Favorite Place To Have Dinner 'Out'

[bloodrayne]

We went to Applebees tonight, as we often do...BUT, this time the place had completely changed...They have done some major remodeling, so that it has nothing of the atmosphere that we had grown accustomed to, and it no longer has the same comfortable feel....Not only that, but neither the food nor the service were as good as they used to be....It really was a letdown as this was something that we enjoyed as a family...


It seems that SO many restaurants have gone this same way....It looks like the only one left for us that is still consistantly good is the Olive Garden...



Some that we have lost over the years:

Cancun's...It was amazing
GoodFellows
Godfather's Pizza
Noble Roman's
Ground Round
Red Lobster
Longhorn Steakhouse...We went every week, then it just started going downhill, and eventually became completely shitty...
Outback Steakhouse...Just not what it used to be...

There are so many more...


How about you guys...Have you noticed if any of your favorite places have just become shitty?...Or can you let me know of some places that are still good?

What are your favorites?

[DraculaInDallas]

Texas Land & Cattle (Beef & Pork)
Buca di Beppos (Italian)
Posada's (Mexican)


Thanks Sweetie, now I'm hungry!!!!:(

[bloodrayne]

Originally posted by DraculaInDallas
Texas Land & Cattle (Beef & Pork)
Buca di Beppos (Italian)
Posada's (Mexican)


Thanks Sweetie, now I'm hungry!!!!:( *sigh*...It figures...We don't have ANY of those around here...


Sorry about that hunger thing...I'd fix that for ya, if you were here :)

[DraculaInDallas]

Originally posted by bloodrayne
*sigh*...It figures...We don't have ANY of those around here...


Sorry about that hunger thing...I'd fix that for ya, if you were here :)

I can just imagine what you could cook up!!!!! :p ;) :D

[bloodrayne]

Originally posted by DraculaInDallas
I can just imagine what you could cook up!!!!! :p ;) :D HaHa...I already made another huge pot of chicken fettucine alfredo...It's on the stove, RIGHT now :p

[ShankS]

Originally posted by bloodrayne
We went to Applebees tonight, as we often do...BUT, this time the place had completely changed...They have done some major remodeling, so that it has nothing of the atmosphere that we had grown accustomed to, and it no longer has the same comfortable feel....Not only that, but neither the food nor the service were as good as they used to be....It really was a letdown as this was something that we enjoyed as a family...


It seems that SO many restaurants have gone this same way....It looks like the only one left for us that is still consistantly good is the Olive Garden...



Some that we have lost over the years:

Cancun's...It was amazing
GoodFellows
Godfather's Pizza
Noble Roman's
Ground Round
Red Lobster
Longhorn Steakhouse...We went every week, then it just started going downhill, and eventually became completely shitty...
Outback Steakhouse...Just not what it used to be...

There are so many more...


How about you guys...Have you noticed if any of your favorite places have just become shitty?...Or can you let me know of some places that are still good?

What are your favorites?

living in the same area for almost 32 years, 3 of them I was away at Uni ...I've seen many changes in reasturants and pubs/bars, some for the better, but more for the worse. My first port of call, some may remember the pic I posted ages ago of the country pub thats just round the corner, It used to be great, nice food and atmosphere. Then it changed hands with a new management and the younger crowds started going there. It got too rowdy at the weekend, and all we wanted was a nice sit down and a couple of beers. I've not been in there for a couple of months, may do soon to see whether it's quietened down.

Not far from me a big retail park was built...new 15 screen cinema and loads of reasturants and bars. I used to go to a pub across the road, now since a lot of more people have been attracted to the area, they started going in this pub aswell, it ended up with occasional fights etc at the weekend, it's the younger crowd causing it all, just don't know whats up with them these days.

There's still a few good places we go to, they're more out of the way in the countryside. I like pubs by the river, it's nice sitting in the garden during summer.

[filmmaker2]

I could not resist. Because not too far away from my home, about five minutes by car, is BAHOOKA. My favorite restaurant, Bahooka is the perfect reflection of everyone's personality.

http://www.geocities.com/bahookarestaurant/

Guys, the website does not do the place justice. The restaurant is lined with like 200 lit fishtanks, all with fish in them! And there are lots of Tikis and goodness knows what else. So not only is the food really YUMMY, but there is so much to look at it just ain't funny!

[ChEEbA]

Don't go out to eat much...I mean, both me and my girl can cook pretty much whatever, and if we want a steak...well, were aussies, we bbq a lot...so yeah...
Although, there ARE occasions where we WILL just decide to go out.., and here's a few places we've been to multiple times.
These places are, however, in Sydney Australia so most of you won't ever see 'em, but I'll tell you a little about them.

