Restaurants have gotten so expensive……also recycling and phone apps (3 Viewers)

[Capella]

Following up taking my dad to Olive Garden today after red lobster last month. He really likes these chains with bread. Can’t wait to see what this costs.

Those cheddar biscuits almost make it worth it

They were good! The meal was dreadful though. Expecting OG to be worse. I can’t stand their marinara….such an easy thing to make. I’ll just sit there and drink my water and have some salad.

 

[Capella]

But I don't think they're God-awful or offensive as some seem to do.

I actually find olive garden’s food to be pretty offensive. At least their marinara. Ragu out of a bottle is better. I’ll grant you their salad dressing is pretty tasty.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Compare their calories to Arby’s or Wendy’s and they are very similar for a typical meal.

Sure. I'd expect a Panera salad to be similar to a Wendy's Salad. Most people are not getting salads at Wendy's. But even if they are, they'd be similar.

How are they "one of the worst"?

Panera chicken Caesar has 540 calories and 32g of fat. A Wendy’s single has 524 calories and 29g of fat.

He’s not comparing salads to salads, he’s saying that Panera on average isn’t any more healthy than Wendy’s or other fast food

 

[Joe Bryant]

But I don't think they're God-awful or offensive as some seem to do.

I actually find olive garden’s food to be pretty offensive. At least their marinara. Ragu out of a bottle is better. I’ll grant you their salad dressing is pretty tasty.

Isn't that a thing where you order around it though? Sure, marinara is a big part of an Italian menu, and I haven't been there in forever, but I'd think one could work around it. At least the point where it wasn't offensive.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Compare their calories to Arby’s or Wendy’s and they are very similar for a typical meal.

Sure. I'd expect a Panera salad to be similar to a Wendy's Salad. Most people are not getting salads at Wendy's. But even if they are, they'd be similar.

How are they "one of the worst"?

Panera chicken Caesar has 540 calories and 32g of fat. A Wendy’s single has 524 calories and 29g of fat.

He’s not comparing salads to salads, he’s saying that Panera on average isn’t any more healthy than Wendy’s or other fast food

Do you have links? I'm showing 420 calories for Panera Caesar with dressing. https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu/products/caesar-salad.html

 

[Drunken knight]

Following up taking my dad to Olive Garden today after red lobster last month. He really likes these chains with bread. Can’t wait to see what this costs.

Those cheddar biscuits almost make it worth it

They were good! The meal was dreadful though. Expecting OG to be worse. I can’t stand their marinara….such an easy thing to make. I’ll just sit there and drink my water and have some salad.

it's been a while since i've been in either, but i have a higher tolerance for RL than OG. My last impression of OG was similar to a frozen dinner. even the breadsticks were a little stale.
out of curiosity, i just pulled up their menu. entrees are around $20-25, pastas around $15-20. that kind of seals it for me vs local Italian.

now just pulled up RL menu= a little more creative, but still looks like buffet dishes

The price differential is not enough to draw me to either vs local seafood and Italian

 

[Capella]

But I don't think they're God-awful or offensive as some seem to do.

I actually find olive garden’s food to be pretty offensive. At least their marinara. Ragu out of a bottle is better. I’ll grant you their salad dressing is pretty tasty.

Isn't that a thing where you order around it though? Sure, marinara is a big part of an Italian menu, and I haven't been there in forever, but I'd think one could work around it. At least the point where it wasn't offensive.

I don’t know what you could order without the marinara there though, other than the scampi. I had that once and it was ok to start but it was so much salt it got inedible quick.

 

[Capella]

Following up taking my dad to Olive Garden today after red lobster last month. He really likes these chains with bread. Can’t wait to see what this costs.

Those cheddar biscuits almost make it worth it

They were good! The meal was dreadful though. Expecting OG to be worse. I can’t stand their marinara….such an easy thing to make. I’ll just sit there and drink my water and have some salad.

it's been a while since i've been in either, but i have a higher tolerance for RL than OG. My last impression of OG was similar to a frozen dinner. even the breadsticks were a little stale.
out of curiosity, i just pulled up their menu. entrees are around $20-25, pastas around $15-20. that kind of seals it for me vs local Italian.

now just pulled up RL menu= a little more creative, but still looks like buffet dishes

The price differential is not enough to draw me to either vs local seafood and Italian

It’s not cheap at all. There’s not a lot of great Italian near us but certainly better than this, but hey, breadsticks. Plus he’ll have enough to take home for multiple meals. Big thing for him.

