What are everyone's favorite restaurant chains to eat out at?
Two of my favorites have locations in my hometown, Subway and Taco Bell. In fact, I eat lunch at Taco Bell almost every day when I am not at school. Some other favorite chains that do not have locations in my hometown are Arby's, Big Boy, Olive Garden, and Red Lobster.
My hometown had a Big Boy until the owner of that location sold out to Walgreens. In fact, there are people in my hometown that intentionally avoid Walgreens even though it has been open almost four years.
On my 17th birthday, my birthday dinner was at Olive Garden in Gainesville, Florida during a thunderstorm.
Subway, Sonic, Arbys for fast food, Texas Roadhouse, Buca di Beppo for real food
Subway....... and I wouldn't be Canadian if I didn't also say Tim Horton's. Not so much for the coffee and donuts but for their soup and sandwich lunch combos.
After work or for an evening out at the sports bar......it's Boston Pizza.
And a nice affordable family meal out.......Swiss Chalet for the Chicken & Ribs!
I've been known to drive from Laramie Wyoming to Kansas City Missouri, go to Steak n Shake, order a burger, and drive right back.
So I guess Steak n Shake is my favorite.
I also love Chick-Fil-A and Runza (if I am near one I will eat there) and enjoy In-N-Out, Five Guys, Popeyes, McDonald's, Panda Express, Whataburger, Taco John's, and Maid-Rite.
I won't eat at Burger King.
For sit down I like Applebees, Ruby Tuesday, and Red Robin.
I like Wendy's and Jack in the Box while on the road. Carls Jr. is pretty good, too.
for Mexican-ish food (I use the term loosely), I like Del Taco, but Taco Bell is surprisingly good for being made apparently of plastic.
Taco Bell is the world's best hangover food. Otherwise, gross.
Quote from: corco on August 11, 2011, 05:39:53 PM
I've been known to drive from Laramie Wyoming to Kansas City Missouri, go to Steak n Shake, order a burger, and drive right back.
So I guess Steak n Shake is my favorite.
I also love Chick-Fil-A and Runza (if I am near one I will eat there) and enjoy In-N-Out, Five Guys, Popeyes, McDonald's, Panda Express, Whataburger, Taco John's, and Maid-Rite.
I won't eat at Burger King.
For sit down I like Applebees, Ruby Tuesday, and Red Robin.
Wow-rare to hear anybody not from Nebraska talk about Runza. I love Runza, but I didn't think anybody else on here would know what it is.
Actually, I'll eat just about anywhere for fast food. Taco Bell seems to be about my favorite-it's usually my first choice when it's an option, although I don't usually eat there two meals in a row.
I loved in Wyoming for a couple years and often went to Nebraska- the Sidney Runza and I were best friends
Fast food: Arby's and Chick-Fil-A. Also if it counts, Dunkin Donut's is a favorite of mine.
Sit down and eat: Olive Garden, Cheesecake Factory, Uno's Pizza, and Steak 'n Shake (really wish we had those closer to Philadelphia!)
Five Guys, Firehouse Subs, Zaxby's, Popeye's, Boston Market, and Chick-fil-A are my favorite fast-food joints.
Applebee's, Ruby Tuesday's, T.G.I.Friday's, Cracker Barrel, and Rafferty's are some of my favorite sit-down casual eateries. Usually, I try the mom-and-pops for that type of food. Rafferty's are hard to find, but I've never been disappointed.
Quote from: ftballfan on August 11, 2011, 02:11:25 PM
On my 17th birthday, my birthday dinner was at Olive Garden in Gainesville, Florida during a thunderstorm.
Ugh...90-minute waits on Friday and weekends were not uncommon for one of the only "Italian" restaurants in the entire area. Not as if any of the other places along Archer Road were any faster.
Oooo...I forgot Bob Evans. I love me some Bob Evans.
If we're talking specifically fast food, McDonald's. Or, on occasion, Burger King.
For breakfast, IHOP, Denny's, or Bob Evans all work just as well, although it's very unusual for me to go out to breakfast unless I'm on the road or otherwise away from home.
Fast
Arby's, Wendy's, Culver's, Popeye's, Sonic, Boston Market, Subway
Sit-Down
Outback, Olive Garden, Texas Corral, Buffalo Wild Wings, Cheesecake Factory, Samuel Mancino's
Not a big fan of KFC, and I never could understand the fandom for Chick-Fil-A. I tried them once. They're nowhere near as good as Popeye's.
Franchises are so vanilla and sometimes pretty lousy. Use Yelp to discover the real good foodie joints at home as well as on da' road. If you were in Curry County OR, you would have to stop at Langlois Market to discover a quality hot dog and burger made from local organic meats down there. In Amite LA, it was a gas station's serving of a crossing of Chinese restaurant-style breaded shrimp and peppery spice that delivered the knockout taste. You need to be more adventurous when traveling to find the tasty treats that are out there just waiting to be discovered!
Rick
If I'm on the road, it's often Chili's, Red Lobster or Olive Garden. I get gift cards via MyPoints.com.
Occasionally, I'll do Outback or Applebees.
Quote from: nexus73 on August 11, 2011, 11:02:07 PM
Franchises are so vanilla and sometimes pretty lousy. Use Yelp to discover the real good foodie joints at home as well as on da' road. If you were in Curry County OR, you would have to stop at Langlois Market to discover a quality hot dog and burger down there. In Amite LA, it was a gas station's serving of a crossing of Chinese restaurant-style breaded shrimp and peppery spice that delivered the knockout taste. You need to be more adventurous when traveling to find the tasty treats that are out there just waiting to be discovered!
Rick
Depending where I'm going, I occasionally consult TieDieTravels, but her reviews aren't quite as extensive as Yelp.
Quiznos, Chick-Fil-A, Wendys, Uno's Grill
Quote from: nexus73 on August 11, 2011, 11:02:07 PM
Franchises are so vanilla and sometimes pretty lousy. Use Yelp to discover the real good foodie joints at home as well as on da' road. If you were in Curry County OR, you would have to stop at Langlois Market to discover a quality hot dog and burger made from local organic meats down there. In Amite LA, it was a gas station's serving of a crossing of Chinese restaurant-style breaded shrimp and peppery spice that delivered the knockout taste. You need to be more adventurous when traveling to find the tasty treats that are out there just waiting to be discovered!
Rick
I tend to stick to chains because it's what I'm familiar with and I know what to expect. Usually the only time I will eat at a non-chain is by personal recommendation or well-known reputation. But I am considering becoming a little more adventurous-I've heard a lot of stories of little hole-in-the-wall cafes and restaurants even in small towns that serve really good food. I've also kept a lists of places from watching shows like Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network and Man vs. Food on the Travel Channel that interest me.
Big fan of Culver's and Whataburger.
Fleming's Prime Steakhouse is a chain, but it's a "nice restaurant" type of chain, up there in the class of places like the Capital Grille or Morton's (which are themselves chains, and both Fleming's and the Capital Grille absolutely kick Morton's arse). We went to the Fleming's in Tysons Corner for our anniversary a few weeks ago, as it's one of our favorite restaurants. The Palm also ranks up there because their 837 Club program gets you some outstanding free stuff (the Birthday Lobster promo is outstanding).
In terms of fast food: Roy Rogers, Arby's, Five Guys, and Potbelly's.
Sit-down places that are more "everyday"-priced compared to places like Fleming's: Austin Grill and King Street Blues (both DC-area chains); Gordon Biersch (my wife does not like that I love the garlic fries at Gordon Biersch)
Waffle House would make the list if there were one around here, but the nearest one is over 20 miles south down I-95.
Fast food:
Whataburger :D, Subway, Sonic, Dairy Queen, Fazoli's, Chick-fil-a.
Sit down:
Olive Garden (not the one here in Angelo), Underwoods in Brownwood, TX, Cracker Barrel, T.G.I. Fridays, Chili's, Henry's (a local Mexican restaurant), and Joe's Italian!
I wann know how many people know what Whataburger is.. ;)
BigMatt
If you asked me up to five years ago I would have said CrapDonalds, Burger King, etc but that stuff does you no good. Now for a quick bite I go to Subway. For longer meals I will find a pub or a proper restaurant such as Cracker Barrel or Shari's where I had the most superb salmon with salad - a pity they don't operate further east.
Primanti's (http://www.primantibros.com/), King's (http://kingsfamily.com/), Eat 'n Park (http://www.eatnpark.com/), Sheetz, Five Guys, Steak 'n Shake, Sonic, and Chick-fil-A
I find it difficult to take Eat'n Park seriously, because of the name. (And not just because "Park 'n' Eat" would be more logical.) But I've never actually eaten at one.
Sheetz, on the other hand, is fabulous, and it's annoying that they've not reached east of Morgantown. But Wawa's fabulous too. Places that don't have Sheetz and Wawa's don't know what they're missing (didn't find convenience stores at that level on my Columbus-and-Cincinnati road trip three weeks ago, or on my Boston-and-Albany one in June).
Arby's hits a spot on occasion.
I go to McDonald's once in a while - my current favorite is the mushroom-and-swiss angus - and on the way home from said Columbus-and-Cincinnati road trip, I got a nice hot one at the one off I-70 in Buckeye Lake, Ohio. I'm only mentioning that because too often they come out cold.
Primanti's, now if they were a nationwide chain, that would be a place I'd try if they kept the same quality as what is seen in PA.
Quote from: PAHighways on August 12, 2011, 07:21:42 PM
Primanti's (http://www.primantibros.com/), King's (http://kingsfamily.com/), Eat 'n Park (http://www.eatnpark.com/), Sheetz, Five Guys, Steak 'n Shake, Sonic, and Chick-fil-A
Rick
QuoteFranchises are so vanilla and sometimes pretty lousy. Use Yelp to discover the real good foodie joints at home as well as on da' road. If you were in Curry County OR, you would have to stop at Langlois Market to discover a quality hot dog and burger made from local organic meats down there. In Amite LA, it was a gas station's serving of a crossing of Chinese restaurant-style breaded shrimp and peppery spice that delivered the knockout taste. You need to be more adventurous when traveling to find the tasty treats that are out there just waiting to be discovered!
Rick
I've started doing this lately and it really makes the whole road trip experience a lot more fun. Eating at random holes-in-the-wall is a lot more interesting. Sure, it may take longer, and sure, you may not know what you're getting yourself into, but it's a lot more fun!
All very interesting. I might have to try Sonic sometime (there's a couple within a half hour of my college and their advertisements are all over the place on cable).
Wendy's and McDonalds are good, and they both have locations in my hometown.
For sit-down meals, I forgot to mention Texas Roadhouse. There is a location about five miles from my sister's house, and we almost always go there when I visit her.
Quote from: huskeroadgeek on August 12, 2011, 03:15:19 AM
Quote from: nexus73 on August 11, 2011, 11:02:07 PM
Franchises are so vanilla and sometimes pretty lousy. Use Yelp to discover the real good foodie joints at home as well as on da' road. If you were in Curry County OR, you would have to stop at Langlois Market to discover a quality hot dog and burger made from local organic meats down there. In Amite LA, it was a gas station's serving of a crossing of Chinese restaurant-style breaded shrimp and peppery spice that delivered the knockout taste. You need to be more adventurous when traveling to find the tasty treats that are out there just waiting to be discovered!
Rick
I tend to stick to chains because it's what I'm familiar with and I know what to expect. Usually the only time I will eat at a non-chain is by personal recommendation or well-known reputation. But I am considering becoming a little more adventurous-I've heard a lot of stories of little hole-in-the-wall cafes and restaurants even in small towns that serve really good food. I've also kept a lists of places from watching shows like Diners, Drive-ins and Dives on the Food Network and Man vs. Food on the Travel Channel that interest me.
I'll second yelp. It's practically having a personal recommendation wherever you go.
I'll usually eat fast food for lunch on road trips since I'm in a hurry to get back on the road, but I almost always find a local place for dinner. Pro-tip: most medium sized cities have at least one microbrewery with awesome beer and usually great food.
Has anybody ever had Hardees? We don't have any here in Texas and I would like to give it a try sometime.
Fast Food: Taco Bell, Arby's, Burger King
Sit-Down Restauants: Cheeseburger in Paradise, Outback Steakhouse, Famous Dave's
Convenience Store/Gas Stations: SHEETZ (my favorite of anything on this list), Wawa, Quick Chek and Stewart's (the NY/MA/VT chain)
In your car food: Sonic & Stewart's (the NJ chain)
Quote from: nexus73 on August 11, 2011, 11:02:07 PM
Franchises are so vanilla and sometimes pretty lousy. Use Yelp to discover the real good foodie joints at home as well as on da' road. If you were in Curry County OR, you would have to stop at Langlois Market to discover a quality hot dog and burger made from local organic meats down there. In Amite LA, it was a gas station's serving of a crossing of Chinese restaurant-style breaded shrimp and peppery spice that delivered the knockout taste. You need to be more adventurous when traveling to find the tasty treats that are out there just waiting to be discovered!
Rick
Agreed. Though I'll be first to admit I tend to go to chains when I'm on the road, just because its familiar and I don't have time to research in advance if I have no idea where I'm going to "get hungry".
Fast food....Subway, McDonalds.
"Casual dining"....Outback and TGI Fridays.
"Upscale chains"....Legal Seafoods, Maggiano's.
I will make a plug for my two favorite non-chain "quick service" places (I'd be hard pressed to call either fast food):
-The Wiener's Circle in Herndon, VA. Only open for lunch Mon to Sat, basically gourmet hot dogs and a ton of other really really good daily specials. The owners (who happen to be a co-worker's parents) also own a catering company, so the food is catering company quality, even though its essentially a lunch take-away place. Owners take great care to make good food and know most of their customers by name. http://www.greatfallsgourmet.com/menus/wienerscircle.html
-All American in Massapequa, NY. Best "fast food" on the planet. Very inexpensive. I don't know how they make their fries, but they are absolutely amazing. Burgers are also juicy (not nasty greasy) and tasty. Growing up 2 miles away from this place, I took it for granted. Now I go each and every time i'm back on LI visiting my parents. http://allamericanhamburger.us/
Quote from: jgb191 on August 12, 2011, 11:25:39 PM
Has anybody ever had Hardees? We don't have any here in Texas and I would like to give it a try sometime.
I have. For a fast food chain, they do have good burgers.
I have to give a shout out to Del Taco.....one of my favorites, but sadly none here in Texas. I have to go all the way to Mesa, AZ to have some Del Taco.
When traveling, I will usually drive thru a McDonald's or Taco Bell for lunch. The quality is generally pretty consistent (although I have gotten some awful fries at a few McD's), it's quick, and not messy (getting McNuggets or McDoubles at McD's or a few burritos at Taco Bell).
However, if I'm in Sheetz country, that is always my first choice for lunch, especially if I need to fill up with gas.
For the evening meal, if there is a Cracker Barrel, Bob Evans, Ryan's Steakhouse or Golden Corral nearby, that's what I'll choose, although lately I've been hitting Five Guys when there's one close.
Other fast-food places I like are Sonic, Long John Silver's and Arby's (although I don't like the fact that they only have curly fries now instead of regular fries, I'm not a fan of the seasoning).
