I had olive garden for the first time today. I got the lasagna. I didn't really care for it.

[Bacon]

BUT I didn't eat all of it and I just reheated the leftovers and HOLY SHIT it is like 10x better reheated. It is like an entirely different lasagna. 

 

I also got Mozzarella Sticks and they were good, and the bread sticks were fine. Not my favorite dinner bread, but it was nice. It kinda tasted like a crouton. I haven't had the salad yet. I'll either eat it a bit latter or tomorrow for lunch. 

[gamer.tv]

I feel like a pleb saying this, but one of my favourite meals is reheated lasagne but then I like to put salad cream on the top of it. For those that haven’t indulged in salad cream, it’s like a thin mayonnaise but...tangy? 
 

If I told the people I know they’d look down on me.

[Keyser_Soze]

So your taste is fully back now?

[SimpleG]

9 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

So your taste is fully back now?

If it was he wouldnt be eating at Olive Garden.

[Bacon]

19 minutes ago, Keyser_Soze said:

So your taste is fully back now?

Seems kinda like it. I need to try some other things to confirm. Pasta tasted pretty normal even when everything else was fuck up tho. Like, a good test would be McNuggets and fries. I stopped one day and just got a 4pc and a small fry and the chicken tasted dusty, and the fries tasted like lays chips that were left out for a few days.  I also need to try something with chocolate and root beer as those were fucked up. 

 

14 minutes ago, SimpleG said:

If it was he wouldnt be eating at Olive Garden.

I didn't eat at Olive Garden. It was carry out.

 

Also, my subjective taste has always preferred low quality. As an example, the more a hot dog costs the less I like it. My favorite hot dogs are the cheapest pack you can get at the store. Namely Sugardale hot dogs. I don't think they are even a buck for 8 and there is no hot dog better. 

[Fizzzzle]

dude, lasagna is always better after you've let it sit for a while and then reheated it. There's nothing wrong with that. I'm glad you got your taste back.

[Keyser_Soze]

I think Sugardale is probably legit. I mean they have a nice webpage and even an instagram page.

 

 

[Bacon]

I had lasagna again today and it was much better that Olive Garden's. I also got leftovers of course.

[Nokt]

I loved Olive Garden as a teenager. I've grown to hate their food now though, even their breadsticks are just mediocre to me and that was the main attraction as a kid.

[CastlevaniaNut18]

My aunt always gets us a gift card for Olive Garden or Red Lobster because she remembers I loved those places as a kid. So that’s about the only time I eat there. Still have a Red Lobster card from last Christmas we haven’t used thanks to covid. 

I mean, they’re okay if you grew up with no better options. Now I have plenty of options and rarely eat at chains. Except I do really like Texas Roadhouse. Good prime rib without breaking the bank and I love those rolls. Gotta eat there a couple times a year. 

[Ominous]

Olive Garden is to Italian what Red Lobster is to sea food.

I feel bad for people that enjoy these places.

 

[Fizzzzle]

23 minutes ago, Ominous said:

Olive Garden is to Italian what Red Lobster is to sea food.

I feel bad for people that enjoy these places.

 

Says a person who likes Taco Bell (so do I, I'm not hating)

 

Sure, it may not be great food, but it's hard to fuck up a fettuccini alfredo. There's value in having somewhere you know you can go get some basic ass pasta, especially if you're in an unfamiliar place.

[Ominous]

5 minutes ago, Fizzzzle said:

Says a person who likes Taco Bell (so do I, I'm not hating)

 

Sure, it may not be great food, but it's hard to fuck up a fettuccini alfredo. There's value in having somewhere you know you can go get some basic ass pasta, especially if you're in an unfamiliar place.

 

Taco Bell is Taco Bell. It exists outside the realm of "Mexican food". 

[Chris-]

Olive Garden is no worse than what you'd make at home with dried pasta and jarred sauce...Like if you are making fresh shit then sure, I can see why it doesn't compete, but it's not like I'm making fresh pasta every time I want some rotini and marinara sauce.

[Bacon]

3 minutes ago, Chris- said:

Olive Garden is no worse than what you'd make at home with dried pasta and jarred sauce

I agree, but I didn't know as I had never had it before. Well, I said I agree, but I think Olive Garden is worse than "dried pasta and jarred sauce".

[Chris-]

Also, doing takeout from a chain restaurant seems weird unless there really aren't any locally-owned places around (though plenty of people work at chain restaurants, so I guess I'm glad they're still working).

[Joe]

33 minutes ago, Chris- said:

Also, doing takeout from a chain restaurant seems weird unless there really aren't any locally-owned places around (though plenty of people work at chain restaurants, so I guess I'm glad they're still working).

It’s Bacon.

