National Chains -- What's Good

This may approach the boiling point of this particular forum, but I thought after the recent McD's discussions, it might be worth identifying the redeeming features of the national chains.

Please, just the good news: Follow mom's rule... If you don't have something nice to say, don't say anything at all. A little criticism or caveats, sure, but make sure you have something positive about a place.

Burger King: Sausage Croissanwich. Mmmm. In my mind, much superior to the bagel-, biscuit- and/or english muffin-based competitors.

Arby's: Horsey Sauce. Sure, it's sweet, and their Arby's sauce is closer to french dressing than BBQ, but it's a nice zing absent from elsewhere.

Subway and Quizno's: The presence of hot peppers (which varies from Subway to Subway [giardinera, banana rings, nacho rings...], while Quizno's has made a pepper bar at the units I've been in) makes these a
worthwhile stop on occasion.

Max and Erma's: I think they make a better burger than many of the other pub&grub chains, and they'll make it medium rare (at least some of the time). A nice side-dish substitution policy helps too. My son is especially fond of their buffalo chicken sandwich.

That's a start.

HI,

McDonalds: Big Mac, Filet-O-Fish, Steak Bagel sandwich.

Taco Bell: I like the Double Decker Taco: Soft taco spread with beans and wrapped around a hardshell taco. It's not Mexican, but it is good.

Arthur Treacher's Fish and Chips: Like the fish.

Jack in the Box: Greasy taco (Burger has/had something very close to it in the last year)

Howard Johnsons: when I was a kid I liked their macaroni and cheese. I somehow doubt I would like it today.

Waffle house: Pecan pancakes, Hash browns with almost everything on it.

Burger King: Whopper with extra onions

Stuckeys: I like to stop only because my parents wouldn't.

Grandys: Biscuits and gravy, any place which proudly sells fried chicken gizzards.

I'm tapped out for the moment.

JoelF wrote:Burger King: Sausage Croissanwich. Mmmm. In my mind, much superior to the bagel-, biscuit- and/or english muffin-based competitors.

Arby's: Horsey Sauce. Sure, it's sweet, and their Arby's sauce is closer to french dressing than BBQ, but it's a nice zing absent from elsewhere.

Burger King: The special chicken sandwiches they had (the ones rick bayless shilled) were actually quite good. At least the "smoky bbq" and "santa fe" were. I don't know if they're still selling them. They should be.

Arby's: The chicken strips are fairly good. Inferior to popeye's, but passable in a pinch. The curly fries are great to have access to, and I indulge every now and then.

Popeyes: Depending on the franchise, anything chicken related. With some franchises, though, nothing. The biscuits, in their salty shortening-laden goodness, are another guilty pleasure.

-ed

White Castle: sliders, esp. now with the "jalapeno" cheese option. Of course there's a direct correlation between my desire for a sack and the lateness of the hour + amount of imbibing. Ordered with "everything", which in the wacky WC world means with ketchup and mustard.

Well, it's not a national chain, but it's a pretty big local chain and it feels national:

Brown's Chicken: Chicken livers and gizzards. Everytime I drive by and smell the distinctive odor of Brown's, I salivate for some of the "parts".

Cracker Barrel is a consistent choice when traveling the interstates and there is no time to search a place out. I have some items such as the catfish sandwich to be adequate.

Steak and Shake can hit the spot at times for a burger and a shake. Not much else though.

While I do have an occasionaly meal at a chain, I am always there for convenience rather than flavor.

Arby's: Potato cakes. Chicken sandwiches. Horsey Sauce. The deli sandwiches they have now are edible.

Burger King: Whoppers -- I like their burgers best of all the fast-food chains, because they really are char-broiled and taste like it, and the "have it your way" slogan is still in force. Also, breakfast items; Frozen Coke.

Culver's (are they national?): frozen custard

Krispy Kreme: Glazed dougnuts, when they're hot.

Long John Silver's: Battered fish and chicken. Rather tempura-like, when fresh.

McDonald's: Clean bathrooms, Coca-Cola, reliability -- they really have very little variation in the food from one outlet to the next, unlike, say, Popeye's or even Burger King. The food may not be very good, but it's uniform and predictable. (I used to like the McNuggets till they reformulated.)

