My 15 Favorite Chain Restaurants

If you're visiting a friend in another city and he or she takes you out for a night on the town, of course you're going to want to sample a little bit of the local culture and flavor. If you find yourself in New Orleans for the weekend, you don't want to eat at an Applebees, you want to get some good ol' Creole cooking. And if you're vacationing in Maine, you'd probably rather have fresh lobster than a Filet-O-Fish! But you know what, sometimes some of the standbys are good. Sometimes you're in the mood for some eats that your familiar with. And hey...restaurants become chains because at some point in their history they were making some pretty good food that people wanted to eat! I love trying new foods and new places to eat, but I'm not snobby about a chain restaurant. In fact, there's a handful of them that I really like. The other day while I was chowing down at a Waffle House, I got to thinking about which chain was really my favorite. So, of course, I grabbed a pen and paper and jotted down my list of favorite multi-location eateries. I even threw in some fun facts into my list this time:

15) Cheeseburger In Paradise (founded in 2002, 38 locations in 17 states) is a partnership between Outback Steakhouse and Jimmy Buffet. We had one near us for a year and a half and then it just closed it's doors without any warning. We miss our Cheeseburger In Paradise! We loved the beachy atmosphere and the island inspired foods they serve. They have some of the best sliders in the biz, and they make a mean Cheeseburger in Paradise - served up just the way it's described in the classic song. After our local one closed, the next closest location is a little over an hour away but we're thinking about making a trip out there real soon!


14) Checker's (started in 1986, 815 locations in 28 states) I've gotten food poisoning from Checker's three times...you'd think I would have learned my lesson after the second time but you just can't separate me from Banana flavored milkshakes! They also make some really good greasy burgers and they have a few interesting odd items on their menu. You can't go wrong with a chain that has a sandwich called The Big Bufford. Plus, I'm a sucker for drive-in's.


13) Five Guys (also started in 1986, 300 East Coast locations and moving west) Fantastic burgers and well done french fries. I like this place's no-nonsense, straight forward approach. There's not alot of things on the menu, everything is fresh, and they've even added the nice touch of free peanuts while you wait. Well played Five Guys, well played!


12) Chick-fil-A (dates back to 1946, now has 700+ shops) I discovered Chick-fil-A late in life. There has been one in my hometown mall for at least 15, if not 20 years but I had never eaten there until maybe 8 or 9 years ago. Sometimes simple is better, as is the case here. Their chicken sandwich is a good piece of breaded chicken with nothing on it except a slice of pickle and a nice buttery bun. They have good waffle fries too. And they use chunk meat in their nuggets instead of the mystery meat in most other fast food places nuggets. Get some nuggets with Polynesian dipping sauce...that's tasty right there!


11) McDonald's (founded in 1940, worldwide they serve 58 million customers daily) For some of us, McDonald's is like crack. We know it's bad for us, but sometimes we just gotta have a fix. In my opinion, hands down the best fast food fries by a longshot! The Big Mac is an American classic for a reason...it's a perfect tasting sandwich. Plus, Mickey D's invented the Happy Meal - one of life's little pleasures.


10) Cheeburger, Cheeburger (started in 1986, 64 locations) First of all, how bad can you be if you name your place after a Saturday Night Live sketch!? The place is all about burgers, and they have some mighty big ones here. You can dress them up a hundred different ways, but I always like mine with just a dash of ketchup and mustard. They have a one-pound burger, if you eat they make a big deal, take your picture and put it on the Wall of Fame. I've never tried it because I've always found "big food items" to be kinda gross. They also have a huge milk shake menu which was totally awesome until they took the Peanut Butter and Jelly shake off. Like many other places on my list, Cheeburger recreates the feel of a 50's diner. Fun is important while you're slowly killing yourself.


9) Cracker Barrel (serving good people since 1969, they now have 581 kitchens in 41 states) Folks, Cracker Barrel is good eats. They've got a nice home cooked menu waiting for ya. I almost always get the Cracker Barrel Sampler which is a small slice of their fantastic meatloaf (only place I ever order meatloaf,) sugar cured ham, and chicken and dumplings. Mmmmm...that's good. You get three sides with your meal, and they have plenty of sides to choose from. Any place that serves up steak fries and baked apples is ok in my book. For dessert, they have a glass mug sundae topped with molasses that is out of this world. After your meal, you can shop in their country store. Some other chains try to incorporate retail into their experience, but the Cracker Barrel store is the best. I could easily spend $200 on their DVD racks, and picking up some pure cane sugar Candy Canes is a must!


8) Fuddruckers (started in 1980, 260 stores worldwide) Quite possibly my favorite of the chain burgers, I've always loved the way Fuddruckers does burgers. They have many different sizes and they have a really good topping bar. Even though I usually like my burgers with just ketchup and mustard, sometimes I'll top off my Fudd Burger with their fresh tasty toppings. They have really good fries, which you can get hot cheese sauce for at no additional charge, and I always throw in a order of baked beans too! Yummers!

