Wednesday, March 14, 2007

The Worst List


OK a lot of people have been asking for it so here it is.
I know this may create some controversy but it must be done.
Here is my list for the worst chain restaurants.

1) Johnny Rockets (sorry cuz) This place is terrible. They essentially serve hamburgers and french fries and they can not even get that right. I just went to one in South Beach when I had the plague and was craving a burger and fries. How disappointed I was. It was almost not edible. I never leave over food and I could not finish the fries - that says a lot. I will say that they had delicious fresh squeezed OJ there - it may be because I was in Florida though.

2) Charley Browns - Just kinda gross. The salad bar is nothing special and the menu items are not original and not good.

3) Sizzler - There was a time when I did kind of like this place but I was a kid, I guess I did not know better. They do have very good ice cream as part of the buffet there. It reminds me of ice milk and I like that. So I guess if you have to go just order dessert.

4) Denny's - OK you are essentially a breakfast place and your eggs suck - come on I can make better eggs and I can not cook.

5) Friendly's - Overall I find this place dirty and consistently has bad service at all locations. I do like the sundae on the kids menu where they make the sundae look like a clown by putting the cone on top and using whipped cream to make curly hair and reese's to make the eyes and nose. That is creative so I will give them that. I guess it was also a fun place to go in High School after a movie or something. I have some memories of doing that I think.

6) Heartland Brewery - This is a NY chain. A Brewery should have a kick butt (I will keep my blog PG) burger and they do not. It is one of those burgers that is not juicy, very dry and does not have a lot of taste. I also do not remember really liking the beer that they brew which again I mean come on you are a Brewery have a decent beer.

7) Bennigan's - There was a time when this was like the only chain restaurant in Rockland - what a sad time it was. Thanks Bretty for calling Friday's and Cheesecake and telling them to open in Rockland - you rock. Anyway, again just a boring menu where nothing stands out. The other chains like Friday's and Chili's are just much better so go there.

8) Ninety-Nine Restaurant - They have these around Boston a lot - what a surprise like most things in Boston - not so good (Tara and Sombs are good though)

9) Cracker Barrel - You think it is going to be just like a delicious home cooked meal (because I get those a lot) but it is not. I do not love the breakfast and the lunch menu does not look good at all. If you are driving and see one, keep going.

10) Wagamama - ARRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRRGGGGGGGGGGGGGG YUCKKKKKKKK!!! Before I went to London a few summers ago everyone told me how much I was going to love this place how it was one of their favorite things about London. Ummm are you kidding me it was disgusting - I could not eat it. I would never go again.

11) Olive Garden - I simply have to write this because this place makes me violently ill. I know I do not have an iron stomach but I have never felt as sick as I felt after eating here. I will not go into details but you can imagine.

Alright let me know what you think. I am sure this will create some commotion.

25 comments:

Unknown said...

First of all Friendly's rocks. I agree that teh service is sub par but they have great chicken fingers, and wraps, and honey mustard dressing. I LOVE friendly's.

Secondly Denny's is not bad at all its greesy and delicious great homefires and omlettes

Totally agree with Heartland its expensive and gross!!!!!

I think Olive Garden is yummy BUT they must put ex-lax in it because it causes explosive you know what

Johnny Rockets is ok the one in Cabo has really goot burgers but the one in NY and Maryland SUCK big time

I think Legal Seafood should also be on this list along with Macaroni Grill and Don Pablos

Unknown said...

o an Charley Browns should be the number 1 worst by far its soooooooooooooo grosssssssssssssssssss worst salad bar ever

Unknown said...

I agree with most of these except I do think that Denny's has good shoe string french fries.

Anonymous said...

Ok...Friendly's blows cause not only does the food suck but I always find that there is always a baby who won't stop crying and the parents just try to shut them up by shoving french fries in their mouth...its like the Britney Spears guide to parenting.
For obv. reasons, I gotta disagree with the ROCKETS. I mean, Rori, you were sick the entire time in Florida, don't you think perhaps that had something to do with your enjoyment of the food? Plus, you didnt get the chilli cheese fries or the Chicken Fingers which are also great there. OG is amazing cause you get the endless salad and breadsticks and their complimentary wine of the day. That's good enough for me...although I have to say, its one of those restaurants who can't even make their food look good on the commercials (and that one commercial with the woman joking about her date having his shoes untied [and it's really her son] annoys me to no end, dunno why! Also, I had my first CRACKER BARREL experience last weekend. It wasn't horrible but everyone who was eating there was obese which kinda scared me away for life I think. That's all for now, can't wait for the next post

food snob said...

Friendly's is amazing!!! Nina must know her stuff! The buffalo chicken fingers there are tremendous! And they have awesome mozzarella sticks too. Find me better sticks at a chain - you can't! Don Pablos should be stopped immediately...definitely needs to be at the top of this list! They shouldn't even be allowed to be categorized as mexican. They are mexican't. Also, I loved the Monster Mash sunday at Friendly's because it was made with chocolate chip mint ice cream.

Unknown said...

Thats right FOOD SNOB you know your stuff

Rori I propose Don Panlo's be added it is truly the worst chain restuarant in the history of the world

And where is Fox Sports Grill... I mean come one..total crap

I LOVE FRIENDLYS

Cousin- Yes there are crying babies at Friendly's but do you see the clientele at Rockets...and you thought CB was bad

I also think the singing and dancing has got to stop...

steve said...

