# What chain restaurant has the Worst food? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 5, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500 "2005-04-05T05:52:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![squeegee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/squeegee/32/14537_2.png) [@squeegee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/squeegee)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 5:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/1 "2005-04-05T05:52:52Z")
Absolutely Denny’s. But that might be regional. The Denny’s in Illinois, for me, seemed just marginal. The ones in California are just awful – swill that would gag a sewer rat. ---
**Author:** ![Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/larry_griffin-kentzel/32/14787_2.png) [@Larry\_Griffin-Kentzel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Larry_Griffin-Kentzel)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 6:00am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/2 "2005-04-05T06:00:16Z")
This thread is better suited for [**In My Humble Opinion**](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/forumdisplay.php?f=12). I’ll move it for you. **Cajun Man** for the SDMB ---
**Author:** ![The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/74df32/32.png) [@The\_Devil\_s\_Grandmother](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/The_Devil_s_Grandmother)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 6:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/3 "2005-04-05T06:03:40Z")
Are you counting McDonalds as a restaurant? I suppose you must be if Hardee’s is being considered. I’ll vote for McDonalds being the worst. ---
**Author:** ![choosybeggar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/8c91f0/32.png) [@choosybeggar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/choosybeggar)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 6:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/4 "2005-04-05T06:09:17Z")
I had a singularly bad meal at Olive Garden. ---
**Author:** ![Sternvogel](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/bc79bd/32.png) [@Sternvogel](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sternvogel)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 6:38am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/5 "2005-04-05T06:38:52Z")
I don’t eat hamburgers, but I occasionally get a taste for a couple of McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish® sandwiches and a chocolate shake. However, I never patronize **Burger King** unless going elsewhere isn’t an option. Last time I ate there was when I was on a bus trip to a basketball game and the driver opted for **BK**. I also can’t understand how anyone can like **Little Caesar’s** pizza. ---
**Author:** ![Cunctator](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/43a26b/32.png) [@Cunctator](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cunctator)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/6 "2005-04-05T06:47:05Z")
> [@enantiomer](#): > > KFC still has good chicken, but there service and prices get worse with every trip. Except that KFC doesn’t cook the chicken properly! ---
**Author:** ![LavenderBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/e95f7d/32.png) [@LavenderBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LavenderBlue)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 6:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/7 "2005-04-05T06:47:17Z")
Papa John’s Pizza is an insult to good Italian Americans everywhere. I’d rather eat a frozen pie. ---
**Author:** ![threemae](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/5f9b8f/32.png) [@threemae](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/threemae)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 6:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/8 "2005-04-05T06:51:08Z")
Dear god, Chili’s. ---
**Author:** ![Little\_Nemo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/little_nemo/32/3120_2.png) [@Little\_Nemo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Little_Nemo)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/9 "2005-04-05T07:03:56Z")
Does Domino’s count as a chain restaurant? If not, I’ll go with Pizza Hut. It’s amazing to think these chains have managed to build national businesses on such poor quality product. There can’t be a Domino’s or Pizza Hut in this country which doesn’t have a better pizza place within one mile. ---
**Author:** ![Snooooopy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ee7513/32.png) [@Snooooopy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Snooooopy)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 7:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/10 "2005-04-05T07:21:50Z")
> [@squeegee](#): > > Absolutely Denny’s. But that might be regional. The Denny’s in Illinois, for me, seemed just marginal. The ones in California are just awful – swill that would gag a sewer rat. But Denny’s is TRYING to be shitty, isn’t it? ---
**Author:** ![betenoir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/258eb7/32.png) [@betenoir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/betenoir)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 7:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/11 "2005-04-05T07:40:30Z")
> [@The Devil's Grandmother](#): > > Are you counting McDonalds as a restaurant? I suppose you must be if Hardee’s is being considered. I’ll vote for McDonalds being the worst. See, I wouldn’t. There are some places I don’t think of as resturants. Every now and then I think “I’d like some McDonalds”. Which I put in an entirerly differnent catagory that “I’d like some food”. A far as something that acts like a resturant I want to nominate “99”. Which I believe is basically a New England chain so many people will be fortunate enough not to have heard if it. Basically one of those "family style"resturants, which I foound myself fequenting when it was the only place next to where I worked. All the basic crap you get at those kind of chain returants but they couldn’t even come up to those low standards. I think I’d prefer Denny’s. ---
