Trouble at restaurants...

[FLHX]

Anybody else have trouble eating at chain restaurants? Especially "BBQ" or "Grilled" offerings? I've been cooking for the better part of 17 years since my kids were born and money became tight. Recently we've been venturing back out into the restaurant scene...Wow...not good! The food does not taste good and I seem to feel like crap the next day. I'm not talking about real BBQ joints or good local diners, I mean like Outback, Chili's, Appleby's, that kind of thing...Gross. Why?

[Grillard]

There are very few restaurants that I find to be worth my while. Now and then if I want something fried I'll go out, but mostly I prefer my own cooking or my sweetheart's.

[IamMadMan]

I hear you..... About 8 years ago we started to seek out small restaurants and you get a much better meal with fresh ingredients. The problem I have with chains is that they have to buy their supplies through corporate franchise agreements. While it may be consistent, it's not always the best quality or the freshest. Everybody has to take a share of the profits resulting in having to buy at a lower cost to compete with other chains.

Once you become a regular at some of these places, they bend over backwards to give you what you want. One of my local stops keeps items not on the menu for me, My wife like the English/Irish cushine they serve, but I favor a nice thick steak which isn't on their menu. Always a porterhouse in waiting for me when we go in...

I gave up trying BBQ restaurants as I am always disappointed. Most think the application of sauce make it BBQ.....


.

[16Adams]

I head over to the east side frequently and eat Mexican cuisine. Mom and Pop shops. Of the restaurants you mentioned I have only been inside Chiles. Chips and queso was quite good.
Whataburger and occasionally post Golf Taco Villa. Coyote Bluff if I feel like a Burger From Hell (google it it's awesome)

[4ever3]

About the only thing we eat out anymore is Mexican... I can't fix rice that suits us, other than that, we cook.

[Ol'Joe]

Went to a chain steakhouse last summer and had a ribeye, pitiful, stringy, I asked the young lady what grade meat it was, she checked with the kitchen, came back and proudly said it was USDA Select!! told me all I needed to know, never again

[Artichoke]

The food does not taste good and I seem to feel like crap the next day.

1) Your system and your palate have both become acclimatized to wholesome home cooking, and 2) You are 17 years older and you can feel subtle changes in your body chemistry more acutely than you did when you were younger.

When I was younger it took a lot of abuse to make me feel like crap, and I rebounded better. ymmv?

[dummy que]

yes i halve had my nephew help me with several large cooks he is a trained cullanarian he has worked at many of these kind of resturants they use the fasts and EZ way don`t pull membrane off of ribs leave chunks of fat in pulled pork i do believe that most bbqers can make these kind of places look bad

[Fire Flinger]

About the only thing we eat out anymore is Mexican... I can't fix rice that suits us, other than that, we cook.
Hey neighbor, rice was always an issue at my house also but I found a method that gets consistent approval. Check out Rick Bayless and his recipes for "Red Rice" and "Gulf Coast White Rice". Not that there is anything wrong with the Mexican restaurants in our neck of the woods.

[Bludawg]

I take a dim view of dining out. 20+ yrs of eating 3 a day 300+days a year the novelty has worn off long ago.

[cueball21]

Me too!

About once a year we go to Longhorn Steakhouse. The last couple of times I was disappointed in product and service.

We have several family owned and operated Mexican restaurants, a family run Thai restaurant and a family run Italian restaurant. We rarely go to any of the chains or franchises any more. I agree with you. The food is not the best quality nor is the preparation, IMO.

[1MoreFord]

While I haven't been eating out much lately I used to find myself going to Mexican, Chinese, Thai, & catfish eateries more than anything else.

[FLHX]

Honestly, living in Southern AZ, I have a lot of friends who have shared their mexican cooking secrets with me...there are a few hole in the wall joints that I go to for street tacos, menudo, posole, etc...but the only thing you just can't do at home are tortillas...holy crap, there is nothing like an authentic fresh flour tortilla with butter and honey...I buy my tortillas locally, both flour and corn, can't explain the difference, you just gotta experience it.

[Texmex01]

We stay away from the chains, have never had a good experience with any of them.....

