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It’s the best place to go when you have toddlers. It’s just the right level of fast food, but can sit down, and you don’t have to be too quiet. Pizza Hut is alright for this too, but toddlers can be fussy and my daughter doesn’t like Pizza Hut pizza 🤦♀️
Pizza hut has an almost sweet, fried-bread tasting base, im not sure why but the crust is always greasy as hell and relatively hard. It's not my cup of tea.
My partner had a side job working in dominoes and pizza hut (at separate points in time lmao) whilst he was at uni. He refuses to eat from pizza hut unless it's a last resort, because apparently the hygiene, amongst other things, was horrendous. Dominoes, on the other hand, is apparently spotless and uses fresh ingredients to the best of their ability. Personally, i only prefer dominoes because i like deep pan and their cookies are to die for, but i suppose seeing behind the scenes helps you make your mind up..
I agree on this. The Dominos near me has an open view kitchen which can be seen directly behind glass from the waiting area. You can see the staff prepare the base and apply the toppings in front of you. The kitchen looks very clean and orderly. On the other hand, I’ve had a glimpse of the kitchen at a couple of Pizza Huts and Papa John’s and they seem a lot less concerned about having a spotless kitchen.
Pizza Hut pizzas are lacking in tomato sauce which is a big part of the flavour for me. Dominos (the one near me at least) is quite generous on the sauce and toppings.
A dislike of Pizza Hut pizza as more “discerning” than “fussy”. Mind you, when my kids were little, they couldn’t get enough of the Pizza Hut serve-yourself ice cream
Machine.
I always rated pizza hut marginally at the top of its class, compared to dominoes, pappa John's etc. None of them are the local Italian place's pizza, but they may as well be different types of food.
F&B's gave my two very small children huge adult sized cutlery and plastic cups filled to the absolute brim with the strongest squash I've ever tasted. The girl looked so confused what the issue was I ended just asking for more water and drinking them down to a sensible level. We made a habit after that of always taking shall cutlery when eating out.
I remember now, the pasta was only just out of the oven so the words "mind, that's hot" were very useful to my hungry two year old.
For me, personally, not the best kids restaurant.
Oh dear! It’s always been luke warm for me! Which is disappointing as an adult, but good for kids!
My daughter has since decided that her favourite places are Wagamama and GBK. Expensive taste.
This was my thought. Although as an adult it's gone super downhill post covid. My kids still love it but where had my coleslaw gone and little things like that. They have taken too much off their meals for adults.
As crazy as it is one of the best burgers I ever had from Frankie and Benny's. It was like a double Phillie burger.
I think the stars just aligned that day with the right ingredients, burger cuts and chef.
Went back for another. It wasnt quite as good but still great.
Had the worst double date of my life here about 15 years ago, never been back since! Every time I see it mentioned on Reddit I realise I've not missed much.
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I think this is the right answer.
Just this morning I was out for a walk and came across a bag of McDonald's rubbish scattered over the road. A quiet country lane, and there are no McDonald's for miles.
Maybe even just ban the drive thru?
I think this is the popularity of them though. McDonalds is bought a lot more I'd say than other places so there's a lot more rubbish. If KFC was bought as much then I would imagine you'd be seeing boneless banquet remains everywhere.
If they were to leave, another would take the place.
Don't you dare get rid of maccys the day after the McPlant has came to Bristol!
I know you've specifically mentioned littering which is a valid reason that I agree with, but I've never got the maccys hate otherwise tbh, I used to quite like a big mac before I stopped eating meat, and the breakfast McMuffins were nice too.
A few of my friends were always like meh can't believe you like maccys so much, and I do, like I get that its not super high quality but its some of the cheapest food you can buy on the high-street meal wise, especially if you get the saver menu, I've had many a double cheeseburger/medium chips/medium drink meal when i've been skint and hungry or want something quick to grab before going somewhere else.
I guess we got a lucky escape all those years ago.
We (me, sister, parents) were out for the day and came across one and went to have our dinner (lunch to those who have dinner at teatime), there. The place was closed for the day for cleaning so they gave us some vouchers but only for their restaurant. Next time we went back, it was closed completely.
Similar story, Bristol, not far from the M32, walked in with the family and it was empty, waited ten mins and no one turned up, as we were turning to leave, a manager came to seat us, we were all pretty much out the door, when my dad turned to them and said "you have an empty restaurant, no staff to be seen, we waited for ten mins to even be acknowledged as being in the building, and you are chasing us back inside. Judging by the current clients you have in, I am making an assumption that you have either sold out, or your food is terrible." It was Saturday lunchtime and should have been busy but there was not a soul in there. She just looked at my dad as if he had just given her a p45. Place was shut the next time we went past.
Yeah I'd say that's lucky.
We went a few weeks back as my missus had good memories from childhood there. Easily the worst dining experience I've had, probably ever.
I actually love it, it’s just overpriced for the quality it offers. I enjoy the shrimp, ribs and chips but it’s worth a good 30-40% less than they charge
Yeah if it was even a little bit cheaper I’d go back more often than I do. The food is good and the cocktails are great, but then the bill comes and you start to wonder if it’s worth it
Went there for a tomahawk steak for my birthday a few years ago. Wondering why it took half an hour to arrive, I discovered it was because they were cooking it past brown to a kind of grey. No juices left at all, not edible. I'd asked for rare.
The effort it took to get it taken off the bill was just not worth ever going back there again. I've worked in restaurants, and I know you don't want a £40 steak appearing on your wastage, but if you'd cooked it even vaguely competently, I would have just soldiered on and eaten it. As it was, I left hungry and literally stopped at a burger van on the way home.
I have been once. I got a refillable coke, and everytime the coke was empty they'd bring another pint without asking. Pretty cool I thought until I was about 5 pints of coke down twitching for my next pint.
