It's a Dallas chain. There were a few here in Houston, but they're all closed, AFAIK. The Pie Five in our part of town was between Blaze and Mod, just a few blocks from either one. None of those places ever look busy.
Restaurant chains we might lose in 2020?
- Thread starter Jbird
- Start date
parrotheada1a
Resident Pitmaster
Freindly's was the place to go for a burger and a sundae. Problem with the restaurants is that their service is slower than molasses in January. They also used to make their ice cream in small batches. Now it's just meh like you find in the supermarket. Local rumor is that the corporate bigwigs are shutting down stores a few at a time.
Red Robin is a relative newcomer in these parts. Burgers are decent, but not for what they charge.
Boston Market... I've always found them to be decent, unless the store isn't busy. Very few around here though.
Red Robin is a relative newcomer in these parts. Burgers are decent, but not for what they charge.
Boston Market... I've always found them to be decent, unless the store isn't busy. Very few around here though.
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sunvalleylaw
Yep.
I enjoyed Red Robin when it was a very small chain, and not at malls all over the place. Once that happened, they seemed to go downhill. All started from a tavern at the top of the outdoors stairs up from the houseboat my Dad and his buddies lived in during law school years (university of WA, Seattle). Way back in the day.
Danhedonia
Noted duckfat enthusiast
Friendly's, man. A New England institution. Fribbles and Big Beef Cheeseburgers (which were really patty melts, but damn, were they good).
A sad day when they die.
A sad day when they die.
jp_nyc
Kick Henry Jackassowski
Friendly’s opened a store in Manassas when I was a kid. I remember being excited to go there for ice cream, even though it wasn’t good ice cream, but when you’re a kid you’ll take what you can get. I don’t even remember the food, which means it must have been even more bland than Shoney’s.
Kerouac
weird musical dildo
I actually really like Red Robin... look beyond their standard big menu stuff and they have some interesting dishes and if you're looking for healthier options they actually have a lot of them compared to most chains. You also can get a rare burger if you get one of the larger patties, which is a big plus for me.
sunvalleylaw
Yep.
Last time I was there, they had their like budget or basic menu that had burgers that were more reminiscent of their earlier days and could be had rare. Simpler, and nicely done. I almost said well done, but that is confusing.
BlockInlay
Octavate.band
The diarrhea medicine and toilet paper people must be prepping for a major market down turn
Andrew Sak
Even Andy Deserves Good BEans
We had an Azar's Red Robin in town. I think it used to be part of the chain. I hunted down some old reviews. They are worth reading....
The 'Bull' review sums it up well. It was a good time.
It's just Azars now. Still great live music and the same type waitresses.
Neil Diamond with a bad attitude. gold.
The 'Bull' review sums it up well. It was a good time.
It's just Azars now. Still great live music and the same type waitresses.
Neil Diamond with a bad attitude. gold.
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jp_nyc
Kick Henry Jackassowski
They’ll be fine. Once hedge funds start buying up all the fast casual places Chipotle won’t be the only restaurants with nationwide food poisoning outbreaks.
Guitar Heel
Demented Trick
this.
VoidTerraFirma
Live to wine
Waffle House forever!
Chad
Slender Hobbit
I used to go to the one in Oakton all the time. Butter crunch ice cream was awesome. They sell the ice cream in the grocery stores here now. I got the butter crunch and it was almost too sweet to eat.
Chad
Slender Hobbit
That's my thought on them too. I can go to Roy Rogers and get a better burger for half the price. Or go to 5 Guys, Burger Shack (a local place), BGR or Habit Burger and get a better burger for the same or less money than Red Robin.
My take:
1. Perkins - They've been slowly going out of business for a couple decades.
2. Marie Callender's - I've never actually seen a location.
3. Boston Market - In my 40 years I've only eaten at Boston Market twice. I wasn't impressed. Maybe that's why.
4. Red Robin - What? No. If they're going out of business it's because the executives are milking the business dry and making themselves golden parachutes.
5. Tim Horton's (U.S., not in Canada) - I heard they went to shit after BK bought them.
6. Steak N Shake - Same as Red Robin. Great food. The location by me has nice staff. That has to be corporate idiocy.
7. Ruby Tuesday - Same as Perkins but slightly slower. People have been talking about them going away since the late '90s but somehow they're still here.
8. Friendly's - Wannabe IHOP. They're OK but they're never on my list of chain restaurants to go to. In my 20s it was a place to go to when my friends were drunk.