[SMOKE FREAK]

I know the kinda people they hire to work these kitchens...I'm talkin about the chain type restaurants...
At this point in my life I really dont like eating food unless I know who fixed it...Doesn't have to be me but I want to know that it's not some 17 year old crack head that doesn't care if I like it or not...

[Cabin Fever]

It's not the quality of the food from chain restaurants and fast food joints that bother me. It's the over the top and downright scary prices. I stopped by Wendy's a few days ago as I've always loved their chili and I noticed that the total for the couple in front of me was over $30. It didn't look like they ordered much either as they were eating in.

[Okie Sawbones]

I rarely find a restaurant, chain or not, that we cannot do better at home. Not brag, just a lifetime of gathering top recipes and using fresh ingredients. We have a huge collection of spices and herbs, but grow a lot of our own. It is just a matter of the time you are willing to dedicate. Some Chinese dishes take a lot of time. French as well.

Keep in mind that a lot of people think Olive Garden is the acme of Italian cooking. Not everyone is a foodie.

[LYU370]

Yeah, most of the good places are few and far between. Had a "que" restaurant open near the house a few months ago. Was hoping it would be fairly good, so if I was lazy I could pop out and have some decent que. Most of the good places are quite a hike from the house. This local chain has several different types of restaurants, some which are pretty good.

Stopped in about a week after they opened. Got a combo plate, ribs & brisket. Ribs were decent, not anything I'd go out of my way for, but weren't bad at all. The brisket on the other hand, had to be the most horrendous brisket I've ever had. But the bourbon selection was pretty good, so it made up for it a bit. Then on National Margarita Day, I decided to stop in again. Awesome Jalapeno Margarita's and against my better judgement, I tried the brisket again. Better than the first time, but still horrible. Never had a brisket sliced so thin that was still chewy, dry and covered with an Au Jus.

If I want an awesome brisket, I need to drive about an hour and a half to Rub's Back Country Smokehouse in Chicago. Probably the best brisket I've ever had, better than mine, better than any I've ever tried. Haven't tried Franklin's yet, but I don't see how his could possibly be better than Jared's. So, there are great places out there, you just have to find them.

[Tatanka]

I hear what y'all are saying. Linda and I only go out for "specialties" like sushi, Korean food, etc. and then maybe only 6-8 times per year. My German-Norwegian wife had a Sicilian Godmother who taught her how to cook even more than her Mom did. Girl has major cooking chops! And, we both prefer simpler, fresher foods than is possible at all but the best restaurants. Then there is the price; we enjoy cooking, especially for each other and family and friends, so to pay 4X at a restaurant what it costs to prepare fine food at home makes little sense to us.

[ssv3]

Yep! I prefer to eat at smaller family owned restaurants. Done away with chains a long time ago with the exception of In-N-Out or Habit Burger etc when on a bind.

[retired trucker]

The wife and I eat out fairly often since it is just the two of us. We have totally quit the larger chain style restaurants. I wouldn't go near an Olive Garden again. There is a local Italian restaurant in the same parking lot of our local O G, and it is awesome. We have never left there disappointed with any food order. Love their Lasagna and their hand made pizza. We go to a local fish restaurant that we order one plate and share it as it is enough to feed two people. They also serve fried green tomatoes (about 12 or 13 slices for $6) that is worth the trip alone. We get out of there for about $16 to $18 before the tip.

We occasionally go to the local Chilly's for a quick stab at their nachos and chili. For the above post about Wendy's chili, I hate to burst your bubble, but it is made from left over burger patties that weren't sold. :puke:

Omar

[FLHX]

For the above post about Wendy's chili, I hate to burst your bubble, but it is made from left over burger patties that weren't sold.

I'm actually ok with that...I make chili out of my leftover meat.

[mattmountz94]

We rarely ever go to a chain unless we get gift cards. On the other hand we have many local restaurants that we hit hard and 90% I enjoy the food. We have been cooking in more since the baby but nothing beats sitting at a bar drinking a beer and picking at something

[thesemicullen]

My girlfriend and I eat out a lot; it's just the nature of our schedules. We try to hit local restaurants and local chains, but sometimes the big chains fill niches that are otherwise difficult - at least here in our suburb. Memphis has a lot of terrific food, so that helps.

