First of all I find your post condescending and snobbish. I live in Michigan and we have Bob Evans here and have traveled extensively in Ohio and there are Bob Evans all over the place there. Both ar generally thought of as blue states and maybe you don't want to visit here but that's your issue.

Regarding the chain, where I've had breakfast dozens of times over the years, the food is decent of good quality and consistent. No different than Shoney's, Denny's or the like. I prefer local diners for breakfast these days but would have no problem eating at a Bob Evans.

Thanks, Mike.

Welcome to FlyerTalk.

The poster who had never heard of Bob Evans appears to be from outside the US, and while I respectfully decline to debate my tourism preferences, or the merits of tourism to Michigan/Ohio in the abstract, be real. Most overseas visitors to the US, just like US visitors to other countries, have limited amounts of time, and I presume that most foreigners on holiday in the States probably won't have time for a romp through Columbus or Flint. Sorry if this offends you.

True. But the gag was too good to pass up. :D

This thread reminds me of a dining experience on a recent trip. My wife and I eat at Bob Evans a lot, and I don't get the hate, but whatever. But this trip, we ate at Bob Evans one meal and at a "snob friendly" restaurant for the other. The contrast was just too great to ignore.

At the upscale place, we both found bits of foil mixed in one of the foods. The waitress apologized and said it must have got mixed in there when the cook unwrapped it after heating it up. They didn't have a blender to make the drink I really wanted with dessert so I ordered coffee instead. Unbeknownst to me, they also were out of the dessert that I'd ordered from the menu, so they switched without asking and brought me a coffee-flavored dessert. Couldn't really appreciate the flavor of either, with so much coffee taste.

We laughed, thinking how flawlessly the Bob Evans meal had gone in comparison, at one-tenth the price. The food contained only actual food, they brought what we ordered, and had all the usual things that you'd expect available. What more can you ask for? :)

I thank the OP for starting this thread. It made me look at the Bob Evans website, where I saw:That will come in handy in these parts.

Um, I might suggest you need a better class of "snob friendly restaurant" (whatever that might be). ;)

Oh, and welcome to Flyertalk!

Last time I went to Bob Evans I was looking for a calorie bomb type of breakfast, and oh my did they deliver. I don't mind going there about once a month for something like that.

Thank you for your response. However Michigan and Ohio still receive large amounts of foreign business travelers as even though the auto industry is badly damaged, it's far from dead. So maybe the OP would be coming to one of our (not) red states. Perhaps it would have been better to say the states where Bob Evans are most prevalent are more blue collar and more rust belt.

Thanks, Mike.

There is at least some authenticity (or self-reinforcement....choose your term) when the best, most consistent bulk pork sausage at most supermarkets (Bob Evans) is available at the place you're having breakfast.

It's unusual to have rancid or poorly cooked or plain weird sausage at a Bob Evans restaurant, where it's more common at places like Denny's/IHOP/...have you seen the ingredients of the "sausage" at MickeyD's?

I figure that the eggs, toast, hash browns are pretty standard at any of those genre of breakfast restaurants....I'd rather eat a tiny bit better with better sausage/biscuits on a driving trip (i.e. Bob Evans)

That's nice to know.

Latest Bob Evans stop:

Lafayette, IN I-65 while driving CHI - IND 11/25/09. Salad + wheat toast + milk.

Was crowded and the road construction in front made it a disasterzone to get into and out of the restaurant but otherwise it was a good meal.

This and Outback Steakhouse. The drinks must be free or quickly expiring.

Hey now that Im back from my FlyerTalk ban I can update you guys. I was running out of places to eat and I was in Jamestown, NY btw. So I went back and had the roast beef sandwich. It was wicked good i have to admit. I guess it all depends on what you get from the menu.

I haven't eaten at Bob evans often but I have eaten at many
Shoney's, Tiny Naylor's, Norms, Bobs Big Boy etc. over the years. Usually for Breakfast and even if not in the morning I usually order Breakfast in these type of joints. I would say 90% of the time the food and service are good. These types of places are usually good for that late night drunk/stoned meal.

I worked at Bob Evans for a summer when I was 17 so ate my fair share of their food (at -50% staff discount). Have to say that it could indeed be pretty tasty! Have been living in Canada ever since so haven't had a chance (or real desire I suppose) to get back more than a couple times, but for chain food it isn't that bad! Their biscuits are delicious and having unloaded the delivery truck quite a few times, I can assure you that much of what comes in is real food, not just coming from a package (though there is plenty of that too).

I have been in a Bob Evans in Chicago which is not a red state... I guess it is rust belt. There can be not doubt that many of the menu items would be classified by my wife as "a heart attack on a plate".... and yes this food is generaly tasty in a comfort food sort of way. You can get reasonable breakfast items that would meet the approval of your cardiac doctor with a little effort. I think Bob Evans is better than average in this class of place.