The wife and I eat out for dinner with friends almost every weekend. We have this couple that when it’s their time to choose a restaurant they op for the chain type restaurants OutBack, Fridays…

What are your tendencies?  Chain Type Restaurants or Local Establishments

I’m not a fan of Chain restaurants, granted the food at time is very good 50/50 and somethings very unique special dishes are good. However, I like the Local establishment because their meal will be good all the time and the standard of perfection is always there, the waiter, waitress and owner know who I am and provide me with a little extra service. Plus I know what on the menu and what I like…    

Yes

I try to avoid chains when not eating fast food. Too many great local restaurants in Cincinnati to waste a meal at a place like Outback Steakhouse.

posted by justincredible

I try to avoid chains when not eating fast food. Too many great local restaurants in Cincinnati to waste a meal at a place like Outback Steakhouse.

Agree ..... lunch for me is most of the time a local restaurant or a coney place... .

Prefer local, but will eat at a chain. If the food is good, the food is good. 

posted by Fab4Runner

Prefer local, but will eat at a chain. If the food is good, the food is good. 

this

Usually local. But lunches I’ll often go chain (Chipotle, Chick Fil A, Nandos, etc).

Pizza, local all the way. If I'm on the road in a larger city, probably a chain simply because it's easier to just hit up the steak place near the freeway than to extensively search the 'net for best local restaurants in the area.

local can be just as overrated/bad as chains.

Good food is good food.  Most restaurants you just have to know what is good and what isn't.  But if you're on vacation, I think you should venture outside the usual "chain" restaurants.

I travel a lot for work, and sometimes chains are about all that is available if I just want something quick for carryout.  I try to avoid fast food and get a fish dish from Olive Garden, etc..

I prefer it warmed on a skillet, but will eat it cold.

I don’t have a problem with most chains (fast food, chipotle, etc) but if you like Applebee’s, Fridays or those ilks over a real local restaurant you got something wrong with you.

Eat at mostly local but also chains. Our town doesn't really have a local Italian place so if you want Italian it is Olive Garden.

posted by cat_lover

Eat at mostly local but also chains. Our town doesn't really have a local Italian place so if you want Italian it is Olive Garden.

Sorry to hear that.  Processed flour and breadsticks covered in tomato paste is not Italian.  

posted by Verbal Kint

Sorry to hear that.  Processed flour and breadsticks covered in tomato paste is not Italian.  

their breadsticks and salad is good, and their soups aren't bad either....but yeah, calling Olive Garden 'Italian' is like calling Chi-Chi's 'Mexican' (are they even still around???)

posted by vball10set

their breadsticks and salad is good, and their soups aren't bad either....

If Bob Evans is a 3/10, Olive Garden is a 1.5/10.

posted by vball10set

Chi-Chi's 'Mexican' (are they even still around???)

The HepA death 15 years ago put them out of business.

posted by Verbal Kint

If Bob Evans is a 3/10, Olive Garden is a 1.5/10.

 

disagree...OG’s soup/salad/breadsticks > BE’s same...all day long

This is blasphemy against Olive Garden. That place fucking rules. 

Other than that, I rarely ever go to chains. If I do, it's not my decision.

posted by vball10set

disagree...OG’s soup/salad/breadsticks > BE’s same...all day long

Perhaps it is, I don't eat bread and the salad dressing there is sugar.

I was just using BE as a baseline of consistent below average food.

I don't mind Carrabba's as a chain for Americanized Italian food.

Olive Garden is trash. But I also hate pretty much any chain Italian place.

posted by Laley23

Olive Garden is trash. But I also hate pretty much any chain Italian place.

lol, trash? just because it was right next to your hs alma mater is no need to hate on it-lol

Ha this is an interesting argument. I’ve been to Italy twice, from ytownish area with real Italians, and still think Olive Garden is fine. Red sauce w sausage is good enough. 

How can you hate Olive Garden? That’s just mind-boggling to me. 

I mean sure there are better options, but Olive Garden is still good. 

Their pasta fagioli rules, man.

I simply don’t like any Italian place that isn’t “homemade”. So many family run places with homemade sauce, meats and pastas. 

• Olive Garden
• Fazolis
• Carrabas
•  Maggiano’s 

They just do nothing for me. Every neighborhood in Chicago has a better place. Raleigh had a few few. On the road, I’ll just get pizza if I want Italian and only chains are available. I just think it’s a style of food that isn’t translated well to chains. The good cheeses, sauces and noodles are too expensive for them to justify importing.

Years and years and years ago I ate at a place called Spaghetti house is right across from Jacobs Field it's an Italian joint and I had spaghetti with a brown sauce it was so good does anybody know if the Spaghetti house is still located there. Do you know if they still serve spaghetti with a brown sauce

After thought, I'd put Carrabas as one of the better chains along with:

PF Changs, Bonefish, Longhorn, Cheesecake