There are plenty of places I've been where I've been dissatisfied, and some where I've been pleasantly surprised. My rule is pretty simple - generally avoid steak places and chain barbecue.

[Wornslick]

The town I live in is small so we don't have any "chain" restaurants, but we do have a couple of Mexican ones that are very good and some locally owned restaurants that we go to. We cook a lot here at the house and enjoy the food and the money that we save by staying home.

[SweetOak13]

Fortunately in my area we have really great restaurants. No need for chains.

[KevinJ]

My wife and I go out probably once a week for dinner or maybe brunch after church. We only eat at locally owned restaurants and living on the Gulf Coast fresh seafood is what I like to order, Grouper, Amberjack, Snapper, Mahi is usually what I'll order. We even frequent a small California Mex restaurant that serves fresh Mahi Mahi Fish Tacos that are drizzled with a lime sauce that are my favorite.

I would never order BBQ a Burger or Steak out when I can make better myself and not have to pay a premium price.

[daninnewjersey]

I love McDonald's.....

[hammb]

Chain restaurants are pure evil. I hate them with a passion. Most don't cook much in house, few use good quality ingredients, and the prices are usually out of whack when you consider much of it is corporate mass quantity slop. And God forbid if you order a drink at most of those places...better have a loan ready. I love that I live in a college town that has been quite united in blocking chains. We have a BWW (and it started in Columbus, we've had it since it was Called Buffalo Wild Wings and Weck...BW3 as it's still known around here). The only other chains we've got are Bob Evans and a couple other more local wing/bar joints. I hear people asking for an applebees, or chiles or some such crap occasionally and I always cringe...those places are not only awful but their ability to turn over crap food in a massive dining room can kill 3-4 good locally owned restaurants.

But I don't get the hate on eating out. I love eating out. My wife and I eat out at least once a week as a rule of thumb. And it's not that I cannot produce similar results at home, largely I can, but I don't always WANT to. I'm big on the gastropub type places that make good hand made bar foods and serve good beers & cocktails. I don't have good draft beer at home, and I don't always like busting out the fryer for some good onion rings or hand cut fries. The one place in town has some awesome burger combinations that are just a lot of work in a home kitchen (carmelized onions, ham, bacon, and a fried egg? Can do it, but that's a lotta work...)

We also have a couple of really awesome local pizza places. I like homemade pizza as much as the next guy, but I've never produced anything close to what I can get going out. My toppings usually taste better, but I don't have a pizza oven or similar to produce the great crisp crust, with chew, etc....

I avoid nearly all chains. I'll eat Chipotle (look at their ingredient list, it actually looks like something we would produce at home!). I'll occasionally eat Taco Bell just because it's quick and it's a guilty pleasure for me (god that stuff isn't even real food, but I cannot help but still like it). That's about it for chain restaurants though.

What really frustrates my wife (and I cannot help it) is I'm obsessed with trying BBQ out looking for the holy grail of a BBQ place that actually makes good 'Q. It's pretty damned impossible to find in NW Ohio. I found a place that only fires up their smoker on Saturdays that is pretty good. There is another local place that does well that catered our wedding. None of them are as good as what I (or any of the other brethren I'm sure) do at home, but they're at least worth eating. Far too often I'm served BBQ that I wouldn't feed a dog, and that's what frustrates me and gets my wife upset when I always still wanna try the "new BBQ place I heard about!"

[mattmountz94]

Fortunately in my area we have really great restaurants. No need for chains.

Yes, yes you do! So does my area we are both very fortunate

[SeenRed]

We occasionally go out for certain ethnic foods that I'm not as skilled at making at home...mexican, chinese, italian. But when it comes to BBQ, steaks, southern cooking...just can't find many restaurants that can do it as well as Mrs. Red and I can do it at home. Most BBQ restaurants I've sampled are particularly disappointing. Drowning it in sauce don't make it BBQ...

Red

[pitbossJB]

Yep, mom & pop joints, Hole-in-the-wall spots, Vietnamese Pho or bahn mie are the only places I can go.