Toscani's - Nice little modern italian joint...great coffees, excellent coctail selection, and a few nice higher-end beers, and affordable local and international wines. Outdoor or indoor seating.
They make a wicked antipasto platter for starters, and their pizzas are simply brilliant, pastas are very nice, and the other dishes, from what I've tried are all good, BIG servings...GIANT nachos!!!
Casual feel, cool jazz at the perfect background volume.

Sushi Train - No doubt you've all seen SOMETHING like this...you sit around a bench, on barstool type chairs (there is also tables, but the experience is the round bench) different sushi dishes all going 'round a little track.
Fresh miso soup, dishes prepared throughout the day, not only sushi, but sashimi, and some hot dishes are also available.
Oh, and home-made wasabi...it's just on another level.
You just sit yer ass down, and grab what's good, as it comes by you. The standard dishes are also priced on a colour scheme...and no single standard dish is more than $4.50AUD.
Very friendly service, the guys always ask you if everything is alright, offer tea refills, and do so in a completely non-invasive, non-irritating and polite way. Pretty uncrowded too, which is always good. We just decided to go again soon..haha..

The Lowenbrau - A german owned and operated tavern kinda thing...very old wooden setting, with live german folk music and dancers. Slightly Boistrous, friendly atmosphere. Some of the BEST food in Sydney, and german beer by the stein, and a few special imported spirits. Nice service, and yes, the girls do dress as you'd expect...they assign one "attendant/waitress" pre table, who stays designated to your table throughout the evening.
The place gets BUSY, but you always have enough space...the tables are rustic and wooden...the whole place is like a step back in time...it's really very nice. The meals, not exclusively german cuisine, but mostly...so hearty and "big", the germans really KNOW how to do food - I hope that during my studies, I have a german teacher at some point.
It's not cheap, but not BITCH expensive either, something maybe for special occasions though. 9 people ate and drank (lots) for $320AUD, shots (mint flavoured alcohol, served flaming, 65% alcohol...yummy) after dinner included, all left very happy. Anyone EVER coming to Sydney - it's worth a look.
Trivia - Right outside, you can recognise a scene from the first Matrix film...added coolness...

Gelatissimo - It's a store that sells only fresh, natural gellato (kinda like ice-cream, but...healthier), they have a small franchise in Australia, thus far they have about 6 stores.
It's wonderful, you go in, and behind the glass, there's these MOUNTAINS of the stuff, and about 30 varieties...chocolate, tiramisu, mango, blood orange, banana, even APPLE PIE flavoured t mention but a few.
Everything natural, served in takeaway containers (little foam freezerpacks available instore), waffle cones or cups.
Many sizes available.
It's open til midnight...so like, I can go out for this stuff pretty much whenever (I know that won't mean much to the US residents where everything is open all night, but things actually close here, so for me, it's a cool thing), and eat there, or takeaway, as the place is in my home town.
I know it doesn't sound like much, but this stuff is like the best thing you would ever taste...beautiful.
Pretty decent coffee too.

Ok...other than those, we'll hit up "healthy" takeaway places the majority of the time, and occasionally have coffees wherever's good at the time.
We're always into checking out new places...but the abovementioned are the few that have really made an impression.

- B.

[urgeok]

every time i get a favorite place - it closes.

There was a nice Thai place nearby to where i used to work..
great pad thai ...and it closed

there was a place near my house that have amazing wings ... it closed.


there is a super north asian/south asian (chinese people that lived in india) place near where i used to work .. they cooked hakka (spelling ??) style ... it was amazing ..

they didnt close (although they had a major fire that shut them down for a while) but now i live too far from them.

just as well ... i'm cutting back .. so the best place now is home ..

[taylorsmommy]

It's a tie between Macaroni Grill and The Mexican Post and El Rodeo

[Gren the cake]

i find that especially with chains, its not so much the chain itself but the restaurant (as in, the management).. as in, they all run diferently

i went to outbacks by my house and was able to buy shrimp. but when i went to outbacks half an hour south, they had none... bastards

anyway, i cant really sya i like to go out and eat, cuz i love to cook and i cant stand the thought of someone else doing it, not so much the boogers and semen issue, but the fact that they'll put in 3 sticks of butter into everything.

also, its just nice sitting at home, or eating in bed, or something!!

but if i had to pick.....................
.............. :/ got none. LOL. olive garden is prety good, as is buca di beppo,.. maybe a few others.?

[Marroe]

My Applebees still kicks ass!!!! BUT, I notice if I go to any other one it fucking sucks. The food taste different, the service isn't near as friendly.....it just SUCKS!! Also my favorite spot is Casa Gallardo...if I go to any other than MINE, its always crap.

Maybe we're just spoiled