I forgot to add another of our favorite national chains, Red Robin. The atmosphere is MUCH nicer than Fuddrucker's, and since I would only be getting a chicken sandwich anyway (see my post above for the reason if you have nothing better to do), it's better quality food, too. My favorites: onion rings (mmm... the best around) and the Cajun Chicken sandwich (misnamed, since it's actually a buffalo chicken sandwich: fried chicken breast with buffalo sauce, then put on a bun with some other stuff that I never get).

Yes, the original location of Redstone is located about two miles from us, so my husband and I go often, especially since friends of ours are original investors so we don't have to wait an hour on a weeknight for a table. (We take whatever help we can get. We're paying the sitter whether we're waiting in line or sitting at a table enjoying our meal.) This is NOT a place for children, unless yours are perfectly behaved and/or heavily sedated. The service is fairly fast for a very nice sit-down place, but it's still real food and therefore unpredictable.

Tip: Get the rotiserrie chicken. It's better than ANY you've ever had before, and if you ask for all white meat (rather than half a chicken split half white and half dark) they only add $1, but you get two HUGE dinners. Ask for extra "good juice" on the side. The mashed potatoes are good and the winter root veggies are, too, but their summer "green" sides never taste as good.

Another great item there is the rotisserie chicken salad, and don't forget some Lodge Cornbread on the side. Don't be fooled by the cornbread croutons on the salad itself -- they will not sate your cornbread desire, good as they are.

Of course, if you're there on a tortilla soup day (Tuesdays, if memory serves), make sure you get it. It's better than the Chili's version mentioned above.