 

[General Malaise]

The BWW bartenders I know are actively trying to trade out of their shifts on M/W to avoid the $19.99 "all you can eat"* boneless wing deal they have going on. Apparently it's bringing out the worst in society and the juice ain't worth the squeeze.

Who coulda seen this coming?



*no to-go boxes so folks are hiding them I'm paper towels they get from the bathroom. Gawd!

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Following up taking my dad to Olive Garden today after red lobster last month. He really likes these chains with bread. Can’t wait to see what this costs.

We won’t step foot into either of those chains.

God awful food.

This is one part of food and restaurants I find fascinating,

I haven't been to a Red Lobster in 20 years (and guess I won't be going soon) and haven't been to Olive Garden in 10 years.

But that's because I think there are some better alternatives where the food is less bland and it feels more entrepreneurial or local and the vibe is much better.

But I don't think they're God-awful or offensive as some seem to do. I'm way more " , there are better options". But many are more passionate in their dislike and that's interesting to me.

Yeah, I prefer local places as much as anyone, but this brigade that chains are the most awful food ever seems misplaced.

Food from chains is generally perfectly fine. Not amazing. Not horrible. Definitely overpriced. But you're paying for that reliability. You go into an Olive Garden and order the alfredo and you know what you're going to get. It's not going to be some crazy creative dish that might appeal to you or might be a big swing and a miss. It's going to be perfectly fine middle of the road alfredo.

It's not my favorite thing to spend money on, but my father in law who likes things known and reliable won't eat anywhere other than a chain. He likes to order the same burger or whatever and know that it's not going to have Jalapeno aioli or something that I would love, but would completely ruin the burger for him. I get it. It's fine. I'd rather spend that money elsewhere, but I'm not going to have a bad night over it because the food will still be solid, even if overpriced.

 

[FreeBaGeL]

Compare their calories to Arby’s or Wendy’s and they are very similar for a typical meal.

Sure. I'd expect a Panera salad to be similar to a Wendy's Salad. Most people are not getting salads at Wendy's. But even if they are, they'd be similar.

How are they "one of the worst"?

Panera chicken Caesar has 540 calories and 32g of fat. A Wendy’s single has 524 calories and 29g of fat.

He’s not comparing salads to salads, he’s saying that Panera on average isn’t any more healthy than Wendy’s or other fast food

But a Wendy's single is a snack, not a meal. A combo meal at Wendy's and you're looking at 1500-2000 calories. And if that combo meal is a single you're still starving afterwards because that burger is tiny and unsatisfying.

 

[General Malaise]

But I don't think they're God-awful or offensive as some seem to do.

I actually find olive garden’s food to be pretty offensive. At least their marinara. Ragu out of a bottle is better. I’ll grant you their salad dressing is pretty tasty.

My wife got an OG gift card as a Christmas bonus from a photography company she worked for (never ever ever go into that line of work, folks) so we went. This is 10 years ago. I ate some sort of chicken Alfredo pasta dish that destroyed my stomach for days. Felt like I swallowed a boat anchor. I haven't had Alfredo sauce since and I probably never will again.

 

[Joe Bryant]

that kind of seals it for me vs local Italian.

Sure. And that seems entirely reasonable. It's where lots of people are. Me too.

But I'm not talking about that. I'm talking the"God Awful will never set foot there" that is fascinating to me.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Following up taking my dad to Olive Garden today after red lobster last month. He really likes these chains with bread. Can’t wait to see what this costs.

We won’t step foot into either of those chains.

God awful food.

I hate them both! But my old man insists and he’s an 80 year old diabetic so gotta see him when I can I guess.

We live in Florida, on the coast and there is an amazing seafood restaurant 5 minutes from
him and he insists on red lobster lol

100% Good on you for seeing your dad. And when you're 80, you get to pick!

 

[Drunken knight]

that kind of seals it for me vs local Italian.

But I'm not talking about that. I'm talking the"God Awful will never set foot there" that is fascinating to me.

I guess I am somewhat in that camp, as i would only go if there were no other options or if there was a group gathering that was not involved in the planning.

