When traveling or just going out for a bite, which of the listed restaurants would you primarily choose?
if neither, just post a chain restaurant you prefer.
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When traveling or just going out for a bite, which of the listed restaurants would you primarily choose?
if neither, just post a chain restaurant you prefer.
Jason:
Stop making threads.
Hold on, did you make a lunch thread earlier, and now you're almost ready to eat dinner so you had to make a dinner thread? Or is this a near-copy of your lunch thread?
come on, this is different... curious as to where everybody prefers. It's not like I made a thread about "breathing" :)Quote:
Originally Posted by Cowutopia
The best part about the lunch thread is there's already a thread about eating on here somewhere.
Chains suck. Especially if you're travelling, try something new. If you're too pussy to have an adventure with your restaurants you are leading a shitty life.
They also take the local flavor out of places. I remember travelling when I was young, and nowadays everywhere in America looks a lot more like everywhere else in America than it did 15 years ago.
I like Chili's. They have good salads.
Anybody that goes to any of those deserves their place in the Hay your fat! thread.
Chili's has the best nachos... crispy and every triangle gets the same ration of toppings, good shit.
Fuck chain restaurants. Unless they are Chick Fil-A.
Unless of course they have the jungle cat-like metabolism that I do, in which case one should order a chili-cheese shake with every order of moz sticks, which are appropriately dipped in mayonnaise.Quote:
Originally Posted by PaCrappa
I do like Cold Stone Creamery and Five Guys.
But I like local Diners better.
Fuck chain resturants.
Go watch more TV and enjoy your frozen dinner at home, instead on handling a tacky laminated menu and being obligated to tip some dimwit to cook and serve that exact same frozen dinner to you and your family in the warm friendly atmosphere you saw advertised on television.
If you are travelling you should eat some local food, I know that's hard to do considering the homoginization of the U.S.
Every strip mall has the same offerings from coast to coast, and from border to border.
Fuck chain resturants, and the people who support them.
edit, oh I see Cow already covered this for me:
Quote:
Originally Posted by Cowutopia
Don't front. We got you on record in the journal thread.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mykozo
I'm still skinny. I'm just not holocaust survivor skinny anymore. Also, I'm almost 30 :( , so yeah...the metabolism will slow down.
Poop.
I still want some Kenny Rogers Chicken.
Does he still make chicken?
Gold.Quote:
Originally Posted by Cowutopia
So I should go try and find some amazing local restaurant when I am driving on the interstate to wherever the hell I am going? I see what you mean if I have gotten to where I am going, but time is money when driving long distances and the quickest, easiest places to eat are right there off the interstate, but fuck those places once I have gotten to my location.
As for the getting fat, poppycock. Eat smart. Don't order chili cheese fries and a shake. You can easily get lo carb chicken, turkey sandwiches, salads, etc. And if the lower carb stuff isn't for you. get just a burger and nothing else. Fuck fast food places though. I refuse to touch any of those places.
Interstates are a different story but they probably started the problem. I generally only eat fast food/chain food when I am on the interstate.
Why would you refuse those places yet hold up the sitdown ones as some sort of healthful option? You're kidding right?
And the quickest easiest way to eat on the road is to bring your own shit from home and eat it while in motion.
LoL, I am not as rude as some of these people but when I saw this topic I lawled. 14 more hours for the breakfast thread. But to answer you question, I try to avoid those places if possible preffering real food. However, if we aren't in the mood for Wings we will probably hit up Chili's for a sports game. The thing about Austin though, in our area there has been a boom of bad ass places to eat that isn't low quality. I think my new fav is "Bj's" great food and nice tv's.
You can read signs, right?Quote:
Originally Posted by ElCapitan
Every interstate I've traveled on (and I've travelled on interstates in 46 of the states) will have Food, Fuel, and Lodging signs where applicable before the upcomming exit ramp.
All your eyes must be seeing is the familiar logos from television advertisements. Local resturants and diners are pretty fucking common right off the exits.
Hey, thanks for making me nearly vomit my lunch!Quote:
Originally Posted by Mykozo
I hate you.Quote:
Originally Posted by EightBitShik
TV's have no business being where I am sitting down to eat a meal.
