@@ninaradio that really varies from store to store and cook to cook - I worked at one back in high school doing dishes, and due to having aced home ec, I would get pulled to do side projects more often than the other folks in the dish pit. Sometimes that was making sticks - you went through so many during lunch and dinner rush that there was a dedicated area next to the main line just for making sticks. Our restaurant had two double ovens at the stick area - enough for at least 4 full sheet pans to be going at the same time. The sticks came in half-cooked on bread trays and you'd slide them out of their plastic bag onto the pan and then toss them in the oven. When a pan of sticks was ready to come out (it only took a few minutes since these things were running hot), you'd use a food grade paint brush and dunk it in a Cambro bin filled with liquid Mazola oil - quickly smear that on the sticks and let them soak it for about 15 seconds before you'd dump them in the holding bin. Differences between a competent person and a warm body - competent person waits to take them out of oven until they are showing a tinge of golden brown on them, so they will be lovely and nice and slightly crunchy on the outside. Warm body makes sure they are warm enough to fully melt the margarine goo, but will take the pans out 20 to 30 seconds too soon out of ignorance, indifference, or just general inability to follow simple instructions. As to the "buttering" step, once again, competent person makes sure to paint down the lengths of the sticks although it takes a few more strokes than stroking down the pan - warm body strokes down the pan and misses the edges of most of the sticks, so they aren't as "buttered" as they're supposed to be. It's not the sticks, it's their management and staff apparently not caring, and not realizing how important those good slightly crunchy sticks are over slightly warmed bread.
@@sirclarkmarz I'm not sure where you get that info. The HQ is in Florida and they didn't arrive in the UK at all till 20 years after they were founded.
@@sirclarkmarz According to Wikipedia, Burger King is currently owned by a Canadian Company. It was partly owned by a Brasilian company before that. I'm not aware of them ever having British ownership.
The country store is the best part of Cracker Barrel. Stewart's Orange Cream soda AND a tee shirt with wolves and dream catcher printed on it in the same store? Be still my heart!
Too high quality. CF kinda sits on that line between "cheap chain restaurant" and "luxury chain restaurant." So, if you're lower middle class, it's your special treat when the boss has deigned to give you a bonus. If you're more well off, it's the place you go when you don't want to cook, but no one in your group can figure out what type of food they want.
Applebees used to be mediocre at best but now they do alright. Their Fish and Chips is really good. It's also not as pretentious or expensive as Red Lobster.
Honestly, as someone who lives in the middle of the desert, Red Lobster is the best/most reliable seafood in town...but I’ve noticed it really depends on the individual restaurant. Ours is pretty good (but doesn’t hold a candle to any seafood restaurant by the actual sea...) but I’ve also been to crap Red Lobsters. My dream is to someday live close enough to an ocean to get good seafood but as it stands the Pacific is an 8-hour drive away:(
@@emmyfischer307 Thank you! As a former New Englander, I agree. Red Lobster might not be truly good seafood, but it's decent and more to the point, reliable, in areas too far from the coasts to get truly good seafood.
Lawrence, if you meant Newton, MA, there are no mountains in the city. However, there are mountains in MA, but just not in the region surrounding Boston, which Newton, is adjacent to.
OMG I am European and said to an American friend that I like Olive Garden and they were slightly horrified! So you have Cheesecake Factory in the United Kingdom? I am jealous!!!
If you ever venture back to Pennsylvania, you should check out Eat N'Park, & King's Family Restaurant. I think they're fairly regional to Southwestern PA.
I discovered Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen last January while traveling in Tennessee with a friend and family. The food was great and our entire group loved it. Everything was freshly made and amazing. Homemade potato chips hot from the fryer!
During the 2018 eclipse, we were staying in Pigeon Forge and had to pick between Cheddar's and JT Hannah's. We went to Hannah's and considering how people rave about Cheddar's, I'm not sure there was a wrong choice to be made because Hannah's was excellent.
I never understood the reasoning behind eating at a chain place that you can eat at anywhere else on the planet instead of trying the unique restaurants at your destination. When I go to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, I eat at places we don't have back at home.
I am from a poor Southern European country and our supermarkets are all an upscale version of whole foods combined with Target but better. I find supermarkets highly disappointing, crowded and unorganized on the east coast of the USA ( I can’t speak for any other places).
@@bunniesbunniesbunnie I agree. But we also have an Aldi here which is so very down-scaled. I was just curious as to Lost In The Pond's viewpont. Oh, and as for Asian markets in the US, check out 99 Ranch Markets. They're just as big as Ralph's or Safeway.
