Favorite restaurant chains

[Alps]

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.

[cpzilliacus]

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.

[Alps]

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? 

[Jim]

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).

[on_wisconsin]

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

[Alps]

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.

[kphoger]

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.

[cpzilliacus]

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? 

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.

[mgk920]

I liked Subway until I realized what goes into their "bread."

people?

Soylent Green™?





Mike

[US71]

I liked Subway until I realized what goes into their "bread."

people?

Soylent Green™?





Mike

"Our main ingredient is our people"   

[agentsteel53]

okay, all jokes aside, can someone tell me what goes into the bread that is so objectionable?  pink slime?  ergot fungus?  rat hairs?

[US71]

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

[Scott5114]

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".

[formulanone]

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...

[Road Hog]

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. 

[agentsteel53]

heh, it's less objectionable than Teal #99, which was called that solely due to a congressman's bluster.

[Jim]

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.

[1995hoo]

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? 

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).

[formulanone]

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".

[mgk920]

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.



Mike

[vdeane]

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.

[hbelkins]

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? 

[hbelkins]

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?

[Takumi]

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.

[njroadhorse]

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.