Favorite "bad" chain restaurants

[Anonymous]

I will never turn down a trip to Olive Garden.

[Anonymous]

I don't get the love for Olive Garden's baaaad fake food. I agree the salad is good but that's it. Cracker Barrel is cheap and has enough options to find something.

[Anonymous]

Bob Evans! Omg I could go for their biscuits drizzled in honey right now….

[Anonymous]

Village Inn
Sweet Tomatoes before they all closed
Chili’s

[Anonymous]

I dislike most of them but I do have a soft spot for Prêt.

[Anonymous]

Cheesecake Factory.

[Anonymous]

I thought I loved Olive Garden and I went back recently and yes, the salad is amazing, but those breadsticks were somehow rubbery and foamy and absolutely disgusting. I was so disappointed. I would definitely go back for salad though.

[Anonymous]

I don't know if these chains count, but I love Clyde's and Chuy's.

[Anonymous]

Fast food: I love Chipotle. Chik fil A is a guilty pleasure. Culver's when we're visiting family in the Midwest. I'm not above Panda Express orange chicken.

Cracker Barrel is our go-to during road trips. The food isn't terrible, and I agree that the gift shop can provide a nice diversion.

Red Robin burgers are delish.

Got stuck with a long layover in Atlanta a few months ago and wanted a sit down meal. We picked Chili's. I must say, it wasn't bad.

Olive Garden breadsticks are tasty. I find their pasta to be abhorrent, though.

[Anonymous]

I was going to say Macaroni Grill, but I just looked and almost all of them are gone!! I used to love them in grad school. Same with On the Border, they're almost all gone.

Instead, I'll say that I love Uncle Julio's.

[Anonymous]

Taco Bell? (I know I hang my head in shame)

[Anonymous]

Cheesecake Factory

[Anonymous]

Rosa Mexicano.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I don't know if these chains count, but I love Clyde's and Chuy's.

Yup, Chuy's is one of our favorites. But I don't consider it a "bad" chain restaurant -- I think the food is actually good and a pretty great way to satisfy a craving for real TexMex or New Mexican food. I feel like a lot of people don't know about it, or maybe the food is too spice for many people? It's one of very few places in this area with decent green chili, for instance. Also chimichangas.

Anyway, go to Chuy's! I think the chain might really be struggling with Covid -- they've cut their menu back a lot and closed some spots. I would hate for it to go out of business! They are way better than anything else people have mentioned on this thread.

[Anonymous]

Texas Roadhouse - the best of the steakhouses in that price range, imo.

Burger King - I love Whoppers. So horrible for you, but I crave them. It's the combination of the tomato and the condiments for me.

Denny's - there isn't one near me, but when we are on the road, we like to go there. Nothing fancy, but I have always had a good meal there. Everyone in my family can find something they like on the menu, and the price is reasonable.