Sit-Down Chain Restaurant Bracket

Edited with quadrants

No Del Frisco's, Ruth's Chris or Oceanaire?? Brackets are shite.

ETA: Fogo De Chão?

ETA2: I really like Fuddruckers, but that is counter service. And Golden Corral is a buffet.

8, 12, 11, 14, 10, 15

1, 9, 13, 12, 6, 14, 10, 2

1, 8, 4, 12, 6, 14, 7, 2

1, 8, 4, 5, 6, 3, 10, 2

Damn near all the good restaurants are in that bottom region

Texas Roadhouse is a solid 1 seed, I believe. I have never had a bad meal there.

Fleming’s is about the only one I would choose to eat at

quote:

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Whichever one wins... still sucks arse.

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If someone asked me to list every Michelin star restaurant I’ve eaten at, I would forget at minimum one or two. And even I’m telling you to not be such a snobby douche.

Ain’t nothing wrong with some Waffle House or Pluckers.

Just ran through this beast with my wife drinking some wine. Very fun.

There were some unexpected upsets with the given seeding. Large menu bracket was the most difficult.

Elite 8:
TGIF. Olive Garden
Chilis, PF Changs
Applebees (don't judge), IHOP
Cheesecake Factory, Cracker Barrel

Final 4:
Olive Garden, Chilis
Cheesecake Factory, IHOP

Champion: Cheesecake Factory over Olive Garden

Friend,

This competition reminds us all of TulaneLSU's Louisiana restaurant tournament of 2009, which occurred nearly 11 years ago to the day ( the original thread for that tournament, which would be interesting to repeat this year, if someone is willing to put in the work).

There are quite a number of omissions of good local sit down restaurants, like Houston's and Ruth's. And the inclusion of restaurants of which most of us have never heard. This must be a Boston or NY centric bracket. It really has no place on a Louisiana board. We have done this sort of thing for more than a decade, and the North continues to rob and plunder our ideas and goods.

Nonetheless, I will complete the bracket since you asked.

Bottom Left region:

Capitol Grill vs Bubba Gump
I've been to CG three times. It was pompous and they completed a difficult task: they made great ingredients taste pedestrian. I've had better steaks at Outback and Waffle House. I've never been to Bubba Gump, but the name alone is better than my experience at CG. No free passes for the overrated blue blood. Bubba Gump

Carrabba's vs Dan Evans
Carrabba's is about as bland an Italian restaurant can be. I've been there once and never again. How did this place become popular? It's expensive and even Olive Garden is better. Still, Dan Evan's? I've never heard of such a place. It's a terrible name. Two of the most boring names in the world. I have no desire to eat there with such a boring name. Is there even one within 1000 miles of New Orleans? Carrabbas

Seasons 52 vs Buca Di Beppi
Seasons52 rivals Mike Evans for worst restaurant name possible. Are they trying to be the restaurant companion to 4 Seasons? There are four seasons of the year. There certainly are not 52 worthwhile seasonings. The only thing I can think of correlating to 52 are the weeks in a year. And I guess Ray Lewis, but I read he killed someone or was that the guy at SMU who worked at ESPN? Bucco de Pepsi? Again, another restaurant to and of which I've never been much less heard. Its name is better. Bucks de Pepsi

TGI Friday vs Twin Peaks
Both restaurants are run by sinners. You have the first which uses God's name in vain and the second which encourage licentiousness and lechery. TGI Friday I've visited once and it was one of the worst meals of my life. Twin Peaks I've never and will never visit. Wasn't there a shootout involving that poster bicyclist Dark Vader from Auburn there? Both restaurants lose. Neither advances and both are disqualified.

Maggiano's vs Red Robin
I like Maggiano's. The food is pretty decent. The pasta never impressed me and do not compare to Impastato's. However, the chicken scallopini dish should be award winning, and I would rate it as among the best dishes served at any of the restaurants in the tournament. Red Robin didn't have a chance. Who was the moron who decided to take a bad fast food burger and turn it into a restaurant burger? A terrible idea that surely will not survive this economic downturn. Truthfully, how has it survived as long as it has? Maggiano's in an 80 point massacre.