In the town where I work, our only fast-food choices are Wendy's, McDonald's, Hardee's and KFC. I like to go grab lunch at eat at my desk, read the day's paper, etc., especially since a couple of times a week I have to make a Walmart run at lunch. So I"m pretty well burned out on all the offerings at those places. The KFC is being replaced with a combo KFC/Taco Bell and I will probably visit that establishment quite often.
Regarding Hardee's, good food but a bit on the expensive side, IMO.
Quote from: jgb191 on August 12, 2011, 11:25:39 PM
Has anybody ever had Hardees? We don't have any here in Texas and I would like to give it a try sometime.
Hardee's used to be a little easier to define before they were bought out by Carl's Jr. in the late 90s(some of the restaurants were actually rebranded as Carl's Jr. restaurants). They added some different menu items that made them a little different. I used to think they were pretty much like McDonald's, but after Carl's Jr. bought them out, I think they're better classified as something a little above McDonald's. It's been awhile since I've eaten at a Hardee's so I can't remember exactly what is on their menu(specifically-obviously they are a hamburger chain).
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Chipotle yet. They're not quite as quick as someplace like Chick-fil-A (my favorite fast food) since you can't really eat it in the car, but if there's a Chipotle around I'll usually stop there.
I'm surprised to see such passion about convenience stores among the northeasterners. I can't imagine a convenience store being that much better than any of the ubiquitous 7-11s, CircleKs, or any other generic store. They all carry the same products.
Forgot about Moe's Southwestern Grill. One "Homewrecker" and a drink is a very filling dinner.
Quote from: realjd on August 13, 2011, 09:03:16 AM
I'm surprised nobody has mentioned Chipotle yet. They're not quite as quick as someplace like Chick-fil-A (my favorite fast food) since you can't really eat it in the car, but if there's a Chipotle around I'll usually stop there.
I'm surprised to see such passion about convenience stores among the northeasterners. I can't imagine a convenience store being that much better than any of the ubiquitous 7-11s, CircleKs, or any other generic store. They all carry the same products.
Ah. That's because you haven't experienced Sheetz or Wawa. You can fit about three 7-11s into the average Wawa. Along with the (usually) clean bathrooms. Some Sheetzes even have indoor and outdoor seating. But talking of 7-11, why are they missing in central and southwest Ohio, or did I just not happen on any?
^^^
I typically go to Flying J, Pilot, or similar when traveling if I need something more substantial than a 7-11. They also usually have very clean bathrooms. I'm assuming Sheetz is similar?
^^I think of Flying J and Pilot as truck stops. Wawa started out in suburban Philadelphia as a dairy - you can still see a big facility labeled "Wawa Dairy Farms" west of Media on US 1 - and milk-delivery business. Had typical stores, but lots of them, into the '90s; then started opening larger locations with gas pumps outside, bathrooms, made-to-order hot food... I know people who swear by their coffee. I think Sheetz has a similar history, but they're based in Altoona, Pa. Sheetz covers most of Pennsylvania but not metropolitan Philadelphia, bits of Maryland, Virginia, West Virginia, Ohio.... Wawa's very thick on the ground from central New Jersey south past Washington but I haven't seen one in Pennsylvania west of Lancaster. So there aren't many places they're competing with each other. But I'd put both of them - thanks mostly to the made-to-order hot sandwiches - a notch above Arbys and a couple of notches above McDonalds or Burger King.
Now as to actual restaurants where people take your order and deliver it to your table, I grew up with two Friendlys within a couple of miles and if I want a notch above the better convenience stores, I'll look for one. I'm surprised they haven't been mentioned yet, but they may be northeastern rather than national.
Re: Hardee's vs. Carl's-
When I lived in Wyoming, which is one of the only (the only?) states with both, I used to love going to the Casper Hardee's but I almost never went to the Larmie Carl's Jr- Hardee's has a much tastier burger, although I do enjoy a Western Bacon Star at Carl's
Quote from: Michael in Philly on August 12, 2011, 07:32:12 PMI find it difficult to take Eat'n Park seriously, because of the name. (And not just because "Park 'n' Eat" would be more logical.)
It started out as a drive-in like Sonic, so people ate and/or just parked.
I know what you mean, I can't take seriously the name of a convenience store that is the same as a sound effect of disappointment.
I've stopped at a couple of Wawas to get gas, and went in and taken a good look at the food selection. Not impressed at all. Sheetz is much much > Wawa.
Quote from: realjd on August 13, 2011, 11:36:25 AMI typically go to Flying J, Pilot, or similar when traveling if I need something more substantial than a 7-11. They also usually have very clean bathrooms. I'm assuming Sheetz is similar?
The old Sheetz stores were typically the size of a 7-11 and had a small pump island out front if at all. The modern Sheetz locations are like a service plaza or truck stop in comparison.
The difference between an old (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Latrobe,+PA&ll=40.300345,-79.370899&spn=0.074755,0.187283&z=13&layer=c&cbll=40.300206,-79.371033&panoid=HD9BvgRetidWgj3TFHwyyg&cbp=12,1.39,,0,2.59) Sheetz and a new (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=Latrobe,+PA&ll=40.29956,-79.371758&spn=0.074756,0.187283&z=13&layer=c&cbll=40.299625,-79.371597&panoid=FfA1b6BEVsHANQX1CeN8FA&cbp=12,106.7,,0,2.91) Sheetz can be seen at the intersection of PA 982 and Ligonier Street in Latrobe.
Favorite Fast Food:
Noodles & Company, Subway, Jimmy John's, Taco Bell, McDonald's, Chic-Fil-A, Culver's, Sonic, A & W, Tastee-Freeze (there are 2 i know of in Chicagoland)
Least Favorite fast food:
Hands down it is Whataburger. That was the most disgusting burger i ever had and i will never go back.
Honorable mention for White Castle but it is good hangover food.
Favorite Sit Down Chain:
Gino's East, Olive Garden, Ted's Montana Grill, Famous Dave's, Big Boy
Fovorite Sit Down Place that's gone:
Bennigan's, Shakey's
Quote from: PAHighways on August 13, 2011, 01:09:52 PM
Quote from: Michael in Philly on August 12, 2011, 07:32:12 PMI find it difficult to take Eat'n Park seriously, because of the name. (And not just because "Park 'n' Eat" would be more logical.)
It started out as a drive-in like Sonic, so people ate and/or just parked.
I know what you mean, I can't take seriously the name of a convenience store that is the same as a sound effect of disappointment.
I'm not sure whether you mean Sheetz (say it slowly with a falling tone) or Wawawawa. (Which I believe is named after a type of goose. Hence the logo. And the town in northern Ontario with that name.)
Quote from: Michael in Philly on August 13, 2011, 04:03:50 PM
Quote from: PAHighways on August 13, 2011, 01:09:52 PM
Quote from: Michael in Philly on August 12, 2011, 07:32:12 PMI find it difficult to take Eat'n Park seriously, because of the name. (And not just because "Park 'n' Eat" would be more logical.)
It started out as a drive-in like Sonic, so people ate and/or just parked.
I know what you mean, I can't take seriously the name of a convenience store that is the same as a sound effect of disappointment.
I'm not sure whether you mean Sheetz (say it slowly with a falling tone) or Wawawawa. (Which I believe is named after a type of goose. Hence the logo. And the town in northern Ontario with that name.)
The latter
Fast Food- Mcdonald's, Quiznos, Sonic (for its drinks and slushes), Popeye's, Taco Johns (when i go out west)
Sit Down - Long Horn Steakhouse, Golden Corral (just opened), Logan's Roadhouse
I tried Whataburger while in Birmingham and i thought it was okay.
I would love for Diners, Drive-Ins, and Dives to come to the Anniston - Gadsden area to film a resturant. We have many local resturants with good food and it would be cool to see Food Network here.
Almost forgot to add:
Giordano's (sit-down, and carry-out), Portillo's, and Rocky Rococo's (Wisconsin).
The closest Sheetz (currently) to my house is still an old-school small Sheetz in McCandless Twp:
http://maps.google.com/maps?q=McCandless+Township,+PA&hl=en&ll=40.561743,-80.039349&spn=0.041471,0.123596&sll=40.300214,-79.371071&sspn=0.083265,0.181789&t=h&z=14&layer=c&cbll=40.561819,-80.039301&panoid=ll6vlc-zb_JEYL5N29g4oQ&cbp=12,290.31,,0,6.48 (http://maps.google.com/maps?q=McCandless+Township,+PA&hl=en&ll=40.561743,-80.039349&spn=0.041471,0.123596&sll=40.300214,-79.371071&sspn=0.083265,0.181789&t=h&z=14&layer=c&cbll=40.561819,-80.039301&panoid=ll6vlc-zb_JEYL5N29g4oQ&cbp=12,290.31,,0,6.48)
However they're currently working on a new one a bit closer at the intersection of Babcock Blvd & Cemetery Lane. Also, one just opened up across Business 22 from the office complex I used to work in. Wish they would've done that 5 years ago, but oh well.
Other than Sheetz, I don't mind Wendy's, cause I can get chili instead of fries; and Subway is OK as well. I'll do LJS when I have a coupon for the fish combo dinner. Burger King is acceptable, and I haven't had a non-breakfast meal at a McDonalds in probably over 2 years now.
However, I must say, I do prefer to try non-chain places to chain places whenever possible. This is especially true when it comes to (A) pizza, and (B) wings. Last spring, I was on a trip with my brother/parents, and we were staying in Corning (NY). We decided to get pizza, and there were places on the main drag that I noticed earlier in the day that looked like they would be pretty good; but I got outvoted, and we just ordered from Pizza Hut. Twas the first pizza I had from there in quite some time, and, while it wasn't bad, it was certainly non-remarkable. Their wings were also quite underwhelming.
Though I'm a bit pickier about wings. Some friends and I make it a point to try and find really good wings (occasionally going on "wing tours" of multiple places)... but I'm veering off topic, so I'll leave it at that...
I forgot McAlister's and Rosa's Cafe!
I ate at Hardee's in Clarion, Iowa. Pretty good stuff.
I'll at some more;
Convenience stores:
Stripes (Laredo Taco Company), 7-11 (it's ok)
BigMatt
Oh...dude. McAlisters is pure magic!
One of the big advantages of eating non-chain is that you get to sample local variations on fare. For instance, if you go to New Mexico and stick to national chains, you're not going to be able to get a burger with New Mexico green chile on it, and if you go to New Mexico and order a burger and don't get green chile on it, you're doing New Mexico wrong. Pretty much every non-chain restaurant in at least southern NM sells green chile burgers, but none of the national ones do.
That reminds me, I really enjoy Blake's Lot-a-burger, which is a New Mexico chain
Quote from: corco on August 15, 2011, 05:19:03 PM
Oh...dude. McAlisters is pure magic!
I've eaten there, but was never impressed.
When you're looking for decent sweet tea in Wyoming, there's exactly one place to go and that's McAlister's
I've seen most of my choices listed here. I have a general rule when traveling that I try to eat only at places I can't get at home. I would love to try the true local places more often - when I do I'm rarely disappointed. Especially the ones you wouldn't think of going into unless you were taken there by a local.. I'm hoping that now that I have an iPad and can look things up on the fly, I'll be able to do more of the local stuff. Like Saturday's detour into the heart of Philadelphia for a Pat's cheesesteak instead finding a chain off I-95.
But this is about chains... My thoughts, including the ones from at home in the northeast and when on the road:
Burgers: Five Guys without a close second, but I try hard to get In-N-Out when I'm out west. Always happy to hit a Whataburger or a Lotaburger. Only had Krystal once or twice, but liked it. I like Sonic but more for the onion rings and malts than the burgers.
Fried chicken: Popeye's, sometimes hit Bojangles' on the road for a change.
Chicken strips: Zaxby's and Raising Cane's, with Chick-fil-A a distant third but also quite good.
Tacos: Hot Harry's (only in the Albany/Pittsfield area and Cedar Rapids, IA, so far) is great, will do Moe's also. Liked Chipotle, but not their prices. I like Taco Ardiente down in SW Fla. Lots of other interesting options in the southwest and west coast but not ones I get to try often. In NM, I really like a Twister burrito.
Subs: Subway and Quizno's are fine, but I like most of the smaller chains I've tried like Firehouse and Jason's Deli. D'Angelo is good but pricey.
Various: Boston Market is not bad. I've enjoyed Pollo Tropical. Absolutely hooked on Skyline. Liked the Teriyaki Chicken Bowl out in NM.
Pizza: Can't do it. Too many good local places to even think about something like a Domino's or Pizza Hut.
Big guys: I like McDonald's fries but avoid it most of the time. BK's good enough and I can get a lunch for $4. Wendy's used to be a favorite, but they have tended to disappoint recently. KFC will do, but never when a better option is available. Taco Bell is what it is whatever that is, and sometimes I'll go there. Arby's is OK, but seems way too expensive for what it is.
For sit down meals, we don't do it much on the road. But I like Cracker Barrel and Bob Evans. I used to like Famous Dave's a lot, but they disappointed me too many times in a row. Give me Rudy's for BBQ now. Liked Steak-n-Shake. Like Sonny's.
Quote from: corco on August 15, 2011, 05:19:03 PMPretty much every non-chain restaurant in at least southern NM sells green chile burgers, but none of the national ones do.
This wasn't the case back in '03, when I was able to get a green chile cheeseburger at Wendy's in Albuquerque. But with so many places to get an outstanding green chile cheeseburger in NM, why would anyone go to Wendy's for one anyway?
Hmmm ... I never considered Steak n Shake to be a "sit down" restaurant, but instead a fast-food burger joint -- a cross between McD's/Burger King/Wendy's and Five Guys.
Five Guys is OK. I just don't need a shipload of fries!
Fast-food: McDonald's, KFC aka PFK in Quebec, Burger King, St-Hubert, a local chain well known here.
We got also another Canadian chain named Harvey's
I tried once a Wendy's at Drummondville, unfortunately it's closed, the food was very good. All the remaining Wendy's in Quebec are in Montreal. :banghead: :verymad:
A bit-off topic but anyone who had heard or remember Burger Chef?
I remember Burger Chef.
Quote from: hobsini2 on August 13, 2011, 01:34:32 PM
Fovorite Sit Down Place that's gone:
Bennigan's
There's still a couple in Chicagoland. One on South Michigan and another on Airport Road in Elgin.
I like Chipotle, but the nearest one to me is in Iowa City. I also like the Iowa Machine Shed and would recommend it to anyone who's driving through the state (exit 292 on I-80 in Davenport, exit 125 on I-35/80 in Des Moines)
Fast: Taco Bell, McDonald's, Noodles & Co., Arby's, Wendy's
Sit-down: Perkins, IHOP, Denny's
I dust-off this thread. :meh: :coffee:
Here in Southern Quebec, some KFC (called "PFK" in French) are closing due to low rentability from what I read on this French article
http://argent.canoe.ca/lca/affaires/quebec/archives/2012/01/une-douzaine-pfk-ferment-quebec.html
KFC got some competition from St-Hubert and McDonald's.
I remember once a Wendy's located in Drummondville near TCH-20. The food was very good however it was replaced by a Boston Pizza. :( And the only Wendy's located in Quebec are all in the Montreal metro area. :banghead: I wish to see some Wendy's in Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières and Quebec city.
