# Chain restaurants that are actually rather good? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 17, 2010, 5:22am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519 "2010-06-17T05:22:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![Skara\_Brae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f0a364/32.png) [@Skara\_Brae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skara_Brae)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 11:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/21 "2010-06-17T11:49:57Z")
You’re missing Chick-Fil-A and Baja Fresh. Those are my two favorites anyway… ---
**Author:** ![Renee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/renee/32/287_2.png) [@Renee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Renee)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 12:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/22 "2010-06-17T12:04:38Z")
Agree with Chic-Fil-A and Chipotles. I also like Panera Bread. I haven’t eaten or even heard of about 3/4 of the options on the poll, although I thought Ruth’s Chris was a very high-end steak house. ---
**Author:** ![Sigmagirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/c89c15/32.png) [@Sigmagirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sigmagirl)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/23 "2010-06-17T12:40:38Z")
Don’t go to Red Robin anymore since they took fried clams off the menu. Bastards. ---
**Author:** ![middleman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e9a140/32.png) [@middleman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/middleman)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 12:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/24 "2010-06-17T12:43:21Z")
I like several of these. I voted Krystal, just because no one ever made a stoner movie about it! ---
**Author:** ![simple\_homer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/9de0a6/32.png) [@simple\_homer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/simple_homer)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 12:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/25 "2010-06-17T12:44:52Z")
Zaxby’s > **[Absolutely Craveable Chicken, Zalads & Zappetizers | Zaxby's](https://www.zaxbys.com/)** > > Absolutely craveable, daringly zesty, made-to-order chicken fingers, wings and more. This is gonna be good. ---
**Author:** ![pope\_hentai](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@pope\_hentai](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pope_hentai)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 1:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/26 "2010-06-17T13:44:38Z")
chick-fil-a and waffle house ---
**Author:** ![anu-la1979](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/47e85d/32.png) [@anu-la1979](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/anu-la1979)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 1:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/27 "2010-06-17T13:50:45Z")
The answer to this question will always be Zankou Chicken. ---
**Author:** ![KarlGrenze](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/dbc845/32.png) [@KarlGrenze](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGrenze)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/28 "2010-06-17T13:51:34Z")
The love of Chik-Fil-A baffles me. I’ll eat them (breakfast chicken biscuits), but I consider them bland and blah. Certainly not in the same category as Chipotles, although I haven’t been to one in years. ---
**Author:** ![kayaker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kayaker/32/441_2.png) [@kayaker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kayaker)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 2:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/29 "2010-06-17T14:00:04Z")
Other. I love **Mad Mex**. What’s not to love? Decent food and plenty of microbrews.:D:D:D ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_McAwful](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e99b99/32.png) [@Larry\_McAwful](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_McAwful)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/30 "2010-06-17T14:06:54Z")
Chipotle and Qdoba are great. Quiznos is also really good–probably the best sub place, in my estimation. And, though it’s not all that extraordinary, my native Pennsylvania’s Eat ‘n Park restaurants are worth a mention, though I think that’s more of an emotional connection on my part than anything else. Perkins’, too. I never heard of most of those restaurants on the list above, while others I’ve heard of but have never seen, like Fatburger and Five Guys. ---
**Author:** ![badbadrubberpiggy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/57b2e6/32.png) [@badbadrubberpiggy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/badbadrubberpiggy)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/31 "2010-06-17T14:15:07Z")
I picked Popeye’s, but there are a few others on your list I like, like Lee’s, Five Guys, Carraba’s and Morton’s. For those not mentioned, I like Panera (aka, St. Louis Bread Company), and Chipotle. Chipotle would be perfect if they offered brown rice. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/32 "2010-06-17T14:21:09Z")