[Fire Flinger]

I like homemade pizza as much as the next guy, but I've never produced anything close to what I can get going out. My toppings usually taste better, but I don't have a pizza oven or similar to produce the great crisp crust, with chew, etc....
Find you some "Tipo 00" flour and get a simple thin crust pizza dough recipe. It will make a huge difference in your crust. At least it did in mine.

[smoke ninja]

I avoid nearly all chains. I'll eat Chipotle (look at their ingredient list, it actually looks like something we would produce at home!). I'll occasionally eat Taco Bell just because it's quick and it's a guilty pleasure for me (god that stuff isn't even real food, but I cannot help but still like it). That's about it for chain restaurants though



https://youtu.be/0D1G0Fm5wJA

[IrishStout]

I've had the same problem with eating out. For years before I got into smoking, the family would tend not to order steaks. Since I've been smoking I avoid ribs all together and will try pulled pork or brisket depending on the place.

[Yendor]

Oh boy, this topic always gets me riled up. Of the places I frequent 2 of them are complete scratch kitchens and they both feature a minimum of 30 craft beers. The other 2 are local as well and not chains. We do hit up Indian restaurants as that is a very time consuming food to make.

I've eaten at one of those Brazilian steak houses, Fogo de Chao, what terrible meat there. It tasted rotten and the price was ridiculous. About $100 a person and the food was terrible, that makes me mad. So mad in fact I had to make a steak (NY Strip reverse seared with bourbon barrel wood) the following day to scrub my mind of the disappointment.

Bottom line, we enjoy cooking and do it as much as we can. Make enough to have leftovers for work the next day too. My one embarrassing like is also Toxic Smell, I mean Taco Bell. I agree that it is probably not food, but I eat it every now and then.

[cats49er]

Yeah, most of the good places are few and far between. Had a "que" restaurant open near the house a few months ago. Was hoping it would be fairly good, so if I was lazy I could pop out and have some decent que. Most of the good places are quite a hike from the house. This local chain has several different types of restaurants, some which are pretty good.

Stopped in about a week after they opened. Got a combo plate, ribs & brisket. Ribs were decent, not anything I'd go out of my way for, but weren't bad at all. The brisket on the other hand, had to be the most horrendous brisket I've ever had. But the bourbon selection was pretty good, so it made up for it a bit. Then on National Margarita Day, I decided to stop in again. Awesome Jalapeno Margarita's and against my better judgement, I tried the brisket again. Better than the first time, but still horrible. Never had a brisket sliced so thin that was still chewy, dry and covered with an Au Jus.

If I want an awesome brisket, I need to drive about an hour and a half to Rub's Back Country Smokehouse in Chicago. Probably the best brisket I've ever had, better than mine, better than any I've ever tried. Haven't tried Franklin's yet, but I don't see how his could possibly be better than Jared's. So, there are great places out there, you just have to find them.

There is a place in Niles Mi. that most all the brethern whom have been there say is one of the best places to get really good Que.The owner is one of the brethern on this site.The place is called " The Prized Pig".From what I can tell it is about 2 and 1/2 hours from you.You can check it out on this site if you are not already aware of this place.

[VoodoChild]

Love the ease of eating out ..But cannot tolerate the high prices for sub par
We try to cook at home as much as possible and are pretty good at eating at home ..prob still go once a week though.

[CakeM1x]

Not a huge fan of going out to eat due to the fact I could make something better at 1/3 of the cost. Also I have been disappointed with some meals that cost us $80+ a plate which I really don't get. And the wifey doesn't understand why I don't like going to eat.

[gtr]

I like to go out and eat once in a while to mix things up a little bit. It generally never occurs to me to eat at a chain restaurant, mainly due to the fact that the chain approach to food is opposite of my approach. I like one offs, maybe small local chains (Zankou Chicken), mom & pops (Bigmista's - holla!), ethnic, etc.

Don't get me wrong - I will destroy a bag of In n Out, Popeye's, or Chik Fil A, but that's about it. Oh - and Krystal's when I'm back in the Southeast...and Bojangles...wait...what are we talking about again?...I think I just totally invalidated my point. :shocked:

[hammb]

Oh boy, this topic always gets me riled up. Of the places I frequent 2 of them are complete scratch kitchens and they both feature a minimum of 30 craft beers. The other 2 are local as well and not chains. We do hit up Indian restaurants as that is a very time consuming food to make.

