Restaurant chains you like

[KCMax]

Well, this forum has been accused of being anti-chain, which I don't think is entirely true, but what are some restaurant chains you do actually like? You can list local and regional chains if you wish, but I was thinking more national chains.

Chipotle seems to be pretty universally liked around here. I concur. I do remember hating it the first time I had it though. My friends and I went to one in college and we all came away very unimpressed and thought the place would close within months. Now, I probably frequent it more than any other "fast food" chain.

My wife discovered Red Robin when she was pregnant, and I've been twice now and have really enjoyed it both times. The atmosphere is very "TGIFriday's" but the burgers are darn good IMO.

I think Carrabba's is pretty decent, although their service has ranged from excellent to "hey, did you remember I am still your table?"

Cheesecake Factory has some bland, over-portioned food, but their cheesecake is pretty darn good.

Planet Sub/Yellow Sub and Mr. Goodcents are places I frequent for lunch.

Any favorite restaurant chains?

[LenexatoKCMO]

I still like Ted's MG - The menu is certainly old fashioned and they aren't necessarily doing anything remotely inventive with the food - but the ingredients are all fresh and of high quality - which is pretty much unknown in the national chain world. 

Similar thoughts about Mc and Schmick's - Nothing culinarily groundbreaking but a lot of attention put into using fresh quality ingredients.  Outside of the Bristol, there isn't much of anyplace else in the area with that diverse and dependable of fresh fish selection in KC. 

[NDTeve]

Chili's is my guilty pleasure.

[PumpkinStalker]

I am addicted to Schlotzky's sandwiches.  I wish we had more of them in KC but a few closed. 

[LenexatoKCMO]

Cheesecake Factory has some bland, over-portioned food, but their cheesecake is pretty darn good.

If they just kept the little cheesecake counter and quit trying to serve dinner the joint would be perfect. 

[chrizow]

despite what Chef says, i am not against chains.  i prefer local, independent places and choose them 9 times out of 10, but i am known to snarf some chain stuff now and again.

chains i actually visit with some regularity in KC:

Chipotle - gluttonous and fucking delicious.

Starbucks - good coffee, but terrible pastries.  feel free to revoke my kcrag moderator status, but i go through the drive-thru on Main all the time b/c i am a lazy american and it's the closest coffee place to my house.

Jimmy John's - i LOVE their veggie sandwich on french bread.  cheese, guacamole, lettuce, tomato, on a very tasty piece of bread.  i had it on my birthday earlier this week and it was awesome.  their chips are good too, and the bags are surprisingly full of chips and not air.

Panera - not great, but ubiquitous and tasty enough.  i like their tomato soup, greek salad, and mediterranean veggie sandwich.  good chocolate chip cookies too.  one of the only palatable quick dining options in the crown center area as well, so i eat here a lot more often that i would like to.  it's also a decent choice if you are hungry and in olathe or chesterfield or something.

chains i used to frequent in college or high school, and while i don't choose them very often now, i wouldn't object to doing so

Pizza Hut, Domino's, Papa Johns - i choose local pizza places 100 times out of a 100, but i will admit that i also love chain pizza.  domino's "buffalo chicken kickers" were always a guilty pleasure - spicy, soft mutant chicken shapes.  i like to get a PH personal pan veggie pizza in airports or food courts.

Buffalo Wild Wings - i haven't been here in years, but i really liked it in high school (it was one of very few legit dining options near my parents' house in raytown) and i definitely ate a lot of wings and beer here early in my college career before i became a sniveling hippie elitist.  i like playing the tv-based trivia game too.

Houlihan's - of all the "bar and grill" type restaurant chains, houlihan's is the only one that has good food.  i can tolerate fried whatever from friday's, chili's, etc., but houihan's actually has some stuff that tastes like real food - fish tacos, rare ahi tuna, pesto pizza, decent pastas, etc.  it doesn't taste nearly as processed or frozen as the other places.  the manager of the lee's summit houlihan's said they make all their stuff fresh each morning, and it tastes like it.  the other bar and grill chains serve food that tastes like it came from a Schwann's truck.

Burger King - i go to burger king a few times a year for their veggie burger.  i like their fries too.  the one on Main is shitty though.

IHOP - they used to have an awesome breakfast burrito.  i think their pancakes are good too.  pretty clutch if you find yourself hungry in jefferson city or some godforsaken place like that.  

PF Chang - i think PF Chang is much better than Bo Ling's.  take that, KC Originals!

Dunkin Donuts - good coffee (black coffee, not their stupid frozen shit) and good donuts.  i wish they were in KC.  

Old Chicago - good pizza, lots of beer choices, and an awesome warm chocolate chip cookie dessert.  not my first choice, but if friends in college wanted to go here i didn't object.

