link

It seems whenever the topic of food comes up on this forum, someone mentions a restaurant and them someone else pipes in, derisively, "It's a chain."

That, of course, implies that the food at a chain isn't first-rate (for the money). Is that true? Or are there chains that provide good food and service for the money?

And one last thought: How come when someone asks about, for instance, the Holiday Inn in Topeka or the Hilton in Peoria, no one snobbishly replies, "It's a chain."

penny

Chains lack originality.They employ at a low wage and therefore use less skilled workers, resulting in higher risk for food-borne illnesses.Unless I'm starving, I will avoid chain restaurants, especially fast food. Fodorites, do yourselves a huge favor and pick up a copy of "Fast Food Nation" by Eric Schlossberg. It might also help all those potbellies out there, LOL!

Patrick

There are chains and then there are chains. Here in Naples, Florida we now have a number of "world class" restaurants. One of my favorites is Roy's, of the Hawaiian Roy's fame. It is a chain -- in fact this local one is owned by the same people who own Outback Steak House and Carraba's. One would think from that description you should run from the place. But it is one of our finest restaurants. My other favorite is Campiello's -- a wonderful indoor/outdoor Tuscan Italian place with great food. It is a branch (therefore a chain) of a group of restaurants in Minneapolis.
Don't confuse "chain" with "fast food".

Itsnot

Link:

Good point. Chains were born because good, reliable cooking (or lodging, for that matter,) wasn't always available. I think they're great. As a consumer, I'm always fond of having choices.

I don't like McDonald's hamburgers. But many's the morning I set off on a day's (mis)adventures with a sausage & egg McMuffin to give my system a starting shot of energy. A couple of bucks, a couple of minutes at the drive-through, and I'm "On the Road Again." (Don't like their coffee, either; I bring my own.)

Thanks for starting a good subject. I can see this one growing maniacly.

abc

Many times chains of any sort, lack the local flavor of the town or city.

link

When I orginally posted, I figured I didn't have to say, "I'm not talking about fast-food joints." My bad: I'm not talking about fast-food joints. The subject of McFood has been beaten to death. I'm asking about your opinions of chain restaurants that are several steps above the Mc-type.

Ang

I don't mind chain restaurants at all. (don't mind a Big Mac for lunch either but htat is another story) If going on vacation though, I usually like to eat at a "local" place to get a real feel for that city's unique feel. Sometimes people on this board will mention a specific restaurant in a city and ask how it is not knowing it is a chain because they don't have it where they live (recent threads include questions about Buca de Beppas and P.F.Changs both of which are above average chains)
If it were me I would want people to point out that it is a chain so that I don't go there expecting unique food. I love Outback Steakhouse, Joe's Crabshack, and P.F. Chang's but I wouldn't want to eat at one of these while on vacation to somewhere like D.C. or New York. When I'm in my home city and going out for a bite on Saturday afternoon fine.

dan woodlief

Funny, because I was thinking the same thing this weekend - how people put down chain restaurants. I generally do avoid most chain restaurants if I am traveling because I want to experience places that are unique, but I don't do the same thing as much at home. Chain can't be equated with bad food. Maybe on the whole they are less imaginative and have worse food, but I wouldn't say that is a matter of course. And of course, chains themselves differ - some have three or four stores in a local area, and others have hundreds or thousands worldwide. I think there is also something to be said for chains if you are in a location without much information about the local options and don't always want to be adventurous. Ok, I want a steak, so I can try this little spot I saw down the street f(which might be pretty darned bad), or I can go to Outback, which I know has pretty good food.

linda

I agree with Penny completely when it comes to fast food.Read that book-you'll never eat a hamburger or chicken nugget again! However, Patrick makes a point. Morton's of Chicago and Ruth's Chris Steakhouses are chains, but the quality is top-notch.If I'm in an area where there is no alternative to a chain- I know that Appleby's has a good grilled salmon. O'Charleys offers a good steamed veggie plate. Ruby Tuesday has a salad bar.There are healthy choices at chains, and that is important to me.

derrian

penny is obviously an independent restaurant owner or she's simply completely ignorant to the realities of the industry.

