It's been years but I think I've eaten at Red Lobster three times in my life (though only ever when on the road).

I don't remember it being any worse than the other big mid-level chains. Applebee's, however, is the place where any future gift cards (yes, Grandma, I'm looking at you!) will go straight in the trash.

Oh gosh, what is up with the animals and all of this pooping????

We have a big dog. That's all I'm gonna say.

That's nothing. A couple of years ago, we had dinner with some friends at their choice of restaurant - The Outback Steakhouse. We waited over an hour for a table for the privilege of mediocre (at best) food in a noisy and unfun atmosphere. Maybe I'm jaded, but I thought that living in a food-friendly city like New York or San Francisco meant that you could avoid crappy chains like these all together.

I'll now take either Applebee's or Outback over Red Lobster (though I would not be thrilled to be eating at either). Last night may have been the worst restaurant meal I've ever had, including the time Hamburger Hamlet made me puke.

I think you should go to Gypsy Den to erase the horrors of last night. :evil:

The wait is crappy, and the food is generally mediocre, but a.) sometimes you just can't wait for the county fair to get your greasy bloomin' onion and b.) they had a really good salad there the last time I went.

It's over-priced mediocre and I remembered that the last time I went.

You know what's going to suck and blow about Utah... so many chains. So, so, so many chains.

I've never had a bad meal at Red Lobster, but I've never ordered the dishes you did. I usually get the fried shrimp, or I'll have a salad and bowl of clam chowder (and tons of cheesy biscuits).

I have no problem with the chain restaraunts. I live in Bakersfield, that is about all we have. On one of the min streets we have what I call Restaraunt Row. It is chain after chain. First up (going East to West) is Red Lobster, Del Taco, Jack in the Box, Arbys, Road House, Chuy's, Dennys, Macaroni Grill, Chili's, I-Hop, a Chinese Chain, and a combo A&W/Long John Silvers. These are all in one side of the street, in a long line about a mile long.

All this talk of food has made me hungry. I think I may take Nickolas to dinner tonight...He is the only reason to be happy about today. If I hadn't gotten married 13 years ago today I would not have been blessed with Nick!

The worst thing about moving from Oakland to the 'burbs was that I went from a neighborhood with 80 restaurants within walking distance, only two of them chains (Round Table Pizza, KFC) to a neighborhood with 30 restaurants, none within walking distance and almoster every one of them a chain.

Scott Adams (of Dilbert fame) owns two restaurants in the area and he recently blogged about how the recent opening of Cheesecake Factory (extremely mediocre food though occasionally I'll walk in for a piece of cheesecake to take home) and P.F. Chang's (why anybody living in the Bay Area would ever feel a desire to eat that truly crappy food I don't know) have had a serious Wal-Mart affect on what few non-chain restaurants are around.

Yeah, I can get non-chain food but it sucks that it is only at the $20 per entree level. I hate the burbs. Recently there was a four hour wait for Cheesecake Factory (which I can semi-understand at the SF Union Square location since it has a great view but we're talking about a restaurant in a shopping mall parking lot).

So rants the guy who has quadrupled his fast food intake since moving out of the city.