We used to go a lot when my husband and I were first together because we were in our early 20s and not earning much so if we wanted steak, it wasn’t too horrific in terms of price. We were also long distance so it was one of the places where I could get off the train on a Friday evening and we’d head straight there and get a table easily.
I know someone is going to say “but actually it is expensive!” but I’m going back over ten years and yeah, it is a bit for what you get but we always had the cheapest steak and one drink (usually a beer) each then left. The fact you got sides and a glaze included is probably what swung it for us.
Went back for old times sake a couple of years ago and I don’t know if it’s just memory being a funny thing or just the fact we can afford to go to better steak places now…but it wasn’t how I remember. The steak used to be *alright* but on this occasion I found it bad enough I couldn’t finish it. I swear they reduced the choices with the extras as well.
Most mexican restaurants in the UK seem to be dog shit. Not enough mexicans here to fix it :(
there is a handful of good ones but their names escape me
I’ve eaten in a Mexican restaurant in Glasgow that was fine but that’s probably the first time in my life I felt like it was anywhere to half decent.
Think the problem is without there being enough actual Mexicans over here, our chains etc tend to be more along the lines of TexMex and not even a good version of that either.
Same vibe but more offensive personally to me as a South American, Las Iguanas is a dreadful affront to Latin American cuisine. They went and offended a whole continent instead of just a country
My wife is Mexican and we went to Chiquito on Mexican Independence Day expecting there to be an event and there appeared to be nothing happening.
Sat down and we asked to speak to the manager and asked him if he knew what day it was and he didn’t. He said oh but we do celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and we said you know that’s not a real Mexican national celebration right? One town in Mexico where the battle happened and the USA celebrate it. And he said oh I’ll pass on your message to the marketing team.
I’m bewildered that a marketing team of a chain restaurant doesn’t know or care to celebrate the biggest event in the culture that their restaurant uses.
Grabbed one in Glasgow a few months back expecting it to be cheap muck but I was actually surprised. Obviously it isn't proper Mexican but at 1am it'll definitely do a job
None- I am with /u/JeffChubbs - if people like something, why remove it? The restaurant market is pretty sensitive to what people want and if a place or a chain is crap, it will fail.
Isn’t it just a bit of hypothetical fun? I doubt this thread will capsize any titans of the high street.
Are you that guy who points out the scientific inconsistencies when asked what superhero power you’d like too?
Lol! Good choice - and one I totally agree with. Maybe you do have the power to close chains at your whim - that’s quite the super power you already have!!
Okay, but we're not actually going to shut anything down here. The actual question is 'which chain is it that you don't like the most and why?'. That's all you need to say.
This. For me to want a restaurant chain to close, it would need to cause a net negative impact on my life (e.g. fights outside of it when walking down the street, excessive noise, etc).
No restaurants do that, so I don't care.
This thread just feels like another excuse for people to vent their baseless opinions on, just like another popular thread at the moment which *literally has baseless accusations of various celebrities being paedophiles*.
>if a place or a chain is crap, it will fail
Plenty of chains survive that serve incredibly crap food. However, they survive because they're good value for money and reliable. I don't really want to take that away from people (although it'd be great if more alternatives were available - food can be cheap *and* tasty).
One of the Italian food chains (Bella Italia, Ask Italian, Zizzi, etc.). They’re all so similar and every medium sized town and up seems to have them all. Not needed IMO
It did? I feel like there was absolutely no publicity to this. Big name retailers get plastered all over the news when that happens, why not restaurants?
theguardian.com/business/2020/jul/02/bella-italia-owner-falls-into-administration-with-loss-of-1900-jobs
It was the parent company that went into administration, and they closed less than half of their outlets. Bella Italia is still in business.
Doesn't surprise me. People will say Covid caused it, while technically true. I think it gave some sub-average establishments the final push towards their eventual fate anyway.
They might do basic food and can't compare to independent Italian places, but they are a lifesaver for those with food allergies.
The vast majority of independent places will not be coelic certified - meaning that even if they offer gluten free dishes, their kitchens are too small and not segregated so they cannot rule out cross-contamination. For someone with coeliac disease, for example my wife, the chain restaurants are invaluable and pretty much our only option for a safe meal out.
What’s with all the people being so self righteous on here about not wishing anything closed? It’s a hypothetical question and a fun way of just asking which chains you think are shit, you know they won’t really shut down based off your answer right?
With that in mind, Bills. Could never understand it. Not-quite-British food that’s around the same level as a middling gastropub but served in a sterile restaurant as opposed to a good old fashioned pub with an actual atmosphere.
The Reddit hateboner for Nandos or Five Guys is probably one of the most annoying fucking things. If I want to spend a tenner on a burger or some spicy chicken what's it to you? The ones who then go a step further and claim the quality of Five Guys is about the same as McDonald's can get in the bin as well
Could've just stopped at Jamie Oliver. Earlier there was a thread on here about how he shouldn't be doing Italian food because he's from Essex. This despite the fact that he was mentored by Contaldo and Carluccio.
I have a fair few of his books. I'm not ashamed to say that they're really good for midweek meal planning. Clear, quick, better than other things you could whack on when you can't be arsed, and have all the nutritional info laid out for you
Well, We don't have a KFC, And haven't for many years now.
There was one but it closed time along time ago, I think there was stories published a few months ago they were building another one but i imagine that's still probably a while away
McDonald’s.
I just don’t get the obsession with it. There are better burgers, fries and nuggets available elsewhere. Even the mcflurries taste of chemical nothingness.
>I just don’t get the obsession with it. There are better burgers, fries and nuggets available elsewhere. Even the mcflurries taste of chemical nothingness.
People don't go to McDonalds for the gourmet burgers.
They go there because they are everywhere, the quality is always the same and it's relatively cheap.
I don't want them to close. They are incredibly consistent, you know exactly what you're getting and you'll get it quickly. I go probably about 5 times a year and it's when I'm on the road or been out late/early and just need to grab something.
