How I Review

The short version: I pay for everything, I visit at least twice, I never take comps or press-event food, and I write reviews as if the person reading is trying to decide whether to spend nine dollars at that particular drive-thru this Wednesday.

Sourcing

Every review is based on food I bought at full retail price, with my own money (or Marcus's, or Priya's, or Sam's if it's a guest review — same rules). I do not accept brand-comped meals, launch-event tastings, media junkets or influencer packages. When a chain reaches out, I decline the invite and go to a regular store on my own dime. If a chain sends unsolicited free product to my mailing address, it goes to a local food pantry unopened.

How many visits

Menu reviews: at least two visits to at least two different locations, and usually three. Chain-wide reviews: enough visits that I've eaten roughly the whole menu at least once and the anchor items several times. For a genuinely brand-defining item (a Whopper, a Crunchwrap, an Arby's Classic Roast Beef), I aim for four or more visits spread across two to four weeks so that one bad-day sample doesn't skew the write-up.

Photos

I take my own photos. When I use a stock image (an exterior storefront shot I couldn't get, a wide angle of a parking lot at dusk that would have required me to go back at exactly the right moment), the image is licensed from Unsplash or Pexels and I try to note that in the caption. I do not use AI-generated imagery.

Writing

I write every review myself. I use spell-check, and I use a grammar-checker to flag rambling sentences (I write a lot of rambling sentences). I do not use generative AI to write, draft or paraphrase editorial content. If I ever start doing that, I'll say so on this page.

Fact-checking

Numerical claims (prices, calorie counts, wait times, franchisee counts) are double-checked against at least one independent source before publication. Direct quotes are verified against a recording or a contemporaneous note. Historical claims (when a chain launched a product, how many stores it had at a given year) are cross-referenced against at least two sources — usually the chain's own press releases and an industry trade publication.

Corrections

When I get something wrong, I fix it visibly. A correction notice goes at the top of the article with a dated explanation, the original erroneous text is preserved with strikethrough where the fix is material, and I try to make it easy for readers to see what changed. If you spot an error, please email corrections@drivethrudaily.example.

Right of reply

If a review makes a specific critical claim about a company, I try to reach the company's press contact for comment before publication. Post-publication concerns from named subjects go to the editor (me) and, where warranted, I add clarifications or corrections.

Independence

I do not hold personal financial positions in publicly-traded restaurant companies I cover. I do not take payment from any brand in exchange for coverage. If I ever have a conflict of interest — a family member starts working for a chain I write about, for example — I'll disclose it in the byline of any relevant piece.

Last reviewed: April 5, 2026.