[Chris-]

@Joe top five chain restaurants, go. You may identify specific dishes as needed.

[Joe]

I’m not going to do rankings, but I am a fan of:

 

Rosa Mexicano (wildly overpriced but very good food)

PF Chang (fuck you David Chang)

Red Lobster (OP biscuits and the fish is fresh)

Shake Shack (does this count? I’m counting it)

Bareburger (not sure if nationwide but they are good)

[Bacon]

I am sure there are locally owned placed, but I have never eaten at them except for the pizza I eat. There are 2 different mom and pop pizza places I get pizza from. Also, at least around here, most non-chains are closed on Christmas Eve.

 

Edit: And I really don't understand why it is weird. It is no different from getting literally anything else out. Standard fast food, chinese, pizza. It's all things that are picked up and brought home. No difference. 

[Chris-]

1 hour ago, Bacon said:

I am sure there are locally owned placed, but I have never eaten at them except for the pizza I eat. There are 2 different mom and pop pizza places I get pizza from. Also, at least around here, most non-chains are closed on Christmas Eve.

 

Edit: And I really don't understand why it is weird. It is no different from getting literally anything else out. Standard fast food, chinese, pizza. It's all things that are picked up and brought home. No difference. 

I feel like the appeal of chains is that they are a convenient dine-in option- like, ‘Oh we’re out shopping or running errands, let’s get dinner at (wherever)’. Given an array of options I won’t choose to eat at Chili’s, but if it’s right next to the mall? Easy choice on the way home. Ordering takeout, that convenience factor is mitigated since you have to go get the food no matter what, so you might as well pick a better option. 

 

[Chris-]

Also, Chili’s is the best chain restaurant (aside: I don’t think places like Five Guys or Shake Shack count because they lack the kitschy, proletarian nature of a ‘chain restaurant’). Those southwest egg rolls are killer. 

[SuperSpreader]

Lasagna is disgusting 

[Keyser_Soze]

4 hours ago, Chris- said:

I feel like the appeal of chains is that they are a convenient dine-in option- like, ‘Oh we’re out shopping or running errands, let’s get dinner at (wherever)’. Given an array of options I won’t choose to eat at Chili’s, but if it’s right next to the mall? Easy choice on the way home. Ordering takeout, that convenience factor is mitigated since you have to go get the food no matter what, so you might as well pick a better option.

 

Those are your personal feelings. For me, it's something people plan around. Like my mom will say, "oh it's your birthday let's go to chilis" and plan to eat there.

 

Different strokes, Bacon is pretty normal in this regard.

[Emblazon]

From Olive Garden to Maggiano’s to high end Italian in downtown SF, the only Italian I haven’t had is food that was actually made and eaten in Italy... so I can’t speak on that. 
 

But for all the others—it’s all the same.

 

Maybe it’s the “where” for Olive Garden more than the “what”. Like, I would never think to eat at an Olive Garden in Oklahoma. 

[Ominous]

Since everything here is take out, or delivery, only at this point I can't see how anyone would choose a chain restaurant over something that is actually good. TGI Chilbee's exist as a place for groups to go when they have no options or don't care about what they are eating or drinking and just want a place they can congregate, be loud, and not spend much money. 

 

Actually, since most white people like bland food (unless you consider too much salt to be a sign of flavor) I can understand why chains continue to thrive.

 

I hate going out to eat with most people because everything I suggest is "too exotic" or "too spicy"  

 

 

[Keyser_Soze]

16 minutes ago, Ominous said:

Actually, since most white people like bland food (unless you consider too much salt to be a sign of flavor) I can understand why chains continue to thrive.

 

Out of all the chain restaurants I've tried, Applebee's has been the blandest.

[DPCyric]

5 hours ago, Keyser_Soze said:

 

Out of all the chain restaurants I've tried, Applebee's has been the blandest.

 

Which is funny sometimes they nail stuff... they used to have great sliders with a delicious sauce on them and their queso was spicier than a lot of others I've had. 

 

Olive Garden has pretty good appetizers but about every other Italian restaurant I have been to has superior pasta. If you order from there again and you don't live close to the sea their fried calamari is decent. 

[SuperSpreader]

8 hours ago, Ominous said:

Since everything here is take out, or delivery, only at this point I can't see how anyone would choose a chain restaurant over something that is actually good. TGI Chilbee's exist as a place for groups to go when they have no options or don't care about what they are eating or drinking and just want a place they can congregate, be loud, and not spend much money. 

 

Actually, since most white people like bland food (unless you consider too much salt to be a sign of flavor) I can understand why chains continue to thrive.

 

I hate going out to eat with most people because everything I suggest is "too exotic" or "too spicy"  

 

 

But lasagna bro don't you want boring pasta baked layers of bland cheese with some flavorless tomato sauce!?