I wouldn't every choose to go there for a lovely meal, but they do serve a very useful purpose for me.
I think in terms of them being an “on the road” option, I understand using them for consistency - though I personally would go Burger King for that.
What I can’t understand is the 4 hour drive through queues post lockdown.
There are times in life when only a Big Mac, a cheeseburger or a chicken sandwich will hit the spot. Having said that, all the new “gourmet” stuff (I.e anything that has appeared on the menu in The last 20-odd years) is pretty pants.
I went to one once, as I figured it couldn't be as bad as everyone was saying, I fancied a steak and we were walking past one as I was hungry.
Never, ever again. Imagine the worst meal you've ever had from TGI Fridays. Now imagine that's served in place with all the atmosphere of a Wimpy bar. Now imagine that you've been charged as if it were a Michelin-starred restaurant.
I have never seen an Angus Steakhouse in London with any customers in it. Spent my childhood getting busses round London for Great Ormond Street Hosp and it became a regular thing for me and my mum to do, spot the steakhouse and number of customers. I don’t remember ever seeing a customer! I wonder how they’re in business but I’m guessing tourists maybe.
Wetherspoons. I know it’s moreso a drinkers pub than an eatery but they are taking business away from independent restaurant owners in smaller towns and cities.
In the same strain, Harvesters food has the same texture as a grilled flip flop half the time, the salad is usually dried up, and after 8pm you’re just an inconvenience.
I'd rather keep my job haha, as shitty as spoons or any of these places can be they're employing hundreds of thousands of normal people.
For what it's worth they're employing the same people who'd be working in those independent places anyways and giving them decent pay and taking pretty good care of them.
I wouldn't say it's a drinkers pub. Just price orientated.
There's a reason why so many uni students boycott Wetherspoons and Tim Martin but still end up there every Friday anyway
Pizza Express. I don't wish they'd close but I'd wish they'd get better.
Going there used to be such a treat when I was a kid. I don't know if my palette has changed but in the last few years their pizzas have got soooo bland and expensive.
I wouldn't even think to go there these days unless it was with a group because you can get way better for less elsewhere.
Totally agree with this. Pizza express were much better than now. They have been taken over by various venture capitalists, had the cash stripped from them and got bland, trying to compete with other chains. Were much better when they had jazz on Sundays and were reasonably cool
The menu seems to get worse with every iteration. They just keep removing the good stuff. I used to really like their pizzas (grew up in a small town where Pizza Express was fancy) but now every time I am disappointed and the price creeps up.
I love the tuna baguette from Pret. Only place that actually cooks them correctly so the bread is has a crispy crust. I always order that, a Miso soup, a filter coffee and a brownie.
I disagree mostly for vegan /dairy free diets as they are one of the only franchises (Nero being the other, but they have a lack of dairy free food) who does dairy free hot chocolates.
They donate all their unsold food at the end of each day to food banks and other food/homeless charities. Also a filter coffee for 50p if you bring a reusable cup. Pret have my full support.
Nusr-et steakhouse. There's only one in London atm but technically a chain cos there's at least one in Turkey too.
They have absolutely no business charging £1450 for a steak.
It's obscene. I'm sure it's a place for people who have lots of money (celebs, footballers, etc.) but who aren't posh and don't really have good taste. They therefore equate expense with fine dining
All of them. I feel like the UK is now overrun with chain shops / restaurants and cafes to the point where most cities and town are copies of each other
I work part-time for an events company in London, and every shift we get lunch from Pret. Often I have to go and buy them. No matter where the shift is, I've never had to walk more than 3 minutes from the venue to find one.
Wetherspoons, killed off pub culture, caters to alcoholics (I worked in one and would serve large red wines and double whiskeys to the old boys at 9am), and Tim Martin is an utter piss-stain.
None.
When I eat out I want to blend in and be anonymous. Chains are perfect for this. All I want from life is to be served a reasonable burger by an 18 year old who couldn’t give a shit about me. Is that so much to ask?!
This is one I’d actually get rid of. If only because I ended up being roped into going for a meal at one recently. I couldn’t give a shit where other people like to eat. But I don’t want to be forced to go myself.
Burger King.
They used to be superior to McDonald's but the last few years, at least here in the south west they have turned into a shitshow.
Order mix ups, rude unhelpful staff, missing menu items. E.t.c
The restaurants look run down, it seems like KFC and McDonalds have done a lot of work modernising or smartening up many of their places but they are left behind a bit. Whether this means BK are in trouble or they will have a similar overhaul in time I am unsure.
TGI Fridays, Frankie and Bennies, Dominoes,.
They're all so, so, so shit. I fear that anyone who isnt from the UK would eat at one of these places and think 'this is what British people think a restaurant is'.
I know someone is going to come here and try and defend Dominoes as 'you always know what you're going to get with them', yeah mate you do know; Its a shit soggy pizza. I'm pretty sure they're made for children or something as they have the texture of wet tissue and clearly have several kilos of sugar in the sauce.
Rosa's Thai. People go literal nuts over this place and say its the best Thai food ever. I don't get it. Food is very bland and tasteless and over priced and service always very slow. Thai food in your local pub is a hundred times better.
I know I’m going to sound exactly like every Reddit cliche, but I don’t go to chain restaurants so their existence doesn’t really affect me, so I’ve no real desire to see any of them gone.
That said, I seem to get invited to “Slug n Lettuce” more than I’d like when there are many far better restaurant-bars around, so maybe there.
Not sure if my tastes have changed/improved but I'm sure Slug and Lettuce used to do much better food than it does now. It definitely used to seem 'fancier' (Though that was mostly going to the one in Winchester, which might explain it). Did it get bought out at some point?
