Chain Restaurants = Mediocrity at Best

[Abdullah71601]

Originally Posted by MonBK

You can also buy frozen steaks for $5 a pound at Publix or Winn Dixie.

Not a proper steak you can't. A quality steak will be at least $9 a pound. A great steak closer to $15.

Five dollars a pound is good ground sirloin in my neck of the woods.

[Ferdelious]

Originally Posted by Cru Jones

Blooming onion is kind of hard to do at home though. ;-)

Nonsense!
great-american-steakhouse-onion-machine-blooming-as-seen-on-tv-appetizer-white-72229ad8d1e8030a2.jpg

Originally Posted by superdog

Ever been to houstons?

Nothing but exceptional there.

Ruth Chris, mortons, capital grille?

Personally, I'm a big fan of them all

Living in a city that has one of the best steakhouses in the country, Berns, I will always choose to eat their instead of the chains. They still do it the old way and include soup, salad, and veggies, potato and onion straws with your steak. I have been to all the high end steakhouse chains and always leave disappointed, the a la carte menus are a rip-off IMHO.

Also, cooking a steak isn't rocket science. Quality prime beef(Costco is my choice), screaming hot cast iron pan, nice amount of butter and you can make an excellent steak at home for a 1/4 of the price. You're also drinking wine at retail prices instead of being gouged.

[Rolex addict]

I've found Longhorns, Subway, and Panera Bread to be fairly consistent. Outback has been hit and miss for me. I get a good steak there about 50% of the time. Cheesecake Factory is soooo good, but not what I need for Ironman training.

[Headshrinker]

I like Longhorn Steakhouse once in a while too. My kids love Applebees, but I can't do it.

[superdog]

Originally Posted by Ferdelious

Nonsense!
Attachment 752804



Living in a city that has one of the best steakhouses in the country, Berns, I will always choose to eat their instead of the chains. They still do it the old way and include soup, salad, and veggies, potato and onion straws with your steak. I have been to all the high end steakhouse chains and always leave disappointed, the a la carte menus are a rip-off IMHO.

Also, cooking a steak isn't rocket science. Quality prime beef(Costco is my choice), screaming hot cast iron pan, nice amount of butter and you can make an excellent steak at home for a 1/4 of the price. You're also drinking wine at retail prices instead of being gouged.

I was at Berns once. A long time ago. By far the best dining experience I've ever been had. I still talk about it. And I want to go back to Tampa just for another shot at that place.

In terms of pricing at a steakhouse, I think we are paying for the experience and I'm ok with that. I really enjoy having a meal at the bar with my wife, having a few drinks and just enjoying the ambiance.

I enjoy cooking a steak on the grill too. But there is a time for everything.

[Etschell]

Originally Posted by ref1655

food cost percentages & mass marketing expenditures aside (as plausible excuses), I have yet to experience a chain restaurant that actually excels in its advertised specialty. most of them border on 'you've got to be kidding'. some examples...

1. Outback (steak)
2. Red Lobster (seafood)
3. Olive Garden (Italian)
4. Chevy's (Mexican)
5. Chili's (Southwestern)

it's especially galling to see the words 'authentic' on their menu items when corporate restaurants are known for using 'pre-packaged/canned' sources like Sysco Systems or Lever Brothers to augment their food preparations.

ironically, most of their menu offerings can be made at home...far better.

Cannot understand the facisnation with cheesecake factory or California pizza kitchen

[Etschell]

Originally Posted by Rolex addict

I've found Longhorns, Subway, and Panera Bread to be fairly consistent. Outback has been hit and miss for me. I get a good steak there about 50% of the time. Cheesecake Factory is soooo good, but not what I need for Ironman training.

Blaze pizza. Check them out.

[GB-man]

Originally Posted by towernick

All the restaurants the OP mentioned are "fast casual" places. I'd agree that most fast casual restaurants leave something to be desired. However, I've never walked into an Olive Garden thinking I was going to get the same quality food as a seaside spot in Palermo. Not all chain food sucks, In n Out an Chik-fil-a are prime examples of chains that don't suck.

Not true. Fast casual is defined by not having table service but emphasizing better quality food. Think chipotle as they really pioneered that market.

Originally Posted by Abdullah71601

Not a proper steak you can't. A quality steak will be at least $9 a pound. A great steak closer to $15.

Five dollars a pound is good ground sirloin in my neck of the woods.

Bingo. I will only go to a steak house maybe once a year unless someone else is paying. Dry aged bone in thick cut ribeyes at the local grocery go for 15/lb (2 lb each). So for 30 dollars I get what would be a 100 dollar steak on most good steakhouse menus.

I'm not talking about your standard outback ribeye either, if it doesn't say USDA prime and tell you how it was aged, it's because they are giving you choice if you're lucky!

[mannyv11]

Originally Posted by superdog

I was at Berns once. A long time ago. By far the best dining experience I've ever been had. I still talk about it. And I want to go back to Tampa just for another shot at that place.

