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Hmmmm....just remembered I made this thread. It's interesting that 86% of respondents prefer local restaurants, yet chains remain so popular. Most people my age list "Olive Garden" or a similar restaurant as their favorite. ...
Chains are popular/good, in that they are a "safe haven", a known place to get something similar to what have experienced before. Like, for example, Red Lobster - you know that they will bring those tasty biscuits, and that their food will be made and presented and taste a certain way. And, at times, that is good.
However, most times, and esp. when traveling, I like to experiment, to find that unusual unknown special place that will just help make the trip a memorable experience - not just the same thing that can get when on familiar grounds, in home town...
Jdavid, you're right. If you've gotta dine at a chain, Cracker Barrel ROCKS! Having eaten at CB's across the country at least 50 times, I've only had two bad meals (once in Tucson and once in Orlando). Their hashbrown casserole and mac & cheese are so yummy!
Jdavid, you're right. If you've gotta dine at a chain, Cracker Barrel ROCKS! Having eaten at CB's across the country at least 50 times, I've only had two bad meals (once in Tucson and once in Orlando). Their hashbrown casserole and mac & cheese are so yummy!
I love the hashbrown casserole, and also like the mac & cheese. I had the mac & cheese because my kids didn't like it, so I traded them for my food. They didn't like it because it wasn't "Kraft" style - go figure.
Some of the best food my wife and I have had has been in the local restaurants when we travel. We like to get out of the tourist areas and look for the local diners and BBQ places. Usually you get good food, good service and great prices.
the one and only time I had Longhorn it was barely edible, especially after eating at a "real" non chain steakhouses (smith and wollensky, peter luger's, etc)...i'm a steak snob . it was truly awful, maybe I just got a bad steak because I can normally choke down outback, etc....
Guess what, dude: Smith & Wollensky is a chain.
I prefer local for aesthetic reasons: if every place were dominated by chains, every place would look the same. There are already some small cities where the local flavor has almost been eliminated, and they all pretty much look alike and have the same vibe.
That said, chains have their place. If a chain earns my business, it will continue to receive it. Famous Dave's is a nice standby, as is Chevy's.
One trend that annoys the living hell out of me though: chain brewpubs. It's kind of an oxymoron that defeats the purpose -- kind of like Applebee's "Neighborhood" Bar and Grille. (I never saw a "neighborhood" that consisted of a mall out-lot, and there's nothing "neighborhood"-y about a place that is found in 4,382 other "neighborhoods.") If I see one more local brewpub close down while a Rock Bottom brewpub opens on the other side of town, I'm gonna start hurting people. Does the Chicago area really need FOUR Rock Bottoms?? What makes it worse is that their beer is perplexingly bland. Rock Bottom has to be one of the most aptly named institutions ever.
eta - well, i'll be damned. i've only been the original, which is all that matters
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