# Chain Restaurants That PLEASANTLY Surprised You **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 20, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347 "2008-02-20T02:28:43Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![ralph124c](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/8797f3/32.png) [@ralph124c](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ralph124c)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 2:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/1 "2008-02-20T02:28:43Z")
There has been a lot of criticism of chain restaurants…now for something positive! my wife and i went out Sunday, to a Cheese Cake Factory Restaurant. It was great! I had the steak Diane-it was as good as I’ve ever had! My wife had grilled tuna-very good as well. Also, the prices were very reasonable, and the service was good. As I say, I was pleasantly surprised…and we plan on coming back! ---
**Author:** ![PharmBoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/74df32/32.png) [@PharmBoy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PharmBoy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 2:42am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/2 "2008-02-20T02:42:52Z")
Don Pablo’s - I’ve had some pretty good meals there. Also Carrabba’s Italian Grill - the food there is great. ---
**Author:** ![TommyTutone](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/c4cdca/32.png) [@TommyTutone](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TommyTutone)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 2:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/3 "2008-02-20T02:46:46Z")
I have been to Cheesecake Factory four times in my life. The first time, a salad, was good. Everything else: a chicken sandwich, a crab cake sandwich, and something else, has been very disappointing. As for good chains, Foster’s Grill, Fuddruckers, Five Guys Burgers (notice a pattern?), El Pollo Loco, and while the food at Buffalo Wild Wings is questionable, it, combined with NTN trivia and giant drafts of Blue Moon ensures that I am a repeat customer. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 2:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/4 "2008-02-20T02:53:18Z")
A lot of people trash the Cheesecake Factory, but I’ve never had a bad meal there. It’s a little expensive, but you get huge portions (something else that people slag on for some reason), and you can either eat like a king or take it home and get 2-3 meals out of it. I loved their Hungarian goulash, but they took it off the menu. Everything else I’ve tried has been very solid, always well above average and sometimes great. P.F. Chang’s is another one like this. Interesting menu options and dishes served family-style to encourage sharing, sampling, and enjoying leftovers later. It’s not traditional Chinese food by any means, but neither are most storefront Chinese restaurants that dot Chinatown-less cities and suburbs across America, and usually Chang’s food is better quality than those. Again, I’ve never had a bad meal there, aside from mediocre-to-bad desserts. Fuddruckers (national chain) has the best burgers in the world, as far as I’m concerned, and Sonny’s Real Pit Barbecue (Florida chain) is great for cheap, solid 'Q. Not as good as the best joints in Texas or Memphis, but it hits the spot every time. Sonny’s sweet sauce can make any food better! ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 3:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/5 "2008-02-20T03:28:58Z")
[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] A lot of people trash the Cheesecake Factory, but I’ve never had a bad meal there. It’s a little expensive, but you get huge portions (something else that people slag on for some reason), and you can either eat like a king or take it home and get 2-3 meals out of it. I loved their Hungarian goulash, but they took it off the menu. Everything else I’ve tried has been very solid, always well above average and sometimes great. P.F. Chang’s is another one like this. Interesting menu options and dishes served family-style to encourage sharing, sampling, and enjoying leftovers later. It’s not traditional Chinese food by any means, but neither are most storefront Chinese restaurants that dot Chinatown-less cities and suburbs across America, and usually Chang’s food is better quality than those. Again, I’ve never had a bad meal there, aside from mediocre-to-bad desserts. Fuddruckers (national chain) has the best burgers in the world, as far as I’m concerned, and Sonny’s Real Pit Barbecue (Florida chain) is great for cheap, solid 'Q. Not as good as the best joints in Texas or Memphis, but it hits the spot every time. Sonny’s sweet sauce can make any food better! [/QUOTE] I agree about P.F. Chang’s, it’s good, it’s safe, and it’s even interesting. I’ll go back when it’s what I want. Having eaten in Chinatown in DC, NY, and SFO I’ll take Chang’s for , shall we say, the safety of the experience. I’ve never seen a roach