Beefeaters, Indeed.

Let me explain the picture.

I went to England in 2006 and it was absolutely the best experience of my life. Obviously, if you pay any attention whatsoever to soccer/football, you will no doubt remember that 2006 was the year of the most recent FIFA World Cup. As you can see, England was quite supportive of their team.

World Cup Mania followed us from Brighton to Wells (swear to God, Wells is the size of a postage stamp) to obscure little tea shops to London. When we were in Canterbury (I think), I had the wonderful experience of eating at a quaint little Burger King, the outside windows of which were decorated with flags and David Beckham's face.

Customers could even purchase table soccer games. Since I was on my last leg of poundage for the trip, I forced myself to buy only the fast food necessities of a hungry American meatetarian--a Whopper, medium fry, and medium Coke. Or Pepsi, I actually don't remember. But you get the gist.

This fast-food experience taught me that All Fast Food is Not Alike. We all knew that (in America) McDonald's fries were far better than Sonic and Wendy's fries, and Chick-Fil-A had the best, but England's fast food was something out of a foodie fairy tale.

The Whopper, overflowing with meat, cheese, ketchup, mustard, and lettuce (the only vegetable I willingly put on a burger), looked precisely like the Whoppers in Burger King commercials. There was no squished bun--it was fluffy and seasame-seedy. The meat was juicy and tender and cooked precisely to the correct temperature. The lettuce was crisp and that emerald green that lettuce is supposed to be...none of the opaque iceberg lettuce you get on most American fast food burgers. And the fries!!

These fries were intense. They were golden, succulent fried potato crisps of the perfect width and length for popping into the mouth, seasoned with the precise amount of salt and oils to procure the best fries I had ever gotten out of a cardboard container. I must say, I was ravenous at the time--but Lordy did I savor that meal. I have never had a similar fast food experience anywhere (by anywhere, I mean the Southeastern US). Five Guys Burger and Fries is the closest, but I'll write about that later.

So excuse the pun of the title--I couldn't help myself, really, it was just too good to pass up. That Whopper was a welcome respite from the stewed tomatoes we were served for breakfast one morning (let me assure you, I went hungry on that day), and I will always remember it was one of the best (cheap) meals I had while in the country!