What's your favorite ALL TIME favorite restruant? (restaurant, grill, bbq)

[Phxguy]

What is it and is this resturant unique to your area or a chain? I LOVE Matta's( Mexican) in Mesa, Cracker Barrel, Tom's BBQ, and a few other places.

[Fontucky]

Two categories:

Non-chain: El Patio Cafe in Capistrano Beach, CA. Been in the same spot and same family since 1953, and I've been dining there since not too many years after that.

Chain: Claim Jumper.

[Nomadicus]

Texas Cattle Co.

Chain Sonny's BBQ

[findinghope]

romano's maccaroni grill and california pizza kitchen

[CMichele]

The Cheesecake Factory
Newks Cafe
Fire of Brazil (though I haven't eaten there in forever)

[Wilson513]

Joes Crabs in South Beach.

If you get there on opening, the 50 or so tuxedo waiters escort you to the table like groomsmen at a wedding. Then worlds best stone crab claws and sides.

[Debsi]

I'm partial to Casa de Pico in San Diego. Well it's in La Mesa now. It's not as fun an experience as it used to be when it was in Old Town.

My husband would say his favorite restaurant is our kitchen.

[Gue]

Tonys Asian Fusion Sushi! Yumm!

[jtur88]

Olive Garden. It fits (just barely) into my occasional "dining out" price range, there is good value for the money, and in most locations, both the service and the atmosphere are well above average. I doubt if there is a chain that is a better dining experience for a lower price. Of course, there will obviously be some locations that would be disappointing---that's the nature of franchises.

For individual restaurant, it would have to be the Central Grocery on Decatur Street in New Orleans. Only one item on the menu, the original Muffuletta sandwich. No chairs, you sit on a wheel of cheese or a crate of salt cod to eat it. Nobody behind the counter speaks English, and they have the grace of the soup nazi. I think they actually wished that people would stop coming there and ordering the dam things, but they didn't want to disappoint their regular customers who had been coming in for generations. Ate lunch there at least once a month, that was in the 1960's, they're still famous, but I bet they've changed. Our boss made a rule that we couldn't order them to go and eat them in the company car, because the steering wheels were all covered with olive oil.

[Bulldogdad]

Chain- Sambos. I was in the Tiger Tamers club when I was a kid. I absolutely loved that place. I'm glad I grew up before the PC police destroyed it. I have been taking my family to the original and only one still in operation in Santa Barbara for years.

Local- Fior d'Italia America's Oldest Italian Restaurant in North Beach in San Francisco. I have been going there since I was a kid and Generations of our family on my moms side have dined their since 1910 when my Great- Grandparents immigrated from Italy. The Cioppino and Linguine Tutto Mare are my Favorites. The Ravioli di Zucca is one my Nana used to make this for Sunday Dinner. I miss my Nana