Personally, I prefer Continental coach when flying to/from Hawaii over the other airlines. It is the only coach service with personal TVs at every chair with six channels to choose from as well as some Nintendo type games to play. (I've flown Delta, Hawaiian and American to/from Hawaii).
As for food and drink, the food is as good or better than others (except Hawaiian has a better packaged dessert, such as a Macadamia Nut cookie ice cream sandwich), and Continental seems to have more full drink services in coach than any other airline.

But you are right, the seat pitch is the worst (Delta and Hawaiian seemed just as bad as Continental). So it's a choice of what's more important to you -- seat pitch or entertainment options. Me, I choose entertainment. If you're tall, then maybe you'll go the other way.