# Cities With No Upscale Restaurants **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [June 23, 2014, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481 "2014-06-23T21:13:42Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Nema98](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/d2c977/32.png) [@Nema98](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nema98)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 9:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/1 "2014-06-23T21:13:42Z")
What are some cities you have either lived in or visited that don’t have any very high end restaurants? I know mid to large size cities will have five star places, and ghost towns obviously don’t. But what are some cities with say 50-90,000 population range that don’t have any upscale restaurants? One I noticed is Santa Cruz, California. I went to UC Santa Cruz, cute city and gorgeous campus. But the city was mostly filled with hamburger and pizza places, and no fancy restaurants to speak of. Even the more expensive ones were not one you’d consider “fancy”. Any Dopers can nominate other cities? ---
**Author:** ![running\_coach](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/running_coach/32/15836_2.png) [@running\_coach](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/running_coach)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 9:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/2 "2014-06-23T21:24:52Z")
Modesto, Ca. (depending on your definition of upscale) There was one of those 7 course places(small courses) with only a choice of entree and desert. Didn’t last long. ---
**Author:** ![ftg](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ftg/32/2801_2.png) [@ftg](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ftg)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 9:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/3 "2014-06-23T21:45:16Z")
I live in a suburban county with a population over 800,000. There are no upscale restaurants here. Maybe not a “city” as per the OP, but with that sort of population, to not have standard city amenities like this is depressing. ---
**Author:** ![Wesley\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wesley_clark/32/20581_2.png) [@Wesley\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wesley_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/4 "2014-06-23T21:56:55Z")
Define upscale. Is Ruth’s Chris upscale? ---
**Author:** ![LibrarySpy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/f9ae1b/32.png) [@LibrarySpy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LibrarySpy)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/5 "2014-06-23T22:02:25Z")
I consider Ruth’s Chris upscale. However, I consider a town with ONLY a Ruth’s Chris to be bereft. ---
**Author:** ![Roderick\_Femm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/roderick_femm/32/14875_2.png) [@Roderick\_Femm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Roderick_Femm)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 11:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/6 "2014-06-23T23:04:45Z")
Salem, Oregon is pretty bad, although there are a few places downtown that cater to the politicians on expense accounts, I guess (it’s the state capital, but I didn’t have to tell you that). Newport Seafood Grill is probably right up there, and it’s only good in comparison with what else is available. I used to visit my parents when they were living there, and it seemed pretty barren food-wise (although I was comparing it to San Francisco, which probably wasn’t fair). ---
**Author:** ![even\_sven](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/dfb087/32.png) [@even\_sven](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/even_sven)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 11:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/7 "2014-06-23T23:29:02Z")
Sacramento is pretty bad. It has some expensive restaurants, but not much that is truly upscale. ---
**Author:** ![jayrey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/47e85d/32.png) [@jayrey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayrey)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2014, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/8 "2014-06-23T23:38:19Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Salem, Oregon is pretty bad, although there are a few places downtown that cater to the politicians on expense accounts, I guess (it’s the state capital, but I didn’t have to tell you that). Newport Seafood Grill is probably right up there, and it’s only good in comparison with what else is available. I used to visit my parents when they were living there, and it seemed pretty barren food-wise (although I was comparing it to San Francisco, which probably wasn’t fair). This is what I came in to say: Salem is downright bereft of upscale dining. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 12:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/9 "2014-06-24T00:03:00Z")
A good friend of mine in college went on an interview to Johnson City, TN. He was a bit of a food snob even then, and he asked the interviewer what kind of good restaurants they had in town. The interviewer thought for a moment and said “Well, we have a Red Lobster.” My friend didn’t take the job. ---
**Author:** ![Eva\_Luna](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/e495f1/32.png) [@Eva\_Luna](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eva_Luna)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/10 "2014-06-24T01:06:11Z")
Bloomington, IN ([population 80,405)](https://bloomington.in.gov/documents/viewDocument.php?document_id=481), when I was living there (though maybe it’s changed). Heck, the only bagels you could even find back then were Lender’s frozen ones. Hopefully things have changed for the better since the 1995 - 96 school year. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 1:24am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/11 "2014-06-24T01:24:31Z")
