🧑🍳 Favorite Chain Restaurant?
- Thread starter alabama mike
- Start date
rocknthefreeworld
Member
That is tough. We generally only go to chains for quick food and even then I am moving more and more away from it (except Waffle House, sometimes you just gotta have hash browns cooked by a smoking felon and a waitress who calls you honey or sugar and nothing else will do).
For breakfast, Metro Diner, Waffle House or Dunkin Donuts.
For lunch I'll probably try to find a Five Guys, ChickFilA, Zaxby's, or Panda Express. Similar regional chains apply like Whataburger.
Carrabba's, Red Robin, or Texas Roadhouse for dinner, in that order depending on what is available. I really, really don't like to eat at chains for dinner except when with a group who can't agree or on a special event for someone.
I will say that I still tend to try to find local stuff when traveling, even if it is a local chain. Yes, I sound pretentious, but especially since covid chain prices are at or above the good local places and the quality is so much lower. I damn sure prefer to get food somewhere local over what most chains serve.
For breakfast, Metro Diner, Waffle House or Dunkin Donuts.
For lunch I'll probably try to find a Five Guys, ChickFilA, Zaxby's, or Panda Express. Similar regional chains apply like Whataburger.
Carrabba's, Red Robin, or Texas Roadhouse for dinner, in that order depending on what is available. I really, really don't like to eat at chains for dinner except when with a group who can't agree or on a special event for someone.
I will say that I still tend to try to find local stuff when traveling, even if it is a local chain. Yes, I sound pretentious, but especially since covid chain prices are at or above the good local places and the quality is so much lower. I damn sure prefer to get food somewhere local over what most chains serve.
AFF
Member
National chains - we don't really do much at all but if I had to choose I'd say Carrabba's. Wife likes their eggplant parm. Haven't been there in years though.
Regional - Mellow Mushroom, Pappadeaux, Copeland's, Three Dollar Cafe, Ted's Montana Grill, Dreamland BBQ
If I had to choose it'd be between Pappadeaux and Dreamland.....Dreamland because I still get excited going there. LOL. Haven't been for years but am lucky enough to live equal distance between the one in Duluth and the one in Roswell/Alpharetta. Still I love me some Pappadeaux Seafood.
I miss having a Copeland's close by. I think they're going downhill though. Closest one is in Kennesaw I think
Regional - Mellow Mushroom, Pappadeaux, Copeland's, Three Dollar Cafe, Ted's Montana Grill, Dreamland BBQ
If I had to choose it'd be between Pappadeaux and Dreamland.....Dreamland because I still get excited going there. LOL. Haven't been for years but am lucky enough to live equal distance between the one in Duluth and the one in Roswell/Alpharetta. Still I love me some Pappadeaux Seafood.
I miss having a Copeland's close by. I think they're going downhill though. Closest one is in Kennesaw I think
AFF
Member
Fast food? I thought it was sit-down chain restaurants for supper with family.
Hardly ever do fast food. But a new Whataburger was just built in town so I may go there at least once.
On chain fast food places, my go-to places are usually Chick-fil-a, Jack's, Taco Casa, and Bojangles (for their breakfast biscuits). I love Milo's, but rarely go anymore because the price increases in the last 2-3 years just aren't worth it. I'll destroy some Foosackly's if I'm ever near one and hungry (that would also go for Raising Canes if I had one closer). Also like Firehouse and Jersey Mikes as far as subs.
For the national, sit-down type chains restaurants? There's not really one that stands out these days, certainly nothing on my side of town. If I had to name one? Olive Garden maybe? Longhorn and/or Texas Roadhouse? Very rare these days that we end up at one of them though. I like Crackle Barrel for breakfast, but hardly ever go there. Will eat Waffle House maybe 3 times a year, and that's only out of convenience/location. Like the others, I almost always prefer local food over the alternatives. There's a ton of Mexican places around me, and there's 2 we like the most. 1 really good Chinese place too. BBQ is always high on my list, whether here locally or traveling... If I'm on the road and have time to grab BBQ somewhere, then that is usually my goal.
