Olive Garden... Applebee's... Denny's... The most EVIL non-fast-food chain restaurant

[Amerigo Vespucci]

[PBS Poll-435]

1. I vote Applebees

Just what part of the pig contributes to "Riblets?"

[MajorChode]

9. There is such a thing as "Riblets"

They are a subset of baby back ribs. Some butchers will separate the "riblets" from the baby back and sell those two as separate cuts.

What Applebees calls "riblets" actually aren't riblets at all. They are simply cartilage that is surrounded by meat and is usually a trim piece from baby backs.

[PBS Poll-435]

11. Thanks alot, Professor

:eyes:













:P

[MajorChode]

15. Don't mention it, smartass

:evilfrown:

[PBS Poll-435]

19. Oh wow

It has been a long time since I have seen the sad-devil icon at DU.

(Maybe since the primaries!)







And I was just kidding...

:toast:

[MajorChode]

21. So was I!

Smartass is a term of endearment, kinda like professor. If I weren't amused I wouldn't waste my time.

:evilgrin:

[PBS Poll-435]

22. :-)

:dunce:

:D

[AlCzervik]

16. mmmmmm Cartilage.

the only thing better is "Are you gonna eat your fat?"

[Fire Walk With Me]

86. I believe the phrase is "Gristleicious".

[Common Sense Party]

91. Spalding!!!

Sorry, Grandpa.

[Turbineguy]

18. I worked for a shipping company

that served "riblets". I asked the Captain WTF these riblet things were and they turned out to be a spam-like product shaped similar to what the Metal Lock company uses to repair broken engine blocks.

[MajorChode]

25. The US has no culinary marketing standards for "ribs"

So retailers are free to call them whatever they want. That's why McDonalds can sell axle grease on a bun and call it "McRibs".

[Tangerine LaBamba]

50. My only time in an Applebee's,

I asked our server what riblets were, and he said they were just some disgusting cartilage and not to order them.

He got a great tip.

[AngryAmish]

62. You have never had rib tibs?

Rib tibs are delicious. Actually any park of the pig is delicious prepared correctly.

Anyway, I have never had what Applebees calls riblits, but I am aware that they are rib tips.

If you have never had rib tips then that says a lot about you than this restuarant.

[MajorChode]

84. Applebee's riblits aren't rip tips

The cut that Applebees serves is actually cartilage near the backbone of the pig and really has nothing to do with ribs other than being trimmed from the baby back. Since they have no bones, they aren't actually ribs at all.

Rib tips, which is what you're referring comes from the underside of the pig and is a trim piece from the spare ribs. These contain bones and are actually ribs, but just a subset of the spare ribs that most butchers trim off.

I have both eaten and prepared both cuts myself, and I have had what Applebees calls Riblits. They are generally throw away or butcher's take home cuts, and I'm sure Applebees gets them at a really good price.

[AngryAmish]

155. I stand corrected

I take back what I said. Sorry.

[MorningGlow]

2. Applebee's

I can't even begin to describe teh Evil On A Plate I've experienced there...

[dana_b]

3. we went to Chilis once

and it was terrible. It seems that they must cover everything with an inch of cheese.

[blue_onyx]

43. Chili's is the only restaurant listed I've been to recently

The turkey sandwich is pretty good and I once got the soup/sandwich combo. I picked the broccoli cheddar soup and it was so cheesy. It was like queso dip, not soup. I couldn't eat it.

[begin_within]

158. mmmm! I love that broccoli cheddar

but I think of it more as queso dip, not soup

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

54. Everything at Chilis tastes like salt

Pure salt.

[KansDem]

154. About 12 years ago my daughter and I stopped in at Chilis for lunch...

It was late in the afternoon, so I suspect they were "recovering" from the lunch rush. Anyway, the sound system was extremely loud and blaring "Rockzac" when my daughter and I were seated. The waitress came over and asked what we wanted (drinks), and I asked hypothetically "could you turn down the music?" then we gave her our drink orders. The next thing I know the "manager" comes over to our table and asks, "Is there a problem here?" I simply reiterated my concerns (I didn't really expect to see "the manager;" I suppose the waitress informed him of "The Problem" at Table XYZ." Anyway, I was a little miffed and ended my concerns with something like, "...you couldn't just turn it off, could you?" The manager looked sternly at me and replied:

We can turn it down, but we can't turn it off!
:rofl:

For years, that remark became a favorite comment when my family engaged in echolalia of bizarre moments!

I haven't eaten at Chilis since...

[dana_b]

156. how rude was he/she!

damn - salty, cheesy and blaring music. I knew this place sucked!

[Manifestor_of_Light]

171. Chili's is horrible.

I had some beef n cheese nachos with NO peppers.

Don't know what they seasoned 'em with, but I was belching all night, had stomach pain and got up and commuted to the throne room a lot that night.

Yucko.

[AlCzervik]

4. The pies at Marie Callender's are hugely overrated.

and their food just sucks.