I went with In-n-out since they are the best burgers in the world. It was close with Popeyes and Papadoux all of which I have to eat at whenever I’m around one although I can resist Papadoux because wherever they are there seems to be a local version that is better. The best sandwich chain is a Northern California chain called Togos and I love Chipotle but at a thousand calories per burrito I have to be careful and they’re owned by McDonalds so I feel dirty for supporting the evil empire. ---
**Author:** ![DCnDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dcndc/32/2842_2.png) [@DCnDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DCnDC)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 2:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/33 "2010-06-17T14:21:28Z")
Kind of an odd list. As has been mentioned, I would have to say that places like Morton’s and Ruth’s Chris are on an entirely different level than say, Popeye’s or Five Guys. That said, I had an amazing steak at Ruth’s Chris once. Paid through the fucking nose for it, but I feel it was worth it. ---
**Author:** ![Bridget\_Burke](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7cd45c/32.png) [@Bridget\_Burke](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bridget_Burke)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 2:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/34 "2010-06-17T14:26:05Z")
> [@Southern\_Yankee](#): > > Ruth’s Chris is a different level of chain. I like their steaks very much, but that’s a special occasion place for us. Yup. [The Palm](http://www.thepalm.com/index.cfm?fa=p&pid=402) and [McCormick & Schmick](http://www.mccormickandschmicks.com/) are also chains. But definitely a cut above. My favorite from the list is Popeye’s. Better than KFC (even if not as good as local chain,[Frenchy’s](http://www.frenchyschicken.com/)). I like Carrabba’s, but my local is the original restaurant–from before they became a chain. Best one not on the list? Chipotle. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Excellent](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/f19dbf/32.png) [@Mr.Excellent](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Excellent)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 2:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/35 "2010-06-17T14:30:12Z")
Five Guys is something really special - truly some of the best burgers that you can get anywhere, in my opinion. There are a few better places - Ray’s Hellburger in Arlington, for example - but I’d be hard-pressed to say anything bad about Five Guys. Plus, free peanuts! Best meal I ever had was a Five Guys burger at the end of my first day of the Maryland bar exam. That was a darned harrowing experience. ---
**Author:** ![Icarus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/icarus/32/72_2.png) [@Icarus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Icarus)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/36 "2010-06-17T14:33:29Z")
Well, since your definition of “chain” seems to include anything with multiple locations, I submit: [Il Fornaio](http://www.ilfornaio.com/) [Roy’s](http://www.roysrestaurant.com/?gclid=CMiBna-rp6ICFRAMDQoduy9aPg) ---
**Author:** ![bordelond](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bordelond/32/150_2.png) [@bordelond](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bordelond)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/37 "2010-06-17T14:33:52Z")
… odd poll to have Popeye’s and White Castle side-by-side with Ruth’s Chris and Morton’s. ---
**Author:** ![miss\_elizabeth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/838e76/32.png) [@miss\_elizabeth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/miss_elizabeth)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 2:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/38 "2010-06-17T14:35:06Z")
Why can’t I pick more than one?! Anyway, Bahama Breeze is good. And Chick-Fil-A. Mmmm ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 2:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/39 "2010-06-17T14:40:48Z")
> [@anu-la1979](#): > > The answer to this question will always be Zankou Chicken. I’ve had variable experience with Zankou; sometimes the food is good, sometimes it is overly greasy, often they’re out of one or more menu items. In general, the two fast-food type chain restaurants I patronize regularly are Chipotle and Panera, both of which are quick, generally offer good, friendly service, and have healthy options. I also frequently go to Rock Bottom Brewery on travel since they have decent food, good beer, and free WiFi. I tend to avoid Cheesecake factory because while the food is pretty good the service seems to be mediocre to bad. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![hogarth](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/hogarth/32/1773_2.png) [@hogarth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/hogarth)\ **Post date:** [June 17, 2010, 2:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519/40 "2010-06-17T14:44:49Z")
I like [The Keg](http://www.kegsteakhouse.com/en/), although no doubt there are thousands of steak snobs who hate it. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-are-actually-rather-good/543519.md?page=3)