebee's chicken tenders. I reached out to Applebee's about my experience, but they did not respond before publication.

TGI Fridays has run into financial trouble in recent months. In early November, the chain filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy, and Reuters reported that it was facing $37 million in debt, which led to some underperforming restaurants closing.

The TGI Fridays location I visited in Massachusetts is locally franchised and owned, so it's not included in the larger brand's bankruptcy filing.

I ordered a four-piece tender meal for $15.69, excluding tax and fees. It came with a side — I opted for mac and cheese — and honey mustard.

They still had the signature finger shape I typically look for in a chicken tender.

This honey-mustard dipping sauce was less creamy compared to the other chains I tried. However, I was mostly judging the chicken tenders on their own, not the sauces they came with.

I was impressed by these chicken tenders and would definitely order them again the next time I visit TGI Fridays for game day or just a standard dinner out.

However, I thought the breading was just slightly too thick and underseasoned to rank them higher than the top two chains.

Business Insider reached out to TGI Fridays for comment but did not receive a response before publication.

Chili's has been killing the game lately — with traffic and sales on the upswing leading up to football season, the chain is arguably in a league of its own.

The chain told BI in April that a return to commercial advertising has been a major part of the brand's efforts to increase brand awareness over the past couple of years. This includes during sports seasons. Sports Business Journal reported that in 2023, Chili's spent 38% of its TV advertising budget on live NFL action during games.

Value has also been a focus for the chain in the past year. It has expanded its "3 For Me" menu and offers happy-hour beers starting at $3.

"We're focused on creating a lively, social atmosphere that makes Chili's a great spot to watch the game," Chili's chief marketing officer George Felix told BI.

"Of course, we understand that some people prefer to watch the game from the comfort of home, which is why we also offer everyday favorites and party platters for takeout and delivery," he added.

I ordered a four-count of Chicken Crispers for $14.99, excluding tax and fees. The meal also included fries, mac and cheese, and two sauces.

The tenders are available in a variety of flavors, such as Nashville Hot, Honey Chipotle, Buffalo Ranch, barbecue, and Buffalo.

I paired my chicken tenders with ranch and honey mustard and was impressed by the creaminess and flavor of both sauces. However, the chicken tenders really hit it out of the park.

It was peppery, slightly salty, and just crispy enough to not overpower the chicken meat inside. Plus, for the price, you also get a lot of food.

While I'd probably opt for smothering these chicken tenders in a signature sauce next time, they also hold up on their own with their crispy breading and succulent chicken meat.

Buffalo Wild Wings was founded in 1982 in Columbus, Ohio, by Jim Disbrow and Scott Lowery, who started the restaurant with the goal of bringing authentic Buffalo-style chicken wings to the area.

The chain has since expanded to over 1,200 locations and offers 21 different sauce options, including the chain's signature Buffalo sauce, for its classic bone-in wings, boneless wings, and tenders.

A five-count of the chain's hand-breaded tenders with no sauce or dry rub and fries typically costs $17.99, excluding tax and fees.

However, Buffalo Wild Wings was running a promotion that allowed me to order 15 boneless wings, five tenders, ranch or blue cheese dipping sauces, and fries for $19.99, so I chose that deal instead.

These chicken tenders had tiny pieces of fried breading that enhanced the texture of each bite and paired well with the tangy and fresh ranch dipping sauce provided.

The chicken tenders themselves were well-seasoned and sizable — they were probably the largest chicken tenders I tried, length-wise, and also the thickest.

The breading had the most distinctive flavor out of all the tenders I tried.

The chicken meat inside was moist and high-quality, in my opinion. These tenders from Buffalo Wild Wings also tasted the most homemade to me, which I attributed to the flaky, hand-breaded coating.

The crispy breading added a satisfying crunch without being too thick, complementing the tender, juicy chicken inside. Every bite struck the perfect balance, making these feel less like a mass-produced product from a chain restaurant and more like something prepared fresh in a home kitchen.

All of the chicken tenders I tried had something tasty to offer for game-day and tailgating season. But in the end, Buffalo Wild Wings was the real MVP.

North Pole, Alaska, is decked out in Christmas decorations year-round, although it's an especially festive place to be during the holiday season.

It's only fitting that there's a town called North Pole in Alaska. The small town, which has a population of just 2,285 people, keeps the holiday spirit alive all year long. However, the North Pole is especially festive around the holidays.

