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When I was a kid, my dad cleaned office buildings in the evening and I would go with him sometimes because we always stopped at DD
I worked third shift back in the day, so once in a while, I'd hit DD just as they were making the donuts. There are still local shops that make things fresh. There's a place called Kanes Donuts here, and they make the donuts fresh every day. They're like the old DD donuts, big, warm and fresh. Now DD donuts are much smaller, stale and tasteless.

So if anything, this must help local restaurants, since chains seem to be going down hill, local places are enjoying an uptick. I've noticed those independent places to be much busier then the chains
 
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Don't eat food from chains often but ones that I do like are Zoe's Kitchen and Blaze Pizza. They seem to maintain their quality each time I've had their food.
 
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Don't eat food from chains often but ones that I do like are Zoe's Kitchen and Blaze Pizza. They seem to maintain their quality each time I've had their food.
We've done Blaze on occasion, and they do seem pretty consistent for quality regardless of location.

Edit: Have wanted to try Zoe's. What's your go-to dish there?
 
Maybe MR members–at least those posting in this thread–don't match the typical attributes of fast/fast-casual food and casual restaurant customers.

For example Darden (DRI) is on track to drive around $10 billion in revenue this year and Chipotle (CMG) close to $9 billion. So somebody is eating regularly at these places.

I personally don't go to chains unless I'm traveling and there are no other acceptable options to get food. But I live in a city so that's an easy path to follow.

Maybe Yogi Berra had it right: "Nobody goes there anymore, it's too crowded."
;-)

There’s a Cracker Barrel every 20 miles. With kids and traveling that’s usually a stop.

Texas Roadhouse seems most popular in my small town. They’re pretty active supporting local school and such.

Red lobster and others are pretty much dead at rush hour. Would like to support mom and pop restaurants but that doesn’t equal quality here.
 
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We've done Blaze on occasion, and they do seem pretty consistent for quality regardless of location.

Edit: Have wanted to try Zoe's. What's your go-to dish there?

I really like the chicken rollups. The feta cheese has a nice punch. The grilled potato salad is good also.
 
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You can buy the mix at the store. Pretty close to what they serve in the restaurant.

Yup, tried it but somehow they just aren't the same, they seem to always be dry and easily fall apart. I'm not skilled enough in the kitchen to figure them out.
 
The chains have been going down hill even before pre-COVID.

A friend who is a GM for the company that owns Gordon Biersch et al mentioned some years back that their entire menu at his brand was made up of ingredients off the back of the Sysco truck and all those ingredients need to be used in at least three different dishes. So all dishes are created via a "pick one from column a, column b..." recipe.

Since COVID, restaurants are having trouble hiring and keeping employees, cut their menus to be easier to cook up and to deliver via food delivery services/take-out, leading to a bit of a catch-22 cycle. More Sysco, more not as well prepared, rinse/repeat.

That said, will echo Texas Roadhouse seems to be knocking it out: the one near me is always busy. Ditto for the BJ's I pass by. About only one I go to is Shake Shack and that has been consistent during COVID and currently. I like Blaze, but with their price increases, getting close to same price as a mom-pop pizza place nearby who are knocking it out with their pizzas (much better ingredients, crust, killer local beer selection) who have been getting the bulk of my pizza business these days (will hit up Blaze when they have a good deal going on via their app).
 
I usually judge the restaurant by what is at the restaurant. Fast food as a whole is a big no thank you for me. I have been to chains that are consistent and serve good food, no complaints. I have been to mom and pops that have been down right horrible and vice versa.

I have also been to places that were once great and they are no longer good... not even a little.

I can say, my two favorite restaurants right now are locally owned and have knocked it out of the park with service and food.
 
I tend to agree, maflynn. We are trying to visit local family owned restaurants, more and more.
To be honest, I am wondering if the larger chains think they deserve customers, because of their name and such. Those times have gone...
 
During the pandemic, we ordered take-out on Tuesday to support the local restaurants. Generally avoided the chains, except for Wahoo. Similarly, when we travel, we try to find small local establishments.
 
If in Canada, you certainly want to avoid Tim Hortons. Years ago it was half decent but then started to send frozen baked goods to the outlets, abused franchisees financially etc. Yet many people still consider it a Canadian iconic symbol of some sort, ignoring the fact that a few years back it was purchased by the Brazilian investment bandits who also own Burger King. Crap coffee, crap donuts....beware.
Agree, just like Starbucks, a place to forget about. Beats me how so many people around me in Ontario would visit those when there’s plenty good food places around.
 
Rare bad experience at Texas Roadhouse tonight. That will seem like a pun after what I have to say, but I swear it wasn't intended lol. And keep in mind, I practically never send food back or ask for a manager or anything.