Milers Ale House in Florida. However, there are some popping up in other states and one coming soon to Exit 4 on the NJ Turnpike in Mt. Laurel, NJ. Great wings, burgers, and mouthwatering onion rings. And the price is reasonable. Where else can you get 35 shrimp for 10 bucks? Certainly not Red Lobster.
Kers Winghouse is the alternative to Hooters in Orlando and Tampa if you like a sports bar with beautiful young girls serving your food, than this is it! 4- 8 Happy Hour on weekdays for drinks.
Quote from: hobsini2 on August 13, 2011, 01:34:32 PM
Favorite Fast Food:
Noodles & Company, Subway, Jimmy John's, Taco Bell, McDonald's, Chic-Fil-A, Culver's, Sonic, A & W, Tastee-Freeze (there are 2 i know of in Chicagoland)
Least Favorite fast food:
Hands down it is Whataburger. That was the most disgusting burger i ever had and i will never go back.
Honorable mention for White Castle but it is good hangover food.
Favorite Sit Down Chain:
Gino's East, Olive Garden, Ted's Montana Grill, Famous Dave's, Big Boy
Fovorite Sit Down Place that's gone:
Bennigan's, Shakey's
A Bennigans opened here in the Appleton, WI area a couple of years ago, also several Chipotles.
As for me, whenever I'm out roadtripping, I'll usually subsist on Subway and McD's. Decent food and they are known commodities. Waffle Houses when I'm in their area, too.
For sit-down, although somewhat pricey, I won't hesitate to stop at Buffalo Wild Wings. Culver's is also a fav.
Mike
I'll stick with chain restaurants, otherwise it's way too localized.
For breakfast, my favorites are Burger King (croissant sandwiches) and Sonic (breakfast burritos).
On long-distance driving trips, I plan all fuel and meal stops in advance. I typically plot meals in towns that have at least a Subway. My wife and I find that sub sandwiches a lot less likely than hamburgers to make us nod off at the wheel an hour later. They are also ubiquitous to the highway system, being the largest restaurant chain in the world; some of them are even attached to gas stations. If no Subway restaurants are near where I'm planning a stop, my second choices are Arby's and pretty much any random burger chain.
When I travel with a group, I plan meal stops where there are two fast-food chains close together. Then people can take their pick, and the line goes faster. In northern México, I'm fond of stopping at the combination Subway/Church's Chicken restaurants; everybody's happy with that setup!
Back at home, if we're pinching pennies and need to go out to eat, we go to Taco Bell. Half the people in Wichita hate Taco Bell and prefer Taco Shop (a local chain), but not us.
I'm a rather picky eater. The Wikipedia article on Selective Eating Disorder sounds a lot like me. I often go to a restaurant for a specific side item rather than the specialty.
I recently discovered Arby's, and enjoy it for its affordable mozzarella sticks and unfancified shakes.
Every Wednesday I enjoy pizza and breadsticks at Fazoli's because of a weekly special price in Ohio. Fazoli's customers come back for the delicious, free breadsticks.
I also occasionally enjoy pizza at Donato's and Pizza Hut (stuffed crust FTW — but why is it a PH exclusive?).
Sometimes I get a grilled cheese sandwich with bacon at Steak n Shake.
I don't generally go for what most people think of when one says "fast food", but I recently tried french fries again and apparently I don't dislike them.
Wataburger is one of my favorite. They, unfortuneatley are not in Orlando any more. They came for a while and closed up abruptly. However, they still exist in Texas and even Tallahassee. For some reason Orlando did not work for them even though their drive through windows were always jamned with cars.
Millers Ale House.
Kers Winghouse
Although these two are Florida chains, but Millers has some stores in PA, NY, and IL starting to pop up.
Quote from: corco on August 13, 2011, 12:14:08 PM
Re: Hardee's vs. Carl's-
When I lived in Wyoming, which is one of the only (the only?) states with both, I used to love going to the Casper Hardee's but I almost never went to the Larmie Carl's Jr- Hardee's has a much tastier burger, although I do enjoy a Western Bacon Star at Carl's
Oklahoma has mostly Carl's Jr, but there's a Hardee's in Sallisaw.
Post Merge: June 27, 2012, 06:07:28 AM
Backyard Burgers is by far my favorite because of their blackened chicken sandwich. Lion's Choice is a close second but they have a very limited area that they operate in.
Is Gates BBQ in Kansas City considered a chain?
Carl's Jr/Hardees, Jack in the Box, and Whattaburger are pretty good.
I eat at Arby's a lot because it's easy on my stomach.
Post Merge: June 27, 2012, 06:07:35 AM
Quote from: corco on August 11, 2011, 05:39:53 PM
I've been known to drive from Laramie Wyoming to Kansas City Missouri, go to Steak n Shake, order a burger, and drive right back.
If you had driven 60 miles further east on US 50 to Sedalia, MO, you could have had a steakburger at Eddie's Drive In. Much better than Steak and Shake.
[Holy quad post, Batman! I think you got "quote" and "edit" confused on one of those... -S.]
As a native Angelino, I must say that In-n-Out is the best fast bite in SoCal. I also like Tommy's Burgers, the chili is awesome! As for Mexican, the best I have had was from a local chain called Rosa Maria's in San Bernardino. I do like to go to Del Taco for their chicken items, way better than Taco Bell! Best sit-down around here is The Lazy Dog Cafe, also a local chain, but growing fast. One is opening by my folks' place in the next few weeks. I also like Golden Corral, but those are few and far between here in CA. I also wish Cracker Barrel and Waffle House were out here, those 2 places could make some serious money if they ever got into CA.
I spotted this article from the Canadian magazine MacLean's about the popularity of A&W chain in the Great White North
http://www2.macleans.ca/2012/05/29/canadas-love-affair-with-aw/ The Canadian A&W was spinned-off from the American A&W in 1972 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/A%26W_%28Canada%29
Here some Canadian A&W ads
Quote from: roadman65 on April 19, 2012, 03:03:01 PM
Wataburger is one of my favorite. They, unfortuneatley are not in Orlando any more. They came for a while and closed up abruptly. However, they still exist in Texas and even Tallahassee.
They pretty much define Texas fast food!
San Angelo finally got another chain, Freeb!rds. I've been to the one in Arlington, and finally went to ours toady! Good stuff. I get tired of true Mexican food and fast food American.
BigMatt
Quote from: PAHighways on August 13, 2011, 01:09:52 PM
Quote from: Michael in Philly on August 12, 2011, 07:32:12 PMI find it difficult to take Eat'n Park seriously, because of the name. (And not just because "Park 'n' Eat" would be more logical.)
It started out as a drive-in like Sonic, so people ate and/or just parked.
I know what you mean, I can't take seriously the name of a convenience store that is the same as a sound effect of disappointment.
At the time of it's founding, Eat'n Park was the first restaurant in Pittsburgh to offer carhop service. To quote from their website: "Logically, a customer parked first then ate -- either in or out of the restaurant. However, in the late 1940's, 'Park & Eat' was as common a sight as 'Drive Thru' is today and could not be copyrighted.
"In a brainstorm, [company founder Larry] Hatch and company decided to reverse it -- to Eat'n Park. The catchy name stuck, so much that while the once everywhere "Park & Eat" signs have virtually disappeared from American highways, 'Eat'n Park' remains a tri-state tradition, even though the name no longer describes the restaurant's dining style." (From www.eatnpark.com/aboutus.asp)
Eat'n Park is an institution in the Pittsburgh area. They would be one of my favorites.
Burger Chef (R.I.P)
Now that the Big Shef sandwich is no longer with us, eating is just something I do to survive. Hardees, Burger Chef's corporate successor, has tried to duplicate the Big Shef, but it's not even close. I miss you, Burger Chef & Jeff.
Quote from: kphoger on June 26, 2012, 09:39:08 PM
They pretty much also are mediocre.
Man, I don't get how people don't like Whataburger.. I think they're great! Except the fries could be crispier..
BigMatt
Quote from: BigMattFromTexas on June 26, 2012, 10:36:33 PM
Quote from: kphoger on June 26, 2012, 09:39:08 PM
They pretty much also are mediocre.
Man, I don't get how people don't like Whataburger.. I think they're great! Except the fries could be crispier..
BigMatt
He didn't say he didn't like them, only that they're mediocre, much like all other fast food burgers. Even In-N-Out burger, probably the best fast food burger out there, is not that much better than Whataburger, Carl's Jr., White Castle, or any other regional burger joint that people go crazy for IMO. Whataburger is definitely better than McDonalds, but I've never been completely wowed by them. The one here in Melbourne even went out of business due to lack of customers.
One of these days Golden Corral and CiCis will bring their advertising to restaurants within Jersey. Like Sonic, we've been getting advertisements like crazy for both. Sonic finally came into Jersey in dominant force, CiCi's has a place on 17, but would prefer more.
Golden Corral was good when we went to the one in Bensalem PA. Get into Jersey soon is all I ask.
Oh, well I've seen people on here saying they don't like it.. But all three in Angelo are always busy.
As for Sonic, we them advertised A LOT too. But all 4 here are busy.
BigMatt
Thing about Whataburger is that they are one of the few fast food restaurants that don't have mandatory breakfast. I don't care what time it is, if I am going to a fast food restaurant, I want a burger (or chicken) and fries. I can make bacon and eggs at home pretty easily, and fast food breakfast is generally kinda gross. Plus, working night shift, I have discovered that most places start breakfast at somewhat ludicrous times–4am seems to be the standard, and that's about when I am ready for lunch, not sausage egg and cheese sandwiches.
Sonic and Jack in the Box are the only other chains I know of with optional breakfast. As a result, Whataburger, Sonic, and JitB get quite a bit of my fast food money.
Quote from: Scott5114 on June 27, 2012, 06:17:55 AM
Thing about Whataburger is that they are one of the few fast food restaurants that don't have mandatory breakfast. I don't care what time it is, if I am going to a fast food restaurant, I want a burger (or chicken) and fries. I can make bacon and eggs at home pretty easily, and fast food breakfast is generally kinda gross. Plus, working night shift, I have discovered that most places start breakfast at somewhat ludicrous times–4am seems to be the standard, and that's about when I am ready for lunch, not sausage egg and cheese sandwiches.
Sonic and Jack in the Box are the only other chains I know of with optional breakfast. As a result, Whataburger, Sonic, and JitB get quite a bit of my fast food money.
I'm not often up and looking for fast food breakfast outside of airport environments, but my usual Panda Express in the ATL E concourse doesn't have a breakfast menu in the morning, and the various airport QDobas I've been to can usually make you a non-breakfast burrito in the mornings as well.
I've never understood the mandatory breakfast nonsense. I understand that they may not want to have both menus cooked and out under the heat lamp for fast service, but why can't they cook up a lunch item on request?
The reasoning we used to have at Burger King, when I worked there, was because the broiler wasn't turned on until lunch, and we had to let it warm up for something like 15 minutes. But why we didn't just turn it on at opening, I don't know (or if there was a reason, I don't remember). We had to have the fryers on for breakfast anyway, so we could have had a chicken sandwich ready to go in six minutes if we had allowed someone to order one.
But we didn't see any benefit to making the franchise owner $8 more or whatever, since we'd never see any of that increased revenue. Nobody ever really got raises, and it was more work for us, so why the fuck should we care if he made more?
Obviously it is doable if Whataburger et al can do it.
Quote from: BigMattFromTexas on June 26, 2012, 10:36:33 PM
Quote from: kphoger on June 26, 2012, 09:39:08 PM
They pretty much also are mediocre.
Man, I don't get how people don't like Whataburger.. I think they're great! Except the fries could be crispier..
BigMatt
It's not that I don't like them at all. It's just that we (and especially my wife) like most other chains better. The exception is McDonald's: you can keep 'em! Our go-to burger chains on the road are Wendy's and Burger King; we used to Sonic more, but eating in the car is more difficult with an energetic one-year-old.
I've only had Jack in the Box for breakfast, which wasn't stellar, but the less-than-stellar breakfast has made us unlikely to go there for lunch.
Quote from: Scott5114 on June 27, 2012, 09:19:44 AM
The reasoning we used to have at Burger King, when I worked there, was because the broiler wasn't turned on until lunch, and we had to let it warm up for something like 15 minutes. But why we didn't just turn it on at opening, I don't know (or if there was a reason, I don't remember). We had to have the fryers on for breakfast anyway, so we could have had a chicken sandwich ready to go in six minutes if we had allowed someone to order one.
But we didn't see any benefit to making the franchise owner $8 more or whatever, since we'd never see any of that increased revenue. Nobody ever really got raises, and it was more work for us, so why the fuck should we care if he made more?
Obviously it is doable if Whataburger et al can do it.
That's what gets me. I can see the fryers running. I know it's 8AM, but why on earth can't they throw some damn chicken nuggets in there! I don't mind waiting.
I have had success once or twice asking the manager nicely. If you're looking for something from the fryer, and they're not otherwise busy or swamped, a nice manager will sometimes hook you up.
Chick-fil-A is the one that always really bugs me. I can see them cooking the chicken nuggets for their chicken minis. Can't they put a handful in a box for me before they wrap biscuit around them?
White Castle is the only chain that I've ever known to have burgers, fries, etc. available 24 hours. A big reason why they're so popular with late night partiers, I'd suspect. Who wants a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit when you're drunk and have the beer munchies? I never quite understood the whole mandatory breakfast either. Although for me personally, it's never been much of an issue. I generally just want something small...danish or something similar and coffee in the morning. If I do actually want a real breakfast and I'm on the road I'll find something sit down.
Quote from: signalman on June 27, 2012, 03:49:37 PM
White Castle is the only chain that I've ever known to have burgers, fries, etc. available 24 hours. A big reason why they're so popular with late night partiers, I'd suspect. Who wants a sausage, egg, and cheese biscuit when you're drunk and have the beer munchies? I never quite understood the whole mandatory breakfast either. Although for me personally, it's never been much of an issue. I generally just want something small...danish or something similar and coffee in the morning. If I do actually want a real breakfast and I'm on the road I'll find something sit down.
Fast Food Breakfast is primarily a marketing thing to attract more business than the usual lunch crowd. Even Subway is doing it now.
I hate fast food breakfast.. I, being a swell cook, can make something a lot easier, and usually better than them. Although sometimes I'll go for a McGriddle from McDonald's. Not often.
But now when it comes to fast food, I'm not really eating it a lot no more. I gotta get in shape for football!
BigMatt
Quote from: BigMattFromTexas on June 27, 2012, 06:45:15 PM
I hate fast food breakfast.. I, being a swell cook, can make something a lot easier, and usually better than them. Although sometimes I'll go for a McGriddle from McDonald's. Not often.
The McGriddle is the only thing from MicDonald's that is only somewhat decent.
I like McDonalds' Sausage McMuffins -- no egg, thankyouverymuch. They're on the Dollar Menu so two of them and two hash browns and it's breakfast on the go. I will usually hit a McDonald's every morning for breakfast when I'm traveling, if the drive-thru isn't too backed up. Sometimes it's worse during breakfast hours than it is at high noon.
