I hate chain restaurants.

[Jack-Jack]

If I like the salad at Random Restaurant, I'll go there to get it, chain or not.

We're soon getting a Random Restaurant at the new open air mall. I can't wait to eat there.

So I should try the salad?

 

[smartestnumber5]

Sorry but chain restaurants doesn't necessarily equal 'not fresh'. We have Pizza Express here for example (not like pizza hut, more of an Italian chain which specialises in pizzas). You can see them rolling their own dough fresh and adding fresh toppings to it. You can see the chefs making lasanges. You can do this all locations all over the country from the same menu, but the pizzas are prepared individually, fresh, in each location.

And yeah I prefer individual, local restaurants but if you're in a new town and you want somewhere you KNOW the food is good and you KNOW it's a reasonable price, you go to somewhere you KNOW. I don't often go to Pizza Express in Exeter but I will go to it in any town I'm visiting because I don't have the time or the inclination (or the sense of direction) to scope out the best local joints every place I go.

Yes I definitely like chains for this reason when we're traveling and just need to get a meal during a day of driving or when staying over night in the middle of God-knows-where-Pennsylvania before or after a trip to my parents. I like to have some idea what a place, it's menu, and it's pricing is like before I go in. Plus I'm a vegetarian and I think when traveling through rural areas I'm much more likely to find something I can eat at a chain than at a local restaurant.

Other than those traveling instances, we generally do a mix of chains and local restaurants, but definitely tilted to locals given we like to eat Indian, sushi, Middle Eastern, and Thai and chains for those cuisines don't exist around here. We're fans of the Macaroni Grill and Red Robin chains though and usually we get pizza from a chain. (Coming from an Italian family and an area with lots of 1st and 2nd generation Italian senior citizens, I pretty much just do this every time we try a local Italian/pizza place in Michigan. I don't care if the Domino's/Pizza Hut/Papa John's/Little Caesar's pizza does come from a box. IMO, it's still way better than 90% of what passes for "pizza" here. There is one place in town that does pizza better than the chains, but at $16 for a pie it also costs twice as much as the chains; while it's better than the chains, it is not twice as good as the chains.)

I do think there can be other reasons besides atmosphere, cost, and food quality to support local restaurants though. There's a local restaurant in my town that uses only free range beef and chicken. I don't actually eat meat, but I do support the idea of using free range meat which was acquired under less painful conditions for the animals. So there's a good reason for me to take my business there instead of chains--none of which (as far as I know) use free range meat. (The problem is that I don't actually like the food at the local place, so I usually end up opting for red robin anyway .)

 

[nataliela]

2 young children, etc.

As for the food not being freshly prepared...take it from someone who has worked in both a sit down restaurant and fast food. Most of the sauces and such are pre-measured but there is actual work involved preparing those dishes - some from scratch others just assembled. Salads are not premade, veggies for most dishes are cut and cooked on site, and I could go on. Don't think because the sign out from says "mom & pops diner" that they are not getting anything premade because ALOT of them purchased pre-made desserts either from local bakeries OR mass merchandisers, frozen french fries, pre-jarred sauces, etc.

An example

Sysco food services

They will deliver the same box of chicken breasts to chilis, outback and the local restaurants.
They will also deliver the same dressings to almost all the local restaurants. They aren't that good to begin with, and it gets pretty old quickly when you are eating the same italian at different places.
Those "homemade desserts" are usually the same thawed items with a different name.
A lot of appetizers at local places are also provided by Sysco.

I used to work with inventory for a country club, so I know what got purchased. I also ate there a lot, so I can pick out the items at other places.


Personally, My top two fav. restaurants are local, but 3-5 are chains.

I sometimes choose locally to keep the money in the community. But around here 75% of the restaurants serve mostly fried seafood, and it gets old.

When it comes to deciding where to eat, I go off of what dish I am craving, not if it is local or a chain.