Zak B I agree with that. Malls give me anxiety. I buy online or go to Streep malls where I am out in the open when I leave the store and that allow me to only go to one store at a time, like in Europe. I personally prefer that feeling. I also went out in Black Friday and froze and was unable to buy anything. Greatest insanity I ever experienced. But I sure love American ( USA) customer service and amazon same day/ next day delivery. I don’t think it exists quite like this anywhere else in the world!
honestly im in the USA and have never seen a trader joes. Mostly because im not willing to drive 45min for a food store when there is a shoprite a mile from my house.
Olive Garden bread sticks are pretty good. A Quincy's Yeast Roll is to die for! Have not seen a restaurant in 20 years. I do believe there are some still around though.
I'm quite late to the party on this one, but I have to ask: how about Carrabba's? My brother once described it as "Olive Garden for grown-ups." I've only been once, but I agreed with his assessment. Also, fun fact: 25% of Bob Evans pork products, both used in restaurants and sold in grocery stores, come from the town where I live, and we're mighty proud of that.
Have you ever been to a 50's american diner? I love the style, especially if you can find one that still has good burgers instead of surviving only on kitsch. It's all about those metal milkshake cups :P. Johnny rockets, nifty fifty's, and the like I hadn't heard of the first three chains
Here in Michigan, Bob Evans is everywhere. Since you also live in the Midwest I would presume the same is true where you are. I'm very familiar with Applebee's, but have never actually been there. Same goes for Texas Roadhouse and Red Lobster. If I ever go to Red Lobster I will probably get fish and chips as well, just because almost everything else on their menu is traif, including the titular lobster. My family actually has an interesting story with Olive Garden. My aunt has been a vegetarian since age nine, and for much of her life it was nearly impossible for her to find safe options eating out except for salad bars. (She still has difficulty, but not nearly what it used to be--there was a time when most chain restaurants cooked their fries and other fried foods in beef fat, for example.) Some time before I was born, my grandparents took the family to dinner at Olive Garden, and she ordered some sort of vegetarian ravioli dish. But when the order finally came, she realized too late it had beef in it. She spent the rest of the evening throwing up in the bathroom and ruined the special dinner my grandparents were trying to have with their kids. To this day, many of my family have never been back, though I don't know if it's because of the bad experience or because they feel like the restaurant lied to her.
iluvmusicals21 Before I had a kidney transplant and was able to eat at buffets, Ruby Tuesday’s salad bar was always my go to place to eat when I was out shopping for the day with my wife and daughter. I live about an hour away from areas that have malls and chain restaurants, so going to one is for us oddly a “treat”.
Laurence, have you ever been to a Big Boy? It's been around for a very long time and used to be all over the country. Now most of them are here in Michigan although there are some in California, Ohio, and North Dakota.
There used to be a chain of restaurants in Texas (and perhaps elsewhere) called Steak 'n Egg that specialized in that classic American breakfast, steak and eggs. A quick Google search seems to indicate that the chain is now defunct. Too bad. It was a 24/7 establishment. A great place to sober up after the strip clubs closed. Or to start your day before heading out to the job site. Back in 1980s Dallas, those events were the same thing. lol
You’re wrong about Red Lobster graduation parties. My step-daughter graduated high school and that’s where we had her graduation party...of course she didn’t pay, her parents did. So maybe you were right all along😂🤷🏼♀️😂
I can just imagine a movie about an 8 year old boy going on a Holiday by himself to Florida. Kind of a combination of Home Alone and Catch Me If You Can.
I believe the general distaste for Olive Garden was based on the fact that, other than the breadsticks, their food don't taste anything like Italian food should.
Applebee's has very average food. A few decent items. I enjoy the quesadilla burger there for instance. Our problem is usually we are visiting with a group of six. A third of the tables are in the bar area and bar height which we find uncomfortable and most of the other tables if they seat six it's only barely. Tight squeeze. We know there is one round chair height table in the bar area at the one we sometimes visit so we usually only go there if we are going in right when they open at 11am so we can request that specific table.
You should try Outback Steak House, BW3, 5 Guys Burgers and Fries. I always stop there when I am in the area. They had one closer to me but it closed down. I had only been to it once or twice but the staff was entirely too friendly. I mean there is friendly and stepford wives friendly. I was the only one there and about every 5 minutes somebody would come by to ask how things were going and if they could get me anything else. Yeah, how about a little privacy so I can eat.
There are a handful of Olive Gardens here in Canada. A handful of Applebees too. In western Canada our homegrown local restaurant is the White Spot, found only in B.C. and Alberta.
You need to come to Rhode Island. Best restaurants. (Look it up!) And they’re open, thanks to low COVID numbers. We’d just have to quarantine you for a bit!