I've never cared for restaurant breakfast. If I go out to eat at breakfast time, I prefer a place where I can get anything anytime.
Quote from: PennDOTFan on June 27, 2012, 07:14:11 PM
The McGriddle is the only thing from MicDonald's that is only somewhat decent.
Agreed...Kind of wish they made it all day, to be honest.
I like the Artisan sandwiches from Starbucks for breakfast sometimes. The only thing I miss about living in Houston are the bacon and egg taquitos from whataburger...and their salsa.
I'm adding a new chain to my favorites list: Texas de Brazil. While not your typical road trip restaurant, it was well worth the money. I highly recommend it to all of the carnivores out there.
^ This. It is an absolutely amazing experience. It gets very expensive very quickly, though.
Quote from: realjd on June 28, 2012, 05:34:20 AM
I'm adding a new chain to my favorites list: Texas de Brazil. While not your typical road trip restaurant, it was well worth the money. I highly recommend it to all of the carnivores out there.
I don't think I've ever seen such a place.
I'm assuming the name comes from the fact that the food style is Brazilian, but the cows are grown in Texas?
It started in Texas. There are about a dozen locations; a few in Texas, two in Florida, one in Richmond, one in NoVA (Fairfax?), one in Aruba, and a few more I can't remember.
^ Looking at the pictures on the website, I'm not sure if it looks like a place I'd enjoy.. Haha.
BigMatt
Went to the Benihana on La Cienega last night. Delicious for a chain.
Quote from: jgb191 on August 13, 2011, 01:40:16 AM
I have to give a shout out to Del Taco.....one of my favorites, but sadly none here in Texas. I have to go all the way to Mesa, AZ to have some Del Taco.
No longer true, I'm glad to report!
Del Taco is moving into North Texas and has stores all over now. Blows Taco Bell out of the water. In fact, a lot of regional chains are getting a foothold in DFW, especially In-N-Out. I even heard Fatburger was coming.
Surprised there hasn't been a lot of talk about DQ. They are hugely popular in Texas.
Del Taco is probably the best-tasting Mexican fast food chain in my opinion. I frequent them frequently here in SoCal.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on June 29, 2012, 05:23:39 PM
I frequent them frequently here in SoCal.
With what frequency?
What's the frequency, Kenneth?
Ive never heard of anyone saying Del Taco beats Taco Bell :P
Sharky's is my current favorite, but they're only in SoCal except one in WA.
I feel like Ive been to Jack in the Box a lot recently too. :/
Rudy's BBQ is where it's at!! They have some of the best brisket I've had. Unfortunately San Angelo ain't got one of them... But it's amazing!
BigMatt
Quote from: bulkyorled on July 01, 2012, 10:53:25 AM
Ive never heard of anyone saying Del Taco beats Taco Bell :P
Sharky's is my current favorite, but they're only in SoCal except one in WA.
I feel like Ive been to Jack in the Box a lot recently too. :/
I generally prefer Del Taco over Taco Bell. I one thing that Taco Bell does do better than Del Taco is their shrimp tacos and burritos. The Taco Bell ones are not breaded shrimps, but the Del Taco ones are. Unfortunately the shrimp is something that is only sold on special promotions for a limited time at both.
Fast food: Sheetz, Wendy's, Cook Out (NC based chain), plus the occasional visit to other assorted places
Sit-down restaurants: Denny's, Olive Garden (although I usually only go during the Never-Ending Pasta Bowl), Texas de Brazil (maybe once a year)
For pizza I almost always go local, but the national chains are all decent IMO.
I dont hate Del Taco either, I was thinking about the tacos a few days ago. Its a good thing that they are cheaper than Taco Bell or else that'd be a huge deal breaker. They nearly never fill the tacos good and theyre pretty small as it is. Their fries are useless though unless you get the chili fries...
I generally hate chain restaurants, but when I'm in Texas, I have an affinity for Taco Cabana.
Quote from: Special K on July 06, 2012, 11:45:10 AM
I generally hate chain restaurants, but when I'm in Texas, I have an affinity for Taco Cabana.
Yes, that and Rudy's BBQ (which also sells Shiner Bock).
How could I have forgotten.... Perkins!
Man, this town needs a Perkins..................
Whataburger!!!! The best fast-food burgers, in my opinion, and really awesome sweet tea.
White Castle!!!!! :bigass:
Quote from: kphoger on July 06, 2012, 02:57:24 PM
How could I have forgotten.... Perkins!
Man, this town needs a Perkins..................
What, Shoney's, Bob Evans, Cracker Barrel, and other generic American comfort food restaurants just don't cut it? :)
Outside of breakfast, I'm not a big fan of that particular style of "home cooked" American comfort food. It's way under-seasoned and bland IMO. Besides, if I want something home cooked, I'll cook it myself. I'm pretty good in the kitchen, so my measure of a great restaurant is if it's better than home cooked!
I was thinking earlier about what food chain niches aren't filled yet. There's chain Mexican, Irish, Chinese, and others, but I can't think of a single chain Thai restaurant, fast food or sit down. Someone needs to go fill that niche ASAP! I'd love a Chipotle-style fast food Thai restaurant.
Quote from: realjd on July 19, 2012, 12:46:49 PM
What, Shoney's, Bob Evans, Cracker Barrel, and other generic American comfort food restaurants just don't cut it? :)
I said
this town. Should have been more specific. I meant the town I live in, am currently in, that my profile says I'm from. Wichita, Kansas. We don't have Shoney's or Bob Evans. Technically the Cracker Barrel is in Park City, but I'm not crazy about their selection anyway. Perkins is much better.
Quote from: realjd on July 19, 2012, 12:46:49 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 06, 2012, 02:57:24 PM
How could I have forgotten.... Perkins!
Man, this town needs a Perkins..................
What, Shoney's, Bob Evans, Cracker Barrel, and other generic American comfort food restaurants just don't cut it? :)
They certainly don't have the same pie/bakery selection that Perkins does.
Quote from: kphoger on July 19, 2012, 01:40:57 PM
Quote from: realjd on July 19, 2012, 12:46:49 PM
What, Shoney's, Bob Evans, Cracker Barrel, and other generic American comfort food restaurants just don't cut it? :)
I said this town. Should have been more specific. I meant the town I live in, am currently in, that my profile says I'm from. Wichita, Kansas. We don't have Shoney's or Bob Evans. Technically the Cracker Barrel is in Park City, but I'm not crazy about their selection anyway. Perkins is much better.
I knew what you meant; I was just making a joke. I don't know if I've ever heard anyone express enthusiasm for Perkins.
I'm always underwhelmed by the other restaurants I listed. I'll give Perkins a shot next time I'm hungry and one is nearby. Unless there's also a brewpub nearby because, hey, beer wins. :sombrero:
Quote from: realjd on July 19, 2012, 03:18:27 PM
Quote from: kphoger on July 19, 2012, 01:40:57 PM
Quote from: realjd on July 19, 2012, 12:46:49 PM
What, Shoney's, Bob Evans, Cracker Barrel, and other generic American comfort food restaurants just don't cut it? :)
I said this town. Should have been more specific. I meant the town I live in, am currently in, that my profile says I'm from. Wichita, Kansas. We don't have Shoney's or Bob Evans. Technically the Cracker Barrel is in Park City, but I'm not crazy about their selection anyway. Perkins is much better.
I knew what you meant; I was just making a joke. I don't know if I've ever heard anyone express enthusiasm for Perkins.
I'm always underwhelmed by the other restaurants I listed. I'll give Perkins a shot next time I'm hungry and one is nearby. Unless there's also a brewpub nearby because, hey, beer wins. :sombrero:
OK, but I offer no refunds if you don't end up liking it.
You could always come up to Lawrence for your Perkins fix ;)
I've found that Chick-Fil-A is increasingly becoming a favorite because of the flavor of their nuggets and the thickness of their sandwiches. Plus, I don't know of any other places that have waffle fries. Regular fries get old after awhile, and not a lot of places have tots, so the waffle fries are a welcome change.
Chick-Fil-A has great chicken but being closed on Sundays is a major drag. (Why do I always happen to get a craving for them on Sunday?) I also think twice about patronizing them because I don't agree with some of the things they choose to spend their money on, but occasionally I just want a damn good chicken sandwich so I go anyway. However, I couldn't go very often even if I wanted to because the only CFAs in Norman are on the west side, and I am on the east side, and crossing over is a pain in the ass.
What about the southern favorite known as Cane's?
Quote from: mcdonaat on July 20, 2012, 12:52:13 AM
What about the southern favorite known as Cane's?
The full name is Raising Cane's. That place is yummy!
There is another chain called Zaxby's that has an almost identical menu. Zaxby's is everywhere in the South, but I haven't been to one yet.
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 20, 2012, 12:45:54 AM
I also think twice about patronizing them because I don't agree with some of the things they choose to spend their money on, but occasionally I just want a damn good chicken sandwich so I go anyway.
Same here, but I've noticed that when I dine in at a Chick-Fil-A, you get friendly service...you're a name, not a number when your order's ready. They go around and get refills for you. A welcome trade-off; besides, no two people share the same ideology, so I'm sure there's something about nearly every corporation that does something that we don't agree with. Unless they're involved in cannibalism, I typically do not care what a restaurant chain spends their profits on if the food is good, the stores are fit, and service is nice too.
They are generally pretty friendly, but when I say "thank you" and without fail, no matter which employee I am speaking to, I get "My pleasure" back, it creeps me right the hell out. Are Chick-Fil-A employees not allowed by management to express their own personality? That's not friendly, that's following a script.
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 20, 2012, 09:40:16 AM
They are generally pretty friendly, but when I say "thank you" and without fail, no matter which employee I am speaking to, I get "My pleasure" back, it creeps me right the hell out. Are Chick-Fil-A employees not allowed by management to express their own personality? That's not friendly, that's following a script.
what is the business rationale for micromanaging the employees so thoroughly? I'm a big fan of small places where I can interact with the employees... there's a local pizza place where one of the servers and I always talk about which punk and metal bands are coming through town, and the owner clearly doesn't care even though I don't think he's much into that stuff personally.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on July 20, 2012, 11:22:45 AM
I'm a big fan of small places where I can interact with the employees... there's a local pizza place where one of the servers and I always talk about which punk and metal bands are coming through town, and the owner clearly doesn't care even though I don't think he's much into that stuff personally.
Pizza places, and even sit down restaurants in general, be they chains or local, are better for that anyway. Last time I went to Texas de Brazil, we had all kinds of random conversations with the server, but then that's less of a chain than, say, Denny's or Buffalo Wild Wings, the latter of which is usually too loud to have a conversation with the wait staff. I've had plenty of interesting conversations at Denny's over the years, though.
Quote from: Takumi on July 20, 2012, 12:39:55 PM
Pizza places, and even sit down restaurants in general, be they chains or local, are better for that anyway. Last time I went to Texas de Brazil, we had all kinds of random conversations with the server, but then that's less of a chain than, say, Denny's or Buffalo Wild Wings, the latter of which is usually too loud to have a conversation with the wait staff. I've had plenty of interesting conversations at Denny's over the years, though.
yep, this is an independent pizza place. a bit of research (Pizzeria Luigi, San Diego) reveals two locations.
("they have a second location? never knew that!")
QuoteThey are generally pretty friendly, but when I say "thank you" and without fail, no matter which employee I am speaking to, I get "My pleasure" back, it creeps me right the hell out. Are Chick-Fil-A employees not allowed by management to express their own personality? That's not friendly, that's following a script.
Which is part of what makes Chick-fil-A awesome- you can go there and see how many reflexive "my pleasure"s you can get out of the person taking your order. My record is seven.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on July 20, 2012, 12:45:09 PM
("they have a second location? never knew that!")
Independent pizza places with two locations are usually fantastic. My local favorite, Rosa's, has had two (one in Chester and on in Hopewell) for as long as I can remember. Another good Richmond-area location, Bottoms Up, had two but one closed. One I liked in Greensboro, Elizabeth's, has
eight!
Chick-fil-A rocks. They just opened one up here in town (OK, there was technically already one on campus, but nobody ever actually went out to eat there), and it's only a few miles from our house. Their spicy chicken sandwich is actually spicy, which is worth bonus points in my book. I also wish more places would be closed on Sundays again, so more bonus points (my own company started working Sundays in the last year or two, and nobody's happy). However, like Scott5114, I find my Chick-fil-A cravings often fall on a Sunday; ironically, I often want to go there right after getting out of church.
I did raise an eyebrow at their publicity stunt upon opening. The first ## people in line got one free sandwich a day (or week?) for a year, but they had to be camped out in the parking lot for a couple of days to qualify. So, to all the passing drivers, it looked like people were just camped out to be one of the first ## people in line; what they didn't know was that they were actually required to–i.e., if people didn't start camping out until the night before, then they wouldn't win the prize. It really is popular, though; they have dual drive-through lanes, which are still backed up during the lunch hour. I like 'em, like 'em, yes I do.
They opened a store about 20 minutes from my house, and people were lined up for a week to score the free food. Some people do not have jobs nor lives, I suppose; but it's that sort of thing that generates publicity.
I don't expect my waitstaff to talk to me and discuss the weather or the local pro sports team. You're buttering me up for a tip; while that's fine for hair cutters and other services whereby you have "downtime", I just want my food, and bet the other patrons too do.
Hmm...can't say I noticed that at In-and-Out. Must have been too busy looking at my phone when waiting.
Quote from: formulanone on July 20, 2012, 02:54:10 PM
Hmm...can't say I noticed that at In-and-Out. Must have been too busy looking at my phone when waiting.
you won't notice while waiting, unless you're randomly scrutinizing the stock out of boredom. they're printed on the wrappers, cups, etc. offhand the only place I can think of to look is on the bottom inside rim of the beverage cup, but I know they exist on the other packaging as well.
they're in tiny print in out-of-the-way locations, and also just references. i.e. "John 3:16" as opposed to the verse itself... I feel like it's more an "easter egg" for Christians, as opposed to actual conversion attempts.
If anyone can hide messages in their paper goods, Chipotle can. It's loaded with miscellaneous ramblings. Who created their latest campaign...the Son of Sam?
Quote from: Road Hog on July 20, 2012, 05:11:20 AM
Quote from: mcdonaat on July 20, 2012, 12:52:13 AM
What about the southern favorite known as Cane's?
The full name is Raising Cane's. That place is yummy!
There is another chain called Zaxby's that has an almost identical menu. Zaxby's is everywhere in the South, but I haven't been to one yet.
Never even seen a Zaxby's before, but I have heard of it.
Quote from: corco on July 20, 2012, 12:48:25 PM
Which is part of what makes Chick-fil-A awesome- you can go there and see how many reflexive "my pleasure"s you can get out of the person taking your order. My record is seven.
I'm guessing that you haven't been to Gates BBQ in KC ;)
Quote from: Road Hog on July 20, 2012, 05:11:20 AM
Quote from: mcdonaat on July 20, 2012, 12:52:13 AM
What about the southern favorite known as Cane's?
The full name is Raising Cane's. That place is yummy!
There is another chain called Zaxby's that has an almost identical menu. Zaxby's is everywhere in the South, but I haven't been to one yet.
