We ate there once. The food was so disgusting we left about ten minutes later. It was more like Baja Spoiled than Baja Fresh. The chips were spoiled, the tomatoes were greenish and undercooked and the chicken was funny looking. Maybe other outposts are better?
More in the category of “Fast Food Chain” (rather than, say, a Red Robin) is Culver’s.
I wish there were more of them, as they beat most all fast-food joints hands down, IMO. Steak n’ Shake comes close in flavor and quality, but their service has been God-awful in every single one I’ve been in.
No, it was just my favorites in Canada that may or may not be in the US 
IHOP. Generic? Sure. But tasty pancakes of a consistent quality at just about any of them. Love it.
Cracker Barrel. Best chain breakfast anywhere. Real maple syrup, and the finest panckaes of any chain. None in California, sadly, but a place I will go out of my way to hit up when I’m traveling.
Zankou Chicken. I sadly only discovered this place (they may be only local to the LA area) about three years ago. I’ve never had any sort of Armenian food that came close. The garlic sauce is clearly made with crack.
Raising Cane’s. Speaking of things made with crack. Best chicken fingers on the planet. So much so that my wife and I had our wedding reception there. And yes, Raising Cane’s sent us a gift basket. But again, have I mentioned how good? Closest one is in Vegas, but it’s worthwhile.
I also agree with previous commentary made about Five Guys, Whattaburger (I’ve only been a couple of times in Arizona – none in CA) and Red Robin’s. Honorable mention to Fatburger.
Five Guys–love their burgers, but someone else has to go in and get me one, the oppresive smell of peanuts everywhere will send me into an hour long sneezing/watery eyes fit.
Love Sweet Tomatoes to death, awesome soups.
In Arizona we have all of the “Bertos” Fast mex. Filibertos is my fav, huge amounts of food for very little dinero. A breakfast burrito will sustain me until dinner.
I’m not sure that you could call it a chain restaurant, but ROY’s the Hawaiian/Pacific seafood restaurant is by far the best that I’ve tried IMO. Of course it is also probably one of the priciest out there as well. Olive Garden is pretty good. Elephant Bar is ok. California Pizza Kitchen is not bad either. PF Changs is pretty good, but the food is in no way authentic Asian food. Cheesecake factory is my wife’s favorite, and I think that its not bad. Ruth’s Chris’ steak house is pretty good too. In the low budget category, I would have to say Pick up stix.
Glad to see Panera got the love in this one. I’ve drifted away from liking most chain stores in recent years, but Panera is always an oasis in the storm.
How has there been no mention of the east coast’s amazing Shake Shack?
In n Out used to be my favorite, but even I can’t deny Shake Shack is even better.
Good God, man. I just had that for the first time a month ago in DC. Unbelievably good!
Acapulco’s (Mexican) has horrible food, but the chips and salsa and margaritas are great!
Just have drinks-don’t order any food (bland , mushy, and disgusting).
I’ll vote for Olive Garden and Subway. I haven’t even heard of most of the restaurants already mentioned.
I would have to say the best chain sit-down restaurant I’ve eaten in ever is Biaggis. Very good Italian-themed food, and their white-chocolate bread pudding is literally to die for. When I lived in Toledo, I would go there just to order the pudding and a glass of amaretto. mmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm.
Sadly, and at the same time, gladly there are only 24 locations, mostly in the Mid-West. Outliers are found in SLC, Jackson MS, Cary NC and Rochester NY.
Widespread chains are hard to peg, because inevitably, you run into a poorly run franchise. I remember back in the day before Carl’s Jr. started franchising its locations, they ran a VERY strict Quality Assurance program, and as a result, you always knew you were getting a good meal (assuming you liked what they offered). But it’s essentially impossible to run a nation-wide restaurant company that way. Even really good places generally, like Panera, will have bad franchises that make you re-think the concept of the chain.
If I was to pick some restaurant I was reasonably certain these days of finding most anywhere in the US, I would probably pick Buffalo Wild Wings. I know just what I’m going to get, and it’s hard to screw-up deep fried wings smothered in a hot sauce, especially when you have a really tasty Parmesan Garlic sauce to choose. 
Chipotle Mexican Grill, however, the closest location to me is a six to seven hour drive, so it really isn’t that fast.
McDonalds does my favorite fast food breakfast. The hot cakes are quite good.
I’m going to limit myself to national or at least extremely well known and recognized chains.
**McDonald’s **- Sorry but they are flat out the best when it comes to cheap-ass food. There is a reason they are the number one restaurant in the world. Their burgers are like crack cocaine. If you don’t like them, you are wrong. Just that simple.
Chile’s - The service is usually fantastic and the food is passable. Things go best if you end up getting the deals/specials/promos they have going on. They are everything Applebee’s wishes they could be.
Chic-Fil-A - Hate 'em all you want but they have the best fast food chicken you can possibly get.
Taco Bell - I actually go out of my way when making my own taco meat at home to use soy so it comes out more like the taco bell “meat”. The last time I made homemade tacos out of a mushy-soy type filling, my sister said they were the best tacos she ever had. I agreed. Taco Bell is certainly not Mexican food, but it is damn good. And cheap.
That is all!
I was pleasantly surprised by Macaroni Grill. I found it while looking for a Pappadeaux’s. Quality food and well priced.
Pappadeaux was great for fresh oysters, appetizers and drinks. I loved their frozen Margaretas because they put a little ice cream in it to make it silky. Was disappointed in the main course because it was over-salted which seems to be a problem with a lot of food chains. I think it was scallops.
Skyline Chili is a great chain for Cincinnati chili and coneys. Their fries are usually first rate.
Lee’s Famous Recipe is my fried chicken of choice when I’m not at a local family restaurant. They serve chicken livers and gizzards, too!
Cracker Barrel makes me nostalgic for a time period through which I didn’t even live. The rocking chairs, the “olde tymey” toys, the retro candy, all these things make me long for an Andy Griffith Show lifestyle. Love their turnip greens with country ham.
I absolutely do not get 5 guys at all. Their hamburgers are expensive and at best rate a “meh”. Their french fries are horrible. Lose the peanuts and make a decent burger.
Wendys has better burgers and fries by far and for less money. That’s my go-to burger joint. Can’t weigh in on the other choices.
The little franchise I miss is White Tower. They had at least 3 of them in my city up to the end of the last century. Their butter burgers were heaven. A butter toasted bun that crowned a wonderful hamburger. I think there’s one left in Toledo.
Five Guys. A new one just opened a few blocks from here, and it’s been a superhuman feat to resist all that temptation. But I know I’ll be succumbing any day now . . . and regain all the weight I recently lost.
Honorable Mention: White Castle, Nathan’s. I may never eat at these places again, with Five Guys being so close now.