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Best regional chains


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QUOTE (CrimsonWeltall @ Mar 5, 2012 -> 03:19 PM)
I have had 5 Guys three times at three different locations. At every one, I was given a soggy bag full of limp, greasy fries. Absolutely terrible. And even more annoying when your restaurant is filled with arrogant "Best Fries Ever!" posters.

 

Agreed that the fries are overrated, but that's a personal preference. Some people like the big, soggy fries, others (me) like the basically all crisp fries (shoe string are the best).

 

But the burgers are still really, really good.

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QUOTE (G&T @ Mar 5, 2012 -> 04:35 PM)
Chick-Fil-A is incredible. I only get it when we drive from NY to IL and I also wonder if it will be as good as I remember. It always is. Plus the staff is really nice.

We have one in our Union at U of I, but I think it's rated as the worst one in the nation.

 

I've never had it since the first time I saw a friend eating it the Waffle Fries had a very intense grey hue and he claimed it was some of the worst food he has ever had.

Edited by bigruss22
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QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Mar 5, 2012 -> 06:06 PM)
We have one in our Union at U of I, but I think it's rated as the worst one in the nation.

 

I've never had it since the first time I saw a friend eating it the Waffles had a very intense grey hue and he claimed it was some of the worst food he has ever had.

My biggest problem with them is they really hate gay people.

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QUOTE (flippedoutpunk @ Mar 5, 2012 -> 04:44 PM)
Too much methamphetamine in the batter. I personally love Whataburger so much that i plan trips to texas for it.

 

My daughter is coming here for spring break and has three or four Whataburger trips planned.

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QUOTE (The Baconator @ Mar 4, 2012 -> 06:13 PM)
Portillo's, Jimmy John's, and Potbelly. Never knew how much I loved those three until I can't have them anymore.

 

And may I just say, I don't want to see Five Guys anywhere near this list. It's a trashcake chain; you only like it because people WANT you to like it. Sit down and actually eat one of those burgers and you'll realize that it isn't nearly as delicious as people claim it is, especially for the price.

potbelly aint regional no mo! they're in NYC now. SO EXCITING!

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QUOTE (The Baconator @ Mar 4, 2012 -> 03:13 PM)
Portillo's, Jimmy John's, and Potbelly. Never knew how much I loved those three until I can't have them anymore.

 

And may I just say, I don't want to see Five Guys anywhere near this list. It's a trashcake chain; you only like it because people WANT you to like it. Sit down and actually eat one of those burgers and you'll realize that it isn't nearly as delicious as people claim it is, especially for the price.

It is a $10 dollar burger and fries. Total ripoff. If I wanted that, I'd go to a good sit down burger place. I have no idea who hyped Five Guys up but they were nuts.

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QUOTE (danman31 @ Mar 5, 2012 -> 12:55 PM)
I lived on Sonic in college, though they're becoming pretty damn national. Also, Chick-Fil-A. I didn't think a plain chicken sandwich could be that good.

Their plain chicken sandwich is freaking money. Waffle fries are good. Easily my favorite fast food chain. I don't eat fast food but damn do I like me some Chick-Fil-A. Has a its not fast food taste.

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QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Mar 5, 2012 -> 11:14 PM)
It is a $10 dollar burger and fries. Total ripoff. If I wanted that, I'd go to a good sit down burger place. I have no idea who hyped Five Guys up but they were nuts.

Yea I love how they always advertise quotes in the store of the "best $5 burger around," but really thats a burger without cheese, no fries, and no drink. But hey peanuts!!

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QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Mar 5, 2012 -> 02:55 PM)
Agreed that the fries are overrated, but that's a personal preference. Some people like the big, soggy fries, others (me) like the basically all crisp fries (shoe string are the best).

 

But the burgers are still really, really good.

Don't get me wrong, there food is good, but just not worth 10 bucks to me. And I really like their fries. I hate the skinny ones and their cajun fries & regular fries are good. I like natural fries.

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QUOTE (Swingandalongonetoleft @ Mar 5, 2012 -> 04:13 PM)
Everytime I read an article about Giordano's troubled future I quickly glance around to make sure no one saw that tear roll down my cheek. Whether or not I eat pizza ever again is directly tied to their future.

 

Portillo's was mentioned.

 

I'm pumped every time I go to our place down in Florida. Checkers seems to thrive nicely down there. I'm not big on Fast Food, but I'll eat the biggest, greasiest burger on their menu every day I'm down there.

Chik-fil-A would be another one, though they seem to have started spawning all over the place now.

 

 

Checkers is good...more of a Southern thing.

 

Same with Waffle House, at least it used to be...but now it's more all over the country. Krispy Kreme started out mostly in the Southeastern U.S. as well.

 

Let's see....Crystal, which is like White Castle Hamburgers, very similar. Think they're based in Tennessee.

 

Culver's is one of my favorite Midwestern regionals chains.

 

Shakey's Pizza has pretty much died out throughout the US but is still super popular in the Philippines.

 

Ted Drew's Frozen Custards in St. Louis, although I don't think it can be found outside the city, so it probably doesn't qualify as exactly regional.

 

Whataburger.

 

Jimmy John's definitely merits a mention.

 

When I was growing up in Iowa, Chi-Chi's Mexican Restaurants, owned by one of the Green Bay Packers from the Super Bowl years.

 

Flakey Jakes.

 

Happy Joe's is my favorite regional pizza chain around Eastern Iowa. Before that, Rocky Roccoco Pizza, especially in Iowa City.

 

Taco John's.

 

Big Boy or Shoney's?

 

Chick-Fil-A really is awesome. The only thing that annoys me is being closed on Sundays, but at least I can understand the reason for that and respect it.