in P.F. Chang’s and I can’t say that about the rest. I know they are probably there, but I like not seeing them. Now, 'Q. I’ll be looking for Sonny’s when I come to the Sunshine State in a week or so, but if you are listing BBQ joints and don’t start with North Carolina, you realize that some may disregard what you have to say. I prefer the tart vinegary treat that is NC pulled pork above all others and the only thing Memphis is better than is Kansas City. Texas rules if you want a brisket done right, but the rest are just overcooked food, IMHO. Burgers at Fuddruckers are indeed well worth sampling. I prefer the local Five Guys by a narrow margin, but I’ll grant the the onion rings at Fuddrucker’s can, in the right circimstance, give them a lead. To go downscale, and it’s really way downscale; as roadfood goes, you can do a lot worse than Checkers. Beats McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King all to hell. ---
**Author:** ![Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Hey\_It\_s\_That\_Guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hey_It_s_That_Guy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 3:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/6 "2008-02-20T03:43:06Z")
[QUOTE=brownie55] Now, 'Q. I’ll be looking for Sonny’s when I come to the Sunshine State in a week or so, but if you are listing BBQ joints and don’t start with North Carolina, you realize that some may disregard what you have to say. I prefer the tart vinegary treat that is NC pulled pork above all others and the only thing Memphis is better than is Kansas City. Texas rules if you want a brisket done right, but the rest are just overcooked food, IMHO. [/QUOTE] I’ve only ever been to Memphis, so while I’ve had examples of Texas BBQ, I’m afraid North Carolina style just isn’t done often in Florida. I’m sure it is awesome, though. Where are you visiting in FL? You can actually do better than Sonny’s, depending on where you are. ---
**Author:** ![Apricot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/bcef8e/32.png) [@Apricot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Apricot)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 4:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/7 "2008-02-20T04:55:13Z")
Bahama Breeze - the service is great, and the food is interesting and delicious. ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 11:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/8 "2008-02-20T11:10:43Z")
[QUOTE=Big Bad Voodoo Lou] I’ve only ever been to Memphis, so while I’ve had examples of Texas BBQ, I’m afraid North Carolina style just isn’t done often in Florida. I’m sure it is awesome, though. Where are you visiting in FL? You can actually do better than Sonny’s, depending on where you are. [/QUOTE] I’ll be in the West Plam Beach area, in just about a week. Looking forward to leaving the shitty weather behind for a while. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 3:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/9 "2008-02-20T15:35:29Z")
What **Lou** said. Fuddrucker’s is always good. Ditto Chang’s. ---
**Author:** ![shy\_guy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a6a055/32.png) [@shy\_guy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/shy_guy)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/10 "2008-02-20T15:45:50Z")
I love me some Steak 'n Shake whenever I happen to be in the vicinity of one. ---
**Author:** ![FriarTed](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/friarted/32/1052_2.png) [@FriarTed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FriarTed)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 3:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/11 "2008-02-20T15:49:33Z")
[QUOTE=brownie55] To go downscale, and it’s really way downscale; as roadfood goes, you can do a lot worse than Checkers. Beats McDonald’s, Wendy’s and Burger King all to hell. [/QUOTE] IIRC, Checkers also goes by Rally’s. It’s a regional thing. I don’t know where the regions split, but here in Indiana, it’s Rally’s… and yeah, damn fine burgers AND fries! ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/12 "2008-02-20T15:51:55Z")
I’ve always enjoyed my meals at Friendly’s, Cracker Barrel and IHOP. They’re relatively inexpensive and family friendly table service restaurants where I can bring my kids, know the menu, and find the food acceptable, even enjoyable, and consistent, and I almost never have a long wait – on average, I would say 20 minutes or less. In contrast I’m generally disappointed with what I get (aside from the relative cost of the food) at TGIF and its clone-kin (Ruby Tuesday’s, Benigan’s, etc.) and Applebee’s. I generally like the food at Outback, though I find it somewhat overpriced and the crowds/waits incongruous with the quality: I don’t mind walking in or taking out the food, but I just don’t get why people wait 45 minutes to an hour for a table at an Outback. It’s basically what I would say TGIF’s or Applebee’s _should_ be. Don Pablo’s is a chain? I was only ever familiar with the one location, in the White Marsh shopping center in Maryland. I really liked it the first two times I went there (after the Grand Opening), but have been very disappointed in the food the last two times, even getting the same entrees. I’ll still give it a weighted average rating higher than, say, Chili’s (another chain I find inexplicably popular), but it’s a downward trend. ---
