[Even if it isn’t a principled boycott (e.g. you don’t like their animal husbandry practices), just a general dislike]
Inspired by my other thread-thought I’d split chain restaurants (fast food or “slow food”) here.
Hardees: Ate there once years ago, found the meat in their hamburgers absolutely horrid. Even now that I don’t eat mammals, I still wouldn’t go to them even if I did.
Taco Bell: After several non-coincidental cases of gastrointestinal distress, I got the hint-doesn’t hurt that there’s a Moe’s down the street which is 1000% better.
Burger King: Even if I didn’t find their commercial mascot abhorrent, nothing on the menu appeals to me. Once in a blue moon I’ll partake of a McDonald’s fish sandwich, but BK’s version has like 5x the grease.
Arby’s: See “no mammal meat” and “makes me sick to my colon just thinking about it.”
Long John Silvers: Endless reams of tremendously overfried foods. If I have a fish craving it won’t be satisfied here.
Anything which has the word “Steak” or “Barbeque” in the title (e.g. Outback, Sonnys). Absolutely cannot find anything remotely appetizing at such places (more fried food and oversauced horrors).
KFC recently got added to my list. I’m not sure what happened, but it’s not the way I remember it when I was younger [/old fogey alert]. Chicken is more bony and tasteless than before, side dishes not a 1/10th as appealing as they used to be.
What sort of sexist ads, maplekiwi? And where’s “here”?
I won’t eat at a local chain back in New Mexico when I go back. I didn’t eat much there before, but once I found out the president of the company donated $10,000 to support proposition 8 in California, I won’t go back. My boyfriend’s family used to eat there fairly regularly, and they won’t go back either.
It’s a small chain, but it’s the only one I can think of off the top of my head. I effectively don’t eat at McDonald’s, but every now and then they’re the only place in town (at least back in New Mexico).
I’m sorry, I’m so poor and get to go out to eat so seldom that I can’t think of any restaurant I’d boycott. A few years ago I did avoid McDonalds just on general principle, haven’t been there in ages. So I guess you could say I’m boycotting McDonalds. Still. And probably forever.
Judging by his/her username, I’m guessing Canewzealanda.
I am boycotting Red Star Taverns for trespassing a couple I’m friends with after accusing them of not paying their tab (which I know they did, since I was there).
Shame, since their food and beer selection are good and they’re convenient to the office. :mad:
Mayflower Seafood Restaurant…they fry everything but the Pepsi, and my stomach can’t handle it.
Andy’s Cheesesteaks & Cheeseburgers…I last ate there during my senior year in high school, and became violently ill as a result of cross-contamination (one of many problems confirmed by a visit from the health inspector the following week).
I won’t eat at Apple bee’s. The one by my house has the smoking section at the bar in the middle of the restaurant and the non smoking tables are never more than 12 feet from a the smoking tables. The last time I ate there about five years ago there were smokers about one foot away over this little half wall and the ventilation was completely inadequate for the task. The employees were snarky about my request to move, and there really wasn’t anywhere in the joint that would have been much better.
That all said, I do not like the people who try to force non smoking on businesses legislatively, but If market forces do it then it seems fine.
Active intentional avoidance (rather than ‘let’s try this independent/family-owned new restaurant instead’ passive avoidance):
McDonald’s - beef broth on their fries and hash browns (and covering it up for a long time), chicken on almost all of their salads, means nothing for this vegetarian to eat.
Cracker Barrel - for their policy of discrimination against hiring gay and lesbian employees in states where that’s still allowed.
Dead Lobster. There are many better seafood places wherever I live.
Taco Bell - no principles - nothing but their churros are any good.
I effectively boycott Burger King just because I much prefer McDonald’s and Wendy’s. I did eat there when I was in grad school where the alternative (Burger Chef) was even worse.
And most controversially, In’n’Out Burger, since I don’t see standing in line for the worst fries I’ve ever had out - either way. Their burgers are okay if not fantastic, but their fries are so bad that I avoid them like the plague.
I’d probably avoid Chick-fil-a because of their politics, though their food is not bad, but there are none out here so it is not an issue.
I figured out a while back that if I boycotted every chain restaurant whose corporate parent did something I didn’t like, I’d starve. So I don’t bother any more. All it would do is hurt some local franchisee trying to make a living, and who is also providing jobs for a lot of my students.
I did forget to add this one. Though I see so few of them anymore, where I am. Once again, when I’m in New Mexico, that’s when the boycott becomes “active”.
Another vote for Chick-Fil-A. They are also closed on Sunday, which pisses me off. The boycott would be going much better if their chicken sandwiches weren’t so delicious.
KFC was on my list since 1989. I was going to break that with the coupon for a meal which turned into a nationwide fiasco. Thus it reinforces my resolve to never eat anything from them for the rest of my life. It was service and the managements attitude about screwing over their customers that stopped me from going there the first time.
I could have added a lot of fast food places if you just said won’t eat at as opposed to boycott. The won’t eat at places are just food I hate. The boycott places are a place that did something bad. The last boycott place went out of business a week or two after I went there and said never again. I’m happy they went under too. I keep having flashed pictures of the restaurants chief Ramsey tries to save.
