Favorite gimmick chain restaurant

[Snacks]

What is your Favorite gimmick chain restaurant? Not fast food like Burger king, white castle. But places like Bennigans, Olive Garden, TGIF, Applebies etc?

I always hated those types of places but have recently liked a few. I love Olive Gardens Salad and Bread Sticks but thats it. My favorite is probably Chilis. Whats your???

[Knowledged_one]

Wow Olive Garden that takes me back

The salad comes in these big 10 lb bulk pre mixed plastic bags

Pretty much the same for the breadsticks

I used to love cooking there when everything was made fresh now its all frozen

And i would have to say Bennigans i guess for gimmick chain

[RhinoinMN]

Buffalo Wild Wings!!!!

[Jujubees2]

It's not really a gimmick place but Sweet Tomatos/Soup Plantation (they're down south and out west). They have the best salad bar ever!

[MadMatt]

You mentioned 3 that I like - Bennigans, Chili's, and Olive Garden.

I am completely with you on Olive Garden; I love the salad & bread sticks but have never been very impressed with the meals. Actually, I could probably say I have been disappointed with the meals.

Bennigans is good, but for me it's really about the ambiance. I used to hit happy hour at a local Bennigans on one of my old jobs and we always had a good time. The half-price appetizers were really good (of course I was probably drunk).

Chili's could have the best Buffalo Chicken sandwich I have had at a chain restaurant. I think it may be called a chicken ranch sandwich or something like that. Really good sauce though.

[Sarge]

I like the Outback, and On The Boarder, Chile's is also a great place.

[mdr55]

Medieval Times
Jose Tejas
Shoney's
Dolly Parton's Wild West Stampede
Oddfellow's

[Hottub]

Beefsteak Charlie's.

All the beer wine and sangria you can drink. Good thing they went out of business before I could drink. I would have deffinitly put them under.

[Tall_James]

Beefsteak Charlie's.

All the beer wine and sangria you can drink. Good thing they went out of business before I could drink. I would have deffinitly put them under.

Good call on that one, I was just barely legal when I would get completely hammered there.

Cooky's in Valley Stream was the same way also. I remember being taken out of there, and not in a good way.

[Hottub]

I was able to make it to the Beef and Brew in San Jose every night for a week for their Earlybird Special.

Cream of "X" soup
Small salad
Some kind of gross salibury steak, or fried chicken parts
Chocolate pudding or Jello
and PITCHERS & PITCHERS of cheap beer.

Fucking hammered and kind of fed for 10 bucks!

[A.J.]

Beefsteak Charlie's.

All the beer wine and sangria you can drink. Good thing they went out of business before I could drink. I would have deffinitly put them under.

And don't forget the all-you-can-eat shrimp!

I only eat at chain's overseas. It's a nice break from the god-awful local food (in your Third World shitholes that is).

[Tenbatsuzen]

Does Houlihan's count?

If not, I'll go with Famous Dave's.

[FUNKMAN]

Bonanza - fire grilled steaks, baked potata, rice pudding or jello, hmmmm...

in 1975 that is

[Tenbatsuzen]

Buffalo Wild Wings!!!!

I miss that place. I wish there was one around here.

[EddieMoscone]

Red Lobster used to be great, my family used to drive to Long Island just to eat there. I even liked Sizzler, especially the Sizzler Toast. Unfortunately I can not stand either place.

I thnk it's more up to the individual restaurant than what chain they are. Most Applebee's make me ill, but then I went to one in Sayreville (I think) and it was off the charts. I've been to some decent Friday's, but the one in Time Square is so grimy I could barely even attempt to eat my food.

That being said I would go for a couple of New York chains:

Mary Ann's and Baluchi's

[Ritalin]

Ground Round - peanut shells on the floor and NFL boopers on the screen.

[Snacks]

Does Houlihan's count?

If not, I'll go with Famous Dave's.

Of course it does, its just like a Bennigs, tgif's.

I forgot Famous Daves, me and my cousin love that place.

[BoondockSaint]

They all seem the same to me. I guess I'd say Friendly's. Supermelt, Fribble and a Reese's Pieces Sundae.

[FUNKMAN]

frequented Steak & Ale a few times but not maybe in 15 years, are they even still around?

[King Hippos Bandaid]

so much options I cant pick a favorite I go to places based on what my wife and I are in the mood for

My 2 Choices are my go to place and my guilty pleasure

Jose Tejas: Great Mexican Food cheap and quick, downside, no dessert, dessert is apart of the meal


Ponderosa: All that Sizzler has but lot more Options in the Food Bar, they have a kick ass food bar with such greasy favorites as Fried Chicken, Buffalo Wings, Meatloaf and Taco Bar, add an Ok Steak or Shrimp . Then add an unhealthy assortment of cookies cakes warm Peach Cobbler and Apple Pie don't forget Ice Cream and Candies. There is a salad bar there, but it has cobwebbs on it

you are Guaranteed to add on 4000 Calories here

[DiabloSammich]

Buffalo Wild Wings!!!!


We had one open up by us, it's revolting. It goes to show the best franchise in the wrong hands is a travesty.

That being said I'll add a vote for Bennigans.

[bigredd]

I got no beef with Chili's or Buffalo Wild Wings and about 6 times a year Hooters. I eat lunch at Olive Garden every once in a while and it aint bad. The king of them all though has to be a good old fashioned Waffle House.

