What's your Most Overated Place to eat...

[R8RFAN]

Ruby Tuesdays
And Japanese restaurants where you sit around the stainless steel grill...

[L.A. Chieffan]

Originally Posted by Groves

Threads like this are always interesting because what we don't get to see is what people have as their expectation, and what other restaurants (and their expectations) to which they are being compared.

It's the culinary version of this illusion, where A and B are the exact same color, but don't look it.

a is gray and b is white

[Hoover]

I avoid chain restaurants with a passion.

Was at a church thing this weekend and they asked what my fav restaurants were, when I said Alba, Lucca, and Jethros they all looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. Seriously, people need to support locally owed restaurants not the chains.

[Predarat]

Add Jimmy Johns to my list of overated places.

[mikeyis4dcats.]

Originally Posted by Predarat

Add Jimmy Johns to my list of overated places.

+infinity

I have never seen a more overrated place. Crap menu, crap food, and crap service.

[Frosty]

Krispy Kreme

I remember hearing about them all of the time and how amazingly awesome they were but never got to try any because they didn't have them here. I finally got to try them (yes, hot) when we went to Orlando and was, um... underwhelmed.


As for PF Chang's, I realize that they aren't "authentic" but they work nicely for me because they have a dedicated gluten-free menu. It's nice to be able to have Chinese without worrying about it. However, we normally do Thai or Vietnamese when we have Asian food as most of their dishes use rice noodles and don't use soy sauce.

[BIG_DADDY]

Originally Posted by Hoover

I avoid chain restaurants with a passion.

Was at a church thing this weekend and they asked what my fav restaurants were, when I said Alba, Lucca, and Jethros they all looked at me like I was speaking a foreign language. Seriously, people need to support locally owed restaurants not the chains.

Couldn't agree more.

[Fire Me Boy!]

Originally Posted by blaise

One of the things I like best about Chik Fil-A is that the employees always seem to have an actual brain.

The manager at the Chick-Fil-A in my building says the company has pretty strict hiring policies for the people that actually interact with customers.

[Predarat]

Originally Posted by Frosty

Krispy Kreme

I remember hearing about them all of the time and how amazingly awesome they were but never got to try any because they didn't have them here. I finally got to try them (yes, hot) when we went to Orlando and was, um... underwhelmed.

I am wondering if you just went to a bad one. Those doughnuts are awesome.

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by RockChalk

We should just simplify this and say that all Darden restaurants are overrated. I might exclude Longhorn from that generality.

Originally Posted by Bearcat

Exclude Capital Grille... I'll usually go to a local place first, even though Capital Grille is excellent.

1. Longhorn is garbage.
2. Season's 52 is damn good for a chain restaurant.

Originally Posted by Hoover

I avoid chain restaurants with a passion.

Mostly this.

[tooge]

Originally Posted by Frosty

Krispy Kreme

I remember hearing about them all of the time and how amazingly awesome they were but never got to try any because they didn't have them here. I finally got to try them (yes, hot) when we went to Orlando and was, um... underwhelmed.


As for PF Chang's, I realize that they aren't "authentic" but they work nicely for me because they have a dedicated gluten-free menu. It's nice to be able to have Chinese without worrying about it. However, we normally do Thai or Vietnamese when we have Asian food as most of their dishes use rice noodles and don't use soy sauce.

PF Changs isn't "authentic" because most americans wouldn't touch much of what China serves in country as authentic chinese. Lots of duck, pork, and seafood. lots of parts we don't eat here. Often very spicy, and usually with a texture Americans would find off putting. Hell, they don't even have General Tso's chicken over there. Same goes for quite a bit of mexican food. Real mexican has a few white cheeses they use very sparingly, not smothered on a burrito like we find here.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by Predarat

I am wondering if you just went to a bad one. Those doughnuts are awesome.

When they finally made it to Spokane, I tried them there too and didn't care for them. I think the main problem is that I just don't care for that kind of donut. I much prefer the fluffy ones you get from a bakery.

[L.A. Chieffan]

Originally Posted by tooge

PF Changs isn't "authentic" because most americans wouldn't touch much of what China serves in country as authentic chinese. Lots of duck, pork, and seafood. lots of parts we don't eat here. Often very spicy, and usually with a texture Americans would find off putting. Hell, they don't even have General Tso's chicken over there. Same goes for quite a bit of mexican food. Real mexican has a few white cheeses they use very sparingly, not smothered on a burrito like we find here.

yes please

[DaKCMan AP]

Originally Posted by tooge

PF Changs isn't "authentic" because most americans wouldn't touch much of what China serves in country as authentic chinese. Lots of duck, pork, and seafood. lots of parts we don't eat here. Often very spicy, and usually with a texture Americans would find off putting. Hell, they don't even have General Tso's chicken over there. Same goes for quite a bit of mexican food. Real mexican has a few white cheeses they use very sparingly, not smothered on a burrito like we find here.

Authentic Mexican is Awesome.

Chinese, authentic or not, ranks below Thai, Japanese, Korean, Vietnamese, and Indian, IMO.

[Predarat]

Texas Roadhouse > Longhorn x100000
Except for the annoying line dancing, but some locations do not do that too often.

[Frosty]

Originally Posted by tooge

PF Changs isn't "authentic" because most americans wouldn't touch much of what China serves in country as authentic chinese. Lots of duck, pork, and seafood. lots of parts we don't eat here. Often very spicy, and usually with a texture Americans would find off putting.

I agree. I prefer more authentic, though, and used to always eat at those little hole in the wall places where the people running it barely speak English (the West Coast if full of places like that). I don't care for chain places but don't have much choice now when it comes to Chinese. Fortunately, Vietnamese is pretty safe so I get that when I can.