Best Chain Restaurants in America
#61
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The only restaraunt on the list thats anywhere near us is Applebees, which is fine if you dont mind your mash potato running off your plate, I hate the place, if we eat out we usually eat at a local bar/restaraunt the only exception is an occasional visit to Pizza Hut Bistro that has the most yummy pasta.
I'd rather cook a good meal at home
I'd rather cook a good meal at home
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#62
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Originally Posted by Pimpbot
No, the What-a-burger around here is a fast food place like BK or McDonalds.
OG bread is ok, but the Salad dressing makes it better.
OG bread is ok, but the Salad dressing makes it better.
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#63
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Thankfully my American husband thinks the chain restaurants are crap too. We have been to most of them locally and we are amazed that they are always crowded and the car parks are always jammed when we drive past. What amazes us most are the "all you can eat" Chinese restaurants that serve really, really old fashioned MSG's creasy Chinese food that are always crowded. Guess with some Americans it really is quantity not quality - hence the obesity.
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#64
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Originally Posted by AlisonPA
Thankfully my American husband thinks the chain restaurants are crap too. We have been to most of them locally and we are amazed that they are always crowded and the car parks are always jammed when we drive past. What amazes us most are the "all you can eat" Chinese restaurants that serve really, really old fashioned MSG's creasy Chinese food that are always crowded. Guess with some Americans it really is quantity not quality - hence the obesity.
What I think is awful is when you go into those chinese buffet's (my husband LOVES them) is that I've seen loads of people walking roud who are morbidly obese and have those oxygen pipes up their noses and a cyclinder in a bag over their shoulder - I couldn't believe that when I first saw it. What are they thinking?? I could stand to lose a few lbs but if I had a tube up my nose and was a size XXXXXXXXXXL I think I'd get it and stay out of all you can eat buffets. Monosodium glutamate and high fructose corn syrup yum!
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#65
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Originally Posted by SarahUK
What I think is awful is when you go into those chinese buffet's (my husband LOVES them) is that I've seen loads of people walking roud who are morbidly obese and have those oxygen pipes up their noses and a cyclinder in a bag over their shoulder - I couldn't believe that when I first saw it. What are they thinking?? I could stand to lose a few lbs but if I had a tube up my nose and was a size XXXXXXXXXXL I think I'd get it and stay out of all you can eat buffets. Monosodium glutamate and high fructose corn syrup yum!
I know what you mean. I have even seen a really obese woman on one of those motorised chair scooter things going round the buffet tables!
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#66
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Originally Posted by Eskimo
So that would be bread and water then !
Im not being snobbish but everyone needs to go to Italy once and eat just to realise what a pile of crap the " Italian" food is here....
Im not being snobbish but everyone needs to go to Italy once and eat just to realise what a pile of crap the " Italian" food is here....
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#67
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Originally Posted by AlisonPA
Let's face it, if you go to any Italian Chain (Bella Pasta or similar) you will get similar food to the Olive Garden. This isn't Italy after all. However, if you go to a proper Italian restaurant (not a chain) you will get proper Italian food. Little Italy in Baltimore and NY are brilliant obviously because of the Italian population there.
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#68
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Originally Posted by ironporer
Well said. Bottom line, salad and pasta and crap sauces are cheap...hence the menu options at Olive Garden. Best Italian I ever had was in St Louis, on The Hill, at a mom and pop place.
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#69
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Anyone noticed how at a lot of these chain restaurants always have the A/C cranked up to max and you go in and you're freezing your nips off the entire meal? My husband and I won't go back to Don Pablos Mexican Cantina because we froze all the way through our fajitas! If we lived in Florida, fine but up here in PA it can be snowing outside and you go into Ruby Tuesdays and the A/C is on top speed! Same with Old Navy actually, its like a fridge in there.
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#70
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Originally Posted by AlisonPA
Thankfully my American husband thinks the chain restaurants are crap too. We have been to most of them locally and we are amazed that they are always crowded and the car parks are always jammed when we drive past. What amazes us most are the "all you can eat" Chinese restaurants that serve really, really old fashioned MSG's creasy Chinese food that are always crowded. Guess with some Americans it really is quantity not quality - hence the obesity.
After this, I doubt anyone will ever eat in an buffet thing again
Went to a salad bar one day with my pal for lunch, and this lady in front of us, SNEEZED, all over the salad
So it was down plates for us, and I have never been able to enter a buffet establishment, of any kind again, even if they have sneeze guards
BTW, how come when you go to, say, Soup and Salad, everyone in there is enormous, and then they say, I eat salad and I am still huge, how come??
Well, suggestion here, dont pour 1/2 gallon of full fat, cream with added and extra sugar, salad dressing to your salad leaves, and cut out the baked potatoes with all its heart-attack making sides
And, then maybe you will find a difference if your weight loss
Sorry, but it just grosses me out, when people have a plate piled a mile high, covered in everything that is gonna kill you- EEEwwwwwwwwww, of course washed down with a gallon of coke
JMHO, and my major pet peeve
PD1
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#71
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Originally Posted by NC Penguin
I have to disagree about places like Little Italy and other ethnic neighborhoods in NY and other cities.
Due to creating food for the lowest common denominator (economically speaking), even Little Italy contains restaurants that serve non-authentic Italian.
Last time I dined in Little Korea (in NY), the food was authentic but the place I ate at was chosen by my Korean friend (whose father "inaugurated" Little Korea).
NC Penguin
Due to creating food for the lowest common denominator (economically speaking), even Little Italy contains restaurants that serve non-authentic Italian.
Last time I dined in Little Korea (in NY), the food was authentic but the place I ate at was chosen by my Korean friend (whose father "inaugurated" Little Korea).
NC Penguin
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#72
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Originally Posted by ironporer
Good points- from what I hear nobody here would want "real Chinese" food...we prefer the Americanized version.
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#73
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Originally Posted by AlisonPA
That's true. I definitely don't want to go to China! I guess I am just used to really good, modern British/Chinese food and definitely not buffet style.
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#74
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Originally Posted by AlisonPA
That's true. I definitely don't want to go to China! I guess I am just used to really good, modern British/Chinese food and definitely not buffet style.
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Originally Posted by SarahUK
Anyone noticed how at a lot of these chain restaurants always have the A/C cranked up to max and you go in and you're freezing your nips off the entire meal?
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