Your Favorite Franchise Restaurant

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:49 am

The lame part about Baja Fresh -- they attribute much of the success that led to rapid expansion beyond the west to the fact that Ben Afflec was seen eating it in some paparazzi video, or some shit like that.

The horrah'.

jtr · Post by **jtr** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 6:51 am

IHOP
Norm's
Friendly's
Jerry's Deli

Atomic Punk · Post by **Atomic Punk** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:11 am

There is a Sonic a mile away from here and they are horribly slow. I know this one guy that used to work there and he got fired when a customer brought his order back and threw it across the counter and slid into him since he was on the other side. James picked the chili burger up and threw it right into the customer's face and said chili was dripping off the angry customers horrified and stunned face.

I asked him what the customer did and he said nothing. He was just shocked. The manager was there and James said he is quitting. The manager said that was a good idea. I still laugh about it to this day.

Del Taco sucks. If you want grease-soaked tacos then get the 2 for $1 at Jack in the Box.

We have a P.F.Changs here and this delusional bitch I was dating at the time (she even thought for Christmas kids should get quality wooden toys, which was a sign of times to come) wanted to eat there. We get there and the staff is all dressed up in fancy clothes and we were told the wait was 1hr 25mins. For fucking Chinese food? There were a shitload of people actually waiting for a table. Luckily there was an In~N~Out Burger across the street.

Tommy's in LA is still my favorite with In/Out next.

Macaroni Bar & Grill... Was told the wait was 45 minutes. Again, it may be good, but fuck that wait.

I rarely eat pizza, but the local chain "Me and Ed's" is the best in the Valley. Y2K even did commercial masonry work to improve the appearances of the chain. I's probably the local equivalent of the U&L's Burgerville.

I've never been to the new Claimjumpers, but hear it's good.

jtr · Post by **jtr** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:18 am

The Me and Eds in Lakewood has bluegrass bands playing every week or so, make the experience much better IMHO. http://www.socalbluegrass.org/meandeds.html

Atomic Punk · Post by **Atomic Punk** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:31 am

When I was in STL there was a White Castle across the parking lot from the Best Western as you descend into the city. Those little cheese burgers they sell in a batch of a dozen were good for the first three. After that I became sick to my stomach and didn't eat the rest. They were nasty but the chili fries or whatever were pretty good.

Atomic Punk · Post by **Atomic Punk** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:41 am

They were good at first, I think the grease caught up with me on #4 of those tiny almost all bread things. I just felt sick to my stomach. W_L_W told me he would meet me for a Yankee game and school me on the WC things. I tried them first in the STL going across country.

Side note: One thing I never had was a Whataburger in Texas. I've heard different opinions on them so I have no idea how they are.

Atomic Punk · Post by **Atomic Punk** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:50 am

I know people don't like Denny's but I actually like the breakfast there. Then again, I'm white so the service is a bit better. I eat there maybe once a year if that.

Carl's Jr./Hardees has a pretty good guac burger. Of course their $6 burgers are about that price now.

PSUFAN · Post by **PSUFAN** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 2:50 pm

Then again, I'm white so the service is a bit better.

I guess that makes it one notch above deplorable, then.

Hobbes · Post by **Hobbes** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 4:13 pm

I thought there were people from California on this board?

I also like Ruby's.

Rack Fu · Post by **Rack Fu** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 4:58 pm

Atomic Punk wrote:They were good at first, I think the grease caught up with me on #4 of those tiny almost all bread things. I just felt sick to my stomach. W_L_W told me he would meet me for a Yankee game and school me on the WC things. I tried them first in the STL going across country.

Side note: One thing I never had was a Whataburger in Texas. I've heard different opinions on them so I have no idea how they are.

Whataburger is absolutely horrible.

It's about ten steps below BK and McD's... and that's saying a lot.

Uncle Fester · Post by **Uncle Fester** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 4:59 pm

Atomic Punk wrote:There is a Sonic a mile away from here and they are horribly slow. I know this one guy that used to work there and he got fired when a customer brought his order back and threw it across the counter and slid into him since he was on the other side. James picked the chili burger up and threw it right into the customer's face and said chili was dripping off the angry customers horrified and stunned face.

He should have kicked 100 percent of the customer's ass.

Sin,

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 5:07 pm

Atomic Punk wrote:There is a Sonic a mile away from here and they are horribly slow. I know this one guy that used to work there

Dad?

TenTallBen · Post by **TenTallBen** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 6:04 pm

Hobbes wrote:I thought there were people from California on this board?

I also like Ruby's.

This thread is titled "Favorite FRANCHISE Restaurants"

In N Out is a privately owned company and technicaly does not fit into that category.

Hobbes · Post by **Hobbes** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 6:15 pm

TenTallBen wrote:This thread is titled "Favorite FRANCHISE Restaurants"

In N Out is a privately owned company and technicaly does not fit into that category.

