The Ten best Restaurant Chains in the United States
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The variety of restaurant chains in the United States is enormous. On one hand, the country is known for its wide range of fast food chains, from McDonald's and Burger King to the Mexican Chipotle and Chinese Panda Express, as well as family diners like Denny's, Perkins, and the like, which are scattered everywhere. On the other hand, there are also high-quality chains with a wide distribution of branches in most US states, offering a meticulous and consistent menu with various options: steakhouses, Italian restaurants, seafood, and Asian cuisine. The high standard is maintained in all of them, and prices are reasonable.
The value for money is high, and there are no surprises. Most are open from 11 AM until late at night, and some are open midweek only from 3:00 PM or 4:00 PM. In most of them, you can also order delivery or take-out. In almost all these chains, you receive fresh bread baked on-site with butter or a dip at no extra cost and without limit. Of course, all of them offer Free Refills (unlimited refills of soft drinks, coffee, and tea).
Among the many restaurant chains, I have chosen my favorite ten with wide distribution from various styles and great popularity. All the chains listed below are also family-friendly with attractively priced children's menus, high chairs for toddlers, boosters, and in most, coloring and activity books given to children upon entry with crayons, which also include their menu.
Steakhouse Chains:
Steakhouses are the most popular chains throughout the United States with a huge range of options. Although I am not a big meat lover, I included four of them in the "best ten" due to their wide distribution, the abundance of high-quality options they offer at affordable prices, and the fact that vegetarians will also find what they are looking for in them.
♦ Texas Roadhouse
My favorite steakhouse chain of all, mainly because of the amazing bread you get as soon as you sit down in the restaurant. Sweet, soft buns with sweet butter that are worth eating there just for them...
The restaurant is known for its steak dishes, ribs, and burgers, but it also has recommended seafood dishes and excellent sides. The portions are particularly large, and there is no chance you will stay hungry. Even the kids' meals can satisfy an adult. Soup lovers will be disappointed to find they have no soup at all.
The atmosphere is fun, with plenty of pictures and decorations in a cowboy vibe, and every so often the waiters come and dance a short, amusing dance.
The chain was founded in 1993 in Indiana, despite its Texan name. Today it has over 500 branches in most US states. Each branch is huge in size and yet almost always full.
♦ LongHorn Steakhouse
Another recommended meat chain, the main competitor of Texas Roadhouse. A rich and varied meat menu that also includes seafood, excellent sides, and also soups. Its flagship dish is its excellent tenderloin steak. For lamb lovers, you can order tasty lamb chops here.
The restaurant is also known for its recommended alcoholic drink bar. It is impressively designed with an abundance of pictures, flags, and decorations.
The first branch opened in Atlanta in 1981, and today it has over 500 branches throughout the US.
♦ Outback Steakhouse
A meat restaurant with an Australian atmosphere where the names of all the dishes and decorations are influenced by Australia. It naturally has steaks and ribs but also poultry and seafood. It also has a rich menu of recommended salads and soups.
Until the food arrives, you get a warm and tasty dark brown loaf of bread with butter. Their flagship dish is actually one of the appetizers: Bloomin’ Onion, a fried onion bloom that is both tasty and beautiful. The first branch opened in Tampa, Florida in 1988, and today the restaurant has more than 700 branches throughout the US as well as in 22 other countries. Often, you can purchase Outback vouchers (and for other chains) at COSTCO with discounts of 20-25 percent.
♦ Famous Dave's
A BBQ restaurant chain specializing in Brisket (my personal favorite meat dish), ribs, poultry, and burgers.
You get warm and tasty cornbread with the meat dish, and the sides are also delicious. Attractive prices, especially the lunch menu. This chain also has a cute design full of pictures and decorations in an Old West atmosphere.
The first branch was opened in 1994 by Dave Anderson and was nicknamed "the longest running backyard BBQ party." His meats have won more than 700 awards in various competitions. The restaurant has 180 branches in 31 US states (and also in Canada, Abu Dhabi, and Dubai).
♦ P.F. Chang's China Bistro – Asian Restaurant Chain:
A high-quality Asian restaurant chain specializing mainly in Chinese food but with an American influence. This is my favorite chain of all American chains. With a rich menu of soups, appetizers, and wonderful poultry and meat dishes with wonderful sauces, alongside a variety of noodle dishes and wonderful vegetarian dishes. Portions are large and tasty. Highly recommended are the lobster dim sum in butter sauce, the lettuce-wrapped egg roll, the Kung Pao dish, and the Peking Duck.