I've eaten at one of those Brazilian steak houses, Fogo de Chao, what terrible meat there. It tasted rotten and the price was ridiculous. About $100 a person and the food was terrible, that makes me mad. So mad in fact I had to make a steak (NY Strip reverse seared with bourbon barrel wood) the following day to scrub my mind of the disappointment.
.

Oh man, I had the exact same experience. Was in Vegas for a work conference and one of the doctors that I worked for took all of us out to the Brazilian place at the Mirage. I don't remember which one it is, but I think it was probably a chain.

OMG, it was HORRID. I was so looking forward to it because, of course, I love meats, but my god everything we had was terrible. It was all low grade crap that was overcooked and mostly bland. Obviously I didn't pay but I'm sure it was > $50/head.

I've never been back to one of those Brazilian places despite knowing other people that rave about various of them in Cleveland/Detroit area.

[lowbass]

Anybody else have trouble eating at chain restaurants? Especially "BBQ" or "Grilled" offerings? I've been cooking for the better part of 17 years since my kids were born and money became tight. Recently we've been venturing back out into the restaurant scene...Wow...not good! The food does not taste good and I seem to feel like crap the next day. I'm not talking about real BBQ joints or good local diners, I mean like Outback, Chili's, Appleby's, that kind of thing...Gross. Why?


You're paying for the "CONVENIENCE" of not cooking yourself, not the quality of food.

Every place you named, you can probably find a meal for around $10-15, easy. Now compare that to a quality steak house. You'll be lucky if the steak alone is less than $40. But at a top steak house you're paying for prime steak, great service and great cooking.

That's one of the reasons it's so difficult to get really good BBQ at a restaurant. When we cook at home we try to buy quality meats. We take our time and season and slow cook our food to perfection. Not to say that the cooks at Outback and Chili's don't try to put out good food. But they have to cook for the masses and use just what they got.

[Yendor]

Every place you named, you can probably find a meal for around $10-15, easy. Now compare that to a quality steak house. You'll be lucky if the steak alone is less than $40. But at a top steak house you're paying for prime steak, great service and great cooking.

I'll tell you about my "Pittsburgh Blue" experience. My SVP took us to the joint (there are 2 locations in the Twin Cities). My Mushroom Capped Filet mignon was about $38 and the "exotic" mushrooms were baby portabella. The steak was meh, nothing special and the mushrooms were darn near tasteless. Add on the sides and the couple beers per person and that meal was very expensive. It was not worth it. My wife asked if we should try it out sometime and after my description she said, never mind.

The following night we had a beer pairing dinner at another local chain. $40 for meal and beers for 4 courses per person. The beef tenderloin they served was outstanding!! I can't wait for their next beer dinner.

And remember, the humble beginning BBQ. Scraps that they had to cook low and slow to make them edible. A good chef should be able to make his apron taste good.

[airedale]

Why are you surprised at this? Why would you eat at a chain anyway? One of my basic rules is to avoid places that have laminated menus with pictures of the food. I tell friends this when we are talking about finding a place to eat. The rule screens out the real loser sites.

The internet is your friend. Check Yelp.com, then look at the restaurant's web site to verify that it is not a chain. These two things will not eliminate all unhappiness but they will minimize it.

[RolandJT]

Love the local places. One local Italian place I went to when we lived in MD even asked how hungry I was before I ordered one of the bigger dishes to make sure I wasn't over-ordering. You'll never find that kind of service at a chain.

No canned tomato sauce in places like that. The chains can't usually say the same.

[Jason TQ]

Oh man, I had the exact same experience. Was in Vegas for a work conference and one of the doctors that I worked for took all of us out to the Brazilian place at the Mirage. I don't remember which one it is, but I think it was probably a chain.

OMG, it was HORRID. I was so looking forward to it because, of course, I love meats, but my god everything we had was terrible. It was all low grade crap that was overcooked and mostly bland. Obviously I didn't pay but I'm sure it was > $50/head.