I'm from Tennessee driving through Alabama, Georgia, and South Carolina when I do travel by car. Trust me, there is nowhere I would rather stop to eat off the interstate than a well known chain restaurant. Now when I was driving to Joshua Tree from San Diego, we made sure to actually drive through the towns and find some good local flavor.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shooting Love
Are you kidding me? Well I agree to some extent. I don't think they should be in any sort of restuarant that doesn't serve beer or wings. But if you sell either of those no man there has got to be a tv. For the sports. I love watching the play offs at Pluckers with hundreds of people screaming and having a great time with the game.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shooting Love
No breakfast threads, you're safe.
Join Date: Apr 2008
Location: Westchester, NY
Posts: 378
He is going to pass Josh at this rate.
for those of us against people doing more than they should while driving, this is not an option. this also includes cell phones.Quote:
Originally Posted by PaCrappa
Tis my goal. Well, not really.Quote:
Originally Posted by EightBitShik
So I chose Friendly's, why? they make a good bowl of New England Clam Chowder and (imo) a damn tasty burger.
Red... or blue?Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason
I got some mediocre chili and a tightbangin' turkey club in some small town in Tennessee, the only places to eat where KFC, MceeD's, Subway, and Pizza Hut, I stopped at a gas station and asked where a good local place to eat would be - they said McDonalds. Out in the lot I asked another person, they pointed to the KFC across the street. Ready to drive to the next town I spotted a little luncheonette. The chilli was luke-warm and disapointing, but the local ambiance inside the place was priceless. And that turkey club was as good as they get.Quote:
Originally Posted by ElCapitan
In Alabama I wanted BBQ and got some great pulled pork at some place off I-40.
South Carolina we once got BBQ chicken from a lunch truck at a construction site while on our way to Tampa, it was damn good.
There is no reason to eat at chain resturants, other than your percieved comfort level. It is familiar from TV, so it must be good and clean.
Now this is what's up. :tu:Quote:
Now when I was driving to Joshua Tree from San Diego, we made sure to actually drive through the towns and find some good local flavor.
what? blue?Quote:
Originally Posted by Nash
If I had to choose the worst on my list.. Bob Evans, disgusting food (they make no effort in pretending it's quality).
This is true, but it sounds like it took you at least a little work to find the place. If I am driving 3 hours or more to get where I am going, I am more interested in getting to that place faster than I am spending a little more time to find a decent non-chain place to eat. I don't mind stopping at Chili's once every blue moon, but it's not like I am planning on going there tonight. Actually, in most cases, I would bring my own food to eat on the road so i wouldn't have to stop at all.Quote:
Originally Posted by Shooting Love
I searched for a lunch thread damn it!!!Quote:
Originally Posted by Cowutopia
The best is when people go on their honeymoon to Hawaii and right when they land they are greeted by a home depot... that's gotta kill the mood a bit.
Word up. And sorry I'm being a dick.Quote:
Originally Posted by ElCapitan
I just really hate chain resturants.
That was the shit. Fuck Boston Market, and those little cornbread muffins were awesome too.Quote:
Originally Posted by Mykozo
They whole chain went tits up a few years ago, it was bought by the company that owns the Arthur Treacher & Nathan's chains, and they relaunched the three as one combo chain, but the Kenny's part doesnt have any roasted chicken anymore, just your normal deep-fried crap you get everywhere else.Quote:
Originally Posted by PaCrappa
This. Still, I enjoy shitty chain food from takeout fast food places on occasion, but all of these sit-down chains are miserable and generally avoidable unless you're afraid to eat at any place that isn't a strip mall while on the road. Bennigans and Red Robin are the ones I mind the least and they're not on the poll.Quote:
Originally Posted by Advocate
Houlihan's, because their baked potato soup rocks your ass to Russia.
But from the places covered in the poll...I have to go with Cracker Barrel. Breakfast there is amazing, especially the cheesy hashbrown casserole.
At a crossroads here. On the one hand my sister works at Chili's and they make the best damn appetizer in the world (skillet queso) and as long as my sister's on staff, we don't wait to eat and everything's half off.
On the other hand, even though I've only eaten there once ever, but recently, Cracker Barrel is so fucking good. I had their chicken strips with biscuits and whatever they call "dumplins."
I have a friend that lives in MD, so here and there we meet up halfway on Sunday morning on the Jersey Turnpike, which has a Craker Barrel pratically every exit. I've had dinner there and I'm not impressed. But breakfast kicks ass. In addition to the hashbrown casserole I mentioned above, they have these awesome biscuits like Trial said. Put some honey on them and I pratically get erect.
What the heck is Friendly's? Put real restaurants on there please.
I picked TGI Fridays because I like their drinks. I dont know much about their food, actually.
