Rudy's barbecue is absolutely incredible. I'm not the biggest fan of it, but Chuy's is really stinking good.
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Do you eat at chain restaurants?
- Thread starter G51989
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I eat a both chain and local restaurants... the food tastes the same to me but I am not a foodie. I just like anything that has plenty of spices poured on it and chain restaurants tend to do that as well as any local one lol
However, I never ever eat any kind of Asian restaurant. At least two in my area over the years have been shut down for suspicious reasons.
However, I never ever eat any kind of Asian restaurant. At least two in my area over the years have been shut down for suspicious reasons.
I'm moving away from Atlanta back to the north states in a few days - so I've been stuffing myself with Zaxby's and Chic'fil'a lately 
I do love me some Zaxby's... I'm gonna miss it.
I like Jason's deli as well.
I do love me some Zaxby's... I'm gonna miss it.
I like Jason's deli as well.
I'm moving away from Atlanta back to the north states in a few days - so I've been stuffing myself with Zaxby's and Chic'fil'a lately
I do love me some Zaxby's... I'm gonna miss it.
I like Jason's deli as well.
Unfortunately they have Chick-Fil-A up north too. But the world would be a better place if they all closed up.
They only have a couple locations in NY - and they are all in New York City which is about 4 hours from where I'll be.
Most of the time it's a matter of convenience rather than seeking the perfect dining experience. Places like Jersey Mike's, Chipotle and Lime see regular patronage. Outback and Olive Garden get occasional visits. A restaurant has to offer good atmosphere, food and service but I don't expect perfection in every area. Sometimes if a place shines particularly bright in one area, I'll overlook the other two.
There are a few Mom & Pops that are near to my heart however. One stellar BBQ joint down the road with a dirt parking lot and a building from the Truman administration comes to mind. You're on your own once they hand over the food but there's a reason they've been on the Food Network several times.
There are a few Mom & Pops that are near to my heart however. One stellar BBQ joint down the road with a dirt parking lot and a building from the Truman administration comes to mind. You're on your own once they hand over the food but there's a reason they've been on the Food Network several times.
I second this, they take that crappy 80/20 meat, smash it onto the grill which removes any type of flavor, undertoast the bun, charge you out the ass for it and give you soggy fries
I've been to a bunch of them. And its cool that you like them, but for me its just a bland fake place. No matter how nice it looks inside.
There's a good quote from Gordon Ramsey " A good Restaurant does one type of food really really good. A bad restaurant does lots of kinds of food badly ", during my 5 years of college I took culinary classes when I had gaps in my class shdecual and worked at a famous local BBQ place, and I can say that's true.
My problems with the Cheesecake factory are that its fake, and the menu is way to big, bland and full of yuppies. None of the Dish's have any real flavor to them, at least to me.
When I'm forced to go, as my GFs friends love the place for some reason, I just get chicken and rolls with mashed potatoes, which isn't so bad. And I start pounding Gin and Tonics.
You should look around your local major city and find a highly ranked place. It'll beat the Cheesecake Factory. I promise.
Of course, you have to know what to look for. But once you get a good eye you know what to avoid.
I personally put Five guys on Frozen burger level due to the way they cook it.
IF you want an awesome burger. Go to your local store, buy the good 80/20 ground chuck, season the crap out of it, grill it to medium rare or medium, put cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce, fried onions, and a good locally made deli roll on it that you toast. And it'll blow away five guys
I've been to a bunch of them. And its cool that you like them, but for me its just a bland fake place. No matter how nice it looks inside.
IF you want an awesome burger. Go to your local store, buy the good 80/20 ground chuck, season the crap out of it, grill it to medium rare or medium, put cheddar cheese, BBQ sauce, fried onions, and a good locally made deli roll on it that you toast. And it'll blow away five guys
I dont recall saying I like them - I was just explaining it to someone whose impression of it was formed by the Big Bang Theory.
And you lost all credibility on the subject of food the moment you mentioned BBQ Sauce.
I don’t recall saying I like them - I was just explaining it to someone whose impression of it was formed by the Big Bang Theory.
And you lost all credibility on the subject of food the moment you mentioned BBQ Sauce.