Heh. I posted an innocent query on my FB page last week, "Raising Cane's or Zaxby's?" Got some favorable votes for both. As for me, I like them both equally and really couldn't pick a favorite. There's a subtle difference in the taste of the batter. I like Cane's fries better (Zaxby's are seasoned lightly, and the only thing I want on my fries is salt unless they are chili cheese fries or bacon cheddar fries). I like Zaxby's bread better; Cane's is garlic bread and I hate garlic.
Zaxby's is growing rapidly in central Kentucky. When the new one opened in Frankfort several weeks ago, the crowds were so big that they actually had a police officer directing traffic in and out at lunchtime, and some people were even saying the place needed its own traffic signal at its entrance. I only know of two Cane's in the area, both in Lexington (one near the UK campus and one in Hamburg Pavilion.)
First Zaxby's I ever saw was in Franklin, NC. I'd never heard of Cane's until they opened in Lexington.
But I really do like Chick-Fil-A and used to eat at the one in Hamburg off Man O'War in Lexington reasonably often when I was in the area. First one I ever saw was in Fayette Mall but they are starting to proliferate in the region as well.
One of my favorite road trip foods - the chicken strip/finger. On any trip into Zaxby's or Raising Cane's territory, I am sure to make a stop. I also like Chick-Fil-A's strips, but would gladly pass them by for one of the other two. If all three were available, I would go for Raising Cane's. I think they're just a fraction better, both the breading and the sauce, than Zaxby's. Maybe it's just that I tend to pass a lot more Zaxby's (they're everywhere on the I-95 corridor from NC to at least Jax) so RC's is more of a rare treat.
On my most recent trip, I finally got a chance to try a Guthrie's, which I have heard some claim is the "original" that RC's and Zaxby's are trying to copy. I liked Guthrie's, too, but wouldn't place it above the other two.
I've seen enough politics for this thread. That said, I usually subsist on Subway and McD's on roadtrips. Reasonable prices and predictable quality and menu offerings.
Mike
Quote from: kphoger on July 21, 2012, 02:52:41 PM
In other news, can we somehow get this thread back on the topic of restaurant chains? (not likely)
Heh, that's what my post about independent pizzerias and multiple locations was trying to do, as well as others' posts about Raising Canes vs. Zaxby's. We see how well
that worked out.
Quote from: mgk920 on July 21, 2012, 02:52:31 PMThat said, I usually subsist on Subway and McD's on roadtrips. Reasonable prices and predictable quality and menu offerings.
I wish.
I'm starting to notice considerable differences in quality at various McDonald's locations. Some places the fries are soggy and greasy; other places they have no salt; other places seem to put pepper on their burgers while others don't.
If I'm driving I want finger food or sandwiches without condiment so as to not make a mess, because I never eat in during the day on a trip. I always hit the drive-thru or get my food to go. Can't waste time sitting in a restaurant at lunch when there's traveling to be done.
I love Chick-fil-a! I'm probably one of the few that agrees with their standpoint. But that's as far into that as I'm going.
I think it's impressive that they can make as much money or even more than, the people who stay open 7 days a week, in only 6 days! As far as Subway, I think their prices are starting to go north now..
How 'bout The Cheesecake Factory? Voted the WORST restaurant (health wise) by Men's Health Magazine!
Now I've noticed that I haven't eaten fast food really lately, but Subway is probably the best one. (Gotta stay in shape for football!)
BigMatt
But to get the topic back on track, I do enjoy the Black Bear diners in NorCal and in Oregon. Stopped there in Grants Pass on a recent road trip to Portland and thoroughly enjoyed their food and friendly staff (albeit a little slow on the service). Muchas Gracias is another small chain from Hood River (of all places!) with a location in Grants Pass where I would stop by on trips back to California. Plus, they're 24-hours! Used to go to the Muchas Gracias off of Mill Plain Bl. in The 'Couve when I had those late-night cravings for some chile rellenos.
I forgot to mention one! Being the founding city of Rosa's Cafe, it's a really good place! I don't think I've mentioned it, but it's good and cheap! Happy we're getting a second location!
I just found out today that San Angelo is getting "3 Parrots Taco Shop". I looked it up, turns out I guess it's trying to become a chain, this one will be location 3, looking forward to seeing it open.
BigMatt
One last comment on the Chick-Fil-A thing: whether you agree with their stance on gay rights or not, one has to acknowledge that putting themselves in a position that led to us having this discussion at all was a pretty stupid business blunder. Your business should really be judged on its product and customer service, not what the owners spend its money on. The minute the company's founder put his company in a position that people could associate "anti-gay" with the words "Chick-Fil-A" is the minute that he tarnished the brand image. Some folks obviously won't care and keep eating there, but the fundamental mistake here is that a gay person's money spends just as well as a straight person's. CFA is still making money, but there's no way of knowing how many more millions are ending up in their competitors' coffers instead.
If the Cathys had just kept that belief to themselves this thread would have just consisted of mostly "Yeah, Chick-Fil-A's really good. Sucks they're not open on Sunday."
I used to work at Burger King and it was common knowledge that we would never match McDonalds in any given hour of sales. However it looks like CFA, while not doing as well as McD, is faring pretty well in comparison to its other competitors:
Revenue according to Wikipedia rounded to the nearest $100 million:
| McDonalds 2010 | $24.1 billion |
| Subway 2010 | $16.2 billion |
| KFC 2011 | $9.2 billion |
| CKE (Hardee's/Carl's Jr) 2007 | $5.6 billion |
| Chick-Fil-A 2011 | $4.0 billion |
| Wendys 2011 | $2.4 billion |
| Taco Bell 2009 | $1.9 billion |
| In-N-Out | $0.5 billion est. |
| Quizno's 2004 | $0.1 billion |
| Jack in the Box 2011 | —$2.2 billion |
| Burger King FY2010 | —$2.3 billion |
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 22, 2012, 10:31:48 AM
I used to work at Burger King and it was common knowledge that we would never match McDonalds in any given hour of sales. However it looks like CFA, while not doing as well as McD, is faring pretty well in comparison to its other competitors:
Revenue according to Wikipedia rounded to the nearest $100 million:
| McDonalds 2010 | $24.1 billion |
| Subway 2010 | $16.2 billion |
| KFC 2011 | $9.2 billion |
| CKE (Hardee's/Carl's Jr) 2007 | $5.6 billion |
| Chick-Fil-A 2011 | $4.0 billion |
| Wendys 2011 | $2.4 billion |
| Taco Bell 2009 | $1.9 billion |
| In-N-Out | $0.5 billion est. |
| Quizno's 2004 | $0.1 billion |
| Jack in the Box 2011 | —$2.2 billion |
| Burger King FY2010 | —$2.3 billion |
That's not revenue, that's profits. Revenues aren't gonna be negative... all it shows is that a smaller business model can be successful, which is hardly news. As for the recent news - I have no problem with people expressing their views. The owner of this chain is a person, and if he founded the chain with certain ideologies (clearly the case, based on what's printed all over their paper products), he is free to speak about them. Of course, I would agree it's a dumb business move. Taking any position on a divisive issue will only drive people away as a net result, except in very rare cases, like the Civil Rights movement in the 1950s and 60s, where serving or not serving blacks determined who would eat at your place, and there was no middle ground.
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 22, 2012, 10:31:48 AM
I used to work at Burger King and it was common knowledge that we would never match McDonalds in any given hour of sales. However it looks like CFA, while not doing as well as McD, is faring pretty well in comparison to its other competitors:
Revenue according to Wikipedia rounded to the nearest $100 million:
| McDonalds 2010 | $24.1 billion |
| Subway 2010 | $16.2 billion |
| KFC 2011 | $9.2 billion |
| CKE (Hardee's/Carl's Jr) 2007 | $5.6 billion |
| Chick-Fil-A 2011 | $4.0 billion |
| Wendys 2011 | $2.4 billion |
| Taco Bell 2009 | $1.9 billion |
| In-N-Out | $0.5 billion est. |
| Quizno's 2004 | $0.1 billion |
| Jack in the Box 2011 | —$2.2 billion |
| Burger King FY2010 | —$2.3 billion |
Those numbers are also somewhat misleading in that McD's has more than 31,000 stores worldwide, while In-N-Out has only 278 in five states. You'd have to break the numbers down into a per-store average to get a better idea of how successful each chain is.
Quote from: hbelkins on July 21, 2012, 03:31:04 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on July 21, 2012, 02:52:31 PMThat said, I usually subsist on Subway and McD's on roadtrips. Reasonable prices and predictable quality and menu offerings.
I wish.
I'm starting to notice considerable differences in quality at various McDonald's locations. Some places the fries are soggy and greasy; other places they have no salt; other places seem to put pepper on their burgers while others don't.
If I'm driving I want finger food or sandwiches without condiment so as to not make a mess, because I never eat in during the day on a trip. I always hit the drive-thru or get my food to go. Can't waste time sitting in a restaurant at lunch when there's traveling to be done.
I have the same problem with Subway: one is good, the next one is crap. Since everything is franchised, there is probably not much quality control. Firehouse, OTOH, I've nave had a problem with (when I can find them).
Quote from: Road Hog on July 22, 2012, 04:57:51 PM
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 22, 2012, 10:31:48 AM
I used to work at Burger King and it was common knowledge that we would never match McDonalds in any given hour of sales. However it looks like CFA, while not doing as well as McD, is faring pretty well in comparison to its other competitors:
Revenue according to Wikipedia rounded to the nearest $100 million:
| McDonalds 2010 | $24.1 billion |
| Subway 2010 | $16.2 billion |
| KFC 2011 | $9.2 billion |
| CKE (Hardee's/Carl's Jr) 2007 | $5.6 billion |
| Chick-Fil-A 2011 | $4.0 billion |
| Wendys 2011 | $2.4 billion |
| Taco Bell 2009 | $1.9 billion |
| In-N-Out | $0.5 billion est. |
| Quizno's 2004 | $0.1 billion |
| Jack in the Box 2011 | —$2.2 billion |
| Burger King FY2010 | —$2.3 billion |
Those numbers are also somewhat misleading in that McD's has more than 31,000 stores worldwide, while In-N-Out has only 278 in five states. You'd have to break the numbers down into a per-store average to get a better idea of how successful each chain is.
If your chain is doing well enough that you have the capital to expand to 31,000 stores...
Also I am not sure what the deal with the negatives is; the numbers are all clearly labeled as "Revenue" on Wikipedia. Probably someone who doesn't know what they're doing was editing.
Quote from: US71 on July 22, 2012, 07:54:14 PM
I have the same problem with Subway: one is good, the next one is crap. Since everything is franchised, there is probably not much quality control. Firehouse, OTOH, I've nave had a problem with (when I can find them).
Never noticed that with Subway. Then again, I rarely eat there and certainly don't seek them out when I'm traveling.
What would vary in quality at Subway? The freshness of the veggies?
One place that hasn't been mentioned yet is one of my favorites, Culver's. It's a regional chain in the midwest, based in Wisconsin. The have butterburgers and frozen custard. Better than any other fast food burger place that I've been to. They also have an awesome cod fillet sandwich, which is an actual cod fillet, not minced fish like McDonald's fish sandwich. You can also get pork roast sandwiches, and complete fish dinners with all the fixings. Your food is brought hot and fresh to your table, after a wait of only a couple minutes. Their frozen custard is awesome, you can get a cone or a sundae, and their concrete mixers blow away DQ's Blizzard.
My least favorite fast food joint is probably McDonald's. Even just the thought of a Big Mac makes my stomach turn. Others I do like are Arby's, and Wendy's.
When it come's to pizza, Domino's is ok for delivery. They're better since they started adding some seasoning to their sauce and the pizza no longer tastes like cardboard. Pizza Hut is ok, the local Pizza Hut always has its crust too greasy. There's enough grease in the cheese and meat, don't need more from the crust. My favorite chain pizza is probably Papa Murphy's. I love their stuffed crust. There are also a couple local pizza joints that are way better than any of the chain places.
Quote from: tchafe1978 on July 22, 2012, 11:26:17 PM
One place that hasn't been mentioned yet is one of my favorites, Culver's. It's a regional chain in the midwest, based in Wisconsin. The have butterburgers and frozen custard. Better than any other fast food burger place that I've been to. They also have an awesome cod fillet sandwich, which is an actual cod fillet, not minced fish like McDonald's fish sandwich. You can also get pork roast sandwiches, and complete fish dinners with all the fixings. Your food is brought hot and fresh to your table, after a wait of only a couple minutes. Their frozen custard is awesome, you can get a cone or a sundae, and their concrete mixers blow away DQ's Blizzard.
If you're ever in OK, check out Braum's. They're a local chain that's pretty close to Culver's in taste.
Quote from: tchafe1978 on July 22, 2012, 11:26:17 PM
One place that hasn't been mentioned yet is one of my favorites, Culver's. It's a regional chain in the midwest, based in Wisconsin. The have butterburgers and frozen custard. Better than any other fast food burger place that I've been to. They also have an awesome cod fillet sandwich, which is an actual cod fillet, not minced fish like McDonald's fish sandwich. You can also get pork roast sandwiches, and complete fish dinners with all the fixings. Your food is brought hot and fresh to your table, after a wait of only a couple minutes. Their frozen custard is awesome, you can get a cone or a sundae, and their concrete mixers blow away DQ's Blizzard.
Oh yeah, Culver's is great. They're slowly moving south into Kentucky. Lexington's had a couple of them for several years. But I never figured out why they call them "butter burgers."
Quote from: tchafe1978 on July 22, 2012, 11:26:17 PM
One place that hasn't been mentioned yet is one of my favorites, Culver's. It's a regional chain in the midwest, based in Wisconsin. The have butterburgers and frozen custard. Better than any other fast food burger place that I've been to. They also have an awesome cod fillet sandwich, which is an actual cod fillet, not minced fish like McDonald's fish sandwich. You can also get pork roast sandwiches, and complete fish dinners with all the fixings. Your food is brought hot and fresh to your table, after a wait of only a couple minutes. Their frozen custard is awesome, you can get a cone or a sundae, and their concrete mixers blow away DQ's Blizzard.
About damn time someone mentioned Culver's, love that place! :cool:
Quote from: hbelkins on July 22, 2012, 11:08:35 PM
What would vary in quality at Subway? The freshness of the veggies?
I visit Subway an average of once a week on the road, mainly because they take AMEX at about 90% of their stores. Quality is usually in the same ratio (although not because of their credit card acceptance choices), because I've had some stores be very stingy about how much sandwich meat or toppings they use (yes, I'm looking at you, Miami). Most stores are quite okay, and the fact they're in just about any town with a stop light is helpful indeed.
Quote from: hbelkins on July 23, 2012, 12:08:24 AM
Oh yeah, Culver's is great. They're slowly moving south into Kentucky. Lexington's had a couple of them for several years. But I never figured out why they call them "butter burgers."
It's because the bun is lightly buttered. As for the patties themselves, they look well-seared, and I've never had a bad Culver's burger.
What are your favorite fast food
items to eat while driving? And your least favorite?