**Author:** ![robardin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/43a26b/32.png) [@robardin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/robardin)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 3:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/13 "2008-02-20T15:59:05Z")
I used to be a fan of Fuddrucker’s, but the last two times I went I found the food terrible. Even my kids didn’t like the hamburgers. Aside from the gargantuan servings (which isn’t a minus for most people), the meat was… tasteless. I can’t explain it. The burgers weren’t overcooked; they were juicy yet devoid of flavor. I could taste ketchup and white bread and something with a greasy mouth feel. It could be that it was just this one Fuddrucker’s, though – now that I think of it, both trips were to the same one, in Baltimore near the Inner Harbor. Avoid it. The funny thing is I had been to that exact Fuddrucker’s when it first opened in the late 1990s, back when I worked at Legg Mason near the Inner Harbor. I thought it was on par with other Fuddrucker’s at the time. So either I’ve gotten pickier or the chain as a whole, or that particular location, has tanked. Based on my kids’ rejections of the burgers though, I don’t think it’s just me. On the plus side of the ledger, another chain I never fail to enjoy my food at is Legal Sea Foods. It’s a Boston based chain, on the expensive side but definitely worth it. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 4:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/14 "2008-02-20T16:17:35Z")
Another vote for Carrabba’s – I’ve eaten there three or four times and been wowed every time. It’s my understanding that they actually go to the market and buy fresh food in season for their specials, rather than just relying on what HQ tells them to flog. ---
**Author:** ![xizor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/xizor/32/102_2.png) [@xizor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/xizor)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 4:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/15 "2008-02-20T16:22:40Z")
Atlanta Bread Company. I liked their soup in a bowl made of bread thing. ---
**Author:** ![RealityChuck](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/realitychuck/32/195_2.png) [@RealityChuck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RealityChuck)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/16 "2008-02-20T17:06:53Z")
Five Guys Burgers. What hamburgers are like in heaven. Cheesecake Factory is OK, but I can’t understand why people are willing to wait 45 minutes or more for it. I wish that Cracker Barrel were better. I love their idea of smaller portions, but it’s all too salty. ---
**Author:** ![Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/troy_mcclure_sf/32/4150_2.png) [@Troy\_McClure\_SF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Troy_McClure_SF)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/17 "2008-02-20T17:07:24Z")
I always thought Round Table was pretty good. We have pizza places falling out the ass here so I wouldn’t order from them, but if Round Table were the only option I can’t say I’d be too disappointed. ---
**Author:** ![Antinor01](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ecae2f/32.png) [@Antinor01](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Antinor01)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 5:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/18 "2008-02-20T17:12:40Z")
I would go to Sizzler just for the clam chowder on their salad bar. Most of the other stuff is pretty meh, but I love the clam chowder. ---
**Author:** ![wolfman](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/a8b319/32.png) [@wolfman](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wolfman)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 5:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/19 "2008-02-20T17:15:38Z")
I have always had a great meal for a great price and Buca Di Beppo’s. Especially for groups of 10+ on real short notice. ---
**Author:** ![Missy2U](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/3bc359/32.png) [@Missy2U](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Missy2U)\ **Post date:** [February 20, 2008, 5:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347/20 "2008-02-20T17:17:35Z")
My faves are Lone Star Steakhouse, Fuddruckers, White Castle and Arby’s. I also like Denny’s, but they’ve gotten pretty expensive. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chain-restaurants-that-pleasantly-surprised-you/438347.md?page=2)