Worst and best chain restaurants

JT

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Mar 28, 2000
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Never went to Applebee's so glad I read this thread, lol. As for fast food, I am with BDB. In and Out is where it's at. Inexpensive and fresh. Double Meats with ketchup all day and everyday! Best shakes too.
 

Blackman

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Aug 31, 2003
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Been really enjoying Baha Fresh recently, pretty good for a fast food joint.

Find all those Subway/Blimpie shops are awful compared to a good old fashion mom and pop sub place.
 

AR182

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MadJack said:
OH NO, Box, kneifl, tell me you guys are KIDDING, please. white castle, i think, can KILL YOU!

absolutely, without question, THE WORST PLACE IN THE WORLD YOU CAN EAT!

the only use for WC is for drunks, like me, when every other place in town is closed and the problems you have the next day CANNOT be blamed on the booze, it's WC's fault.

WOW~! WHITE CASTLE?????!!!!!


around my neighborhood we used to call a white castle burger (they came in a box)....

"burger in a coffin".....that's how bad the food was/is....
 

hm23

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I'll bring up some of my fave chains that no one has mentioned.

Buca di Beppo

California Pizza Kitchen

Kincaid's

Whitecastle burgers...:142smilie man, I haven't had one of those in a long time.
 

The Judge

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MadJack said:
joes crab shack? :com:

:142smilie :142smilie

:nono: :nono:
I agree, Jack. Joe's is horrible!

PF Changs does a great job and is very consistent at every location I have visited. They also own another chain called Pei Wei which is also very good. I have to agree that In 'N Out burgers are first rate. How many of you guys have tried Whataburger?

I personally think that all of the Landry's restaurants are mediocre at best but Joe's is the worst in that group.
 
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saint

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Jan 10, 2002
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I'm not sure if anyone else has posted this...

But for those of you who like Outback, I'd definiely recommend Bonefish Grill. It's the same company and the food has been outstanding. It's a bit pricey and serving sizes are smaller but the sauces on the entrees are incredible.

If you do go, please do me a favor and get the appetizer called "Bang-Bang Shrimp". Trust me, you will not be dissapointed. The sauce is amazing. Post back if any of you end up trying there, I'd like to see if you enjoy it as well.

Here are the locations:

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Interactive Map Hyperlink
 

gardenweasel

el guapo
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"the bunker"
they recently opened a bob evans around my way...and it`s not flashy..not high end.....but,the food is actually very good...actually,very,very good...

no frills...you order meatloaf,turkey and dressing or pot roast.....that`s what you get...not smothered in cheese or some alien dressing to disguise the taste(ala applebees)...

your basic cuisine...and it tastes like home cooked,imo...

well worth trying...
 

ImFeklhr

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amich1 said:
how in god's name is the olive garden still in business? What the hell is wrong with people in this country? These crappy restaurants advertise like crazy w/ catchy jingles and then people line up to pay 10 bucks for frozen food on a plate. I cannot think of a single thing i would eat o.g., it makes me want to vomit just thinking a/b it. Applebees, chilis, and fridays aren't far behind. If you want frozen food that will kill you, get a 3.99 combo and save the tip from the pimply faced chick with WAY too many buttons on her shirt.


Exactly. Chain food is great when ur on a road trip and too tired to try something new.

Once again, that's why In N Out is so great. No microwaves, fresh stuff, and they actually pay their employees decently. Which is funny, because at least here in the Bay Area, In N out is the only fast food place with more than 25% native born english speakers (some whites too), or at least workers who try to do a good job, and aren't just phone-ing it in... Because they get payed <gasp> 10 bucks an hour.

Other than a situation like that, why line the pockets of some fat cat company who doesn't know or care about the art of cooking from his ass? It's like spending your life eating at the food court at the mall.
Damn, even I crave Sbarro crack-pizza at a time like this.
 

Old School

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Joes Crab Shack..

went to Joes last year...seated by the greeter and handed a menu.."no thank you I don't need a menu I know exactly what I will have"...waitress finally gets around to our table 15 min's after being seated..ordered a dozen Jimmies...steamed w/ extra Old Bay...waitress asked me what a Jimmy was.. :scared



The Chesapeake Bay is 20 min.'s from the front door..

