Family Restaurants

[Terminator X]

For just a sec, I thought this was going to be a thread dissing Applebee's. I would've had to whip out the BIG guns.

[Alfster]

I should make one for you


-Applebee's sucks. Balls.

[Terminator X]

Figghghgh

:eatme:

[Alfster]

I dunno man. Applebee's is expensive, at least in comparison to the other restaurants around town. Their food is alright, but it's about the same as anywhere else. Their drinks are about a dollar more than everywhere else I eat.

Oh, I almost forgot, you don't get half as much food as you do at the other restaurants. The only real thing they have going for them are the hot waitresses.

[Brattt8525]

Originally posted by Alfster
I should make one for you


-Applebee's sucks. Balls.

I agree! I took the kids there the other day and ordered some chicken dinner. The rice with it didn't have any taste, and the chicken was aweful and I paid 12.99 for it!

Chili's is WAY better. Montery chicken with bacon yum.

[Atlanteax]

I'm not a fan of Applebee's either.

[Leetahkin]

Originally posted by Brattt8525

Originally posted by Alfster
I should make one for you


-Applebee's sucks. Balls.

I agree! I took the kids there the other day and ordered some chicken dinner. The rice with it didn't have any taste, and the chicken was aweful and I paid 12.99 for it!

Chili's is WAY better. Montery chicken with bacon yum.

Chili's Monterey chicken :drool:
I'm holding onto a gift card from there too.
Need someone to take to dinner with me.

[CrystalTears]

I've only gone to Applebee's when we get a gift card from work. We would rather go to Chili's anyday. :drool:

[Jenisi]

Haha. I hate chilli's. Gross. Anyway, I started working at applbebees because I love the food. Been there a year and 3 months now. There is only one thing on the menu I don't like, and that's the maderia steak tips.

[Showal]

I'll go with you Ent

[Leetahkin]

Originally posted by Showal
I'll go with you Ent

Woohoo, you're on! :smilegrin:
Heh, typical male - won't pass up a free meal

[Celephais]

If we're talking familyish franchise restraunts...

The 99, hands down.

[Hips]

TGIF's isn't too bad, but that's because I love love love their Jack Daniel's sauce.

The rest (Chili's, Applebee's) are eh. I'd prefer to eat at a normal non-chain restaurant.

[Edited on 7-26-2005 by GS3 Michiko]

[Stunseed]

Nothing tops Applebee's Riblets.

Past that, when I go out, I normally order chicken, which is a total waste.

[SnatchWrangler]

Originally posted by Celephais
If we're talking familyish franchise restraunts...

The 99, hands down.

I've got to admit, when I've visiting my girlfriend on the Cape, the 99 is a decent place.

The food is good (and cheap compared to the same style of restaurants in Jersey) and the draft/drink prices are cheap when compared to other family type restaurants.

[Trouble]

For the big chains: Outback > Olive Garden > Friday's > Tuesday's > Macaroni grill >>> Applebee's

For a smaller chain, I like Rio Grande Cafe and Rock Bottom Brewery.

The only thing I don't like about Outback is that they've taken all of the vegetarian (plain salads don't count) entrees off of their menu. They used to have a Wahalla Pasta I liked. Yes, I know it's Outback STEAKHOUSE, but still, most restaurants have something vegetarian. Now I just get a Bloomin Onion and either a salad if I'm being good, or cheese fries if I'm being bad.

Bloomin Onion ftw!

[SnatchWrangler]

Originally posted by Trouble
For the big chains: Outback > Olive Garden > Friday's > Tuesday's > Macaroni grill >>> Applebee's

By ranking Olive Garden 2nd, I'm guessing you're not from NY, Northern NJ, or located in any major city in the Northeast (Boston, NY, Philly).

Olive Garden is an insult to Italian food.

[Brattt8525]

Originally posted by SnatchWrangler

Originally posted by Trouble
For the big chains: Outback > Olive Garden > Friday's > Tuesday's > Macaroni grill >>> Applebee's

By ranking Olive Garden 2nd, I'm guessing you're not from NY, Northern NJ, or located in any major city in the Northeast (Boston, NY, Philly).

Olive Garden is an insult to Italian food.

That is an understatement. Olive Garden is the suck when it comes to Italian food. In Texas they have a chain called Carrabba's is awesome.

The only good thing at the Olive Garden is the breadsticks and salads.

[Trouble]

Yeah, a lot of people consider Olive Garden too bland. I grew up on stuff like meatloaf and Macaroni & Cheese, so I guess that's why I like generic chains. Even the idea of foreign food was, well, foriegn until I was in late high-school/early college. Heh.

We have Carrabba's around here in DC, but I've never been to one.

[Jenisi]

Carrabba's pwns

[CrystalTears]

I like Olive Garden, yes mostly for the breadsticks and salad. My fiance cooks better than they do. We go for the convenience when we want pasta and sauce. They're a bit salty for me, but I still enjoy it.

Sure it's not real Italian food, but then Chili's isn't real Mexican food, and Outback isn't real Australian food. It's all knock-off places to get cheaper food faster.

Personally I think Outback is a little overpriced. I love their loaded fries, which I dip into ranch dressing and ketchup cause I'm weird.

