# American restaurants in foreign countries other than fast food? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [July 24, 2013, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417 "2013-07-24T21:13:44Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 2:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/81 "2013-07-25T14:41:56Z")
Went to Denny’s (two of them, actually) in Yokosuka back in the late '80s. Don’t remember any details of the menu, but I was happy with what I ordered. TGIThursday in Dubai was good, too. Saw a billboard there advertising Fuddruckers, but didn’t get a chance to go there. ---
**Author:** ![BrianJ](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/54ee81/32.png) [@BrianJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BrianJ)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 2:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/82 "2013-07-25T14:42:02Z")
There are loads of American restaurant chains in Canada. I don’t suppose they are much different up here, although I imagine the texmex restaurants like Lone Star may not impress actual texans. ---
**Author:** ![KneadToKnow](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kneadtoknow/32/3999_2.png) [@KneadToKnow](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KneadToKnow)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/83 "2013-07-25T14:47:29Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > TGIThursday in Dubai Shouldn’t it be TAIThursday? ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 3:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/84 "2013-07-25T15:21:15Z")
> [@SanVito](#): > > They do that in Italy, which is probably where Germans got the idea. Pizza Fiorentina is the obvious version. We have that in the UK in italian style pizza restaurants, which have pretty much overtaken US style ones (though home delivery still tend to be US style, or a mishmash). There’s even a Chicago-style thin crust place (as opposed to a pizzeria doing European styles) around here that does egg on the pizza, too. Egg & pepperoni is especially a nice combination. [See here](http://chicago.seriouseats.com/2011/06/chicago-essential-vito-and-nicks.html), scroll down a bit. I actually wish the eggs weren’t hard-cooked into the pizza, but it’s still pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 3:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/85 "2013-07-25T15:30:24Z")
> [@Tapioca\_Dextrin](#): > > Yes, it’s a generic Tex Mex place, they even have [Chimichungas](http://www.indianacafe.fr/carte-restaurants/lunch-diner.html). That’s the one. We got a lot of amusement about trying to figure out just how some of those dishes related to food back home. The blue cheese and guacamole quesadilla is definitely perplexing. ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/86 "2013-07-25T15:47:23Z")
> [@Siam\_Sam](#): > > In Thailand, we have two Hard Rock Cafes, in Bangkok and Pattaya. I think that started in London but counts because it was established IIRC by a couple of homesick Americans desperate for American food. > > Outback is here, which despite its Aussie trappings is a Florida-based chain. It’s very good. Almost forget Tony Roma’s, which has a few branches in Thailand. And Bangkok is saturated with Sizzler restaurants, and they’re upcountry too. These are just the American-owned or -franchised places I can think of. Loads of independent American-food places too including some great ribs places. And lots of good clam chowder. Hell, I can even take you to a Tex-Mex joint in Vientiane, Laos. > [@jovan](#): > > Serious question: what would Americans consider “American food”? That’s a very complicated question. There is so much regional variation. ---
**Author:** ![DMark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/e68b1a/32.png) [@DMark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DMark)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/87 "2013-07-25T15:49:03Z")
Friends in Berlin have told me they have Tony Roma’s in Berlin - yes, a chain restaurant, but I wouldn’t exactly call them “fast food”. And yeah, they are supposedly a tad pricey in Berlin. [Just looked them up](http://www.tonyromas.de/index.php?id=58)…and on Marlene Dietrich Platz! ---
**Author:** ![aruvqan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aruvqan/32/2891_2.png) [@aruvqan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aruvqan)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 4:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/88 "2013-07-25T16:15:43Z")
> [@Musicat](#): > > Word, the Bird! [Menu](http://www.thebirdinberlin.com/menus/bird_berlin_menu_eng.pdf) ROFLMAO When I was in Germany visiting my gaming buddy Christian he wanted to bring me here, so I wouldn’t miss American cooking! I told him that since I used to actually work in a kitchen, I could make everything they could, at home and cheaper! Hm, wonder what they would do if I brought them a gallon of Frank’s hot sauce… the special ingredient in actual Buffalo wings 😃 ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 4:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/89 "2013-07-25T16:26:55Z")
