I found **Baja Fresh ** absolutely disgusting the last time we went there. The salsa was bland, the chips stale and everything else not worth it even with a coupon.
My favorites are Wendy’s (when they leave the mayo off the burgers) especially for the chili, Arby’s for the roast beef sandwiches and The Cheesecake Factory even though its rather pricey. They make a great burger and a fabulous chocolate cake.
I’ve had mixed experiences with **Macaroni Grill ** and the Olive Garden. We’ve eaten at MG’s three times. The first time was fabulous with live opera singing and great entrees. The last two were just meh.
The Olive Garden is uneven. I love their soups but find nearly anything with red sauce far too sweet. I stick to their other choices which are usually much better.
These days, however, I like Tijuana Flats, which appears to be an Orlando-area-based chain. A wee bit like Panchero’s, but with more sass and spice.
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I came in to mention them. We’ve eaten at their restaurants twice, once in Orlando(ish) and once over in Tampa. A bit pricier than Taco Bell, but dayum…the sauce bar is amazing.
They seem to be regional, but I would crawl on my hands and knees across a field of broken glass for a plate of ribs from Sticky Fingers. There’s one in Atlantic Beach and one in Jacksonville, and one of these days I’m going to pester Ivylad enough that we’ll go there.
Most of my faves have already been described in detail, so I’ll just list my entries, in no particular order:
White Castle. It’s been a long while now since my last “crave attack” but man, sometimes I just gotta have those steamed hams. I mean, hamburgers.
IHOP. I have always liked their breakfasts, and while I certainly have had better pancakes at various non-chain places, they’re still my personal benchmark for what a pancake is.
Cracker Barrel. I haven’t gone there for breakfast, only for dinner two or three times in “pull over off the highway on a road trip and find a restaurant” scenarios. But every time, I’ve been amazed at the quality of the food and service as compared to the cost. I mean, I fed my family of five, including dessert, with what I would call pretty good food in a sit-down, table service environment for $50 including tax and tip? Are you kidding me??
Outback Steakhouse. A whole thread was devoted to bashing this place, and I won’t say it’s a great “steakhouse” a la Peter Luger’s, Sparks, Smith and Wollensky’s, the Palm, etc., but it’s a far step up from Applebee’s or TGIF or any other similar “family eatery”, at about the same prices. I’ve been to maybe 5 or 6 different locations in different states and the quality has been consistently decent.
Friendly’s. This may only exist in the Northeast, but it’s great for a burger dinner with ice cream at the end on the road. Consistent quality and relatively cheap prices.
I read that first as “vulva” and was entirely confused there for a minute.
On topic, I can’t believe only one other person said Cracker Barrel. Love, love, love it! And after I eat I indulge myself with their pecan divinity from the store. Not quite as good as my great-grandma’s homemade, but way better than my homemade.
I also love Waffle House. I grew up eating it though, maybe that has something to do with it. Anytime I’ve taken a friend there who’d never been, they’ve not been big fans. Although I don’t recommend the cheesesteak omlette after a night of heavy drinking, it seems to exacerbate the hangover.
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I am so glad someone else mentioned Cracker barrel and waffle house. Yes I am a midwestern guy heading for a heart attack.
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I’ve been to St-Hubert a few times in Montreal, and found it pretty nice. I looked them up and they’re a Quebec chain.
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Yes, Quebec does in fact have quite a few sit-down restaurant chains. A few examples: Saint-Hubert, which you mentioned, and which is quite good. Mikes, decent Italian-style food. Chez Cora, way overpriced but does have good breakfasts (for 10$ though :eek: ). Le Coq / Le Coq rôti / Chez Benny, my former girlfriend’s favourite restaurant, but I’m not sure if they count as “sit-down” since not all locations have an eating room. Au Vieux Duluth, Greek-style food, decent as well.
I’d probably rather try a local restaurant if I have the possibility to do so, but with any of the above restaurants I know what I’m getting, and I know I’ll appreciate it.