13 Phoenix Chefs Share Their Favorite Fast Food Guilty Pleasures

Fast food. Love it or hate it, you must admit that it's an undeniable part of the American experience. And, yes, just like you, chefs enjoy occasionally indulging in fast-food fare. From pizza to Taco Bell, discover the fast food that metro Phoenix chefs secretly love.  

What's your favorite guilty pleasure fast food restaurant?

Christopher Gross, chef of Christopher's and The Crush Lounge 

Joe's New York Pizza. It’s better than an aspirin after a night filled with whiskey. 

Rick Moses, executive chef of Scramble - a Breakfast Joint 

Sadly, I must admit, it is Jack in the Box. It's something that is usually provoked by laziness, but sometimes I just crave chicken nuggets and curly fries. 

Michael Rusconi, owner and chef at Rusconi’s American Kitchen

Dairy Queen chocolate shakes. Why can’t they be good for you? I don’t mind an In-N-Out Burger from time to time. Why isn’t there a chain that cooks its burger on wood? I don’t really do fast food much, but before my daughter's early-morning softball games I’m known to have dropped in at a Waffle House for a quick breakfast.

Julie Moreno, owner of Jewel's Bakery and Cafe

We don’t eat much fast food in our house, but when we do it’s Filla-Julio-Something-Bertos … and, “I’ll just take one of everything please."


Allison DeVane, owner of Teaspressa and Tea & Toast Co.

Chick-Fil-A for the criss-cross fries. I always crave it on Sundays. 


Garrison Whiting, executive chef of Counter Intuitive and sous chef of Cowboy Ciao

My favorite guilty-pleasure fast food restaurant is, hands down, Whataburger. Green chile double, baby. I eat there enough to actually feel guilty about it.


Kelly Fletcher, chef de cuisine of El Chorro

Fucking Taco Bell owns me. I hate my life: enchiritos, Mexican pizza, double-decker tacos. I hate them for making me love them.


Rick Phillips, owner/menu development at Bootlegger's

Probably Shake Shack.

Chrysa Robertson, chef/owner of Rancho Pinot

In-N-Out Burger! 


Tracy Dempsey, owner of Tracy Dempsey Originals 

Blake’s Lotaburger. And hey, does anyone know if the one planned for Tucson is open yet???

Aaron Pool, chef/owner of Gadzooks 

Jack in the Box tacos. There are about six in the vicinity of the Arizona State Tempe campus. The one on Rural and the 202 would sell three tacos for 99 cents, instead of the typical two. So we would buy 100 and dump them on the kitchen table, like a bounty of shrimp dumping out of a net on a shrimp boat. There is something about that crispy-oily shell, soft texture of the beef/soy filing, and one slice of American cheese, topped off with Jack’s hot sauce that was intoxicating to my taste buds.

Bob Tam, chef of Bitter & Twisted

Popeye’s Cajun rice and green beans.


Becca Carlson, executive chef of Federal Pizza

In-N-Out. Double double and animal-style fries.