I find chicken nuggets to be the easiest to eat. Many cars have a handhold in the door that can double as a sauce container holder, perfect for nuggets. However, fried food have a tendency to make me fall asleep later. More often than not, we eat in the restaurant–even on long-distance trips–but, when we get food on the road and I'm the next driver, I often go for a wrap from Subway. It's self-contained, it doesn't drip grease in my lap, and it doesn't make me fall asleep. When I'm not on the road, a wrap doesn't fill me up enough, but I don't get very hungry on a drive.
Worst: a meatball submarine. I only did that once, and it was because I didn't know the meal was going to be take-out. I also remember back when Wendy's had pita wraps, those made a mess all over your lap.
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 22, 2012, 11:28:57 PM
If you're ever in OK, check out Braum's. They're a local chain that's pretty close to Culver's in taste.
They're not just in Oklahoma, either. They're popular here in Wichita, and I've eaten a few times at the one in Gainesville, Texas.
^ My favorite driving food is chicken nuggets also, as well as other variously-named breast portions (strips, tenders, etc). Back when Burger King had chicken fries, the box was able to be fit in a cupholder. Now that they're gone, I don't really go there anymore.
Least favorite? Big, floppy pizza slices. Best enjoyed at the restaurant.
Quote from: hbelkins on July 22, 2012, 11:08:35 PM
Quote from: US71 on July 22, 2012, 07:54:14 PM
I have the same problem with Subway: one is good, the next one is crap. Since everything is franchised, there is probably not much quality control. Firehouse, OTOH, I've nave had a problem with (when I can find them).
Never noticed that with Subway. Then again, I rarely eat there and certainly don't seek them out when I'm traveling.
What would vary in quality at Subway? The freshness of the veggies?
Freshness of the bread, quality of the meats.
Quote from: Takumi on July 23, 2012, 12:19:41 PM
. . . able to be fit in a cupholder.
When I was in high school, my dad owned a 1997 Toyota Camry with a stick shift but no CD player. Where the CD player would be was just a big gap. So we bought an electric stove burner cover and some flat metal tubing. We bent the tubing tightly around in a vice, and secured both pieces of pipe to the burner cover with screws and washers. The bend in the tubing fit snugly into the dashboard gap, and voilà ! a hamburger tray! The lip on the cover (it was upside-down) prevented food from sliding off. With this setup, I was once able to drive in a construction zone, shifting every so often, and eat lunch at the same time.
Quote from: hbelkins on July 21, 2012, 03:31:04 PM
Quote from: mgk920 on July 21, 2012, 02:52:31 PMThat said, I usually subsist on Subway and McD's on roadtrips. Reasonable prices and predictable quality and menu offerings.
I wish.
I'm starting to notice considerable differences in quality at various McDonald's locations. Some places the fries are soggy and greasy; other places they have no salt; other places seem to put pepper on their burgers while others don't.
If I'm driving I want finger food or sandwiches without condiment so as to not make a mess, because I never eat in during the day on a trip. I always hit the drive-thru or get my food to go. Can't waste time sitting in a restaurant at lunch when there's traveling to be done.
Even if I go for fast food, I try to do local (like Culver's) just because. If I really just need to eat something, then I almost don't care where, because I can find something and it's all going to be of the same low quality. I liked Subway until I realized what goes into their "bread." I am partial to fried chicken places, still need to try Long John Silver's in terms of national chains, and have a planned Biscuitville break next time I'm in NC.
Quote from: rawmustard on July 23, 2012, 08:32:57 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on July 23, 2012, 12:08:24 AM
Oh yeah, Culver's is great. They're slowly moving south into Kentucky. Lexington's had a couple of them for several years. But I never figured out why they call them "butter burgers."
It's because the bun is lightly buttered. As for the patties themselves, they look well-seared, and I've never had a bad Culver's burger.
Because I don't mix milk and meat from the same animal, I tried a Culver's unbuttered burger. Nothing special, a step up from McD or BK, on par with a Wendy.
Someone mentioned Braum's. I forgot about this place, I love it! But sense they only build within 300 miles of the farms, San Angelo won't get one... 360 miles! :-(
BigMatt
Quote from: Steve on July 23, 2012, 07:31:19 PM
still need to try Long John Silver's in terms of national chains
It's not bad. Prices are about the same as most fast food places (~$6 for a meal). I normally get one piece of fish and one chicken plank, which comes with hush puppies and fries. My local Long John Silver's sits right next to an extremely locally-owned seafood restaurant, so it's rarely busy.
Quote from: Takumi on July 23, 2012, 08:14:11 PM
Quote from: Steve on July 23, 2012, 07:31:19 PM
still need to try Long John Silver's in terms of national chains
It's not bad. Prices are about the same as most fast food places (~$6 for a meal). I normally get one piece of fish and one chicken plank, which comes with hush puppies and fries. My local Long John Silver's sits right next to an extremely locally-owned seafood restaurant, so it's rarely busy.
Talk about inconsistency. LJS is probably the champion of that category. It's a Kentucky company, started out in Lexington and now is (or recently was) part of Yum brands, headquartered in that southern Indiana city of Louisville.
The quality can range from really tasty -- I like the chicken planks more than the fish, actually -- to wishing one had picked up a dog turd off the street and eaten it instead. If the fries are the least bit greasy, they're terrible.
I think LJS is a bit pricey; thankfully they run coupons in the papers from time to time. Captain D's is cheaper.
The LJS in Jackson was torn down to make room for the four-lane KY 15 that's now under construction and was not replaced. So it's no longer a lunch option. There are two LJSes within about a half-hour of where I live. One is great, the other is mediocre at best.
Quote from: Takumi on July 23, 2012, 08:14:11 PM
Quote from: Steve on July 23, 2012, 07:31:19 PM
still need to try Long John Silver's in terms of national chains
It's not bad. Prices are about the same as most fast food places (~$6 for a meal). I normally get one piece of fish and one chicken plank, which comes with hush puppies and fries. My local Long John Silver's sits right next to an extremely locally-owned seafood restaurant, so it's rarely busy.
I find LJS fries to be poor quality, so I usually opt for extra Hush Puppies. ;) I won't tough Captain D's: too greasy.
My usual haunts on the road are Arby's, Popeye's, Subway (if Firehouse isn't available), and occasionally LJS.
I'll occasionally do pizza by the slice at Kim & Go if I'm really desperate. If I'm beyond desperate, then Hunt Brothers or Hot Stuff pizza. If I'm "OMG I'm going to die with out pizza", then Casey's pizza. :spin:
The last time I got LJS the fries were pretty good, but I couldn't tell you when the time I ate there before that was. HB's comment about inconsistency is probably spot on, though. The nearest Captain D's to me is not conducive to going there unless someone with me absolutely must have Captain D's, so I couldn't tell you when the last time I ate there was. I prefer said local sit-down place to both chains, but it's twice the cost.
Quote from: Takumi on July 23, 2012, 11:19:39 PM
The last time I got LJS the fries were pretty good, but I couldn't tell you when the time I ate there before that was. HB's comment about inconsistency is probably spot on, though. The nearest Captain D's to me is not conducive to going there unless someone with me absolutely must have Captain D's, so I couldn't tell you when the last time I ate there was. I prefer said local sit-down place to both chains, but it's twice the cost.
The portions are always different at LJS. I prefer the chicken, but sometimes the piece look like dwarf chickens. The only "local" seafood place here is Catfish Cove , and they run around $20 for AYCE buffet. But half the stuff is fried. :(
I used to patronize a lot of the "mom and pop" Chinese Restaurants on the road until I started having stomach problems after eating there.
Quote from: US71 on July 23, 2012, 11:45:06 PM
I used to patronize a lot of the "mom and pop" Chinese Restaurants on the road until I started having stomach problems after eating there.
Allergic to cats, are we? :-D
Some of my favorite fast food/semi fast food places are Chipotle, Chick-fil-A, Five Guys Burgers and Fries, A&W, Dairy Queen, Zaxby's, and Jack's (northern Alabama chain not to be confused with Jack in the Box).
I don't think anyone has mentioned the Roy Rogers (http://www.royrogersrestaurants.com/) chain in this thread.
Almost whittled down to nothing (still some stores in Maryland and Virginia and a few other states in the East), but starting to grow again (the chain was "invented" by the Marriott family but is now owned by someone else and based in Frederick County, Maryland).
Always liked their roast beef burgers and "Triggerburgers" (good, solid hamburgers).
Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 24, 2012, 10:33:35 AM
I don't think anyone has mentioned the Roy Rogers (http://www.royrogersrestaurants.com/) chain in this thread.
Almost whittled down to nothing (still some stores in Maryland and Virginia and a few other states in the East), but starting to grow again (the chain was "invented" by the Marriott family but is now owned by someone else and based in Frederick County, Maryland).
Always liked their roast beef burgers and "Triggerburgers" (good, solid hamburgers).
I've seen Roy Rogers in various turnpike service plazas and thought about trying the food, but the lines were agonizingly long.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 24, 2012, 10:33:35 AM
Always liked their ... "Triggerburgers" (good, solid hamburgers).
The above made me check on Trigger's fate (http://www.usatoday.com/life/television/news/2010-07-14-roy-rogers-horse_N.htm). Still stuffed:
(https://www.aaroads.com/forum/proxy.php?request=http%3A%2F%2Fi.imgur.com%2FKqN1J.jpg&hash=30a99212dcdb732dba197a8e6f5af99aa67e407f)
Quote from: Steve on July 23, 2012, 07:31:19 PM
I liked Subway until I realized what goes into their "bread."
people?
I'm a big fan of Chick-Fil-A, Hardees, Five Guys, McDonalds, Taco Bell, and Wendy's. Moe's and Qdoba are also wonderful too, but I dunno if they exclusively fall into fast food.
Sit-down for me is all about Chili's, Red Robin, Texas Roadhouse, Olive Garden and Cheesecake Factory. I like to go for more local places when I want sit down, though.
Quote from: agentsteel53 on July 24, 2012, 12:48:09 PM
Quote from: Steve on July 23, 2012, 07:31:19 PM
I liked Subway until I realized what goes into their "bread."
people?
Yum, people. Re: Roy Rogers... maybe it's just the service areas, but I found quality a step below KFC. Haven't been to one of the few sit-down restaurants, but then again, I typically don't eat fast food.
Quote from: Steve on July 24, 2012, 07:24:17 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on July 24, 2012, 12:48:09 PM
Quote from: Steve on July 23, 2012, 07:31:19 PM
I liked Subway until I realized what goes into their "bread."
people?
Yum, people. Re: Roy Rogers... maybe it's just the service areas, but I found quality a step below KFC. Haven't been to one of the few sit-down restaurants, but then again, I typically don't eat fast food.
The service plaza Roy Rogers are (IMO) not nearly as good as the "restaurant" Roy Rogers stores.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 24, 2012, 07:28:11 PM
Quote from: Steve on July 24, 2012, 07:24:17 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on July 24, 2012, 12:48:09 PM
Quote from: Steve on July 23, 2012, 07:31:19 PM
I liked Subway until I realized what goes into their "bread."
people?
Yum, people. Re: Roy Rogers... maybe it's just the service areas, but I found quality a step below KFC. Haven't been to one of the few sit-down restaurants, but then again, I typically don't eat fast food.
The service plaza Roy Rogers are (IMO) not nearly as good as the "restaurant" Roy Rogers stores.
Good to know. If I'm doing Maryland again and pass one around lunchtime... I don't suppose there are any in the DC area? :rolleyes:
Re: Roy Rogers, my only experiences with them over the last several years were all at NY Thruway service plazas when we were in enough of a hurry or at an odd time limiting other options. The service is just poor. One time: out of chicken. Another time: everyone "working" there ignores me as I try to ask for something other than the couple of who-knows-how-old items under the heat lamp. I know it's got to be hard to hire decent help for what is probably a minimum wage or close to it job, but they seem to be among the worst. And the other chains in those service areas seem to manage to provide better service. That said, I kind of like their fried chicken (I'd rate it close to KFC, but below Popeye's or Bojangles).
Quote from: Steve on July 23, 2012, 07:31:19 PM
I liked Subway until I realized what goes into their "bread."
Nothing too unusual for mass produced (fast food) bread: http://www.subway.com/Nutrition/Files/usProdIngredients.pdf
Quote from: on_wisconsin on July 24, 2012, 09:44:40 PM
Quote from: Steve on July 23, 2012, 07:31:19 PM
I liked Subway until I realized what goes into their "bread."
Nothing too unusual for mass produced (fast food) bread: http://www.subway.com/Nutrition/Files/usProdIngredients.pdf
Sweet mother of God, what have I been putting in my body? The bread is the least of my concerns.
Quote from: on_wisconsin on July 24, 2012, 09:44:40 PM
Quote from: Steve on July 23, 2012, 07:31:19 PM
I liked Subway until I realized what goes into their "bread."
Nothing too unusual for mass produced (fast food) bread: http://www.subway.com/Nutrition/Files/usProdIngredients.pdf
Yeah, the ingredient list looks like......bread ingredients to me.
Quote from: Steve on July 24, 2012, 07:33:01 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 24, 2012, 07:28:11 PM
Quote from: Steve on July 24, 2012, 07:24:17 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on July 24, 2012, 12:48:09 PM
Quote from: Steve on July 23, 2012, 07:31:19 PM
I liked Subway until I realized what goes into their "bread."
people?
Yum, people. Re: Roy Rogers... maybe it's just the service areas, but I found quality a step below KFC. Haven't been to one of the few sit-down restaurants, but then again, I typically don't eat fast food.
The service plaza Roy Rogers are (IMO) not nearly as good as the "restaurant" Roy Rogers stores.
Good to know. If I'm doing Maryland again and pass one around lunchtime... I don't suppose there are any in the DC area? :rolleyes:
There are several in the D.C. area. Closest one to the city itself that I can think of is Belle View section of Fairfax County (mailing address of Alexandria) in the Belle View Shopping Center on Fort Hunt Road (Va. 629), which runs off of U.S. 1 (Richmond Highway) just south of the Capital Beltway.
There are several in and around the cities of Frederick and Hagerstown, Maryland.
okay, all jokes aside, can someone tell me what goes into the bread that is so objectionable? pink slime? ergot fungus? rat hairs?
Quote from: agentsteel53 on July 25, 2012, 11:27:42 AM
okay, all jokes aside, can someone tell me what goes into the bread that is so objectionable? pink slime? ergot fungus? rat hairs?
I'm surprised by what it
doesn't have: HCFS
Quote from: agentsteel53 on July 25, 2012, 11:27:42 AM
okay, all jokes aside, can someone tell me what goes into the bread that is so objectionable? pink slime? ergot fungus? rat hairs?
I skimmed through it and the only really possibly objectionable thing is the typical preservatives with obscure names like "ambidextrose", "embarcaderase", and "Teal #238".
It seems there's some sort of milk product in some of the bread, which means you would violate Kosher dietary restrictions by having a turkey sandwich at Subway. Just a guess, but perhaps there's something more sinister in the preservatives...
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 25, 2012, 12:05:00 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on July 25, 2012, 11:27:42 AM
okay, all jokes aside, can someone tell me what goes into the bread that is so objectionable? pink slime? ergot fungus? rat hairs?