I'm afraid you have to die now.Quote:
Originally Posted by Anne Bonny
Friendly's has good shakes but that's about it. We used to eat there in high school a lot and the thought of doing it more than once a year makes me want to scrape the taste buds off of my tongue. I was last at one in November or December of '07 and the coffee was hands down the worst I've ever tasted.
fishamajig
Their bacon is the shit also, thick cut (not the cheap shit).Quote:
Originally Posted by Dolemite
ha... Bob Evans would come down before Friendly's. They're all shit choices but some people prefer one over the other for whatever reasons.Quote:
Originally Posted by Anne Bonny
A chain restaurant owned by Hershey's.Quote:
Originally Posted by Anne Bonny
http://www.friendlys.com/
learn something new everyday.Quote:
Originally Posted by Advocate
I'm pretty sure that they don't now, but they certainly did for a while.
also I ordered the "friendly's frank" once out of the section that everyone ignores and it was an ok hot dog
I live in a city. I have an endless amount of non-chain restaurants to eat at whenever I go out. Even for a quick bite to eat I have dozens of small restaurants for that, too.
I'll laugh if everyone who goes the TNL group outtings ends up going to like Chili's
We've never been to a chain anything together. We were even too cool to go to Toys R Us for Wiis.
I've been quite down on chain restaurants lately, but I must say that Cracker Barrel is an easy win. As Dole said, the dinners might leave something to be desired, but the breakfasts are just two shades shy of orgasmic.
The Succubus has also turned me on to Cheddar's lately. I make it a point to stop in for some spinach dip whenever I'm in Dallas.
Waffle House!
Nothing beats a double order of hash browns scattered all the way.
QFTQuote:
Originally Posted by Razor Ramon
Applebee's - I used to work at one. I know how they cook some of the food, and I'll probably never eat there again.
Bob Evans - What?
Chili's - I like Chilis a lot. They have good food and it ain't expensive.
Cracker Barrel - I had breakfast at one in Colorado. It was pretty damn good. I'm still not one for grits, though.
Denny's - Its the best place for drunk food in town.
Friendly's - What?
IHOP - IHOP is alright. Nothing special.
Ruby Tuesday - I went there once while drunk. I dont really remember how it was.
TGI Fridays - Over-friedly servers piss me off.
Waffle House - Roscoe's still has the best waffle I've ever had. I'm not sure about this place.
Local diners serve deep fried, unhealthy shit just like the chain restauraunts. It's all about making smart choices when you go to a restauraunt, not which restauraunt you go to.
Now if you want to talk about spending your money at small, independently-owned restauraunts rather than huge corporate chains I'm with you. But making local diners out to be some beacon of health is bullshit.
It has nothing to do with health. It's about taste. Terrible shit should taste good. That's the point!
This is true. Although chain places are more likely to serve you shit loaded with trans-fats as opposed to a local diner (because it's mostly pre-made in bulk with cheap ingredients and deep fried in hydrogenated oils). Not to say the diner can't practice this type of business as well but it's not as likely.Quote:
Originally Posted by K3V
I work in a chain restaurant (PF Changs) and I can say that most are garbage. What I can say that's good about Changs is that we make everything in house. When you order something you can be damn sure it was prepped that day and cooked to order. Every sauce we have we make in house (besides ketchup). Our Chef is an actual trained chef who has 2 Sous chefs as back of house managers. So yeah, Changs has some real cooking going on.
When the runners are acting stupid or not up to par, I yell at them, "Take that shit to Applebee's you layabouts, we're serving food here!"
Its funny seeing a West Coaster try and figure out places and lingo that goes with the East Coast.
Even though we have Bob Evans and Friendly's ... lol at them not knowing. Waffle House? They should be ashamed.
This is pretty awesome. But then again, the stuff you bragged about is only impressive because it is a chain.Quote:
Originally Posted by icarusfall
Nice... Changs tastes better then the rest, which is why I didn't add it to the list. I felt it was in a different category like Outback.Quote:
Originally Posted by icarusfall
Olive Garden is some disgusting garbage... I used to go there a lot with my ex (she loved it), haven't been there in almost 4 years now.
The biggest insult with some of the chain places (like Cheesecake factory) is when you order something that costs $20-$30 and when you ask for particular ingredients to be removed (onions, nuts, etc.) they can't because it's already pre-packaged/made before they heat it up and throw it on a plate for you (as somebody mentioned earlier on this thread, but I needed to repeat it)
Hey, what about Perkins? I like them better than most of the others, but a lot of people I know on the east coast have no idea what they are. Not sure how far the chain goes. They have okay pie and you can get Eggs Benedict whenever. Also I tried to swallow a pancake whole at a Perkins once. It didn't work. I'll try again someday.
