World's saddest restaurant to open in Detroit

I won't defend four of the five (which I avoid), but A&W's Papa Burger is awesome. Either there or Wendy's is where I good for a fast food burger.

 

Let's briefly go over the best things about those chains.

A&W- Cheese curds. Decent burgers. Back when I drank pop, the Root Beer is addictive.
KFC- Not one thing. Not one fucking thing.
LJS- See above.
Pizza Hut- Decent pizza. Must eat it fresh out of the oven. No leftovers.
Taco Bell- Decent food. Provided you enjoy taking a shit lethal enough to bring in a haz-mat crew.
Applebees- The Breakfast Burger is ok. Only one of above mentioned where you can get beer. Doesn't really matter what you're eating, if you can wash it down with a cold beer or 5, makes it more tolerable.

 

For a chain that serves good food pretty cheap, I like Texas Roadhouse.

I prefer Ruby Tuesday's to Applebee's because it has a decent salad bar.

 

The KFC-Taco Bell seems to be the most common combo among all the permutations around me. Used to be a LJS-A&W down the road, but it closed and got converted into a DQ (speaking of a polarizing chain...)

 

I remember when Applebee's moved in to the (large town nearest) my hometown. Probably about 2000. One of my teachers at the time said he thought the Fiesta (née Tequila) Lime Chicken was one of the best meals he'd had in that town. And that was always a good fallback option, plus the burgers are OK and the one in my previous town had a good lunch special, AYCE soup and salad and such.

But in a big town with better options, yeah, not remarkable.

Also, my last town had a KFC/LJS that closed due to management issues about five years ago and never came back.

 

Certainly don't mind Texas Roadhouse or Logan's when I come across one on my infrequent trips to the US.

Haven't been to A&W in a while but a mozza, papa or teen burger washed down with a root beer hits the spot.

 

To me, this is the key to eating at chain restaurants. Go in so hungry that your mind tells you it's great. It's like a philosophy crafted by Guy Fieri or something, but it works.

 

Texans Toadhouse does cook a good steak for a mid-range restaurant.

 

Bennigan's did have the best kids menu ever. Our son constantly requested eating there until he turned 13 and couldn't qualify. $3.99 for shrimp, rice and a sundae.

 

I rarely eat at an Applebee's, Ruby Tuesday or whatever if I'm within 30 miles or so of my house. Chili's is an exception, it's not bad and I go to the local one occasionally. But if you are tired, hungry and in an area you don't know well sometimes you just want to know what you are getting into and then Applebee'sseems like a pretty decent option.

Yelp has changed that to a degree, but sometimes even that is too much effort.

 

I liked the Ruby Tuesday salad bar, but my occasional visits were not enough to keep it and many others in business.

 

Have one in Tiffin, Ohio.