Applebees is teh suck.

[zoebisch01]

rant

Ok so....do y'all really want to know my absolute biggest beef with chains? They tend to push out bonafide local cuisine and/or unique establishments. Now before you think I am going all conspiracy theory on it, hear me out.

A major source of restaurant income is not just local business but travel based especially in areas of tourism. When travelers (Americans travel a lot) go abroad, rather than seeking indigenous cuisine, they look for 'ole familiar. Sure it may be freezer food from a plant in NJ, but at least it all tastes the same right??

Hence the reason why you go to Puerto Rico or Niagara Falls, Canada and have the darnedest time finding any place that has cuisine that speaks of the roots of the area. You have to really dig to find places, and then it can be a crap shoot which is a big reason we see a loss of restaurants that continue in the tradition of the area. I (and others) call it the Americanization of a culture. Now I do love my country, but I hate seeing culture being lost.

I'll never forget being on vacation in Puerto Rico and having some of the people who were with us voting for Burger King for dinner. I mean seriously, why the heck even leave home when half the part of experiencing a region is to experience the food culture?

I have a gazillion of these chains to pick from in State College, PA but not terribly many places that are unique and serve great food. That's why I tend not to go out much. Then again, we don't have a particularly well defined local cuisine like you'd see in say areas of Texas where you can get true Tex-Mex cuisine, etc....but it would be nice to have some places that have soul.

/rant

 

[arturo7]

American fast food chains have not sprung up all over the globe due to Americans on vacation. They do well abroad for the same reason they do well here. Fast and cheap food that doesn't make you vomit.

 

[zoebisch01]

American fast food chains have not sprung up all over the globe due to Americans on vacation. They do well abroad for the same reason they do well here. Fast and cheap food that doesn't make you vomit.

Franchises are an American invention. I'm sorry if my statement was misleading...yes they are garnering the local business and that is their mainstay. I was more making the point that when Americans (or others from other countries who are familiar with a franchise) travel they know they can get a BK hamburger that is safe to eat and familiar, which is fine...but at the same time it prevents local eateries from flourishing. Aside from which, unless the food is horribly spoiled the act of cooking it will render localized parasites/bugs/etc harmless to travelers.

 

[farmbrewernw]

My wife used to like to go to Applebees once in a great while, I always complained about going there and wasting my money on subpar food. After taking her to some great burger joints and hangout spots she came to understand just how bad Applebees sucks a$$.
Edit Oh man it totally pi$$es me off when someone wants to go to an American establishment when out of country! I was in Spain once and one of my friends just had to go to Starbucks because "they have real coffee" I was like what the hell!!

 

[EdWort]

Franchises are an American invention. I'm sorry if my statement was misleading...yes they are garnering the local business and that is their mainstay. I was more making the point that when Americans (or others from other countries who are familiar with a franchise) travel they know they can get a BK hamburger that is safe to eat and familiar, which is fine...but at the same time it prevents local eateries from flourishing. Aside from which, unless the food is horribly spoiled the act of cooking it will render localized parasites/bugs/etc harmless to travelers.

+1. I agree. I travel a lot and it's hard to find a decent restaurant that is home owned. I miss all the ethnic food possibilities that living in Germany provided. Name the ethnic food, and there was a restarurnt nearyby.

BTW, here's a home grown burger joint in Austin that is highly recommended.

 

[zoebisch01]

My wife used to like to go to Applebees once in a great while, I always complained about going there and wasting my money on subpar food. After taking her to some great burger joints and hangout spots she came to understand just how bad Applebees sucks a$$.
Edit Oh man it totally pi$$es me off when someone wants to go to an American establishment when out of country! I was in Spain once and one of my friends just had to go to Starbucks because "they have real coffee" I was like what the hell!!

I bet they ran away from the Tapas bars like the plague?

 

[zoebisch01]

+1. I agree. I travel a lot and it's hard to find a decent restaurant that is home owned. I miss all the ethnic food possibilities that living in Germany provided. Name the ethnic food, and there was a restarurnt nearyby.

BTW, here's a home grown burger joint in Austin that is highly recommended.

I'll have to check that out if I am ever down that way.

 

[Loup]

My wife and I used to like going to applebee's (before we actually got married.) The food was nothing special, but it was decent and in our opinion, it was better than most of the other chain restaurants around us. In the last few years the food there became very generic and relatively tasteless. I don't know if it coincided with the company being bought by IHOP or what caused the change, but the food is just ordinary now.

 

[farmbrewernw]

I will say one thing with the large Hispanic population in Oregon there is some killer Mexican here, if you eat at TacoHell here your a fool in my opinion.

 

[Kevin Dean]

Applebee's Maple Butter Blondie is the sole reason I ever go there.

 

[Bobby_M]

I wouldn't put Applebees in the same catagory as Fridays. I've never had a bad meal at Fridays and the service is always good. Applebees on the other hand sucked badly and I've tried three different locations because my sister likes it for some reason.

 

[Aleforge]

I also think Fridays are better then Applebees. The Jack Daniel sauced dishes are fairly good.

 

[menschmaschine]

When travelers (Americans travel a lot) go abroad, rather than seeking indigenous cuisine, they look for 'ole familiar. Sure it may be freezer food from a plant in NJ, but at least it all tastes the same right??

I'm with you here! When I lived in the UK, some friends from the States came to visit. First time to Europe, first time out of the US. We met them in London to go out for dinner. My wife and I were thinking something British like pub food or ethnic like Indian. We started discussing with them where to go for dinner and they were insistent on this great steak house they went to the previous night. It ended up being a Lone Star or some other Texas-like steakhouse in London full of American tourists.