The food at Cracker Barrel is okay, but I really like their store. I bought my “I Love Lucy” Christmas tree ornaments there. 😀🎄 I love the blueberry stuffed French toast at IHOP! I love Applebee’s, which used to be called TJ Applebee’s! I don’t like Red Lobster. I’m allergic to shellfish. I don’t like any fish very much. I love The Olive Garden! I love their breadsticks 🥖! Their breadsticks 🥖 are delicious! 😀😀
I hate the merchandise part of Cracker Barrel-just thinking about it makes my heart beating faster and my anxiety starting to rise. 🥴 Maybe if I take my knitting to work on while sitting in the rocking chairs while I wait. 👵🏻 🧶
Yeah! Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits and Olive Garden Garlicky Breadsticks! As far as I am concerned, that's all I want. I did see Red Lobster's Chedddar Bay Biscuits in a package to make at home; no idea how that would turn out, but those garlicky breadsticks at Olive Gareen are awesome. I have never actually had the nerve to order a dozen of the for take-away and no other food item.....but I might.......because really, there is nothing at Olive Garden thatI can't make myself, only better.
I’m a native and life-long NYCite. Your reviews of chain restaurants as a Brit living in the Midwest cracked me up. Frankly, I feel sorry for you if these are your “fine dining” choices. Olive Garden? Red Lobster? Oh, my! NYC, especially the borough of Queens where I’ve lived for half my life, has more independent family-run restaurants, of every food type and ethnic persuasion, than perhaps any place on earth. From hole-in-the-wall to luxurious, it is here and so much better than anything fed to you by a chain restaurant. You poor things who consider Olive Garden fine Italian dining. 😢
noooooo, you put my beloved Cracker Barrel as worst??? and exactly for the reasons that make me love it!!! And every single time I travel to the US, what do I bring home? A giant jar of Cracker Barrel fried apples :)
Only been to one Cracker Barrel , food was dismal and the shop was full of tat , I don't mind Applebees , even though they forgot to pack my entree yesterday . I do like breakfast and dinners from Denny's though .
I took my daughter to a Texas Roadhouse during an (American) football game. The waiter came up, doubled over, and started screaming football crap at us. Scared me and my four year old daughter. We nearly left. But the guy apparently realized that he'd somehow done something wrong.
Crackerbarrel is southern STYLE food. They don't know how to serve collards. Normal order of collards. You get a small bowl of collards and pot liquor. In the south nobody serves collards like that!
I looked at some of the British food cuisine on you tube just to see what it was like. It seemed very different from what is offered here with the exception of roast beef. Most of the dishes looked like they were not chain restaurant prepared and I wondered if you were fortunate enough to have that as the norm. I like the restaurants here for the most part but a home cooked meal is by far the best. A locally owned family restaurant though often surpasses a chain restaurant in food and atmosphere .
Red Lobster is my most guilty pleasure. When I go there I do the same as any restaurant I go to - take 1/2 of my meal home. At Red Lobster it's 3/4s of the meal, since I get filled up with salad and those marvelous biscuits. Applebees has great sirloin and shrimp, as does Outback. Chilis is good for chips, salsa and guacamole, though I am never enthused about the rest of their food. Texas Lone Star Steakhouse was an excellent steak house. Have never liked Olive Garden, though their Italian margarita is great solace. I have to agree, East Coast fresh seafood is the best. Love those lobster rolls!!!!
There used to be 5 Applebee’s in the Netherlands for a couple of years. There was one In Maastricht, where I lived in that time. But the people who went there were not very enthusiastic about it. I never went because it was out of town, you needed a car to get there. And I don’t have a car.
Olive Garden used to be my favorite. But then I discovered the Spaghetti Factory. So much better. Also, Spaghetti Factory, NOT in the middle east. Damn, UAE must be an amazing place own a franchise agreement.
The worst lobster I ever had was at Red Lobster. The seafood stuffing is based on ground cardboard- the gray kind that is the backing of a legal pad. But, their buscuits, grilled salmon and baked potatoes are excellent, and I'll toss in the steamed broccoli as well. BTW, the best lobster I ever had was in Provincetown, MA, in a restaurant that was bulldozed for condominiums. Sigh...
@@Jason-hq9rt 159 stores from Guam to Florida. It's much more prevalent in the West and seems not to be in the NE or Mid-Atlantic. It's the restaurant that Denny's would like to be, but without the bad service and poorly cooked food.
The peanut shells on the floor is why my Husband and I don’t go to Texas Roadhouse (voluntarily, anyway). Talk about a slip-and-fall accident waiting to happen...
