As We See It

Why are Las Vegans obsessed with crappy food?

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It’s not the sandwich people jones for, it’s the controversial food additive MSG.

The Las Vegas citizenry is often described as apathetic, but one thing that gets residents more excited than a Donald Trump rally is the announcement that a previously absent fast-food chain is coming to Clark County.

Social-media elation followed the news that Chick-fil-A—which recently received city approval to build at Sahara and Rancho—would finally bring its chicken crack to Nevada. I say chicken crack because it’s not the sandwich people jones for—it’s the controversial food additive MSG, which famously flavors the chain’s food and, like many of the ingredients in fast food, is purportedly linked to obesity and other conditions.

But health concerns get overshadowed by the nostalgia usually tied to these chains. Our city’s many transplants pine for their hometowns (despite leaving them for here), so they clamor for childhood favorites—like the mushy, unsubstantial burgers of White Castle, which drew such long lines upon opening on the Strip that it closed for two hours to restock. Over-the-top jubilation also followed the introduction of suburban troughs like Steak ‘n Shake and Five Guys—whose burgers, quite frankly, pale in comparison to those by our own Dispensary Lounge and Rebel Republic.

Surely another diabetes-stoking franchise is making its way over. But will zealous fast-food addicts live long enough to queue up?

Tags: Opinion, Dining, Food
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