Not if you make your own BBQ sauce like I do, which currently has 38 components to it
And costs almost 70 bucks to make a half gallon That typically goes on some of the best ribs money can buy, which I smoke in a very nice smoker I also have a rub that has 17 components to it, as well as a glaze that has 12 components to it, I learned from one of the best BBQ guys whom I worked for in Northern Florida/Southren Georgia ( he has two locations ), his food can blow away just about anyones I also make my own cheese, bacon and sausages and have my own garden where I grow tons of veggies
. I also took a couple culinary courses in my spare class slots. And some of my best friends are chefs. And I've eaten at some of the best places in the world . Lyon, Paris, London, Moscow, New York, Chicago, and Tokyo. Yep, no idea what I'm on about But Ok, I see what you mean. I just can't stand places like the Cheesecake Factory. Its just fake.
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Not if you make your own BBQ sauce like I do, which currently has 38 components to it
Your BBQ sauce sounds like heaven in a bottle. And the best ribs money can buy is where it belongs.
Not on burgers. Im very picky about my condiments
I tried Smashburger once. It was very ho-hum. Way, way too many places here that make good burgers to waste my money there.
I don't understand the charm of In-N-Out. It's better than McDonald's, sure, but I don't think it's any better than Wendy's or Whataburger.
This,
Me and the wife go to the following:
Outback
Lucilles
Stacked
BJ's
Lazy Dog
Yard House
Congregation Ale House
Lucilles may be some of the best barbecue I have had in a state not know for its barbecue.
Actually, I can kind of understand this (and before you all get worked up, disclaimer, I AM Asian).
Part of it is because of precisely the reason why most people are avoiding chain restaurants. I don't think a lot of Asian restaurants are simply heating-and-serving frozen entrees. (Sure, the ingredients are frozen, but there's a lot of prep work involved). More prep work means more care must be taken to keep everything clean, and the way a lot of these places work, I can see how that can get neglected.
I might be inclined to avoid unknown Asian places when I travel, too. That's the appeal of a chain restaurant like McDonald's or Subway, you know exactly what you're going to get and you have some confidence that they must be handling things OK in there, or else the franchise owner would have shut them down.
But at home? Love the little independent Asian places (Chinese, Indian, sushi buffet, ...) Would much rather visit one of them than a typical chain restaurant.
I like Smashburger mostly for the fries (rosemary, olive oil, and garlic), but that and places like Five Guys fail when they won't let you choose how you want it cooked. They're pretty pricey for an overcooked burger.
I'd rather spend a few extra bucks and eat at Beck's Prime or Pappa's where I can order my burger raw.
I completely agree. I lived in LA for a year and that's all anyone talked about and it's certainly nothing special. I always wondered if it's one of those things where people are afraid to say it sucks because they think that everyone else loves it. But, yeah, I have no clue why people rave about that place.
Depends on the chain.
My family doesn't eat "fast food" as in mc donalds, wendys, etc.. We do eat cracker barrel occasionally, same for shorties bbq, Chili's, etc.. Local places as well. We cook our food 9/10 times though.
For lunch, the only chain place I really do is sweet tomatoes. Everything else is local or I bring my own.
My family doesn't eat "fast food" as in mc donalds, wendys, etc.. We do eat cracker barrel occasionally, same for shorties bbq, Chili's, etc.. Local places as well. We cook our food 9/10 times though.
For lunch, the only chain place I really do is sweet tomatoes. Everything else is local or I bring my own.
I agree. These places don't give a **** about making something good for you. They just want you to like it, with whatever it takes to make it cost (for them) as little as possible. If that means loading up with salt and fat, so be it.
If I am forced--which is rarely--to eat at a chain restaurant (work or family thing) I only choose from their so-called "healthy" options. Since I cook a lot and always compute nutritional value I am fairly certain they take liberties in the caloric/sodium/fat content they state on the menu.
Michael
I second this, they take that crappy 80/20 meat, smash it onto the grill which removes any type of flavor, undertoast the bun, charge you out the ass for it and give you soggy fries
So true. Soggy or cold
fries... I mean, friggin' cold?!
I used to be a fan (and even advocate) of undercooked ground meat. Several years ago I went to a series of refrigeration seminars and learned about meat processing and Escherichia coli. Never again.
Fairly easy solution: grind your own. You can even skim off the outside layer and grind the rest. Cooking that rare-to-medium won't be any different than cooking a steak the same way. You can grind the skimmed trimmings for well-done, or use for something else.I used to be a fan (and even advocate) of undercooked ground meat. Several years ago I went to a series of refrigeration seminars and learned about meat processing and Escherichia coli. Never again.
Even without trimming the outer layer the chance of contamination is far lower than buying ground beef.
If you don't have a grinder you can even buy a cut of beef (or whatever) from a supermarket and have them grind it. That is still better than prepackaged ground beef.
Michael