For the national, sit-down type chains restaurants? There's not really one that stands out these days, certainly nothing on my side of town. If I had to name one? Olive Garden maybe? Longhorn and/or Texas Roadhouse? Very rare these days that we end up at one of them though. I like Crackle Barrel for breakfast, but hardly ever go there. Will eat Waffle House maybe 3 times a year, and that's only out of convenience/location. Like the others, I almost always prefer local food over the alternatives. There's a ton of Mexican places around me, and there's 2 we like the most. 1 really good Chinese place too. BBQ is always high on my list, whether here locally or traveling... If I'm on the road and have time to grab BBQ somewhere, then that is usually my goal.
TideatMileHigh
Member
They closed the Chili's in Tuscaloosa several years back, but when we moved here 20 years ago we lived near it and ate there quite a bit. For the tier of restaurant that it was in (like the likes of Ruby Tuesday, Applebees, O'Charley's, etc), it was the best, IMO. At one point they completely redid their burger menu and had a couple with some thick ass bacon on it. They were pretty good, as was their chips and salsa and southwest egg rolls. Used to eat at that location a lot with fellow RTB members back in the day too after games when all the other places in town were packed. I was in there eating with some people when news broke that Anthony Grant was going to be hired at UA. Weird thing to remember, I guess.
... all that said without mentioning a Taco Casa across the street.
Your "tiers of restaurants" 20 years ago ... didn't include Harvey's? I think it's a BWW now.
I gave Taco Casa their hat tip in my previous post, but I'll admit that Taco Casa had to become an acquired taste for me. When I first moved here, I didn't care for it. Several years later I started liking it, now it's a favorite spot.
I don't recall a place called Harvey's.
The restaurant I miss the most around here is Mike & Ed's BBQ. I ate there all the time, and while their BBQ was good, I always got the chicken fingers, curly fries, and sweet tea. Their dipping sauce was heaven in a tiny styrofoam cup. I ate there the day before the 4/27 tornado went right over it and wiped it from existence. That turn of events ultimately ended up giving birth to Hoo's Q... which is fine, but not even in the ballpark of what Mike & Ed's was.
Took me a few years, but I finally converted my wife.
If you were going towards Skyland from the University it was on the right side; just past McFarland Plaza (where TJ Maxx is now. LOL, when Dollar General was a movie theatre.)
It's now Buffalo Wild Wings. I lived behind Harvey's when it was called Willow Trace. An ambiance a lot like an Applebees, or O'Charley's, but more of an upscale menu. Really good food. I remember the owner had two, the other in Mississippi.
Do you remember when Campo was in that plaza?
So by Red Lobster, basically? I must have been gone when I moved here, or very shortly thereafter. I wonder if they tore it down because I think BWW was built on a vacant lot... that's how I remember it anyway.
Don't recall Campo either. What was it?
ElephantStomp
Member
Wasn't it Princeton's, or something similar, before that? One my roommates waited tables there fir a while.
Rolltide24
Member
Favorite fast food place- Arby’s
As far as fav family place, there really aren’t any. My only family still around here is my mother. The only places we go on special occasions which sometimes have family that is from out of town, are not chains. They have maybe one or two locations but that is it. That is with three different restaurants.
As far as my fav chain…Baumhowers.
As far as fav family place, there really aren’t any. My only family still around here is my mother. The only places we go on special occasions which sometimes have family that is from out of town, are not chains. They have maybe one or two locations but that is it. That is with three different restaurants.
As far as my fav chain…Baumhowers.
PurlJam
Member
Chain is a tough one.... Here, Longhorns, Texas Roadhouse and Outback ...all of those in this area are good along with the Olive Garden and the BWW. Jack's breakfast for fast food by far, there are 4 of them in a 30 miles radius of one another... Local, for breakfast in the area, Staggs Grocery, hands down, IMO. Edit here: I'll throw in Salt Grass too. The one by Grandview hospital in B'ham use to be good, but it's been a while since I've been to it, so I don't know now, but the one in Odessa Texas is some count. They also have a place called Cork and Pig that is spot on too, for anyone that gets severely lost travelling through Texas and ends up in Odessa. 
Staying on topic, we usually flip a coin between Texas Roadhouse and Longhorns
Staying on topic, we usually flip a coin between Texas Roadhouse and Longhorns
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Wow. Yall have a Jack's shortage. Depending on which way I go to work, can pass 4 in about 12 miles.
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