True, and I considered including that in my post but decided I didn't really give a rat's ass and chose to treat a franchise and a chain as the same general idea.

Regardless, In-N-Out is the shizzle.

KatMode · Post by **KatMode** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 6:38 pm

Taco Bueno

Kicks all the rest of those fast food mexican places in the ass.

d-townmike · Post by **d-townmike** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:06 pm

e wrote:chipotle rocks but i had no idea they were a mcdonald's company. at least they employ actual mexicans at the one near me.

papa john's gives me the shits

i'll eat mcdonald's every now and then. it still reminds me of college where i practically lived on the stuff. i knew i was screwed when i figured out that they took checks.

taco john's rocks. they closed the stores in kc but there's still a couple about 30 miles north of me in st. joseph and one in maryville where i went to college. i miss that place.

i can't believe we're this far into a thread about franchise/chain restaurants and nobody's mentioned white castle. all closed up in kc, too but still open in st. louis. i try to go there when i head back home. a couple dbl cheese burgers, o-rings and a chocolate shake and i'm in heaven until my next trip to the can.

Thankfully Chipotle is no longer a McDonald's company, hence why the quality is now back up to where it was before the clown took over for a while.

My vote goes to chipotle or Subway.

Luther · Post by **Luther** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:09 pm

I would have replied a few hours ago but I got a bad case of the Hershey squirts just reading all the restaurant suggestions. The only thing Taco Time has over the Bell is that they do those Crisp Meat burrito's. Those fried tube looking things are pretty good. I kid you not but the next day after, my farts smell exactly like a CMT.

I've never ate at a "In and Out Burger" but I want to. Dins, is there one in Gresham or is that a knockoff burger place with a name kind of close?

I like Round Table Pizza but I don't like the guy at the register saying, "Ok sir, one family sized combination pizza, correct?" Yes, I say. He then says, "Fine then sir, the total comes to eleventhousandfivehundredandfittyfiveandninetyninecents."

For the last few years our family prefers to order up the grub and then eat it at home. The Mongolian grill is fucking horrible. I get the quivering sphincter muscle just driving by that shithole. The last time I ate there I had to stop at a Texaco about a minute from my home just to get rid of the screaming mimi's. I remember a father ushered in his young son into the bathroom after I left the place. "DAD !!!" was all the kid said. The father looked at me like I was John Wayne Gacy, and says, "Son, don't go in the bathroom, just go to the car and shit your pants. Trust me, son."

Rip City

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:20 pm

Luther wrote:I like Round Table Pizza but I don't like the guy at the register saying, "Ok sir, one family sized combination pizza, correct?" Yes, I say. He then says, "Fine then sir, the total comes to eleventhousandfivehundredandfittyfiveandninetyninecents."

Back in the Truly Drunken Days, my old roommate of years, Drunk Bob (aka Bowling Bob) worked at Round Table for a few stints, since due to his predeliction for drinking unfathomable amounts of alcohol, couldn't hold down a real job. Since we tended to blow every spare penny on the nightly booze-and-pusst quest, we pretty much ate Round Table on a daily basis. And boy, you can come up with some crayass za's if you have free run of the kitchen.

And Vhang's Mongolian Grill rocks. I attribute your inability to appreciate it to your incontinence that's come with age. Sure, if you overindulge(sup Dins), you might end up with a case of the Red Paper Special the next morning, but it's worth every painful wipe of the TP.

Hobbes · Post by **Hobbes** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:22 pm

d-townmike wrote: or Subway.

Seriously? And you actually live in Denver? Places I would rather eat than Subway:
1. Panera
2. Quizno's
3. Pretty much any establishment that serves food

YD · Post by YD » Wed Dec 06, 2006 7:39 pm

Dinsdale wrote: I attribute your inability to appreciate it to your incontinence that's come with age.

yeesh

I just blew an O-ring thinking about the ONE time I shrugged off Luth's gastro advice as him just being too damn old to handle a coney island.

no thanks. Luth says take tums and gas-x...I'm taking the tums and gas-x

Cicero · Post by **Cicero** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:16 pm

Cheesecake Factory

BSmack · Post by **BSmack** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:19 pm

Cicero wrote:Cheesecake Factory

Looking forward to a Cheesecake Factory opening in Rochester soon. Back in the SCI days, some folks even had a "clonestock" at one in SoCal. Everybody raved on the board about how good the food was. I'm thinking it might be a primo place to take the wife for her next birthday.

Dinsdale · Post by **Dinsdale** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:29 pm

I guess I've seen them, but the idea to stop at a cheesecake retaurant would never occur to me.

Hell, if cheesecake is what you desire, McCormick and Schmick's makes some bitchin' ones.