Panera Bread: Free WiFi

Popeye's: Spicy chicken; onion rings.

Wendy's: Spicy chicken sandwich; salads. The Jr. bacon cheeseburger, on the 99-cent menu, is a bargain, substantial for the price, and better tasting than McD's.


On a more formal scale --

Bennigan's: Monte Cristo sandwich

Big Bowl: Appetizers, lemon chicken, blazing flat noodles, fresh ginger soda

California Pizza Kitchen: Peking duck pizza with extra hoisin sauce

Outback: Rack of lamb, ribeye.

Only the WiFi at Panera? I've never been disappointed by their soups, and their roast beef sandwich with smoked cheddar, red onion and horseradish, while unacceptable prior to afternoon meetings is fantastic. Endorsed by me, Mrs. F and our dog, who tore off three layers of bags and paper wrapping to get at one when we stepped away for a few minutes.

In keeping with the idea of promoting national chains... (though I'd love it if In-N-Out Burger became one...)

JoelF wrote:Burger King: Sausage Croissanwich. Mmmm. In my mind, much superior to the bagel-, biscuit- and/or english muffin-based competitors.

Absolutely. Anytime I get one of those 99-cent coupons for breakfast sandwiches (that is, croissanwiches), you know that I'm there. Out of the croissanwiches available, I usually prefer the sausage or ham over the bacon. (I guess the bacon's been nuked for too long?) Whoppers are excellent, as are the fries when they're fresh out of the fryer. I also agree with LAZ about their frozen cokes: they're quite refreshing, especially on a hot summer day.

Subway and Quiznos: Subway's peppers are very nice to have, particularly on a meatball sub with the works (but hold the onions for me). Quiznos is a bit pricier, but a good coupon helps those toasted subs go down easier. (A better regional toasted sub can definitely be found at Potbelly Sandwich Works.) Jimmy John's can be good if you like the bread, shredded lettuce, and mayo (when applicable).

Wendy's: They've got my favorite spicy chicken sandwich (outside of a buffalo chicken sandwich at, say, Bennigan's - which carries some decent wings as well). The Jr. Bacon Cheeseburger and (5 piece) Crispy Chicken Nuggets serve well as a 2-dollar meal.

Culver's: I don't believe they're a national chain, but I would like to try their ButterBurgers sometime. It's the same regional story with Steak & Shake, but I've had their burgers (very nice, but double your steakburger to alleviate the burn/well-done-ness). S&S also has excellent lime freezes.

Krispy Kreme: Great, but I'm trying not to go for such ultra-sweet foods anymore. (An overall positive review, wouldn't you say?) Dunkin Donuts has some nice garlic bagels, especially at six in the morning.

McDonald's: Breakfast burrito with lots of their salsa packets poured on top. I used to like some southwest (read: jalapeno cheese sauce?) breakfast bagel sandwich, but I think most locations have dropped it from their menus. Daytime sandwiches include the Filet-O-Fish and maybe the Big Mac. I can tolerate the regular hamburgers or cheeseburgers when they have those 39 or 49-cent bargain days.

Popeyes: Spicy (cajun) chicken, with their hot sauce packets for the white meat. (The same could be said for varieties of KFC chicken.) I also like various sides on occasion: mashed potatoes & cajun gravy, cajun battered fries, buttermilk biscuits, red beans & rice, or just plain old cole slaw. Love that chicken from Popeyes! (Can't you just hear the marketing/music?)

Big Bowl: I don't know how common this chain is around the country, but I do remember one thing from my only trip there... that all the food on my plate was scorching hot, as in temperature. That really made my meal.

Papa John's Pizza: I used to love their regular crust and thick cheese, but now I'm all for thin crust wherever I go. Grab a pepperoncini (and maybe some jalapeno dipping sauce... is it just cheese now?), and you're set.

Taco Bell: Their grilled stuft burritos (with just ground beef) tend to fill me up pretty well... especially when they're slathered in Fire sauce. Otherwise, a medium-sized chicken burrito or a set of regular tacos does the trick.