I got an 8oz filet. I asked for it medium rare. It came out practically mooing. Purple and difficult to cut through. It all good, just have them throw it on a little longer, should be no big deal right? Wrong. It came back out, still way undercooked. Still had trouble cutting through, still a purple-grayish color.

So they said they could make another one and bring it back out. How can they screw this up? They have a fresh new chance to cook a brand new one, so I have high hopes for this one. Nope. Came out very mushy, still way undercooked on the inside. The manager comes over, recognizes that it's undercooked. She said "I'll try to cook it, let's see if my skills are better than the cook back there." So she's clearly frustrated with the staff, we were right near the kitchen and could hear her yell at the cook in the back.

In the end, she took the steak off the bill (I tipped as if it was still on there of course). I usually have nothing but good experiences at Texas Roadhouse, but they had 3 opportunities to give me a steak that wasn't raw and couldn't get it done. Either an issue with whoever was cooking it or the grills.
 
Couldn't agree more. The US version of course is Dunkin Donuts (or dunkin dog-nuts as it is accurately nicknamed due to the taste of their coffee).
Dunkin Donuts arrived here in Switzerland last year. Never tried them, never will. Even the mass-produced pain au chocolat > cruddy donuts.
 
Couldn't agree more. The US version of course is Dunkin Donuts (or dunkin dog-nuts as it is accurately nicknamed due to the taste of their coffee).
I've been a Dunkin Donuts customer for a decades. It is true that it is not as great it as used to be eventhough it still serves its purpose in a pinch. Not too bad in actuality. But, the absolute truth is that Dunkin Donuts' coffee has always been very respectable and is far superior to the better known Starbucks coffee.
 
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But, the absolute truth is that Dunkin Donuts' coffee has always been very respectable and is far superior to the better known Starbucks coffee.
Agreed. Whenever I travel, I always look for the nearest Dunkin' for my morning coffee fix, as the coffee has remained consistently good over the years. For just-off-the-interstate coffee, Mickey D's is a decent alternative.
 
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I've been a Dunkin Donuts customer for a decades. It is true that it is not as great as used to be eventhough it still serves its purpose in a pinch. Not too bad in actuality. But, the absolute truth is that Dunkin Donuts' coffee has always been very respectable and is far superior to the better known Starbucks coffee.
Well that's good to know though again we have excellent coffee but Î'll keep it in mind for travels to the US.
 
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t still serves its purpose in a pinch.
I avoid DD like the plague. I focused a lot my posts on their poor donuts, but their coffee has gotten so bad, its literally just brown bean water at this point. No taste, not body, just weak colored water.

I'm not a coffee snob, and I'm no fan of starbucks, i think their coffee is burnt, but its head and shoulders better then DD. Maybe its a regional thing and other locations are better buy my local shop, there's not one thing being sold that is worth the money.

Funny enough there's a small local coffee shop in my town, it has weird hours (opens at 8:00 and closes at 2:00), their food and pastries are expensive (in the scheme of things) yet there are huge lines. There's two Dunkin Donuts near by, one is not busy at all, no lines (no drive through), you can walk up and get what you want, regardless of the time of day.

The other has a drive through and that's busy, mostly because its for early morning commuters, that the local shop doesn't even try to cater too.
 
I avoid DD like the plague. I focused a lot my posts on their poor donuts, but their coffee has gotten so bad, its literally just brown bean water at this point. No taste, not body, just weak colored water.

I'm not a coffee snob, and I'm no fan of starbucks, i think their coffee is burnt, but its head and shoulders better then DD. Maybe its a regional thing and other locations are better buy my local shop, there's not one thing being sold that is worth the money.

Funny enough there's a small local coffee shop in my town, it has weird hours (opens at 8:00 and closes at 2:00), their food and pastries are expensive (in the scheme of things) yet there are huge lines. There's two Dunkin Donuts near by, one is not busy at all, no lines (no drive through), you can walk up and get what you want, regardless of the time of day.

The other has a drive through and that's busy, mostly because its for early morning commuters, that the local shop doesn't even try to cater too.
I like the DD cold brew and their teas a lot. I typically get an unsweet iced tea these days though. I wonder if it's the shop near you because ours are always busy within a 20 mile radius. They are usually as busy as Starbucks, which I never liked either. Their coffee is not burnt; it's over-roasted (per them). :D

Fun fact: the beans for the DD brick and mortar stores are not roasted by the same company that roasts it to be sold at grocery stores.

As for various chain restaurants, I'll stop if I need something quick on the go, but that's rare. I like to visit the local diners and we have some great ones.
 
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