Joes Crab Shack....NO JIMMIES :mj07:

If it hadn't have been for the young sailor seated next to us who was on his first date w/this babe in 6" heels clad in a leather mini w/ a "V" shaped halter top confining a set of 44DD"s the dining experience would have been a total waste.
So she weighed about 230 and stood around 5'5"...he was all :142hail:

Didn't quite understand why he ordered the "Blue Plate Special"...hell...he brought that with him.

Took over 30 min.'s for us to get our meals...ample time to enjoy the view
 

no pepper

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HORRORSHOW:
Ruby Tuesday -- I always thought their salad bar is OK, but I don't eat much salad. They are like Appleby's clone with blah menu and unimpressive entrees. We had a new one open up close to work so some of the guys went to try it out at lunch. They get their food and our HR guy is chewing a mouth full of cole slaw when he realizes there is a foreign object in there. He pulls a cigarette butt out of his mouth and starts to gag.

They summon the manager. The manager says the standard apologetic things and takes the guy's plate away for a re-load. Well, there are other guys at the table with cole slaw and other patrons with slaw, yet the manager does not take their slaw away. I guess he didn't consider that the entire batch was tainted. He comped their lunches of course but obviously didn't think the situation through.

DELICIOSO:
Carrabas -- someone mentioned this place. Good mid-priced Italian joint.

Don Pueblos and On the Border -- enjoyable food; nice array of salsas. Tell them 'hold the potatos' out of my burrito at OTB. The one in Tulsa makes a damn good Texas Tea.

Chevy's -- love this place. Smothered burrito, make an east/west incision when it arrives hot, dump in sour cream and jalapenos, reclose. Enjoy.

Something about fajitas that is like a celebration on a plate. I mean they bring out the other food first: 'Who had the number five?', 'Chicken nachos, senor?', 'Chimichanga, no beans?'...and then comes the fajita's on a special platter.

There is a trail of steam through the dining area so everyone notices, hey, that cat is getting fajitas. Plus you get extra plate with trimmings and extra foil pouch or covered bowl of tortillas. The true Mexican places never give you shredded cheese unless you ask for it around here.
 

SixFive

bonswa
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Mar 12, 2001
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Old School said:
Joes Crab Shack..

went to..ordered a dozen Jimmies...steamed w/ extra Old Bay...waitress asked me what a Jimmy was.. :scared

I looked it up. A 'steamed Jimmy' is a a male blue crab? PS, nothing like a good view is there, lol! :142smilie
 

AR182

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the chains that i like are...

cheesecake factory...their lemon chicken is great !!

pf chang....love the mongolian beef...

flemings & ruths chris.....don't like mortons


claim jumper....very large menu


the ones i dislike....

carrabas.....you can't hear yourself think that's how loud it is....plus the food is mediocre at best..i like macaroni grill alot more but it's just as noisey...

ruby tuesday...agree that they're comparable to applebees...but like the song ruby tuesday..

outback....been to a few & each time the steak tasted like i imagine the sole of a shoe would
taste....& as tough

buca de peppo....very over rated & food is also mediocre at best...& very noisey...

don't like fast food burger places..but have never tried in & out
 

edludes

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Agree the cheesecake place is the bomb.Went there 3 times before i had room for any cheesecake the portions are so big and good.Its funny to see so many universal comments that Applebees sucks,thats what my wife always turn to each other and say when we pass one,our one time being forced to eat in one was soooooo bad.Props to Sixfive for the Cracker Barrell tout,they deserve mention as a decent to good chain,we even had one in NJ when I was growing up there.But I wanted to ask anyone if they ever heard of a chain called The Clam Shack.There was something called that in Dayton around 1980 that served steamers and/or raw clams exclusively,saltines,horse radish and beer.It was the only one I ever saw,but I had it in my mind that it was a chain of some sort.They had the record amounts eaten of each item and who did it the date etc on a chalkboard on the wall.Anyone ever been to one of these?
 

Dr. Fade

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Sep 29, 2005
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Best:

Morton's
Capitol Grill
The Palms (Veal Parm is killer)
Houstons
P.F. Chang's
In N' Out

Worst:

Waffle House
Blimpie
 
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Another Steve

Put Pete In
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Jul 7, 2002
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Dr. Fade said:
Best:

Morton's
Capitol Grill
The Palms (Veal Parm is killer)
Houstons
P.F. Chang's
In N' Out

Worst:

Waffle House
Blimpie

You know I love the Splatered, cover, scuggert potatoes at Waffle House. One mean Texas Steak sandwich.

Also love, Kristals in Memphis, never has a White Castle
 
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