Baja Fresh: The only thing I've ever eaten there is the steak Burrito Ultimo, and I think that's good enough for me (especially with the hot peppers and salsa). I'm not as fond of Chipotle; I guess it's the rice or the (shredded?) meat. Still, I know a lot of fans.

"Gyros Place": Now if only I could count Kronos as a national chain or something, I'd grab an extra handful of tzatziki sauce and go home happy.

Thanks for posting on this. I hope you all eat well (must it be naturally opposed to long life??) and prosper.

--The (fast food) Snob

Lone Star for Pork chops-hit or miss-occasionaly too salty,Bubba chicken and Bubba burgers.Long John Silver's for chicken flatbread sandwich.White Castle for chicken rings.Potbelly's -The Wreck. Roly Poly-various tortilla wraps.50 plus combos or create your own.At the time I tried them I did not see this on the printed menu but I have had their Philly and the Reuben.One of the places all of us found something we liked.They have East Coast and Midwest locations mainly.Looks like none in Mountain area and some in California and Oregon

The chili and the baked potato at Wendy's--both on the 99 cents menu. Almost anything at Panera. Most soups at Culvers and the vegetable beef soup at Steak and Shake if we're counting those.

JoelF wrote:Only the WiFi at Panera? I've never been disappointed by their soups, and their roast beef sandwich with smoked cheddar, red onion and horseradish, while unacceptable prior to afternoon meetings is fantastic. Endorsed by me, Mrs. F and our dog, who tore off three layers of bags and paper wrapping to get at one when we stepped away for a few minutes.

I confess I haven't tried the soups. I'm not crazy about most of the breads they use on sandwiches, so I've mainly stopped in there for coffee or tea or a cold drink (all fine). I like the food better at Corner Bakery, which I don't believe has quite achieved national chain status yet, but I'm sure they're working on it.

Somewhat not keeping with the original part of this thread, but a few "chains" that I do like (and recommend at times to people) are:

- Penang - Malaysian, multiple locations in NYC, and here in Chicago, not sure where else, but I've never been disappointed (as long as I have focused on the Malaysian parts of the menu)

- Le Colonial - again multiple locations of this higher end Vietnamese restaurant, never have been disappointed and have frequently had a very good meal with guests who greatly enjoyed themselves.

- Cheesecake Factory. Okay, a bit more contraversial perhaps, but in general I have been quite surprised at the quality (at least in the past) of the food at Cheesecake Factory. The portions, on the other hand, are way too large - so this is best as a place to go with friends, especially a large group, and order almost literally HALF as many dishes as you would normallly. More typically, I have had their salads and perhaps an appetizer, then a slice of cheesecake and have usually had leftovers for the next day, been very full, and had a good meal. They do get too busy frequently, but often this can be bypassed by sitting down in the bar area where the full menu is served and there can often be significently less of a wait.

I have not yet tried the other restaurant from the same chain as Cheesecake Factory, but have heard good things (but as well large portions).

Corner Bakery - Chicago's own now national chain. In general I have been pleased with food here, but at times it is a bit hit or miss.

Au Bain Pain - While flying home today I noticed that at least at some locations, they are now serving ARTISNAL cheese plates - so something definitely to check out in the future (at least at their La Guardia locations they are) for between $5 and $10 a selection of 2-4 different artisinal cheeses and various sides (dried fruit, nuts, bread/crackers etc). Looks be quite good and a step up from their usual fare. In the past I have also liked their Brie sandwiches which are again a bit less than usual fare for a chain.

Shannon

hattyn wrote:Roly Poly

[url=http://www.rolypolyusa.com]
Roly Poly[/url] is just entering this market, with stores in the South Loop, Rolling Meadows and a few other suburbs.

1240 S. Canal St., Chicago (312) 733-ROLY
1659 Algonquin Road, Rolling Meadows (847) 434-1007

Shannon Clark wrote:Le Colonial - again multiple locations of this higher end Vietnamese restaurant, never have been disappointed and have frequently had a very good meal with guests who greatly enjoyed themselves.

