Do you have a favorite chain restaurant?

[ajrsmom]

We have found a new liking of Olive Garden since moving to NC.

We also like Cracker Barrel for breakfast :)

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Do ya'll have A & W Restaurants in NC? I grew up on those as a child and would LOVE to do to one if my DH and I go in October. They have the best rootbeer!

[ajrsmom]

That's one place I havent seen around here but I cant say for sure that they aren't any around here. :)

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Thanks. I couldn't remember if I had seen any around there or not. I know when I went to Michigan, they had them there. But, in NC, I do not remember. Can you tell that I am craving A&W rootbeer? LOL

[cat lover]

We really love Cracker Barrel for any meal. Hubby can get a fairly ggod meal that he can eat there. The fact that he can sub egg subus***ute for real eggs and then have turkey sausage instead of prok and order Promise margarine instead of the regular helps a lot. Even at those subs it still takes a big turn into his limits on fat and all for the day so we can't eat there often either!

Subway is good as we can order subs with only 5 g fat there and they are pretty good. We get all the veggies on them and that helps fill him up.


It would be nice if we could find a low fat style restaurant, but none of those around!:eek:

[Fish3711]

I have more than one favorite, I can't choose just one! They are The Olive Garden, Cracker Barrel and Quizno's subs.

Fish3711

[Coll]

My favorite doesn't exist anymore, ChiChi's.
A&W Restaurants here are with Long John Silvers.
Long Johns is my favorite for fish. Mom and I had a tradition, when we would go Christmas shopping, we always had lunch at Long John's. I'm going to miss that tradition with her, but I'll find someone who likes it as much as I do.

Coll

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Felicia, it's good to see you!

[mouse]

We have A&W's and they are with Long John's also which is great cause we love Long John's and A&W so we get fish and a root beer. If you order it to go it is pretty good but if you eat at the restaurant you can get the frosty mugs and it is so much better. So Debora if your passing through Georgia on your way to NC stop on in and have yourself an A&W rootbeer.

Coll what state do you live in?

mouse

[mouse]

Oh I forgot one of our favorites is Chilie's that or Longhorn's Steakhouse.
mouse

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I'm on my way! LOL

Mouse, welcome to MM! I have never had a lay-over in GA when going to NC. I wish I could convince my DH to move to NASCAR county! LOL He LOVES the moutains and I have told him that NC has mountains. LOL Oh well! I guess I'll just have to travel. LOL

I look forward to getting to know you. I hope to see you around!

[ajrsmom]

I'm on my way! LOL

Mouse, welcome to MM! I have never had a lay-over in GA when going to NC. I wish I could convince my DH to move to NASCAR county! LOL He LOVES the moutains and I have told him that NC has mountains. LOL Oh well! I guess I'll just have to travel. LOL

I look forward to getting to know you. I hope to see you around!

Are you driving to NC? What part are you going to?--I know that I should remember this but I have a brain full of stuff going on right now, lol!! I still want to meet up with you if possible.

Tell your DH there are beautiful mountains in NC!!

Here is a pic. of Pilot Mountain. The view was awesome were we were standing! Im sure this place would be great in the Autumn. :)

[ajrsmom]

My favorite doesn't exist anymore, ChiChi's.
A&W Restaurants here are with Long John Silvers.
Long Johns is my favorite for fish. Mom and I had a tradition, when we would go Christmas shopping, we always had lunch at Long John's. I'm going to miss that tradition with her, but I'll find someone who likes it as much as I do.

Coll

I lived 5 minutes away from the ChiChi's where everyone got sick in Beaver County. We had eaten their several time in the past.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Those are beautiful! I showed DH and he agreed that they are beautiful. Now, if I can just get him to agree to move there when I become a practicing psychologist so I can attend more NASCAR races, I'll be set! LOL

I'll be flying. Which reminds me, I need to get my airline tickets and car rental before everything is booked! I already have my motel as those have to be done a year in advance. I also need to order race tickets. I guess I'd better look at my fall semester schedule and get to it!

I will be going to the Charlotte area. DH knows where we'll be staying. I'll let you know later more details. I totally understand the brain forgetting as I do that all the time when I am in school as my brain is full of other information! LOL

Here's a picture of a friend of mine and I when we went to Hooters in NC! LOL I believe it was after the time trials for a night race and it was close to 1am and the only thing open at that time. I am glad because we had a BLAST and I wouldn't go to a restaurant like that any other time.

5

[Coll]

Mouse, I live in PA. About 40 miles outside of Pittsburgh. (Home of the Steeler's, Pirates and Penguins).

Coll

[cat lover]

I don't think it is a chain, but maybe;I really don't know! But in Maggie Valley we ate at a Country Vittles a few years ago and the food was great! I even got the cook to share one of her recipes with me and she said it was a "family" recipe. It is a beautifull area; one of my SIL bought a house to retire in for 6 mnonths out of the year there. Wonderful pictures!