I just really do not see them as good (and, good enough to spend money on).

 

[Joe Bryant]

But I don't think they're God-awful or offensive as some seem to do.

I actually find olive garden’s food to be pretty offensive. At least their marinara. Ragu out of a bottle is better. I’ll grant you their salad dressing is pretty tasty.

Isn't that a thing where you order around it though? Sure, marinara is a big part of an Italian menu, and I haven't been there in forever, but I'd think one could work around it. At least the point where it wasn't offensive.

I don’t know what you could order without the marinara there though, other than the scampi. I had that once and it was ok to start but it was so much salt it got inedible quick.

Quick look at the menu and the Grilled Chicken, Grilled Salmon or Grilled Sirloin all look fine.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Overall, being in the business, I don’t go out to eat much at all.

Chain restaurants are pretty bad. Other than CPK, I could not tell you the last chain restaurant I’ve been in. And CPK is for the kid and somewhat for my parents. I’d rather go to a fast food joint and take that home or eat it in the car. But I almost never do that. My wife gets fast food more than I do or my intake of it would zero. I’m lucky enough to have some locally owned places near me that are decent to very good. And still mid priced. A new Italian place just opened near me and it’s quite good. Very happy about that

 

[Joe Bryant]

Overall, being in the business, I don’t go out to eat much at all.

Chain restaurants are pretty bad. Other than CPK, I could not tell you the last chain restaurant I’ve been in. And CPK is for the kid and somewhat for my parents. I’d rather go to a fast food joint and take that home or eat it in the car. But I almost never do that. My wife gets fast food more than I do or my intake of it would zero. I’m lucky enough to have some locally owned places near me that are decent to very good. And still mid priced. A new Italian place just opened near me and it’s quite good. Very happy about that

Thanks. What is CPK?

 

[Capella]

But I don't think they're God-awful or offensive as some seem to do.

I actually find olive garden’s food to be pretty offensive. At least their marinara. Ragu out of a bottle is better. I’ll grant you their salad dressing is pretty tasty.

Isn't that a thing where you order around it though? Sure, marinara is a big part of an Italian menu, and I haven't been there in forever, but I'd think one could work around it. At least the point where it wasn't offensive.

I don’t know what you could order without the marinara there though, other than the scampi. I had that once and it was ok to start but it was so much salt it got inedible quick.

Quick look at the menu and the Grilled Chicken, Grilled Salmon or Grilled Sirloin all look fine.

Respectfully, I would serve a night in prison before I ate salmon or steak from the Olive Garden.

 

[Capella]

Following up taking my dad to Olive Garden today after red lobster last month. He really likes these chains with bread. Can’t wait to see what this costs.

We won’t step foot into either of those chains.

God awful food.

I hate them both! But my old man insists and he’s an 80 year old diabetic so gotta see him when I can I guess.

We live in Florida, on the coast and there is an amazing seafood restaurant 5 minutes from
him and he insists on red lobster lol

100% Good on you for seeing your dad. And when you're 80, you get to pick!

Yup! About to head there now. He’ll be happy, my kid will be happy with the bread sticks, it’s all good.

 

[General Malaise]

Overall, being in the business, I don’t go out to eat much at all.

Chain restaurants are pretty bad. Other than CPK, I could not tell you the last chain restaurant I’ve been in. And CPK is for the kid and somewhat for my parents. I’d rather go to a fast food joint and take that home or eat it in the car. But I almost never do that. My wife gets fast food more than I do or my intake of it would zero. I’m lucky enough to have some locally owned places near me that are decent to very good. And still mid priced. A new Italian place just opened near me and it’s quite good. Very happy about that

Thanks. What is CPK?

California Pizza Kitchen. SoCal bro gonna SoCal.

 

[Desert_Power]

Olive Garden salmon is my go to if I'm am dragged there. Their Zuppa Toscana isn't bad either.

 

[General Malaise]

All these chains are the same, right? They are all food by Sysco so if you get chicken Alfredo from OG or TGIF or Red Lobster is just the same dish. Or am I mistaken? It's just frozen food that needs reheating. Need a restaurant insider here.....

