Where are you "must-eats" in the USA?

[viaggiamo]

Hi we are off in October and I am looking at revisting Ihop and Taco Bell and Burger King.
Where else do you have to eat at?
I am busy making lists, trying to make time pass with planning.
C

 

[Andona]

Bubba Gumps !
We've eaten there in San Francisco , NYC and Anaheim. In September we're heading to the one in New Orleans.

Applebee's is another favorite.

Andona

 

[viaggiamo]

Oooh Yes, bubba Gumps is on my SF list.
What sort of food does Applebees do?
C

 

[queenie82]

Whole Foods...
They have lovely fresh and healthy food both for you to prepare and ready to eat.

 

[kathie859]

Hi we are off in October and I am looking at revisting Ihop and Taco Bell and Burger King.
Where else do you have to eat at?
I am busy making lists, trying to make time pass with planning.
C

To each his own said the old lady as she kissed the cow! Not to be rude but I find it amusing (in a good way) that anyone would crave Taco Bell or Burger King IMO, Bubba Gumps is way overpriced. I've had a grudge against them since I was charged $6 for 4 pieces (not large) of garlic bread at the Miami location. I'd eat at Red Lobster before Bubba Gump's--better value and I think the food is better, too.

Someone asked about Applebee's. It's one of my favorite chain restaurants.
The menu is varied---everything from sandwiches, burgers, steaks, pasta--what I would call bar food. It's casual dining. If I'm feeling especially decadent, I'll go for a "Brewtus", a BIG beer, and wings.

Now I'm hungry. Drat. Enjoy your planning....

 

[viaggiamo]

kathie859
t's because we have nothing like those chain retaurants here in Australia. I have been to the USA twice before but DH has never been to the West Coast (only NYC) so has never had the opportunity to eat american junk food. They are places that are so typically American, like Hershey chocolates.
C

 

[OzCath]

Hot fudge sundae from the Ghiradelli shop in San Francisco, yum!!

 

[Melbourne5]

Bubba Gumps great food + atmosphere
Red lobster even better quality food less atmosphere
We had a really bad service experience at Applebee's and for that rate it poorly.

We are suckers for a good theme place so rainforest cafe, margaritaville and hard rock are hard to beat and seem to keep our 3 kids in check with plenty to do/ see/ hear/ eat .....

 

[Saskiwi]

Check out Yelp.com to find good local food places - we love real American BBQ which we don't get at home, so make sure we visit a place while there.

Also Mexican, - again we can't get much of that Downunder.

Not sure if you are heading to California or Florida, but in LA you need to go to In n Out Burger - they are the BEST!

And of course a good ol hotdog is always worth having...and don't get me started on Cinnabon.....

 

[Ozdisneydreamin]

Red Velvet Cheesecake-so yummy!

 

[LizfromOz]

In n Out Burger, Bubba Gumps, Cheesecake Factory, chowder in sourdough bowl at Boudins Fishermans Wharf San Francisco - and I can definitely second the hot fudge sundaes at Ghirardelli's in SF. The four of us are real gutsaches and even we couldn't finish two between us. So excited they are now at Cal.Adv.

 

[Travel Mum]

Totally number 1 on our list whenever we go to the USA: *** TACOBELL ***

Mexican Fast Food does not exist in New Zealand so it's a real holiday treat for us!

There is lots more that we love too but Tacobell is certainly at the top of the list

 

[aussietravellers]

Bubba Gumps
PF Changs
Cheesecake Factory
Rainforest Cafe
Wetzels Pretzels

Lots of other places, but in individual cities, they are not chains.

kathie859 as others have said, we don't have big chain restaurants like you have in the USA. We have fast food chains, but we don't have many restaurant type chains, so they are a novelty for us and not something we have very often so it's fun, different and yummy, for us to eat at places like that.

 

[australiankaren]

Totally number 1 on our list whenever we go to the USA: *** TACOBELL ***

Mexican Fast Food does not exist in New Zealand so it's a real holiday treat for us!

There is lots more that we love too but Tacobell is certainly at the top of the list

yep yep yep
taco bell for breaky
taco bell for lunch
taco bell for dinner

taco bell is what us ninja pirate firemen eat when in the US of A

 

[Travel Mum]

yep yep yep
taco bell for breaky
taco bell for lunch
taco bell for dinner

taco bell is what us ninja pirate firemen eat when in the US of A

Like, like, like !!!

 

[australiankaren]

bugger bum crap booger b00bs

 

[Ms. Shuttergirl]

Bubba Gumps hands down . Love me some Bourbon St Mahi Mahi.

I like Applebys but think it's quite expensive.

Haven't been to Taco Bell but would like to try it, that and In n Out Burger sounds good to me.

 

[kathie859]

SASKIWI.....find a"5 Guys" for a good burger and fries. They tell you where the potatoes were grown for their fries. A large fry will serve 3-4 hearty eaters, btw,and the burgers are cooked fresh with your choice of toppings from cheese to grilled mushrooms and onion.

OZCATH....I am so on board with your assessment of the hot fudge Sundae at Ghiradelli.

TRAVELMOM....I was floored to hear Aussie's lack of Mexican Restaurants. Gven the influx of immigrants from Mexico into the US, we have all sorts of good Mom and Pop Mexican restaurants. Taco Bell pales in comparison. A side note: went to a wedding yesterday and the food was a fajita bar catered by a local joint. It was good eats!

As a certified "foodie" it just kills me to have the American palate defined by pretend ethnic foods.

 

[australiankaren]

Hooters.....cause they make awesome burgers.

thats how desperate we are for good burgers/ american food here

so sad

 

[Saskiwi]

Okay -with all this talk of chains, I have to put in a plug for a couple of "Mom and Pop" places in Anaheim that we love:

Blake's Place BBQ (2905 E Miraloma) http://www.blakesplacebbq.com/
It's kind of out of the way in a industrial area, so you'd need a cab or car but it is great! Lovely people, lots of local families, big helpings, get the pulled pork sandwich! - or the ribs - or the onion rings -or...mmmmm

OC Poultry and Rotisserie (2117 E Ball) http://www.yelp.com/biz/oc-poultry-and-rotisserie-market-anaheim (Yelpers love them!)
This is a Vietnamese sandwich place - their speciality is banh mi - crusty French baguette filled with freshly roasted shredded chicken, crunchy salad, coriander and tangy mayo ...soooooo good and soooooo cheap. Clean, friendly, delicious and did I mention cheap? (Like $3 something for half a baguette) They are hard to spot from the road, in a strip mall kind of behind a car wash - hunt them out - you won't be sorry!