Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
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?
These days I find myself eating at home much more often than going to one of the popular chains. I think the food at most of these places is nothing special, and I can cook up something myself that rates alongside the chains. As for steak, I haven’t eaten a better steak than what I grill at home since I had a steak at Ruth’s Chris in Chicago many years ago (company paid, no way I spend $60 on a steak).
IMO, Famous Dave's is considerably above most chain quality. They do a wide variety of meats there. Around here, most local BBQ places just do pulled or sliced pork. You can get a platter or a sandwich. It tastes like real BBQ. I'll admit there have been times I passed up local BBQ joints to go to Famous Dave's.
My girlfriend is a lot like my family with regard to the lack of "adventurous" eating. We went to a chain called Cheddar's Saturday for Mother's Day. I had grilled shrimp and chicken tenders. The tenders were so heavily breaded that I felt very bloated after. Cheddar's has a couple of good dishes and the prices tend to be more reasonable than the other chains. Still, I can't remember the last time I ate at one of the big chains on my own, unless it is pretty late or there is simply nothing else available.
I am confused about Cheddar's. I remember the old Cheddar's. Now there is a Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, which I thought was a different chain? A bit more upscale?
I think they unfairly get a bad rap. They aren't gourmet fine dining per strict definition, but for many people in many places, they are the closest thing to fine dining around. Where I live for example, we have one local place that is truly fine quality, run by a chef who puts out an excellent fresh menu. And you pay for that experience. The other local places belong on an episode of Restaurant Impossible. So for many of us around the country, Applebees or Red Lobster or Olive Garden is the finest restaurant you can eat at.
I went to an Applebee's for the first time a couple years ago and it was good. Just basic food. We tried the Applebee's that was just built here (late night, on way home) and it was gawd awful.
I usually like CPK, but the one close by is subpar, so we just don't go, but I like the Cheesecake factory that is right next to it.
I have found the quality can vary a LOT in chain restaurants.
That's good to know.
Now that I think of it, I didn't like the Olive Garden where I live, but when I went to meet a friend for lunch about 30 miles away, she insisted on the Olive Garden that she knew. I enjoyed that meal.
These days I find myself eating at home much more often than going to one of the popular chains. I think the food at most of these places is nothing special, and I can cook up something myself that rates alongside the chains. As for steak, I haven’t eaten a better steak than what I grill at home since I had a steak at Ruth’s Chris in Chicago many years ago (company paid, no way I spend $60 on a steak).
The only time I ever ate at a Ruth's Chris was in Puerto Rico about 12 years ago. I went for five days with a friend, and one night she just kept hitting on the slots in the casino. I think she won about $850. The next night we went to the Ruth's Chris. Dinner came to about $150 before tip, if I recall correctly, and she paid for it with the casino's money.
She is no longer living. Nice to bring up the memory. We had fun.
I am confused about Cheddar's. I remember the old Cheddar's. Now there is a Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen, which I thought was a different chain? A bit more upscale?
They changed the name to reflect the fact that the dishes are made on-site and to order. They are still a good bit cheaper than O'Charley's. I would choose Cheddar's over most of the other chains I listed.
I think they unfairly get a bad rap. They aren't gourmet fine dining per strict definition, but for many people in many places, they are the closest thing to fine dining around. Where I live for example, we have one local place that is truly fine quality, run by a chef who puts out an excellent fresh menu. And you pay for that experience. The other local places belong on an episode of Restaurant Impossible. So for many of us around the country, Applebees or Red Lobster or Olive Garden is the finest restaurant you can eat at.
I don't necessarily need gourmet fine dining. A casual dining experience is fine by me. But it can be done in a way that's good quality. And OG, Applebees, etc. aren't good quality.
Don't confuse quality with formality of dining. They are different issues.
Please register to post and access all features of our very popular forum. It is free and quick. Over $68,000 in prizes has already been given out to active posters on our forum. Additional giveaways are planned.
Detailed information about all U.S. cities, counties, and zip codes on our site: City-data.com.
Please register to participate in our discussions with 2 million other members - it's free and quick! Some forums can only be seen by registered members. After you create your account, you'll be able to customize options and access all our 15,000 new posts/day with fewer ads.