 

[FiredMartz]

Here in Socal Cheesecake Factory and Lazy Dog aren't bad....Tilted Kilt good for the view....not food

 

[Joe Bryant]

All these chains are the same, right? They are all food by Sysco so if you get chicken Alfredo from OG or TGIF or Red Lobster is just the same dish. Or am I mistaken? It's just frozen food that needs reheating. Need a restaurant insider here.....

Actually, I see lots more of the local Mom and Pop places going with Sysco as they struggle to survive. It's sometimes a cheaper/easier/less manpower way to go.

 

[Joe Bryant]

Olive Garden salmon is my go to if I'm am dragged there. Their Zuppa Toscana isn't bad either.

Thanks. Seems pretty easy.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Overall, being in the business, I don’t go out to eat much at all.

Chain restaurants are pretty bad. Other than CPK, I could not tell you the last chain restaurant I’ve been in. And CPK is for the kid and somewhat for my parents. I’d rather go to a fast food joint and take that home or eat it in the car. But I almost never do that. My wife gets fast food more than I do or my intake of it would zero. I’m lucky enough to have some locally owned places near me that are decent to very good. And still mid priced. A new Italian place just opened near me and it’s quite good. Very happy about that

Thanks. What is CPK?

California pizza kitchen

 

[DA RAIDERS]

All these chains are the same, right? They are all food by Sysco so if you get chicken Alfredo from OG or TGIF or Red Lobster is just the same dish. Or am I mistaken? It's just frozen food that needs reheating. Need a restaurant insider here.....

The giant chains make a lot of their food in central kitchens and ship them to the restaurants. This ensures uniformity. Which is one of the big goals. The food must be the same in Bakersfield and Orlando

 

[DA RAIDERS]

All these chains are the same, right? They are all food by Sysco so if you get chicken Alfredo from OG or TGIF or Red Lobster is just the same dish. Or am I mistaken? It's just frozen food that needs reheating. Need a restaurant insider here.....

Actually, I see lots more of the local Mom and Pop places going with Sysco as they struggle to survive. It's sometimes a cheaper/easier/less manpower way to go.

Everyone uses Sysco or its equivalent. Only farm to table and/or small establishments don’t. But they still should for common ingredients.

 

[Drunken knight]

All these chains are the same, right? They are all food by Sysco so if you get chicken Alfredo from OG or TGIF or Red Lobster is just the same dish. Or am I mistaken? It's just frozen food that needs reheating. Need a restaurant insider here.....

just throwing this out there:

both when i was cooking (fine dining) and purchasing, I/we used many vendors including the big box (Sysco/US foods, etc). they have many good protein programs for fresh and frozen (harris ranch, CAB, Snake river Farms, Duroc, regional seafood, etc).

I would say it comes down to what tier the chains decide to go with and how they prepare them.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Olive Garden salmon is my go to if I'm am dragged there. Their Zuppa Toscana isn't bad either.

If I’m in a random establishment the salmon is often a safe haven.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Compare their calories to Arby’s or Wendy’s and they are very similar for a typical meal.

Sure. I'd expect a Panera salad to be similar to a Wendy's Salad. Most people are not getting salads at Wendy's. But even if they are, they'd be similar.

How are they "one of the worst"?

Panera chicken Caesar has 540 calories and 32g of fat. A Wendy’s single has 524 calories and 29g of fat.

He’s not comparing salads to salads, he’s saying that Panera on average isn’t any more healthy than Wendy’s or other fast food

Do you have links? I'm showing 420 calories for Panera Caesar with dressing. https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu/products/caesar-salad.html

https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu/products/caesar-salad-with-chicken.html

Chicken Caesar

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Overall, being in the business, I don’t go out to eat much at all.

Chain restaurants are pretty bad. Other than CPK, I could not tell you the last chain restaurant I’ve been in. And CPK is for the kid and somewhat for my parents. I’d rather go to a fast food joint and take that home or eat it in the car. But I almost never do that. My wife gets fast food more than I do or my intake of it would zero. I’m lucky enough to have some locally owned places near me that are decent to very good. And still mid priced. A new Italian place just opened near me and it’s quite good. Very happy about that

Thanks. What is CPK?

California Pizza Kitchen. SoCal bro gonna SoCal.

Regionality is funny. They have 185 locations in 32 states and 10 countries and used to have more. They’re in airports as well. I would have thought everyone would know what they are.