I would say eating at Olive Garden and Friendly's would be equivalent to eating at your high school cafeteria.

Anonymous said...

I dont know what you guys are ordering at the Olive Garden but I LOVE IT and I dont get sick or Explode!! Everything from the salad, bread and meal is awesome!! You all must be weak-bellied!!

Anonymous said...

I used to work at Johnny Rockets and would have to come in early 1 Saturday a month to learn new dance routines. We take pride in our moves and our spectacular light show. My nickname there was actually Chippendale cause I was so good at what I did. But even after working there and seeing the quality of their meat and the cleanliness of their kitchen, I still eat there so that should say something.
As for Friendly's, I used to go in there when I felt like slumming it and ignoring the sticky floor and the odd smell that comes from a combination of table-cleaner and chocolate syrup.
Nina...you couldnt be more wrong about Macaroni Grill though. That'd be at the top of my list for the best chains, at least in terms of the Italian places. The bread alone makes the trip worth it.
My final thought is that Ruby Tuesday's and Applebee's are missing from this list. The lame attempt by Ruby Tuesday's to create "gourmet" food lately is just sad and Applebee's can't even make their french fries edible.

Anonymous said...

I didn't know Olive Garden was a chain, the fanciest Italian restaurant in Scranton is named Olive Garden, what a coincidence.

Rori said...

Wow, I knew this post would be successful. I thank everyone that commented so far.
I agree that Friendly's was good and fun in HS but to go now as a mature adult, I don't think so.
I also like the Macaroni Grill so I can not put that on the list.
Don Pablos was ver terrible so perhaps I will add that.
In regards to Johnny Rockets my experince in Florida was so bad that I am keeping strong and keeping that at the #1 worst chain. I would though like to see cousin perform some of the dances he learned at Rockets.
Olive Garden, sorry dude makes me sick.

food snob said...

Alright anonymous...if you can't even come up with a name, then that proves what kind of imagination you have. The kind that imagines Scranton's Olive Garden as the only good choice for Italian. If you had ever actually been there you would know that Scranton is full of Irish and Italian people and therefore, good for two things. One is pubs and the other great Italian food. You might not be weak-bellied because you don't get sick at the Olive Garden, but you have pretty weak taste in food.

Unknown said...

Macaroni Grill closed half their restaraunts because it sucked so bad

Unknown said...

Also MAcaroni Grill had those annoying madrigal singers that sucked

And Stevo Friendly's rocks

Anonymous said...

What about Carraba's? It sucks, but didn't make your list...And Waffle House is in a whole other class of suckage, especially the one in Scranton.

What do you think about fast food chains?

I would also like your take on chain diners...

Unknown said...

anonymous nobody cares about your crappy small town scranton chains

Anonymous said...

Nina nobody cares or wants to hear about your Olive Garden induced diarrhea.

JMD said...

Heartland's beer is a circus act. Brewery my ass. (R rated) I don't want blueberries in my beer. In this age of better beer, Heartland is a disgrace to NYC.

Mentioning Friday's without bringing up the Jim Dandy sundae is a crime in some states. The fishamajig isn't real fish I think. And the Fribble is a poor man's frappe.

Nina and Rori, your anti Legal stance is wayward. It's not Anthony Pier 4, granted, but it is just fine. This is rabid Boston bias for the sake of Boston bias.

Denny's Two Moons of My Hammy is the worst breakast offering on the planet, especially at the Albany establishment.

Charlie Brown's is confusing. How do they not have sandwiches? Only full meal, steak/chicken type dishes? Weird. Their wings are not bad. I have them a lot. They are the only bar in River Edge. They pour Smithwicks. Bar/Wings=solid. General food= poor.

Rockets is just fine. That Miami Rockets is filthy and misplaced. They are meant to be attended in a mall atmosphere. I too would like to see cousin offering up a Hound Dog or two.

Friendly's also actually trains their waiters and waitresses to move around like they are mimicing turtles. That's part of the charm. Which, obviously, bodes well for a family restaurant. Kids love being boxed in to a booth for more than 45 minutes. Chili's is the master at understanding that families want to be in and out in 35.

Finally, what the hell does Macaroni and Grill have to do with one another? You boil or bake macaroni. There is no grill involved.

JMD said...

I cited Friday's Jim Dandy, when I clearly was referring to Friendly's. Conde Nast regrets the error.

Unknown said...

Anonymous stop being a pussy and show your face

Princess Lovey Dovey I know its you

Rori said...

I do not like the vicious fighting going on. I like opinions and feedback but there is not need to fight. My blog is a place of love, not war. There is one thing we can make fun of though, the fact that Hadley hangs out at the bar at Charley Browns. Also Legal is not good and will soon be getting a full posting as to why.

food snob said...

it is not princess lovey dovey! I am the food snob!!! I wouldn't say anything bad about Scranton!

Anonymous said...

I'm sorry but Charley Brown's has AMAZING french onion soup. There is seriously no denying that.

Anonymous said...

I can agree with some of those but #1) nothing beats a Denny's Moons Over My Hammy after a long night of drinking #2) I'd go to the olive garden for the bread sticks alone and #3) how can you diss the Cone Head from Friendly's?

Anonymous said...

i have to give props to Bennigan's Turkey and Cheese Sandwich Melt thing which was on a delicious Pretzel role and which I looked forward to for every Roy family birthday outing...