Funny thing is, most of the places you mentioned are hanging on by thread in mid to large sized cities. The pandemic is only accelerating there demise. In smaller towns where they are the only options, still doing okay.
Don't talk so highly of Olive Garden if you ever visit NY. We have so many Italians and Italian restaurants that I don't think I've ever seen one here. I've only been there once when I was younger but I do remember the bread sticks being amazing.
"57 years ago at the beginning on 2020." I laughed so hard that I drooled. Good lord.
I hit the like button as soon as he said that one! Lol
It's only been 57 years ago? Seems more like 157 years ago
If that's what gets you to laugh so hard you drool then you're going to have a field day if you ever read a joke book 🤣
He ain't wrong 😂
Fifty-seven years is generous. More like 570 years.
"Quarantine was made for me"
I don't know if I've ever vibed so much with a statement more
True that!
Same
Yeah, the only change in my life is wearing a mask in public.
Hear hear! You tell it!
We could be best friends, who never see or talk to each other.
I never realized as an American, our culture is hilarious.
Our culture is just someone else's x100!😆
I say it's just unique.
Our culture is tepid at best. Lawrence is hilarious.
Americana is a melting pot, a little bit of everything mixed in
I was surprised there wasn't as much love for the cheddar biscuits as there was for the breadsticks. Those biscuits are addictive
They really are. And the Olive Garden breadsticks are...not. It’s hard to mess up plain bread and yet, somehow, they do.
Oh yes they are!
I come out of Red Lobster feeling bloated. Those biscuits must blow up in my stomach.
@@ninaradio olive garden knows the only thing going for their breadsticks is the melted butter. I like plain old bread tho so I like them lol
@@ninaradio that really varies from store to store and cook to cook - I worked at one back in high school doing dishes, and due to having aced home ec, I would get pulled to do side projects more often than the other folks in the dish pit. Sometimes that was making sticks - you went through so many during lunch and dinner rush that there was a dedicated area next to the main line just for making sticks. Our restaurant had two double ovens at the stick area - enough for at least 4 full sheet pans to be going at the same time. The sticks came in half-cooked on bread trays and you'd slide them out of their plastic bag onto the pan and then toss them in the oven. When a pan of sticks was ready to come out (it only took a few minutes since these things were running hot), you'd use a food grade paint brush and dunk it in a Cambro bin filled with liquid Mazola oil - quickly smear that on the sticks and let them soak it for about 15 seconds before you'd dump them in the holding bin.
Differences between a competent person and a warm body - competent person waits to take them out of oven until they are showing a tinge of golden brown on them, so they will be lovely and nice and slightly crunchy on the outside. Warm body makes sure they are warm enough to fully melt the margarine goo, but will take the pans out 20 to 30 seconds too soon out of ignorance, indifference, or just general inability to follow simple instructions.
As to the "buttering" step, once again, competent person makes sure to paint down the lengths of the sticks although it takes a few more strokes than stroking down the pan - warm body strokes down the pan and misses the edges of most of the sticks, so they aren't as "buttered" as they're supposed to be.
It's not the sticks, it's their management and staff apparently not caring, and not realizing how important those good slightly crunchy sticks are over slightly warmed bread.
How about doing a video of British things in the USA that surprised you?
like Burger King, yes it's a British Corporation
@@sirclarkmarz I'm not sure where you get that info. The HQ is in Florida and they didn't arrive in the UK at all till 20 years after they were founded.
john smith It’s just a restaurant, it’s not related to the British Monarchy.
@@sirclarkmarz According to Wikipedia, Burger King is currently owned by a Canadian Company. It was partly owned by a Brasilian company before that. I'm not aware of them ever having British ownership.
@@kittyprydekissme BK actually acquired Tim Horton's just to relocate their headquarters in Canada for tax reasons. It's called a corporate inversion.
The country store is the best part of Cracker Barrel. Stewart's Orange Cream soda AND a tee shirt with wolves and dream catcher printed on it in the same store? Be still my heart!
I was surprised cheesecake factory wasn't on the list.
Too high quality. CF kinda sits on that line between "cheap chain restaurant" and "luxury chain restaurant." So, if you're lower middle class, it's your special treat when the boss has deigned to give you a bonus. If you're more well off, it's the place you go when you don't want to cook, but no one in your group can figure out what type of food they want.
We have those in the UK
That's because no one goes to Cheesecake Factory.
Jesse Hall where do you guys have a restaurant? I don’t see anything it about it on their website?
Waffle House!!
IHOP omelettes are pretty good though, the only reason I still go there when visiting the USA.
As a Northern neighbour ( Canada ) I totally appreciate your wit. Keep up the good work
Who would drag a poor soul to Red Lobster and for their BIRTHDAY PARTY no less?! Or to Applebees for any reason at all!!!