[begin_within]

159. except for the potato cheese soup

yummy! Everything else there is kind of second-rate

[lost-in-nj]

5. I voted OTHER

The Ground Round.......

:puke:



lost

[dana_b]

8. NJ and most of the East Coast?

we don't have that one out in Northern California.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

10. Just Googled it...

...Eastern & Midwest chain, which explains why I've never heard of it.

Looks like the standard Yup-scale TGI Fridays comfort food grease palace...the first thing I saw when the Web Site popped up was "Triple Sampler: A generous sampler of guest favorites: stuffed potato skins, chicken tenderloins (Buffalo or plain) and mozzarella cheese sticks."

:rofl:

[Arugula Latte]

33. Eww! That just SOUNDS horrible.

x(

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

53. I remember eating there as a kid

And at the Hooligan's in Hoboken.

[Radical Activist]

80. There used to be one here.

Fail.

[Lucian]

88. I used to love that place when I lived in the Twin Cities.

[NoPasaran]

6. The Evil Howard Johnson's was the evilist of them all

The one formerly located in Fredericksburg, Virginia, may have been an actual portal to Hell, especially during breakfast.

[AlCzervik]

12. at 3:00am on a sunday morning after hitting the club, Hojo's was the place for a big ole greasy

plate of I don't feel good.

[JVS]

37. What was wrong with Hojo?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

13. I was going to include that but wasn't sure if they're even around anymore...

...The Evil Howard Johnson's in Evil Redwood City California is long-gone, but when they were around, I did evil things there. Often. It was my evil hangout of choice, and one of the Evil waitresses was my Evil girlfriend for a while...

...at the off-ramp of Whipple Avenue. Those were the days. I learned how to drink black coffee in that place.

[NoPasaran]

20. I think the restaurants are all gone

Although some "motor lodges" still survive. But Howard Johnson's was the evil chain from without which there would be no evil restaurant chains.

I sometimes wonder if, on some abandoned railroad siding somewhere, there isn't a forgotten tank car full of HoJo Cola.

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

55. I think the HoJo's restaurant in Asbury Park, NJ is still open

[NoPasaran]

59. I used the googles and it appears that there are three

Lake George, New York; Lake Placid, New York; and Bangor, Maine.

Of course, many locations that are still identifiable as HoJos because of the distinctive architecture remain in business under different flags.

[Auggie]

27. Jacques Pepin was director of food development at Howard Johnsons

in the 1960s. At one time their food was really edible.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Jacques_Pépin

[trof]

30. Except for the fried 'TenderSweet Clams'.

First time I ever had clams, fried or otherwise, was at a Hojo's.
Love 'em.

[mvd]

7. I'll gladly say Outback Steakhouse

They cover everything in spices to try to compensate for the lousy-quality meat.

Cheesecake Factory is another offender that's not in this poll. Their cheesecake is good, but most everything else is like factory food.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

14. You got THAT right...

...I went to a Campbell Chamber of Commerce lunch at the one on Campbell Avenue. The steak was tiny, but all I could think about was Rodney Dangerfield's line from "Caddyshack"..."This steak's got whip marks from where the jockey was whipping it"...

There wasn;t a single tender bite in the entire steak. It was pure shoe leather.

[Oeditpus Rex]

61. First Outback I went to was the one on Bascom Ave.

This was about 1996 or '97. I figured they'd have stuff like kangaroo steak and koala burgers. Imagine my dismay upon discovering it's just TGIFridays with Okker Chic names for the food. :eyes:

[Liberal Veteran]

17. I went to Outback "Steak" house one time and that was enough.

The place was packed to the point of absurdity and the food was not all that.

I never went back.

[leeroysphitz]

23. I want 15 Potato Bacon Bombs from Black Angus

Patton Oswalt on Black Angus.

Oh you'll GET a fuckin's STEAK.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NPCB5sAQKa0

[charlie and algernon]

24. I must've misplaced my DU Handbook, why are we supposed to hate these restaurants?

[Amerigo Vespucci]

26. No one said that you are supposed to hate them

See my post on Howard Johnson's above. It was truly evil and I loved every single minute I spent inside of its orange and blue walls.

[charlie and algernon]

31. ah ok, gotcha

I thought this was another "someone said something somewhere in these restaurants, so now we have to hate them" threads that occasionally pop up on DU.

[FKA MNChimpH8R]

28. Your owls may be the coolest thing on DU

Especially the one on the right. Definitely my sort of owl.:)

[no name no slogan]

29. No Red Lobster?

I thought everybody hated that place.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

36. I forgot about Red Lobster...

...I remember a DU post from a long time ago, from a former Red Lobster employee who said "There are no cooks...just one guy who warms the food in the microwave."