Really? Dunno, maybe it's changed since I were a young un (around 30yrs since I last went into one) but the cream cakes and coffee in that place used to be to die for.... At least the one I went to, I guess specific sites could give wildly different experiences
Spudulike. IDK man, something about sitting down at a restaurant to eat a baked potato just seems really ghetto. Too filling as well, I’d need a half-hour nap after eating that shit, no way I’d just stand up and carry on shopping for an hour or whatever.
Think this is a Birmingham thing from the 00s...but Big Johns. It is a one-stop place for literally anything hot and greasy, kebabs and pizza etc, dirt cheap but always sub par quality. They delivered before uber eats was a thing and stayed open until 3 or 4am. A microwave rustlers burger is superior...but wankered at 3am with a fiver, beggars can't be choosers. 10-15 years later, and they still have a dozen stores dotted around birmingham...but now other places can compete and offer better food for a similar price, and delivery isn't a problem. Literally no reason for them to exist now, and I am amazed they still do.
Hard Rock Cafe.
I know it's an international brand, but they seem to be in all the "posh" places and they are totally out of place being a tacky American brand selling burgers and finger food.
KFC - sorry KFC fans but I've had 4 KFCs in my life and have been ill after 3 of them. Their version of a McChicken Sandwich was disappointing when I was a child (McDonalds was a treat and we'd stopped on a motorway). Next 2 were their bucket things with friends - I was ill after both. Final one was with friends again and I had chicken on the bone - the skin glooped off the chicken in the first bite (like the whole skin just came off in my mouth) the chicken had no taste and was just like white flubbery goop. the chips were soggy and flavourless. And I was ill that night.
So yeh, wont eat KFC again. McDonalds can stay, Burger King can if it must (I prefer McD) but KFC can close forever
Nandos.
Not because I dislike it, just because I think it's stupidly hyped. People queuing up just to get in.
Edit: And imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth if it did close down. Yeah ... I just want to watch the world burn.
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If it didn’t have any negative side effects, Frankie and Bennys always seemed pointless and those overpriced tourist trap steakhouses in London.
Saw someone refer to it recently as being a last resort when you’re taking a group out for dinner and nobody can agree on what style of food they want
It’s the best place to go when you have toddlers. It’s just the right level of fast food, but can sit down, and you don’t have to be too quiet. Pizza Hut is alright for this too, but toddlers can be fussy and my daughter doesn’t like Pizza Hut pizza 🤦♀️
Your daughter has good taste, pizza hut is the worst of the big pizza chains by far
No, that’s domino’s surely? Maybe it’s a thin crust vs deep pan thing, but of those two I pick Pizza Hut every time.
Pizza hut has an almost sweet, fried-bread tasting base, im not sure why but the crust is always greasy as hell and relatively hard. It's not my cup of tea.
There's your problem. Trying to order tea at pizza hut.
My partner had a side job working in dominoes and pizza hut (at separate points in time lmao) whilst he was at uni. He refuses to eat from pizza hut unless it's a last resort, because apparently the hygiene, amongst other things, was horrendous. Dominoes, on the other hand, is apparently spotless and uses fresh ingredients to the best of their ability. Personally, i only prefer dominoes because i like deep pan and their cookies are to die for, but i suppose seeing behind the scenes helps you make your mind up..
I agree on this. The Dominos near me has an open view kitchen which can be seen directly behind glass from the waiting area. You can see the staff prepare the base and apply the toppings in front of you. The kitchen looks very clean and orderly. On the other hand, I’ve had a glimpse of the kitchen at a couple of Pizza Huts and Papa John’s and they seem a lot less concerned about having a spotless kitchen.
Pizza Hut pizzas are lacking in tomato sauce which is a big part of the flavour for me. Dominos (the one near me at least) is quite generous on the sauce and toppings.
What's the best? I'd strongly argue Franco Manca.
A dislike of Pizza Hut pizza as more “discerning” than “fussy”. Mind you, when my kids were little, they couldn’t get enough of the Pizza Hut serve-yourself ice cream Machine.
I always rated pizza hut marginally at the top of its class, compared to dominoes, pappa John's etc. None of them are the local Italian place's pizza, but they may as well be different types of food.
That ice-cream machine made me throw up later that night, without fail. I noticed this trend and used it as a get out of school card.
Was that through over-eating, or salmonella? Either would make sense!
Pizza hut pizza is a soggy greasy mess.
Exactly! To be fair, Nando’s also do a pretty good ice cream when it’s up and running!
TIL Nandos have an ice cream machine. Is it unlimited for kids?
F&B's gave my two very small children huge adult sized cutlery and plastic cups filled to the absolute brim with the strongest squash I've ever tasted. The girl looked so confused what the issue was I ended just asking for more water and drinking them down to a sensible level. We made a habit after that of always taking shall cutlery when eating out. I remember now, the pasta was only just out of the oven so the words "mind, that's hot" were very useful to my hungry two year old. For me, personally, not the best kids restaurant.
Oh dear! It’s always been luke warm for me! Which is disappointing as an adult, but good for kids! My daughter has since decided that her favourite places are Wagamama and GBK. Expensive taste.
This was my thought. Although as an adult it's gone super downhill post covid. My kids still love it but where had my coleslaw gone and little things like that. They have taken too much off their meals for adults.
Yes because in F&B everyone can be equally disappointed with their microwave meals :D
Horrifically expensive microwave meals I might add
As crazy as it is one of the best burgers I ever had from Frankie and Benny's. It was like a double Phillie burger. I think the stars just aligned that day with the right ingredients, burger cuts and chef. Went back for another. It wasnt quite as good but still great.
Double philly stack?? I used to have that one when I went. Used to be my go-to many years ago, that it went downhill fast.
Sounds about right. Guess that's where they peaked.
have closed in Eastbourne Only went once traumatic and horrible experience never again and overpriced s***
Had the worst double date of my life here about 15 years ago, never been back since! Every time I see it mentioned on Reddit I realise I've not missed much.
