re: Best and worse national casual dining chains.

I worked there more like mid 90's ( '95- '97 ) I think.

We ate at Genghis Grill about a week ago or so. It is the same as when it opened. It is hard to screw up fresh meat and veggies when all they have to do is cook it and bring it to your table.

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And yes I do know what I'm talking about . My wife has worked in casual dining for 15+ years..... Care to admit you actually have no clue what you were talking about?

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your wife makes the skillet queso at Chilis?

I don't think Chili's is shooting to be Mexican restaurant. I mean they got Mexican food on the menu, i.e. the now infamous skillet queso, but I would consider it a Mexican place.

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your wife makes the skillet queso at Chilis?

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and the light of truth is shown....proceed

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I think a lot of people lurk and don't post because of the pretentiousness of this board. Saints board is the same way with the assholes that have proclaimed themselves to be the regulators of that board.

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I think we throw around the word "pretentious" too much. No one needs to be snotty, but count me in the minority that thinks a little touch of pretentiousness needs to exist on a website for people who have a strong interest in food.
I'm sorry, but there's a reason I don't peruse "mom" cooking websites.. and there's a reason I don't read Kraft recipes. If this board happily welcomed dozens of threads a day on velveeta chicken and the like, I'd stop posting. That doesn't interest me. If it did, I'd read the back of a velveeta package and cook it.

Chili's started in Texas, so it's going to have some Tex Mex type dishes on the menu

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I'm sorry, but there's a reason I don't peruse "mom" cooking websites.. and there's a reason I don't read Kraft recipes. If this board happily welcomed dozens of threads a day on velveeta chicken and the like, I'd stop posting. That doesn't interest me. If it did, I'd read the back of a velveeta package and cook it.

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You're right about that. I think R2R was making a point that some people here are probably full of shite. Becasue no one here ever eats at those places so how are they always full.

I think that the answer is somewhere in the middle. To be a foodie (not there yet) you have to be kind of a snob. But you can also enjoy the little things.

last time i ate a chili's i ordered the sliders and they brought be a hamburger cut into 4 pieces. i didn't know what to say.

I've never been to Bonefish or Carraba's, so I can't chime in (except people seem to love Bang Bang Shrimp).

Does Ryan's still exist? Because THAT seems to be the grossest place of the chains discussed. Last time I went (about 18 years ago), it was filthy. Filthy. FILTHY!

Copeland's - I like their hot crab claws, as well as their Thai shrimp salad. My husband likes the tomato basil chicken. Dat taste good, cher.

Chili's is okay to me, but I haven't actually had anything from there in a couple of years, and I haven't eaten inside in more than that. When they started doing the drive up stuff I went there for the convenience a few times.

I went to O'Charley's once. A friend invited me for lunch and raved about it being her favorite place and how she went so often that they always knew her order.

To her I say:


Olive Garden, I've been twice in the last 20 years. I didn't hate it, just didn't love it.

I had lunch at Cracker Barrel once, and I was appalled, but maybe I ordered poorly. It was an all beige meal. Very unappetizing. My best friend loves the breakfast, so I probably just chose the wrong time of day and the wrong meal.

I am only half foodie. I love good stuff, but Rotel & Velveeta dip tastes pretty effing awesome, too.