 

[Carl]

I love Olive Garden. It is much better than that new terrible Italian restaurant in World Showcase. I wish Olive Garden would take it over. And, on top of that, it is much cheaper.

 

[Poppinsme]

Most of the chain restaurants named here I have never heard of.

But we eat local 99% of the time. The food in New Orleans is some of the best in the country, so of course. I haven't eaten at a McDonald's in probably a year and that was for a breakfast biscuit.

(I'm 2 miles from a fresh shrimp market that is selling jumbos right now for $3.00 a pound.) YUM.

 

[Cool-Beans]

Wow, he sounds like a keeper....you have his number?

I do. And I give it out anytime anyone in a store asks for it. Been doing that for 10 years. He's got to be wondering about why he gets some of the junk mail he does. I also call up and request information to be sent to him, like Viagra and Hair Club for Men and Funeral info. He gets all kinds of stuff saying, "Here's the info you've requested" and wonders how he got onto these mailing lists.

One time people were talking about how companies have so much info on us. He said, "They know I'm bald!" and nobody asked him about that. It was so hard to keep a straight face. I know he thinks that because of the stuff I order.

One day I'm going to tell him it's me. It's going to be fun.

 

[Maleficent13]

We're soon getting a Random Restaurant at the new open air mall. I can't wait to eat there.

So I should try the salad?

Absolutely, with ranch dressing.

 

[Traveliz]

Do you?

I really don't see the appeal of Pizza Hut or Kelsey's or Eastside Mario's or other chain family restaurants. Fast food chains I kind of understand. I mean, it's all bad for you anyway. But who do these slow food restaurants think they are fooling? We know that nothing is made fresh there. How could it be? The menu in California is the same as the one in Maine. And then they have the gall to charge you a good deal of money as if everything they cooked for you had not just come out of a box. Frustrating.

Does anyone else agree?

Well if I was visiting you I might go to Kelsey's or Eastside Mario's as I have never heard of them and often on trips we try new to us restaurants that might be regional chains but not available where we are.

Liz

 

[Mkrop]

There are a few chain restaurants that really have exceptional food & wine-Carrabas, Bonefish Grill, to name a couple.

They are actually owned by the same company, as well as Outback and Cheesebruger in Paradise

 

[Poppinsme]

An example

Sysco food services

They will deliver the same box of chicken breasts to chilis, outback and the local restaurants.
They will also deliver the same dressings to almost all the local restaurants. They aren't that good to begin with, and it gets pretty old quickly when you are eating the same italian at different places.
Those "homemade desserts" are usually the same thawed items with a different name.
A lot of appetizers at local places are also provided by Sysco.

I used to work with inventory for a country club, so I know what got purchased. I also ate there a lot, so I can pick out the items at other places.


Personally, My top two fav. restaurants are local, but 3-5 are chains.

I sometimes choose locally to keep the money in the community. But around here 75% of the restaurants serve mostly fried seafood, and it gets old.

When it comes to deciding where to eat, I go off of what dish I am craving, not if it is local or a chain.

Where do you live in the state?

Within 10 miles of where I live is: French, Sushi, Chinese, Mediterranean, Seafood, Italian, Korean, Buffets out the wazoo, Casino (John Besh) , and Po Boys. Just to name a few.

 

[sk8ingmom]

We hardlly ever eat at national chain restaurants. Taking your chances can be fun! "You never know what you're going to get" can be a really good thing.

We drove from Bellingham, WA to Alexandria, VA last summer over the course of a month, making stops along the way, and one of our goals was to not set foot in a chain restaurant. At times we really had to look for a non-chain option, but it was fun and we had some wonderful meals.

We've had the occasional Chili's or Outback since then, but it is rare.

 

[nataliela]

Where do you live in the state?

Within 10 miles of where I live is: French, Sushi, Chinese, Mediterranean, Seafood, Italian, Korean, Buffets out the wazoo, Casino (John Besh) , and Po Boys. Just to name a few.