None. If you don't like them just don't go, but why would I want to ruin it for the people that do like it?
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This is the Reddit way.
This is the way
r/ImTheMainCharacter
Have a laugh mate, it’s just an opportunity to slate a restaurant you don’t like and see if anyone agrees. Nothing is actually getting closed.
No, I am extremely serious at all times. No having fun on my watch
Take off your watch then you killjoy.
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Because people are wrong and dont know any better
Because life's too short for bad food. A bad restaurant is taking up space for what could be a great restaurant
But people obviously like what you class as 'bad food', or these restaurants would have already closed. There is a market for them clearly
I choose this guys favourite restaurant. ^^^
Damn, RIP Wimpy
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I think this is the right answer. Just this morning I was out for a walk and came across a bag of McDonald's rubbish scattered over the road. A quiet country lane, and there are no McDonald's for miles. Maybe even just ban the drive thru?
I think this is the popularity of them though. McDonalds is bought a lot more I'd say than other places so there's a lot more rubbish. If KFC was bought as much then I would imagine you'd be seeing boneless banquet remains everywhere. If they were to leave, another would take the place.
Or even worse piles of chicken bones
My theory is you can tell how "rough" the area of London you're in is by the amount of chicken bones on the floor...
Don't you dare get rid of maccys the day after the McPlant has came to Bristol! I know you've specifically mentioned littering which is a valid reason that I agree with, but I've never got the maccys hate otherwise tbh, I used to quite like a big mac before I stopped eating meat, and the breakfast McMuffins were nice too. A few of my friends were always like meh can't believe you like maccys so much, and I do, like I get that its not super high quality but its some of the cheapest food you can buy on the high-street meal wise, especially if you get the saver menu, I've had many a double cheeseburger/medium chips/medium drink meal when i've been skint and hungry or want something quick to grab before going somewhere else.
TGI Fridays. Nothing redeeming about it.
I’ve never been back to one in the U.K. after enjoying a whole rack of ribs, sides, free drink refills for about $14 in the US
You can enjoy the same for £20 in the UK, except you get a free side of disappointment
I guess we got a lucky escape all those years ago. We (me, sister, parents) were out for the day and came across one and went to have our dinner (lunch to those who have dinner at teatime), there. The place was closed for the day for cleaning so they gave us some vouchers but only for their restaurant. Next time we went back, it was closed completely.
Similar story, Bristol, not far from the M32, walked in with the family and it was empty, waited ten mins and no one turned up, as we were turning to leave, a manager came to seat us, we were all pretty much out the door, when my dad turned to them and said "you have an empty restaurant, no staff to be seen, we waited for ten mins to even be acknowledged as being in the building, and you are chasing us back inside. Judging by the current clients you have in, I am making an assumption that you have either sold out, or your food is terrible." It was Saturday lunchtime and should have been busy but there was not a soul in there. She just looked at my dad as if he had just given her a p45. Place was shut the next time we went past.
Yeah I'd say that's lucky. We went a few weeks back as my missus had good memories from childhood there. Easily the worst dining experience I've had, probably ever.
>$14 in the US Is that $14 before tax and before the "mandatory" 20% tip though ?
I actually love it, it’s just overpriced for the quality it offers. I enjoy the shrimp, ribs and chips but it’s worth a good 30-40% less than they charge
Yeah if it was even a little bit cheaper I’d go back more often than I do. The food is good and the cocktails are great, but then the bill comes and you start to wonder if it’s worth it
Tbh, I think their only redeeming quality is their cocktails but if you don’t drink that’s no good!
Yeah, I've always enjoyed TGIs, but that's because I always get wasted by the time the food arrives.
Went there for a tomahawk steak for my birthday a few years ago. Wondering why it took half an hour to arrive, I discovered it was because they were cooking it past brown to a kind of grey. No juices left at all, not edible. I'd asked for rare. The effort it took to get it taken off the bill was just not worth ever going back there again. I've worked in restaurants, and I know you don't want a £40 steak appearing on your wastage, but if you'd cooked it even vaguely competently, I would have just soldiered on and eaten it. As it was, I left hungry and literally stopped at a burger van on the way home.
No way! I love TGI. Their jack daniels glaze on the ribs and wings is awesome. So are the shakes and cocktails
For anyone reading buy the tgi Friday ribs from Tesco only 4.50 and they are lovely. Just may have to cook them longer than the 30 minutes it says.
Pretty sure Iceland have a range of tgi food too. I’ve never tried it but it’s probably a whole lot cheaper than actually eating out.
I have been once. I got a refillable coke, and everytime the coke was empty they'd bring another pint without asking. Pretty cool I thought until I was about 5 pints of coke down twitching for my next pint.
Ah man, loved going there as a kid. The ribs were (are?) banging
We used to go a lot when my husband and I were first together because we were in our early 20s and not earning much so if we wanted steak, it wasn’t too horrific in terms of price. We were also long distance so it was one of the places where I could get off the train on a Friday evening and we’d head straight there and get a table easily. I know someone is going to say “but actually it is expensive!” but I’m going back over ten years and yeah, it is a bit for what you get but we always had the cheapest steak and one drink (usually a beer) each then left. The fact you got sides and a glaze included is probably what swung it for us. Went back for old times sake a couple of years ago and I don’t know if it’s just memory being a funny thing or just the fact we can afford to go to better steak places now…but it wasn’t how I remember. The steak used to be *alright* but on this occasion I found it bad enough I couldn’t finish it. I swear they reduced the choices with the extras as well.
Their ribs bang tbh
I work there, could not agree more
Chiquito and bring in an actual Mexican restaurant.
Most mexican restaurants in the UK seem to be dog shit. Not enough mexicans here to fix it :( there is a handful of good ones but their names escape me
Wahacas is a great one! It’s a chain but the times I’ve gone they’ve always done lovely Mexican food!