I skimmed through it and the only really possibly objectionable thing is the typical preservatives with obscure names like "ambidextrose", "embarcaderase", and "Teal #238".
I don't think teal-colored bread is good for you anyway. X-(
heh, it's less objectionable than Teal #99, which was called that solely due to a congressman's bluster.
I tried a new chain today in Albany, NY, that I don't remember seeing mentioned in this thread. It's called DiBella's Subs, which has a couple locations around here and also some in Western NY, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan (so says their takeout menu). I thought it was pretty good. I didn't spend much more than I would have for something similar at Subway, maybe a dollar, and the quality was definitely better. Based on just one visit so far, I'd rate it above Subway and Quiznos, on par with (but cheaper than) D'Angelo's, but below Firehouse.
Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 24, 2012, 11:42:37 PM
Quote from: Steve on July 24, 2012, 07:33:01 PM
Quote from: cpzilliacus on July 24, 2012, 07:28:11 PM
Quote from: Steve on July 24, 2012, 07:24:17 PM
Quote from: agentsteel53 on July 24, 2012, 12:48:09 PM
Quote from: Steve on July 23, 2012, 07:31:19 PM
I liked Subway until I realized what goes into their "bread."
people?
Yum, people. Re: Roy Rogers... maybe it's just the service areas, but I found quality a step below KFC. Haven't been to one of the few sit-down restaurants, but then again, I typically don't eat fast food.
The service plaza Roy Rogers are (IMO) not nearly as good as the "restaurant" Roy Rogers stores.
Good to know. If I'm doing Maryland again and pass one around lunchtime... I don't suppose there are any in the DC area? :rolleyes:
There are several in the D.C. area. Closest one to the city itself that I can think of is Belle View section of Fairfax County (mailing address of Alexandria) in the Belle View Shopping Center on Fort Hunt Road (Va. 629), which runs off of U.S. 1 (Richmond Highway) just south of the Capital Beltway.
There are several in and around the cities of Frederick and Hagerstown, Maryland.
There is also a Roy Rogers in the Manchester Lakes shopping center near the corner of Beulah Street and the Franconia—Springfield Parkway (VA-289, formerly 7900).
Quote from: Jim on July 25, 2012, 01:53:52 PM
Based on just one visit so far, I'd rate it above Subway and Quiznos, on par with (but cheaper than) D'Angelo's, but below Firehouse.
Firehouse is one of my favorites; when I travel and ask "what's for lunch in the area", I tend to ask if there's a Firehouse Subs...about half the time, the answer is yes, and the other half of the time the answer is "no, but I wish we did".
Quote from: formulanone on July 25, 2012, 01:19:32 PM
It seems there's some sort of milk product in some of the bread, which means you would violate Kosher dietary restrictions by having a turkey sandwich at Subway. Just a guess, but perhaps there's something more sinister in the preservatives...
Some of their bread varieties have cheese sprinkled on them.
True, not very Kosher if you don't get a veggie sandwich.
Ditto Pizza.
:meh:
Mike
Quote from: Jim on July 25, 2012, 01:53:52 PM
I tried a new chain today in Albany, NY, that I don't remember seeing mentioned in this thread. It's called DiBella's Subs, which has a couple locations around here and also some in Western NY, Ohio, Pennsylvania, and Michigan (so says their takeout menu). I thought it was pretty good. I didn't spend much more than I would have for something similar at Subway, maybe a dollar, and the quality was definitely better. Based on just one visit so far, I'd rate it above Subway and Quiznos, on par with (but cheaper than) D'Angelo's, but below Firehouse.
Didn't know DiBella's was outside of Rochester (fun fact: Wegmans subs are just re-branded DiBella's).
I also like Jreck Subs.
Quote from: Scott5114 on July 25, 2012, 12:05:00 PM
I skimmed through it and the only really possibly objectionable thing is the typical preservatives with obscure names like "ambidextrose",....
Does that mean that the person who baked the bread used both hands? :-D
On my just-concluded trip to the Carolinas, I noticed a chain called Cook Out. I saw them in towns near the coast in North Carolina, and in upstate South Carolina. I didn't try them, but I don't recall seeing anyone mention them. Is anyone familiar with them?
I've mentioned them once or twice on here. They're based in NC but they've expanded into Virginia in the past year or so. They're very no-frills (my local one has no seating at all, but one in Richmond has a few benches), with good prices and variety, and fantastic shakes (with nearly 40 available flavors thereof). Their fries can be hit or miss, but everything else I've had from there has always been good.
Quote from: hbelkins on July 29, 2012, 09:56:50 PM
On my just-concluded trip to the Carolinas, I noticed a chain called Cook Out. I saw them in towns near the coast in North Carolina, and in upstate South Carolina. I didn't try them, but I don't recall seeing anyone mention them. Is anyone familiar with them?
I totally forgot to mention them in my listing! We have one at school where I go, and it's delicious! They give you just the right amount of food, it seems like, and you always leave satisfied. My location does have indoor and outdoor seating, mostly because it was put in an old Hardees. A lot of them in NC have duelling drive-thrus as well.
My top two are located nowhere near Bend (well, the closest is ~100 mi), but I love In-N-Out as well as Five Guys. Too bad we have neither here :( For any other time, McDonald's is my typical choice because of convenience, price, and I like their food. Taco Bell and Subway are good too.
Time to dust-off this thread. ^^;
Wendy posted a funny and politically incorrect ad
Also, they seems to have updated their logo
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Wendy%27s_new_logo.jpg
Burger King decide to step into South Africa during 2013. McDonald's and KFC are present there since 1995
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-20250244
http://www.howwemadeitinafrica.com/how-burger-king-came-to-sub-saharan-africa/22171/
[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4lKYYFVBeB0[/youtube]FTFY
Raising Cane's is too pricey for what they offer.
Buffet places seem to be my favorites: Golden Corral is my favorite. Ryans is to be avoided at all costs. :ded:
Pizza joints: Pizza Inn & Johnny's are best. Cici's is good because it's cheap! Pizza Hut is awful. Shakespeare's Pizza in Columbia, MO was awesome last time I had it. Not sure if it was a chain or just a one-hit wonder.
Chicken offerings: Chick-fi-la, KFC (buffet prefered), Popeyes, Chick-a-dilly (my most favored choice :clap:).
Burgers: Griff's has the best greasy-spoon tasting burgers ever! :nod:
Sandwiches: When my mom lived in Columbia, MO we would always hit St. Louis Bread Co. They had the best bread bowls for the best chicken noodle soup. They later changed their name to Panera. It's been so long since I've been there, I don't know if Panera still exists.
Seafood: Capt. D's
Ice cream: Dairy Queen. Unfortunately most have closed in my area. The closest ones are Minden, LA and Magnolia, AR. :-(
Breakfast: Waffle House is #1 followed by Huddle House & the McDonald's AYCE breakfast buffet in Houston, MO (not sure if they still have it. I always left Columbia early enough to catch the buffet open).
Sit down: Cracker Barrel, Hooters, Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro located @ the LA Boardwalk in Bossier City, LA
Wings: Hooters
Mexican: Taco Bell, La Fogata's, El Jarritos
When traveling I will always try a mom-n-pop diner/restaurant. I love something different from what we have here at home.
Quote from: cjk374 on January 05, 2013, 02:40:12 PM
Ryans is to be avoided at all costs. :ded:
Ryan's seems to vary from location to location. I've been to super-cool-awesome ones, and some that I'd rather forget.
Quote from: kphoger on January 05, 2013, 02:59:17 PM
Quote from: cjk374 on January 05, 2013, 02:40:12 PM
Ryans is to be avoided at all costs. :ded:
Ryan's seems to vary from location to location. I've been to super-cool-awesome ones, and some that I'd rather forget.
I've never been to a terrible Ryan's. Golden Corrals are usually pretty consistent, but I've been to a couple of clunkers.
Quote
It's been so long since I've been there, I don't know if Panera still exists.
Do you mean that particular one? Because Panera has expanded big time in recent years. I find it overpriced for what you get.
Quote from: cjk374 on January 05, 2013, 02:40:12 PM
Johnny's
I haven't lived in Louisiana for almost five years now and I still have yet to have pizza better than Johnny's. There's just something about it, the way the toppings are melted in relation to the crust and amount of sauce
I also enjoy Raising Cane's, even if it is a bit pricey, it's always worth getting when I find myself back in West Monroe.
Quote from: cjk374 on January 05, 2013, 02:40:12 PM
Raising Cane's is too pricey for what they offer.
Buffet places seem to be my favorites: Golden Corral is my favorite. Ryans is to be avoided at all costs. :ded:
Pizza joints: Pizza Inn & Johnny's are best. Cici's is good because it's cheap! Pizza Hut is awful. Shakespeare's Pizza in Columbia, MO was awesome last time I had it. Not sure if it was a chain or just a one-hit wonder.
Chicken offerings: Chick-fi-la, KFC (buffet prefered), Popeyes, Chick-a-dilly (my most favored choice :clap:).
Burgers: Griff's has the best greasy-spoon tasting burgers ever! :nod:
Sandwiches: When my mom lived in Columbia, MO we would always hit St. Louis Bread Co. They had the best bread bowls for the best chicken noodle soup. They later changed their name to Panera. It's been so long since I've been there, I don't know if Panera still exists.
Seafood: Capt. D's
Ice cream: Dairy Queen. Unfortunately most have closed in my area. The closest ones are Minden, LA and Magnolia, AR. :-(
Breakfast: Waffle House is #1 followed by Huddle House & the McDonald's AYCE breakfast buffet in Houston, MO (not sure if they still have it. I always left Columbia early enough to catch the buffet open).
Sit down: Cracker Barrel, Hooters, Copeland's Cheesecake Bistro located @ the LA Boardwalk in Bossier City, LA
Wings: Hooters
Mexican: Taco Bell, La Fogata's, El Jarritos
When traveling I will always try a mom-n-pop diner/restaurant. I love something different from what we have here at home.
I've never heard of some of these chains.
I've rarely had a bad Pizza Hut experience in 15+ years.
KFC buffets seem like a Southern thing. The farthest north I've seen one is Kokomo, IN.
I've never had Chick-fil-A or Popeye's (only one Chick-fil-A in MI and a few more Popeye's).
Golden Corral has a good variety and a nice selection of food. However, you do see a LOT of heavyweights there.
There are a lot of Panera locations in the Grand Rapids area.
Waffle House stops right at the Michigan line.
Quote from: ftballfan on January 05, 2013, 10:28:11 PM
KFC buffets seem like a Southern thing. The farthest north I've seen one is Kokomo, IN.
There's one off I-65 at IN 114, and I think there may be one further north between that exit and US 30. I've heard of one in the southern half of Chicagoland, but can't remember the town.
Quote from: Takumi on January 05, 2013, 06:14:51 PM
Quote
It's been so long since I've been there, I don't know if Panera still exists.
Do you mean that particular one? Because Panera has expanded big time in recent years. I find it overpriced for what you get.
Not exactly that particular one in Columbia (I think it was in one of the malls). I also ate at (St. Louis Bread Co.) the one located in the Grand Central Terminal mall in St. Louis. It was just as good & consistent as the Columbia store. I haven't seen a Panera restaurant anywhere south of Missouri.
Someone earlier mentioned good sweet tea. When I started going to MO regularly (1996-2002), I noticed that sweet tea started disappearing off of menus once you crossed the MO stateline. Coca-cola products also became scarce in eating establishments sans McDonalds. My drink order at restaurants went like this:
WAITRESS: What would you like to drink?
ME: Sweet tea please.
WAITRESS: We have sugar & sweet-n-low X-( you'll have to add yourself.
ME: I'll take a Coke instead.
WAITRESS: Will Pepsi be ok?
ME: No thanks...I'll drink water instead. :angry:
As a Nebraska resident, I must say I enjoy Runza. There's an even smaller chain here in the Omaha area called Don and Millie's (I'm not sure they are anywhere else, even Lincoln) which cooks excellent hamburgers. It's also the only fast food place I know about which serves beer and margaritas.
When on the road, I am always on the lookout for Subway, even if they are wildly inconsistent. OTOH, if I spot the Jimmy John's first, I'll go there before Subway. I have also taken to going to Applebee's when on the road, in part because my work rewards program allows you to get Applebee's gift cards for cheap. I can also get Chili's gift cards, but I never seem to run into a Chili's on the road.
I'm also a big fan of Buffalo Wild Wings and often get a large amount of chicken wings, either Parmesan Garlic, Asian Zing, or Mango Habanero, depending on my eating mood that day.
I'll also go to Popeye's and get their chicken gizzards. Chicken gizzards are a family specialty, but I'm too lazy to cook them myself and don't want to make mom cook them.
Another place I go to is Chipotle. I liked the Moe's they used to have here, but it closed up.
Pizza is strictly either local places to eat at.
I like the very new local Chick-Fil-A, but I have only ate there once so far.
As for places I won't eat at, it's been nearly 10 years since I went to a McDonald's. Bizarrely enough, the last two times I ate at Mickey D's, it was in Indiana. The last time I ate at a local McDonald's, I got sick and had to leave work early. Burger King is not nearly as long, only 7 years, in Columbia, MO. Wendy's is more recent, only a year, but that's only because I got a gift card for Christmas 2011 for them. All of them have bland hamburgers. And the only reason to go to Hooter's is the waitresses, because their food is awful.
Quote from: cjk374 on January 05, 2013, 11:27:35 PM
WAITRESS: Will Pepsi be ok?
I have this problem with Dr. Pepper, too. In some places, Dr. Pepper is Pepsi-bottled and in others, it's Coca-Cola bottled, so there has been many a time where I've had to settle for Mr. Pibb. . .which is fortunately a decently acceptable substitute.
Quote from: DandyDan on January 06, 2013, 04:31:19 AMAnd the only reason to go to Hooter's is the waitresses, because their food is awful.
I think I've been to Hooters about three times. All three times were when I was single, with a friend, and about 20 years ago. The food was nothing to write home about and there's certainly no reason I would consider going there now.
Even then, I wasn't crazy about going for the scenery. My philosophy was, "none of those women would go out with me, so why should I pay exorbitant prices for bad food just to look at unattainable females?"
Quote from: ftballfan on January 05, 2013, 10:28:11 PM
KFC buffets seem like a Southern thing. The farthest north I've seen one is Kokomo, IN.
Probably not farther north, but I ate in one in North Platte, NE in 1996.
Quote from: hbelkins on January 06, 2013, 03:57:17 PM
Quote from: DandyDan on January 06, 2013, 04:31:19 AMAnd the only reason to go to Hooter's is the waitresses, because their food is awful.
I think I've been to Hooters about three times. All three times were when I was single, with a friend, and about 20 years ago. The food was nothing to write home about and there's certainly no reason I would consider going there now.
Even then, I wasn't crazy about going for the scenery. My philosophy was, "none of those women would go out with me, so why should I pay exorbitant prices for bad food just to look at unattainable females?"
Well, I never said that was a good reason. I actually agree about the unattainable females, even though the last time I went to Hooter's, I thoroughly enjoyed our waitress that day.
I wonder if Twin Peaks has the same problems as Hooters.
