Favorite restaurant chains

[BigMattFromTexas]

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

[corco]

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

[US71]

Oh...dude. McAlisters is pure magic!

I've eaten there, but was never impressed.

[corco]

When you're looking for decent sweet tea in Wyoming, there's exactly one place to go and that's McAlister's

[Jim]

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.

[Jim]

Pretty 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?

[hbelkins]

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.

[golden eagle]

Five Guys is OK. I just don't need a shipload of fries!

[Stephane Dumas]

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.

A bit-off topic but anyone who had heard or remember Burger Chef?

[hbelkins]

I remember Burger Chef.

[pianocello]

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)

[TheHighwayMan3561]

Fast: Taco Bell, McDonald's, Noodles & Co., Arby's, Wendy's

Sit-down: Perkins, IHOP, Denny's

[Stephane Dumas]

I dust-off this thread. 

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.  I wish to see some Wendy's in Sherbrooke, Trois-Rivières and Quebec city. 

[roadman65]

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.

[mgk920]

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

[kphoger]

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.

[vtk]

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.

[roadman65]

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.

[bugo]

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

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.]

[CenVlyDave]

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.

[Stephane Dumas]

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

[BigMattFromTexas]

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

[BigRedDog]

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.)

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.

[Rushmeister]

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.

[kphoger]

Wataburger

They pretty much define Texas fast food!

They pretty much also are mediocre.