Wow. I think their fries are incredibly bland. But the butter burgers (on a buttered and toasted bun) hit the spot with many of my non-GF friends. I’m just after the Concrete Shake. And their chili. And the Concrete Shake. And maybe just a scoopie some days. Did I mention the Concrete Shake?
For some odd reason, I thought they were a jewelry chain. There must be one with a similar name that I am forgetting…
For me, I eat at Jason’s Deli 1-2 times a week-excellent sandwiches, free ice cream bar, and they sell the only soda that I’ll ever consider consuming anymore (Boylan’s root beer). Moe’s is pretty good, but my [del]diet[/del] lifestyle change limits them to a once every 2-3 weeks thing.
Casual dining: Ruby Tuesday (love their garden bar), any of the Pappa’s chains
Fast food: Wendy’s (salads are awsome), Zaxby’s (love the Roadhouse salad), Sonic (tots and diet cherry limeade)
Fast food (local chain): Fat Mo’s (BEST burger in town, bar none)
Pizza: Jet’s
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Five Guys - I like the bacon cheeseburger “all the way.” I’m not crazy about their fries, but you can’t complain about the quantity.
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Raising Cane’s - great chicken fingers, but I have not lived near one since I moved from Louisiana. How has this not been mentioned yet?!
I like some of the chains that have popped up in the last decade or so, places like ChipotLe, Panerra, Noodles and Company, Pot Belly,etc. They are a step up from fast food, but faster and still less expensive than a typical dine in sort of place. I do try to frequent independent, local type places, but sometimes it’s just nice to have the consistency of a chain.
Rubio’s fish tacos. Unfortunately I haven’t been to one in over 10 years.
I had no idea they had expanded so far. All hail Taco Cabana. Used to be a chain in Houston called Two Pesos that had the same color scheme as Taco Cabana back in the 80’s. There were lawsuits and Taco Cabana ended up buying out Two Pesos for cheap. Been loving the Cabana for a while now, but the one just a few blocks from me is always mobbed.
I didn’t realize I was chain restaurant challenged until I read this thread. I’ve never even heard of most of the places mentioned.
They problem is most the restaurants being mentioned are regional chains.
As someone who has been to most major cities in the US I don’t recognize a few of them.
Most national chains will fail to make the top of the list because in order to be nationally successful it does require a certain level of blandness to appeal to as many people as possible.
Best sit-down restaurants:
Carrabbas - Even though they are pricey, they actually spice the food the right way (not just salt and pepper) and everything seems fresh.
Maggiano’s - Hands down the best linguine with white clam sauce I’ve had.
Weathervane (regional) - Simple, yet good seafood. I really, really miss them (they are up in New England).
O’Charley’s (might be regional) - Most items are very reasonably priced. Good steak.
Fast Food:
Nathan’s (semi-regional) - The best hot dogs AND the best fries, both by large margins.
Back Yard Burgers (regional) - Still good even though they’ve backslid a bit.
Sarku Japan - Tasty, and reasonably healthy for fast food. I tried a Sarku Sushi place at a food court in Philadelphia that, surprisingly, had EXCELLENT sushi.
In N Out is the gold standard for me (for fast food.) Local chain Portillo’s also does an exemplary job.
In terms of national sit-downs/diner type restaurants, that’s really a toughie for me. There really isn’t one that I seek out or stands out. To me, Chili’s tastes like Applebee’s tastes like Denny’s tastes like Ruby Tuesday’s, etc. Actually, now that I think about more, Joe’s Crab Shack is all right. I also remember Cheesecake Factory have some pretty decent entrees, too.
boytyperanma writes:
> Most national chains will fail to make the top of the list because in order to be
> nationally successful it does require a certain level of blandness to appeal to as
> many people as possible.
I think there’s something else in common with the chain restaurants mentioned in this thread. Not only are they often more regionally restricted than the ones that aren’t getting mentioned, but they are usually newer than them. It’s not surprising that a chain that was well established by 1965 is going to be different than one that didn’t get started until after 1995. Food tastes have changed in the U.S. over the past few decades, partly by demanding better quality and partly by asking for a wider variety of kinds of cuisines. American tastes of 1955 were different from those of 2005, and no amount of tweaking of their offerings is going to make an older chain like a newer one. Twenty years from now some of the chains that are now only regional are going to be national, and then they will probably look a little old-fashioned compared to some chains that are going to open ten years from now.
My current favorite chain is Red Robin. They’ve got a lot of healthy substitutions for the fries and don’t charge extra for them, and they’ve got smaller versions of most of their burgers. They’ll also leave the bun off upon request, so that saves a ton of calories, as well. And the light peach and raspberry iced teas are phenomenal.
Panera is probably second place, and for some of the same reasons. I can have an apple instead of bread and their chicken noodle soup actually tastes like something.
That being said, I’m just happy that the overall trend seems to be going toward smaller portions.
Nathan’s is my favorite fast food chain when I can find one. They used to have the most delicious Manhattan clam chowder but I’ve only seen it still on the menu in Coney Island location.
I grew up near Coney Island. Once in awhile I go back for a visit. Nathan’s HQ is still there and it is quite wonderful. They have a very nice seafood menu that’s not on the website. It includes items such as fresh lobster rolls and perfectly fried clams. My family used to eat there quite often when I was a kid. My brother and I would dare each other to order the frog’s legs.
I still have the potato crinkle cutter we used to make our version of their fries.
Lavender-Manhattan clam chowder is a crime against tomatoes. 
I used to try to hit the Hard Rock Cafe whenever I was somewhere that had one. There’s one here in Bangkok. Hong Kong even has two! But they eventually priced themselves too high. Still, I’ll stop in from time to time. The one in Ho Chi Minh City – the former Saigon – is really beautiful inside, with lamps that remind me of the way Hoi An in central Vietnam is lit up at night. The main photo of the wife and me in the Straight Dope Photo Gallery was taken there a couple of years ago, although it doesn’t show the lighting. But I didn’t even bother this last time in the US, passing up the opportunity to see three of them.
Burger King is pretty good over here. And Au Bon Pain is always a pleaser. But those 24-hour Subway sandwich shops have often saved me from starvation on many a late night.
You New Englander, you!
Rhode Island chowder is the best!
Other good ones: Panera and Moe’s Southwest Grill.
Rhode Island clam chowder? Please explain. I have never heard of such a thing.
Me, I gotta go with Smashburger at the moment - great burgers, good fries.
I love Portillo’s when I’m in the Chicago area.
For sit-down chains, Ruby Tuesday’s has a great salad bar and they try to go for a higher level of food quality and presentation than, say, Applebee’s. There’s also a small chain called Rafferty’s which has a great chilled salad, complete with croissants.