Chilis the resteraunt is crap!!!

[fineexampl]

And how exactly do you know this?

i was only joking

 

[naganero]

I guess i would have to agree about the chain stuff but living in So Cal we have lots of different places that do live up to there name I went to a place called Cholos there are several out here. The brought out the chips and salsa. I jokingly said this salsa is for gringas(white girls) no offense . my waiter quickly returned with what the cooks make for themselves daily and wow flavor and lots of heat.

 

[chilehunter]

Rule of thumb: If you can eat at the same restaurant in more than 10 cities, the food sucks.

it cant be that bad if they're in different cities & states. if the food really did suck then they wouldnt be in business

Chili's, Appleby's, Fridays, Olive Garden...okay if you don't cook and you are okay with just "okay". Myself, I prefer the mom and pop joints. Sure there are as many bad as good but when you find one, they are usually something really special. Funky bbq and burger joints are the best.

Cheers ya'll, TB.

food is food, some good some great some bad!
I've found small time bars & mom/pop diners that served great food, but I've also found plenty that we're bad or just ok or not worth the price.
around here mom/pop diners are to basic, same ol' choices EVERYWHERE! it gets bland & to many burger joints we need more asian & indian places to choose from (even these are hit or miss if they taste good)

 

[fineexampl]

it cant be that bad if they're in different cities & states. if the food really did suck then they wouldnt be in business

oh i hope this is a joke. The only chain i will endorse is Five Guys. None else.

we need more asian & indian places to choose from (even these are hit or miss if they taste good)

Not in my area. All we have are Indian and Thai joints, but we have the largest concentration of Indian people in the country so i guess i'm biased.

 

[patrick]

Chains do what they do, serve the masses. When you walk into one you know exactly what the food is going to taste like, good or bad, west coast, east coast. There is comfort in familiarity.

When you're in a new city or traveling through finding a good local place is hard to do. Keep your eyes open for places with full parking lots, that's usually a good indicator something good is happening inside the place.

 

[texas blues]

it cant be that bad if they're in different cities & states. if the food really did suck then they wouldnt be in business

Just because Mickey Dee's sells alot, doesn't mean they make a good product. It's all marketing to the masses. If the same burger was in a mom and pop and it was served to you, you'd kill everyone in the joint.



food is food, some good some great some bad!
I've found small time bars & mom/pop diners that served great food, but I've also found plenty that we're bad or just ok or not worth the price.
around here mom/pop diners are to basic, same ol' choices EVERYWHERE! it gets bland & to many burger joints we need more asian & indian places to choose from (even these are hit or miss if they taste good)

Dude, we need to get you to Seattle or San Antone for some good eats. Where you are from, they think adding salt and pepper is spicy.

Cheers, TB.

 

[chilehunter]

lets see where shall I start ? & I'm not standing up for chilis, just that most of you are being hypocrites or plain ol' beyond food snobs. anything short of 100% fresh homemade food is unacceptable

Rule of thumb: If you can eat at the same restaurant in more than 10 cities, the food sucks.

so are you implying that all food served at places that are not multi-city are good ? got news for you its not!

you got this all right. my local brewpub serves a nearly identical menu to Chili's. the difference? the food is actually prepared on site and not prepackaged. you just can't cookiecut a recipe and have it taste right. Chili's can eat a d***.

this is the best LOL, do you really think your special local food joint has that "special" food ? got news for you they all use the same ingredients - meats,veggies,fruits,etc...
also do you really think your highly praised eater only uses "fresh" ingredients ? I highly doubt it!
they're cooking your meal with the same frozen/canned ingredients as any other major food chain!
only difference is one company has it all prepackaged for cooking & the other has to measure it out for themselves.

steak is steak,shrimp is shrimp, corn is corn,etc...

Chains do what they do, serve the masses. When you walk into one you know exactly what the food is going to taste like, good or bad, west coast, east coast. There is comfort in familiarity..

& that is what you have here! I could tell you whats on the menu before ever walking into the place, when it comes to your local diners,bars,etc...

Keep your eyes open for places with full parking lots, that's usually a good indicator something good is happening inside the place.

I beg to differ, most times yes, but I've also come across some places that served great food at lunch while only having a couple people there. once was a place that had only 3 cars in the parking lot & they had these HUGE wings (not spicy) but had great flavor (there was even cinnamon used)

Dude, we need to get you to Seattle or San Antone for some good eats. Where you are from, they think adding salt and pepper is spicy.