Applebee's is the worst! I hope he notices how upset he's made Americans by ranking it above anything else.
Applebees used to be mediocre at best but now they do alright. Their Fish and Chips is really good. It's also not as pretentious or expensive as Red Lobster.
Honestly, as someone who lives in the middle of the desert, Red Lobster is the best/most reliable seafood in town...but I’ve noticed it really depends on the individual restaurant. Ours is pretty good (but doesn’t hold a candle to any seafood restaurant by the actual sea...) but I’ve also been to crap Red Lobsters. My dream is to someday live close enough to an ocean to get good seafood but as it stands the Pacific is an 8-hour drive away:(
@@emmyfischer307 Thank you! As a former New Englander, I agree. Red Lobster might not be truly good seafood, but it's decent and more to the point, reliable, in areas too far from the coasts to get truly good seafood.
I call it Crapplebee's.
Have homemade pancakes with wild blueberries. The best. Mom made them on our trip to Canada in September 2019. Blueberry season
I don't think I've ever seen a Bob Evans restaurant but I've seen there frozen food dishes here in Louisiana
I agree with you. I’m not that fond of Cracker Barrel.
Its overrated
No Denny's? There's nothing like a Moons Over My Hammy after a night of drinking!
Lawrence, if you meant Newton, MA, there are no mountains in the city. However, there are mountains in MA, but just not in the region surrounding Boston, which Newton, is adjacent to.
OMG I am European and said to an American friend that I like Olive Garden and they were slightly horrified! So you have Cheesecake Factory in the United Kingdom? I am jealous!!!
One place that I eat at in America when I was in America was Golden coral. Basically a all you can eat buffet
That’s what I Like About Cracker Barrel. Can sometimes get my Christmas shopping started.
If you ever venture back to Pennsylvania, you should check out Eat N'Park, & King's Family Restaurant. I think they're fairly regional to Southwestern PA.
I've recently eaten Olive Garden & everything was good; from the salad and breadsticks to the alfriedo. They live up to their tagline.
I discovered Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen last January while traveling in Tennessee with a friend and family. The food was great and our entire group loved it. Everything was freshly made and amazing. Homemade potato chips hot from the fryer!
Literally the best restaurant, when it comes to bang for your buck!
I went once. They put 4 pcs. of cheese on my loaded baked potato. I can’t get over that irony.
During the 2018 eclipse, we were staying in Pigeon Forge and had to pick between Cheddar's and JT Hannah's. We went to Hannah's and considering how people rave about Cheddar's, I'm not sure there was a wrong choice to be made because Hannah's was excellent.
I never understood the reasoning behind eating at a chain place that you can eat at anywhere else on the planet instead of trying the unique restaurants at your destination. When I go to Pigeon Forge and Gatlinburg, I eat at places we don't have back at home.
My son used to be a cook at Olive Garden. He once told me the difference between noodles and pasta is that you can charge $12 for pasta.
Have you done grocery stores or did I miss it? I know that my daughter's friend from London was gob-smacked by something as simple as Trader Joe's.
I am from a poor Southern European country and our supermarkets are all an upscale version of whole foods combined with Target but better. I find supermarkets highly disappointing, crowded and unorganized on the east coast of the USA ( I can’t speak for any other places).
born and bred american here and I left for three years. Went to Japan. I was overwhelmed when I got back. Our stores are stupidly huge.
@@bunniesbunniesbunnie I agree. But we also have an Aldi here which is so very down-scaled. I was just curious as to Lost In The Pond's viewpont. Oh, and as for Asian markets in the US, check out 99 Ranch Markets. They're just as big as Ralph's or Safeway.
Zak B I agree with that. Malls give me anxiety. I buy online or go to Streep malls where I am out in the open when I leave the store and that allow me to only go to one store at a time, like in Europe. I personally prefer that feeling. I also went out in Black Friday and froze and was unable to buy anything. Greatest insanity I ever experienced. But I sure love American ( USA) customer service and amazon same day/ next day delivery. I don’t think it exists quite like this anywhere else in the world!
honestly im in the USA and have never seen a trader joes. Mostly because im not willing to drive 45min for a food store when there is a shoprite a mile from my house.
Olive Garden bread sticks are pretty good. A Quincy's Yeast Roll is to die for! Have not seen a restaurant in 20 years. I do believe there are some still around though.
I'm quite late to the party on this one, but I have to ask: how about Carrabba's? My brother once described it as "Olive Garden for grown-ups." I've only been once, but I agreed with his assessment.