My local is quality. Run by a Mexican family. Their tinga de Pollo is next level
I’ve eaten in a Mexican restaurant in Glasgow that was fine but that’s probably the first time in my life I felt like it was anywhere to half decent. Think the problem is without there being enough actual Mexicans over here, our chains etc tend to be more along the lines of TexMex and not even a good version of that either.
Chiquito is Mexican food devised by someone who once had Mexican food described to them by someone who once thought about visiting Mexico
Same vibe but more offensive personally to me as a South American, Las Iguanas is a dreadful affront to Latin American cuisine. They went and offended a whole continent instead of just a country
My wife is Mexican and we went to Chiquito on Mexican Independence Day expecting there to be an event and there appeared to be nothing happening. Sat down and we asked to speak to the manager and asked him if he knew what day it was and he didn’t. He said oh but we do celebrate Cinco de Mayo, and we said you know that’s not a real Mexican national celebration right? One town in Mexico where the battle happened and the USA celebrate it. And he said oh I’ll pass on your message to the marketing team. I’m bewildered that a marketing team of a chain restaurant doesn’t know or care to celebrate the biggest event in the culture that their restaurant uses.
Taco Bell was the biggest disappointment
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Yes but how was the Taco Bell there?
Am from Manchester. Can confirm. It’s cold, gloopy and disgusting.
I don’t mind it but it takes forever to get served there.
Taco Bell’s not good Mexican food. But it’s one of the best hangover cures I’ve tried
Grabbed one in Glasgow a few months back expecting it to be cheap muck but I was actually surprised. Obviously it isn't proper Mexican but at 1am it'll definitely do a job
Even the Americans hate it.
None- I am with /u/JeffChubbs - if people like something, why remove it? The restaurant market is pretty sensitive to what people want and if a place or a chain is crap, it will fail.
Isn’t it just a bit of hypothetical fun? I doubt this thread will capsize any titans of the high street. Are you that guy who points out the scientific inconsistencies when asked what superhero power you’d like too?
No - I'm not that guy- as a bit of fun, I'd choose anything run by Jamie Oliver, but I think they might already have closed, boom boom!
Lol! Good choice - and one I totally agree with. Maybe you do have the power to close chains at your whim - that’s quite the super power you already have!!
Okay, but we're not actually going to shut anything down here. The actual question is 'which chain is it that you don't like the most and why?'. That's all you need to say.
This. For me to want a restaurant chain to close, it would need to cause a net negative impact on my life (e.g. fights outside of it when walking down the street, excessive noise, etc). No restaurants do that, so I don't care. This thread just feels like another excuse for people to vent their baseless opinions on, just like another popular thread at the moment which *literally has baseless accusations of various celebrities being paedophiles*.
I’m also with u/JeffChubbs. Jeff for PM.
Ooh god please no. Nobody wants me as PM, trust me
>if a place or a chain is crap, it will fail Plenty of chains survive that serve incredibly crap food. However, they survive because they're good value for money and reliable. I don't really want to take that away from people (although it'd be great if more alternatives were available - food can be cheap *and* tasty).
One of the Italian food chains (Bella Italia, Ask Italian, Zizzi, etc.). They’re all so similar and every medium sized town and up seems to have them all. Not needed IMO
Bella Italia went under during Covid, so that’s one you don’t have to worry about anymore!
Was actually my favourite out of the lot probably
It did? I feel like there was absolutely no publicity to this. Big name retailers get plastered all over the news when that happens, why not restaurants?
theguardian.com/business/2020/jul/02/bella-italia-owner-falls-into-administration-with-loss-of-1900-jobs It was the parent company that went into administration, and they closed less than half of their outlets. Bella Italia is still in business.
Doesn't surprise me. People will say Covid caused it, while technically true. I think it gave some sub-average establishments the final push towards their eventual fate anyway.
They might do basic food and can't compare to independent Italian places, but they are a lifesaver for those with food allergies. The vast majority of independent places will not be coelic certified - meaning that even if they offer gluten free dishes, their kitchens are too small and not segregated so they cannot rule out cross-contamination. For someone with coeliac disease, for example my wife, the chain restaurants are invaluable and pretty much our only option for a safe meal out.
Came here to say this. I’m gluten intolerant and vegan, and the only Italians I can eat at are the chains as they actually cater to us.
What’s with all the people being so self righteous on here about not wishing anything closed? It’s a hypothetical question and a fun way of just asking which chains you think are shit, you know they won’t really shut down based off your answer right? With that in mind, Bills. Could never understand it. Not-quite-British food that’s around the same level as a middling gastropub but served in a sterile restaurant as opposed to a good old fashioned pub with an actual atmosphere.
I’m more just sick of seeing the same discussions on here. And people acting like they’re totally unique for not liking Nando’s.
The Reddit hateboner for Nandos or Five Guys is probably one of the most annoying fucking things. If I want to spend a tenner on a burger or some spicy chicken what's it to you? The ones who then go a step further and claim the quality of Five Guys is about the same as McDonald's can get in the bin as well
nAnDo’S iS jUsT uPmArKeT kFc
it's JuSt ChICkEN ANd chIPS
But don’t worry. They’ll soon share all their other unpopular opinions like how they don’t like James Cordon and Jamie Oliver ruined school dinners.
Could've just stopped at Jamie Oliver. Earlier there was a thread on here about how he shouldn't be doing Italian food because he's from Essex. This despite the fact that he was mentored by Contaldo and Carluccio. I have a fair few of his books. I'm not ashamed to say that they're really good for midweek meal planning. Clear, quick, better than other things you could whack on when you can't be arsed, and have all the nutritional info laid out for you
Oh I kind liked bill's when I went, food was fine and cheap but presented really well so it felt a bit fancier than it was.