Some dishes come in two sizes: lunch and dinner (regardless of when eaten), and most people can be satisfied with the lunch size, which is the smaller and quite respectable size, and also cheaper, of course. The restaurant also has a recommended kids' menu (suitable even for children who are not fans of Asian food).
The first branch opened in 1993 in Scottsdale, Arizona, but already in the 70s, the chain's founders opened a Mandarin restaurant in Los Angeles and later another recommended one in Beverly Hills that was favored by John Lennon and Yoko Ono. Today, over 200 branches can be found in 40 US states and many more in 25 other countries worldwide. In front of each branch are two large and impressive horse statues. Most branches are located in or adjacent to large shopping centers.
♦ Red Lobster – Seafood Restaurant Chain
A seafood restaurant at attractive prices with a large variety of dishes ranging from fish to crabs and lobsters. It also has poultry and salads for those who are not seafood lovers. The dishes come with recommended sides, and there are also excellent rich soups and large appetizer dishes. There is a daily specials menu as well as a multi-course meal menu.
Before the meal, you receive perfect, melt-in-your-mouth cheddar cheese biscuits (as usual—unlimited: all you can eat).
The restaurants are huge, with marine-themed decorations and landscape pictures of fishing towns and villages. At the restaurant entrance is an aquarium full of lobsters. The first restaurant in the chain opened in 1968 in Central Florida, and today it is one of the largest chains in the United States with over 700 branches in 44 states.
Italian/Pizzeria Restaurant Chains
Italian restaurants are very popular throughout the United States and generally suit everyone, including picky eaters. The Italian food in them is adapted to the American palate and to the portion sizes Americans are accustomed to. I have included three recommended chains here with wide distribution, a varied menu, and reasonable prices.
♦ Olive Garden
The most popular Italian chain specializing in family-style Italian-American food, with an emphasis on pizzas and pastas, large portions, many "all you can eat" options, and attractive prices. Their lasagna dishes are recommended as well as the "all you can eat" soups and salad. They have rich soups in various flavors. Their "all you can eat" pasta is also extremely popular. The appetizer menu is also very rich and recommended.
Before the meal, you receive warm and tasty garlic "breadsticks" (as usual—unlimited: all you can eat; if you run out, they bring fresh hot ones again). It is recommended to order dips and sauces for a modest fee (again, with no limit on quantity) to dip the sticks in (there is a large selection of excellent sauces). The chain has a rich kids' menu with large portions at an attractive price.
Its first branch was inaugurated in Orlando, Florida in 1982, and it is considered one of the largest restaurant chains in the United States with 880 branches across all 50 states.
♦ Carrabba's Italian Grill
A family Italian chain that competes with Olive Garden and is very similar to it, with a large selection of pastas, pizzas, and seafood. The highly recommended flagship dish is the pasta with Meatballs. A varied menu with a selection of soups, salads, and appetizers. Lunch is particularly worthwhile.
The chain was founded by Johnny Carrabba III in Houston in 1986, using a family recipe from Sicily. Today the chain has about 250 branches in 29 US states.
♦ California Pizza Kitchen (CPK)
A popular pizza chain with reasonable prices, an extensive pizza menu, and additionally soups, meats, pastas, taco dishes, veggie bowls, salads, and even fish. The lunch menu is particularly attractively priced.
The first branch opened in Beverly Hills in 1985 and combined classic Californian pizzas with a thin crust and BBQ chicken. To this day, their flagship dish is: The Original BBQ Chicken Pizza. It was the first chain to spread the Californian cooking style to many other states.
Today the chain has over 250 branches in about 30 states. It is an innovative chain that updates its menu in line with global health trends: they were the first chain to make gluten-free pizzas, a cauliflower-based crust pizza, and the first to incorporate healthy Power Bowls into its menu.
And for dessert:
♦ The Cheesecake Factory
This is one of the most popular restaurant chains throughout the United States. It is famous, fittingly for its name, for its cheesecakes: fifty different types displayed in a display case near the restaurant entrance.
But it is definitely not just a dessert restaurant: it has a huge menu (literally a book), extremely varied to suit everyone, including a diet menu for those whom the calorie counts of the regular portions (written on every dish) alarm and shock.
There are, of course, also kids' menus and lunch menus. In the regular menu, the selection is endless and includes salads, small and special dishes, Mexican dishes, pastas, pizzas, vegetarian dishes, seafood, meats, and what not? Portions are huge, aesthetic, and tasty. Dining at this place is an experience.
