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What restaurant groups or chains represent quality to you?

post #1 of 119
8/20/09 at 5:25pm
Thread Starter 
Just curious...I've had good, consistent results at the following restaurants:

Legal Sea Foods
Capital Grille
Morton's
Longhorn Steakhouses
The Palm
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post #2 of 119
8/20/09 at 5:42pm
Bahama Breeze Chipotle
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post #3 of 119
8/20/09 at 5:45pm
Moby Dick.
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post #4 of 119
8/20/09 at 5:54pm
The Legal Sea Foods in Baltimore was a freaking joke. Awful. I will never set foot in a Morton's again after a particularly brutal experience in the one on Union Square in San Francisco. When a steak chain brings you a steak that's cooked to the wrong temp, and crispy on one side from sitting under the heat lamp, and literally cold on the other, it's time to find another steakhouse. Since then, I have had fantastic experiences at every Ruth's Chris I've ever been to, and see no reason to change it up. I really respect and admire OSI - the group that owns, manages, and franchises such names as Outback, Carabbas, Fleming's, Roy's, and Bonefish Grill. Carabbas is pretty cheap but consistently it is damned good - I'd choose Carabbas over just about any other mid-priced chain out there. Outback also turns out a decent steak for not a lot of dough, and I think Bonefish is fantastic. Their upscale offerings (Roy's and Fleming's) have been tasty in my limited experience with them. It's a smaller chain and I haven't been to many but Oceanaire in Baltimore is really, really good.
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post #5 of 119
8/20/09 at 6:08pm
The Frying Dutchman, arrrgh! Attachment 27325
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post #6 of 119
8/20/09 at 6:09pm
Legal Sea Food is meh I've been to a Fleming's (recently actually) and it was very good, albeit expensive Douglas do you like the Prime Rib?
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post #7 of 119
8/20/09 at 6:14pm
Believe it or not, I have never been to the Prime Rib in Baltimore, even though it's consistently considered one of the best restaurants in Baltimore, and even though my best buddy lives above it in the same building. I've been immediately above the restaurant easily a few hundred times but have never gone in. I have only been to the Prime Rib in DC. It was good, but I don't remember it well enough (and I was drinking way too much) to have any real comment.
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post #8 of 119
8/20/09 at 6:54pm
Fleming's is fine, along with Sullivan's, for a decent steak house experience. Nothing over the top, but for chains, not bad.
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post #9 of 119
8/20/09 at 7:07pm
Oceanaire
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post #10 of 119
8/20/09 at 8:08pm
Quality ratings: Ruth Chris > Morton's for big chains Cheesecake Factory > PF Changs for midpriced PeiWei > Chipotle for cheap
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post #11 of 119
8/20/09 at 8:18pm
Thread Starter 
Quote:
Originally Posted by Douglas View Post
The Legal Sea Foods in Baltimore was a freaking joke. Awful. I will never set foot in a Morton's again after a particularly brutal experience in the one on Union Square in San Francisco. When a steak chain brings you a steak that's cooked to the wrong temp, and crispy on one side from sitting under the heat lamp, and literally cold on the other, it's time to find another steakhouse. Since then, I have had fantastic experiences at every Ruth's Chris I've ever been to, and see no reason to change it up. I really respect and admire OSI - the group that owns, manages, and franchises such names as Outback, Carabbas, Fleming's, Roy's, and Bonefish Grill. Carabbas is pretty cheap but consistently it is damned good - I'd choose Carabbas over just about any other mid-priced chain out there. Outback also turns out a decent steak for not a lot of dough, and I think Bonefish is fantastic. Their upscale offerings (Roy's and Fleming's) have been tasty in my limited experience with them. It's a smaller chain and I haven't been to many but Oceanaire in Baltimore is really, really good.
I would add in OSI as well. Longhorn is better than Outback for steaks but Bonefish is superb based on four or so visits. Surprised on the Legal experience. I also like Ruth's Chris. The Cheesecake Factory sucks in Atlanta but I find it can be very good when I travel to California, especially the one in Marin County.
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post #12 of 119
8/20/09 at 8:19pm
What's wrong with Legal Sea Foods? Their ads sound like they are obsessed with quality
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post #13 of 119
8/20/09 at 8:44pm
Waffle House.
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post #14 of 119
8/20/09 at 9:26pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by JayJay View Post
Oceanaire
+1 Add the Original House of Pancakes to the list.
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post #15 of 119
8/20/09 at 9:37pm
Quote:
Originally Posted by RJman View Post
Moby Dick.

+1. Very good.

Quote:
Originally Posted by spertia View Post
Waffle House.

Eww, I ate there once thinking "how bad could it be?" Never again.
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