In terms of pricing at a steakhouse, I think we are paying for the experience and I'm ok with that. I really enjoy having a meal at the bar with my wife, having a few drinks and just enjoying the ambiance.

I enjoy cooking a steak on the grill too. But there is a time for everything.

Seth when you make your way to boston we should fire up the Big Green Egg and toss some steaks on it. I will have you buying a BGE before you leave mass =)

[Kingair]

Originally Posted by Etschell

Blaze pizza. Check them out.

I did a few weeks ago

http://www.rolexforums.com/showthrea...ighlight=blaze

[68camaro]

It's just not the middle chains, I am quite frustrated at lousy service at higher end smaller restaurants as well.

Over past few months we ate at a Flemings Steakhouse, Ruth Chris, Mortons and local high-end steakhouse, in each case with wine for family dinner it was approaching or over $500 and service was pretty bad. At Flemings we sent several utensils and cups back, after they said it wouldn't happen again it happened again, at Ruths we had to tell them to slow down with courses as they were putting salads on table before app's done or cleared, plus waiter had to be "sent for". At Mortons waiter was "no-show".

Food was good at all but service sub-par for cost.

[singe89]

Originally Posted by superdog

Ever been to houstons?

Nothing but exceptional there.

Ruth Chris, mortons, capital grille?

Personally, I'm a big fan of them all

Agree. The Houston's chain of restaurants is awesome. Banderra, gulfstream, cafe R&D are all great too.

I also like yard house food and beer as well.

Would Mastros be considered a chain? Because ocean club is by far my favorite steak/seafood place.

[ref1655]

on the other extreme...those so-called artisan restaurants that charge $15.00 for a plate of 'gourmet-inspired' macaroni & cheese and/or $25.00+ for a mundane 'grain-fed' hamburger should also be avoided (or run out of town at the very least).

the same could be said for the countless snooty CA nouveau cuisine restaurants that overcharge for their overhyped/minimalist presentations of absolutely nothing.

a fool & his/her dining dollar are soon parted...then again, some folks like to brag about being taken for a loop.

[swils8610]

Berns is amazing!! By far the best dining experience I have ever had. The wine cellar is amazing.

[The Libertine]

Chain restaurants, in my experience, can be hit or miss depending upon how the individual franchise is operated. You can go to one that is terrible, but in the next town is really good.

Generally, you get what you pay for; however, service is the wild card and can make an otherwise decent meal turn into a lousy experience.

[towernick]

[QUOTE=GB-man;6790928]Not true. Fast casual is defined by not having table service but emphasizing better quality food. Think chipotle as they really pioneered that market.

Casual then, the point is the same, all those restaurants follow the same basic model.

[Sublover2166]

Originally Posted by 68camaro

It's just not the middle chains, I am quite frustrated at lousy service at higher end smaller restaurants as well.

Over past few months we ate at a Flemings Steakhouse, Ruth Chris, Mortons and local high-end steakhouse, in each case with wine for family dinner it was approaching or over $500 and service was pretty bad. At Flemings we sent several utensils and cups back, after they said it wouldn't happen again it happened again, at Ruths we had to tell them to slow down with courses as they were putting salads on table before app's done or cleared, plus waiter had to be "sent for". At Mortons waiter was "no-show".

Food was good at all but service sub-par for cost.

Service seems to be sub-par at many places we dine at. Not sure if it is the younger generation of help they are hiring or what? The finest cooked steak really means nothing if you have to sit there and wait 45 minutes for the entrée to arrive and they keep feeding you bread and butter. Many times when we are seated there is no place settings on the table, and my wife being the type of person she is will get up from the table and search out silverware and napkins for our table. At a Carrabba's, the manager seen my wife get up and grab place settings for our table. The manager was so embarrassed she personally took care of being our server and gave us a 30 dollar voucher for them "not doing their job very well". And this was not an isolated incindent, it happens many times. Sad indeed but true!

[BrendanL]

Berns!!!!!! One of the best!!!! Worth the trip to Tampa anytime. What a fantastic city and fantastic steak house. I tell anyone with ears who hasn't been to Berns to make it a mission before they die.

Del Frisco's is a good chain... staying on topic...

BERNS!!!!!!!!!!

[mfer]

Originally Posted by BrendanL

Berns!!!!!! One of the best!!!! Worth the trip to Tampa anytime. What a fantastic city and fantastic steak house. I tell anyone with ears who hasn't been to Berns to make it a mission before they die.

Del Frisco's is a good chain... staying on topic...

BERNS!!!!!!!!!!

Berns for the experience, but Charlie's for the steak!

[68camaro]

Originally Posted by mfer

Berns for the experience, but Charlie's for the steak!

Been to both and had goodexperience, I think Berns we had the Chateaubriand- amazing!

[520Matt]

In our area Fleming's Steakhouse is excellent. The onsite managing partner is a great guy and runs a great restaurant.