Macaroni Grill - i like their bread and dipping oil and "build your own" pastas.  

[Maitre D]

Well, this forum has been accused of being anti-chain, which I don't think is entirely true, but what are some restaurant chains you do actually like? You can list local and regional chains if you wish, but I was thinking more national chains.

Chipotle seems to be pretty universally liked around here. I concur. I do remember hating it the first time I had it though. My friends and I went to one in college and we all came away very unimpressed and thought the place would close within months. Now, I probably frequent it more than any other "fast food" chain.

Yeah, in my thread 5 years ago, you said you thought Chipotle was over-rated.   
http://forum.kcrag.com/http://www.kcrag ... 664#p39664



I love Panera, Jimmy Johns, Chik-Fil-A, Boston Market, Jason's Deli (is that a chain?), Pizza Shoppe (is that a chain?), Starbucks.


I hate any large scale fast-food joint, PF Changs (utter dogshit), Lion's Choice (is that place alive any more?), Pizza Slut, and any Pepsi Product.

[kcmetro]

There are plenty of chains I eat at just because I can tolerate them, but here are some that I actually like.

Panera - love the turkey sandwich
Johnny Carino's - much better than Olive Garden
Juice Stop - mmmm good
Glory Days Pizza
Jersey Mike's sub shop - blows Subway out of the water
Ted's MG - one of my favorite restaurants in the area
Jose Peppers - does this count as a chain?  The food is usually pretty good.
Schlotzky's
Spin Pizza - not sure it falls under chain category
Jason' Deli

[GRID]

Lion's Choice (is that place alive any more?)

Made the mistake of eating at one of these last weekend in St Louis.  It was nasty nasty stuff.

[GRID]

The chains I like the most are:

Chipoltle
Fazoli's
Mr Goodcents
Carrabaa's
54th Street
El Maguey (at least the Indep location)
White Castle
Panera
Red Robin
Taco Bueno
Minskys

[scooterj]

I don't really think of Minskys as a chain but if it counts then it's have to be on my list.    Other than that....

Scooters
Popeyes
Subway
Long John Silvers (even though they keep closing all the shops that are convenient)
Sonic
Papa Murphy's
Outback
KFC
McCormick & Schmick
Fazoli's  (though that's extremely rare now since they are all so remotely located)
Chick Fill-A  (also rare both due to location and due to being closed on the only day of the week I generally have time to go to one)


To a lesser extent...
Burger King
McDonalds
Wendys
Dairy Queen
Chili's
Pizza Hut (in a pinch)

[Highlander]

I like a combination of local chains such as the PB&J restaurant group (particularly Yia Yia's and Grand Street Cafe), Bristol, and Houlihans as well as some of the big national chains like Teds.

Some of my favorite national chains:  

Old Chicago Pizza (I am disappointed they are not coming to the P&L District)
Ruth Chriss
McCormick's and Schmicks
Hard Rock Cafe   (only when I am sick of the local food/paying for water when travelling in Europe)
PF Changs   (isn't half bad)
Ted's Montana Grill     (I was prepared to hate this place but it was actually really good)
Mi Cocina      I was sorry this place closed, I loved it
Steak n Ale   You can get a reasonably priced good steak there

Cheap

Minsky's
Denny's (only for breakfast on road trips)
Taco Bell (their bean burrito is pretty low fat and tastes pretty good)

Worst

Canyon Cafe on the plaza (gone now but never very good)
Macaroni Grill   Awful
Bucca Di Beppo   Really awful
Cheesecake Factory   I never really minded the food, it just was never very inspiring

[bobbyhawks]

National:
-Chipotle
-Jason's, while not ideal, their food isn't terrible and is amenable to a broad audience
-When I am drunk, I'll eat just about any fast food if that is the only reasonable option
-Noodles and Co. is decent
-Every now and then I'll get down on a roast beef sandwich and some curlys at Arby's, but mostly only because it is convenient
-White Castle, I am a whore for those burgers and I have no idea why
-Popeye's, again, can't describe my desire for this place, but I can't resist on about a six month interval

Regional:
-Planet Sub (growing beyond regional)
-Winstead's
-Gates
-Mi Ranchito
-Minskys
-Goodcents

[Boognish]

-Houlihan's
-Ruby Tuesday (Mozzarella salad on the bar with fresh rye croutons, and their guacamole is surprisingly good)
-El Maguey's on Noland Road (like GRID, I have a weird soft spot for this place that I can't really understand. I probably have spent a few hundred bucks here in my lifetime.)
- Perkins (at least the 24 hour ones, not a great place by any means, but better selection than you can often find at 3 in the morning with some AA dudes)