I have worked in restaurants on both coasts and in between, and now manage a retaurant in Baltimore (not a chain, by the way, but I've worked in both).

I'd certainly like to see penny's evidence that chain restaurants have a higher incidence of food borne illnesses. In my educated opinion, just the opposite is true. Chains have the resources (financial and otherwise) and the internal controls to ensure the highest level of safety and cleanliness. It's the independents that can't afford the proper sanitizers and don't have the background or skills for proper employee training.

Low wage? Give me a break! In my experience and that of my friends, chains almost uniformly pay HIGHER wages than independents. Again, penny, let's see some authority for your statement. As a general rule, chains do not suffer from the same financial pressures as independent restaurants and their overworked owners.

I'm not saying that chain restaurants are great or anything, I'm just countering penny's erroneous assertions.

busy

To ABC: What if I'm not looking for "local flavor"?

For some people, food is not a big part of the travel experience. And then you have the business traveler who's just looking for a decent meal at a decent price and really couldn't care less about local flavor.

Maybe we can start a thread here describing your worst and best chains.

Worst: Applebee's, TGIFriday's, Olive Garden.
Best: Bandera's (mainly in the Southwest)

cd

I think "a chains" reputation relies on its local management. We took our children out to dinner Saturday night. (six of us) They chose Red Lobster and we had a good meal. Their policy is two wait staff if six or more, so we had a lot of attention. The entrees were a little slow so they treated all of us to free dessert, which was wonderful! We will definitly go back because of the good service, decent food and decent prices.

kal

We like the "Lettuce Entertain You" chain of restaurants. Pretty diversified chain.

penny

Derrian,
I told you to read the book. That's where I got my statistics. They apply mostly to fast food restaurants, however. My assertions were absolutely correct and this book alludes to many studies by the government and independant testers.Ever since the administration of President Richard Nixon, the fast food industry has worked closely with its allies in Congress and the White House to oppose new worker safety, food safety, and minimum wage laws.My family has been in the industry for years as food distributors, so I know the business very well.

helen

Chains build a brand image and brand image brings customers in because they know what to expect and don't get surprises. Chains tend to work with higher margins than independents. They can afford to pay their employees more and have standards to meet. Generally, the food should be fresher and safer at a chain.

chainfood

A "chain restaurant" sometimes means that the food is not really made on the premises. Many times the food is premade frozen and shipped to the restaurant. That is true of Olive Garden at least.

Frank

Did you know that Lutece in New York is part of the Ark Restaurant chain? Gets a 25 for Food and costs $78 per person in Zagats.

alex

Both Everest and Ambria in Chicago are part of Lettuce Entertain You Restaurants and are widely considered among the top restaurants in Chicago.

yuck

Actually, its part of the Ark Restuarant goup. NOT a chain, as there is no Lutece anywhere else. Chain refers to multiple restaurants with the same name, or very similar names. Some upscale restaurants have gone 'chain', like Nobu and Emeril. However, the original chefs do still retain total control and do sometimes cook in the kitchens. I personally would be skepticle about eating at any knock-off, like the Nobus not in NYC. Also, while Ruth's Chris is quite good, it is still a chain and I think you can get better food at a local place for at least the same price.
The real devils of the chain food are the Chilis, Applebees, and TGIFridays. Greasy, boring food, oversauced and without any subtlety. And the portions--no wonder Americans are so fat. I try to run from chains, but sometimes that's not possible, so I suck it up and go to the least onerous one I can find. I would never eat at a cahin while on vacation and never in a big city where you can actually find good food.

chuck

Although the notion of a chain restaurant seems to indicate uniformity among different locations, that isn't always the case. I've noticed that the same chain in different cities--or even different neighborhoods--might vary in food quality, service, etc.

To complicate things further, I've encountered *local* chains or at least sister restaurants. For instance, there is a great place in Winston-Salem NC called Nobles, which was preceded by J. Basil Nobles in nearby High Point NC, and there is now another Nobles in Charlotte.

Some favorites:
1. Carraba's in North Myrtle Beach and Myrtle Beach.
2. Copelands in Winston-Salem
3. Macaroni Grill in Winston-Salem
4. Papadeux in Houston (hope it's still there and still good, it's been a few years).