Terrebonne


We do like to go to NO and eat over there...I think I have only eaten at the same place twice a couple of times....

 

[RVGal]

Don't think because the sign out from says "mom & pops diner" that they are not getting anything premade because ALOT of them purchased pre-made desserts either from local bakeries OR mass merchandisers, frozen french fries, pre-jarred sauces, etc.

Funny (to me) story along this line. We were in Biloxi having dinner one night. Big group at a local restaurant. One of the people in our group kept going on and on about how great his meal was... how you can't get fresh seafood & fish like that back home... blah, blah. I look out the window and there sits a commissary truck off loading boxes marked "frozen fish" etc. The license plate was from Florida. Not only were they buying pre-packaged... they were buying out of state pre-packaged. So much for the great, fresh, local meal.

We're soon getting a Random Restaurant at the new open air mall. I can't wait to eat there.

So I should try the salad?

Absolutely. Make sure you take pictures and do a trip report after.

Plus I'm a vegetarian and I think when traveling through rural areas I'm much more likely to find something I can eat at a chain than at a local restaurant.

We wind up at a few chain restaurants for similar reasons. If we are eating with my in laws, we have to choose somewhere that has a gluten-free menu available. There is ONE local chinese restaurant that is willing to make her a gluten-free meal. Other than that, we have to choose a chain restaurant that we already know has gluten-free selections.

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

We hardlly ever eat at national chain restaurants. Taking your chances can be fun! "You never know what you're going to get" can be a really good thing.

We drove from Bellingham, WA to Alexandria, VA last summer over the course of a month, making stops along the way, and one of our goals was to not set foot in a chain restaurant. At times we really had to look for a non-chain option, but it was fun and we had some wonderful meals.

We've had the occasional Chili's or Outback since then, but it is rare.

That's exactly how I feel. Food is an adventure. Then again, we aren't picky eaters and love to try new things.

 

[Mkrop]

We wind up at a few chain restaurants for similar reasons. If we are eating with my in laws, we have to choose somewhere that has a gluten-free menu available. There is ONE local chinese restaurant that is willing to make her a gluten-free meal. Other than that, we have to choose a chain restaurant that we already know has gluten-free selections.

Carrabas does

http://www.carrabbas.com/menu.asp

My friend told me this when her DS needed gluten free.

 

[cteddiesgirl]

Some chains are good. Some chains are bad. Some locals are good. Some locals are bad. I eat where I find good food, no matter who owns it.

As someone else stated, some of the local places are rather greasy and dirty. Typically, those that are nice and clean are usually higher priced. At least in my experience.

 

[NYBlue1]

There are a few chain restaurants that really have exceptional food & wine-Carrabas, Bonefish Grill, to name a couple.

Carrabas Bonefish and outback are all owned by the same company, I have NEVER had a bad meal at anyof them. If I want a good steak that is a resonable price im heading to the outback before most nicer restaurants, cant say the same about the overpriced mortons in my area.

 

[paigevz]

Um, no. I don't agree. I make cakes out of boxes, and they are good. Who cares if I put those ingredients together or the company did?

 

[Mr. & Mrs. Smith]

Um, no. I don't agree. I make cakes out of boxes, and they are good. Who cares if I put those ingredients together or the company did?

That just seems so wrong to me. It's one thing to use convience foods at home or to expect that at a fast food restaurant but to pay $20 for a bunch of chemicals, added fat, no freshness, nutrition or taste? I've done it and probably will again but I don't think it's ok.

 

[Thats_for_Shore]

That just seems so wrong to me. It's one thing to use convience foods at home or to expect that at a fast food restaurant but to pay $20 for a bunch of chemicals, added fat, no freshness, nutrition or taste? I've done it and probably will again but I don't think it's ok.

If I go to Outback and get a steak, what's the difference of the "local" restaurant's steak? Nothing, most likely. They probably both got a loin off the same Sysco truck.