 

Love Sonic, especially the foot long chili-cheese dogs that are not cardiac surgeon approved.

 

 

Edited by caulfield12
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QUOTE (Balta1701 @ Mar 5, 2012 -> 05:08 PM)
My biggest problem with them is they really hate gay people.

 

 

QUOTE (Chisoxfn @ Mar 5, 2012 -> 11:14 PM)
It is a $10 dollar burger and fries. Total ripoff. If I wanted that, I'd go to a good sit down burger place. I have no idea who hyped Five Guys up but they were nuts.

Agreed with both of these.

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QUOTE (bigruss22 @ Mar 5, 2012 -> 06:06 PM)
I've never had it since the first time I saw a friend eating it the Waffle Fries had a very intense grey hue and he claimed it was some of the worst food he has ever had.

Probably because their food is created in a lab, not a kitchen. Here are the ingredients in a plain chicken sandwich:

 

Chicken (100% natural whole breast filet, seasoning [salt, monosodium glutamate, sugar, spices, paprika], seasoned coater [enriched bleached flour {bleached wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, iron, thiamine mononitrate, riboflavin, folic acid}, sugar, salt, monosodium glutamate, nonfat milk, leavening {baking soda, sodium aluminum phosphate, monocalcium phosphate}, spice, soybean oil, color {paprika}], milk wash [water, whole powdered egg and nonfat milk solids], peanut oil [fully refined peanut oil with TBHQ and citric acid added to preserve freshness and dimethylpolysiloxane an anti-foaming agent added]), bun (enriched flour [wheat flour, malted barley flour, niacin, reduced iron, thiamin mononitrate {Vitamin B1}, riboflavin {Vitamin B2}, folic acid], water, high fructose corn syrup, yeast, contains 2% or less of each of the following: liquid yeast, soybean oil, nonfat milk, salt, wheat gluten, soy flour, dough conditioners [may contain one or more of the following: mono- and diglycerides, calcium and sodium stearoyl lactylates, calcium peroxide], soy flour, amylase, yeast nutrients [monocalcium phosphate, calcium sulfate, ammonium sulfate], calcium propionate added to retard spoilage, soy lecithin, cornstarch, butter oil [soybean oil, palm kernel oil, soy lecithin, natural and artificial flavor, TBHQ and citric acid added as preservatives, and artificial color]), pickle (cucumbers, water, vinegar, salt, lactic acid, calcium chloride, alum, sodium benzoate and potassium sorbate [preservatives], natural flavors, polysorbate 80, yellow 5, blue 1).

 

MSG makes an appearance a couple times and lots of ingredients ending in "ate".

Edited by 3E8
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QUOTE (caulfield12 @ Mar 5, 2012 -> 11:33 PM)
Happy Joe's is my favorite regional pizza chain around Eastern Iowa. Before that, Rocky Roccoco Pizza, especially in Iowa City.

 

Oh man, every time I visit my sister and her family in the quad cities I demand a taco pizza from Happy Joes. Easily the best taco pizza i've ever had.

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QUOTE (Tex @ Mar 4, 2012 -> 05:35 PM)
For Texas BBQ, single location places with pits that are 50+ years old are the way to go, but in a pinch, Rudy's is good for a chain. I thought 5 Guys was pretty good but we have a little neighborhood place Gonzalez Grocers that crushes them. The place only sells burgers, onion rings, and fries. Coke from cans. Wait 30 minutes when they are slow. Is Smashburger anywhere y'all?

We have Smashburger in Vegas...I hear the shakes are incredible.

 

What's this new New Jersey-based sub place you guys have now (at least in the south burbs)?

 

I'm anxious to try Five Guys while I'm home, although we do have one in my area now.

 

 

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For me, Portillos has the best Italian beef, and their cheeseburgers are damn good, too.

 

There's a smashburger in Bolingbrook, and we've been there a few times. Their burgers are pretty good, but I've had better.

 

One place I haven't been to in a long time is Shoops. I remember their burgers being quite tasty. I think there are several locations.

 

 

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QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Mar 6, 2012 -> 09:33 AM)
Oh man, every time I visit my sister and her family in the quad cities I demand a taco pizza from Happy Joes. Easily the best taco pizza i've ever had.

 

My parents are originally from the Quad Cities and every time we visit our family that still lives there they get a Harris pizza. I'm not really a big fan of it.

 

We had a Happy Joes in Rockford and we went to it a few times because my wife likes their taco pizza. We usually had the whole place to ourselves because they were never busy. They closed a couple of weeks ago.

 

QUOTE (knightni @ Mar 4, 2012 -> 05:29 PM)
I do enjoy DelTaco when I get a chance to visit.

 

We had a Del Taco open near our house a few years back and we tried it one time. They had the worst tacos I've ever had in my life. I must not have been the only person to think that because they didn't stay open very long. I'm not even sure they were open a full year.

 

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QUOTE (Jenksismyb**** @ Mar 6, 2012 -> 09:33 AM)
Oh man, every time I visit my sister and her family in the quad cities I demand a taco pizza from Happy Joes. Easily the best taco pizza i've ever had.

 

 

I'm the same way, when I'm actually in the US, I always go for the sausage pizza the first day back home.

 

It has so many freaking tiny pieces of sausage on it, my dogs always loved to follow me around the house as a trail of them would fall off.

 

Taco Pizza is great, except for the next day when the corn chips get soggy. Kind of like hour old McDonald's fries.

 

 

Another beloved local chain is Whitey's Ice Cream and Lagomarcino's chocolates.

 

Then I have a 2nd group of friends who love Harris Pizza as well.

Edited by caulfield12
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