It's not really travelling abroad if you leave your mind at home.

 

[cheezydemon]

Too true mensch.

I was pissed off after travelling to San Diego, picking an interesting looking restaraunt, only to find out it was a chain after we ordered. Barely better than Appleby's.

Not exactly the UK, but it is across the country, and I wanted something original.

Just got back from gulf shores, AL. We avoided chains like the plague.

When ever I am on business in small towns, I eat where the locals eat, not micky D's.

 

[arturo7]

Why is it not surprising that members of a homebrew forum would avoid chain restaurants like the plague?

 

[zoebisch01]

Why is it not surprising that members of a homebrew forum would avoid chain restaurants like the plague?

I liken us to a yeast strain. We are a 'culture' that has many things in common, or so it seems to be that way to me.

 

[Freezeblade]

Too true mensch.

I was pissed off after travelling to San Diego, picking an interesting looking restaraunt, only to find out it was a chain after we ordered. Barely better than Appleby's.

Ok, let me guess: dick's last resort? You should have headed up a few blocks to this hole-in-the-wall Chinese place, or gone out to the ghetto to get some proper mexican food. If you're downtown though, not many locals eat there.

 

[Loup]

I also think Fridays are better then Applebees. The Jack Daniel sauced dishes are fairly good.

The Jack Daniels dishes are too sweet, I want dinner, not desert

 

[menschmaschine]

Why is it not surprising that members of a homebrew forum would avoid chain restaurants like the plague?

Because homebrewers stray from the herd that is humanity.

EDIT to add: Collectively, we're like the Superfriends and HBT is our Hall of Justice!

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I'm with you here! When I lived in the UK, some friends from the States came to visit. First time to Europe, first time out of the US. We met them in London to go out for dinner. My wife and I were thinking something British like pub food or ethnic like Indian. We started discussing with them where to go for dinner and they were insistent on this great steak house they went to the previous night. It ended up being a Lone Star or some other Texas-like steakhouse in London full of American tourists.

It's not really travelling abroad if you leave your mind at home.

The Texas Embassy near Trafalgar square?

 

[menschmaschine]

The Texas Embassy near Trafalgar square?

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that was it. I remember being disappointed about not being able to drink real ale, even though I wasn't a homebrewer yet. Look at the beer selection: http://www.texasembassy.com/drinks.html

We were moving back to the states, leaving the next day. It was a shame to waste my last night in the UK on that!

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Yeah, I'm pretty sure that was it. I remember being disappointed about not being able to drink real ale, even though I wasn't a homebrewer yet. Look at the beer selection: http://www.texasembassy.com/drinks.html

We were moving back to the states, leaving the next day. It was a shame to waste my last night in the UK on that!

Awwww, poor guy! I know how you must have felt, but don't beat up on your friends too much, every nationality does it when overseas.

It seems to me that every country has to endure tourism from the very people that represent their home countries the worst. It would be great if we could all see and meet the average person from every country, but no, we usually only ever get to meet the louder ones that are pushy enough, and single minded enough to make enough money to afford travel.


Emergency edit!! I should quantify that statement by adding that I HAVE visited the Texas Embassy at a time when i thought it would be an exotic foreign experience for me. It was just full of REALLY loud mouthed ******** telling me how much better it was n the USA and that us Brits were stupid for living there. (True story) I forgive that experience though, for the reasons outlined above. I'm very happy with the non-xenaphobic attitudes of the people I have met in the REAL America as opposed to The Texas Embassy! They were probably homesick and just got carried away.

 

[menschmaschine]

OhioBrit, I was going to mention how it was full of loud-mouth ********, but was afraid of some taking offence to it. You did a great job walking the line!

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

OhioBrit, I was going to mention how it was full of loud-mouth ********, but was afraid of some taking offence to it. You did a great job walking the line!

It was the truth.......Just cover my ass for me when the flaming starts? Thanks bud!

 

[cheezydemon]

I'm sorry...way beavis and butthead of me, but using the words flaming and ass in the same sentence should only be used in the context of consuming hot peppers.

Regardless, it is only the wealthy (and so usually the ass holes) that can travel out of country. That is not to say that there aren't poor ********, but they don't have the snob factor to really make them unbearable.

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

I'm sorry...way beavis and butthead of me, but using the words flaming and ass in the same sentence should only be used in the context of consuming hot peppers.

Regardless, it is only the wealthy (and so usually the ass holes) that can travel out of country. That is not to say that there aren't poor ********, but they don't have the snob factor to really make them unbearable.

You are right. I can handle poverty stricken ********. I've been one all my life!

 

[menschmaschine]

using the words flaming and ass in the same sentence should only be used in the context of consuming hot peppers.

Woah, you just read my mind! You set yourself up for that one OhioB!

 

[Laughing_Gnome_Invisible]

Woah, you just read my mind! You set yourself up for that one OhioB!

He said peppers, I was thinking curry. In the end, it's all projectile pooping.

Viva le not so different difference!

 

[cheezydemon]

Lol. WE poor ass holes are the best kind of ass holes! Eh? Flaming or not

 

[knarfks]

Had an x-girlfriend...her favorite restaurant was applebees(I refuse to go into one)...went to guadalajara mexico, she picked at the food and wouldn't really try anything, loved bud light and wouldn't try any of my homebrew or any craftbrews because "they are gross"...the relationship didn't last long.

New girlfriend...will try any food and any beer...probably a keeper.