The North Pole's post office is a famous local attraction that reportedly receives over 400,000 letters addressed to Santa Claus every year, Travel Alaska reported.

Solvang, California, is an adorable Danish-inspired village located in the Santa Ynez Valley, up the coast from Santa Barbara.

The town feels festive all year round, although Solvang stands out during the holiday season. Every year, the European-inspired town hosts Julefest, a holiday celebration complete with Christmas tree lighting, plenty of holiday shopping, and Danish treats.

Visitors to Mystic, Connecticut, can stroll around the town's harbor to admire the elaborately decorated boats, watch Santa Claus arrive by tugboat, or grab a slice at the town's most famous restaurant, Mystic Pizza.

The downtown of Helen, Georgia, is a recreation of a Bavarian alpine village that only gets more adorable once it's decorated for the holidays.

While the town is famous for its Oktoberfest celebration, Helen also comes alive around the holidays.

The town has a Christmas market and parade featuring costumed characters, floats, and Santa Claus himself. There are also festive lights, a breakfast with Santa, and the opportunity to buy your gifts at Helen's own Christmas Shoppe.

Frankenmuth, also known as Michigan's Little Bavaria, is one of the coziest places to spend the holidays. The town's architecture will make you feel as if you've been transported to Europe, and it's even better when it's covered in snow.

The town is also home to Bronner's Christmas Wonderland, which, at 320,000 square feet, calls itself the world's largest Christmas store.

Silverton is a tiny town in Oregon, although it's arguably the most festive place in the state during the holiday season.

The Silverton Christmas Market at the Oregon Garden Resort is a popular holiday event in Silverton. During this event, the gardens are lit up with festive light displays, snowless tubing, a Biergarten, and a vendor market.

Many people only associate the island of Nantucket, Massachusetts, with summer vacations, although the town is filled with holiday charm in the offseason.

You may not want to swim in the frigid Atlantic Ocean but the beach is just as charming in the winter thanks to its beautifully decorated lighthouses.

Nantucket also holds an annual Christmas Stroll festival, during which visitors can shop at discounted prices at many of the island's shops and watch Santa arrive by boat into Nantucket Harbor.

It's nearly impossible to avoid holiday cheer in Sun Valley, Idaho.

The charming ski town goes all out — its celebrations include Christmas light displays, tree lightings, and visits from Santa Claus.

What better place to spend the holidays than a town called Santa Claus?

The Indiana town is well-known for its post office, appropriately located on Kringle Place, where thousands of children mail their letters to Santa every year.

There's also a large Santa statue that stands outside the post office year-round, serving up a dose of Christmas cheer even in the summer.

Branson is a go-to spot for Missourians looking to get into the holiday spirit.

From live shows to holiday lights and shopping, Branson has everything you could ask for in a festive night out. It also offers natural beauty like snowy vistas at Table Rock Lake.

Located outside Charlotte, McAdenville also goes by "Christmas Town, USA" during the holiday season.

The name is fitting since it's one of the best places to view holiday lights and decorations in the country. Beginning December 1 — and sometimes, even earlier — homes and buildings all over town are aglow in lights and decorations until the day after Christmas.

Woodstock, Vermont, is widely regarded as one of the most quintessentially New England towns in the country. Gorgeous in both the fall and the dead of winter, Woodstock has a number of festive attractions and activities.

If you're planning to stay in town over the holidays or the winter season, try to book a room at the cozy and festive Woodstock Inn. Each guest suite has its own fireplace perfect for cuddling up next to with a cup of hot cocoa and a copy of "'Twas The Night Before Christmas."

People love to visit Stowe, Vermont, in the wintertime for skiing and other outdoor activities, but the town especially comes alive during the holiday season.

Stowe offers a beautiful winter landscape and hosts an annual tree-lighting ceremony, a holiday bazaar, and ice skating.

Leavenworth, Washington, is a small Bavarian-inspired town with amazing Christmas lights.

Every year, Leavenworth's downtown is decorated in lights and the town's annual Christmas market keeps the holiday festivities going all season long.

The ski town is famous for its arches made of elk antlers, which are covered in Christmas lights during the holiday season and provide the perfect opportunity for family photo ops.

Outdoor enthusiasts can also hit the slopes at Jackson Hole Mountain Resort or enjoy cross-country skiing and snowshoeing in the multiple surrounding national parks.