Favorite Chain Restaurant

To defend Panda Express a tiny bit here - I kind of like that they have the calorie count on the menu, and you can get a smaller portion, unlike a local place. Yes, I enjoy the "Huge Carton of Food" method of the local places sometimes, but at Panda it's easier for me to get something that's 500ish calories between work assignments, when I first moved to Texas.

 

That's why Subway and the pizza chains, especially the latter, are almost non-existent here in eastern Mass. Local places are way better and price competitive. Every suburban Boston town also has at least two Chinese restaurants that do take out, and most are decent if not much more than that.

 

Panda Express likely made bank in 2020 because how many other Chinese places have a drive thru?

 

On that note, I'm the same with pizza too. Almost any local pizza place is comparable in price to any chain and all of them are ridiculously better. I can't recall the last time I chose a place like Dominos or Pizza Hut over a local place. I was probably still in high school. My kids want them, though, probably because it's never an option in our house.

 

I don't live in any kind of pizza hotspot, so take this with a grain of salt, but I'd order Dominos nearly as fast as I'd order any local place here. There's a good local NY style, a place with a killer deep dish, and we had a bagel joint just start making amazing Detroit style that we're currently obsessed with.

BUT, Dominos costs at most 1/2 as much, and qualitywise, it's pretty solid. Anytime we want to get 3-4 meals out of $30 instead of 2-3 out of $60, we order Dominos.

 

For a change, or if you prefer grilled pastrami, in Tustin there is BRONX. Awesome sandwich place. Same center as the Tustin Brewing Co.

 

Not a huge Panda fan (authentic Chinese food in Chinatown just blocks from work and near parents' home) but their Orange Chicken is really good and tasty.

 

Dream fastfood combo, In-N-Out Double Cheeseburger and McDonald's Fries.

 

Pick-Up Stix is a lot better than Panda. We go there a lot now.

When I was working, Panda was close by so I went there frequently. Worse experience was when a woman was ahead of me in line. She ordered 4 things and INSISTED they all be cooked fresh. Screw you, lady. Where the hell do you think you are? You're at freaking Panda Express.

 

I like the teriyaki chicken.

 

Not a ton of great, locally-owned Chinese food in North Idaho/Spokane, so Panda Express works (although we enjoy a strong local Thai restaurant).

Up here, you don't need McDonald's or Wendy's because there are several solid local hamburger stands. I try to avoid burger chains unless I'm traveling.