:rofl:

[Lost in CT]

130. Red Lobster LOL I have seen bigger shrimp in my Chinese rice takeout. nt

[Lost in CT]

131. DUPE

[pokerfan]

32. Applebees and this is why

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=B4nbVwldXK8

[trof]

34. Ryan's, Sizzler, any of the "steak" houses.

The Shoe Leather Buffet.
Yeah, maybe it's "technically" steak.
It come from a cow (somewhere) and it has a bone in it.
Usually well done.
Steak from a steam table.
yum
And watch out for elbows from the Senior Citizens* Early Bird Menu brigade, rushing to pile up their plates and 'get their money's worth'.

*Disclaimer: I am a 'Senior Citizen'.
And when I see them at an 'all-you-can-eat' buffet, I understand why many of us are obese.
Besides, dinner at 5 p.m. is barbaric.
:evilgrin:

[davidinalameda]

65. I like me some Sizzler!

I also like Ryans

it's cheap food, not gourmet by any stretch but it's not bad

[NashVegas]

35. Logan's

I have co-workers who insist on returning to that place, again and again. I always feel sick after I've eaten there.

[Lost in CT]

38. Golden Corral

Bad food... Horrible people (The customers) and overpriced to boot...

Did I mention the type of vermin that eats there... ugh

[MilesColtrane]

49. I'll second that.

It's food for people who "don't know no better".

The most likely place to hear the phrase, "Lurline, git Momma some more 'nanna puddin' since you's up."

[keroro gunsou]

72. i disagree

the golden corral is a step up compared to old country buffet in my neck of the woods. the servers at mine are very nice, and if not too busy will chat until they have other customers to deal with. food is... passable. i love it when they do the special beef grill... "philly" cheesesteaks are good... for a fake.

i've yet to have a bad time at my local GC. the lone time i went to the local old country buffet was hassled by some mid-manager twit because i wanted to spend time doing my crossword puzzle at the tail-end of lunch, which by my reckoning wasn't even busy. though i do give the owner credit for a sense of humor. i complained to him about his mid-manager drone and he did offer to have him quietly killed and held up as an example to the other workers. apparently they'd gotten quite a few complaints in regards to their hospitality.

at GC, i get a nice big table and no one giving me a hard time about doing my crosswords, heck sometimes i get help with them. it's not always about the food sometimes.

as for the customers. more often than not i'm in their when there is a majority of seniors, and they are a hoot to talk to. especially the retired guys during football season.

[Critters2]

75. There's a GC in Milwaukee? I miss the GC. I like a buffet,

being veg. I can actually choose things I can eat. I used to live near a GC in Iowa. There are no buffets here--no GC, no Old Country buffet, no Ryan's, nothing. So, I get nostalgic for GC. Maybe I can take my dad one in Milwaukee when I visit up there.

[keroro gunsou]

112. not milwaukee....

waukesha.

http://maps.google.com/maps?oe=utf-8&rls=org.mozilla:en-US:official&client=firefox-a&um=1&ie=UTF-8&q=golden+corral+waukesha&fb=1&split=1&gl=us&cid=0,0,6745390494105778273&ei=t3yZSarcCYzaNITSxIoM&sa=X&oi=local_result&resnum=1&ct=image

try to avoid the lunch crowd, it pretty busy, mostly the local hard hats. good guys, just a little loud.

[Critters2]

113. My dad's in West Bend. Maybe I can take him down there some time. nt

[Lost in CT]

106. I sometimes like buffets.

Cici's pizza isn't very good but it is an economical place to take munchkins and is less likely to break out into violence than Chucky Cheese.

And I have had some nice sunday brunch buffets at various restaurants and hotels.

But Golden Corral is overpriced institutional food. Plain and badly cooked.

I will wait till I am put in a home to eat institutional food again.

I got my fair share with school lunch programs.

[redqueen]

107. Vermin? I've eaten there... many times.

My kids love it and I like the steak.

Not sure why you're calling the people who eat there vermin, but when I've talked to guests at adjacent tables they were always nice people, even if they did look like bikers or trailer park residents or what have you.

Sometimes the bullshit I read on this board really makes me sick.

[Lost in CT]

109. Well vermin is obviously hyperbole. And perhaps the Golden Corrals I have

visited were particularly heinous.

But the food is really bland nonsense. Why not just spend the same money and go to a nicer independent sit down restaurant with reasonable portions.

Golden Corral is for people that simply don't know any better.

Is is a symptom of the ignorance that is endemic in America.

[redqueen]

110. I am rarely able to afford to eat at restaurants to begin with.

Allowing picky eaters like my children to order full entrees that they may not eat, when you're on a budget like mine, is frankly irresponsible.

Golden Corral works for me because I can't afford a "nice" place, and the kids can pick and choose whatever they're in the mood for.

As for my taste buds and "not knowing any better"... no. I was homeless for a while so I dunno... I'm the opposite of picky. Food is food for me... it's not a hobby.



IMO posts like yours are a fine example of the ignorance that is endemic in America.

[Lost in CT]

111. If money is an issue why waste funds for bland food?

If golden corral was $4.99 a meal I would understand but the one around here runs $17 dollars.

