Worst National Chain Thread

[DU Ute]

I used to eat Panda Express all the time... now it's gross.
Agreed on Wingers.
Agreed on Chili's.
Agreed on Applebee's.

I swore I never would, but apparently I'm slowly turning into a foodie.

Quoting a Lingo post chokes me up a little bit.

My vote for worst chain is based on one visit to a particular. On a drive home from Denver to SLC the fam wanted to sit down and enjoy a meal after a few hours of driving. I should have planned ahead, but I figured we would just stop at a decent sized town and see what we found, so we ended up stopping at the JB's in Rock Springs, WY. The pace was a total dump, the service was the worst I've ever had and the food was abysmal. It was the only time in my life I have stiffed a waiter. I was ready to walk out on the bill because it was so bad, but CUF has taught me that Wyomingites can be an unstable bunch and I pictured the manager taking shots at us as we drove away.

I am not a big fan of Wingers, but we noticed one as we left that we had overlooked when we got off the freeway. It looked like a little slice of heaven compared to what we had just been through.

I also just avoided Chili's tonight. My MIL just got in town and we were going to get Chilli's TO GoTM but someone just called to say she was bringing over dinner. Sister Chadwick with the save!

[John McClain]

How in the world did Sizzler not find a way onto this list? Is it not a national chain?

I'm one of the oldest guys on this board, running just behind Palo Alto Cougar, and I can tell you that if I walked into a Sizzler, I would be considered a smart ass young punk. No one under the age of 70 eats at Sizzler, which is why it didn't make the list on this board.

[UtahDan]

I hate Outback Steak House. And Chili's.

I would actually go to either place and order appetizers, but little else. My town has three "American" chains: Chilis, Ruby Tuesdays and Glory Days. Given the choice, I alway do Glory Days, though we often just go and order appetizers.

[Sleeping in EQ]

As far as burger chains go, Red Robin isn't bad. I've only been to two or three of them, but they were clean, the service was pleasant, and the burger was fine.

Taco Bell has to be near the bottom of national chains, although Pizza Hut's chemical-tasting dough is disgusting too.

[Pheidippides]

As far as burger chains go, Red Robin isn't bad. I've only been to two or three of them, but they were clean, the service was pleasant, and the burger was fine.

Taco Bell has to be near the bottom of national chains, although Pizza Hut's chemical-tasting dough is disgusting too.

Agreed on Red Robin. You pretty much know what you're in for when you go there, and you usually get it. The have a bunch of burgers that they manage not to screw up, and that's about it - but it works for me.

[FMCoug]

Agreed on Red Robin. You pretty much know what you're in for when you go there, and you usually get it. The have a bunch of burgers that they manage not to screw up, and that's about it - but it works for me.

I'd lump Red Robin in with Chili's, etc.

[UtahDan]

Agreed on Red Robin. You pretty much know what you're in for when you go there, and you usually get it. The have a bunch of burgers that they manage not to screw up, and that's about it - but it works for me.

Agree. I very much like the Peppercorn Burger and the Buzz Clucks.

[FMCoug]

Agree. I very much like the Peppercorn Burger and the Buzz Clucks.

Plus if you're going to have a big greasy cholesterol-ridden burger, you might as well throw a fried egg on for good measure!

[Pheidippides]

I'd lump Red Robin in with Chili's, etc.

With the caveat that I do occasionally eat at Chili's, I see a clear difference. One holds itself out as a sit-down good burger joint, and it is. The other holds itself out as a good sit down full restaurant, and it isn't really. In my mind, they are two different categories of restaurant.

I am a lot like MarkGrace (I think) in that my rating of food joints involves a sliding metric based on absolute taste (independent of price), price, and how the place holds itself out. Thus I can easily give a hole-in-the-wall greasy spoon burger joint in a ramshackle building a double thumbs up but completely trash on an Asian fusion place that doesn't know what it is doing. Also, I try to recognize limitations of places when I go. I don't order the chicken salad at Red Robin, for example, or the steak at Chili's.