I've never been back to one of those Brazilian places despite knowing other people that rave about various of them in Cleveland/Detroit area.

Holy crap, $50/head!! That's pretty cheap for Vegas :mrgreen:.

[landarc]

The chain places have to use some ingredients that are not easy on the system. Most folks care more about quantity, price and consistency than value and quality. High heat oils, Lo-melt and stabilized sauces will dominate the food.

[sbramm]

we have pretty much given up on going to a restaurant. besides, if we want something i don't know how to cook, i get to learn how and add it to the repertoire!

really no need any more. better meal and a better price at home.

[WareZdaBeef]

I agree to an extent....While no longer in my area, and could very well have went out of business, The Ground Round had the best Kansas city style baby back ribs. Their sauce to this day was the best ive tasted. If only i could find the recipe........

[TropicDad]

I had to eat at the chains for years working on the road, I can't do it anymore. I still go to mom and pop places. I do occasionally go to Chili's in the afternoon because of the buy one get one draft beer specials and the boss buys.

[Stingerhook]

We have four or five local chains that we go to because the food is good and reasonably priced. Also they are consistent between the locations.

[Durangutan]

I'm a foodie. I'm also a meat & potatoes kind of guy. Quantity and quality go hand in glove. I can excuse a little of one for the other and I'll gleefully pay a premium for both. I have a few soft spots for dishes in franchise restaurants but definitely agree with those that prefer the local Mom & Pops and I travel (sometimes by airplane) to enjoy those places. Won't go into BBQ as I'm not qualified but do know with certainty that too many smear some sauce on rubbery meat and proffer it as "Genuine BBQ"!

[dadymat]

We pretty much only go out to restaurants just to go out, drinks , atmosphere you know, old people stuff...lol, one of my last trip to Texas Roadhouse I ordered their biggest ribeye medium rare, they brought me a tiny NY Strip , well done.....

I politely told the waitress "maam, this steak is wayyy over done"

her response "wow, that hardly every happens our cooks know their steaks"

to which I replied " The why am I staring at a NY Strip instead of a ribeye?"

she laughed, took my plate and went to kitchen, after a minute she came back and said "our cook said that was most certainly a ribeye, but is cooking you another"

im staring into space like im talking to a teletubby.....

after about 10 minutes she returns with my fresh hot off the grill over cooked ...NY strip.....

fact is, chain restaurants tend to attract young people to employ, these kids dont give a you know what about food quality or customer satisfaction, they want gas money and change ....they do their shift and go on their way, no passion for the craft

[Demosthenes9]

We pretty much only go out to restaurants just to go out, drinks , atmosphere you know, old people stuff...lol, one of my last trip to Texas Roadhouse I ordered their biggest ribeye medium rare, they brought me a tiny NY Strip , well done.....

I politely told the waitress "maam, this steak is wayyy over done"

her response "wow, that hardly every happens our cooks know their steaks"

to which I replied " The why am I staring at a NY Strip instead of a ribeye?"

she laughed, took my plate and went to kitchen, after a minute she came back and said "our cook said that was most certainly a ribeye, but is cooking you another"

im staring into space like im talking to a teletubby.....

after about 10 minutes she returns with my fresh hot off the grill over cooked ...NY strip.....

fact is, chain restaurants tend to attract young people to employ, these kids dont give a you know what about food quality or customer satisfaction, they want gas money and change ....they do their shift and go on their way, no passion for the craft


The Texas Roadhouse restaurants around here are some of the better places to get steaks. Much better than Longhorns and the like.

Is it possible that the steaks you got were off the end of the ribeye, where it's separated from the strip ? Usually, the first 2 or 3 steaks off the loin have no cap whatsoever, just the eye of the ribeye, and they can be mistaken for NY Strips.

[medic92]

We go to Texas Roadhouse occasionally. I order the fried chicken critters.