You can get much better food at a local greasy spoon or diner for half the price.

And I certainly have had my share of poverty. But that is little excuse for eating overpriced bland food. IMO.

[redqueen]

116. Did you miss the part about the picky eaters?

The local diner around here charges twice as much.

Perhaps you might consider the possibility that you don't actually know everything.


... welcome to DU.

[Critters2]

120. Their all you can eat buffet is 9.49 in the evening, 7.19 at lunch.

Apparently, you've never even been to a Golden Corral.

[JVS]

121. Kids probably eat at a discount too

[redqueen]

123. I don't even go unless it's one of their 50% off nights.

Single mom of two, sole earner...

[Lost in CT]

129. Now that makes sense. I never begrudge a family for trying to stretch their food dollar.

But when somebody's in-laws express a desire to go to Golden Corral despite the fact someone else is picking up the tab I have to shake my head in dismay.

[Critters2]

135. Yeah, Some people are just vermin. nt

[Critters2]

137. Well, happily, there aren't any GCs in your vermin-free state.

So, I doubt it ever comes up for you. I actually doubt you've ever been to one. I'll also bet you never pass up the opportunity to call working people "vermin".

[Lost in CT]

140. Well I live in two states. And there are certainly GC in the other one.

But for the record. This has nothing to do with working people. Most working people have to much class.

I would never call working people vermin.

And my recollection of the cast and crew of the voyage of the damned that was the Golden Corral had few people fit enough or young enough (or old enough)to be a working person.

[Critters2]

143. So it's seniors and fat people you consider vermin.

Look, you showed your true colors the minute you called any human being "vermin". The true vermin are people who call decent people trying to enjoy a good meal "vermin".

[Lost in CT]

147. Vermin was clearly hyperbole.

I apologize if the comment was taken seriously.

I have nothing against decent people trying to enjoy a good meal.

I was referencing Golden Corral customers only.

[Critters2]

150. So, you still think of Golden Corral customers as "vermin".

Who the hell do you think you are?

[Lost in CT]

151. Hello....Vermin was clearly hyperbole. nt

[Mother Of Four]

177. ....

Unfuggingbelievable...

"I have nothing against decent people trying to enjoy a good meal.

I was referencing Golden Corral customers only."


So no one decent ever eats at a GC?

Would you like a little Tabasco sauce to go with that foot in your mouth?

Oh wait, I'm sorry...I forgot you have a discerning palate. Check. Would you like some fresh Poivrade sauce to go with the foot tartar you are presently dining on sir?

[Critters2]

124. Kids and seniors. Kids under 3 are free.

Great Steak Buffet:
Mon-Fri: 4pm-close
Sat-Sun: 11am-close
Mon-Thurs:
$9.49 - Adult
$8.74 - Seniors
$4.99 - Kids 4-6
$6.79 - Kids 7-10
Kids under 3 eat
for free

[Lost in CT]

126. Well yes I have unfortunately.

From a quick web search it seems each franchise sets a different price and the few times I went (Sunday afternoons all) seem to be the highest tabs.

So I will stick by my recollection of $17 including drink (which is separate)

I understand bringing kids there as kids have not developed a taste for good food and will eat anything. In addition one does not have to worry about having a well behaved child at a cafeteria style restaurant as one would in a more proper setting.

[Critters2]

134. Okay, I'll bite. What restaurants are actually good enough for you?

You know, where the food isn't "basic" or "institutional", and where the customers aren't "vermin".


Critters
proud, pedestrian vermin

[Lost in CT]

157. Locally owned and operated restaurants that serve fresh seasonal dishes.

Thats what I like.

If I am going to the expense to go out to eat thats what I usually go for.

In terms of chains

Texas Roadhouse and Bonefish grill are usually safe choices.

[Critters2]

163. How fortunate you are to live in a place with restaurants

that meet your high standards. In a lot of places, you simply wouldn't be able to eat out. But then, those places are full of vermin, so I doubt you'd even venture there.

Which is good news for those vermin.

[Lost in CT]

166. Bullshit... Just because I refuse (or at least disdain) eating out of a trough hardly means I am

some sort of food snob.

I like good fresh food.

Guess what there are many restaurants that don't cater to the waddle up for thirds crowd.

I have a hard time believing someone on a progressive site would be so disdainful of good nutrition and fresh food.

Lowering your standards in life doesn't make you a "regular guy" or "working man" it just makes you a dumbass.

[Critters2]

169. Right. It's progressive to refer to people, any people, as VERMIN.

Don't tell me what is and what is not progressive, you snob. Not only do I support locally grown seasonal foods, but I hav served on the board of an organization that actually works to make fresh, organic, locally grown seasonal foods available to working people and the poor...those you disdain as "vermin". I also know that the ordinary people who eat in places you disdain are hard-working, good people who have the right to have their choices, and themselves treated respectfully.

It is NOT progressive to call any human being "vermin".

You disgust me.