Also, fun fact: 25% of Bob Evans pork products, both used in restaurants and sold in grocery stores, come from the town where I live, and we're mighty proud of that.
Have you ever been to a 50's american diner? I love the style, especially if you can find one that still has good burgers instead of surviving only on kitsch. It's all about those metal milkshake cups :P. Johnny rockets, nifty fifty's, and the like
I hadn't heard of the first three chains
Olive Garden has some of the best soups!!!! And salads of course!!
Here in Michigan, Bob Evans is everywhere. Since you also live in the Midwest I would presume the same is true where you are.
I'm very familiar with Applebee's, but have never actually been there. Same goes for Texas Roadhouse and Red Lobster. If I ever go to Red Lobster I will probably get fish and chips as well, just because almost everything else on their menu is traif, including the titular lobster.
My family actually has an interesting story with Olive Garden. My aunt has been a vegetarian since age nine, and for much of her life it was nearly impossible for her to find safe options eating out except for salad bars. (She still has difficulty, but not nearly what it used to be--there was a time when most chain restaurants cooked their fries and other fried foods in beef fat, for example.) Some time before I was born, my grandparents took the family to dinner at Olive Garden, and she ordered some sort of vegetarian ravioli dish. But when the order finally came, she realized too late it had beef in it. She spent the rest of the evening throwing up in the bathroom and ruined the special dinner my grandparents were trying to have with their kids. To this day, many of my family have never been back, though I don't know if it's because of the bad experience or because they feel like the restaurant lied to her.
Something tells me the Perkins, Dennys, and Ponderoza you ate at were all on International Drive or 192 in Orlando.
He does the best Dead Pan comedy.
Village Inn is also a Midwestern alternative to Bob Evans.
Have you ever gone to a Ruby Tuesday's? I don't what they will do with their salad bar now, but I used to love going in for salmon and the salad bar.
iluvmusicals21 Before I had a kidney transplant and was able to eat at buffets, Ruby Tuesday’s salad bar was always my go to place to eat when I was out shopping for the day with my wife and daughter. I live about an hour away from areas that have malls and chain restaurants, so going to one is for us oddly a “treat”.
Laurence, have you ever been to a Big Boy? It's been around for a very long time and used to be all over the country. Now most of them are here in Michigan although there are some in California, Ohio, and North Dakota.
There used to be a chain of restaurants in Texas (and perhaps elsewhere) called Steak 'n Egg that specialized in that classic American breakfast, steak and eggs. A quick Google search seems to indicate that the chain is now defunct. Too bad. It was a 24/7 establishment. A great place to sober up after the strip clubs closed. Or to start your day before heading out to the job site. Back in 1980s Dallas, those events were the same thing. lol
Love it!!😁😁 "I can now move on with my life and base all of my assumptions about taxes off one restaurant" 😂😂
Just so you know Olive Garden and red lobster are the same company. They also Own a chain of steakhouses called Longhorn steakhouse.
You’re wrong about Red Lobster graduation parties. My step-daughter graduated high school and that’s where we had her graduation party...of course she didn’t pay, her parents did.
So maybe you were right all along😂🤷🏼♀️😂
Loving Middle Eastern Bavarian Olive Garden.
Omgsh 😂😂😂I didn't know if I should knit or eat 🎆🎇😂😂I never thought of that you get the prize for that 🏅😂🤣😂🤣😂
We have Red Lobster and Olive Garden in Canada.
I can just imagine a movie about an 8 year old boy going on a Holiday by himself to Florida. Kind of a combination of Home Alone and Catch Me If You Can.
My bro actually went to Longhorn for his birthday today in NWI. They just closed our Red Lobster.
Your map of red lobsters seems to be missing the one in North Haven, CT, unless it closed and I missed it...
I believe the general distaste for Olive Garden was based on the fact that, other than the breadsticks, their food don't taste anything like Italian food should.
Appleby's and Olive Garden---aren't their meals premade at a corporate warehouse and microwaved by the "chef"?
Instead of pancake day or Mardi Gras, I grew up eating doughnuts on fastnaught day (in Pennsylvania Dutch country).
Applebee's was expanding into Europe in the 1990's, been to a couple in Holland, but they've all gone now
I make my own 'Olive Garden breadsticks' and they are delish! If you're ever in Texas, drop by and I'll make y'all some! 😆
Applebee's has very average food. A few decent items. I enjoy the quesadilla burger there for instance. Our problem is usually we are visiting with a group of six. A third of the tables are in the bar area and bar height which we find uncomfortable and most of the other tables if they seat six it's only barely. Tight squeeze. We know there is one round chair height table in the bar area at the one we sometimes visit so we usually only go there if we are going in right when they open at 11am so we can request that specific table.
