I agree with these points, especially the second one. I don't even get how they are allowed to do that. It's like a few years ago when Sheetz had the line of it wasn't fast food, just food that was fast or something. That is such a bogus claim.

I would also like to echo the sentiments regarding Olive Garden. Olive Garden is to Italian food as Wendy's is to hamburgers. And by that I mean you can make it at home yourself, and it will be about a hundred times better than eating at those "restaurants."

I absolutely adore their black and blue salad
but their subs are a little lacking

I've never understood why so many people like Wendy's better than other burger chains. I've always found their food to be the most bland of any of the chains, and their fries are beyond awful.

I'll spare everyone my Cheesecake Factory nightmare. Sadly, I had met a sister there (in another city), so she knows. Never, ever again.

Tim Horton's shouldn't be allowed to call itself a doughnut store. I think that's where old hockey pucks go to die.

Good to see that a couple of my favorites haven't been mentioned - Arthur Treacher's & Popeye's, for starters. I think we need a thread on late, great restaurant chains that are no longer with us.

Bob Evans
Pondarosa

(or these could be northern chains that just don't exist in the south)

We still have Bob Evans in Ohio.

Unfortunately.

Roy Rogers. I still have cravings for Double R Bar Burgers.

I agree, that's why I like wraps! I hate when you eat a sandwich and there is more bread than "insides". With the wraps, you get a lot more insides and not much of the breadstuff.

They are both still open in Michigan.

ETA: The only time I've eaten at Cheesecake Factory was in Chicago. My son and I had New York pizza and my son and I both got a kick out of saying we went to the Cheesecake Factory in Chicago for New York style pizza because it just made no sense. It was the closest restaurant to where we had to meet the school buses after being in the Hancock Building though.

But Wendy's food is "fresh and never frozen!!!!!"

:| Yeah.

I think it's fair to compare places that are regional. Like comparing Whataburger (which I just ate!) to Burger King or Fanta to Faygo Pop or White Castle to Wendy's (Faygo and WC are both very Michigan places and WB is in Texas, btw).
And I do realize that Fanta nor Faygo are places lol.. just getting the point across.
But anyway, White Castle is regional but their food can be pretty bad sometimes (and so can the after effects).

And speaking of Texan restaurants, I hate Braum's as well. I feel sick just thinking about it... at least the Braums around where I live aren't very appetizing.. I've never been to ones other than the two near me.

Waffle House.
White Castle.

I never understand why there's always a line at Applebees, no matter where you go. It's a BAD restaurant. I feel sick after I eat there. I would actually rather eat at Denny's than eat at Applebees.

Cheesecake Factory is another place where there's always a wait, and people seem to treat it like a fine dining restaurant when it's not. Anyplace with a menu that large is never going to be great - jack of all trades, master of none. And they apparently go out of their way to not use local food/produce, because they serve farmed Atlantic salmon in the Pacific Northwest! Ugh. I don't even think their cheesecake is great - it's not dry enough. It'll do in a pinch, but usually there's something better to be had, and without a long wait or noise (it's always loud in there, too).

Another place I think is good, but overrated: Maggiano's. I like the food, but I think it's way overpriced if you don't do the family dinner thing.

KFC.

Bob Evans are all over the Charlotte area.

There are still some in the Northeast, although not as many as when I was a kid.

The sandwich discussion sparked this:
Have any of you heard of Jersey Mikes? When I lived in TN, there was a Jersey Mikes right beside a Subway. I never understood how that Subway got any business when JM was so close, considering JM was so much tastier. I haven't seen a JM in years though. (Could be a TN thing, I guess.)

jersey mike's
 

I've heard of that - I could swear I saw one either around here or on our way to NJ.