Which "Chains" DO you enjoy ???

Liquor Barn

Haha - seconded.

We're big fans of CPK - probably my most-enjoyed chain. Most of the time PF Chang's is good. Just tried 5 Guys recently and loved it. Not exactly a restaurant, but I dig Smoothie King, and a Blizzard on occasion from Dairy Queen is just good for the soul. I've had Bonefish two or three times, and it was good.

My least favorites, apart from most fast-food joints, are easily Cheesecake Factory, Macaroni Grill, and Olive Garden (though their breadsticks are pretty solid).

I'll always have a soft spot for Cracker Barrel, though we rarely go - only while traveling.

Popeye's--best chicken around
PF Changs--it is what it is, not exactly Chinese, but good
Tony Boombozz
Panera Bread--number of folks here don't like it. It's great for my family, especially traveling
Mitchell's fish market
5 Guys
Cracker Barrel
Waffle House--when only smothered, scattered, and covered will do
Chick fil A--I really do love the chicken sandwich--still the best
La Bamba--love the Chorizo burrito

Davanni's - reminds me of the Pizza Hut of my youth. again, too b ad there isnt one here, oh I cant move to MN soon enough and have that and Luce at my beck and call.

Davanni's ROCKS...Best deep dish pizza I've ever had. We used to frequent the one in Burnsville, MN

Liquor Barn

Haha - seconded.

Thirded

Shiraz
Tony Boombaz
Mitchell's Fish Market
Cracker Barrel
Qdoba

The last two are places my brother's family and I can agree on, otherwise it's just the first three.

[Robin Garr]

Cracker Barrel

I like Panera too. Actually had that for lunch today.

Probably the only truly consistent chain that our family can agree on is Cracker Barrel. Whenever we are on a tight travel timeline, driving somewhere over a state away, I can always count on them to provide a decent meal at a good price. I'm also betting that is because all their stores are corporate owned and not franchised thus enabling them to maintain consistent quality.

I agree wholeheartedly,especially for breakfast. However when I went yesterday morning I was sorely dissapointed to see they had switched from 100% Grade A pure maple syrup to some kind of 55%maple/45% cane syrup concoction. I'm sure some corporate focus group decided that would be a good thing to cut costs with. Evil chains!

We are partial to most of the ones already mentioned. Here are a few more that work for us as well, forgive me if I missed an earlier post including these:
Old Spaghetti Factory - used to go a lot before we were married sometime in the last century
Tumbleweed - same as above, not as good as it was 15 - 20 years ago but still works for us every so often. We just get burgers or 6 oz sirloins anymore instead of (gasp) open-faced Tex-Mex chili burger with cheese & onions. Is there ANYPLACE locally to find this anymore? Man, this should be motivation enough for any scientist to invent a time machine...
El Tarasco
Beef O'Brady's - they make the list because they have pretty good pub chow & went smoke-free, or the one at Floyds Knobs when we lived there did WITHOUT a law to make them.
Taco Tico - welcome back!
Fazoli's would have made the list if they used about half as much salt as they do. I've got low blood pressure, it's purely a flavor overload issue.

I hope I never live long enough to have eaten at so many chains that I can make a list of more than a handful. I've never been to roughly 75% of the places mentioned in this thread. It's ideological, although I drank a lot of chain beer when I was a kid, and have spent the past two decades in therapy because of it.

That said, only three come to mind: Skyline, White Castle and (I suppose) the Hofbrauhaus.

thanks for the props to us outbackers we have a crab-stuffed shrimp appetizer that i'm addicted to. also a roasted tenderloin sandwich with garlic mayo and provolone on focaccia (please excuse my questionable spelling) that i wish i could convince more customers to try. unfortunately many of them are set on their usual 6 oz. sirloin with a spud and a house salad. (only 9.99)

some others i like...

blimpie - italian sub
calistoga - cordon bleu sandwich
penn station - philly and fresh cut fries
indi's - wings and apple cobbler
double dragon - steamed dumplings, crab rangoon and lo mein
rally's - my favorite french fries
cheesecake factory - IMO the best buger ever ever ever, the kobe beef burger
mark's feed store - potato salad and honey wings

does moby dick count as a chain?

From the Original post, my grandparents were good friends with the original owners of BJ's Pizza. I think they called it BJ's Chicago Style pizza and brewhouse. We'd go down there in Laguna Beach (California) where my GP's lived. I turned down a brewer job there a long long time ago, but I do have a good friend who was recently brewing at one of their production breweries in AZ.

Yeah, I like the place. I hear they have one here now.

I don't enjoy any chains. No thanks. Really, seriously. If I'm out of town, I'll talk to some locals and find a local place to go. That is my answer. Keep your money in the community and support local.

As a kid, I ate at IHOP (choc. chip pancakes). I can say I enjoyed that.

chick-fil-et
panera
steak & shake

and drum roll please...

olive garden (i secretly go there with my parents)

Steak and Shake
Rallys ... Sometimes the craving for a cheese double cheese gets amazingly strong
White Castle
Culvers
Chic-fil-a
CPK

qdoba used to be on the list but we've had issues with all of the locations nearest us in the last year or so.

wow I just realized almost all the chains we frequent with any regularity are burger places.

I really don't mind going to a few othe table service chains like PF Changs, Cheesecake Factory, Buca, we just rarely actually go. I think it's been a year at least since we've been to any of them.

Shhhh, Panera bread, and Five Guys!