One Wendy's restaurant show a new look
http://www.macon.com/2012/12/31/2301328/modern-style-wendys-restaurant.html
And here an article about how Burger King went from McDonald's rival to train wreck
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-burger-king-went-from-mcdonalds-greatest-rival-to-total-train-wreck-2012-4?op=1
I actually like Hooters wings.
A girl I saw a few years ago insisted that we go to Hooters for our second date. I wasn't sure how I was supposed to react but figured it was a test to see if I'd stare more at her or the waitresses. She then chastised me for not looking at the waitresses. She was kind of crazy- that was our last date.
Quote from: cjk374 on January 05, 2013, 11:27:35 PM
Quote from: Takumi on January 05, 2013, 06:14:51 PM
Quote
It's been so long since I've been there, I don't know if Panera still exists.
Do you mean that particular one? Because Panera has expanded big time in recent years. I find it overpriced for what you get.
Not exactly that particular one in Columbia (I think it was in one of the malls). I also ate at (St. Louis Bread Co.) the one located in the Grand Central Terminal mall in St. Louis. It was just as good & consistent as the Columbia store. I haven't seen a Panera restaurant anywhere south of Missouri.
Someone earlier mentioned good sweet tea. When I started going to MO regularly (1996-2002), I noticed that sweet tea started disappearing off of menus once you crossed the MO stateline. Coca-cola products also became scarce in eating establishments sans McDonalds. My drink order at restaurants went like this:
WAITRESS: What would you like to drink?
ME: Sweet tea please.
WAITRESS: We have sugar & sweet-n-low X-( you'll have to add yourself.
ME: I'll take a Coke instead.
WAITRESS: Will Pepsi be ok?
ME: No thanks...I'll drink water instead. :angry:
Whenever I'm on the road for work and am looking for good sweet tea, Chick-fil-A and McDonalds both do a good job as far as nationwide chains go.
You dislike Pepsi to the point with at you'd rather drink water? I know everyone has a preference but the taste of Pepsi and Coke aren't that far apart.
I think people need to get in the habit of just asking for "cola" if they don't care whether they get Coke or Pepsi. Then the waitstaff won't have to ask "is ___ okay?" when the answer is yes. And then when people do specifically say Pepsi or Coke, it's more likely that the other is not okay, and the waitstaff can ask for an alternate choice in a way that doesn't insult the customer's favorite drink.
Quote from: realjd on January 06, 2013, 11:27:51 PM
You dislike Pepsi to the point with at you'd rather drink water? I know everyone has a preference but the taste of Pepsi and Coke aren't that far apart.
I disagree with this.
Quote from: Sanctimoniously on January 06, 2013, 11:43:10 PM
Quote from: realjd on January 06, 2013, 11:27:51 PM
You dislike Pepsi to the point with at you'd rather drink water? I know everyone has a preference but the taste of Pepsi and Coke aren't that far apart.
I disagree with this.
I disagree as well.
While I may not go as far as to have water if I cannot have a Coke, despite both being colas, there is a distinctive taste difference between the two. Coke has a much thicker syrup flavor, (which I find soothing to drink when I get a sore throat), whereas Pepsi is much thinner.
Quote from: Revive 755 on January 05, 2013, 11:20:05 PM
Quote from: ftballfan on January 05, 2013, 10:28:11 PM
KFC buffets seem like a Southern thing. The farthest north I've seen one is Kokomo, IN.
There's one off I-65 at IN 114, and I think there may be one further north between that exit and US 30. I've heard of one in the southern half of Chicagoland, but can't remember the town.
We have plenty of KFC buffets in Minnesota, especially in smaller towns.
There's a difference in taste between Diet Coke and Diet Pepsi, too. Diet Pepsi couldn't be any nastier if you poured goat piss into it. But i will drink it (sans goat urine) if Diet Coke is not available.
Quote from: DaBigE on January 07, 2013, 12:38:11 AM
I disagree as well.
While I may not go as far as to have water if I cannot have a Coke, despite both being colas, there is a distinctive taste difference between the two. Coke has a much thicker syrup flavor, (which I find soothing to drink when I get a sore throat), whereas Pepsi is much thinner.
Pepsi's carbonation is also much sharper. Coke is a little bit softer.
I'm fine with a Pepsi restaurant because then I can usually order a Mountain Dew.
Quote from: Stephane Dumas on January 06, 2013, 05:14:33 PMAnd here an article about how Burger King went from McDonald's rival to train wreck
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-burger-king-went-from-mcdonalds-greatest-rival-to-total-train-wreck-2012-4?op=1
Pretty brutal takedown. I stopped eating at BK mostly because the Whoppers weren't as good as they used to be.
Quote from: Road Hog on January 07, 2013, 12:30:48 PM
Quote from: Stephane Dumas on January 06, 2013, 05:14:33 PMAnd here an article about how Burger King went from McDonald's rival to train wreck
http://www.businessinsider.com/how-burger-king-went-from-mcdonalds-greatest-rival-to-total-train-wreck-2012-4?op=1
Pretty brutal takedown. I stopped eating at BK mostly because the Whoppers weren't as good as they used to be.
I stopped mostly because they were closing many of the restaurants near me. Back when I was in college, I could never understand why they closed one of the most successful BKs in Wisconsin. Aside from lack of nearby locations, I go elsewhere because the BK restaurants that do remain are (to put it nicely) not very well maintained, nor are the employees the brightest or fastest when compared to their competition.
Having worked at a BK, the reason I always ran into with speed is corporate insisting on us selling shit that was way too fiddly to make, like Oreo milkshakes, which consist of making the shake itself, then dumping Oreos on top, then adding whipped cream, then squirting chocolate syrup on top... doesn't seem like it should take all that long but the goal time is 2m 30s from the time they pull up to the speaker to the time they leave the window. Yeah, not gonna happen...and it seems like the menu has only gotten worse for this sort of thing since then.
Re: Cola....
RC Cola. End of discussion.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=tfq8stg-BdA does RC stand for Rola-Cola?
Royal Crown Cola.
Seriously, you want to be a hit at a party and stave off the Coke/Pepsi war? Provide RC Cherry, and you'll be everyone's favorite. I personally guarantee your results.
Quote from: realjd on January 06, 2013, 11:27:51 PM
You dislike Pepsi to the point with at you'd rather drink water? I know everyone has a preference but the taste of Pepsi and Coke aren't that far apart.
I like Lewis Black's rant on the Cola Dilemma:
Fuck You! I'm going to eat at Buckets of Shit instead! Yea, the food's not so good, but at least they serve Coke!
Quote from: formulanone on January 07, 2013, 08:47:11 PM
Quote from: realjd on January 06, 2013, 11:27:51 PM
You dislike Pepsi to the point with at you'd rather drink water? I know everyone has a preference but the taste of Pepsi and Coke aren't that far apart.
I like Lewis Black's rant on the Cola Dilemma:
Fuck You! I'm going to eat at Buckets of Shit instead! Yea, the food's not so good, but at least they serve Coke!
I don't think I'm that bad (I usually accept Pepsi as a substitute if I don't go with Mountain Dew), but I still strongly disagree with the idea that Coke and Pepsi taste the same.
Also, RC Cola = yum.
Quote from: Sanctimoniously on January 07, 2013, 10:31:58 PM
Quote from: formulanone on January 07, 2013, 08:47:11 PM
Quote from: realjd on January 06, 2013, 11:27:51 PM
You dislike Pepsi to the point with at you'd rather drink water? I know everyone has a preference but the taste of Pepsi and Coke aren't that far apart.
I like Lewis Black's rant on the Cola Dilemma:
Fuck You! I'm going to eat at Buckets of Shit instead! Yea, the food's not so good, but at least they serve Coke!
I don't think I'm that bad (I usually accept Pepsi as a substitute if I don't go with Mountain Dew), but I still strongly disagree with the idea that Coke and Pepsi taste the same.
Also, RC Cola = yum.
I don't think anyone here has said they taste the same per se, more that the difference between them isn't all that noticeable.
Quote from: kphoger on January 07, 2013, 07:15:36 PM
Seriously, you want to be a hit at a party and stave off the Coke/Pepsi war? Provide RC Cherry, and you'll be everyone's favorite. I personally guarantee your results.
At my get-togethers, we provide Mountain Dew. Everyone seems reasonably happy with this, and those that aren't bring their own drink.
I'm not a fan of cola, generally. But I think I can tell Pepsi from Coke, and I would prefer Pepsi. On the other hand, someone once bought me a Coke at McDonald's and it tasted delicious, like no cola I'd ever had before.
I think the most noticeable difference I taste between Coke and Pepsi is when they're bottled and when they come from the fountain. Cans aren't that much different.
But I drink soda a lot (perhaps more than I should), and I've had a lot of different kinds of soda, so perhaps I notice these things more than most.
Sit-down: Charlie Chiang's, Ruth's Chris Steak House.
Fast(ish) food: Five Guys, Chipotle.
We have so many good local restaurants where I live that I don't go to chains very often.
One of the wonderful (sigh) things about living in Virginia is that we also have plenty of Chick-fil-A locations. I haven't set foot in one in ages.
The Roy Rogers chain is growing again, at least in areas of the East where it once had a decent market share.
One opened on a pad site in Burtonsville in eastern Montgomery County, Maryland (near the interchange of U.S. 29 and Md. 198) late in 2012, and it is still doing a land office business every time I drive by there.
The taste difference between Pepsi & Coke is as different as night & day. But now I have stopped drinking any carbonated beverages since February 2012 trying to lose weight. Now it's just sweet tea or lemonade when I eat out.
Pepsi and Coke taste different. Actually, though, I find just as much of a difference between canned Coke and fountain Coke as I do between canned Coke and canned Pepsi.
It appears to no longer be on the web anymore, but "Legendary Rob" used to have a website dedicated to offering hitchhiking tips for North America, broken down by state and province. Part of the advice for some areas was letting the reader know which Taco Bell restaurants carried Dr Pepper and which ones carried Mr Pibb. Unfortunately, I can't locate the website, and http://legendaryrob.com is definitely not it. Searching a back way for what was more likely the right URL returns a 404 error. Dang it!
Quote from: cjk374 on January 08, 2013, 09:54:16 PM
The taste difference between Pepsi & Coke is as different as night & day. But now I have stopped drinking any carbonated beverages since February 2012 trying to lose weight. Now it's just sweet tea or lemonade when I eat out.
As different as dusk and dawn. The only difference I detect is Pepsi is slightly sweeter than coke. I prefer regular Coke over regular Pepsi, but I don't drink regular soda (pop?) anymore. I prefer Diet Pepsi over Diet Coke... but I don't drink diet pop (soda?) anymore, either.
Quote from: hbelkins on January 06, 2013, 03:57:17 PM
Quote from: DandyDan on January 06, 2013, 04:31:19 AMAnd the only reason to go to Hooter's is the waitresses, because their food is awful.
I think I've been to Hooters about three times. All three times were when I was single, with a friend, and about 20 years ago. The food was nothing to write home about and there's certainly no reason I would consider going there now.
Even then, I wasn't crazy about going for the scenery. My philosophy was, "none of those women would go out with me, so why should I pay exorbitant prices for bad food just to look at unattainable females?"
The time I ate there, I felt the food was so "blah" that even the women just weren't enough to make me go there. I go to a restaurant for the food, and Hooters' food is just not good enough.
Quote from: exit322 on January 09, 2013, 10:40:32 AM
Quote from: hbelkins on January 06, 2013, 03:57:17 PM
Quote from: DandyDan on January 06, 2013, 04:31:19 AMAnd the only reason to go to Hooter's is the waitresses, because their food is awful.
I think I've been to Hooters about three times. All three times were when I was single, with a friend, and about 20 years ago. The food was nothing to write home about and there's certainly no reason I would consider going there now.
Even then, I wasn't crazy about going for the scenery. My philosophy was, "none of those women would go out with me, so why should I pay exorbitant prices for bad food just to look at unattainable females?"
The time I ate there, I felt the food was so "blah" that even the women just weren't enough to make me go there. I go to a restaurant for the food, and Hooters' food is just not good enough.
You might recall the period when the EEOC tried to force Hooters to hire male waiters.
It was around the same time period when the Clinton Administration was fighting to force Virginia Military Institute to admit females. Virginia set up an alternative institute for women at another school.
The Raleigh News & Observer, reacting to both of these stories, ran a political cartoon. Two restaurants located next to each other and the CEO is out front saying, "We're trying to do an end-run around the EEOC." The restaurant on the left's sign: "HOOTERS/Boring food served by amply-endowed ladies." The restaurant on the right: "WOODY'S/Equally boring food served by well-endowed men."
I actually went to Hooters for the first time last night. The boneless wings were pretty good, but I like them better at Buffalo Wild Wings.
Quote from: Takumi on January 09, 2013, 11:19:34 AM
I actually went to Hooters for the first time last night. The boneless wings were pretty good, but I like them better at Buffalo Wild Wings.
I hear a lot of disparaging remarks about BW3s. I've never been in one; then again I'm not a chicken wing connoisseur or aficionado by any means.
My biggest problem with BWW is that it's much louder than Hooters; in addition to the TVs being louder, the music is so loud that sometimes you can only hear the bass. I like the sauces BWW has better (although Hooters' Daytona sauce was excellent), but the wings themselves are pretty much the same in either place.
Quote from: hbelkins on January 09, 2013, 03:52:32 PM
Quote from: Takumi on January 09, 2013, 11:19:34 AM
I actually went to Hooters for the first time last night. The boneless wings were pretty good, but I like them better at Buffalo Wild Wings.
I hear a lot of disparaging remarks about BW3s. I've never been in one; then again I'm not a chicken wing connoisseur or aficionado by any means.
Really? I highly recommend them. Their boneless wings in particular are great. The big draw to BWW is the variety of sauces and the sheer number of televisions. Most locations also have 30-ish beers on tap. Speaking as someone who normally prefers local restaurants to chains, it's one of the few chains that I actually seek out.
If you're not into wings, they have a full menu of other items like burgers. Just avoid their ribs.
Hooters has a new sauce--honey thai--that is awesome! :clap:
Just the right mix of hot & sweet.
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.)
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.
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!! :no:
Quote from: Steve on January 09, 2013, 10:23:32 PM
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.
Quote from: realjd on January 11, 2013, 06:42:52 PM
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.
Quote from: Steve on January 11, 2013, 09:22:45 PM
Quote from: realjd on January 11, 2013, 06:42:52 PM
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.
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.
Quote from: Road Hog on January 12, 2013, 01:08:27 AM
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?
Quote from: cjk374 on January 12, 2013, 10:50:51 AM
Quote from: Road Hog on January 12, 2013, 01:08:27 AM
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.
I forgot about one of my favorite places. They have 3 restaurants...Foley, AL; Ozark, MO; Sikeston,MO...so I consider them a chain. :-P
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)!! :clap: It really was a fantastic dining experience!
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.
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.
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.
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?
These may not exist near you, but I love Friendly's and Uno.
Hunts. The majority of McDonald's potatoes come from Lambweston, a ConAgra subsidiary. Hunts is also a ConAgra subsidiary.
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).
Quote from: formulanone on January 01, 2014, 06:09:24 PM
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?
Regionational would be the most cromulent answer. It won't cover everything...