I normally try to stay away from chains, but I’ll go with Sweet Tomatoes: so many choices which change frequently, lots of vegetarian items, posted nutritional info, fairly healthy.
A casino buffet.
Saint Dinette, except it currently isn’t open for breakfast or lunch weekdays (lunch/brunch on weekends). The cheeseburger there is five pounds of meat ground up with one pound of butter…its SOOOOO good. But the tacos are better. On the other hand, if you are eating that much butter, you might not need breakfast or lunch.
Anatolia or Cantina Laredo in Nashville.
This. Besides, they have (in my opinion) the best pancakes of any chain restaurant anywhere, and I can eat breakfast three meals a day. Their non-breakfast menu is mediocre, in my view, but enough to get by when I need variety.
I’d pick Eats Place, a chef incubator in my neighborhood. Every month or so, a different chef comes in and runs the place. You’d get lots of variety and they have a good bar.
CRACKER BARREL OLD COUNTRY STORE
They were founded just east of Nashville–my home town. The recipes are how my mother and grandmother cooked, and they’re open for breakfast, lunch and supper.
It’s 11 miles to Manresa. I could do it.
For me, one restaurant only means I need one open 24/7.
In my area that means a Perkins or an IHOP. I’m not wild about either, but I would go with the Perkins as its menu has a little more variety.
I’d go with Village Inn (regional diner-type chain) or IHOP. Both are relatively close to my home and have a decent balance of breakfast, lunch, and dinner items. I’d prefer a locally-owned diner over a chain, since they tend to have more varied and interesting menus, but there’s nothing available nearby.
Unfortunately neither of them is open 24 hours (at least not the locations in my neighborhood) and that might be a problem for me. The OP’s proviso that you cannot eat anywhere but the chosen restaurant is a little disturbing. I might start sneaking out to the 7-Eleven in the dead of night for Cheetos or a Slim Jim, which I’d furtively consume in a dark alley.
Chap-A-Nosh on Elm Street in Brooklyn. They have deli, they have Chinese, they have Tex-Mex, so I’d have variety and it’s always good.
This is the place I came in to mention. Then when I went there, I wouldn’t have to eat to the bursting point to try everything–all so good.
One of the reasons restaurants like this can have a huge menu is everything is prepared elsewhere and stored frozen, to be microwaved as needed. Very little is made fresh. Not that it matters to some people.
That describes everything I eat at home. It’s either frozen or in a box/can. I actually eat better at restaurants – even Denny’s. 