> [@aruvqan](#): > > Hm, wonder what they would do if I brought them a gallon of Frank’s hot sauce… the special ingredient in actual Buffalo wings 😃 Thing is, you should be able to find an adequate substitute. I would bring Frank’s back to Budapest when I wanted to nail the flavor, but there were ways of doing it and getting close enough that the Buffalonians (and there were a couple in our circle of expats) would feel comfortable calling them “Buffalo wings.” (Or, well, they would just call them “wings,” being from Buffalo and all, but you know what I mean.) Just some sambal oelek, vinegar, a touch of garlic, and a blender gets you pretty darned close. (Push it through a sieve if you want it absolutely smooth.) ---
**Author:** ![Zakalwe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zakalwe/32/270_2.png) [@Zakalwe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zakalwe)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 4:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/90 "2013-07-25T16:39:25Z")
> [@robardin](#): > > A fried egg on a burger has been a standard item on the menus of NYC area diners for as long as I can remember - since at least the mid 1980s, when I started going to them myself (my parents didn’t take me into them). And all the talk in this thread just made me go down to Steak 'n Shake and get one. Pretty darn tasty even though it’s something I probably never would have ordered on my own (although I used to get eggs on horseback at Waffle House when I was in the Navy and headed back to the ship late). ---
**Author:** ![Siam\_Sam](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/d78d45/32.png) [@Siam\_Sam](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Siam_Sam)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 5:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/91 "2013-07-25T17:01:47Z")
Does pizza count as fast food? Because we have Pizza Huts everywhere. And a clone or two. ---
**Author:** ![Twoflower](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/twoflower/32/22_2.png) [@Twoflower](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Twoflower)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 5:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/92 "2013-07-25T17:43:54Z")
On a recent vacation in Paris, we found a restaurant named Tennessee that was a classic 50’s style American diner. Cheeseburgers with a nice fromage are quite good … ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/93 "2013-07-25T18:10:08Z")
> [@DMark](#): > > Friends in Berlin have told me they have Tony Roma’s in Berlin - yes, a chain restaurant, but I wouldn’t exactly call them “fast food”. And yeah, they are supposedly a tad pricey in Berlin. > > [Just looked them up](http://www.tonyromas.de/index.php?id=58)…and on Marlene Dietrich Platz! One of my coworkers went to Tony Roma’s in Panama City (his wife is Panamanian and they visit her family every year). He ended up in the ER with food poisoning and had to reschedule his return flight. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/94 "2013-07-25T18:10:32Z")
I’ve seen Tony Roma’s in Singapore, Dubai, and Jakarta. I’ve seen Chili’s, Ruby Tuesdays and TGIFs everywhere: Dubai, Asia, Kuwait, Russia. They’ve all been about the same everywhere, although depending on the country, pork might not be on the menu. ---
**Author:** ![Deeg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/deeg/32/2955_2.png) [@Deeg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Deeg)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/95 "2013-07-25T22:11:56Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > So the world’s idea of “American food” seems to be: burgers, steaks, fries, fried chicken, and maybe some occasional cajun food for a change of pace. And sloopy joes. ---
**Author:** ![Push\_You\_Down](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/push_you_down/32/9095_2.png) [@Push\_You\_Down](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Push_You_Down)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 10:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/96 "2013-07-25T22:18:53Z")
> [@Spoke](#): > > Used to be unheard of. Still not “common.” I suspect we picked this up from the Australians. I thought it was maybe a pick up from Hawaii with their Moco Loco dish (a fried egg on a hambuger patty served on rice with gravy). If we did get it from the Aussies, I hope the next import is the beet on burger thing. I loved it while I was down there, but can’t really get that here. Regarding Denny’s Japan, I remember the first time being really disappointed that they didn’t have any pancakes on the menu… and then my friend handed me the dessert menu which is where all the pancakes are listed. I also remember getting cornflakes on my sundae there. ---
**Author:** ![the\_diego](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/7bcc69/32.png) [@the\_diego](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/the_diego)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 11:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/97 "2013-07-25T23:34:35Z")
Shakeys is not considered fast food, right? ---