I love Olive Garden. One of my favorite restaurants along with Texas road house and IHOP.
I haven't been to Red Lobster in 20 years. I do not miss it.
You should try Outback Steak House, BW3, 5 Guys Burgers and Fries. I always stop there when I am in the area. They had one closer to me but it closed down. I had only been to it once or twice but the staff was entirely too friendly. I mean there is friendly and stepford wives friendly. I was the only one there and about every 5 minutes somebody would come by to ask how things were going and if they could get me anything else. Yeah, how about a little privacy so I can eat.
There are a handful of Olive Gardens here in Canada. A handful of Applebees too. In western Canada our homegrown local restaurant is the White Spot, found only in B.C. and Alberta.
Calgary here. I haven't seen a White Spot restaurant for many years. I think they were most popular in the 70s-80s.
@@mayloo2137 There were only ever a handful in Alberta and the last two (both in Edmonton) have now closed.
@@marsgal42 I only know about White Spot because there was one in the part of the city I grew up in.
Texas Roadhouse is amazing and awesome rolls
IHOP doesn't just have pancakes. They have fish and chips, salads, turkey dinner, burgers, sandwiches, etc.
You need to come to Rhode Island. Best restaurants. (Look it up!) And they’re open, thanks to low COVID numbers. We’d just have to quarantine you for a bit!
Absolutely Right! May have to do with the Johnson and Wales Culinary program. We have outstanding restaurants
We loved to hang out at Applebee’s in the 90ies. Now.. it’s just not the same. Now I like hole in the wall Mexican places
Red Lobster is banned in Maine. And shunned so much in Massachusetts that they left.
The food at Cracker Barrel is okay, but I really like their store. I bought my “I Love Lucy” Christmas tree ornaments there. 😀🎄
I love the blueberry stuffed French toast at IHOP!
I love Applebee’s, which used to be called TJ Applebee’s!
I don’t like Red Lobster. I’m allergic to shellfish. I don’t like any fish very much.
I love The Olive Garden! I love their breadsticks 🥖! Their breadsticks 🥖 are delicious! 😀😀
Bob Evans makes a fine version of microwave mashed potatoes you van get at the supermarket. It's as good as those you can buy homemade.
Red Robin!!
I hate the merchandise part of Cracker Barrel-just thinking about it makes my heart beating faster and my anxiety starting to rise. 🥴 Maybe if I take my knitting to work on while sitting in the rocking chairs while I wait. 👵🏻 🧶
English restaurant suggestions:
Toad in the Hole House
Blood Pudding Cafe
Bubble and Squeak Bistro
Thanes River Eel and Chips
Bob Evans-not named after the guy who wrote "The Kid Stays in the Picture". So they're not in Hollywood.
Yeah! Red Lobster Cheddar Bay Biscuits and Olive Garden Garlicky Breadsticks! As far as I am concerned, that's all I want. I did see Red Lobster's Chedddar Bay Biscuits in a package to make at home; no idea how that would turn out, but those garlicky breadsticks at Olive Gareen are awesome. I have never actually had the nerve to order a dozen of the for take-away and no other food item.....but I might.......because really, there is nothing at Olive Garden thatI can't make myself, only better.
I’m a native and life-long NYCite. Your reviews of chain restaurants as a Brit living in the Midwest cracked me up. Frankly, I feel sorry for you if these are your “fine dining” choices. Olive Garden? Red Lobster? Oh, my! NYC, especially the borough of Queens where I’ve lived for half my life, has more independent family-run restaurants, of every food type and ethnic persuasion, than perhaps any place on earth. From hole-in-the-wall to luxurious, it is here and so much better than anything fed to you by a chain restaurant. You poor things who consider Olive Garden fine Italian dining. 😢
noooooo, you put my beloved Cracker Barrel as worst??? and exactly for the reasons that make me love it!!! And every single time I travel to the US, what do I bring home? A giant jar of Cracker Barrel fried apples :)
Anderson, IN represent.
Only been to one Cracker Barrel , food was dismal and the shop was full of tat , I don't mind Applebees , even though they forgot to pack my entree yesterday . I do like breakfast and dinners from Denny's though .
I took my daughter to a Texas Roadhouse during an (American) football game. The waiter came up, doubled over, and started screaming football crap at us. Scared me and my four year old daughter. We nearly left. But the guy apparently realized that he'd somehow done something wrong.
Bob Evans was founded in Rio Grande Ohio, so it's pretty much Midwest only.
Bob Evans breakfasts slaps tho.
