Chipotle
Longhorn
Gordon Biersch
Texas Roadhouse

I've eaten many a meal there. (More than once it was the closest restaurant within walking distance to my hotel). I rarely eat steaks in restaurants as I'm usually disappointed even at high end establishments, but it blows Outback out of the water. I also like the peanut-shells-on-the-floor atmosphere.

^
my wife and ate at morton's in san fran. and were amazed at the quality. I might add that we are from "cattle country" Alberta Canada, where beef is king, and were always told our beef is the best "world-wide" and this may be true but our meal was...a gastronomic experience that has yet to be matched. Hat's off to this chain...you brought us to our knees !!!^

I've become a fan of the food and atmosphere at Ted's Montana Grill.

Your fail-safe fast food/chain restaurant?
 

Hi all,

My boyfriend and I will shortly be travelling to the US for just over 2 weeks. We are spending time in Detroit, Chicago/small-town Illinois, Las Vegas, Arizona (driving around, no real fixed destinations) and Los Angeles.

We'll be driving a lot and as a result may not have much opportunity for 'proper' food in local restaurants.

Do you have a particular chain/fast food restaurant that's your 'failsafe'? I.e. somewhere you know you'll always get a decent meal at a decent price, pretty much any time of day?

I know you won't all agree - I'm really looking for suggestions that aren't McDonald's/Taco Bell/TGI Fridays/Denny's etc. Arbys? Bennigans? Applebees? We've already got a trip to the LAX In n Out planned!

Any chain restaurant is fine. They're all the same; that's how they've gotten big. People like them.

Arby's is good (menu based around roast beef sandwiches). But my favorite nationwide fast food for road trips is probably Wendy's. It seems to be the highest quality of the big chains. Get a Frostee for dessert. Hardee's/Jack in the Box are fine too.

Bennigans and Applebees are like a TGI Fridays. In that vein, I tend to like Chili's the best. For the novelty, you might also check out Cracker Barrel, a chain of old-timey "country kitchens" and a country general store. Everything is tasty fried goodness. Their pancakes are great.

Depending how far south you get in small-town Illinois, you could potentially jump over the river to Missouri or Kentucky and go to Waffle House. It's a Southern chain of all-breakfast, open-24-hours restaurants. Think grits, eggs, bacon, biscuits and gravy. You know, health food. :)

I would also suggest Panera, which you will likely find in some of the bigger small towns. They've got good sandwiches, salads, and pastries. Panera is by far the healthiest of the options - everything's made fresh when ordered. Their breads are great - it was originally called the St Louis Bread Company - and baked fresh in the store every day.

That all said, when I go on road trips I make it a point to eat at small locally owned places as much as possible. Support the local economy and usually discover some great local color - a true slice of Americana. At worst, you'll have a mediocre meal. Quite often it's great home cooking, however.

In Arizona, you should probably check out the Grand Canyon. :)

Unfortunately, the better chains are the smaller chains as a general rule.

I'm not a big burger eater, so I look for fast food that isn't ground beef on a bun. I don't get out of the Southeast much any more, so I don't know if you'll find any of these, but here's a few suggestions.

Chicken: Zaxbys & Guthries. Zaxby's has big salads, wings and chicken fingers. Guthries specializes in chicken fingers.

Sandwiches: McAlisters & Jasons. You order at the counter and someone brings you your food. McAlisters has an expanded menu with baked potatos, paninis & even a muffeletta that is decent. I haven't been in a Jasons lately, but liked what I had.

Mexican: Moes Southwest Grill, Salsaritas & Chipotle Grill. Similar "fresh mex" with burritos and salads. Each has its fans. They seem more alike than different to me.

Enjoy your trip.

I'm in the Detroit area and we don't have any unique fast food restaurants. We do have a lot of "diner" type restaurants called Coney Island's. These will all have decent food with the local National chain being the best unless you are in Downtown Detroit where American and Lafayette are the best in the area. You can be in and out of these in 30-40 minutes. Have the Coney Island hot dog.

Panera is also a good choice. If you like submarine sandwiches, go to Potbelly's or Jimmy John's.

Most here will probably disagree, but out of all you listed, I prefer Dennys.

I never thought about this question, simply because the level of service in the american fast food industry is lousy, and has been for the past 20 years. You can no longer guaranty the same taste at any two restaurants, even though the end product may have come from the same factory farm in bfe ville. As for being able to communicate effectively with your average fast food employee these days, well, that's a screw up as well. You have better consistency with hot water and a packet of Top Ramen. My apologies for being so negative and generally unhelpful in this matter.

:-: that would be my first choice.

in arizona, there are places where you can find garduno's, what may be the only chain restaurant that serves new mexican food (don't forget the sopapillas!).

in LA, check out rubio's mexican grill, which serves fish tacos.

I vote for Denny's... I like that place, anywhere

Houston's is the bomb. Their caesar salad is the best.

For more of a fast food option, Panera is great. Cheap sit down, Texas Roadhouse. Mid/upscale sit down, Mortons. I cannot stand Ruth Chris with the amount of butter they put on everything.

I am oft criticized by my friends and colleagues for liking chain restaurants but am willing to trade the potential better meal for a consistently "good" meal, especially when on the road trying new restaurants.

If you want to go more "local", try www.chowhound.com to find local places. Keep in mind that the "god awful" and "absolutely amazing" ratings should be removed. Generally the overall average is a good sign whether you'll like it or not! :D

HTSC