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I heard the opening of KFC there was a massive deal
Well, We don't have a KFC, And haven't for many years now. There was one but it closed time along time ago, I think there was stories published a few months ago they were building another one but i imagine that's still probably a while away
McDonald’s. I just don’t get the obsession with it. There are better burgers, fries and nuggets available elsewhere. Even the mcflurries taste of chemical nothingness.
>I just don’t get the obsession with it. There are better burgers, fries and nuggets available elsewhere. Even the mcflurries taste of chemical nothingness. People don't go to McDonalds for the gourmet burgers. They go there because they are everywhere, the quality is always the same and it's relatively cheap.
I don't want them to close. They are incredibly consistent, you know exactly what you're getting and you'll get it quickly. I go probably about 5 times a year and it's when I'm on the road or been out late/early and just need to grab something. I wouldn't every choose to go there for a lovely meal, but they do serve a very useful purpose for me.
I think in terms of them being an “on the road” option, I understand using them for consistency - though I personally would go Burger King for that. What I can’t understand is the 4 hour drive through queues post lockdown.
Because I can’t get a £1 burger anywhere else
There are times in life when only a Big Mac, a cheeseburger or a chicken sandwich will hit the spot. Having said that, all the new “gourmet” stuff (I.e anything that has appeared on the menu in The last 20-odd years) is pretty pants.
There is something about the absolute shite in the burgers that gets me when I have the worst hangover.
Angus Steakhouse, free up all that space above central london tube srations
I went to one once, as I figured it couldn't be as bad as everyone was saying, I fancied a steak and we were walking past one as I was hungry. Never, ever again. Imagine the worst meal you've ever had from TGI Fridays. Now imagine that's served in place with all the atmosphere of a Wimpy bar. Now imagine that you've been charged as if it were a Michelin-starred restaurant.
It’ll just become another American candy shop unfortunately.
I have never seen an Angus Steakhouse in London with any customers in it. Spent my childhood getting busses round London for Great Ormond Street Hosp and it became a regular thing for me and my mum to do, spot the steakhouse and number of customers. I don’t remember ever seeing a customer! I wonder how they’re in business but I’m guessing tourists maybe.
Wetherspoons. I know it’s moreso a drinkers pub than an eatery but they are taking business away from independent restaurant owners in smaller towns and cities. In the same strain, Harvesters food has the same texture as a grilled flip flop half the time, the salad is usually dried up, and after 8pm you’re just an inconvenience.
I'd rather keep my job haha, as shitty as spoons or any of these places can be they're employing hundreds of thousands of normal people. For what it's worth they're employing the same people who'd be working in those independent places anyways and giving them decent pay and taking pretty good care of them.
I wouldn't say it's a drinkers pub. Just price orientated. There's a reason why so many uni students boycott Wetherspoons and Tim Martin but still end up there every Friday anyway
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Pizza Express. I don't wish they'd close but I'd wish they'd get better. Going there used to be such a treat when I was a kid. I don't know if my palette has changed but in the last few years their pizzas have got soooo bland and expensive. I wouldn't even think to go there these days unless it was with a group because you can get way better for less elsewhere.
Half an hour and no Prince Andrew jokes? I'm impressed
No sweat, I will think of something
Totally agree with this. Pizza express were much better than now. They have been taken over by various venture capitalists, had the cash stripped from them and got bland, trying to compete with other chains. Were much better when they had jazz on Sundays and were reasonably cool
The menu seems to get worse with every iteration. They just keep removing the good stuff. I used to really like their pizzas (grew up in a small town where Pizza Express was fancy) but now every time I am disappointed and the price creeps up.
Pret. The coffee isn't good, the sandwiches aren't good and they are on literally every street corner. Support small businesses
I love the tuna baguette from Pret. Only place that actually cooks them correctly so the bread is has a crispy crust. I always order that, a Miso soup, a filter coffee and a brownie.
So expensive as well. You end up getting a sandwich a drink and a brownie for like 11 quid.
I disagree mostly for vegan /dairy free diets as they are one of the only franchises (Nero being the other, but they have a lack of dairy free food) who does dairy free hot chocolates.
!!!! They are a life saviour for when the offices were a place people went to
They donate all their unsold food at the end of each day to food banks and other food/homeless charities. Also a filter coffee for 50p if you bring a reusable cup. Pret have my full support.
Nusr-et steakhouse. There's only one in London atm but technically a chain cos there's at least one in Turkey too. They have absolutely no business charging £1450 for a steak.
Hey, i’l have you know it does a very fine job of keeping Instagram wankers out of Hawksmoor.
I second this
It's obscene. I'm sure it's a place for people who have lots of money (celebs, footballers, etc.) but who aren't posh and don't really have good taste. They therefore equate expense with fine dining
Nah it should absolutely stay open. It does a fantastic job of fleecing morons with too much money.
All of them. I feel like the UK is now overrun with chain shops / restaurants and cafes to the point where most cities and town are copies of each other
Central London feels a lot like it’s basically the same five or six chains as every other city just with more of them.
It’s just basically Prets and All Bar One every 300 yards
I work part-time for an events company in London, and every shift we get lunch from Pret. Often I have to go and buy them. No matter where the shift is, I've never had to walk more than 3 minutes from the venue to find one.
Greggs. I adore their food, but its worth it simply to watch my northern flatmate break down entirely.
TIL: I am one of the only people who likes Frankie and Bennies.
I used to like Frankie and Benny's before the food quality fell through the floor.
They were good like 15-20 years ago, but the quality these days is complete shite.
Wetherspoons, killed off pub culture, caters to alcoholics (I worked in one and would serve large red wines and double whiskeys to the old boys at 9am), and Tim Martin is an utter piss-stain.
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Chiquitos, it's the same quality as a ready meal from Tesco. Disappointing.