Driving a truck gives me a lot of opportunities to try restaurants across the country. Thats why I have a crock pot, toaster oven, microwave, pizza cooker and George Foreman grill with me. There are a few places I like, but I much prefer my own cooking. And yes, I'm every bit as arrogant as I sound! ;)

[Ron_L]

We pretty much only go out to restaurants just to go out, drinks , atmosphere you know, old people stuff...lol, one of my last trip to Texas Roadhouse I ordered their biggest ribeye medium rare, they brought me a tiny NY Strip , well done.....

I politely told the waitress "maam, this steak is wayyy over done"

her response "wow, that hardly every happens our cooks know their steaks"

to which I replied " The why am I staring at a NY Strip instead of a ribeye?"

she laughed, took my plate and went to kitchen, after a minute she came back and said "our cook said that was most certainly a ribeye, but is cooking you another"

im staring into space like im talking to a teletubby.....

after about 10 minutes she returns with my fresh hot off the grill over cooked ...NY strip.....

fact is, chain restaurants tend to attract young people to employ, these kids dont give a you know what about food quality or customer satisfaction, they want gas money and change ....they do their shift and go on their way, no passion for the craft

I had a similar problem at a Texas Roadhouse :-D I could see the meat cooler from where I was sitting and could see that the steak they brought was not what I ordered but they still refused to believe me. My wife likes their steak sauce so we go there a couple of times a year so she can get a couple of bottle of sauce :-D

[medic92]

My wife likes their steak sauce so we go there a couple of times a year so she can get a couple of bottle of sauce :-D

Save time and eliminate the trip!

https://www.texasroadhouse.com/shop/store

[S.Six]

There are few places that we enjoy going out to.

[Lowki]

It's not the quality of the food from chain restaurants and fast food joints that bother me. It's the over the top and downright scary prices. I stopped by Wendy's a few days ago as I've always loved their chili and I noticed that the total for the couple in front of me was over $30. It didn't look like they ordered much either as they were eating in.
Fun note about Wendy's Chili, at least when i worked there in high-school. It is made of the day before, or the week before that's, burger patties that are not sold at end of shift. They take them off the flattop, freeze and then add to a large pot with a giant bag of premixed chili seasoning and a can of tomatoes. Fill with water and cook until gone. By that i mean i t just simmers until the end of the day and then if there is a large amount left, back in the walk in adn brought out next day until gone.I really enjoyed the chili before i worked there.

[Cabin Fever]

Fun note about Wendy's Chili, at least when i worked there in high-school. It is made of the day before, or the week before that's, burger patties that are not sold at end of shift. They take them off the flattop, freeze and then add to a large pot with a giant bag of premixed chili seasoning and a can of tomatoes. Fill with water and cook until gone. By that i mean i t just simmers until the end of the day and then if there is a large amount left, back in the walk in adn brought out next day until gone.I really enjoyed the chili before i worked there.

What doesn't kill us makes us stronger, right? :wink:

I still dig their chili though.

[Tiger862]

About the only thing we eat out anymore is Mexican... I can't fix rice that suits us, other than that, we cook.

Try this rice. It is only rice we use if we have to make rice dishes.

[Bludawg]

I had to suck it up and have What-A-Burger for lunch today:roll:

[VoodoChild]

At least At What a Burger you can get Jalapenos!

Also Speaking of Texas Roadhouse The best one Ive been to Was in Grand Prairie Tx right off I-20 Last year ...The few Ive been to in Phoenix Did not compare !

[retired trucker]

I had to suck it up and have What-A-Burger for lunch today:roll:

I wish there was one around my neck of the woods. Of course then all my clothes would have to go to goodwill as they wouldn't fit much longer. :doh:

One of the many things I miss about living in Texas.

Omar

[bpeyton89]

nothing makes me angrier than visiting an out of town city with friends and coworkers and someone suggesting that we eat the the TGI Fridays attached to the hotel. No hate on Friday's but I much prefer to sample the local places. At home I rarely go out except for brunch, or Sushi. I realize I can make Sushi at home, but some things are best left to the professionals.

[airedale]

... someone suggesting that we eat the the TGI Fridays attached to the hotel. No hate on Friday's but I much prefer to sample the local places. ... Some people just don't care what they eat. My old business partner is that way. It doesn't bother him a bit when his wife brings Burger King take-out for dinner, which apparently happens with some frequency.