I don't really see how Outback is that much different from Chili's or whatever, though.
It's really not. I've never eaten there and I think I'd like to keep the streak going. Especially since I have a friend who is convinced that ribeye is the worst cut of steak since he's only had it from Outback... seriously, how do you fuck that up?
You'd be surprised at the low quality of some of the "Chefs" I've worked with at independent joints. Usually they're just a friend of the owner that knows how to cook. There's a big difference between that and someone that as been to culinary school. Not to say that's a necessity - some of the best cooks I know didn't go to school, but you see what I'm saying.
btn
I tried Perkins once several years ago when I had an interview in Raleigh. It was one of my better chain dining experiences. There was also one in Greenville, NC, but it closed.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grave
Bennigan's has seriously let me down. I used to love it on a level close to Butters; but I hit the one in Dallas earlier this year, and it was just terrible. The menu is a skeleton of its former self. The server was enthusiastic enough, but it was overall just horrible. Even the chocolate cake tasted like cardboard. And how the hell do you fuck up chocolate cake?
And for those who really just hate their arteries, the Monte Cristo is better at Cheddar's.
I was only allowed 10 choices, Perkins was on my list but I decided to bump it.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grave
And after having the Angus Fillet Mignon from Outback I will never put it in the same category as any of the places listed.
It might help if you had a filet mignon from a real steakhouse.
I've been around the steak house circuit... Outback does a damn good job for a chain restaurant and for the price.Quote:
Originally Posted by mannerbot
I actually agree. I can get a steak and damn fine sweet potato for $15. You just can't fuck with that.
And I've been to plenty of 'real' steakhouses like Frankie and Johnnies - I find most of them vastly overrated and priced absurd.
However, there are a few that are doing amazing things with meat.
Like your mom.
I hope you guys aren't just fucking with me because I kind of want to check out Outback now.
Quote:
Originally Posted by icarusfall
places like Peter Lugar and Ruth Chris can't be beat because of how they store the meat, it's kinda gross actually but the end result is amazing. From what I gather it basically gets covered in mold as it sits there aging in their storage rooms but is somehow preserved underneath so that when the mold and crap are cut off the inside is like butter. I guess the process is so lengthy and most places don't bother they can jack the price up.Quote:
Originally Posted by icarusfall
Mortons does a good job at steak... but seriously, for a quick fix Outback does me right. I love their salads as well.
I know some damn good chefs that agree, going to culinary school isn't a necessity and usually produce crappy chefs because they become more concerned with how the food looks then how it tastes.
get the Angus Fillet, the shits dope. I prefer it medium rare but I know that bugs some people out.Quote:
Originally Posted by mannerbot
Most of a steak's weight is water. Aging lets the water evaporate from the meat and produces a thick leathery outside that needs to be cut away if it's aged for any longer than 3 days. When you age a steak you get rid of something like 20% of the water (depending on aging conditions) that makes every bite taste more like steak and less like water. Thing is it's a pretty exacting thing if you're gonna be serving it to the public. You cant be fucking around with humidity and temperatures since if it goes even a little wrong you can give someone food poisoning. That's why aged beef costs so much more - it has to be precisely kept and observed by someone who understands the chemistry involved.
Any time I buy real good meat I age it for at least a day or 2 in a perforated plastic box set in the lowest part of the fridge (not the crisper).
Rare or bust...Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason
Totally not. Don't expect the world here since we are talking about a cheap steak, but they do a good job. I recommend the Outback Special - it's a sirloin cut (my favorite cut) served in 2 different sizes. And the bread is unbelievable - order it with the creamy onion soup and dip the bread in the soup. It's seriously one of my favorite things in any restaurant ever. Going for the fillet is a bit of a waste in my opinion since at that price (something like $23) you could just go to a better restaurant.Quote:
Originally Posted by mannerbot
the Angus is like $30... that shit ain't cheap (for a chain place)
Is this true?Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason
fuck that, I'm not going to Hawaii. There go my plans for the Napa Valley-Hawaii double vacation.
As for steaks...Smith and Wollensky's. HOLLA BACK.
We don't have any of those restaurants up here in Canada except Applebee's. And Applebee's can suck my ass. It's shit. We do have chain restaurants up here but they're all pretty decent for chain restaurants.