[Sammi1961]

My two favorite chain restaurants are Olive Garden and Pizzeria Uno. I also like Applebys but the other two are truly my favorites.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I LOVE Olive Garden!

[ajrsmom]

I LOVE Olive Garden!


I love O.G. too but all of their restaurants are definitely not the same. We are lucky to have found one good one near us. :)

[MAMA3]

We Are Getting An Olive Garden In Our Town Soon; I Haven't Tried Them Before. I'm Excited To Have It. We Are Also Supposed To Get A Red Lobster. I Have Eaten There Once. I Think My Favorite Would Be Arby's. We Don't Have One Near Us. We Have To Travel Two Hours To Get To One!!! They've Talked About Getting One In This Area A Few Times But Never Followed Throught With The Idea!!!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I love their mussells and their spinach and artichoke dip.

[cat lover]

Guess I'm going to have to stick with Cracker Barrel as my all time favorite national chain. Hubby can eat there once in awhile but only because he can sub egg substitute for real eggs, get turkey sausage for real sausage... well he can sub enough things that he can at least eat a whole meal there. I love their Hash Brown casserole and lots of others things there.

It is kind of neat too that you can shop after you eat! And you know you can always find a good place to eat across the country because right near the expressway in most cities you'll find a Cracker Barrel!:D

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I LOVE Cracker Barrell's hash brown casserole, but I don't like their red-eye gravy. It's gross!

[cat lover]

Did you find any new restaurants on your trip? Hope the trip went well and the cooking!;)


I haven't tried the red eye gravy; I love coffee, but something about it in a gravy I guess doesn't appeal to me.:eek:

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Well, the forest was closed so no campfires and no grilling! Also the RV park that we went to charged us way more than they quoted us over the phone. They also charge my FIL $8 more than he charged us! He is supposedly a member of Good Sam and Passport America. He was supposed to charge them half. So, I am turning them into the Ruidoso chamber, Passport America, and Good Sam. We ate at camp everyday except for yesterday. My kids and I went in town to watch NASCAR qualifying at a sports bar. We only had soft drinks and appetizers, which we gross! I have never had shrimp with spaghetti sauce! They didn't have ****tail sauce with the shrimp! I am very glad to be home. DD was EXTREMELY moody! She and the GKs go home tomorrow.

[cat lover]

I don't blame you for talking to someone on that! Good Sam club is usually pretty good; they need to know if someone isn't following the guidelines. Hope you were able to salvage some good times!;)

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Although it wasn't it total loss, I have had better trips. It was one of those trips in which anything that could go wrong did. We are hoping that the next time we can have a better time.

[dallasalice1]

Olive Garden is my fave. I would love to have all of their recipes in a cookbook! Olive garden & a glass of wine my favorite meal!

Alice

[DeBora4BobbyL]

According to this thread, OG seems to be a fave. Shall we all go for lunch this week? ;)

[mouse]

dallasalice are you orginally from Dallas Texas? Just a former Mesquite Texan wondering.

mouse

[mouse]

That sounds good and we like Olive Garden also, love their salads and breadsticks except the closest one to us is about 45 minutes away.
mouse

[DeBora4BobbyL]

The closest one to me is a 2 1/2 hour drive away! Bummer!

[dallasalice1]

Hi Mouse sorry not from Texas. Tennessee born & raised in IL. I am just a diehard Dallas Cowboy fan! Trust me U aren't the first to ask.........LOL I got the nickname for my big mouth cheering for my Cowboys.

Alice

[joyann]

Fazoli's has the absolute best meatball sandwiches. I order a half sandwich and it is huge. I also like Cracker Barrel and Pizza Hut.

[mouse]

Never heard of Fazoli's but it sounds good. Is that a chain?

dallasalice you and my sister would get along good. I like the Falcons and the Cowboys but my sister and I who never argue got into a big arguement at Christmas time cause she was putting the Falcons down and then saying the Cowboys were America's team. I told her a long time ago they were but not anymore and I thought she was going to throw me out of her house. She really got hot. But she has all this stuff in her house that is Cowboys and she won't even let her hubby in the house when the Cowboys are playing cause she thinks he is a jink to them. That's going to far to me.

mouse

[dval]

It's not the same kind of chain you guys are all talking about, but I go to Taco Bell at least once a month. Sometimes once a week! I always get a Meximelt. Yummmm!
I have been to Olive Garden, Ruby Tuesdays, Red Lobster, Denny's, Bugaboo Creek, The Ground Round, Ponderosa Steakhouse, Macaroni Grill, Applebees, Cracker Barrell, The Weathervane plus some others I can't remember. Most of them only once, Denny's and Ground Round a couple of times. We use places like these for special occasions. Because there are so many restaurants around and the special occasions are only a couple of times a year, we rarely go to the same restaurant more than once.
There is a breakfast chain, Bickford's, that I've been to quite a few times. I love their oven baked omlets! Oh! and I've been to Hometown Buffet a bunch of times, too.

