Best Chain restaurant?

[truck71]

Depends on what defines "good". You get such huge variations in quality within chains its almost impossible to get a defined answer. Also expectations- there are large variations in offer.

Pizza express gets several positive mentions, it's woeful Italian food. However if it delivers what people want and is consistent then i guess it makes it a successful chain

Think I might do a group test up chiswick High Road and report back. Could lead to weight gain, what criteria would be important?

[MissChief]

Service (speed, politeness, attentiveness)
Price
Portion size (linked with price)
Food quality
Taste.

[Shaolin]

FrankAbagnale said:

Really like Cote.

Another vote here, been for some nice meals as a couple or large group, only recently realised they are a chain. Not cheap but value for money.

[Driver101]

I like a Nandos from time to time. I'm not kidding myself that it's a fine dining experience.

Went to Thaikhun the other night and enjoyed that. Some good flavours in their food. It was really busy, loud and very fast paced though.

Like Nandos, it's not fine dining, but was enjoyable for a quick meal.

[Dr Jekyll]

It's incredibly difficult to be objective though. This video is about the way your attitude to the venue influences you opinion of the food.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr0e8D2Td3g

[hairyben]

OH's an aussie where big chains are both better and more highly regarded, I'm told even KFC's alright there, me & here I'd rather look for an independent every day of the week.

That said the local chimichangra is okay.

TGI food tends to be a little over sweetened for me and the couple of times I've been in one they seem to be the hang-out of choice for kids.

[truck71]

Dr Jekyll said:

It's incredibly difficult to be objective though. This video is about the way your attitude to the venue influences you opinion of the food.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Cr0e8D2Td3g

Superb.

[227bhp]

TwigtheWonderkid said:

I've eaten 3 times at Loch Fyne. First time was a disaster, utterly terrible service and quality, vowed never to go back.
Then my firm booked it for a do. It was even worse. Truly shocking. loads of us complained. That was me done.
Then I was entertaining a client and he said, as there was a Loch Fyne nearby, we should go. I advised against it, saying I'd been twice and it was beyond bad. But he said I was nuts, and it was always great, so we went.
It was fking dreadful. Bad beyond words. Fish was tiny and overcooked, veg was undercooked, and I had cheese and biscuits for dessert and the cheese was sliced so thin I swear you could hold it up to the light and see thru it.

I will never set foot in there again. I'd rather go hungry than have it as my pre execution meal.

Beaconsfield branch, if anyone is interested. Avoid like the plague.

It does seem to get a very mixed response:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g49...

The one I went in last gets much better reviews, but a bit inconsistent too.

I always thought one of the ideas behind a chain was that one branch should be like another so you knew what you were going to get, but reading this thread it appears to be not so.

[PositronicRay]

227bhp said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

I've eaten 3 times at Loch Fyne. First time was a disaster, utterly terrible service and quality, vowed never to go back.
Then my firm booked it for a do. It was even worse. Truly shocking. loads of us complained. That was me done.
Then I was entertaining a client and he said, as there was a Loch Fyne nearby, we should go. I advised against it, saying I'd been twice and it was beyond bad. But he said I was nuts, and it was always great, so we went.
It was fking dreadful. Bad beyond words. Fish was tiny and overcooked, veg was undercooked, and I had cheese and biscuits for dessert and the cheese was sliced so thin I swear you could hold it up to the light and see thru it.

I will never set foot in there again. I'd rather go hungry than have it as my pre execution meal.

Beaconsfield branch, if anyone is interested. Avoid like the plague.

It does seem to get a very mixed response:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g49...

The one I went in last gets much better reviews, but a bit inconsistent too.

I always thought one of the ideas behind a chain was that one branch should be like another so you knew what you were going to get, but reading this thread it appears to be not so.

I've been to a couple and they do vary, local to me (Kenilworth) quite good. I did have cause to complain once when I was served clam chowder with no clams.

I was sent some vouchers for a free meal, very good it was too. Others have a very poor rep, all a bit odd. I wouldn't choose it as a treat, somewhere to meet friends for lunch it's fine.

[227bhp]

truck71 said:

Depends on what defines "good". You get such huge variations in quality within chains its almost impossible to get a defined answer. Also expectations- there are large variations in offer.

Pizza express gets several positive mentions, it's woeful Italian food. However if it delivers what people want and is consistent then i guess it makes it a successful chain

Think I might do a group test up chiswick High Road and report back. Could lead to weight gain, what criteria would be important?

It's been a couple of years since I ate in a Pizza Express, but back then I couldn't find a single thing I wanted to eat - it was practically a vegetarian menu and I have no interest in that. I just looked online and they claim to have a new menu out and it does seem to contain more meat (even a four meat Calzone) so I'd be prepared to give it another go, still not much in the way of seafood though. That aside i'd generally prefer Pizza Hut every time as they have much more variety, I like the self service salad bar, multiple options of base and crust and their cheesy garlic bread has always been a winner for me - simple but tasty.

Interesting to note that TGIF (like Burglar King) has been selling off their restaurants to Franchisees, maybe that is why they are getting better. I agree with the poster who say that it's for the younger generation there too, you won't get many teens or twenty odd yr olds in Loch fyne.

