Favorite restaurant chains

[Alps]

For chain wings, BW3 is at the bottom of the list. They came out extra-tiny and the sauce was uninspiring. (And I'm positive their wings are mass-sourced, so don't tell me it's just one restaurant.) Hooters' wings are meaty, and when you get up into the 9-1-1/3 Mile Island range, the sauces are actually quite good. I've never taken issue with their hot chicken products - and have never seen a reason to order anything else - but they have nice portions of healthy-looking and good-tasting food, and that's all I ask. (Now, I try to avoid chains to the Nth degree, but that's a different matter.)

[Mr_Northside]

I've found Buffalo Wild Wings wings to be pretty decent, though not a place I go out of my way to get to.
I can't vouch for Hooters wings, since I've never eaten there, but friends, whose wing opinions I trust, mostly have negative reviews.

I've also heard that the "satellite" Quaker Steak & Lube locations wings weren't that great... but my friend & I did go to the original in Sharon (PA), and enjoyed the experience (my one complaint, they dump the sauce on top of the wings in a bucket, so the wings on the bottom end up way to dry for my liking)

By and large, I've found that I'm most likely to find great wings at non-chain places.  Of course, a non-chain place is by no means guaranteed to have good wings, many don't... but my friend and I have found some pretty great wings in western PA on various wing tours.

And my personal favorite is still Sidelines Bar & Grill in Millvale.

[cjk374]

Hooters wings are usually meaty, but the one's I had w/the honey-thai sauce looked like they came from banny roosters... REAL small wings!!   

[realjd]

For chain wings, BW3 is at the bottom of the list. They came out extra-tiny and the sauce was uninspiring. (And I'm positive their wings are mass-sourced, so don't tell me it's just one restaurant.) Hooters' wings are meaty, and when you get up into the 9-1-1/3 Mile Island range, the sauces are actually quite good. I've never taken issue with their hot chicken products - and have never seen a reason to order anything else - but they have nice portions of healthy-looking and good-tasting food, and that's all I ask. (Now, I try to avoid chains to the Nth degree, but that's a different matter.)

What sauce did you have? You have to venture beyond the normal medium/hot to get to BWW's good stuff.

Wing size there isn't store dependent but rather night dependent. On their 35 cent wing night they tend to serve smaller wings in my experience. I typically stick with their awesome boneless wings when I go there.

[Alps]

What sauce did you have? You have to venture beyond the normal medium/hot to get to BWW's good stuff.

Normal hot to me is mild, if you'd like an idea. Obviously they had nothing I found hot, but the flavor was just terrible.

[realjd]

What sauce did you have? You have to venture beyond the normal medium/hot to get to BWW's good stuff.

Normal hot to me is mild, if you'd like an idea. Obviously they had nothing I found hot, but the flavor was just terrible.

I meant you have to go to other nontraditional flavors. If you like heat, they have an excellent mango habanero sauce that's extremely spicy. I'm fond of their Asian zing (thai sweet chili style) and Caribbean jerk sauces.

[Road Hog]

I like the Parmesan Garlic sauce at BWW. It's different. Most other places, I prefer my wings dry with separate sauces to dip them in.

[cjk374]

Most other places, I prefer my wings dry with separate sauces to dip them in.

Where can you go to find wings you can dip yourself?

[Road Hog]

Most other places, I prefer my wings dry with separate sauces to dip them in.

Where can you go to find wings you can dip yourself?

I'd think most places would prepare them that way if you asked.

[cjk374]

I forgot about one of my favorite places.  They have 3 restaurants...Foley, AL; Ozark, MO; Sikeston,MO...so I consider them a chain. 

It's called Lambert's.  They are known as "the home of the throwed roll".  The dinner rolls they throw across the dining room are delicious as well as their menu items.  I gave a roll thrower hell one day.  I was in one corner of the dining room, and I purposefully waited for him to get to the opposite corner before I held my hand up.  Between him & me were ceiling fans (one was on), and other patrons.  He gave a look that said, "oh boy, here goes nothing".  He threw it & it made a bee-line for the fan...showering the masses with bread from heaven (some pieces landed in drinks)!!     It really was a fantastic dining experience!

[hbelkins]

Last time I was through Sikeston, I drove by Lambert's. It was not a time when I thought they'd be terribly busy. I'm wanting to say about 3 p.m. Yet the parking lot was full and there were several tour buses. Since I don't like crowds and don't like waiting in line, I scrapped any thoughts I had of stopping to eat.

[kphoger]

That's funny.  My ex-girlfriend's family was originally from Sikeston, and raved about Lambert's.  My wife is originally from Branson, so we drive by the Ozark location all the time.  Because of that, I just assumed the chain was much larger than just three restaurants.

[cjk374]

I believe the original was in Sikeston, & the Lambert family had a vacation home in Gulf Shores/Orange Beach, AL.  I'm guessing that the Ozark location was just a shrewd business decision because of 2 tourist towns being close by.

[Stephane Dumas]

Sorry for dusting off this topic but I saw this article at http://www.dailyfinance.com/2013/12/18/why-burger-king-is-a-better-bet-than-mcdonalds-and/
http://www.fool.com/investing/general/2013/12/18/why-burger-king-is-a-better-bet-than-mcdonalds-and.aspx

I wonder with Heinz no more linked to McDonald's and more tied to Burger King, which ketchup company will replace Heinz at McDo? 

[hotdogPi]

These may not exist near you, but I love Friendly's and Uno.

[corco]

Hunts. The majority of McDonald's potatoes come from Lambweston, a ConAgra subsidiary. Hunts is also a ConAgra subsidiary.

[formulanone]

Portillo's hasn't disappointed me on my last few visits to Illinois.

I consider these categories for five types of chains:

1) Nationwide, even international
2) Regional (several states)
3) Statewide
4) Local (multiple counties, region of a state)
5) Spot (1, 2, 3 locations)

I guess you could create subcategories for how famous a "Spot" might be (nationally or just locally known).

[hotdogPi]

Portillo's hasn't disappointed me on my last few visits to Illinois.

I consider these categories for five types of chains:

1) Nationwide, even international
2) Regional (several states)
3) Statewide
4) Local (multiple counties, region of a state)
5) Spot (1, 2, 3 locations)

I guess you could create subcategories for how famous a "Spot" might be (nationally or just locally known).

What if there are about 20, but spread out over the whole United States?

[formulanone]

Regionational would be the most cromulent answer. It won't cover everything...