Cheers, TB.

you got that right, my relatives & people I know are meat & potato folks for those others here it means your basic meals dealing with your basic beef/pork/chicken & veggies meals.
I got a buddy to eat at a asian buffet, for the 1st time (which he amazed himself by eating there) he liked it but took a little bit of talking since he was leary of it cuz the name was "crazy buffet" I guess thats not a good name for your 1st experience for an asian buffet (this is no lie, it was funny)
the food is great! I've been there before.
I'm in construction so I eat out everyday I'm working & at different locations, food is food if it tastes decent I'm eating it, thats all that matters to me. shit even if it makes a dog turn nose I'll most likely still eat it if I'm hungry enough LOL (I know this dont help me for what I've said here but whatever)

 

[fineexampl]

this is the best LOL, do you really think your special local food joint has that "special" food ? got news for you they all use the same ingredients - meats,veggies,fruits,etc...
also do you really think your highly praised eater only uses "fresh" ingredients ? I highly doubt it!
they're cooking your meal with the same frozen/canned ingredients as any other major food chain!
only difference is one company has it all prepackaged for cooking & the other has to measure it out for themselves.

steak is steak,shrimp is shrimp, corn is corn,etc...

That is such a gross generalization i don't even know where to begin. You mean to tell us here that you can't tell the difference between frozen foods and fresh foods? And no, this isn't a
"frozen/canned" food kind of place. It's just not. I have a feeling however that no matter what i say here i'll be wrong so have fun with it.

 

[Sickmont]

I can say one thing though....between the 'chain' restaurants and the mom & pop places they have one thing in common here in Florida....ALMOST all of them get their food(fresh AND frozen) and ingredients from the same company....Sysco corporation.

 

[TXCG]

so are you implying that all food served at places that are not multi-city are good ? got news for you its not!

Postulating that from my previous statement is illogical. That's like assuming that since I said I don't like pepsi I therefore must like coke. I could think they both suck.

 

[fineexampl]

I can say one thing though....between the 'chain' restaurants and the mom & pop places they have one thing in common here in Florida....ALMOST all of them get their food(fresh AND frozen) and ingredients from the same company....Sysco corporation.

Sysco is so huge that they just control most markets. I used to work in a shitty bagel shop after high school and we got all our flour and supplies from them. I wouldn't judge a place by their supplier, just their preparation, no?

I also spent a few months working for Boston Market, just to give some insight. When i was hired, EVERYTHING was made on site and fresh every day from scratch, aside from spice mixes and such. Than one day they said "ok gang, we're no longer cooking on site. it's all getting delivered from now on." and from that point on, Boston Market sucked. You could tell the difference between the food before the prepacked foods and when i began working for them. The pasta in the mac and cheese now tastes nothing like real pasta instead of boiled fresh. The meatloaves began tasting awful. You name it, it all became crap. That's my problem with chains. There's none of the attention you get from an experienced cook who can tell when food is cooked properly or according to a diagram with set times and junk like most of the major restaurant chains.

 

[chilehunter]

Postulating that from my previous statement is illogical. That's like assuming that since I said I don't like pepsi I therefore must like coke. I could think they both suck.

well what about this ?

When you're in a new city or traveling through finding a good local place is hard to do. Keep your eyes open for places with full parking lots, that's usually a good indicator something good is happening inside the place.

well hate to tell you chilis,applebes,etc.. usually have full parking lots, while most local mom/pop eateries are not packed.
so what does that say ?

You mean to tell us here that you can't tell the difference between frozen foods and fresh foods?

not enough that it even matters!
big chain or small time eateries they all use frozen/canned & fresh ingredients. the places you eat at they must have that "special" food thats just the bestest of the best, makes me wonder was it shipped from mars ?

I have a feeling however that no matter what i say here i'll be wrong so have fun with it.

oh I am no different than what I've said here, I'm wrong no matter what by several others here

The only chain i will endorse is Five Guys. None else.

I heard their food tastes like shit! all big chains serve bad food


I'm just trying to figure out how to judge a place that serves good food, I've heard you all here say these eateries are bad but these are great etc...
or you have standards which tell you to find good places, that are confusing cuz I've found were these "rule of thumb" doesnt work LOL

all these major chains started out small as a mom/pop eatery, people went & ate there. more & more people liked their food & they grew into a large food chain. I dont know about you but they had to be doing something right if alot of people still eat there, it wouldnt happen if their food sucked!

I've had fresh meals cooked right infront of me at a top asian restaurant, & it wasnt that great no different than going to the local asian buffet (& some of their meals even would beat the top dollar place)

another place where they serve good food is at VFW's, but that can be a hit or miss.

I guess I'm not a pompous food critic like you FE

 

[Armadillo]

One good thing about the major chains is QM, the quality management. For example I don't like McDonald's. But I have to admit that their QM is great. They achieve to produce the same food once around the globe. If you like the taste and want something reliable: go ahead. But those frozen patties will never be as good as fresh ones individually made by a dedicated cook who knows his local suppliers. And yes: tongue and palate CAN find out the difference if one's interested. In the States we like the buffets of Shoney's and Barnhill's Grill and the menu of Cracker Barrel. They are no gourmet temples. But we like them. Still our mac and cheese or wings or beans or gravies or chocolate puddings at home are better. But traveling around they are of a reliable quality and we know what we get. Talking about the parking lots. A lot of fourty ton trucks means huge servings and a lot of meat. A lot of tuned japanese cars means the place is told to be cool at the moment. A lot of family cars with local licence tags can (not definitely must) indicate really good food. But it just indicates, it doesn't prove. You never know until you tried it.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

them

all these major chains started out small as a mom/pop eatery, people went & ate there. more & more people liked their food & they grew into a large food chain. I dont know about you but they had to be doing something right if alot of people still eat there, it wouldnt happen if their food sucked!

