Which of the following casual dining restaurants do you find acceptable?

[Del Tachi]

List is the 20 largest American casual dining restaurants ranked by gross sales (2017)

Only Carrabba's and Bonefish Grill for me

OT:  this segment of the restaurant industry is in for major contraction over the next few years, as  higher-quality "fast casual" restaurants (i.e., Chipotle, Panera, Panda Express, Qdoba) squeeze them out.  Labor costs for full-service restaurants are just too high for them to remain competitively priced.  I expect that we'll be saying goodbye to some traditional stalwarts in this industry (i.e., Applebee's, Chili's, Red Lobster) by 2030

[OSR stands with Israel]

I have only been to 4 of these (Red Robin , Olive Garden , PF Chang , and Apple Bees)


Red Robin is amazing especially their fries

The Minestrone soup at Olive Garden is amazing and their cheese ravioli is OK

PF Chang is Ok


Applebee’s is terrible

[Sprouts Farmers Market ✘]

Chili's is good enough to eat at even when I am home. Ruby Tuesday is good enough to eat on a road trip. Bonefish Grill is fine if I am trapped in an upscale suburb but not something I'd die for. Those three are generally acceptable and somewhat respectable in moderation.

Red Lobster is not really acceptable, but I do eat it somewhat frequently since it is free to me on workdays and a zero minute walk from the office. Perhaps unfairly underrated.

IHOP, which is not listed, is the only one that I would actively spend my own money on as opposed to my employer's.


I find myself severely sick of 'high dining' (which in a second tier American food city means eating at one of the two celebrity empires) so I don't come at this from a snobbish perspective. My money is largely directed towards complete dives that look completely out of place in this century but serve an important place in the community that will be dearly missed in a decade or less.

[Santander]

NOTA.

Eating out in America outside Chicago, NY, and maybe Boston is really dire.

[OSR stands with Israel]

NOTA.

Eating out in America outside Chicago, NY, and maybe Boston is really dire.

https://wallethub.com/edu/best-foodie-cities/7522/

[Santander]

NOTA.

Eating out in America outside Chicago, NY, and maybe Boston is really dire.

https://wallethub.com/edu/best-foodie-cities/7522/

Portland #1, New Orleans #44? Discredits itself.

I should apologize though, for overlooking New Orleans on my initial list. They take food very seriously down there.

[OSR stands with Israel]

NOTA.

Eating out in America outside Chicago, NY, and maybe Boston is really dire.

https://wallethub.com/edu/best-foodie-cities/7522/

Portland #1 lol. Yeah, no.

I should apologize though, for overlooking New Orleans on my initial list. They take food very seriously down there.

You haven’t had food at the food carts here , they are amazing in every way . Also I see no problem with some foods becoming Americanized and they taste better that way in many instances for example Americanized Italian food > Traditional Italian

[Esteemed Jimmy]

 Buffalo Wild Wings

[Santander]

You haven’t had food at the food carts here , they are amazing in every way . Also I see no problem with some foods becoming Americanized and they taste better that way in many instances for example Americanized Italian food > Traditional Italian

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[Del Tachi]

NOTA.

Eating out in America outside Chicago, NY, and maybe Boston is really dire.

San Francisco, New York and Washington are the best American food cities.

Orlando and Las Vegas are good too, but for different reasons.

[SnowLabrador]

I've never heard of some of these. I don't see that many of them around here.

[Progressive Pessimist]

I'm not going to turn my nose up at any of them, even though personally in my area, there are better non-franchised alternatives to all of them. Some people though aren't that lucky and have no choice but to eat at establishments like these. There's nothing wrong with that, if that is your circumstance.

[GeorgiaModerate]

Would you believe I just got home from eating at O'Charley's?

Have eaten at all of them except BJ's (never heard of it) and Texas Roadhouse.  They're all varying levels of OK, neither super exciting nor awful.

[7,052,770]

"Acceptable" is such a low bar, so most of them I guess. I've eaten at most of them dozens of times over the years, for whatever that says...