**Author:** ![Uther\_Penguin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/d6d6ee/32.png) [@Uther\_Penguin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Uther_Penguin)\ **Post date:** [July 25, 2013, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/98 "2013-07-25T23:38:20Z")
There was a restaurant in Hamburg called something like The Old Spaghetti factory offering explicitely American-Italian cooking as opposed to German-Italian or authentic Italian styles. Lots of steakhouses with a Old West and/or TexMex theme. For example: [http://www.ribhousetexas.de/index.html](http://www.ribhousetexas.de/index.html) The menu: [http://www.ribhousetexas.de/speisekarte.pdf](http://www.ribhousetexas.de/speisekarte.pdf) There is a small chain of “American” restaurants called Louisiana ([http://www.louisiana.de/oberhausen/speisekarte.pdf](http://www.louisiana.de/oberhausen/speisekarte.pdf)). They serve freshly-made lemonade (rare in Germany), and many different cocktails. Their Cajun-style dishes include spicy fries, wings, ribs, rumpsteaks and “porksteaks”. Nothing seems very Cajun. Plus, some wraps, baked potatoes with different fillings, salads and burgers. From Cologne, I dimly remember some “New York Bagel & Sandwich” shops. Never saw even semi-authentic Southern restaurants, New England seafood places, or anything “Californian” beyond an odd smoothie booth. Oh, and “Toast Hawaii” is a slice of buttered toast with ham, a slice of canned pineapple and a slice of processed cheese, grilled from above so the cheese melts. Finally, a bright red maraschino cherry is placed in the hole of the pineapple slice. It was created in 1955 and became a true craze as symbol of rich, exotic food from faraway places. A still popular descendant is “Pizza Hawaii” with ham and pineapple (beside the sauce and cheese). ---
**Author:** ![JpnDude](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/838e76/32.png) [@JpnDude](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JpnDude)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/99 "2013-07-26T05:44:00Z")
> [@jovan](#): > > Japanese Denny’s despite sharing a name and a logo with the American chain is a completely separate entity. It’s what we call here a “family restaurant” and along with Cocos and other chains isn’t particularly considered American. The quality of food is, IMO, much better than American Denny’s. Entrees go for 700 to 900 yen or so, you need to add another 0 to get into “expensive as hell” territory. > > Non-fast-food chains that are more explicitly American include the steakhouse　[Bronco Billy](http://www.bronco.co.jp/). Other than that, there are several diner-type places, but you’d have to look hard to find something other than steak or hamburgers. Off the top of my head, I remember [Grand Central Oyster Bar](http://www.oysterbartokyo.com/) in Shinagawa (Tokyo). Speaking of Shinagawa, there is also a TGI Fridays and **two** Outback Steakhouses within 5 minutes of the station. Besides the typical ones (McD, KFC, Subway, etc.) and the inside US base ones (Chili’s, Taco Bell, etc.), other “American” eateries around Tokyo include: Tony Roma’s Shakey’s Pizza Domino’s Pizza Pizza Hut Lawry’s Steakhouse Kua Aina Burgers Bubba Gump Shrimp Co. Red Lobster Hooters Sizzler ---
**Author:** ![stui\_magpie](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stui_magpie/32/11010_2.png) [@stui\_magpie](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/stui_magpie)\ **Post date:** [July 26, 2013, 6:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417/100 "2013-07-26T06:13:02Z")
> [@Giles](#): > > There is a genre of restaurant in Australia called the “Texas steakhouse”, which I avoid because I’m not really into beef steaks. [Here’s one](http://www.oldtexasranch.com.au/) not far from where I live. The [Outback Steakhouse](http://www.outbacksteakhouse.com.au/) markets itself as a chain of Australian restaurants in the U.S., but in Australia I think it qualifies as a Texas steakhouse. (I’ve been to one Outback Steakhouse in Ohio, because my then teenage son liked that kind of thing, but never in Australia.) > > As far as fast food goes, we have chains like [KFC](http://www.kfc.com.au/), [McDonalds](http://www.mcdonalds.com.au/) and [Pizza Hut](http://www.pizzahut.com.au/) here. (Warning: the KFC Australia site includes a video with sound, so don’t open it at work.) Yeah, In Melbourne a few years back there was a place labeling itself the Lone Start Steakhouse. Didn’t last long, they put some kind of rub on the steaks that was too salty. There’s also TGI Fridays, and Hard Rock Cafe’s. Apart from Burgers and Fries, the general take on American food seems to be steak and Ribs and Buffalo wings. Hogs Breath cafe may count as American inspired or influenced, not sure. Here’s the menu, see what others think. [http://www.hogsbreath.com.au/our-menu/snacks-n-starters](http://www.hogsbreath.com.au/our-menu/snacks-n-starters) [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/american-restaurants-in-foreign-countries-other-than-fast-food/664417.md?page=6)