Shula-holic
Footballguy
I used to struggle leaving the South on business because I was so hooked on having it with meals everywhere I went.
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Favorite chain restaurant? (1 Viewer)
- Thread starter wazoo11
- Start date
TheWinz
Footballguy
True story - About 2 years ago, we went to eat at the mexican chain Margarita's. I asked if they had sweet tea, and the waitress said sure, but it was warm. I said fine, and she brought me my tea in a tall glass with a straw. I took a huge swig from the straw, then spit it all over the table. It was boiling hot! I'm surprised it didn't melt the straw.
Bracie Smathers
Footballguy
Great atmosphere and excellent wait staff but the food ... No. I'm shocked anyone likes this place. Just speaking food what on earth do you like?
What we had was terrible, truly awful. I had some sort of seafood pasta that was mush. Can't recall what the others had but do recall it started out well with orderves but they were the only thing palatable even the wine was not good. Everything was ridiculously overpriced but the waiting staff deserved a good tip which they got but when you are at the end of your meal and everyone is judging the meal not saying a word. You look around and see no one has finished and no one has said a word... then the damn breaks and everyone is embarrassed by how bad the meal was. Bonefish Grill is not good.
Left a big tip but nothing was finished while leaving the table which only drove home how bad it was.
Never going back again and would never recommend that experience to anyone.
pantherclub
Footballguy
Dr. Octopus
Footballguy
I've had different experiences - maybe its based on location. I think it's pretty cheap for eating out and their fish dishes and sides are good.
The Commish
Footballguy
This Texas Roadhouse keeps coming up 
I have one right up the road from me, but have always dismissed it. It is constantly slammed, but this is also an area where Sonny's BBQ is also slammed
in lieu of local, quality BBQ joints.
I have one right up the road from me, but have always dismissed it. It is constantly slammed, but this is also an area where Sonny's BBQ is also slammed
in lieu of local, quality BBQ joints.
The Commish
Footballguy
I miss this place. During this pandemic, we've been trying to recreate them....gotten pretty good at it...banana peppers are a must for us. The fries were worth their weight in gold IMO, but I can't recreate those.
Da Guru
Fair & Balanced
I agree, only problem is if you get a sub, fries, and fresh lemonade you are pushing 13-15 dollars.I miss this place. During this pandemic, we've been trying to recreate them....gotten pretty good at it...banana peppers are a must for us. The fries were worth their weight in gold IMO, but I can't recreate those.
The Commish
Footballguy
Doug B
Footballguy
This is true of any chain. Even two locations in the same town can be pretty different.
Quick example: the Olive Garden I worked at ... when I first started working there, the kitchen was run by (a) an experienced local hotel chef and (b) a recently-graduated culinary student. Both guys were dead serious about the quality of their food. Any pot of sauce that developed a "skin" that stuck to the side of the pot (from being left too long without stirring) was thrown out. They kept pressure on food runners and wait staff to get pasta out of the window ASAP to prevent it from drying out even a little bit. Those guys even scolded people for wiping the plate rims the wrong way. For squeezing lemons wrong (getting seeds into the food). Just totally on top of how a professional kitchen should run, chain or not.
I worked there on and off for a little over four years. After a while, those two chefs moved on to bigger and better things. They were generally replaced by journeymen line cooks -- usually good guys, but also typically corner-cutters who were more primed for speed than quality. And they really needed direction from someone with at least a chef-like mentality. It started to show in the quality of the food. IMHO, the food was generally still pretty good. However, the percentage of "messy" looking plates increased. More often, diners bit into a piece of sat-too-long pasta. Sauces were inconsistent, too often overdone.
So, if you'd have caught the OG from when I first started ... you'd probably be pretty impressed, especially "for a chain". Later on, when the chef mentality and attention to detail left the premises, you started getting the stereotypical chain-restaurant meals. Not 100% of the time -- probably not even 50% of the time -- but often enough to turn off customers to the entire chain altogether.
Drunken knight
Footballguy
are we including chains like Roy's
Duke's
yard house
haven't been to one in maybe two decades, but liked Unos
Captain Cranks
Footballguy
I don't doubt your experience, but I think you're in the minority. I've gone there countless times, typically ordering something different each time, and rarely have a meal I don't like. Their Mussels Josephine is phenomenal.
Dan Lambskin
Footballguy
I would put it on par with Outback quality wise, but with a “country” themeThis Texas Roadhouse keeps coming up
I have one right up the road from me, but have always dismissed it. It is constantly slammed, but this is also an area where Sonny's BBQ is also slammed
The Commish
Footballguy
There was a time I would go to Outback for Prime Rib, but that went downhill rather quickly...haven't been to one in ages. Their cheese fries were top notch back in the day, but I found the steaks "meh".
Not just a SoCal place. As a result of COVID my local store just permanently closed, which sucks because my kids loved it.
Foosball God
Foos
The Five Guys near us has steadily gone down hill. The burgers are a sloppy mess, it's actually off putting. Fries are still amazing. I much prefer burgers from a chain called BurgerFi and The Habit
Drunken knight
Footballguy
Went to college in San Diego. Was excited when one opening in my town.
Unfortunately, not nearly as good as what I had down there.
LoadLetterPaper
Footballguy
Home Depot has the best chains
Dan Lambskin
Footballguy
Went to BurgerFi once was not that impressed and I think it was even more pricey than 5G (although I had won a lunch bet so I did get a bunch of extra stuff)
mr. furley
Footballguy
Zegras11
Footballguy
Just had for the second time. Not bad at all.