How many locations make a chain? Le Colonial has only four -- and I don't think they even have the same menu.

Shannon Clark wrote:Cheesecake Factory. Okay, a bit more contraversial perhaps, but in general I have been quite surprised at the quality (at least in the past) of the food at Cheesecake Factory. The portions, on the other hand, are way too large - so this is best as a place to go with friends, especially a large group, and order almost literally HALF as many dishes as you would normallly. More typically, I have had their salads and perhaps an appetizer, then a slice of cheesecake and have usually had leftovers for the next day, been very full, and had a good meal.

I quite like the Cheesecake Factory. I may think it sad that it consistently wins tourist contests for the "best" Chicago restaurant, but the food is freshly prepared -- a feat considering the huge menu -- and while not cutting-edge, reliably tasty. The also provide one of the few late-night options in Skokie. And while it's undeniably a chain, it's not ubiquitous the most of what we've been discussing here is (nor obnoxious, like Hard Rock Cafe, to name a one-per-city chain).

Shannon Clark wrote:Somewhat not keeping with the original part of this thread, but a few "chains" that I do like (and recommend at times to people) are:

- Penang - Malaysian, multiple locations in NYC, and here in Chicago, not sure where else, but I've never been disappointed (as long as I have focused on the Malaysian parts of the menu)

It was interesting to talk to a few people (associated with the University of Chicago) about Penang the other day, as I've never been there myself. While this restaurant in Chinatown (or near it?) serves mainly Malaysian fare, they also have some dishes native to Indonesia, whose cuisine is probably related to that of Malaysia. Apparently there aren't many Indonesian restaurants in the Chicagoland area, if any. Anyone know of one?

--The Snob

Some things that come to mind:

Burger King Whoppers with extra pickle are a post drinking fave of mine.

Dominos thin crust pizza with sausage and pepperoni.

What A Burger, the southwest's most famous and best burger chain.

Bojangles Spicy Chicken. For some reason I like it better than Popeyes.

I really like one of the baked Pasta dishes at Macaroni Grill and find their ravioli to always be well cooked.

Waffle House for chili omelets on long drives back home.

Say, Cathy, where is there a Grandy's nearby? I find their fried steak comforting as it was a regular part of my diet in my early post collegiate days.

Oh yeah, and Chic Fil A. Mmmmmm.

Will,

The only Grandy's I know of is in Champaign or about 130 miles south of Chicago:

Grandy's of Illinois
1905 North Neil Street
Champaign, IL 61820
217-356-5313

There used to be two Grandy's in Champaign, but one of them closed. Unfortunately, the nearest Waffle House is by St. Louis ... though I think there are some in Indiana, which may be closer.

There's a chain called Texas Roadhouse that I heard is pretty good . There's one in Tinley Park and Kenosha Wi. Can anyone comment and compare it to a Famous Dave's?

My guilty pleasure would be a single butter burger deluxe (no onions) from Culvers topped off with a hot fudge malt. (Don't tell)

I can't believe that no one has mentioned White Castle yet! Those tasty steamed burgers? There's nothing like them.

Kman wrote:White Castle: sliders, esp. now with the "jalapeno" cheese option. Of course there's a direct correlation between my desire for a sack and the lateness of the hour + amount of imbibing. Ordered with "everything", which in the wacky WC world means with ketchup and mustard.

maureencd, it looks like hattyn's also mentioned the WC for their chicken rings. I guess it's a long thread.

Hattyn:

Like yourself, I'm sure, I prefer Mom & Pops to chains, even when on the road. Lately, though, these have been hard to find, and the ones I've recently encountered have been very unenthused.

My experience with Cracker Barrel has been good. The food is tasty and plentiful, the value is decent, and the service excellent. One time me and my drummer were driving to a gig in Nashville and we stopped at a CB somewhere down south in BFE, IL. Of course there was a wait. My drummer stuck out like a sore thumb, all tats and piercings, and I think he was a little uncomfortable amdist the Sunday morning crowd. The wait stretched longer than quoted, and my buddy wanted to leave, but I politely inquired of the host. Turns out they accidentally skipped us. With much apologies, they seated us immediately. Within moments the manager came to our table and told us our bill was on the house. My god did we eat!!! I left a very generous tip, and Cracker Barrel always gets my kudos.

