What chain restaurants do you consider decent

[purbeast0]

Lets add it up. 2 entrees, generously allowing 20.00 each = 40.00. Two drinks (one each) again generously at 10.00 each = 20.00. So you can easily eat for 60.00, plus say 5.00 tax = 65.00. I dont really consider the tip in the "price" of the meal, but even a 20% tip brings the price to 75 to 80 dollars. My wife and I usually eat out with just the two of us, and very, very rarely does the price even approach a hundred dollars. Now if you have an appetizer and dessert, sure the price goes up, but we seldom order those because you get a lot of food without them.

Add in an appetizer or two and 1 more drink each and you can easily approach $100 before tip.

 

[s0me0nesmind1]

Lets add it up. 2 entrees, generously allowing 20.00 each = 40.00. Two drinks (one each) again generously at 10.00 each = 20.00. So you can easily eat for 60.00, plus say 5.00 tax = 65.00. I dont really consider the tip in the "price" of the meal, but even a 20% tip brings the price to 75 to 80 dollars. My wife and I usually eat out with just the two of us, and very, very rarely does the price even approach a hundred dollars. Now if you have an appetizer and dessert, sure the price goes up, but we seldom order those because you get a lot of food without them.

Right, except... You want the fully loaded baked potato, so thats an extra $3...An appetizer looks good sometimes... or the dinner + a desert special for $30 doesn't look bad.... and drinking 2 drinks is entirely normal.

Also if you order something like... a Sirloin steak - yeah, sure, $20. If you want a nice tasty Ribeye it can be $25 - $40 (pending on the restaurant)

 

[IronWing]

If you read my first post in this thread you would know my thought on chains.

I'd mush rather have a bill of $150 for a nice meal at a fine dining restaurant than $100 at a chain restaurant with your run of the mill food. I don't drink wine but my wife does, but me not drinking wine probably keeps our bills a decent amount cheaper lol.

When I was in Grand Cayman though, dinner every night was like $150 - $250 for dinner. And every meal was worth it. Some people would consider that "cheap" fine dining compared to what else is out there, although there's not stuff much more expensive than that in GC.

<Crosses Grand Cayman off of list of places to visit.>

I think the most we've ever dropped at the restaurant was under total $90 for two of us and that was a total blowout with appetizers, dessert, good tip, and enough food taken home for two more meals. Not drinking has its advantages.

 

[purbeast0]

<Crosses Grand Cayman off of list of places to visit.>

Grand Cayman in general is expensive. $1 is worth $.80 over there, and on top of that, their prices in local currency are not cheap.

However, you don't have to eat expensive meals every night if you don't want to. We choose to do so.

There's a reason the island is very safe and not much crime happens, making it very safe to drive all around and explore. Part of it is the high standards they keep on the island, which comes with a price.

I'll be back there in a month and a half and will be eating nice meals pretty much every night again.

 

[ewdotson]

I don't really care for food at the Cheesecake Factory. I agree it's very mediocre big portion food. But I disagree with you about food at fine dining. Fine dining food can be just as hit and miss as most casual dining. In fact I probably had more disappointments with food at fine dining than casual dining. But I've never had bad service at fine dining; only exceptional service with beautiful food presentation. But overall, I'm not a fan of fine dining. It's just not my style. I value food taste over anything and I find that fine dining focuses too much on making the prettiest looking food rather than tastiest food that might not look the best.

Out of curiosity, how are folks defining "fine dining" here? I've only eaten at a handful of Michelin-star tier restaurants, but they've all been top-notch from a flavor standpoint. I consider the meat course I had at Ledoyen in Paris to easily be the most delicious thing I've ever eaten.

 

[nakedfrog]

The one near me is well run so your food comes out fast. Their sirloin is very good and comes with 2 sides for a VERY reasonable price (8oz is $12). And unlimited peanuts and delicious bread with amazing cinnamon sugar butter means I never leave hungry.

We didn't have to wait long to be seated, and our food came out quickly enough. I had the 8oz sirloin, and it was fine, but the cinnamon butter didn't really do it for me. I suppose the thread title does say "decent" and they certainly hit that mark.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Ruth’s Chris, Fleming’s, Mastro’s Steakhouse are all very decent.

My wife and I are going to Napa in June and we are going to try to get a reservation at The French Laundry which is consistently ranked among the top 50 restaurants in the world and has been named by some as the best restaurant in the world. Not a chain restaurant but it is a Michelin three star restaurant.

 

[ewdotson]

More directly on topic, I don't eat at sit-down chains a whole lot. I'm usually either looking for something quick and cheap or something I'd struggle to make myself (e.g. non-Americanized ethnic food, which generally means non-chains).