Ruby's is fine for the salad bar, which is actually a decent deal ($4.99 All-U-Can-Eat). The food is decent for what we're talking about in this thread.
But I'm just not cool w/the whole "Whole Bunch of Crazy Crap On the Walls" motif. It's cliche, and, by extension, gross.
Plus, I worked there, so...yeah.
I'm voting Applebee's b/c the happy hour is fine and you don't have to eat the food.
The only one I ever visit is Waffle House, but I don't go there often. Their hashbrowns are okay; I get mine smothered, covered, and topped. Of course, I can't remember the last time I've gone during daylight hours, so I'm sure my perspective would be different if I saw it outside of "middle of the night" vision.
Friendly's, for their black raspberry ice cream. TRY IT.
We have Denny's and Chilis here, as well as Ponderosa, Ruby Tuesday (have to drive a bit for that one), and Outback. I eat in them occasionally, but I don't go to local restaurants that much. I can get the best Puerto Rican cooking at home, and that's basically all local eateries serve. Even Chinese food here is mostly take out. I call them "China Rican," since they seem to be what most people like. Shit, the most popular thing they sell is fried chicken and french fries. WTF?
I have to drive 40 minutes for a real Chinese restaurant, but it's local and SO damn good.
Oh, and I definitely recommend the pecan waffle over the regular one at waffle house.
There's a Perkins down the road from me and I haven't been there in the year & a half I've lived here. The last time I was in one had to be years ago when I was still in school & living with my parents. I'll have to give it a shot here sometime.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grave
This has to be a joke.
of that list i will go to ihop when drunk or stoned in the middle of the night cause it is one of the few 24 hr sit down restaurants around here (the other options are waffle house and dennys, but fuck them). otherwise i avoid all those chain restaurants like the plague unless i'm going out with friends who have no taste, which i try to avoid but am dragged into occasionally.
5 guys is awesome and doesn't really count.Quote:
Originally Posted by Advocate
Yup, Friendly's is the shit (Caramel Fudge Nut Blast....*drool*). I picked TGIFriday's out of the bunch: (1) Chicken wings, (2) Drinks, (3) Steak.Quote:
Originally Posted by Advocate
Where the heck are Bob Evans and Waffle House? I've never heard of them.
You know the DelMar peninsula? Yeah below that. Like Virginia, The Carolina's ... the south. Its a better IHOP.Quote:
Originally Posted by SapphirePhoenix
Bob Evans recently started to pop up in 2004. Its basically like a Friendly's but they're sponsored by Bob Evans sausage.
http://www.bobevans.com/website/home...Page=Menu+Info
I used to work at Friendly's. I guess now they left the corporate grip known as Hershey's, but they still have their products. lol.
also: Grilled Chicken Deluxe Sandwich.
Dude Bob Evans restaurants have been around for decades. 50s or earlier I'm pretty sure.
Its only started showing up in NJ area recently.
It's delicious. I used to eat one like every other day when I worked there.Quote:
Originally Posted by Grave
But it's nothing special. It's like every other chain's brownie sundae. I just have a thing for warm brownies. One day the power went out and we were losing all the ice cream so we just ate these until we all got sick.
But... the name! I couldn't stop laughing when someone told me. I can't believe it's real. "Chocolate thunder from down under" does not make me hungry. To put it lightly.
Large corporations have no shame, and the entity that owns Outback (OSI, also owners of I think 6 other chains) are no exception.
Thats for sure.
When I worked at Red Lobster, we hardly ever got monitored. So, the GM's would break the rules every chance they got. Run out of food? Go to Sams Club and purchase 12 large cartons of Bisquick. Run out of Marinara sauce for the kids spaghetti? Run over to Olive Garden and pick up the stash they have for us. And drop off those 5 large jugs of Ceasar dressing.
steak? at fridays? srsly?Quote:
Originally Posted by SapphirePhoenix
i have eaten at like 6 different waffle houses and they have all been greasy and disgusting. ihop>dennys>waffle house as far as crappy chain diners go.Quote:
Originally Posted by Advocate
Oops, my brain mixed up the steak at TGIF's with the ones at Outback Steakhouse.Quote:
Originally Posted by Saint of Killers
Translation:Quote:
Originally Posted by Jason
My post count isn't high enough and everyone else took the good thread ideas.
Fuddruckers yo.
RuddFuckers imo.
OMG, RACIST COMMENT AGAINST ARAB WOMEN!Quote:
Originally Posted by Cowutopia