Chains I can't stand

- P.F. Chang's (sorry Chriz. I remember going years ago and thinking, huh, maybe it was an off day. Two off days later, I swore off it forever. It reminds me of the upper Mountain West - pretension without reason.)
- Friday's (maybe I'm a jerk or threatening or am olfactarily unpleasant, but I've not had a single even mildly acceptable bit of service here)
-Outback Steakhouse - The food is only moderately bad (though it tastes like a Sysco truck for premium prices) but the overall theme of this place just drives me up a wall. It's hard to keep even a shred of dignity when ordering 'Aussie Chips' instead of fries or a dessert called 'The Chocolate Thunder from Down Under'.
- Macaroni Grill (for the same reason Chriz liked it - that bread for dipping service tastes like disgusting greasy Pizza Hut crust)

Which brings me to the worst of the bunch:

- Pizza Hut

Non pan-variety, I can stomach it under duress. If it's the pan, you'll never take me alive. Absolutely inedible. I took a job here as a delivery boy just because I knew I wouldn't get fatter by eating the food. I was right.

[KCMax]

Yeah, in my thread 5 years ago, you said you thought Chipotle was over-rated.   
http://forum.kcrag.com/http://www.kcrag ... 664#p39664

Yea, it kinda grew on me. Back in 2004, there was a Chipotle right across the street from my office. I started eating there a lot out of convenience and now its probably my favorite fast food. Blast from the past! Way to unleash the archives!

Interesting to see my choices back then. I don't think I'd have Jason Deli's as underrated anymore, I've really grown to dislike their sandwiches. Way too overstuffed, and they're not that great.

I'll also echo Highlanders choice of Buca di Beppo. I went once and it was probably the second worst dining experience I've ever had in my life. I can't believe people like that place.

[Boognish]

Yea, it kinda grew on me. Back in 2004, there was a Chipotle right across the street from my office. I started eating there a lot out of convenience and now its probably my favorite fast food. Blast from the past! Way to unleash the archives!

Interesting to see my choices back then. I don't think I'd have Jason Deli's as underrated anymore, I've really grown to dislike their sandwiches. Way too overstuffed, and they're not that great.

I'll also echo Highlanders choice of Buca di Beppo. I went once and it was probably the second worst dining experience I've ever had in my life. I can't believe people like that place.

Anytime someone mentions second best or second worst anything, I've got to pick up the slack and ask:

What was the worst?

[Midtownkid]

I have been making a huge effort of explore more local places here in DC now that I am out of college and the cafeteria.  But, I still really like some chains:

-Cosi - Great Chicken Parm sandwich and great flat bread...they could really use on or two in downtown KC
-Starbucks - Yeah, sometimes I go to the local coffee shop instead...but I still really like their espresso and tea drinks.
-Potbelly's - Another chain I can't believe they don't have in KC...good sandwiches...like the 'Italian'
-Au Bon Pain- KC needs some of these!!!  Great pastries, esp the blueberry muffins!
-Cheesecake Factory - Haven't eaten dinner here since 1999 when I tried it in KC, but their cakes and cheese cakes are great!
-M&S grill and M&S - good, classy chains.  I like their food.
-Sprinkles - I guess they are becoming a chain...amazing cupcakes!  Should be opening in DC and KC sometime soon
-Chile's- Not my fav, but I used to find myself there at the Westport location w. my parent.  Pretty good hamburgers and fries...a bit greasy.
-P.F. Chang- I hate that they don't have egg drop soup, or crab rangoon, but I really really like their sweet and sour chicken! Don't really eat there too often though

[KCMax]

Anytime someone mentions second best or second worst anything, I've got to pick up the slack and ask:

What was the worst?

Oh, Houston's. I think I mentioned it before. It was probably a one time thing because everyone raves about their service, but I found it to be just awful the one time I went.

[chrizow]

i hate to rag on the hometown company, but i find Applebee's to just be truly awful.  everything about it sucks big time. 

for breakfast, i enjoy almost all of it - IHOP, Cracker Barrel, Country Kitchen, et al. but Bob Evans to me is just completely terrible.  i can eat some pretty nasty breakfast food (and enjoy it), but Bob Evans just sucks.  their pancakes taste like sand.

i think a lot of fast-food places are pretty bad too - kfc, fazolis, wendy's, a&w, etc.

[chrizow]

Lion's Choice (is that place alive any more?).

i will say that the Lion's Choice locations that opened around here were bad.  the ones in STL are pretty good though.  my dad absolutely loves Lion's Choice.  whenever we visit my brother in West STL County, my dad literally buys a dozen of their sandwiches.  he'll eat four on the way home and the rest over the next day or two.  pretty dirty.  their fries are good.