[227bhp]

PositronicRay said:

227bhp said:

TwigtheWonderkid said:

I've eaten 3 times at Loch Fyne. First time was a disaster, utterly terrible service and quality, vowed never to go back.
Then my firm booked it for a do. It was even worse. Truly shocking. loads of us complained. That was me done.
Then I was entertaining a client and he said, as there was a Loch Fyne nearby, we should go. I advised against it, saying I'd been twice and it was beyond bad. But he said I was nuts, and it was always great, so we went.
It was fking dreadful. Bad beyond words. Fish was tiny and overcooked, veg was undercooked, and I had cheese and biscuits for dessert and the cheese was sliced so thin I swear you could hold it up to the light and see thru it.

I will never set foot in there again. I'd rather go hungry than have it as my pre execution meal.

Beaconsfield branch, if anyone is interested. Avoid like the plague.

It does seem to get a very mixed response:
http://www.tripadvisor.co.uk/Restaurant_Review-g49...

The one I went in last gets much better reviews, but a bit inconsistent too.

I always thought one of the ideas behind a chain was that one branch should be like another so you knew what you were going to get, but reading this thread it appears to be not so.

I've been to a couple and they do vary, local to me (Kenilworth) quite good. I did have cause to complain once when I was served clam chowder with no clams.

I was sent some vouchers for a free meal, very good it was too. Others have a very poor rep, all a bit odd. I wouldn't choose it as a treat, somewhere to meet friends for lunch it's fine.

The big problem with restaurants (and a lot of other types of businesses) is the high staff turnover, this leads to inconsistency and the fact the ones there don't need to give a toss as they're only filling in time before their next job.
When they first start they have no idea and are crap, they then get good for a short while, then they go downhill as they know they will be leaving soon...

[Cheese Mechanic]

Surprised to hear negatives concerning Loch Fyne, I use the Elton branch and have never had a problem . They dids have a go in Stamford for a while, but closed, way too much competition for them , I'd guess.

Other than them, for me, its an independent every time. Had some great food in gastro pubs. My experience of chains (inc coffee shops) is overpriced mechanised st.

When can though, cook myself, at least I mostly know what I'm getting.

[stemll]

Wagamama is OK for food but I stopped sharing benches for dinner when I left school so only use it for take out.
Jamies Italian is awful and expensive
F&B used to be passable but has been dreadful the last couple of times
GBK is just expensive McD/BK. Really nothing going for GBK.

For a decent meal we go to a pub out in one of the villages (part of a small chain of 3 or 4)
For general meal out with the kids it tends to be Beefeater.

[The Mad Monk]

I think Wetherspoons is the best all round, good value chain.

Lots of well kept beers. Their Club days are excellent. Tuesday is steak, Wednesday is chicken, Thursday is curry, Friday fish and chips and Sunday is roast. Depending where you are in the country you can normally get a meal and a drink for between £7 and £8.

[dave_s13]

truck71 said:

Depends on what defines "good". You get such huge variations in quality within chains its almost impossible to get a defined answer. Also expectations- there are large variations in offer.

Pizza express gets several positive mentions, it's woeful Italian food. However if it delivers what people want and is consistent then i guess it makes it a successful chain

Think I might do a group test up chiswick High Road and report back. Could lead to weight gain, what criteria would be important?

You can't really argue that pizza express don't make lovely pizza, as long as you choose wisely.

They hellish expensive for what is probably £2 of ingredients and that bitters the taste somewhat.

[MissChief]

The Mad Monk said:

I think Wetherspoons is the best all round, good value chain.

Lots of well kept beers. Their Club days are excellent. Tuesday is steak, Wednesday is chicken, Thursday is curry, Friday fish and chips and Sunday is roast. Depending where you are in the country you can normally get a meal and a drink for between £7 and £8.

Last time I ate at Wetherspoons was back in March and I can't remember what I had, chicken, ribs and something else but it was pretty good and good value too.

[dave_s13]

How do you define a chain?

Fazenda have 3 restraints in the north and the one in Leeds is top notch.

[JakeT]

BrabusMog said:

The jiffle king said:

"Bills" is ok for a smaller chain

I only found out last year that Bills was a chain, I had presumed the one in Reading was an independent - good quality in my opinion. Love the sauce at TGIs and also at Giraffe, and I think all the voucher code Italians make for good, cheap meals out midweek.

Love the bills in Reading. Even nice to sit outside and overlook the church grounds.

For me it is Strada or Zizzi most of the time. They do good food and aren't too badly priced. Other than that I try to go to independents.

Edited by JakeT on Saturday 25th July 18:13

[motco]

dave_s13 said:

You can't really argue that pizza express don't make lovely pizza, as long as you choose wisely.

They hellish expensive for what is probably £2 of ingredients and that bitters the taste somewhat.

My daughter's partner says (of pizza in general) "I'm not paying that for a bit of poncy cheese on toast!"

[BrabusMog]

MissChief said:

The Mad Monk said:

I think Wetherspoons is the best all round, good value chain.

Lots of well kept beers. Their Club days are excellent. Tuesday is steak, Wednesday is chicken, Thursday is curry, Friday fish and chips and Sunday is roast. Depending where you are in the country you can normally get a meal and a drink for between £7 and £8.

Last time I ate at Wetherspoons was back in March and I can't remember what I had, chicken, ribs and something else but it was pretty good and good value too.

I love a good Wetherspoons lunch out, the value is just unreal and the quality is much higher than it ever used to be. Plus being able to get a pint of Heineken for £3.15 or whatever it is.... In comparison, I just paid about £17 with the exchange rate for this burger and beer here in Sweden - don't knock the chains, enjoy them, the UK is spoiled for choice when eating out.

Edited by BrabusMog on Saturday 25th July 19:11