Mostly Southern California
 

Worth Giving A Try:

The Original Pancake House which has a good variety of locations. This is the place to go for breakfast and only open from 6am until 2pm or so. If you like home-style food made with real ingredients...this is it.
http://www.originalpancakehouse.com/

Cafe Sevilla is a restaurant that serves Spanish Food and mostly featuring tapas. Unfortunately, they're only in Southern California.
http://www.cafesevilla.com/index2.cfm

Market Broiler features fresh fish and seafood. All locations in So Cal except one in Bay Area. Really good quality for the price you pay.
http://www.marketbroiler.com/locations/

Pat & Oscar's has fresh food served family style. Something different and not full service, but very accomdating and fun. So Cal Only.
http://www.patandoscars.com

Daphnies Greek Cafe is close to being fast greek food. The difference is everything is made to order and tastes authentic. So Cal and some N Cal.
http://www.daphnesgreekcafe.com/

Enjoy!!

Sure if I plan ahead it's no problem. But when I'm visiting Chicago and all of a sudden it hits me that I need a pie, I head over to Uno or Due. But lately it seems that others are a step ahead of me and the wait is too long.

Buca De Bepo does a great job feels like your eating in an Italian familys home back in the 60s,simple dishes

Whew, tough crowd down there in the lone star state. The food at Del's...that is, the non-beef stuff...was just, well, food. But as a born-and-bred meat eatin' Midwesterner, I can tell you the three steaks I had were superb.

Give me some names so I know what to try next time. Thanks!

The biggest problem with the "superoverload Italian pasta only costs a buck a pound" places (Vinny T's in Boston as mentioned earlier qualifies as well) is that if you're travelling on business, there's usually no way you can order an appropriate portion.

I didn't realize that they were a chain. I've been to the Indianapolis one before and I thought it was very nice.

It's been probably four years since I've been there, but when I was spending a lot of time in Nashville for work, I used to like to go to Houston's quite often.

Many of those that I would have included are listed above (as well as some I would not have listed, due to wide inconsistancies between locations). I'll add these small chains:

Lawry's Prime Rib http://www.lawrysonline.com/
(excellent prime rib, described in other recent threads)

Lucilles http://www.luciles.com/flash/index.html
(4 CO Locations, all open for at least breakfast and lunch)

I agree, Roy's is great, however, a little pricey. Flemings is new in town, and I have not tried it, friends liked it.

I also like Macaroni's and Bahama Breeze.

The only chain I can think of which seems to go along with the OP´s requirements would be Roy´s (upscale Hawaiian) I have only been to the location at the Inn at Spanish Bay. You would never get the feeling it was a chain...but it is. Il Fornaio is a California chain of Italian restaurants which almost makes the cut...but maybe I have been too many times and it feels too much like a chain.

In and Out (a California chain) does a nice job,they never freeze the hamburg meat

I've never understood what seems to be a cult that has developed around Cheesecake Factory. They've opened one in Palo Alto and another in San Jose, and there are commonly 2-3 hour waits for tables there.

Admittedly, it's a common problem in the Bay Area, but 2-3 hours? It's just not that good, people. . .

I kind of like Maggiano's, but I'm not Italian, so what do I know. My wife, who is of Italian descent, is not a big fan.

http://www.maggianos.com/Default.asp?bhcp=1

I also like Ruth's Chris Steak House. I've never had a bad steak at one of their locations, unlike at Smith & Wollensky's.

http://www.ruthschris.com/home.asp

Greg

Oceanaire is probably the best restaurant in Seattle. It is an expanding chain that started in Minnesota.

Mastro's Steakhouse in Beverly Hills is my favorite in LA. It started in Phoenix and I believe they have opened a third location.

QL

Amen to Oceanaire!

What about celebrity chef's chain of restaurants?

Wolfgang Puck's chains:Emerils:

I dined at Emeril's New Orleans Fishhouse in Vegas on Tuesday for lunch. I've been there many times over several years dining in both the main dining room and at the kitchen table. I have to say that while the quality of the food is still as good as ever, I was disappointed in the service levels. It would have been "good" service for a TGI Fridays but was marginal for a restaurant that I'm used to "better" from.

I should not be able to hear the servers gossiping or see them congregating.

When I arrive as a solo diner, the hostess should not express visible surprise that I would prefer to sit in the dining room as opposed to the bar (she, in fact, offered me my choice of a table in the bar or the bar itself... the dining room wasn't even presented as an option).

Wine pairing for a course should arrive before the dish itself - on all three of my glasses, they arrived after the dish itself. tsk tsk.