I wonder how many American restaurant chains are in the UAE. Also Abu Dhabi Texas road house looks interesting
Crackerbarrel is southern STYLE food. They don't know how to serve collards. Normal order of collards. You get a small bowl of collards and pot liquor. In the south nobody serves collards like that!
Something to ponder ( there's NO olives in that Olive Garden) , so why is it called that?
applebees should be at the bottom of the list. small portions and high prices. where im at they have a few versions of roadhouse and they are great.
It’s fun it’s to keep you busy till the food comes
The Olive Garden is to Italian food what freeze-dried coffee is... to Italian food.
One other note about IHOP: No it is not a business created for one-legged waitresses.
I used to IHOP specially the triple chocolate with cream, but i find them too salty now
I looked at some of the British food cuisine on you tube just to see what it was like. It seemed very different from what is offered here with the exception of roast beef. Most of the dishes looked like they were not chain restaurant prepared and I wondered if you were fortunate enough to have that as the norm. I like the restaurants here for the most part but a home cooked meal is by far the best. A locally owned family restaurant though often surpasses a chain restaurant in food and atmosphere .
Cracker Barrel is the best! Best chain restaurant food, lovely waiters. The grits, the cheesey casserole, the breakfast....oh man.....
Red Lobster is my most guilty pleasure. When I go there I do the same as any restaurant I go to - take 1/2 of my meal home. At Red Lobster it's 3/4s of the meal, since I get filled up with salad and those marvelous biscuits.
Applebees has great sirloin and shrimp, as does Outback.
Chilis is good for chips, salsa and guacamole, though I am never enthused about the rest of their food.
Texas Lone Star Steakhouse was an excellent steak house.
Have never liked Olive Garden, though their Italian margarita is great solace.
I have to agree, East Coast fresh seafood is the best. Love those lobster rolls!!!!
There used to be 5 Applebee’s in the Netherlands for a couple of years. There was one In Maastricht, where I lived in that time. But the people who went there were not very enthusiastic about it. I never went because it was out of town, you needed a car to get there. And I don’t have a car.
Love your videos!
Olive Garden used to be amazing 20 years ago.
Olive Garden used to be my favorite. But then I discovered the Spaghetti Factory. So much better. Also, Spaghetti Factory, NOT in the middle east. Damn, UAE must be an amazing place own a franchise agreement.
When I worked in Columbus, Ohio, I thought it interesting that the coroner was housed in Robert Evans Hall.
Hmmm yall... those cheddar biscuits!
Red Lobster biscuits are way better than Olive Garden bread sticks. Oh, you missed TGIFridays, Outback Steakhouse and Longhorn Steakhouse;)
The worst lobster I ever had was at Red Lobster. The seafood stuffing is based on ground cardboard- the gray kind that is the backing of a legal pad. But, their buscuits, grilled salmon and baked potatoes are excellent, and I'll toss in the steamed broccoli as well. BTW, the best lobster I ever had was in Provincetown, MA, in a restaurant that was bulldozed for condominiums. Sigh...
A pox upon Applebee's! I've never forgiven them for my bout of food poisoning over the July Fourth holiday a couple decades ago.
We always remember where we got food poisoning. Mine was at Carl's Jr. I haven't been back in one since.
They are better now obviously than 20 years ago
I've lived in the US for 34 years and still confuse Texas road house and lonestar
Can you imagine the germs on those wooden pegs at Cracker Barrel?
Applebee's makes a fine plate of ribs. Their chicken is good, too.
Not to be an “Uncle Toby,” but....Red Robin, CoCo’s, Village Inn; and not a mention of the peanuts at Texas Roadhouse?
Village lnn? Where I live that is a local pizza place with a couple of locations. Definitely not a national chain restaurant.
@@Jason-hq9rt 159 stores from Guam to Florida. It's much more prevalent in the West and seems not to be in the NE or Mid-Atlantic. It's the restaurant that Denny's would like to be, but without the bad service and poorly cooked food.
Jason 1517 it used to be a national chain, it’s fallen on hard times so a lot have closed.
Red Robin is reliably good and clean.
The peanut shells on the floor is why my Husband and I don’t go to Texas Roadhouse (voluntarily, anyway). Talk about a slip-and-fall accident waiting to happen...
There's a Denny's in Swansea now but it's awful
Funny thing is, most of the places you mentioned are hanging on by thread in mid to large sized cities. The pandemic is only accelerating there demise. In smaller towns where they are the only options, still doing okay.
Don't talk so highly of Olive Garden if you ever visit NY. We have so many Italians and Italian restaurants that I don't think I've ever seen one here. I've only been there once when I was younger but I do remember the bread sticks being amazing.
Why does the lighting keep changing? Was this shot in stages over several lives of multiple light bulbs?