[Critters2]

114. It's steak and potatoes. That's all it claims to be.

Geez. Posts like yours are why I've stopped arguing with people when they tell me Dems are elitists. Too many are.

[redqueen]

118. I hate that "ding ding ding" stuff but...

DING DING DING!

:P

[Critters2]

125. That's 2 "ding ding ding"s in one thread!!

:woohoo:

[Lost in CT]

128. It's not elitist to dislike plain poorly prepared food.

Their steaks are shoe leather surrounded by gristle. And their other foods are flavorless starches and reheated crap.


If I want to eat that I will volunteer ant an ALF or hospital and at least do a good deed for my grub.

[Critters2]

133. I'm veg*n, so I neither know nor care about their steaks,

but what I liked about the buffet was that I could make up a good meal of basic potatoes, veggies like corn, green beans, broccoli, a good salad bar.

You've called your fellow humans "vermin", and think steak and potatoes are "crap".

You're the very definition of elitist.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

174. I can't eat crappy food.

I can't eat weird spices either. I'm picky about my meat being tender, and my veggies being steamed.

I have real problems in a lot of restaurants. The fact that all Mexican places have increased the spiciness in the last 20 or 30 years makes it worse.

[Mother Of Four]

176. Vermin?

VERMIN?

Wow...

vermin   

–noun, plural vermin.
1. noxious, objectionable, or disgusting animals collectively, esp. those of small size that appear commonly and are difficult to control, as flies, lice, bedbugs, cockroaches, mice, and rats.
2. an objectionable or obnoxious person, or such persons collectively.
3. animals that prey upon game, as coyotes or weasels.

The GC near here (about 30 mins away) was wonderful when we used to go to it.
We haven't been for close to four years so I can't speak for it now.

a) The waitress we usually had was a wonderful woman with two kids who loved to talk about our children (both hers and ours)
b) The bread was ALWAYS fresh and hot
c) Steak was cooked to order- never had a issue with shoe leather
d) Was open minded- they tried a new dish with salmon and when I talked to the manager about how they cooked it (It was REALLY dry) he actually took my suggestions and changed it up.
e) They didn't wait until the food on the buffet was "almost gone" to replace it. If it was past time, and not appealing they swapped it out.
f) The salad bar was always fresh and crisp with a good assortment of choices. You could make a meal out of it alone.

The place was clean, efficient and the people there were very nice. Like ANY food chain, they sell their name to private owners. You will get good ones and bad ones.

To call the people who eat there VERMIN. Hrm. Thank you for calling my family disgusting and annoying. And for your info, we are not a "waddle up for thirds" crowd.

When you have two teenage boys with hollow legs, two finicky girls, a mom with a gastric bypass (which they gave me a discount for btw) and a Dad that can eat his weight in steak it only makes sense to go to eat at a place like GC.

Your statement of "Vermin" was NOT Hyperbole. You meant it when you typed it, and it showed your true colors.

[BlooInBloo]

39. Denny's is the only one of those I've ever been to. Bacon & eggs is bacon & eggs, after all.

[Bucky]

40. When we were kids we used to steal the G off the Black Angus sign once a month

My sister and me must've boosted half a dozen of those Gs before the manager finally wised up and just painted a black G in the brick wall.

[TK421]

144. HAHAHAHAHAH!!!!!!!!!!

That is fucking awesome....sounds like some of the shit I used to pull!!! :spray:

[rrneck]

41. Applebees riblets suck nt

[LoZoccolo]

42. There's something I just don't like about Baker's Square.

I wouldn't un-reccomend it to someone else, but for some reason when I even look at the sign I think of really heavy food and getting stuffed. I've only been there once, and I honestly don't remember it that much to say whether or not the food is really good or really bad, but this is just some instinctual thing I get about it.

On edit: Maybe it's just because they push pie and the thought of eating dessert at a restaurant after a big generous meal gives me that stuffed feeling. Just thinking about it.

[blue_onyx]

44. They closed their restaurant near me

I never ate there though so I don't really have an opinion on it.

[jumptheshadow]

45. Cracker Barrel

For their history of bigotry.

[wickerwoman]

51. That's the one I was thinking.

Couldn't remember the name though. Didn't they refuse to sell to same sex couples?

Anyway, who wants to go out to a restaurant for chicken and dumplings?

[Beer Snob-50]

160. i think of cracker barrel

i think of clogged arteries.

[Left Is Write]

46. Does Black Angus still exist?

They were a Stuart Anderson restaurant, weren't they?

I loved Stuart Anderson's Cattle Company in the olden days. I'd go for lunch, eat baked potato soup and bread, drink iced tea, and play a little NTN trivia. :D

[Amerigo Vespucci]

48. Yes...

http://www.blackangus.com/

I just received coupons in last week's mail for "Prime rib with our best fixin's" for $13.99 or "4-course dinner for two" for $37.