But so far as it goes, I like Wendy's for fast food. For me, it hits a reasonable balance of cheapness and edibility. For fast casual, there's a small chain called Farm Burger that has a local restaurant. Think Five Guys with better food but without the bag full of fries. Jason's Deli isn't bad either. I've never been, but my sister swears by Moe's. For sit-down restaurants, Sonny's is kind of trash BBQ, but I'd still eat there before I moved to Alabama and had better options. IHOP and Waffle House are perfectly acceptable late-night spots. I have some friends who like Bonefish Grill. It's fine, I guess. And I'm far enough inland that I'm not overwhelmed with great seafood options.

 

[evident]

I don't go to any chain sit-down restaurants. I used to go to Pappadeaux Seafood Kitchen but I've stopped going since the last couple of times, they served me shrimp with ammonia taste. Shrimp should never have ammonia smell or taste. If it does, the shrimp is spoiled and should be trashed.

The only chains I go to are fast food restaurants. I like pretty much all fast food chains. I love Chick-fil-A, Zaxby's, McDonald's, etc. The only one I won't eat at is Burger King.

The only one I went to was the one in houston airport... i was stuck there for 24 hours and it made my day a little better. it was damn good for airport food but expensive. We don't have them up here in philly though.

For chains i like chik fila and starbucks...

 

[rh71]

Adds up VERY fast after tax + 20% tip - even if you only get 1 drink apiece.

Sure, if you get a value meal (e.g. a Sandwich + fries instead of a Ribeye Steak) with water... yeah sure you will probably stay around $50 for 2 people.

A fettucine alfredo dish is like $16 at a decent chain. No need for the $25 steak every time.

You must not drink alcohol at any of the places you eat then. A typical cocktail is like $10 or so at a place like Cheesecake Factory, and/or wine too, and can be even more.

You're right, I don't consume any alcohol but even then it's not $100 total at a chain for 2 as you claimed. We would reach $100 with the 4 of us.

Add in an appetizer or two and 1 more drink each and you can easily approach $100 before tip.

Hey now, you were the one who claimed not wanting to be a glutton.

If you only spend $80/pp at fine dining, you're going to be real hungry. Better eat lot of bread.

I think he was saying total at fine dining is $150 for 2 people. If you can't get full on that, then I definitely wouldn't want to go fine dine and not actually be full. Special occasions notwithstanding of course... I would begrudgingly go and still not expect to be full. Let's blow $200 for an unsatisfying dinner! That's why I never do it.

 

[realibrad]

Cheesecake Factory is pretty decent. At least they give you adult-sized portions, lol.

If by adult sized, you mean enough to feed a family of 6, or, one American then yes.

 

[ultimatebob]

Ruth’s Chris, Fleming’s, Mastro’s Steakhouse are all very decent.

My wife and I are going to Napa in June and we are going to try to get a reservation at The French Laundry which is consistently ranked among the top 50 restaurants in the world and has been named by some as the best restaurant in the world. Not a chain restaurant but it is a Michelin three star restaurant.

Restaurants like The French Laundry and Per Se are on a whole different level than any chain restaurant. It's not even fair to compare the two, even though you can buy a laptop computer for the price of one of their multi-course Prix Frie meals.

My personal favorite is Eleven Madison Park, but I don't think that I'll be able to afford to go back there again anytime soon 🙂

 

[JulesMaximus]

Restaurants like The French Laundry and Per Se are on a whole different level than any chain restaurant. It's not even fair to compare the two, even though you can buy a laptop computer for the price of one of their multi-course Prix Frie meals.

My personal favorite is Eleven Madison Park, but I don't think that I'll be able to afford to go back there again anytime soon 🙂

I wasn’t comparing the two. Someone else mentioned Michelin starred restaurants so that is why I posted what I did.

 

[kn51]

More directly on topic, I don't eat at sit-down chains a whole lot. I'm usually either looking for something quick and cheap or something I'd struggle to make myself (e.g. non-Americanized ethnic food, which generally means non-chains).

But so far as it goes, I like Wendy's for fast food. For me, it hits a reasonable balance of cheapness and edibility. For fast casual, there's a small chain called Farm Burger that has a local restaurant. Think Five Guys with better food but without the bag full of fries. Jason's Deli isn't bad either. I've never been, but my sister swears by Moe's. For sit-down restaurants, Sonny's is kind of trash BBQ, but I'd still eat there before I moved to Alabama and had better options. IHOP and Waffle House are perfectly acceptable late-night spots. I have some friends who like Bonefish Grill. It's fine, I guess. And I'm far enough inland that I'm not overwhelmed with great seafood options.

Moe's is actually fairly decent for a chain.

 

[Ichinisan]

If you read my first post in this thread you would know my thought on chains.

I'd mush rather have a bill of $150 for a nice meal at a fine dining restaurant than $100 at a chain restaurant with your run of the mill food. I don't drink wine but my wife does, but me not drinking wine probably keeps our bills a decent amount cheaper lol.