[cat lover]

Never heard of Fazoli's but it sounds good. Is that a chain?

mouse

Yes it is! There is one in Jasper,Indiana; 30 miles one way from us, and I know there is another one in Louisville, Ky; 60 miles from us one way. The food is pretty good, but the ones we have been into in the past you ordered at the counter and sat down and go back up for the food when your number is called. Good food, but no atmosphere like OG!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I've seen those in Texas as well. I am not sure about NM.

[cat lover]

It's not the same kind of chain you guys are all talking about, but I go to Taco Bell at least once a month. Sometimes once a week! I always get a Meximelt. Yummmm!
I have been to Olive Garden, Ruby Tuesdays, Red Lobster, Denny's, Bugaboo Creek, The Ground Round, Ponderosa Steakhouse, Macaroni Grill, Applebees, Cracker Barrell, The Weathervane plus some others I can't remember. Most of them only once, Denny's and Ground Round a couple of times. We use places like these for special occasions. Because there are so many restaurants around and the special occasions are only a couple of times a year, we rarely go to the same restaurant more than once.
There is a breakfast chain, Bickford's, that I've been to quite a few times. I love their oven baked omlets! Oh! and I've been to Hometown Buffet a bunch of times, too.


Wow, do you have a favorite out of all those!:eek:

[dval]

I would have to say Bickford's. The problem is, most of those places are not exceptional enough to go back. Or if they are exceptional, they are just too expensive to go back.
I don't know how single people can afford to go out like that on dates all the time.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I would have to say Bickford's.

What is Bickford's Donna?

[cat lover]

I would have to say Bickford's. The problem is, most of those places are not exceptional enough to go back. Or if they are exceptional, they are just too expensive to go back.
I don't know how single people can afford to go out like that on dates all the time.


I know what you mean! We don't eat out much at all because of DH's diet, but even if he could eat the stuff I don't think we would be going out much because of the cost!

[oochiegoo]

Oh, Ladies!! I just saw a commercial for Red Lobster...oooohh yeah! Olive Garden is good too.....yummy O !

[dval]

What is Bickford's Donna?

Bickfords makes mostly breakfast foods all day long. MMmmmmm!
Their omlets are oven baked (so there's never any runny stuff). I think they do the pancakes in the oven too.
They have other food, but I only go for the breakfast stuff. I can get the other stuff anywhere. :)

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Donna, I am sure we don't have those there. However, we went to Outback tonight and we had wonderful service. We had wonderful food and service. I connected with the waitress because she is an English/ Education major. It was a good experince. Plus, the manajor came by and asked if we were okay. Great!

[Coll]

Wish we had a Bickford's here. I love to go to Denny's for breakfast at dinner time.
Especially when everyone else is ordering dinner.

Coll

[DeBora4BobbyL]

We do have a Denny's. I also miss the A&W rootbeer restaurants that used to be where I live. I have seen one in Michigan, but they are no longer where I live.

[cat lover]

Back in Louisville there are combination fast food places popping up everywhere. One of them is an A & W root beer place with a Long John Silver's. I remember those big frosted mugs of Root beer. Even though you can buy A &W in cans it isn't the same. I've even tried frosting some mugs, but it just doesn't get that old flavor!

[dval]

However, we went to Outback tonight and we had wonderful service. We had wonderful food and service.
It's been a while since I went there but I do remember the waiter sitting next to me to take the order. I liked that...didn't get a pain in the neck looking up!

[DeBora4BobbyL]

Our waitress was outstanding. I found out that she is also a student where I go to school, except she is an education major.

[oochiegoo]

DeBora - Yes, we have A&W's here in Michigan...yes, they are the bomb!! Yummy!

Coll - I LOVE BREAKFAST for Dinner!!!


We do have a Denny's. I also miss the A&W rootbeer restaurants that used to be where I live. I have seen one in Michigan, but they are no longer where I live.

[DeBora4BobbyL]

I miss A&W so much. I still buy their diet rootbeer at the store. That's the only way to get it here. But, it doesn't beat the cold frosted glass mug, hamgurger, and French fries at the restaurant.

[oochiegoo]

yeah, you are right, it doesn't beat it. Yummy. Big 'ole cheeseburger, fries and a frosty mug o'root beer! Have to get me some of that too while were talking about it...let you know how it was!! LOL

[cat lover]

If I caught you in time...eat some for me too! LOL I haven't eaten there in a long time, but still remember those frosted mugs of A & W!