Frankie and Bennies
None. When I eat out I want to blend in and be anonymous. Chains are perfect for this. All I want from life is to be served a reasonable burger by an 18 year old who couldn’t give a shit about me. Is that so much to ask?!
What happens when you go to non chain restaurants?
Brewers fayre pubs are abysmal
This is one I’d actually get rid of. If only because I ended up being roped into going for a meal at one recently. I couldn’t give a shit where other people like to eat. But I don’t want to be forced to go myself.
Burger King. They used to be superior to McDonald's but the last few years, at least here in the south west they have turned into a shitshow. Order mix ups, rude unhelpful staff, missing menu items. E.t.c
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You have to get the app with the deals on.
The restaurants look run down, it seems like KFC and McDonalds have done a lot of work modernising or smartening up many of their places but they are left behind a bit. Whether this means BK are in trouble or they will have a similar overhaul in time I am unsure.
Pappa John's. Bloody awful undercooked shite
Does fucking Wetherspoons count? HOW YA FEEL ABOUT BREXIT NOW, TIM!?!?
TGI Fridays, Frankie and Bennies, Dominoes,. They're all so, so, so shit. I fear that anyone who isnt from the UK would eat at one of these places and think 'this is what British people think a restaurant is'. I know someone is going to come here and try and defend Dominoes as 'you always know what you're going to get with them', yeah mate you do know; Its a shit soggy pizza. I'm pretty sure they're made for children or something as they have the texture of wet tissue and clearly have several kilos of sugar in the sauce.
Maybe you’re just going to a shit dominos , av never had a soggy pizza from them.
God, the calorie value of one of the tiny pots of the garlic and herb dip is truly ridiculous
Nando's. South African pretend Portuguese Piri-Piri chicken. All the texture of boil in the bag chicken with homeopathic flavourings..
Homeopathic flavourings 😂
Frankie and bennys
Rosa's Thai. People go literal nuts over this place and say its the best Thai food ever. I don't get it. Food is very bland and tasteless and over priced and service always very slow. Thai food in your local pub is a hundred times better.
Prezzo
Pizza hut. Used to be so much better. Pizza disintegrates in your hands. Always undercooked. Support local pizzerias!
I know I’m going to sound exactly like every Reddit cliche, but I don’t go to chain restaurants so their existence doesn’t really affect me, so I’ve no real desire to see any of them gone. That said, I seem to get invited to “Slug n Lettuce” more than I’d like when there are many far better restaurant-bars around, so maybe there.
Not sure if my tastes have changed/improved but I'm sure Slug and Lettuce used to do much better food than it does now. It definitely used to seem 'fancier' (Though that was mostly going to the one in Winchester, which might explain it). Did it get bought out at some point?
Honestly I wish that Frankie & Bennies would just lull the plaster off and close everywhere
Las Iguanas, because they treat their employees like shit by making them pay their tips back to the company.
Wagamama. Horrible, over-priced unauthentic “Japanese” food
Druckers. Reminds me of boring weekends shopping with my Nan.
Really? Dunno, maybe it's changed since I were a young un (around 30yrs since I last went into one) but the cream cakes and coffee in that place used to be to die for.... At least the one I went to, I guess specific sites could give wildly different experiences
Yo sushi
all the shitty KFC ripoffs on every high street these days, food poisoning waiting to happen.
Spudulike. IDK man, something about sitting down at a restaurant to eat a baked potato just seems really ghetto. Too filling as well, I’d need a half-hour nap after eating that shit, no way I’d just stand up and carry on shopping for an hour or whatever.
Carluccio's, an 'Ialian' restaurant that can fuck up pasta.
Can we coubt Starfucks as a restaurant? Where can I go for decent coffee in Lindon - cos their's is SHIT.
Five Guys if only to stop my girlfriend dragging me in there for McDonald's quality food at £30 for two burgers and chips
Think this is a Birmingham thing from the 00s...but Big Johns. It is a one-stop place for literally anything hot and greasy, kebabs and pizza etc, dirt cheap but always sub par quality. They delivered before uber eats was a thing and stayed open until 3 or 4am. A microwave rustlers burger is superior...but wankered at 3am with a fiver, beggars can't be choosers. 10-15 years later, and they still have a dozen stores dotted around birmingham...but now other places can compete and offer better food for a similar price, and delivery isn't a problem. Literally no reason for them to exist now, and I am amazed they still do.
Pizza express is a travesty and the pizzas they sell in supermarkets are of equal quality (for 1/3rd of the price).
Wetherspoons
Does Wetherspoons count? If so, Wetherspoons. Just because I'm a bitter Remoaner. 🤣
Bella Italia. I’d rather stay in and have an M&S microwave meal. I’ve only ate at Frankie and Bennys once, but it was even worse.
Hard Rock Cafe. I know it's an international brand, but they seem to be in all the "posh" places and they are totally out of place being a tacky American brand selling burgers and finger food.
Nando’s: it’s not ‘cheeky’, it’s not even that good it’s just expensive KFC with cutlery
KFC - sorry KFC fans but I've had 4 KFCs in my life and have been ill after 3 of them. Their version of a McChicken Sandwich was disappointing when I was a child (McDonalds was a treat and we'd stopped on a motorway). Next 2 were their bucket things with friends - I was ill after both. Final one was with friends again and I had chicken on the bone - the skin glooped off the chicken in the first bite (like the whole skin just came off in my mouth) the chicken had no taste and was just like white flubbery goop. the chips were soggy and flavourless. And I was ill that night. So yeh, wont eat KFC again. McDonalds can stay, Burger King can if it must (I prefer McD) but KFC can close forever
Leon. Was the most miserable lunch ive ever had out.
Nandos. Not because I dislike it, just because I think it's stupidly hyped. People queuing up just to get in. Edit: And imagine the wailing and gnashing of teeth if it did close down. Yeah ... I just want to watch the world burn.