When I was in Grand Cayman though, dinner every night was like $150 - $250 for dinner. And every meal was worth it. Some people would consider that "cheap" fine dining compared to what else is out there, although there's not stuff much more expensive than that in GC.

Whoosh? Ho-lee fawking sh*

 

[snoopy7548]

Man, you people complaining about getting too much food at a restaurant. Sheesh. Do they chain you down at the Cheesecake Factory and make you finish it before you can leave?

 

[Herr Kutz]

Ruth’s Chris, Fleming’s, Mastro’s Steakhouse are all very decent.

My wife and I are going to Napa in June and we are going to try to get a reservation at The French Laundry which is consistently ranked among the top 50 restaurants in the world and has been named by some as the best restaurant in the world. Not a chain restaurant but it is a Michelin three star restaurant.

Yeah I meant to list Ruth's Chris too; it's decent.

 

[JulesMaximus]

Man, you people complaining about getting too much food at a restaurant. Sheesh. Do they chain you down at the Cheesecake Factory and make you finish it before you can leave?

A few years ago I had one of the worst meals I’ve ever had at a restaurant at a Cheesecake Factory (other than the few times I’ve actually gotten food poisoning of course). Their cheesecake is decent but honestly, I’d never eat there again.

And there is no excuse for giving patrons heaping mountains of food. Nobody needs to eat that much. Claim Jumper was the absolute worst at this. I have no idea why people lined up to eat at that place.

 

[frozentundra123456]

Add in an appetizer or two and 1 more drink each and you can easily approach $100 before tip.

Of course, if you keep adding extras, you drive up the price. At Outback though, with each entree, you get a salad, protein, and 2 sides. Each to his own, but that is more than enough food for a meal, IMO. My wife usually has two drinks, but I never have more than one because I am usually the driver.

 

[JEDIYoda]

I just Love Out House café.....

 

[Muse]

I'm not in the habit now. But if I was really hungry and had no snack in my backpack and home was not an option and I had my pick:

Chevy's
Carl's Jr.
Chipotle
Foster's Freeze

Oh, and I haven't seen one in ages, but Orange Julius I'd definitely hit.

 

[Muse]

I can't stand Cheesecake factory. Their menu is so unfocused and is like an encyclopedia. I hate the fact that they give huge portions too. I want to have room to actually have some desert. That place is the definition of a cookie cutter chain restaurant. Their cheesecake is damn good though. Their waitlist doesn't mean shit other than people want cheap chain food they are used to. It's like saying Titanic is better than any other movie because of how much money it made.

That's what I like about a lot of find dining places. You can get an appetizer, an entree, a desert, and you won't have to walk out with a doggy bag.

I've noticed that many people's likeability towards a restaurant is proportionate to how big their portion sizes are.

I was treated at Cheesecake Factory over Thanksgiving. We were in a hurry to get to the movie at the mall's multiplex. Not impressed. Super crowded, they obviously had huge choices in desserts (didn't get one). I was told it's hard to get seating there, period.

I happen to really like Titanic, not because it made a lot of money. Dig, it made money because people liked it.

 

[rh71]

If by adult sized, you mean enough to feed a family of 6, or, one American then yes.

I wonder when was the last time you've been to CF? We literally said to ourselves the portions have gotten smaller. Everyone needs to profit against inflation. Fast food burgers have gotten smaller over the years, what would make CF immune to that?

One of our local favorites (a chain with only 2 locations) is Vincent's (Italian family style). They served a huge dish in the past and have also downsized. Nobody wants to see price hikes so instead they give smaller portions.

 

[realibrad]

I wonder when was the last time you've been to CF? We literally said to ourselves the portions have gotten smaller. Everyone needs to profit against inflation. Fast food burgers have gotten smaller over the years, what would make CF immune to that?

Smaller, but, still way more food than a single person needs. Last time I went was probably 2 months ago. I probably went there 20+ times in 2018.

That said, the Truffle-Honey Chicken is amazing.

 

[rh71]

Smaller, but, still way more food than a single person needs. Last time I went was probably 2 months ago. I probably went there 20+ times in 2018.

That said, the Truffle-Honey Chicken is amazing.

I get the Fettucine Alfredo with Chicken all the time. This pic (their grand promo pic for it) shows it's a normal portion.
https://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/menu/pastas/fettuccini-alfredo/

Other dishes:
https://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/menu/pastas/pasta-carbonara/
https://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/menu/pastas/spaghetti-and-meatballs/
https://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/menu/pastas/farfalle-with-chicken-and-roasted-garlic/
https://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/menu/glamburgers-and-sandwiches/stuffed-cheddar-burger/
https://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/menu/steaks-chops-fish-seafood/shrimp-and-chicken-gumbo/
https://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/menu/specialties/thai-coconut-lime-chicken/
https://www.thecheesecakefactory.com/menu/steaks-chops-fish-seafood/shrimp-scampi/

These are too much for 1 person? Only if you stuff yourself with bread and order appetizers and dessert...