Buffalo Wild Wings vs Melting Pot
When I ran the NOLA section of Urban Spoon, I was not supposed to write reviews. However, my experience at Buffalo Wild Wings was so bad, I risked my job to warn the public. Of all the bad meals in my life, this may have been the worst. I went to the one at the old Luther's location on Vets and Severn. The amount of dead food or animals on the ground was disgusting. I've never been back, nor will I. Melting Pot, on the other hand, gives the opportunity for refined dining. While I do not think the entrees are any good, I do believe going there for dessert with a special date after dinner elsewhere is not the worst way to spend an evening. Melting Pot

Cheddar's vs Ruby Tuesday
I have only once tried Cheddar's. It was a pleasant experience and the food reminded me of sit down chain food in the 1990s before quality was sacrificed to cut costs. Ruby Tuesday is exactly the type of chain that shifted from decent to terrible in the 2000s as it tried to copy Chick Fil A, expanding from the nice mall restaurant to the stand alone restaurant. Ruby Tuesday is terrible now. Cheddar's

Olive Garden vs Beef OBradys
Olive Garden's salad and breadsticks are acceptable food. There is not much more to say about Olive Garden, as its Italian options are terrible. I've never heard of Beef OBrady's, but reading the name leads me to believe it is horrible. Olive Garden

Bottom Right Bracket

Texas Roadhouse vs Planet Hollywood
I vaguely remember when Planet Hollywood opened in the French Quarter. Due to a friend of Uncle's, our family was at the opening, where I believe I met a few celebrities like Sylvester Stallone, who was really short, and Arnold Swartzenegger, who was really big. The food was not good, and I'm not surprised it didn't last long. Texas Roadhouse is the quintessential modern chain restaurant. It is very boring, but consistent and moderately priced. It wins by the narrowest of margins. Texas Roadhouse

Hoters vs Johnny Carino's
Never would I eat at the first. It is among the trashiest places in America. Parents who bring their children there should be reported to child protective services. Johnny Carino's? Again WHO IS CHOOSING THESE RANDOM RESTAURANTS? No Houston's, Ruth's, Cracker Barrel, On the Border, or Chevy's? Disgraceful. Carino's wins only because the alternative is even more disgraceful. Johnny Carino's ?

Bonefish Grill vs Friendly's
Bonefish Grill serves a decent fillet of tilapia. The reason I know this is I ordered the generic "fresh fish" without asking the type of fish, as I was distracted by my dining neighbor's perfume. In retrospect, this was a blessing, as it allowed me to taste the fish without any preconceptions or prejudices. It was delightful, so I asked the server what it was. "Tilapia." Probably freshly defrosted from Sam's I thought. Delicious. Friendly's is a great name and reminds me of Harahan's Smilie's, but it's another restaurant I've never known. Bonefish Grill

Apples Bees vs Dave and Busters
Many years ago I visited our cousins in Kenner and they brought us to the Apples Bees by the old theater, Blockbuster and Walmart. I think it's still there. I got the grilled chicken with a slice of pineapple on it. It was good and so too was the free bread. I believe it was my first chain restaurant experience, and I enjoyed it, but Mother said I wasn't allowed to return, when she learned that is where father and our cousins took me. I haven't been back to an Apples Bees since, but maybe I should. Dave & Busters is the type of place that draws trashy patrons, like those that eat at Hoters and Buffalo Wild Wings. I wouldn't step inside of one. Apples Bees

Johnny Rockets vs O'Charley's
Never heard of Rockets. O'Charley's? Was that the place on the corner of St. Charles and Carrollton that encouraged you throw peanuts on the ground? They gave you a free steak on your birthday as well. The steak was a gristled piece of leather, but it was free. But even at free, I thought I was getting the short end of that deal. I guess it advances by default? O'Charley's

IHOP vs Sizzler
IHOP is the trashiest breakfast place in America. It's where the obese of America dine on Saturday morning before having lunch at Buffalo Wild Wings. I remember watching a movie with Sean Penn who plays a developmentally delayed man. His character loved IHOP, so I convinced father to take me there to try it. I haven't asked to return. I believe Penn won an Oscar for that role, which was nothing more than a poor imitation of Hoffman in Rainman. Penn's performance and that movie did not deserve any praise. Sizzler, made famous in White Man Can't Jump when the skinny guy with the Jordan jersey arrogantly boasted "We goin' Sizzler. We goin' Sizzler" before losing it all, is okay to pretty good. I vaguely remember eating at one on Veterans maybe around where the Acme is today. I was only aged two or three, so the memory is so vague. I've since eaten at one in Alabama on a family road trip. It was surprisingly tasty. Sizzler

Wingstop vs Miller's Ale House
Two terrible choices. How did chicken wings become a popular item? All skin and bones, yet people pay exorbitant prices for it. This food is a favorite of the IHOP crowd. Miller's Ale House? Another ? Since it is name for an alcoholic beverage, it loses. It's time to end the nonsense and do a write in. Chevy's Fresh Tex Mex

Waffle House vs Bertucci
Please read TulaneLSU's Top 10 Waffle House dishes for an explanation. Waffle House