I completely agree. I'm on this "support the local places or the entire country will be a giant chain restaurant" kick.

But if somebody put an amaretto sour or another drink in a sippy cup for me, I think I could live with it! :p

I'll see your TGI Friday's and raise you Red Robin (west coast chain).

ooooo, BEST burgers.... :)

Fo sho! I heart Red Robin. It's now in a couple of places back home, so I'm quite excited about it, since I thought I'd have to move back to CO to eat there again.

They're not that west coast anymore!! They've expanded a bunch in the Midwest and have been advertising on TV everywhere around here, even though I think the current closest one is at SIUE.

Red Robin is also now on the East Coast!! Mmmmmm. They have restaurants in VA and MD that I know about.

they have red robin here

they needed help and i knew some people there so worked there for lik three months

they are the worst, absolute worst, out of all chain restuarants. Worse even than Red, Hot, and Blue (corporate owned, east coast chain) in terms of, well in terms of attidude. Why work at a restuarant if you hate the service industry so much?????

yeah, i don't like chain restaurants, and am about to be spoiled because there is a steak house at the bottom level of the building where my loft is, a cuban steak hous ride beside it around the corner. I mean, I can walk pretty much anywhere to get pretty much whatever type of food I want and don't have to wait around with a bunch of highschoolers trying to look adult by taking their date to olive garden.

We have them in Charlotte. They're in Ohio as well. Join their birthday club and you can get a free burger. Still have not eaten there though.

It's eh. Not bad, but not great.

Red Robin, Applebee's, TGIFridays . . . except for the kid friendly factor, I don't see much reason to eat at any of them, and I can think of lots of reasons to stay away.

Of the chains, Chilis and Red, Hot and Blue are about the only ones that I can get even half-way excited about going to.

What's Red, Hot, and Blue?? I don't think we have that this far south.:p

Never heard of it either.

We have red robin, also. I never tried it yet, I heard good things about it.

There are some in the Triangle, but I don't think there's one in Charlotte yet. It started in Arlington, VA. Lee Atwater was one of the original investors (but I like it anyway -- he was a good musician). It's a ribs/barbecue (Memphis-style) place; the music that plays is all blues and R&B.

Red, Hot and Blue.

I am about to vomit just thinking about this!!!

Local places use local products and consistently make better food than chain restaurants, but American's are lazy. They don't want to explore...they want to find the nearest McDonalds or Applebee's in any city they visit because they can get the same meal they always get! How boring!!!

You know, I've heard good things about them too. I'll have to try the one in my area.