R & D Kitchen

We went here because we were famished and it is literally the closest restaurant. Normally I prefer a sit down place, but the somewhat cafeteria style worked out well for us, because we were also in a bit of a hurry. Good that we stuck to out guns on finding it, and also that we arrived at the beginning of the lunch rush. My sister and I had the sane texmex salad, and we both agreed it hit the spot.
I’m not from the area, so am not familiar with the franchises that this is a test kitchen for. Though the meal was good, I don’t recommend going out of your way for it.

This place is awesome! Taco salad and turkey Blt are fabulous! Close walk for work just have to beat the lunch crowd

I had lunch at R & D after an interview I had at a nearby office. I came right after noon which seems to be their busiest time and it was very cramped. I thought their menu would have more unique offerings as this is the restaurant where PDQ and Wow! That’s Fresh (WTF) test out potential new menu items (their HQ is right next to it on first floor in the office building); however, I didn’t notice any items that I couldn’t find at at PDQ or WTF and if they did have some, they weren’t highlighted or offered when I was ordering.
So I got a basic grilled chicken sandwich meal, which was no different than PDQ’s and it tasted fine. Their fries were overcooked. It was a situation where I had to look for ones that weren’t overly fried and take bites of the good parts. Aside from that, the Freestyle Coke Machine ran out of ice and also the worker had to refill some cartridges while a line was forming (but didn’t refill the ice). Fortunately, the drink itself was cool enough for me to drink but getting a refill was almost out of the question due to the line there at almost all times.
The staff was nice and friendly, smiling at me as they walked by (maybe it was my suit and tie they liked :)) and offering to take away trays/​garbage from customers. As it was so busy, the wait for food was longer than a typical PDQ.
I would only recommend going here if you’re a big PDQ/​WTF fan and want to see where it all got started. I do like their restaurant concepts and PDQ was receptive to my suggestions when they first started out and implemented at least one of them. If you do go though, I recommend going after 1pm. It seemed to slow down considerably after then. A little difficult to find as the Unilocal GPS wasn’t completely accurate. Look for a small sign for Anchor Plaza, follow the arrow to PDQ and there are a couple designated 1 hour outside parking spots for R & D right out front (go into office building and it’ll be on the left side/​back).

Their sandwiches are served on a brioche bun. IMO R&D’s (or PDQ’s) chicken sandwiches are better than Chick-fil-A’s. Service is super quick too — you can order and get your food in 1 – 2 minutes.

Raj recommended I try this place out for lunch and it didn’t disappoint. Apparently this is a test testing restaurant for the PDQ franchise. Whenever they want to bring a new item to their menu, they try it here first.
Food tastes good. The fries taste like the same hand cut ones you get at Five Guys, just a little smaller. They also have a soda machine just like what you see at the new AMC movie theaters, with every Coke flavor you’ve ever heard of. Talk about options!

Excellent burgers, chicken fingers and pizza and the staff/​service is amazing! Good prices and the food is always exceptionally fresh, not your typical fast food fare.

Excellent place to have lunch. It is located in an upscale office building. Plenty of places to sit. The food is delicious and ready in minutes.

Came here for lunch. I had chicken fingers and fries. I didn’t care for the fries but the chicken fingers were good. I had a sip of the boyfriend’s chocolate shake. It was pretty yummy.

R&D is simply delicious! I usually get the fresh tenders with a side of apples and toffee dip, and it’s the best! Very big portions and great customer service. I plan on trying the Margherita Pizza next!

If you love PDQ, then you’ll love this place. It’s the R&D kitchen for PDQ and WTF (what the fresh).
I met my husband for lunch one day. This place is located in an office complex where PDQ’s headquarters are located.
The menu has some standard PDQ and WTF menu items (burgers, sandwiches, chicken tenders) but it also has some trial items too. For instance, the day we were there they had a taco salad, which my husband ordered and it was very good. They also have pizzas. They looked really great and fresh so next time I will try one of those.
The menu is about $ 1.50-$ 2 cheaper than a PDQ, which makes this place incredibly busy at lunch. We got there around 1145 and by noon there was a line out the door.
Definitely a must try if you’re a PDQ lover.

Great departure from the everyday. Chance to try items from both PDQ and «Wow That’s Fresh», their brand new concept. I had their cheeseburger and fries and it was fabulous. Somewhat down the «In n Out Burger» track but different with an amazing burger sauce that comes on board. Fries are fresh cut and delicious too.
Note the previous review about this being in an office building in an office park, so just let your GPS take you there and park out front. There are plenty of 2 hour parking spots.

When you drive-​by you cannot see this restaurant as it is inside an office building. It is a typical café/​deli for tenants in the building and in the surrounding buildings BUT it is much more than that. The corporate offices of PDQ are in the building and this restaurant is their R&D and test kitchen. The menu is close to a PDQ restaurant and they also sell WOW Burgers which is a concept for their next restaurant launch. The service is extremely fast, the same as you get in a PDQ, and prices are very reasonable. They are open from 7 AM to 4 PM Monday through Friday. If you work nearby or are in the area and want a good quick lunch, this place is for you. The menu includes salads, pizza and milkshakes.