[Fiyero]

Updated! And I've had to carefully read your posts to decide if you were disliking a place or just giving commentary for the sake of talking about food. None of the recent Red Robin posts were negative, so it is not on the list:

10 Applebees
5 Pizza Hut
4 Fazoli's
4 Sizzler
2 Chili's (6 dislikes, minus 4 likes)
2 Arby's
2 Long John Silvers
2 On The Border
2 Outback (3 dislikes, minus 1 like)
2 Panda Express (4 dislikes, minus 2 likes)
2 Skippers
2 Steak N Shake
2 Wingers
1 Denny's
1 KFC
1 JB's
1 Left at Albuquerque
1 Little Caesars (2 dislikes, minus 1 like)
1 Olive Garden (2 dislikes, minus 1 like)
1 Red Lobster
1 Silver Diner
1 Sonic (2 dislikes, minus 1 like)
1 Soup Plantation
1 South of the Border
1 Sweet Tomatoes
1 TGI Fridays
0 Cheesecake Factory (1 dislike, minus 1 like)
0 Macaroni Grill (1 dislike, minus 1 like)

[Portland Ute]

With the caveat that I do occasionally eat at Chili's, I see a clear difference. One holds itself out as a sit-down good burger joint, and it is. The other holds itself out as a good sit down full restaurant, and it isn't really. In my mind, they are two different categories of restaurant.

I am a lot like MarkGrace (I think) in that my rating of food joints involves a sliding metric based on absolute taste (independent of price), price, and how the place holds itself out. Thus I can easily give a hole-in-the-wall greasy spoon burger joint in a ramshackle building a double thumbs up but completely trash on an Asian fusion place that doesn't know what it is doing. Also, I try to recognize limitations of places when I go. I don't order the chicken salad at Red Robin, for example, or the steak at Chili's.

And you should never, ever, ever order the ribs at Chili's. I've done it once. I wanted to "give them their baby back, baby back, baby back...Chili's take back my baby back ribs..."

Awful.

If I go there, I get the fajitas. It's about the only thing I can stand there.

Cheesecake has a few items I've tried that have been okay. Far too pricey for the quality, but a couple of the things I've tried there have been okay. Those avocado spring rolls or whatever they are are indeed delicious. Everything else except the desserts is "meh."

Red Robin does not bug me for the reasons that niku stated. It's a burger place. The buffalo clucks are a guilty pleasure. I enjoy the bleu bacon burger. I also enjoy the Banzai burger, but I've had it once where it was a soggy disgusting mess and I was turned off by it. I enjoy a vanilla malt at Red Robin, too.

Wingers...wingers has gone WAY down hill over the past 10 years. It's gotten to be terrible. When it hadn't expanded so much, they actually had decent ribs and some other items that were doable and at a pretty cheap price. Now, there is not ONE thing on that menu that is good. It's awful. Putrid.

[John McClain]

I can easily give a hole-in-the-wall greasy spoon burger joint in a ramshackle building a double thumbs up but completely trash on an Asian fusion place that doesn't know what it is doing. Also, I try to recognize limitations of places when I go. I don't order the chicken salad at Red Robin, for example, or the steak at Chili's.

Greasy spoons, by definition, have not become homogenized by corporate America, and while consistency may be a problem, for the most part their food, in my experience, tastes better. One of my partners (since passed away) always knew the off the beaten path eateries in nearly every city I visited with him, and the food was pretty much always great. When I have visitors, I will take them to some of the locally owned restaurants rather than the chain restaurants because the food is better and the ambience is more unique.

[falafel]

I know Surfah and Gidget like Outback. C'mon you guys, Outback needs your help!

[John McClain]

I know Surfah and Gidget like Outback. C'mon you guys, Outback needs your help!

Put me down for a dislike of Outback. I prefer a "Texas" type steakhouse to the "Australian" style steakhouse.

[falafel]

Put me down for a dislike of Outback. I prefer a "Texas" type steakhouse to the "Australian" style steakhouse.

Only those who approve of Outback were invited to vote.