Cheesecake Factory
Texas Roadhouse. (much, much better than Outback)
Goodwood BBQ (4 locations in ID and UT)
Dickies
Footballguy
I used to live down the street from the original Habit when I was in college, back before it was even a chain. This is the type of stuff that makes me feel old
Drunken knight
Footballguy
Captain Cranks
Footballguy
I took clients there for an appreciation dinner a few years back when I was just a young whippersnapper. My boss let me coordinate everything including ordering the appetizers and paying the check. That led to a $3,500 bill for 20 people thanks to ordering three seafood towers (most of which got thrown away) and accidentally double tipping (too drunk to consider that the gratuity would already be included on the check).
-OZ-
Footballguy
At first I thought you posted my favorite restaurant, local only.
https://www.goodlandpourhouse.com/
kutta
Footballguy
Nice - sounds like a great time!I took clients there for an appreciation dinner a few years back when I was just a young whippersnapper. My boss let me coordinate everything including ordering the appetizers and paying the check. That led to a $3,500 bill for 20 people thanks to ordering three seafood towers (most of which got thrown away) and accidentally double tipping (too drunk to consider that the gratuity would already be included on the check).
Funny story - my brother is good friends with a guy who was actually a deck hand on a boat that was smuggling cocaine and got hijacked by Haitian pirates. The dude was tied up on deck, got free, jumped into the Gulf waters, and swam to the Dominican Republic to safety.
My buddy and I told my brother that we would buy him and his buddy the nicest dinner they ever had if we could hear the story first hand from the guy. So he came to Phoenix, and the four of us went to Mastro's. We drank $100 a pop scotch, ate caviar and kobe steaks, and listened to this dude tell us the story for four hours. It was a blast, and our bill for the four of us ended up being over $3000.
Quite the night.
Captain Cranks
Footballguy
Last edited by a moderator:
Zow
Footballguy
Plus girls in their early twenties loved it.I never really got all the Olive Garden hate
Its not the greatest food in the world but it’s not bad either imo
We order curbside once in awhile.
The salad is big and always fresh. The chicken broccoli Alfredo is pretty good.
The zeppole are pretty darn good too
nirad3
Footballguy
Zow
Footballguy
Zow
Footballguy
Good call on The Habit. Surprisingly good and I really like the tempura beans.
Lower-end (including Habit):
Chick-Fil-A
Jersey Mike's
In N Out
Higher-end:
Ruth's Chris
PF Chang's
Benihana
Fogo de Chao
Not sure if they count (I know there are a few, but not sure if it's a "chain"):
Thirsty Lion
Pizza Port
Yardhouse
Lower-end (including Habit):
Chick-Fil-A
Jersey Mike's
In N Out
Higher-end:
Ruth's Chris
PF Chang's
Benihana
Fogo de Chao
Not sure if they count (I know there are a few, but not sure if it's a "chain"):
Thirsty Lion
Pizza Port
Yardhouse
Shula-holic
Footballguy
The best places for it here are the hole in the wall meat and three places or the BBQ joints.
Terminalxylem
Footballguy
The original Roy’s is right around the corner from our house. Definitely a chain, and damn good.
Also agree about CPK getting worse over time. It seems they always remove my favorite dishes when they revise their menu, which happens about every six months.
Tau837
Footballguy
I could name a number of small local chains, but these are some of the bigger ones we like:
Stompin' Tom Connors
Footballguy
Midtier:
- I can't resist Chili's for some reason. Love their boneless wings and burgers even though I wouldn't say they are the best
- Agree with others about PF Changs - not the best or most authentic, but tasty and good for a fix
- Maggiano's Little Italy for Italian food -- decent portions
- Cheesecake Factory -- portions alone make this a good place for me (if not for my waistline)
- Capital Grille is a solid steakhouse (better than Morton's, Ruth's Chris, etc. IMO). I don't make it a point to go unless it's business and can expense it as I can cook a fantastic piece of meat to similar -- or maybe satisfactory -- output at a fraction of the cost.
nirad3
Footballguy
joffer
Footballguy
Trudy’s has a great stuffed avocadoI miss their tres leches. Or wait, was that Trudy's. We always mixed those two up.
kutta
Footballguy
JaxBill
Footballguy
Love Cracker Barrel, the go to for interstate dining. Oldtimers breakfast or Chicken N Dumplings
I like Bonefish Grill but there are so many good small seafood places here that I only eat there when my wife gets an Outback gift card from students.
I love Chik Fil A but not the lines.
I'm generally not a national chain person but occasionally frequent Tijuana Flats since their online ordering is decent.
I used to like the Miller AleHouse chain but in their push to expand, quality has really slipped.
Also like regional chains with local ties like Firehouse Subs. Metro Diner, Maple Street Biscuit, and PDQ.
I like Bonefish Grill but there are so many good small seafood places here that I only eat there when my wife gets an Outback gift card from students.
I love Chik Fil A but not the lines.
I'm generally not a national chain person but occasionally frequent Tijuana Flats since their online ordering is decent.
I used to like the Miller AleHouse chain but in their push to expand, quality has really slipped.
Also like regional chains with local ties like Firehouse Subs. Metro Diner, Maple Street Biscuit, and PDQ.
facook
Footballguy
The worst fast food I've ever experienced. Not just the derelict shift in my town....they legit employ people fired from Goodwill (not joking...this is true). Before I knew that fact I tried it a couple of times. The last straw was the breakfast sandwich with a cold egg, unmelted cheese, cold limp bacon, and the hashbrown cake was warm on the edges and frozen in the middle. Never again.
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