# Which Chain Restaurant Has The \*Best\* Food? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 5, 2005, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895 "2005-04-05T19:55:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Duckster](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/duckster/32/1244_2.png) [@Duckster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Duckster)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 7:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/1 "2005-04-05T19:55:11Z")
Inspired by all the [naysayers in this thread](http://boards.straightdope.com/sdmb/showthread.php?t=310322), which chain has the best food? You are welcome to use any of the named chains in the above thread if you feel differently than all the complainers. ---
**Author:** ![brownie55](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f14d63/32.png) [@brownie55](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brownie55)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 7:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/2 "2005-04-05T19:58:51Z")
Ruth’s Chris for steak McCormick and Schmick for seafood ---
**Author:** ![CandidGamera](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/candidgamera/32/2878_2.png) [@CandidGamera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CandidGamera)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 8:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/3 "2005-04-05T20:01:36Z")
My favorite fastfood chain’s are : KFC, Wendy’s, and Fazoli’s. Stepiing up to casual dining : Ruby Tuesday’s, Texas Roadhouse, the Longhorn. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 8:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/4 "2005-04-05T20:03:42Z")
How are you defining chain? Several prominent chefs have opened fairly large empires of restaurants that all rely on the same basic concept of execution. ---
**Author:** ![vibrotronica](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a9a28c/32.png) [@vibrotronica](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vibrotronica)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 8:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/5 "2005-04-05T20:16:19Z")
**Backyard Burger** makes a great burger and good fries. **Subway** is generally consistent and nonthreatening. At least you can get usually get fresh veggies for your sub there. I’ve had good sit-down meals at **Houstons** , but the local one is widely reputed to treat their employees very badly, so I don’t patronize them. Not all chains are like **Olive Garden**! ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 8:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/6 "2005-04-05T20:33:52Z")
Waffle House. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![picker](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/picker/32/13969_2.png) [@picker](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/picker)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 8:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/7 "2005-04-05T20:57:22Z")
Fast Food? Culver’s, hands down. Mmm, Butterburgers! Slightly Upscale Chain? I’d have to go with Macaroni Grill, Famous Dave’s or P.F. Chang’s. ---
**Author:** ![Odinoneeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/97f17d/32.png) [@Odinoneeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Odinoneeye)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 9:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/8 "2005-04-05T21:04:31Z")
Best steakhouse is Texas Roadhouse. They have a great seasoning for their steaks and fantastic cinnimon butter. If they would just stop playing that damn country music. (woah deja vu…) Oh yea and for fast food, gotta be Fazollis. I really wish they would open on in the Detroit north metro area. (Canton and Flint are just too far away) ---
**Author:** ![MysteryFellow63427](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/a88e4f/32.png) [@MysteryFellow63427](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MysteryFellow63427)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 9:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/9 "2005-04-05T21:06:54Z")
For cheap diner and breakfast food, I’ve got no complaints about the various **International Houses of Pancakes** at which I’ve eaten. **Romano’s Macaroni Grill** is very nice for a middle-end type of place. Never had a bad meal there. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 9:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/10 "2005-04-05T21:10:01Z")
Legal Seafood. I’m not sure if it is much of a chain, but we have them in NY and Boston. ---
**Author:** ![Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/ec9cab/32.png) [@Ass\_For\_A\_Hat](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ass_For_A_Hat)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/11 "2005-04-05T21:22:05Z")
> [@brownie55](#): > > McCormick and Schmick for seafood I disagree. The Oceanaire for seafood. ---
**Author:** ![Waverly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/57b2e6/32.png) [@Waverly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Waverly)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/12 "2005-04-05T21:46:38Z")
> [@picker](#): > > P.F. Chang’s. Chang’s is good, if for nother other reason than the one in Tempe is crawling with coeds. ---
**Author:** ![asterion](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/4da419/32.png) [@asterion](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/asterion)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 9:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/13 "2005-04-05T21:48:43Z")
Schlotzsky’s makes a good sandwich. ---
**Author:** ![Cervaise](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cervaise/32/16693_2.png) [@Cervaise](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cervaise)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/14 "2005-04-05T21:49:55Z")
It’s West Coast only, but I’m fond of Red Robin. ---
**Author:** ![Limbo\_Donni](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Limbo\_Donni](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Limbo_Donni)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/15 "2005-04-05T21:53:23Z")
I’m partial to Quizno’s toasted sub sandwiches. ---
**Author:** ![Dignan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/f07891/32.png) [@Dignan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dignan)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 10:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/16 "2005-04-05T22:08:42Z")
> [@Cervaise](#): > > It’s West Coast only, but I’m fond of Red Robin. I’m pretty sure I ate at a Red Robin in New Jersey, unless you mean that the only good Red Robins are on the West Coast. ---
**Author:** ![Corii](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/aeb1de/32.png) [@Corii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Corii)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/17 "2005-04-05T22:09:49Z")
I love Red Robin, but the best chain food ever is Chik-fil-A. I’m very sad they don’t have any out here on the left coast. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![randomlyblanks](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/71c47a/32.png) [@randomlyblanks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/randomlyblanks)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/18 "2005-04-05T22:12:15Z")
In-n-Out Burger by far has the best food of any chain. The secret menu drastically improves everything. The “well done” fries are the best as is any burger “animal style” ---
**Author:** ![CapnPitt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/edb3f5/32.png) [@CapnPitt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CapnPitt)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 10:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/19 "2005-04-05T22:12:56Z")
I’m really really partial to Steak and Shake. However, I’m a huge fan of Romano’s Macaroni Grill also. We just don’t have any in Pittsburgh. ☹ > [@Dignan](#): > > I’m pretty sure I ate at a Red Robin in New Jersey, unless you mean that the only good Red Robins are on the West Coast. Went to Red Robin this past Saturday night and it was a disaster. Bad food, bad service, bad atmosphere. Exactly the opposite of the one I went to outside of Philly last year. ---
**Author:** ![Shirley\_Ujest](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shirley\_Ujest](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shirley_Ujest)\ **Post date:** [April 5, 2005, 10:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895/20 "2005-04-05T22:13:45Z")
For semi-fast food: \*\* Subway.\*\* Always a safe, nutritional bet. For fast food: **Taco Bell**. It is consistant and affordable. For Fast Food of a regional Chain that deserves more attention: **Hot 'n’Now**. Best freaking burgers and the.fastest.drive-thru.service.bar.none. Oh, and it’s also affordable. They just need shakes to complete the trifecta. For Sit Down: **Logan’s Steakhouse** Just love everything about them. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/which-chain-restaurant-has-the-best-food/297895.md?page=2)