I remember that it used to be billed as "Stuart Anderson's Black Angus"...he's mentioned on the Web Site's "Our Company" page but no longer in their advertising.

[Sebastian Doyle]

102. Stuart Anderson retired from the steak business

...and went into the senior housing business....

[tabbycat31]

47. applebee's

last time I went there i had food poisoning

[seaker]

52. Dare I even ask if

Sambo's is out there?

[NoPasaran]

60. Sambo's changed their name to something less offensive

Then went out of business.

[seaker]

71. Whowwweeee

Thanks. It was a fun local place, back in the day...sorta takes me back to when I was kid and less politically aware...sigh

[Critters2]

77. I know of two former Sambo's buildings that are now Village Inns. nt

[HarukaTheTrophyWife]

56. Cheesecake Factory/Grand Lux Cafe for homophobia

The food is actually pretty good, though.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

173. there's a Grand Lux in Houston across from the Galleria.

Looks like they have wild decor, from the outside. I think I saw caryatids (ladies in peplos that are columns) on the outside.

Food any good?

[TheCowsCameHome]

57. I'd never ever consider Ruth's Chris because of Hannity and that bunch

hawking their wares.

Besides, the name sounds so totally stupid.

[soleiri]

69. I don’t eat at any of those fine establishments.

But I picked Ruth's Chris for the same reason.

[SoxFan]

58. Ruth's Chris

Obscenely overpriced, and geared towards the cigar-smoking, right-wing bidnessdouche crowd.

[LibDemAlways]

142. Overpriced and proud of it. And everything's a la carte. If

you order just a steak, that's what you get - a piece of $35.00 meat on the plate and maybe a sprig of parsley to dress it up. No salad. No vegetable. No potato. No thanks.

[begin_within]

161. and if you do order a side dish, you get enough of it for 7 people

[Lady Effingbroke]

63. Applebees is teh suck, but Casa Ole is just as bad.

Urk.

[harmonicon]

64. it's a tough choice between Applebee's and Chili's

...but I went with Applebee's. Maybe the real answer is TGI Friday's though.

Denny's should be exempt, because it's a 24 hour life saver at times.

[davidinalameda]

66. I have some real favorites at Applebees

I LOVE their boneless buffalo wings and the steak quesadillas

[Common Sense Party]

93. I always get the Santa Fe chicken salad

Good food, decent price. Must be why people have to slag on it.

Hey, some of us have to travel for a living, and we want consistent, tasty food when we eat out before we go back to the Hampton Inn for three hours of bad TV and paperwork at night. So sue me.

(not you, the slaggers)

[TK421]

67. NO FRIDAYS? That's not right

I've had plenty of shitty-ass experiences at TGIF, and I haven't been back since March of 2006

[Initech]

76. Fridays is way better than it used to be.

I used to share the same outlook on Fridays until I went to one in Philly that was in my hotel and it was the only thing open at 1:30 in the morning. It was way better than I expected.

[Radical Activist]

82. I've got some flair for you

right here.



:)

[Initech]

153. Why dont you just make the minimum 37 pieces?

:rofl:

[Diana Prince]

68. Applebee's, I will never go to one again....

This happened about 8 years ago and we have not been to one since then. My husband, who is African American, our 3yr old daughter and I went to have dinner there one evening. We were seated near a group of people and an employee was also sitting with them. They kept looking at us and whispering. One person decided to actually say something loud enough for us to hear, "That's just wrong". They kept looking and pointing. We decided to ask for the manager and guess who was at the table with the group, the manager. I have told all family members and friends what happened and none of them have been to one either.

[old mark]

70. Red Lobster really sucks,

and they really make you pay too much.

Then there's Friendly's......

mark

[friendly_iconoclast]

73. Applebee's, by far

One of my younger relatives worked at one years ago,
and got 'Mrs. Robinsoned' by his supervisor.

He:16 She:38

That, and the food is horrible!

[Initech]

74. Applebees doesnt even have good beers on tap.

At least the ones I've been in.

[Radical Activist]

78. Why is there no TGI Fridays on this list and where

is your flair?

In the mean time, let's go to the suburbs and eat at applebees with all the other white people.

[Critters2]

79. What about the evil Cracker Barrel? nt

[OmahaBlueDog]

81. Ding Ding Ding! We have a winner!

[stewartcolbert08]

105. YEAH!

They ARE evil!!!!

[Zavulon]

83. Ruth's Chris.

Same so-so steak as Sizzler or even the Big Boy restaurants, but at 2-3 times the price.

[fishwax]

85. I'd have to go with the evil cracker barrel

I never understood the appeal (even before hearing about their history of bigotry) ...

[Dukkha]

87. T.G.I. Friday's

the food is botulism on a plate with an unbelievably obnoxious atmosphere

[Dem2theMax]

89. Shoney's. If you've ever had the misfortune of eating there -

I pity you.

I pity me. And it's been about 20 years since I had that evil experience. ;)

[Tektonik]

90. Other: PF Changs

The food is very pedestrian and the drinks are AWFUL.

