As a US expat, I will say that I do miss the vast variety of restaurant choices, especially for grabbing and going. Also being from Orlando, Florida, I had quite an array of choices. I was wondering what major global chains of fast food and sit down restaurants are in Switzerland. Obviously McDonalds and I have eating at Burger King and Hooters. I would love to know what else is out there. Subway? Taco Bell? TGI Fridays? Bring em on no matter where they are in CH.

Subway is here.
Might be easier for you to make your own, though.

Taco Bell's franchise in CH is operated by Old EL Paso - available in Coop and Migros.

Those are the one's I've seen. McDonalds, Burger King and Subway.

Those are restaurants?

To me, if I don't spend at LEAST 3 hours there, it is NO restaurant worthy of mention!

Tom

So don't go there then ...
I don't think the OP wanted to know whether or not you agreed with the lifestyle choice .....

Nordsee! In Zurich HB and other places, it's a fish fast-food place. Well, I'd call it more like cafeteria dining, trays, but you can get a chilled glass of wine etc. It's pretty tasty! They have many branches in Germany.

Burger King and McDonalds, Santa Lucia is a proper Italian restaurant serving good pizzas and also a chain, Yooji's is a sushi chain but pretty poor.

I also miss having a wider selection when it comes to grabbing a quick bite to eat. It seems like all the "grab 'n go" places here sell the same exact things (which are usually really dry sandwiches containing some kind of strange meat).

(What's up with that fleischkaese stuff? aka "meat cheese?")

I miss Red Lobster.. lovely restaurant chain.

Mmmmm...cheddar bay biscuits. And a mysterious puffy hand bloat that doesn't go away for days!

One of many things that as an American you'll need to relearn...Food is an experience and the Suisse value eating it, so fast food typically equates to poor food - of which you will find precious little...and believe me, it'll be a good thing for you to appreciate the wonder of cuisine en Suisse - it'll change your life

At first you miss the vast variety of American fast food, but after a year or two here, when you go back to the US and dive into it again, it suddenly tastes like fatty, grease dripping deep-fried melted industrial cheese crap. Believe me, you are better off without it. The occasional McDonalds or Burger King for old times sake is enough for me now.

Of course, if all you're thinking about is McD's and BK then you can "easily" say - "Eh, after you're here a while, you won't even miss it"

But

Being able to go and get some chicken with black beans & rice and some yucca fries.. or just a little further up the street you can get some Wendy's (nom nom, Big Bacon Classic is my favorite all time!), or across the way is KFC -or- Popeyes (and other, "regional" fried chicken places), a little further along is Quiznos or Subway, some Gyros shops (donner kebab is actually not tasty at all compared to the Gyros I used to get in the Chicago 'burbs)... So, while something quick can be had here, a CHOICE of something quick, is definitely missing.


On the other hand, here it is a bit easier to find cafeterias with some pretty good fresh food attached to many of the larger grocery stores. Manor, Migros and Coop all for sure... quick enough if you're in a hurry, often with some little play areas for kids AND the food is as fresh as anything you'd buy that day to cook yourself.


(Gosh, I have a killer taste for some Pollo Tropical now!)

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The Joys of Opticianry

Taco according to all info available followed the US armed forces. US armed forces chaps only were in Switzerland enjoying holidays between 1943 and 1958, but never were stationed here.

KFC was around in Zürich decades ago but went bust in a scandalous bankruptcy procedure, and so no longer is around. If you look it up in the "social" calendar on here you can see that KFC admirers tomorrow will get out to KFC Mülhausen. In Germany, the next KFC is very far away

Local traditional fast food are all the many sausage stands around in all cities and towns. And in winter you can add all the Marroni-stands to this

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Of course, many people describe Pizza and Kebab as "fast food", but particularily Kebab is NOT. Here in Zurich, go to the Sultan Restaurant, the Cèdre Aussersihl, the Cèdre Bellevue, the Palme de Beirut (all these Arab) ... or to the Turkish Manesse Marmara, and you will experience high-standard Kebab cuisine. Interestingly, many Kebab chains have started to establish real restaurants (sometimes active as BOTH stands and restaurants). The commercial idea makes sense. Many technical methods used at the stands can also be used in the restaurants. And recipes developed in the restaurants can be used at the stands. The many Italian ristoranti/trattorie/pizzerie do NOT regard their pizze as "fastfood".