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Compare their calories to Arby’s or Wendy’s and they are very similar for a typical meal.

Sure. I'd expect a Panera salad to be similar to a Wendy's Salad. Most people are not getting salads at Wendy's. But even if they are, they'd be similar.

How are they "one of the worst"?

Panera chicken Caesar has 540 calories and 32g of fat. A Wendy’s single has 524 calories and 29g of fat.

He’s not comparing salads to salads, he’s saying that Panera on average isn’t any more healthy than Wendy’s or other fast food

But a Wendy's single is a snack, not a meal. A combo meal at Wendy's and you're looking at 1500-2000 calories. And if that combo meal is a single you're still starving afterwards because that burger is tiny and unsatisfying.

As opposed to a chicken Caesar? That’s filling you up?

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Compare their calories to Arby’s or Wendy’s and they are very similar for a typical meal.

Sure. I'd expect a Panera salad to be similar to a Wendy's Salad. Most people are not getting salads at Wendy's. But even if they are, they'd be similar.

How are they "one of the worst"?

Panera chicken Caesar has 540 calories and 32g of fat. A Wendy’s single has 524 calories and 29g of fat.

He’s not comparing salads to salads, he’s saying that Panera on average isn’t any more healthy than Wendy’s or other fast food

But a Wendy's single is a snack, not a meal. A combo meal at Wendy's and you're looking at 1500-2000 calories. And if that combo meal is a single you're still starving afterwards because that burger is tiny and unsatisfying.

As opposed to a chicken Caesar? That’s filling you up?

How fat are y’all? I kid..I kid…sorta

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Compare their calories to Arby’s or Wendy’s and they are very similar for a typical meal.

Sure. I'd expect a Panera salad to be similar to a Wendy's Salad. Most people are not getting salads at Wendy's. But even if they are, they'd be similar.

How are they "one of the worst"?

Panera chicken Caesar has 540 calories and 32g of fat. A Wendy’s single has 524 calories and 29g of fat.

He’s not comparing salads to salads, he’s saying that Panera on average isn’t any more healthy than Wendy’s or other fast food

But a Wendy's single is a snack, not a meal. A combo meal at Wendy's and you're looking at 1500-2000 calories. And if that combo meal is a single you're still starving afterwards because that burger is tiny and unsatisfying.

As opposed to a chicken Caesar? That’s filling you up?

How fat are y’all? I kid..I kid…sorta

I’m pretty fat. My argument is more that I wouldn’t consider a Wendy’s single a snack though. Jr bacon cheese maybe

 

[Joe Bryant]

Compare their calories to Arby’s or Wendy’s and they are very similar for a typical meal.

Sure. I'd expect a Panera salad to be similar to a Wendy's Salad. Most people are not getting salads at Wendy's. But even if they are, they'd be similar.

How are they "one of the worst"?

Panera chicken Caesar has 540 calories and 32g of fat. A Wendy’s single has 524 calories and 29g of fat.

He’s not comparing salads to salads, he’s saying that Panera on average isn’t any more healthy than Wendy’s or other fast food

Do you have links? I'm showing 420 calories for Panera Caesar with dressing. https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu/products/caesar-salad.html

https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu/products/caesar-salad-with-chicken.html

Chicken Caesar

Thanks. Better to order the Caesar here that's 420 calories. https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu/products/caesar-salad.html

 

[Joe Bryant]

Compare their calories to Arby’s or Wendy’s and they are very similar for a typical meal.

Sure. I'd expect a Panera salad to be similar to a Wendy's Salad. Most people are not getting salads at Wendy's. But even if they are, they'd be similar.

How are they "one of the worst"?

Panera chicken Caesar has 540 calories and 32g of fat. A Wendy’s single has 524 calories and 29g of fat.

He’s not comparing salads to salads, he’s saying that Panera on average isn’t any more healthy than Wendy’s or other fast food

But a Wendy's single is a snack, not a meal. A combo meal at Wendy's and you're looking at 1500-2000 calories. And if that combo meal is a single you're still starving afterwards because that burger is tiny and unsatisfying.

As opposed to a chicken Caesar? That’s filling you up?

How fat are y’all? I kid..I kid…sorta

I think that's honestly the bigger issue. Getting back to a time when a 400 calorie salad filled you up is a worthwhile goal I think.

