At AYG we love to debate the intricacies of culture, specifically food culture, and even more specifically fast food culture. 

Stavvy returned to Tuddy's in our recent episode to promote his new special - Uncle Stav - now on Netflix!  In true Dirtbag fashion, we went down another rabbit hole about fast food and the sauces that make them cultural stalwarts.  

So here is 

Top 7 Grossing Fast Food Restaurants & Their Best Dipping Sauces*

*Restaurants are not listed in order of top grossing... How would we know that? We don't work for Neilson Ratings. 

7. Wendy's 

Wendy's serves GREAT chicken nuggets with proper breading, complimented nicely by one of their 6 signature sauces.  They're solid sauces, classic go-to's, and nothing to complain about. 

However - if you're really looking to get into delicious and spicy STANDOUT condiment - you gotta go with the Wendy's Hot Chili Seasoning Sauce. 

This is not technically a "dipping sauce", cuz it's meant to go into chili.  BUT it's like Tabasco's hotter lil cousin - it's spice PLUS flavor, that makes any of their menu items really POP.  

They are served in small, ketchup-style packets, and you have to ask for like 6 of them to get enough sauce to dip a 4-piece nugget...  (Cuz - ya know, chili.) But I promise you it's worth fighting with every one of those stupid little metal/plastic containers. 

Yes, it's ofc also great in the chili. 

6. KFC

KFC is believed by many to be the top chicken fast food restaurant - and by many others, not at all. 

But I'm NEVER gonna put down a restaurant that serves mashed potatoes and gave us cultural classics including the the Double Down, KFC bowls, and the classic Family Meal.  

That said, their breading has such good flavor it barely NEEDS dipping sauces - so their flavors are just that - a nice edition.  If you're a condiment MUST kinda Dirtbag - we may recommend the KFC sauce, the Jalapeno Ranch, or the Supercharger.   

5. Burger King 

Burger King has a lot of offerings - s/o the flame grilled burgers! 

But they also do a solid business with those dipping sauces - including our faves:

• Special Savory Sauce (Limited-Time)- A creamy, tangy, and slightly spicy blend featuring BBQ seasoning, ketchup, garlic, onion, and black pepper.
• Zesty Sauce - which is akin to thousand island (that's been around long before imitators!) 
• Sweet and Sour - different than the competitors' offerings, it does indeed deliver BOTH flavors 
  

4. Taco Bell 

Listen - I cannot eat a bean burrito or Crunchwrap Supreme without a minimum of 7 sauce packets.  

But the good thing here, is that each T Bell sauce is a classic, necessary edition to every menu item.  If we had to pick a favorite, we'd say the Fire - mid spice, unique flavor that really ties the whole meal together.  

They also host a great selection of limited edition or special order sauces, including their fries dipping sauce, Diablo, the Salsa Verde packet, or the Creamy Chipotle. 

3. Domino's Pizza

Is it Garbage to dip pizza in sauce? Maybe - but I don't wanna live in a world where that isn't an option.  

Domino's does typically charge for each dipping cup they give out - but they are appropriately portioned to make up for the price. 

And really - you can't complain about any of these - they're classics: 

• Garlic Dipping 
• Mango Habanero
• Slice Sauce - it's like a cocktail of everything offered at a slice shop - a creamy, zesty dip made with a buttermilk base, garlic, Parmesan, Asiago, and a touch of paprika for a slight tangy kick
• Icing - howyerdoin!

2. Chick-fil-A

For a place that only serves chicken, they took the time to get each sauce right. 

Each sauce is a solid choice - but their BEST offerings are: 

• Buffalo - perhaps the best hot sauce in the fast food cannon.  I SAID WHAT I SAID.
• Polynesian Sauce
• Honey Mustard - made of the "yellow mustard" variety, but if you're into that style, it's great

1. McDonald's 

There's always a lot of dispute about her sauces - but it's because those who love em feel STRONGLY about each and every one. 

As we said on the episode, The Gold Sauce is a gold standard (but was limited edition).  It's the chef's kitchen of a tangy, honey, smokey BBQ sauce in a Carolina style. 

Another unfortunately limited edition flavor is the Szechuan Sauce - which not only sells by the case for around $5000 on eBay, but also famously made it to an episode of Ricky & Morty. 

And while it is not MY go-to sauce, many, many people love their Sweet & Sour sauce.  (And IYKYK this debate is maybe how Don Soder and Katie fell in love.) 

What sauces did we miss? Also who has the best ranch for dipping? 

Let us know in the comments! 

And be sure not to miss our AMERICAN GARBAGE special - out THIS SUNDAY, Sept 13th. 

Love youse - AYG