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My best friend used to live in a small small town, in Nebraska. There was a mom and pop grocery store, and a mom and pop restaurant. Nothing else for miles around.
And THEN they got a Walmart, and the people rejoiced.
And THEN they got an Applebys, and the people rejoiced.
My friend was happy to have consistent quality and consistent service at these chains. She tended to get a lot of attitude and higher prices at the mom and pop places. Those places didn't have to try very hard, because they were all there was for years, and miles around.
and good for them..what a great post Sassy.
I am blessed to live in diverse ethnic area with so many great restaurants, My area of Trenton NJ is famous for its Italian restaurants, from modestly priced red checkered plastic tablecloth joints to fancy Italian places..most places have been in the same family for generations.
Trenton pizza/tomato pies always rank top shelf in National Pizza polls.
Italian food is my fave, Southeast Asian next and Caribbean a very close second.
Probably in a minority here on Food and Drink, but even though we have some great Mexican and Tex/Mex places that people rave about around here, (and I can appreciate the complexities and subtleness of that cuisine) but it is just not a 'go to' for me.
also feel blessed to be able to drive 35 minutes to Philly Chinatown for Chinese, Vietnamese, Cambodian all located in a few block area, for my fix of Phô, at a local 'hole in the wall' https://www.yelp.com/biz/pho-xe-lua-...t-philadelphia
( look for the locomotive engine in the window)
NYC with it's literally Thousands of great dining places is just a 40 minute train ride from me..train station is 7 minutes from my house.
Chain restaurants definitely serve their purpose, consistency in price, menu, portions, and quality..for the 'hoi polloi, people on vacation, traveling..' they definitely fill a niche.
I can see you friend and others, embracing and appreciating the milieu and convenience of a chain restaurant.
I definitely have some downsides to where I live, high taxes, crime, a do nothing, complacent and corrupt pocket- lining City administration, etc.
But finding a great place to eat is not an issue. :~}
Eh...I travel enough for work, that at least the first three you mentioned are viable options for me. I think some of the hate thrown their way is a bit of elitism
The thing is, that if I'm spending my money to enjoy a nice meal, I don't want to spend it there.
If I want a hot meal and I want to know what I'm getting, then its fine.
I will also say, that when you've been travelling and working all day and just. want. something. nearby your hotel and without fuss or muss, its the way to go. There is a real value to knowing what your getting.
On a business trip, I kind-a like going to Uno’s once in a while for a Caesar salad, Chicago classic sausage deep dish pizza, and a couple of local microbrewery beers at the bar. I have no other access to deep dish pizza and it’s reliable.
That’s kind of it for sit down casual dining at chains other than breakfast. I’ll do Denny’s, IHOP, or Waffle House on a trip if the hotel has a bad breakfast and there are no obvious local places. I’ll eat dinner at a chain on a trip if there are no options but I don’t do business with them at home.
I used to hate all those except for Outback. I grew up in a heavily Italian area (prefer local Mon and Pop restaurants) and Olive Garden just can't touch that.
However, lately, I've been going out to lunch more (at least once a week) and I find any of those will do me for lunch. I'm not looking for a fine dining experience. A decent meal; get us in an out quick and we are good.
Admittedly not a fan today, but I used to eat there more. I don't think it is unfair. Not everyone is telling the same lie. I feel the quality has decreased at most chains over the past decade. Olive Garden, Logan's, IHOP, and Applebees especially. The cost of the meals has not increased at the same rate as operating costs---something had to give. I find that service and food quality have been sacrificed perhaps to keep costs lower. Also, the chains seem to focus more on quantity than quality. The amount of food one gets at many chains is absurd. I could never eat that much.
The upside is that the places are fairly similar across locations and their varied menus are nice if you have a group with varying tastes. To each their own. Lots of the chains in suburban family areas so they must have big family appeal.
With Yelp and similar apps available, I am not very inclined to go to a chain, although I will admit that Olive Garden is consistently high-mediocre. I will occasionally go to Old Country Buffet (I think this is the same as Ryan's in the east). You can abuse your digestive tract at Old Country, or you can, as I tend to do, just get a good variety, with no waiting for anything to be cooked, and "quit while you are ahead".
Sometimes hit TGIF in an airport.
As to the "beat down" given to these semi-upscale chains, and to the fairness or not of it, I guess this is highly subjective.
I think with a little research using Yelp and similar, you can find a local alternative where you will get better grub for about the same price.
OP, my sympathy for you with the picky eater girlfriend. That can be such a PITA. Almost like having a kid in tow, except they are at least nominally an adult.
I think the chain reputations are fair. It's mediocre (at best) food at moderate prices.
I've never eaten at an Olive Garden and DH went for the first time last month. He said it was horrid.
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I think a lot of it has to do with people being snobby.
Is it the highest food quality? No but I don't think people go there for that. They go for consistency. Some people are just afraid of "different" food. I have a friend like that. He's the type of guy who will stick with Pizza Hut no matter where he is because it's what he knows. He knows it's consistent. Whether it's consistently good or not depends on your perspective.
But I'll tell you this: if I visit Memphis, I sure won't be eating ribs at Applebee's or Chili's.
If I visit El Paso, I'm not going to eat at Taco Bell...
I enjoy a great meal, I also enjoy the unique food experience of where I'm at.
I've been dating someone new over the past few months, and she's a fairly picky eater. I'll go for pretty much anything, but she likes to stick to a lot of well-known chains. I haven't been to many in years.
1) She loves Outback. It's overpriced, but OK.
2) She also likes Logan. It's a little more reasonable than Outback
3) Olive Garden. I've always liked OG and never understood why people hated it so much. It doesn't compete with local restaurants, but it's by no means.
4) Applebees. She likes it, I really don't aside from the bourbon street steak/chicken. We can go there for about the price of one at Outback though.
I probably wouldn't go to these places on my own, but OG and Applebee's in particular seem to get a bad rap. Do you think the chains are unfairly beaten down?
No.
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