• Applebee's - awful. But even there you can get some passable nachos or something.
• Olive Garden - not as bad as the memes say, but nothing special.
• Buffalo Wild Wings - one of the better ones on the list. Pretty hit or miss depending on the location though. Boneless wings are too crunchy.
• Chili's - Passable but generally disappointing.
• Outback Steakhouse - VERY hit or miss in my experience. Basically depends if the cook is competent or not. Decent burgers too.
• Red Lobster - The biscuits are great, the rest is passable but nothing special.
• Texas Roadhouse - Totally generic and forgettable, but fine I guess.
• Cheesecake Factory - Never eaten at one or even seen one in the South.
• Longhorn Steakhouse - Probably my #1 on the list. A little more reliable than Outback.
• TGI Friday's - Somewhere between Chili's and Applebee's. Probably stick to appetizers.
• Red Robin - Pretty good, but only eaten at one a couple of times.
• Ruby Tuesday - Been awhile since I've seen one, but it's pretty much Applebee's with a salad bar
• BJ's - Never heard of it.
• P.F. Chang's - Pretty good eat time I've been there.
• Hooters - Ranges from mediocre to decent depending on the location. The waitresses don't dress nearly as scandalously as their reputation.
• California Pizza Kitchen - Ate once out of town and thought it was pretty good.
• Carrabba's - Ate once out of town and thought it was pretty good.
• Logan's Roadhouse - Meh but not awful.
• Bonefish Grill - Decent, but I don't really go to the one in my hometown because it's basically a singles hookup bar.
• O'Charley's - Haven't seen one in years, but I remember it being fine.

Every single "fast casual" restaurant should have a location in Jackson, MS. It's basically ground zero for people who wouldn't be too pretentious or health-conscious to eat at them.

[Santander]

• Bonefish Grill - Decent, but I don't really go to the one in my hometown because it's basically a singles hookup bar.

The one in Madison? I've been there many times with my coworkers and didn't notice. You should've told me sooner!

Every single "fast casual" restaurant should have a location in Jackson, MS. It's basically ground zero for people who wouldn't be too pretentious or health-conscious to eat at them.

We have Newk's, which is super unhealthy, but I love it.

[Dr. MB]

I've been to Olive Garden, Buffalo, Outback, Cheesecake Factory, Red Robin, BJ's, and California Pizza Kitchen.

Red Robin, BJ's, and CPK are good. Olive Garden, Outback, and Buffalo are okay. Cheesecake Factory is a disappointment, especially their cheesecake.

[Starry Eyed Jagaloon]

None. Why the hell would I spend $20 for a bad meal at a boring chain resturaunt when I can spend half that for a fantastic meal someplace local?

[dead0man]

I don't recall the last time I was in any restaurant of this level that was a chain.  From my experience many years ago, they were all kind of the same.  The food was usually fine, but not great...especially for the prices charged.


also, if you can only find good food in 2 or 3 cities, there is something very wrong with your head.  You should probably see someone about that.

[Nutmeg]

Almost all of these are representative of the physical breakdown of society and the bleak landscape that is much of America, with so many people dependent upon private motor vehicles to zoom around vast soulless expanses with minimal spontaneous interaction with other humans. The result is depression, obesity, and a lack of appreciation for other people. 15-second videos of other people doing things elsewhere and fentanyl are our only escapes. It's truly sad how we have built ourselves into this intractable mess.

That said, I stan a 3,080-calorie Bloomin' Onion every few years.

[HillGoose]

Olive Garden
BDubs
Chili's
Outback
Texas Roadhouse
Longhorn Steakhouse
Red Robin
California Pizza Kitchen
Carrabba's
Logan's Roadhouse
O'Charleys

Also I love Hooters and their food but I avoid that place like the plague because a few years back I dated a woman who worked there and I am always convinced I'm going to run into her even if it's not the same Hooters because people transfer around ya know.

[Santander]

Also I love Hooters and their food but I avoid that place like the plague because a few years back I dated a woman who worked there and I am always convinced I'm going to run into her even if it's not the same Hooters because people transfer around ya know.

I actually don't mind the food at Hooters, but the concept is so repulsive to me that I won't go.

[Crumpets]

Red Robbin
P.F. Chang's
California Pizza Kitchen

[GeorgiaModerate]

• Cheesecake Factory - Never eaten at one or even seen one in the South.

There's one in Alpharetta (Atlanta suburb) I've eaten at a couple times.

[HillGoose]

• Cheesecake Factory - Never eaten at one or even seen one in the South.

There's one in Alpharetta (Atlanta suburb) I've eaten at a couple times.

I ate at the one in Lenox Square in Buckhead about a year ago, it was the worst service I have ever had anywhere in my life, hands down.

[Tokugawa Sexgod Ieyasu]

None. Why the hell would I spend $20 for a bad meal at a boring chain resturaunt when I can spend half that for a fantastic meal someplace local?

^^

for example Americanized Italian food > Traditional Italian

You're lucky you have good takes on Star Wars.