 

[Joe Bryant]

I do wonder too how many people order hamburgers and skip the fries.

 

[General Malaise]

Overall, being in the business, I don’t go out to eat much at all.

Chain restaurants are pretty bad. Other than CPK, I could not tell you the last chain restaurant I’ve been in. And CPK is for the kid and somewhat for my parents. I’d rather go to a fast food joint and take that home or eat it in the car. But I almost never do that. My wife gets fast food more than I do or my intake of it would zero. I’m lucky enough to have some locally owned places near me that are decent to very good. And still mid priced. A new Italian place just opened near me and it’s quite good. Very happy about that

Thanks. What is CPK?

California Pizza Kitchen. SoCal bro gonna SoCal.

Regionality is funny. They have 185 locations in 32 states and 10 countries and used to have more. They’re in airports as well. I would have thought everyone would know what they are.

There is one a mile or so from my office. I've been once in 15 years. I had to Google "CPK".

 

[Dan Lambskin]

Compare their calories to Arby’s or Wendy’s and they are very similar for a typical meal.

Sure. I'd expect a Panera salad to be similar to a Wendy's Salad. Most people are not getting salads at Wendy's. But even if they are, they'd be similar.

How are they "one of the worst"?

Panera chicken Caesar has 540 calories and 32g of fat. A Wendy’s single has 524 calories and 29g of fat.

He’s not comparing salads to salads, he’s saying that Panera on average isn’t any more healthy than Wendy’s or other fast food

Do you have links? I'm showing 420 calories for Panera Caesar with dressing. https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu/products/caesar-salad.html

https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu/products/caesar-salad-with-chicken.html

Chicken Caesar

Thanks. Better to order the Chicken Caesar here that's 420 calories. https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu/products/caesar-salad.html

So you’re saying to skip the chicken?

 

[Joe Bryant]

Compare their calories to Arby’s or Wendy’s and they are very similar for a typical meal.

Sure. I'd expect a Panera salad to be similar to a Wendy's Salad. Most people are not getting salads at Wendy's. But even if they are, they'd be similar.

How are they "one of the worst"?

Panera chicken Caesar has 540 calories and 32g of fat. A Wendy’s single has 524 calories and 29g of fat.

He’s not comparing salads to salads, he’s saying that Panera on average isn’t any more healthy than Wendy’s or other fast food

Do you have links? I'm showing 420 calories for Panera Caesar with dressing. https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu/products/caesar-salad.html

https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu/products/caesar-salad-with-chicken.html

Chicken Caesar

Thanks. Better to order the Chicken Caesar here that's 420 calories. https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu/products/caesar-salad.html

So you’re saying to skip the chicken?

Yes. Seems it would be better to order the Caesar Salad that's 420 calories. https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu/products/caesar-salad.html

Apologies for confusion where I said chicken earlier.

 

[Joe Bryant]

It does seem a "reset" is in order where we re-evaluate how much we regularly eat.

For sure, an occasional special dinner out is one thing. But it seems like the everyday meals are way more where it's at.

 

[snellman]

The BWW bartenders I know are actively trying to trade out of their shifts on M/W to avoid the $19.99 "all you can eat"* boneless wing deal they have going on. Apparently it's bringing out the worst in society and the juice ain't worth the squeeze.

Who coulda seen this coming?



*no to-go boxes so folks are hiding them I'm paper towels they get from the bathroom. Gawd!

This reminds me of a story growing up. Mom and dad raised 4 kids and not a lot of money so going out to eat was a privilege. Once or twice a year we would go to the "big city" (for NW Iowa 40K people and a mall) 30 mi away for school shopping or holiday shopping. It was an all day event that included eating out. We went to a KFC for lunch buffet because when you have 3 boys you have to take advantage of an all you can eat. We were eating lunch and my mom started wrapping up pieces of chicken in napkins and stuffing them in her purse. I looked at her and said what are you doing, you can't take the food with you. She said 'I am getting some for your father because he didn't come with us". I still give her grief for this to this day.

 

[DA RAIDERS]

Compare their calories to Arby’s or Wendy’s and they are very similar for a typical meal.

Sure. I'd expect a Panera salad to be similar to a Wendy's Salad. Most people are not getting salads at Wendy's. But even if they are, they'd be similar.

How are they "one of the worst"?