7) Denny's (founded in 1953, now with 2,500 world wide locations) Denny's gets a bad rap from alot of people, but to me it's all good eats! Four words: Moons Over My Hammy! Good sandwiches, decent burgers, really good buffalo chicken strips and the best fountain soda in town! If it's late at night, and you've got an hour to kill waiting for your food - Denny's is always a good friend to have around.


6) Long John Silvers (been around since 1969, 1,200 shops across the globe) Mmmm...fish and chips! Ohhhh....hush puppies. Any fast food chain that serves up hush puppies can't be all that bad. Add in some chicken planks and clam strips...and you're good to go!


5) Steak n' Shake (dating back to 1934, only 502 U.S. locations) Yet another faux 50's dinner on my list. Good Eats! Chill Mac is one of life's great pleasures! Steak n' Shake serves up several different versions of this great dish. Their Steakburgers are fantastic and I'm always a fan of a joint with multiple side dishes. What meal isn't ten times better when paired with a baked bean crock?


4) Nathan's Famous (first opened in New York's Coney Island in 1916, there are now over 20,000 locations) You haven't had a hot dog until you've had a Nathan's hot dog. First, there's the snap when you bite into one. It's a sign that you're not just eating a regular ol' hot dog. Second, it's the taste inside. It tastes like real meat...not just a bland mixture of left over pig parts, it tastes like honest to goodness tasty meat. And Nathan's grills them just right! Oh, it's heaven I tell ya! Nathan's also serves up some good fries which are of the crinkle cut variety and they are served in a little container with a red fork. Usually, I'm a dip in the fry in the ketchup kind of guy, but at Nathan's I pour the ketchup all over the fries and use my trusty red fork to scoop up all the goodness.


3) Hooters (celebrating tacky since 1983, there are 435 Hooters restaurants in the United States) The people that say "Oh, you just go to Hooters to look at the girls" are the same idiots who give guys a hardtime about reading Playboy. "Sure you're reading it for the articles!" Well you know what, if you want to oogle woman there are much better places to do it than Hooters and Playboy! Hooters is all about the wings. In my opinion, the best darn wings money can buy. I love buffalo wings, I get them all the time and different places. But Hooters wings are on a whole different playing field. They are like candy! They are crunchy, sweet and ever so tasty. They come in a handful of different flavors but I like `em Hot. Their hot sauce is not too spicy that it burns out your taste buds, but it still gives you a little heat. Hooters also has some good fries that pair nice with their wings. They have curley fries and they are a must with an order of wings. I usually wash it all down with a big ol' glass of lemonade. Oh yeah...and the girls there are pretty hot too!


2) Waffle House (an American institution since 1955, 1,500 houses over 25 states) Good Eats! Just about everything here is cooked on a tiny little grill in an open kitchen. Everything I've ever had at Waffle House is incredible! They have fantastic quick burgers, great breakfast options, and they've got some hash browns that you can get covered with chili, ham, jalapenos and a handful of other options that are all just great! A nice cozy, friendly atmosphere - Waffle House may be scary on the outside but welcoming on the inside.


1) Sonic (founded in 1945, 3,400 drive-ins in 34 states) If we've learned one thing from this list it's that I have a thing for places that try to replicate the feel of the 1950's. Which is strange because I don't really have any connection to the 50's. But Sonic has always had a hold on me!

Sonic had always been a mysterious treat that I would see from the road on various trips, but never had the chance to stop there often. A few years ago they built one about an hour away from where I live, making it the closest location for about 400 miles. Then, last October, a new construction project in town began to take the shape of a Sonic. I was thrilled when my dreams were confirmed when a "Sonic Coming Soon" sign was hung on the new building.

#1 Favorite meal at Sonic: Foot-Long Chili Cheese Coney Dog with tater tots and a large Blue Ocean Water. Sonic's drink menu is crazy, offering tons of different drinks and drink combos. The Blue Ocean Water tastes like you're at the beach! It's good! Their menu also has some other great things like a Chili Cheese Frito Wrap, and patty melts that are easily the best burger fast food has to offer.

For those of you who have never been to a Sonic, it's a drive-in...not a typical restaurant. They do have a traditional drive-thru or you can pull your car up to one of many stalls and place your order through a speaker. A car hop (sometimes on roller skates) will bring your food out to your car and you can sit in your vehicle and eat. There are also a small number of tables and chairs, but they are outside. Our Sonic opened in late October, I was able to squeeze in two outdoor dining visits in chilly weather but I'm really looking forward to sitting out and enjoying the summer weather and chowing down on some good ol' Sonic.

What's some of your favorites?