Word on the street is that people waited in line at the Popeyes in downtown Chicago for up to an hour this afternoon, yelling and shuffling from foot to foot as they struggled to contain their craving for that elusive chicken sandwich. You may rightly find this absurd. And yet, most of us have at some point waited in line for whatever our version of the Popeyes chicken sandwich is.

　　For some, that might be a sought-after, special-release beer. For others, the best barbecue in town. For others, previously unavailable fast food. I’ve waited in line at Joe’s in Kansas City (worth it), Pizzeria Bianco in Phoenix (also worth it), my first-ever Shake Shack (not worth it), and many more restaurants I’m forgetting.

　　Other Takeout favorites we’ll admit to waiting in line for:

　　Baltimore’s Clavel Beer releases at Chicago brewery Half AcreGood ice cream (shout out to The Charmery in Baltimore and The Bent Spoon in Princeton, New Jersey)Chicago’s Hot Doug’s (RIP)

　　Din Tai Fung The incomplete list above proves a universal truth: Waiting on line for food is totally absurd… unless it’s your favorite food.