Whether it's worth the ubiquitous weekend wait or not depends on how hungry you are.

I recently had a darn-good meal at the Birchwood Grill in Kenosha. I've started several reviews of this restaurant, but nothing literary enough for this site, and the trail has gone cold. Next time!

I was releived to see that so many others besides myself have to or need to indulge in the guilty pleasure of a fast food joint once in a while. Since I rarely will go to one while on my home turf, here on the road sometimes they are a welcome sight. Here is my list

Burger King - The jack in the box clone taco. I am sure BK must know by now that they have a cult following, why wont they put them back on the menu? Also frozen coke.

McD's - The salty/peppery steak egg bagel with the soft de-flavored onions. I literally feel like a king when I eat this sandwich with a cup of coffee. They win the french fry battle among the chains as well.

White Castle - You gotta love those chicken rings. In fact I amused my coworkers considerably last week during lunch when the subject of how they made chicken rings came up. My reply was they simply stuck the chickens head up its rear and sliced it in cross sections. I guess you had to be there. Also, I grab the packets of brown dusseldorf mustard for future gourmet prepartions ala cubicle.


jack in the box - the grease bomb ,deep fried taco. of course you have to pry it apart to put the sauce on the deep fried lettuce. as mentioned by others it has been cloned by BK



Checkers - I guess my favorite thing is that they are now all boarded up.


Arthur Treachers - I actually ate the last meal at the last one of these in this area. it was on waukegan road and although the last owners where chinese they kept strictly to the menu and all products where branded AT items. I remember we even called the home office which i think was in minnesota to beg them to let it stay open.

Popeyes- the dark meat meal spicy with the red beans and rice.

Chicken Unlimited - anyone remember these little white castles of the chicken world? I remember the chicken being the brownest looking i had seen, perhaps it was broasted .

Cock Robin - rainbow sherbet cone

Long John Silvers - another vanishing breed in our area.I think roselle still has one. The fish is good and made to order usually.


Wendy's - I have to vote with the jr bacon cheeseburger and the 99 cent salads. As I told my son years ago, the best value in fast food today and i think it still holds.

steak n shake - i dont really get the hamburgers as they approach sit down pub prices and frankly arent worth it. up charges for things like tomatoes tell me they arent looking for too much business from my demographic (working stiffs with 2 kids in private schools). But they do put good effort into the soda fountain items and there is nothing wrong with a shake or malt here.


culvers- my teenage daughter swears by the butter burgers but that may be a combination of clever marketing and the fact that we only go when she has been especially good. which is not that often with her being a teenager. I do take my hat off to them for being the best tasting burger (to me) of the chains.



Sonic - I just tried them tonight for the first time. The patty melt meal with fries and a coke. the sandwich was not nearly as greasy as i thought it would be. The patties where medium to medium well despite the M-R request. But a tasty burger and not very costly. even if you want to eat inside you still have to get a carhop as there is no customer window so you will need to leave a tip regardless. If I had known that I would have opted for the eat in the car option and relive my days as a youth in the backseat of my cousins car at Skips.



Rallys- never tried it, but they are here in terre haute. they remind me too much of checkers where i got sick on not 1 , but 2 consecutive visits.


Subway- in a pinch the 6" meatball sub, skip the cheese product, with giardenara and onions.


In n Out burger - good burger with ketchup onion only. the taste really comes thru. I could eat 3 or 4 of them in one sitting. hopefully if they come here they will be as uniform as in lalaland.


Thats about it for me, if it isnt listed here then it didnt make the cut.

Looking out my hotel window I can see a cracker barrel and a bob evans close to me. Can anyone recommend the breakfast options at either?


bob

This should probably wander over to one of the RIP threads, but Hattyn, you must have lived in the same neighborhoods I have with those two long-gone places:

The Cock Robin in Skokie has been gone more than 20 years, probably more like 30. There's a branch of the Bank of Lincolnwood there now. There was one next to Gene & Jude's on River Road (where you'd get your shake to go with the dog & fries), but it's been gone about two or three years now. I used to live about four blocks from the Skokie one until I was 5.