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Let's not forget "New York" right accross from Bahnhof Oerlikon. Good wines, good service, acceptable prices, and even quite good Indian dishes. You when eating Indian there you have to take use of the spices on the table to pep the stuff up, true,

So far so good, But a question about "Yooji". Was once in such a place and agree with you. HOWEVER,
- are we right in our judgment ?
- Or is it just that we dislike their particular ways ?
- Is Yooji actually Japanese cuisine really ?
- Or just a company copying Japanese ways ?
- And what do Japanese people think about them ?

°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°° °°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°°

Let's not forget "New York" right accross from Bahnhof Oerlikon. Good wines, good service, acceptable prices, and even quite good Indian dishes. You when eating Indian there you have to take use of the spices on the table to pep the stuff up, true,

So far so good, But a question about "Yooji". Was once in such a place and agree with you. HOWEVER,
- are we right in our judgment ?
- Or is it just that we dislike their particular ways ?
- Is Yooji actually Japanese cuisine really ?
- Or just a company copying Japanese ways ?
- And what do Japanese people think about them ?

And good lord are they good!!!! *Drool!!!!!!!! (I am gutted there is not a Drool smiley!)

Well, US-Americans should by now know about it. I have been eating exceedingly well in states like Louisiana and California already in 1976, and in 1982 in Philadelphia/Pennsylvania (admittedly a Lebanese restaurant), in New York and (even) in Texas, and in 1997 around Myrtle Beach in South Carolina. The home cuisine of an old aunt in Marshall/TX already was superior in 1976. And I had, in a place NW of Austin/TX the best ever Pizza. In the home of the cousin who had brought us to this pizza place in the evening we had superb catfish for lunch.

The OP possibly shares the unfortunate desire of many of his countrymen, to spend 2 minutes to order a meal, 2 minutes for waiting and 6 minutes plus 30 seconds for the consumption and then get out

I can only recommend Yooji when there is no other choice or when you're in that particular area and do not want to walk or take the tram for a better option. Mind you: sushi is quite expensive, so it makes sense to buy quality


- are we right in our judgment ? I guess, the restaurant is simply expensive fast food - not more, not less.
- Or is it just that we dislike their particular ways ? I particular dislike their unfriendly attitude, the high prices, the badly rolled sushi.
- Is Yooji actually Japanese cuisine really ? Not really, the roles are always the same. They don't bother to re-invent them. I always see the same variety.
- Or just a company copying Japanese ways ? A copy, definitely

- And what do Japanese people think about them ? The ones I know never go there, but order or buy from
Sala of Tokyo (they also have a take out menu)
http://www.samurai7.ch/
http://www.swissbimi.ch/
Ginger at Seefeld

This indeed is a weird statement. Döner Kebab / Shawarma Kebab is far tastier than any Gyros you may get anywhere. If "not tasty at all" it is NOT a Shawarma (Döner) at all.

Reasons ?
-
It may have a lousy sauce served with it
It is made not of lamb and beef but of chicken or whatever
It is produced in a lousy way
-- all three things are widespread among those chains

Cheesey fondues are the way to go here

We don't all, always, have the time to sit in a restaurant.
I wish Pret a Manger would open here. I haven't found anything as good in Lausanne.
In London their sandwiches and salads are very fresh and very good, the service is quick and friendly, and they give their unsold food to the homeless each night.
I like to grab a sandwich and go and sit in the park when the weather's good.
I hate it here when shop staff start wishing customers 'bon appetit' at 11.30.
What they're really saying is 'please get out of our shop because we want to make sure we get our 2- hour lunch-break'