9. Luby's - Prepare your anus.
10. Pie Five - Who?
With 9 and 10 I understand that there's regional restaurants... But I've heard of In-N-Out and Del Taco and other places that are nowhere near me. Those two I've never even heard of... So are they really even in business to go out of business by the way this video classifies them?
1. Perkins - They've been slowly going out of business for a couple decades.
2. Marie Callender's - I've never actually seen a location.
3. Boston Market - In my 40 years I've only eaten at Boston Market twice. I wasn't impressed. Maybe that's why.
4. Red Robin - What? No. If they're going out of business it's because the executives are milking the business dry and making themselves golden parachutes.
5. Tim Horton's (U.S., not in Canada) - I heard they went to shit after BK bought them.
6. Steak N Shake - Same as Red Robin. Great food. The location by me has nice staff. That has to be corporate idiocy.
7. Ruby Tuesday - Same as Perkins but slightly slower. People have been talking about them going away since the late '90s but somehow they're still here.
8. Friendly's - Wannabe IHOP. They're OK but they're never on my list of chain restaurants to go to. In my 20s it was a place to go to when my friends were drunk.
9. Luby's - Prepare your anus.
10. Pie Five - Who?
With 9 and 10 I understand that there's regional restaurants... But I've heard of In-N-Out and Del Taco and other places that are nowhere near me. Those two I've never even heard of... So are they really even in business to go out of business by the way this video classifies them?
The two Red Robins by me are actually really good. Maybe your location has a shitty staff that could fuck up a simple burger. I've seen that happen sometimes where it takes one knucklehead in management to fuck up the entire restaurant. Seems to happen a lot with franchised TGI Fridays (corporate locations are much stricter).
shoeless
Riffin'
1. Perkins - Used to be one of my family's favorite breakfast places, but they closed their Frederick location 4 or 5 years ago. There was still one in Breezewood, PA last time I passed through there, but even that's been a while. Not sure if it's still there or not. I was sad to see them go, they did a great breakfast.
2. Marie Callender's - Common in CA when I lived out there. Great pies, and the chicken pot pie was a go-to.
3. Boston Market - Used to be everywhere around here in MD. They've been hard to find the last few years though.
4. Red Robin - Have a few of them around. Good burgers, hope they make it.
5. Tim Horton's (U.S., not in Canada) - Seen them in PA and north. Never eaten at one.
6. Steak N Shake - More of a southern chain, but they opened a few in MD recently. They have a following, but seemed like just another burger joint to me.
7. Ruby Tuesday - A lot of them around. Salad bar is so-so, as is the rest of their food. Nothing special.
8. Friendly's - Used to be everywhere around here like @Chad said, I haven't seen one in years.
9. Luby's - Another southern chain, cafeteria style. I used to like them when I lived in TX.
10. Pie Five - Not familiar.
2. Marie Callender's - Common in CA when I lived out there. Great pies, and the chicken pot pie was a go-to.
3. Boston Market - Used to be everywhere around here in MD. They've been hard to find the last few years though.
4. Red Robin - Have a few of them around. Good burgers, hope they make it.
5. Tim Horton's (U.S., not in Canada) - Seen them in PA and north. Never eaten at one.
6. Steak N Shake - More of a southern chain, but they opened a few in MD recently. They have a following, but seemed like just another burger joint to me.
7. Ruby Tuesday - A lot of them around. Salad bar is so-so, as is the rest of their food. Nothing special.
8. Friendly's - Used to be everywhere around here like @Chad said, I haven't seen one in years.
9. Luby's - Another southern chain, cafeteria style. I used to like them when I lived in TX.
10. Pie Five - Not familiar.
TomcatMF
Vetteless
The only ones on that list around here are Marie Calender's, Boston Market, and Red Robin.
Marie Calender's sucks donkey dicks. Their service is horribly slow, and the food is forgettable.
Red Robin - I love their burgers, and I make it a point to go there on my birthday month to get one for free. I'm surprised about this one because they are always packed when I go there.
Boston Market - OK chicken, but excellent sides (cream spinach is awesome) , but they have been circling the drain for a while. There used to be several locations around San Diego, and now I think it is down to one or two in the whole county.
Marie Calender's sucks donkey dicks. Their service is horribly slow, and the food is forgettable.
Red Robin - I love their burgers, and I make it a point to go there on my birthday month to get one for free. I'm surprised about this one because they are always packed when I go there.
Boston Market - OK chicken, but excellent sides (cream spinach is awesome) , but they have been circling the drain for a while. There used to be several locations around San Diego, and now I think it is down to one or two in the whole county.