Pick Up Stix has better food tbh, and costs a third of the price.

[Manifestor_of_Light]

172. I couldn't eat P F CHANGS.

Had some PF Changs takeout at a friend's house.
Took one bite. Nope, can't eat it. Weird spices.
Took a bite of another thing. Nope, can't eat it. Weird spices.
Took a bite of a third thing. .....you guessed it.

I had three TINY bites of their food. Belched and burped all night. Got up and raided the fridge for milk to drink, because I was a houseguest and was hungry, since I couldn't eat their "Chinese takeout".

GAGGGG.....BARF

[Vektor]

92. I've always hated Marie Callender's the most because I had a HORRIBLE experience there.

I worked there very briefly in my youth, and suffered at the cruel hands of an enormous eight-foot tall "woman" who was actually a nazi clad in gray, woolen pants that were skin-tight, inducing massive, turgid camel toe which burned my eyes and gave me nightmares.

She was the manager, and one of the few people I actually wished death upon on a regular basis.

I quit after loudly telling her to go fuck herself in front of the entire lunch rush crowd, and to this day, I pray she was sliced from stem to sternum by those horrible EVIL pants.

[JeffR]

94. One of the great DU posts of all time.

Awesome.

[Vektor]

96. I'm glad you liked it. The mere memory has reduced me to a quivering mess.

I'm basically curled up in fetal position on the floor, rocking back and forth, arms wrapped around my knees, guzzling the Chardonnay and eating fist-fulls of Bennies in an attempt to come down off the ledge.

The camel toe haunts me...

[JeffR]

97. You are absolutely killing me here

:rofl:

[Vektor]

99. Oh, god. You should have seen it.

A rough-hewn train wreck that you couldn't look at without turning to stone, but could not look away from either. :scared:

It was like the giant, burgeoning, itchy-scratchy, charcoal colored, cloven-hoof of doom. The Devil's Footprint.

[JeffR]

100. Can't breathe...

:rofl:

[Vektor]

104. I will stop torturing you.

It really was a horrible sight. Everything about the "woman" was demonic.

Be glad you never set foot in that establishment. I can't look at a Marie Callendar's without reliving the fear and loathing.

[NanceGreggs]

95. You have won my heart ...

... :rofl:

Forever yours ...

[Vektor]

98. Oh, Nance. Coming from you, that is a true honor. You are one of the best!

Your writing skills are second to none. I can only dream of reaching such great heights with even my most poignant and raw descriptions of "The Toe" and the pain it caused me.

[NanceGreggs]

101. Well, I guess I have to show my appreciation ...

... yet again, for including that particular photograph. I just LOVE it.

[Vektor]

103. Oh, thanks! It's one of my faves...

I'm not sure where it come from...

[redqueen]

108. deleted

[Tommy_Carcetti]

115. Define "evil"

Is it evil as in sinful, as in their food will lead to your eventual heart attack, or evil as in just unappetizing?

Nothing pops out at me in the latter catagory. Most chain restaraunts manage to put out managable, average but unspectacular food, which can either be considered a curse or a blessing.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

168. Please see my post below...

http://www.democraticunderground.com/discuss/duboard.php?az=show_mesg&forum=105&topic_id=8521195&mesg_id=8525080

...sorry, I missed yours or would have replied to it first.

It's a vibe, a vibe from spending too many hours in Denny's and Howard Johnson's and Sambo's (anyone remember THAT place)...but the fact is that I met some unbelievable characters and survived some horrible food and it was FUN, every bit of it.

"Evil," in the context of this thread, is all of the wonderful stories my fellow DUers have shared. They're sharing their vibes about eating out, which...as we all know...is a REAL roll of the dice.

:toast:

[Strong Atheist]

117. Fast food: White Castle. I ate there ONCE, and thought my

appendix had burst. Seriously.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

164. Not sure if you're aware of this, but...

...the nickname for the W.C. burgers is "belly busters"...I kid you not.



The local Safeway sells these in the frozen section. I guess they are purchased by:

1). People who don't live near a White Castle and have such a monkey on their back that they're willing to buy tiny frozen hamburgers

2). People who don't realize they can drive to McDonald's, Carl's Jr., Jack In The Box, Burger King, or In 'n' Out and get a burger

3). Stoners who walk by the frozen section and go "Woah, dude...check it...a whole box of White castles"

:rofl:

[Strong Atheist]

167. I have seen those in stores I go to also. I would not eat one on a

triple dog dare... ;-)

[Tommy_Carcetti]

119. Dick Cheney's International House of Humans.

That's evil for you, folks.

[MrPerson]

122. I love Olive Garden. Does that make me evil?

[Critters2]

145. Admitting it here makes you brave.

I like it, too. And many of the other places called "evil" in this thread.

I'm just pedestrian. And proud of it.