> [@Roderick\_Femm](#): > > Salem, Oregon is pretty bad, although there are a few places downtown that cater to the politicians on expense accounts, I guess (it’s the state capital, but I didn’t have to tell you that). Jefferson City, Missouri is in pretty much the same boat, although it’s smaller than the OP’s minimum 50,000 criterion. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 1:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/12 "2014-06-24T01:39:35Z")
> [@running\_coach](#): > > Modesto, Ca. (depending on your definition of upscale) > > There was one of those 7 course places(small courses) with only a choice of entree and desert. > Didn’t last long. But hey, just within the last few months they opened up a second In-n-Out Burger. Now there’s a choice! ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 1:41am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/13 "2014-06-24T01:41:00Z")
I would also nominate San Miguel, Ca., a thriving metropolis having a population in the range of 50-90,000 but much closer to the 50 people end of that range. ---
**Author:** ![Defensive\_Indifference](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/defensive_indifference/32/6502_2.png) [@Defensive\_Indifference](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Defensive_Indifference)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/14 "2014-06-24T02:03:12Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Jefferson City, Missouri is in pretty much the same boat, although it’s smaller than the OP’s minimum 50,000 criterion. I thought of the same thing. Jeff City is OK. It has some things going for it. But restaurants aren’t among them. I recall going to a decent German place there in the late 90s. Not really upscale, but pleasant. ---
**Author:** ![P-man](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/p-man/32/3606_2.png) [@P-man](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/P-man)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 2:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/15 "2014-06-24T02:10:59Z")
> [@beowulff](#): > > A good friend of mine in college went on an interview to Johnson City, TN. He was a bit of a food snob even then, and he asked the interviewer what kind of good restaurants they had in town. The interviewer thought for a moment and said “Well, we have a Red Lobster.” > > My friend didn’t take the job. It’s not a place with lots of fine cuisine, but there are places better than Red Lobster there. Since living there I’ve lived in NY and the DC area, so there’s not much of a comparison. ---
**Author:** ![Senegoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/senegoid/32/6606_2.png) [@Senegoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Senegoid)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 4:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/16 "2014-06-24T04:14:40Z")
“Ruth’s Chris” is a bizarre name. What does it mean? ---
**Author:** ![zoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zoid/32/336_2.png) [@zoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zoid)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 4:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/17 "2014-06-24T04:30:30Z")
[http://www.littlezagreb.com/](http://www.littlezagreb.com/) > [@Eva\_Luna](#): > > Bloomington, IN ([population 80,405)](https://bloomington.in.gov/documents/viewDocument.php?document_id=481), when I was living there (though maybe it’s changed). Heck, the only bagels you could even find back then were Lender’s frozen ones. Hopefully things have changed for the better since the 1995 - 96 school year. [Janko’s Little Zagreb](http://www.littlezagreb.com/) is a very good restaurant, bordering on excellent [Tallent](http://www.restauranttallent.com/) was nominated for a James Beard award. Esan Thai is remarkably authentic for the Midwest. The first two definitely qualify as fine dining. Pizza and authentic Italian in the area still suck balls as far as I can tell. ---
**Author:** ![beowulff](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/beowulff/32/542_2.png) [@beowulff](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/beowulff)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 4:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/18 "2014-06-24T04:36:37Z")
> [@Senegoid](#): > > “Ruth’s Chris” is a bizarre name. What does it mean? [A restaurant named “Chris’s” was bought by a woman named Ruth.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Ruth's_Chris_Steak_House) ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 5:16am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/19 "2014-06-24T05:16:20Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Jefferson City, Missouri is in pretty much the same boat, although it’s smaller than the OP’s minimum 50,000 criterion. Ahh, but your only about 100 miles from Lambert’s Cafe - Home of the thrown rolls. Actually the food is pretty good. ---
**Author:** ![Urbanredneck](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/u/ea5d25/32.png) [@Urbanredneck](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Urbanredneck)\ **Post date:** [June 24, 2014, 5:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481/20 "2014-06-24T05:18:01Z")
Just because a restaurant has fancy decor and high prices, doesnt mean the food is all that great. I’d rather pay for good food than ambiance. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/cities-with-no-upscale-restaurants/691481.md?page=2)