TGI McFunsters. Bourdain hated it, I hate it. My husband and I laughed when we went to Times Square to see a show and walked past the McFunsters there… and it was packed. Seriously people? You’re in New York. One of the culinary meccas of the world. And you’re eating at TGI McFunsters. Yack.
I voted Chili’s because there is literally NOTHING that I will order off of their menu. All the rest of the restaurants have a variety of food that I’ll get.
Chili’s is the only place where I’ve gone in and sat with a group of people and only drank pepsi-products (or coke, whatever).
There’s too many things wrong with this post to even start…
Quiznos. It’s not on the list, but I’m voting for it anyway. There used to be one near my work, and every time I ate there, I had to go to the bathroom immediately afterward. Plus there was hardly ever a place to sit, and the sauces they made such a big deal about always tasted rancid. One day early last year, I was walking by and found some guys taking the kitchen equipment out; it had gone out of business all of a sudden. They never put another restaurant there in its place.
Oh yeah, I also have to give an honorable mention to Chuck E. Cheese. All their restaurants smell like rotten cheese the second you walk in. You don’t go there for the food, you go for the “atmosphere” so beloved by children and loathed by their guardians. We had the Princess’ third birthday party there, and they kicked our group out of the party area after precisely an hour and a half. We had to drive back home so she could have a place to open her presents. Oh yeah, almost forgot - my brother used to work there when he was in high school, and hated it with a passion. I doubt he’ll ever take his kid there, now that he has one.
As for Cracker Barrel… why did they have to call it that? The name sounds like a slur against their own customer base. And then there’s the homophobia. I’ve never eaten there, and hope I never have to.
Their schtick is old-timey country-store atmosphere, and the cracker barrel is part of that (it was, literally, a barrel that crackers were shipped and stored in).
The service.
I have yet to dine at a Steak and Shake where the service wasn’t ungodly slow and the server wasn’t apathetic at best, demonstrably rude at worst.
I’m intrigued by your theory, and should like to subscribe to your newsletter.
True story: My wife used to adjust worker’s compensation claims at a third party outfit which shall remain nameless. One case involved a Waffle House waitress who’d been struck by a car while at work… in the store… behind the counter. -That was not, sadly, the most bizarre case involving WH.
I voted for Cracker Barrel.
All the homespun-doodle-cracktastic God’s #1 UHMERIKUH gift shop. Waxing nostolgic over what never was and the FAT LARD ASSES* getting a stiffy over gravy smothered fried crap. shudders
The service is always horrible and their anti-gay policy is repugnant.
*My Best friend refers to them as Milkshakes.
Chuck Cheese’s should really be renamed as Chucky Petri Dish Knife Fight.
My kids haven’t been to one since THAT birthday part where someone from another party brought a very sick little boy who FARKING CONTAMINATED every kid in the joint. My son lost eight weeks of preschool ( still had to pay) because of the level of sickness that GERMINATOR caused. his sister got sick and they ping ponged back and forth for weeks, then dragged my husband into the mess. Those fucking places need to be nuked from outerspace.
Chucky Cheese’s is the Walmart of kid’s restaurant. Come for the fun, stay for the fights.
MTE. And the proverbial team of wild horses couldn’t drag me into any one of those “restaurants”.
Ok, WTH is that place? A restaurant or what?
yep, a theme place.:eek:
I’m torn. There’s McDonald’s for the “McLibel” case (including infiltrating London’s Greenpeace branch to get evidence against those making harsh statements about their food, and specifically trying a case in the UK where libel laws are much tougher for the defendants to stand up against) and representing their beef-stock-soaked fries for years as vegetarian (not even noting this on ingredients lists), much to the chagrin of Hindus and vegetarians. (I have a personal grudge against them for the latter.) Then there’s Cracker Barrel’s homophobia. I’ll have to give the award to Cracker Barrel but McDonald’s is no prize here.
I am Sooooooo not picky when it comes to food, I’ll happily eat at most any of these restaurants on the list and enjoy the food very much. White Castle? One in each hand. Applebee’s? Love it. Olive Garden? It’s Italian enough for me.
However…
Cici’s?
Went there once, a few years ago, loved the idea of a pizza buffet. Until, that is, I sampled their ‘pizza’. Tasted worse than your average generic cheap-ass frozen pizza from the supermarket. Much worse, in fact. They have some nerve calling that stuff food.
I wouldn’t grace their buffet line again if Don Corelone himself suggested I do so.
mmm
I voted IHOP because their pancakes taste like powder. MY real choice is White Castle. They are the worst burgers on the planet.
I don’t think I want to eat there, but did you mean to post a link to this thread?
That’s a whole other chain…
Once, right after I moved here to Lancaster, I was craving chicken and waffles so we went to the Waffle House a mile or so from supervenusfreak’s house.
I was served waffles over which something that resembled warm water that had been run over a frozen chicken and then dusted with flour had been poured. They called it gravy. I called bullshit.
I don’t get this one either. You’re in New York City, people. One of the fricking fracking culinary meccas of the world. For god sakes at least make an effort and go find a great slice of pizza or a good take out Chinese place. We’re filled with them.
I grew up in Brighton Beach, Brooklyn. I’ll never forget the lady and her kids who came up to me one day and asked where she could find a Mickey D’s. Ew. Brighton Beach is largely Russian and teems with great restaurants and fabulous take out. And it’s not as if the food is all that exotic even to the uninitiated. Chicken Kiev is just fried chicken with butter. Shashlik is merely thick hunks of seasoned sausage. Much of the rest is standard kid food like fresh veggies and chocolate dipped everything.
It isn’t going to hurt your children to try a bowl of deeply dilled chicken soup or some potato pirogi with mushrooms and onions. One of the glories of visiting anywhere is surely discovering fantastic new tastes and inspiring new dishes. Anyone who denies themselves that pleasure is denying themselves one of life’s best experiences.
Screw the Burger King for at least a meal or two.