If a local joint turned into a major chain it would seriously change for the worse. The head chef would no longer be in charge of hand picking the finest beef from the meat district or butcher, or hand picking the best produce from the farmers market. Instead, to maintain consistency, they would have to order from a national food supplier, and a lot would be frozen. The restaurants would be run by managers, not chefs. There would be cooks that were instructed on how to cook the meals that were once served at the local joint, but are now seriously altered so an $8/hour cook can prepare it in a few minutes. Anyways, I'll take a local joint over a chain any day, even if it's just a greasy spoon for some slop over Denny's.

 

[texas blues]

them
If a local joint turned into a major chain it would seriously change for the worse. The head chef would no longer be in charge of hand picking the finest beef from the meat district or butcher, or hand picking the best produce from the farmers market. Instead, to maintain consistency, they would have to order from a national food supplier, and a lot would be frozen. The restaurants would be run by managers, not chefs. There would be cooks that were instructed on how to cook the meals that were once served at the local joint, but are now seriously altered so an $8/hour cook can prepare it in a few minutes. Anyways, I'll take a local joint over a chain any day, even if it's just a greasy spoon for some slop over Denny's.

The King has spoken. All hail the king!

Cheers, TB.

 

[fineexampl]

well what about this ?



well hate to tell you chilis,applebes,etc.. usually have full parking lots, while most local mom/pop eateries are not packed.
so what does that say ?






not enough that it even matters!
big chain or small time eateries they all use frozen/canned & fresh ingredients. the places you eat at they must have that "special" food thats just the bestest of the best, makes me wonder was it shipped from mars ?




oh I am no different than what I've said here, I'm wrong no matter what by several others here




I heard their food tastes like shit! all big chains serve bad food


I'm just trying to figure out how to judge a place that serves good food, I've heard you all here say these eateries are bad but these are great etc...
or you have standards which tell you to find good places, that are confusing cuz I've found were these "rule of thumb" doesnt work LOL

all these major chains started out small as a mom/pop eatery, people went & ate there. more & more people liked their food & they grew into a large food chain. I dont know about you but they had to be doing something right if alot of people still eat there, it wouldnt happen if their food sucked!

I've had fresh meals cooked right infront of me at a top asian restaurant, & it wasnt that great no different than going to the local asian buffet (& some of their meals even would beat the top dollar place)

another place where they serve good food is at VFW's, but that can be a hit or miss.

I guess I'm not a pompous food critic like you FE

good man. hope ya got a boner over attempting to make me out to be a douche.

 

[chilehunter]

well this thread seemed like it was just an issue with chilis not having any spicy meals to live up to their name.
I agreed & said " the food is alright/good, just nothing is spicy. I've had worse. "
then right after that it seems like the thread turned from not having any spicy meals to all their food is crap all chains are crap, because several of you voiced your opinion about it & some even directed towards me sort of that I dont know what I'm talking about.

I've ate at plenty of restaurants you name it mom/pop diners, VFW, big chains, high buck ($$) places, truck stops, hole in the wall places, bars & strip bars, local chains, small time 1 place eateries,etc...
I'll still stand by what I've said chilis,applebees,etc... are not that bad for food (nothing spicy though) I've had worse. shit I've cooked worse sometimes
thousands if not millions of people cant be wrong, can they ?


I had a brain fart & confused TCG & pat with their quotes, my mistake.

FE - sounds like you would be a good food critic, good luck in your new field.

 

[The Hot Pepper]

Here's an idea. A national chain that actually uses foods from the region so each one is slightly different, but the menu is basically the same. Linguine with Cajun meatballs (New Orleans), linguine with lobster meatballs (Maine), linguine with crabcake meatballs (Maryland), etc., etc.

 

[Armadillo]

Here's an idea. A national chain that actually uses foods from the region so each one is slightly different, but the menu is basically the same. Linguine with Cajun meatballs (New Orleans), linguine with lobster meatballs (Maine), linguine with crabcake meatballs (Maryland), etc., etc.

Go ahead and start that chain!

 

[JayT]

you know, "The Hot Pepper" would make a great name for a restaurant. And with recipes from here (and a mild menu for the masses) it would make a great restaurant! Go for it THP I'll be one of your first customers. Hell, I may even move there and manage the bar.