OT: Favorite Chain Restaurants
- Thread starter drunkinoakland
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Yes, that's the place. They have good food and their beer is fantastic. White Rajah just won a blind taste test of 160 IPAs. Black Rajah is my favorite Black IPA.
Went to Lola when it first opened but have never been to Greenhouse Tavern.
I am waiting for Pei Wei to come to pittsburgh. It's a counter serve spin off of PF Chang (think Asian version of Moes Grill). Nice atmosphere, good portion sizes, beer available, and PF Chang quality for a fraction of the price.
You can't beat Longhorn Steakhouse for steaks unless you go to Morton's etc. They also have the best ribs in town.
Alright - I have to say it - I don't get the whole lovefest with Longhorn, at all. I do like Outback but I've eaten at Longhorn at least a half dozen times (most recently about a month ago) and continue to be completely underwhelmed. Clearly based on this thread, it must just be me.
I'm with you on Longhorn. Any place that insists on putting a lb. of spices on a steak is lame. All it needs is its own naked self.
FWIW, they've since branched out into Texas. I researched it further, and they now have 27 eateries in the Lone Star State. I figured it was only a matter of time before they'd move toward the east.
Ponderosa, Hoss's, and other cheap steak buffet places seemed so awesome to visit as a kid that I still find them enticing, even if the food quality isn't very good. Unfortunately, most of them are dying off and becoming nostalgia.
Buca di Beppo would be my pick for the best chain option today.
Buca di Beppo would be my pick for the best chain option today.
Well, chains can be high-end as well. On the high end, on rare occasions I want a steak (usually fillet), I'll take Morton's, Ruth's Chris or Capital Grille over Long Horn (which is very popular in south). Famous Dave's over Smokey Bones. For lunch, Panera Bread anywhere in the country. Here in Chattanooga, and the south in general, Chick-fil-A drive through is crowded all day long!
Also big here is Bonefish, PF Chang and J Alexander.
ChooChoo
Also big here is Bonefish, PF Chang and J Alexander.
ChooChoo
I was excited when In and Out moved here to Texas, but have only been there once or twice. An underrated fast-food hamburger place is Elevation Burger.
They have 3 locations now, including one in Portland OR.
Within 5 years they will be all over the West Coast. Glenn, the owner, has agreed to a franchise deal.
The main reason that any chain restaurant food tastes ok is because they use massive amounts of salt on everything. I avoid them as much as possible.
Thank god that no one mentioned Olive Garden. I ate there once. That crap is closer to canned Spaghettios than to even average Italian food in America. Italian food in Italy is in a universe by itself.
Thank god that no one mentioned Olive Garden. I ate there once. That crap is closer to canned Spaghettios than to even average Italian food in America. Italian food in Italy is in a universe by itself.
Skyline Chili. Once a month I must get a large 5-way, which is chili-spaghetti with a vulgarly huge mound of finely shredded cheddar cheese piled on top. One of the better things about living in southwest Ohio. Extra time on the eliptical required, I don't even want to know the calories.
Anyway , totally awesome 70's pics of all local college sports teams and "animal house " type frat parties . Nice nostalgic pics of how life used to be .
I'll second your motion on Longhorn steakhouse....but defer to my grill for high end steaks.
On the "family" side, I like Applebee's because of the cold, cold draft beer.
Low end is Eat-N-Park....they could plop one of those anywhere (except it seems Streetsboro, Ohio) and it will succeed.
Tee Jays in Weirton has the best ribs on the planet!
I heard this location is not affiliated with the original one in slippery rock. Someone told me the original one sued over the use of the name, not sure if this is true or not?
Has anyone been to Chedders ? I've heard good things and wondering if it is worth a road trip ?
I used to single-handedly eat an entire order of them when I was in high school.
I have done the same(now) and is a Tall task ! And probably ate a sandwich too !
The North Park places is not a "chain" per se. Cheddars sucks (boring).
Chains.....decent ones.,.......aside from Morton's and Mitchell's and things like that which are fairly high end yet not particularly exciting...
Carrabas isn't bad. Outback. Hell, many of the burger places. In Texas places like Tacos Aronderia (sp) and some in SoCal are great. Chippoltle is "meh". PF Changs is not exactly David Changs but okay. I mean, chains are fine, but when you are visiting local areas, go local. But some "locals" are chains. Pappadeauxs for example. But from a boy from Pittsburgh, Pappadeauxs is fantastic.
Just like, when you go to say San Antonio, or Austin for Tex Mex, don't go to Chilis. Or if you are going to the coast and go to eat seafood, don't go to Red Lobster (don't go ever) or a big city with a heavy Italian population, don't go to the friggin Olive Garden.
Note, if you have little kids.....then completely understand. Go wherever they want.
Tacqueria Arandas is probably what you're thinking. Really good stuff. And if anybody wants a local chain burrito joint, Freebirds blows Chipotle out of the water.
And I can assure you, regardless of what anybody from Pittsburgh thinks, Houstonians think even higher of their Pappas restaurants. Those places are everywhere and people go crazy for each and every one of them.
Pappadeaux is good, though. Pappasito's, Pappas BBQ, Pappas Burgers, Pappas Steak, and Yia Yia Mary's are all restaurants that aren't great compared to their counterparts but will do in a pinch, but Pappadeaux actually offers something that's different and worthwhile.
Recently went to San Antonio also and they definitely have a huge selection of Mexican restaurants. Not even Tex Mex, like is pretty much standard in places like Houston, Dallas, and Austin. Wound up getting street tacos a bunch, which brings me to a random aside that may be helpful/useful to some on the board:
There's a street taco vendor on Atwood St., right outside of the Mexican grocery store. They're legit street tacos. If anybody is in the area and is craving some of the more authentic Mexican you'll find in Pittsburgh, that's your best bet. Think it's like $2 or $3 per taco, they started doing it when I was a junior or senior.
Surprised nobody's said Ditka's. PITT's own and a terrific experience. Food is always good and great drinks.
Yeah that is it. Tacqueria Arandas. Man, I wish Western PA (the most unLatino area in the nation by the way) would have some decent Mexican/Tex Mex places. Yes, I do like the place in Beechview/Brookline which has friggin killer tacos.
But you can't consider a restaurant with a couple of locations to be a "chain".
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