[Lookkin]

What about Denny's and IHOP? IHOP rocks - as long as you stay on the breakfast menu. If you venture off the breakfast page, you'll get an ass whoopin.

A table for four can get out of there for under $30 and depending on which day you go - its almost half that.

[Skeeter]

I love the Club House Grill from Appleby's

Also Olive Garden must be doing something right, that place is always packed when we go there.

[Leetahkin]

I like Red Lobster, even though I hate fish/seafood. I <3 their cheddar biscuits and Boston iced tea!

I usually get the soup/salad/breadstick when I go to Olive Garden. Soup I like is zuppa toscana (Spicy sausage, russet potatoes and cavolo greens in a creamy broth).

Let's see... new Mexican restaurant just opened - Qdoba - like their food.

[Brattt8525]

There is this little place in a town near me that is called Jalapenos hands down the best mexican I have had in Texas. The rest is a Tex Mex not real mexican.

Chili's is supposed to be mexican? and Outback to me was just always a steak place and thats not australian.

IHOP is great to go to for breakfast I agree and my kids love getting that pancake with the whipped cream smilie face. Granted they are wired for sound for about 3 hours after eating that chocolate pancake but when I don't feel like cooking breakfast they like to go there.

[Lookkin]

Originally posted by Nobody CaresLet's see... new Mexican restaurant just opened - Qdoba - like their food.

Great call!! I totally forgot about them, but I had the same experience - just opened in an upscale strip mall here. For just the two of us it was less than $15 and the food was great!

[Jadewolff]

Carrabba's is awesome, just very expensive. For Mexican, "On the Border" has the best empanada's ever.

[SnatchWrangler]

Originally posted by Nobody Cares

Let's see... new Mexican restaurant just opened - Qdoba - like their food.

I have a steak Queso Burrito from Qdoba sitting in front of me...their food is insanely good for East Coast Mexican food.

And to the person that said Olive Garden must be doing something right since they're all over...

Well...would you consider McDonalds or BurgerKing to have quality hamburgers?

[Anebriated]

hibachi > outback > all

[CrystalTears]

Ortega's in Groton is the best Mexican restaurant I've been to. Then again it's a little local place, and I love small local eats. :)

[HarmNone]

I don't care much for Applebees. I like Outback pretty well, and Friday's, of the big chains. :)

[Tromp]

TC Choys is "ok" for chain food

Cheesecake Factory is pretty good (chocolate mousse cheescake).

Obviously a bit on the pricey side.

I personally think chains are real timid to put a whole lot of flavor in stuff in order to keep the main streamers coming back. JMO

[Terminator X]

Applebee's beer-battered shrimp with their sour dip = g0d

[ElanthianSiren]

Applebee's steak salad with blue cheese crumbles -- only thing I really like.

Outback is the yum. I make steak salad.

The restaurants I'd name as my favorites are all family owned:

Angelo's (pizza restaurant in KofP)
Casa Maria (Mexican obviously)
Peppers (over priced, but you can play pool all night with some kick ass chicken ceaser salad)

-M

[Skeeter]

Originally posted by SnatchWrangler

Originally posted by Nobody Cares

Let's see... new Mexican restaurant just opened - Qdoba - like their food.

I have a steak Queso Burrito from Qdoba sitting in front of me...their food is insanely good for East Coast Mexican food.

And to the person that said Olive Garden must be doing something right since they're all over...

Well...would you consider McDonalds or BurgerKing to have quality hamburgers?

At least make a real comparison. You could compare McDonalds to Fazoli's I guess, but hardly to Olive Garden.

[Soulpieced]

OMFG Qdoba destroys all!!1!!!!

.... this message was brought to you by adobo spices and Soulpieced.

The Marylanders here might also recommend 3 Brothers. One of my roommates is a GM at one of the restaurants, and the pizza there is on par with the best that I've eaten (I'm from Chicago, and parents are from NJ, so I've had plenty of Pizza in my day).

[Edited on 7-27-2005 by Soulpieced]

[Alarke]

Originally posted by Trouble
For a smaller chain, I like Rio Grande Cafe and Rock Bottom Brewery.
Bloomin Onion ftw!
I just visited Rock Bottom for the first time in Chicago for my friends 21st last weekend, was incredible for the price! Their drinks seem to be never ending and each one the waitress suggested to me was better than the last.

[Bobmuhthol]

The 99 is awesome. Bugaboo Creek Steak House has awesome awesome awesome buffalo chicken sandwiches. I was in a Cracker Barrel in New York that had some good eats.

And I've always wanted some wings at Hooters. Sadly, I haven't lived my dream yet.

[Bobmuhthol]

Olive Garden sucks, btw. I don't need some cool, witty comparison to validate my point.

[xtc]

I can't say I eat at family restaurants on the whole. On the few occasions I have been I have been sorely disappointed. I don't have a family so when I go out to eat I am not paying for a family of 4,6,8 etc.

Sometimes when I am in America I will eat breakfast at the IHOP.

[Soulpieced]

Oh, duh. I forgot the completely obvious Buffalo Wild Wings (BW3's). And hopefully the Chicagoans have been to Buffalo Joes in Evanston. Best wings ever.

[Alarke]

Buffalo Joes, eh? I shall venture into Evanston soon.