**Author:** ![orbitingio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/ac8455/32.png) [@orbitingio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/orbitingio)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 7:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/12 "2005-04-05T07:46:20Z")
TGI Friday’s, Applebee’s, The Cracker Barrel, Olive Garden, Ruby Tuesday’s, etc. etc. etc. ---
**Author:** ![ouryL](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ouryl/32/6067_2.png) [@ouryL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ouryL)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 7:49am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/13 "2005-04-05T07:49:38Z")
Denny’s ---
**Author:** ![bclouse](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/e19adc/32.png) [@bclouse](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bclouse)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 8:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/14 "2005-04-05T08:28:02Z")
**Jack in the Box**. No doubt at all. The most disgusting food period. Doesn’t even deserve to be called fast food. ---
**Author:** ![DoctorJ](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/doctorj/32/2904_2.png) [@DoctorJ](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DoctorJ)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 9:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/15 "2005-04-05T09:08:25Z")
Ten years or so ago, I seem to remember liking the Olive Garden. Now they bring it to us at the hospital every now and then, and it’s just shite. Granted, my gourmet sensibilities have seriously developed in those same ten years, but I’m still forced to wonder if they’ve actually gotten worse or if it’s just me. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Paprika](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dr_paprika/32/3042_2.png) [@Dr\_Paprika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Paprika)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 9:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/16 "2005-04-05T09:33:56Z")
Taco Bell. How many ways can you combine cheese, ground beef and a bready shell? ---
**Author:** ![Odesio](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/odesio/32/20003_2.png) [@Odesio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odesio)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 9:55am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/17 "2005-04-05T09:55:49Z")
Cracker Barrel. I never cared for the food but my mother was hungry so we stopped in Tenn. to grab a bite. Halfway through my meal I figured out what was wrong with Cracker Barrel, it was old people food!! The veggies were overcooked, the meat was dry, and everything was pretty much flavorless. I would rather food taste bad then for it to be bland. In terms of the food that’s worst for you I can’t narrow it down amongst all the fast food places. Jack in the Box, McDonald’s, Burger King, and Long John Silvers are all pretty much the same. Marc ---
**Author:** ![Who\_me\_1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/958977/32.png) [@Who\_me\_1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Who_me_1)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 11:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/18 "2005-04-05T11:15:19Z")
Either McDonalds or Pizza Hut. There are things I may eat at either, but not hamburgers at Micky D’s or pizza at the Hut. ---
**Author:** ![Genghis\_Bob](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/45deac/32.png) [@Genghis\_Bob](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Genghis_Bob)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/19 "2005-04-05T11:27:43Z")
From recent, painful experience: \*\*Olive Garden \*\* and **Red Robin**. Lots of grease, not a lot of flavor. I was surprised to discover that \*\*Ruby Tuesdays \*\* and \*\*Bob Evans \*\* were actually not bad on a recent trip. Nothing fancy, but no nasty surprises. ---
**Author:** ![Grrr](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/grrr/32/146_2.png) [@Grrr](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Grrr)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 11:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500/20 "2005-04-05T11:54:54Z")
I’m not sure if they have these outside of Texas but El’ Pancho’s. (all you can eat Mexican buffet) is the absolute worst. At the risk of sounding ambivalent I’ll say Mcdonald’s as well. Except that there is this one McDonalds right buy my house that’s actually pretty good. But it’s a total fluke. Fist off when you walk in there it’s like walking into a steak house. Seriously, they’ve got oak wood paneling on the walls complete with fancy nostalgic sports memorabilia. Not that any of that helps the quality of the food but what they _do_, do to help the quality of the food is they don’t cook anything untill you order it. (including french fries, which if you’e going to eat FF the ONLY way to eat them is fresh out of the frier!) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-chain-restaurant-has-the-worst-food/298500.md?page=2)