In praise of Olive Garden and Hampton Inn; praise YOUR lowbrow favorites!

[Anonymous]

I love Texas Roadhouse. I also go to 7-Eleven and get XXL Big Gulps of Diet Coke any time I have to put gas in the car. Like many others, I've never had a bad experience at a Hampton Inn.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Cracker Barrel (love their biscuits)
Captain D’s (it’s been a long time)
Taco Bell
Olive Garden soup, salad, breadsticks
Bojangles
McDonald’s(a good filet o’ fish is sublime)
Little Caesars (sometimes you just want some $8 pizzas)

I had to eat at Cracker Barrel once for a work lunch. My *ss exploded less than two hours later. Never heard of Captain D's or Bojangles. Taco Bell never appealed to me and there's a Cantina one a block from my apartment. Stopped eating fast food after reading Fast Food Nation, but miss Roy Rogers - that stuff was good. I grew up in NYC so never ate chain pizza until I was in my early 20's and immediately hated it. I can get down with Red Lobster, but not Olive Garden.

There’s 2 NoVa Roy Rogers that I’m aware of- one on Rt. 1 by Belvoir and another by Kingstowne. They’re not all gone! It was one of my family’s go-to when I was a kid.

Yeah, but I won’t eat fast food anymore. Like, in the last 20 years, I’ve had In-n-Out twice and no other fast food. My kid wanted a Shamrock Shake, so I made one at home. I really care about the quality of ingredients and all that after reading that book.

[Anonymous]

The Roy Rogers in Belleview was my favorite one as a kid especially the little condiment bar. There is one on the PA turnpike.

[Anonymous]

About 4 times a year, I love a chocolate frosted doughnut from 7-Eleven. They are delicious and sell out by noon, so you can't wait too long. And I pick up a scratch lottery card while there too. The cashier wanted me to know they only take cash for lottery sales, as if it was my first time!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It is hard to find Long John Silver's anymore, but I love their shrimp! Plus, they always throw in a bunch of those fried crispy batter drippings.

In college their 1.99 fish, chicken, and fries was my favorite affordable treat. I miss them.

[Anonymous]

We randomly went to a Bone Fish grill one time. My kids became obsessed and my husband couldn't believe how much food you got for the price and I loved that you could get a healthy meal there. We started going there frequently. The waitresses were always friendly, the tables had paper to draw on so we'd play all sorts of games while waiting for our food and the bread was delicious. The one nearest to us closed, my children still talk about how much they miss the place. Thanks for the memories, Bone Fish Grill!

When my parents were still alive, we would also stop at a Hampton Inn as a midway point back to my hometown. I loved that Hampton Inn... clean, fun pool, free, albeit mediocre breakfast, it was a great place to stay. Thanks for reminding me about the happy memories, OP!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The Roy Rogers in Belleview was my favorite one as a kid especially the little condiment bar. There is one on the PA turnpike.

Do you remember that Roy’s in Belleview had a gumball machine and if you got a certain color they would give you a small ice cream sundae for free?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Totinos Pizza Rolls

Yes. This my youth. All of it, lol. My whole childhood revolved around pizza rolls.

Are you my son? His diet growing up was mostly pizza rolls and Hot Pockets. And Beefaroni in a can.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Forget not the divine Sheetz!

Love the ordering kiosk. Add bacon or pepperoni? Why, yes, Sheetz, what a fabulous idea!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:We randomly went to a Bone Fish grill one time. My kids became obsessed and my husband couldn't believe how much food you got for the price and I loved that you could get a healthy meal there. We started going there frequently. The waitresses were always friendly, the tables had paper to draw on so we'd play all sorts of games while waiting for our food and the bread was delicious. The one nearest to us closed, my children still talk about how much they miss the place. Thanks for the memories, Bone Fish Grill!

When my parents were still alive, we would also stop at a Hampton Inn as a midway point back to my hometown. I loved that Hampton Inn... clean, fun pool, free, albeit mediocre breakfast, it was a great place to stay. Thanks for reminding me about the happy memories, OP!

Still a Bonefish Grill in Kingstowne! They have good takeout and family style meals too.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Hampton Inn and Holiday Inn still seem fancy to me compared to the places we stayed when I was a kid lol

Same. Econolodge is so shady compared to a HILTON brand like Hampton.

[Anonymous]

I love Cracker Barrel so much and rarely get to go. Their chicken and dumplings, with a side of baked apples, is heaven.
Don't laugh, but I also like shopping there. They have nice quality children's clothes and toys. I also bought my daughter an absolutely beautiful Halloween princess dress for about $20.
I also prefer a Hampton Inn or equivalent compared to a fancier hotel most of the time, unless the hotel itself is part of the vacation. I like the free parking, lack of "resort fee", and a free continental breakfast.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I love canned veggies and can eat them straight from the can. But I grew up lower middle class and that’s what we ate!

Try and find someone who ate canned spinach regularly…

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:McDonalds breakfast!

Yes!! Can’t stand the rest of their menu, but LOVE their biscuit breakfast sandwiches!

Hampton Inn is the best road trip hotel there is. Almost always clean and newish - that’s all I need. And slow cooked oatmeal for breakfast.

Arby’s is perfectly fine fast food. I don’t know why it gets so much hate.

Log Cabin syrup is better than most real maple syrup.

I’ve the biscuits but they only come with square frozen eggs. If you have a round egg, it’s always freshly cracked!

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Does anyone remember back when that Playboy model Kendra Wilkinson said her impoverished family loved going to Olive Garden to celebrate special occasions when she was growing up. And then Olive Garden crapped all over her unsolicited endorsement of their restaurant chain because they claimed she didn't represent their values as a family restaurant?

Lower class families celebrating a special occasion IS Olive Garden's primary customer base. I was so turned off by Olive Garden's snooty attitude toward their customer that I haven't been to an Olive Garden since 2008.

You must be thinking of someone else, they don’t sound impoverished:

“ Born in San Diego, California,[2] Wilkinson is of English, Irish, and Ukrainian descent.[4][5] She has a younger brother named Colin. Her mother, Patti, was originally from Cherry Hill, New Jersey, and had been a cheerleader for the Philadelphia Eagles. Her father, Eric, was raised in Bryn Mawr, Pennsylvania and Ocean City, New Jersey, before moving to San Diego at age 15. He received a degree in biochemistry from the University of California, San Diego, and went on to found several biotechnology companies before retiring at the age of 48”

Her dad retired at 48!!