[TooLowBrow]

Chotchkie's when i have a case of the monday's

[joethebartender]

Please stay out of these "TGI Fridagan's". Support your local mom and pop places where ice cream is the only thing coming out of the freezer and the food is real. Leave this crap for the tourists and the hayseeds that don't know any better. Go buy a Charlie Daniel's CD at the Cracker Barrel!

http://farm.tucows.com/2004/12/swedish_chef.jpg

[tele7]

Bonanza - fire grilled steaks, baked potata, rice pudding or jello, hmmmm...

in 1975 that is

Bonanza reminds me of other 70's faves like Rustler and Hanover Trail. I remeber seeing lines to get in those places.

[KC2OSO]

Good call on that one, I was just barely legal when I would get completely hammered there.

Cooky's in Valley Stream was the same way also. I remember being taken out of there, and not in a good way.

Roll 'N Roaster? (http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UhzRvjc9Zfg) LAL!

Famous Dave's Bar-B-Que is damn good too.

[Snacks]

the problem by me (N NJ) only thing mom and pop are Italian places and Portuguese BBG. You cant get cheese fries and gravy or broccoli bites at a mom and pop place. Now a days its Diners and Chains.

It does suck but small business always get killed by the big Corps. They cant compete with prices. Quality is much better (at the mom and pops). I bet if a local mom and pop place made all those types of food and had great prices and a big business, they would franchise it all over.

[TooLowBrow]

It does suck but small business always get killed by the big Corps. They cant compete with prices. Quality is much better. I bet if a local mom and pop place made all those types of food and had great prices and a big business, they would franchise it all over.

I would not say that any of these chains have QUALITY food.

its all just microwaved crap

[Snacks]

I would not say that any of these chains have QUALITY food.

its all just microwaved crap

I meant quality is much better at the mom pops. thanks for catching that.

[furie]

i used to love the Ground Round, before it became a bad version of Chili's

[Snacks]

i used to love the Ground Round, before it became a bad version of Chili's

My mom would bring us to Ground Round because they had a special "Eat your Weight" or something like that. I was like 5 and my brother was 7 so we would get dinner for like $50 cents.

[TooLowBrow]

My mom would bring us to Ground Round because they had a special "Eat your Weight" or something like that. I was like 5 and my brother was 7 so we would get dinner for like $50 cents.

penny a pound!

now, so as not to offend fat kids, they do a 'kids pay by degrees' where you pay the temperature outside. so if it's below 0, you eat for free.

[Snacks]

penny a pound!

now, so as not to offend fat kids, they do a 'kids pay by degrees' where you pay the temperature outside. so if it's below 0, you eat for free.

that so stupid. They would actually make some money off the fat kids (or at least lose less money then they normally do)

Last night I went to chilis with a friend and there was this little fat kid. He was probably around 5 maybe 6. he had to weigh 200 lbs. I couldnt believe it. I thought I was looking at the picture of the little fat Chinese kid. Im sorry, but thats abuse when you let your kid get like that.

Back to the topic. I wish we had that wild winds place in NJ or waffle house. Ihop has great pancakes but there is something about waffle house when im down south.

[Tenbatsuzen]

I got no beef with Chili's or Buffalo Wild Wings and about 6 times a year Hooters. I eat lunch at Olive Garden every once in a while and it aint bad. The king of them all though has to be a good old fashioned Waffle House.

THREAD OVER.

[Tenbatsuzen]

Please stay out of these "TGI Fridagan's". Support your local mom and pop places where ice cream is the only thing coming out of the freezer and the food is real. Leave this crap for the tourists and the hayseeds that don't know any better. Go buy a Charlie Daniel's CD at the Cracker Barrel!

http://farm.tucows.com/2004/12/swedish_chef.jpg

I agree about mom and pop places. Diners are good mom and pop places, but there's no real "mom and pop" steakhouse or something like that around here.

In Phoenix, there's non-corporate restaurants all over the place.

[lleeder]

penny a pound!

now, so as not to offend fat kids, they do a 'kids pay by degrees' where you pay the temperature outside. so if it's below 0, you eat for free.

I like the kids pay by temperature policy, only each kids temperature is taken anally and you pay that price.

[TooLowBrow]

I like the kids pay by temperature policy, only each kids temperature is taken anally and you pay that price.

if they did that, then i'd understand that nixmarys dad was just being cheap

[Chris from TX]

Wing Stop and Outback Steakhouse, they have great French onion soup.

[Drunky McBetidont]

http://www.yingswingsthings.com/flashindex.html
this place only has three locations so far but i think it has potential to spread. i live 1200 miles away from any of them but, when i go to buffalo i try and stop in.

[WhistlePig]

Beefsteak Charlie's.

All the beer wine and sangria you can drink. Good thing they went out of business before I could drink. I would have deffinitly put them under.

That's where I got busted for underage drinking when I was 19! I didn't even ask for the beer--my boyfriend ordered a pitcher (he was 24) and the waiter brought 4 glasses!

I'd say my favorite chain restaurant is Cracker Barrel for their crispy, delicious pancakes.

http://msnbcmedia2.msn.com/j/msnbc/Components/Photos/061015/061015_pancakes_hmed7p.hmedium.jpg