PSUFAN · Post by **PSUFAN** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:31 pm

The Cheesecake Factory is a God Damned Hellhole.

"What's this - a 'potato skin'? Filled with...mashed potato and bacon, topped with scallions?

BRILLIANT!!!"

Plato · Post by **Plato** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 9:43 pm

R-Jack wrote: Ball-tip sandwiches rock ...

Sounds good on paper, but I'll need more info.

Fondling,
Irie Gazos

Uncle Fester · Post by **Uncle Fester** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 10:19 pm

I just looked up Taco Bueno on the net and it's EXACTLY what I'm talking about.

It's not authentic, it's not keeping it real, you won't find "shredded beef" within 50 miles of it. Just lots of tacos and potato thingies for about $4, all drenched in gallons of heart stopping nacho cheese.

We need more than fricken TACO BELL in MN. Somebody tell these stiff and stodgy Scandinavians around here to get off their duffs and open some new restaurants.

The Assassin · Post by **The Assassin** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 10:28 pm

I have a fondness for Cicis pizza even though they dont have one in my neck of the woods.

http://www.cicispizza.com

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Wed Dec 06, 2006 11:26 pm

Taco Boy - home of the wet burrito, indiginous to the greater Grand Rapids, Michigan area. Which means none of you have had it...except S_M. Epic fucking shit, those wet burritos.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Wed Dec 06, 2006 11:28 pm

Cici's pizza is a couple notches above a Jack's frozen pizza, but the all-you-can-eat buffet for $5 including drink, salad, breadsticks, and pasta is welllllll worth it.

DallasFanatic · Post by **DallasFanatic** » Wed Dec 06, 2006 11:48 pm

R-Jack wrote:Since I just found out these guys are franchising

Only about ten or so and no farther out than Reno. Ball-tip sandwiches rock and I been a cookout god since they opened up a mile from my house.

Nice call R-Jack. Had one a mile from my house in the Bay Area when I was up there. Ball tip sandwich is off the charts. Plus, there meat selection is incredible. Boy I miss that place.

d-townmike · Post by **d-townmike** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 12:20 am

Hobbes wrote:
d-townmike wrote: or Subway.
Seriously? And you actually live in Denver? Places I would rather eat than Subway:
1. Panera
2. Quizno's
3. Pretty much any establishment that serves food

I agree on Panera and Quizno's but I'd actually like to spend less than $8 for a meal that actually includes chips and a drink. I've always liked Subway and I will keep on going back. Here in Denver, among the national sub sandwich franchises, it's either Quizno's, Blimpie or Subway and Blimpie has been off my list for many years now.

I just wish we had White Castle here! And the grocery stores don't count!

bbqjones · Post by **bbqjones** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 12:23 am

the dudes that work at panera look like primex, or are fags, or both. six half dozen

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Thu Dec 07, 2006 12:24 am

Blimpie is fucking nails. The bread is softer than a handful of cotton swabs and the I love how they slice the meat and cheese; very fine slices, but they load them on.

War Wagon · Post by **War Wagon** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 12:37 am

Going on page 4 and nobody has mentioned Waffle House?

C'mon boys, where do you go at 3:00 am when you're drunker than Dungslinger?

L45B · Post by **L45B** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 1:19 am

Forgot about Blimpie, but agree with Mgo. Beats the hell outta Subway & Quizno's. Only downside is sometimes you'll run into owners who skimp on the ingredients. Fucking bastards.

Mississippi Neck · Post by **Mississippi Neck** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 2:17 am

To comment on previous posts:

PF Changs is good stuff.

Whataburger sucks.

Cheesecake Factory's menu will take about an hour to peruse before making a decision. "Are you ready to order sir? No, I'm only up to page 14 so far.

I always liked Backyard Burgers. Buds Broiler in New Orleans are good. Here in Houston metro, the Pappasitos has good fajitas and the Pappadeax's has good stuff as well.

I will NOT go in Applebees or Chilis. I've had my lifetime quota on those guys years ago.

As for late night gut busting..Popeyes.

Rack Fu · Post by **Rack Fu** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 3:28 am

The Cheesecake Factory is pretty good eats. Their menu is so big that there's something for everyone. Obviously, the cheesecake is very good. The joint is a little overpriced though.

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Thu Dec 07, 2006 3:44 am

CF is overpriced because they serve you ungodly amounts of food. At least that has been my experience. I ordered some pasta dish one time and they brought the thing out in a vat, practically. I can usually take down a pretty hefty amount of grub in one setting, but I barely finished half the plate.

BarFlie · Post by **BarFlie** » Thu Dec 07, 2006 3:47 am

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:but I barely finished half the plate.

Wimp :)

MgoBlue-LightSpecial · Thu Dec 07, 2006 4:21 am

Well, you're certainly going to have to do a little better than that.