Panera chicken Caesar has 540 calories and 32g of fat. A Wendy’s single has 524 calories and 29g of fat.

He’s not comparing salads to salads, he’s saying that Panera on average isn’t any more healthy than Wendy’s or other fast food

Do you have links? I'm showing 420 calories for Panera Caesar with dressing. https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu/products/caesar-salad.html

https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu/products/caesar-salad-with-chicken.html

Chicken Caesar

Thanks. Better to order the Chicken Caesar here that's 420 calories. https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu/products/caesar-salad.html

So you’re saying to skip the chicken?

Yes. Seems it would be better to order the Caesar Salad that's 420 calories. https://www.panerabread.com/en-us/menu/products/caesar-salad.html

Apologies for confusion where I said chicken earlier.

The dressing is where the calories are

 

[Instinctive]

The BWW bartenders I know are actively trying to trade out of their shifts on M/W to avoid the $19.99 "all you can eat"* boneless wing deal they have going on. Apparently it's bringing out the worst in society and the juice ain't worth the squeeze.

Who coulda seen this coming?



*no to-go boxes so folks are hiding them I'm paper towels they get from the bathroom. Gawd!

The no to go boxes is an idiotic thing some corporate guy thought up that didn't consider the consequences.

Better, just off the top of my head:
1. You get x wings/time
2. You can get another order when you finish
3. Price in the fact that people will try to finish and take the next order home.

 

[Joe Bryant]

the $19.99 "all you can eat"* boneless wing deal they have going on. Apparently it's bringing out the worst in society

I'd argue the "all you can eat" idea of eating out is an indication of exactly the problem we have in how we view food as a society.

It's got all kinds of problems. It's likely going to be lower quality for the restaurant to survive. It encourages over eating.

Overeating low quality, high calorie food is a big part of the problem.

 

[Joe Bryant]

On the all you can eat thing, I think some of it's just the breakdown in manners.

I was at a Delta Sky Club last week where they have (often pretty good) food on their buffet.

Two adult men across from me piled their plates high with the Shrimp Ceviche. They ate about 1/4 of it and both left probably 15 shrimp on the plate to throw away.

That's just gross.

 

[Joe Bryant]

And yes, I had the shrimp too and it was fine. I don't think they left it because there was anything wrong with it.

 

[Drunken knight]

Overall, being in the business, I don’t go out to eat much at all.

Chain restaurants are pretty bad. Other than CPK, I could not tell you the last chain restaurant I’ve been in. And CPK is for the kid and somewhat for my parents. I’d rather go to a fast food joint and take that home or eat it in the car. But I almost never do that. My wife gets fast food more than I do or my intake of it would zero. I’m lucky enough to have some locally owned places near me that are decent to very good. And still mid priced. A new Italian place just opened near me and it’s quite good. Very happy about that

Thanks. What is CPK?

Overall, being in the business, I don’t go out to eat much at all.

Chain restaurants are pretty bad. Other than CPK, I could not tell you the last chain restaurant I’ve been in. And CPK is for the kid and somewhat for my parents. I’d rather go to a fast food joint and take that home or eat it in the car. But I almost never do that. My wife gets fast food more than I do or my intake of it would zero. I’m lucky enough to have some locally owned places near me that are decent to very good. And still mid priced. A new Italian place just opened near me and it’s quite good. Very happy about that

Thanks. What is CPK?

California Pizza Kitchen. SoCal bro gonna SoCal.

Overall, being in the business, I don’t go out to eat much at all.

Chain restaurants are pretty bad. Other than CPK, I could not tell you the last chain restaurant I’ve been in. And CPK is for the kid and somewhat for my parents. I’d rather go to a fast food joint and take that home or eat it in the car. But I almost never do that. My wife gets fast food more than I do or my intake of it would zero. I’m lucky enough to have some locally owned places near me that are decent to very good. And still mid priced. A new Italian place just opened near me and it’s quite good. Very happy about that

Thanks. What is CPK?

California pizza kitchen

I have been enjoying them since the mid 80's. They have a few frozen in grocery stores, but often thin crust which i don't love.

They have undergone many menu changes over the years and quite a few of my old favorite items have been "retired." (mooshoo calzone, peking duck pizza, jerk pizza, greek, pesto shrimp, etc)