There’s only one Maggiano’s in AZ, and an OG is closer. However, I find the pricing all in with appetizers and dessert between the two similar, if you go for dinner, if you avail yourself of Maggiano deals or coupons.

You can get a normal pasta at Maggiano’s for $14-17. And for the last year at least, you get another full size pasta (of your choice) to take home. Buy 2 normal pastas for $30 plus tax, use the $10 coupon, and you’re at way under $30 with tax and tip.

OG rarely has sales. Maybe a 10% coupon, or a free kids meal for dinner. Cheapest pasta is $11-12. If you want meatballs or sausages, it’s usually $3-4 more. They do have neverending pasta, which can be a decent deal. Breadsticks and soup are quite nice.

I like Maggiano's, the food is generally good and they make almost everything from scratch. Outback used to do the same, but I'm not sure if they do anymore. I also like the salad bar at Ruby Tuesday and the variety of options at Cheesecake Factory. Not a fan of Olive Garden, TGI Fridays, or Applebee's.

The Applebee's locations around here tend to serve pretty greasy food (even the supposed "healthier"/low calorie options). They are fairly inexpensive, though, and it's also unlikely you're particularly going to anything on OP's list to improve your health. :p

We also had a family dinner at Buca di Beppo a few months ago and their options are hit or miss. I remember the Fettuccine Alfredo being pretty bland and tasteless, for example, but the eggplant parmigiana was good.

As for Cheesecake Factory, it's very unlikely I'll willingly go back any time soon thanks to some pretty negative experiences at one of the local ones (including one where the server simply never bothered putting my order in, which would maybe have been more easily forgivable had the food that ultimately did come out not been horrible as well).

I have eaten at a couple of these places and won't go back. Basically due to the incredibly high calorie counts. I would go to McD's before several of them. But thank goodness for local places and local delivery places.

Only the cakes are, I was talking about the food. Technically the bread is made off prem too, but all the FOOD (entrees) are made from scratch.

I guess if you don’t consider Cheesecake or bread to be food. Especially as it’s the name of the restaurant. It isn’t a factory, either. ;)

I usually avoid all the restaurants on the list if possible, but if I had to choose, it would be Cheesecake Factory (but not for their cheesecakes), Maggiano's, Chilli's and Carrabba's. I can usually find something on the menu that won't require a pepcid chaser. My MIL has unfortunately discovered Olive Garden and wants to go all the time. I really should give the place another chance since I haven't been in over 10 years but memories of an ex coworker ordering multiple carbs for lunch, eating it all and then eating the "take home" portions shortly after we got back to the office still haunt me. She was not a large person and I have no idea how she could eat so much in such a short time.

Olive Garden is among our top 5 restaurants we go to. They do have a variety of fairly healthy items, if you search hard enough.

I’d try it for lunch and see what you think.

FWIW the only one in OP's list worth going to is Cheesecake Factory, I usually get the Steak Diane with Shrimp.

https://cimg3.ibsrv.net/gimg/www.fly...270ead5dc5.jpg

1710 calories 121 grams of fat!! :eek::eek:

LOL

LOL yes, although I don't go very often so this high-calorie plate is a real treat. We usually order a few appetizers for the table so I don't usually end up finishing the mashed potatoes full of carbs :D

No don't worry I wasn't judging I just can't believe CF would be able to make such a high fat concoction :D

Across all the restaurants in the list I've dined at about 1 a year over the past 10 years. Reviewing the list reminds me how happy I am to live in an area with a robust and richly varied local restaurant scene. Of course, even when I'm on the road in suburban and small-town areas (I actually travel through remote areas a lot) I strive to find better local options than these chains.

Yeah. I was at a meeting a year or two ago and we had a short lunch break and it might have been raining outside. So I went to the closet place, one of the favorites of many on this list. I even tried to get something healthy. And it was covered with glop. Very high calorie, unhealthy glop. This has actually happened at another place on the list too, prior to the web on phones. And afterwards I discovered that I had just eaten a salad with over 2000 calories. Never again for me. No food, a bottle of water, I can work with that.

Visually, it’s rather unappealing.