I think it has something to do with "absence makes the heart grow fonder".
I live here in ATL where most of the food is not good, and all of it is from some type of a franchise.

So when I go out West, it is a special treat to get an In-N-Out burger and fries. Are they the best in the world? No, but they are a special treat for an every once in a while trip.

You also can't argure with a place that you can't spend more than $8.00 a meal, no matter how hard you try!