[dembotoz]

127. Marie Callender's home of the exploding shits

i know i have lactose problems, but i thought is was careful and safe.
but MY GOD

tried it a couple of times (mother in law at time loved it)
each time same result.

most potent laxative i have ever seen

[Lost in CT]

132. I know I posted about Golden Corral above but I have also hated Sweet Tomatoes.

I have never understood the appeal of an overpriced Salad Bar with no real entrees.

Maybe I hate le Buffet

Oh can any restaurant recreate my childhood memories of Beefsteak Charlie's.

[Critters2]

138. Are the customers there vermin, too? nt

[Lost in CT]

139. LOL no. I do recall that the tables seem on top of each other

and people brought children into the restaurant. Lots of children.

I mostly remember going from station to station looking for an entree.

[Critters2]

141. People brought CHILDREN to a RESTAURANT?!!!

That must have been horrible for you! But there are plenty of therapists in Connecticut, and you certainly seem able to pay for a few years of treatment. I'm sure you'll be able to work through the trauma.

Children in restaurants. And they were probably eating things like potatoes, and other *gasp* starches! I'm surprised you're able to maintain enough equilibrium to post your elitist bullshit.

My advice to you--never leave Connecticut. The number of working class vermin, and their children, in the rest of the world will send you into a coma.

[LibDemAlways]

146. You just stumbled onto a DU sore spot and one that

huge flame wars have erupted over. I once posted about a 3-year-old in a restaurant who screamed nonstop for a half hour and then threw a plate in my direction while the mother ignored the entire tirade. I realize the kid was probably tired and it was the mother's fault, but there are DUers who defended the parent and kid and told me I should have stayed home.

I have no problem at all with families of all sizes in restaurants as long as parents remain mindful of other diners and don't let their kids run wild. Sadly, that is not always the case.

[Critters2]

148. There was no mention of running wild, or throwing plates

in the above post. The very existence of children in the same setting as the Vermin Hater seems to be enough.

[LibDemAlways]

152. I just got the feeling that perhaps the restaurant in

question was a little chaotic because of all the kids and maybe that wasn't what the poster had anticipated.

I know there was no mention of screaming/throwing plates. I was just relaying what happened to me one time when I posted on DU about my own restaurant experience. "Kids in restaurants" is definitely a button pusher here.

By the way, I'm a mom and removed my own daughter more than once from a restaurant when she was small and started to act up. It's definitely a balancing act - trying to eat a meal, keep a little one occupied, and not annoy other diners. As long as the adults realize that they are not at home and need to keep a watchful eye on the kids, I don't care how many children are present.

[Lost in CT]

149. Thank You.

I have no problem with children that are behaved.

If your child cannot sit down quietly for a meal he or she simply doesn't belong in a restaurant.

[LibDemAlways]

136. Once stopped to eat at a Denny's off the highway in CA's

great central valley - Modesto or someplace like it. Anyhow, husband and I were given a window table, and the ledge was covered in dead flies. Typing that makes me gag. We didn't stay.

However, my daughter's best friend's dad owns a bunch of Dennys and does very well, so someone is dining in those fine establishments.

[destinationunknown]

162. I don't know what "evil" means to you, and I have never been to this one, but...

what about TGIF (is that the name)? They always have music blaring out when I pass by. I would never, EVER enter one!

I just don't understand why people gravitate towards the most predictable places. I would much rather go to a small, independent coffee house than a Charf*ck's, but how many exist anymore?x(
But some people enjoy frequently the chains.

[Amerigo Vespucci]

165. It's a vibe thing...

...for me, I spent my "wonder years" in dives, with all kinds of questionable people, but the fact of the matter is that I experienced a real life-changer in college (I received my BA in English) when I read Kerouac's "On The Road," and one passage in particular:

“The only people for me are the mad ones, the ones who are mad to live, mad to talk, mad to be saved, desirous of everything at the same time, the ones who never yawn or say a commonplace thing, but burn, burn, burn, like fabulous yellow roman candles exploding like spiders across the stars and in the middle you see the blue centerlight pop and everybody goes "Awww!”

Seriously, look at the replies in this thread. Look at all of the cool stories, the wisecracks, the battle tales...

...I guess "evil," in the context of this thread, was my call to DU to make a few fabulous yellow Roman candles pop. DU stepped up. I'm adding this thread to my journal so I don;t lose track of it.

:toast:

[NYC_SKP]

170. Applebees is a training ground for kids, it's indoctrination for Chile's later in life.

Which, of course, leads to Olive Garden later and then, finally, Denny's...

[Manifestor_of_Light]

175. Bob Evans

Went to Missouri a couple of years ago.

Ate at a Bob Evans, not knowing anything about it.

Had some beef stroganoff on noodles.

The meat had too much fat and yuck in it. I asked the waitress if she could do anything about it, and she said, no, they got all their food frozen, and all the other batches would be the same way. She was apologetic but couldn't do anything.

I wasn't happy, but I thought it was sad that the waitress couldn't come up with better quality meat.

Never going to another Bob Evans.