The Des Plaines Bob Evans was right next to the tollway on Golf, and they have made the building into an open MRI center -- the irony of artery-blocking food becoming a place to diagnose such maladies does not escape me. I used to live about a half mile from there until my first son was 5.

Last time I noticed a Bob Evans was in Portage, MI. I've probably seen others, but they haven't stuck to my skull.

I've read over the list and must confess that everything you've all said is great, especially the need to order a triple-bypass at Long John Silver's, but for the past two-three years, I've fallen in love with Chipotle. I could eat those burritos all day and then some. I still beleive the lie that since I order mine without cheese and sourcream that I'm eating healthy, but man, those hit the spot!

I wouldn't wait half an hour for anything at Cracker Barrel unless the alternatives were dismal. Having only dismal alternatives is fairly common on rural interstate highways, though. We have never had a bad meal at any Cracker Barrel, but then we eat there maybe once or twice a year.

Breakfast may be the best meal there. Pancakes and egg dishes have been fairly good. The blackberry sauce with pancakes is quite good (signs of real blackberries) if they have it. Vastly better than the maple-flavored syrup. Food quality rates better than Denny's FWIW.

bob kopczynski wrote:Checkers - I guess my favorite thing is that they are now all boarded up.

I actually miss the Checkers locations (that still live on as insurance huts or some such) here on the north side. The under-$3.00 3-for-all was a great combo of burger, fries, and small drink. Visiting one of the two remaining locations in IL (one in Waukegan and one by the U of C, if I remember correctly), I was forced to admit that you can never go back home again. (Or that whatever passes for the standard burger now is far worse than what I had in the mid-90s.)

bob kopczynski wrote:Long John Silvers - another vanishing breed in our area.I think roselle still has one. The fish is good and made to order usually.

Actually, there should still be one (if not one among many) here, again, on the north side. The one by Pratt and Western was replaced by a KFC a few years back, but I believe the location just east of Crawford on Touhy is still standing. I've never been much of a LJS person myself, but I did visit the site on Pratt once.

bob kopczynski wrote:Rallys- never tried it, but they are here in terre haute. they remind me too much of checkers where i got sick on not 1 , but 2 consecutive visits.

Yeah, aside from the now almost-generic fries, I was terribly disappointed by my meal at that Checkers by the U of C (next to the highway). Nothing as tasty, hot, or as value-oriented as my beloved 3-for-all. (Trying not to be bitter against Rallys/Checkers management...) So does anyone know why they closed so many of their Chicago franchises(?) in the late 90s? Perhaps some overexpansion a la Little Caesar's in these parts?

Hi,

There is indeed a connection between Rally's and Checker's according to their website. I tried to verify what I am about to say by checking their history, but it is under construction. It was my understanding Checker's was amongst the few (and perhaps at one time, the only) Black-owned firm available for franchising. What the circumstances are today, I haven't a clue though they have certainly retrenched quite a bit in the Chicago area.

The Checker's I visited a few times was on Western south of Irving Park. It was a hamburger, which tasted great if you ate it promptly. Something changed for the worse if you bought it and transported it even a few minutes before eating. Since I was usually picking up hamburgers for my Grandfather, I quickly gave up on using them as a hamburger source.

Eaten promptly, Checker's was a pretty good greasy hamburger.

I wouldn't wait 30 minutes to eat at any restaurant, period.

I like Cracker Barrel as it is one of the few restaurants that serve any vegetables and I can eat healthy there. The service is better than you will find at most restaurants.

Hi,

Not yet a national chain, and likely won't be one here in the United States, I was driving on Devon Avenue on Saturday. Just east of California on the south side of the street was HFC - Halal Fried Chicken. I can only guess it will be somewhat more expensive than KFC, due to the cost of Halal chickens, but this place is worth checking out soon.

Wonder what they will offer instead of a side of coleslaw and buttery biscuits? Of course, I presume they don't offer these standard sides, because I'd love to try something else.