I know many here disdain chains and prefer to patronize local establishments, but we all eat at them sometimes.

For this discussion, I'd like to draw a distinction between 'chain' and 'multiple locations'. The former means a national or very broad regional presence while the latter refers to a place like Charleston's or Tucker's which has a handful of locations but is very different than Olive Garden.

What I'd like to discuss is pure, big chains and break it down into full-service, quick-service (order at the counter) and fast food (usually has a drive-thru).


Full Service
Island's (like Chili's but better)
California Pizza Kitchen
BJ's
Red Robin
Mimi's (breatfast / brunch)

Quick Service
Chipotle
Boston Market
Domino's (new recipe and mid-week specials mean pretty darn good $8 large 3-topping pizza)

Fast Food
In-n-Out
El Pollo Loco
Chick fil A
Braum's (very hit and miss)
Sonic (drinks)
McDonald's (fries)

Full Service
Red Robin
IHop


Quick Service
Pappa John's
Qudoba
Golden Corral


Fast Food
Braum's (shakes are very good. decent burgers, but I do not consider them to be fast food like the precook spots)
Chick fila (My lovely is big on these folk; not so much a fan myself)
Wendy's (get a dbl, toss the bread, get a baked tater instead of fries, behave with the toppings at home.)
LJS (little bit of doctoring up at hme and it isn't bad at all)
Sonic (drinks, shakes, burgers are so-so)
Vice places
McDonald's (when I need fuel more than food, a McDouble and a drink will tide one over an hour or three)
CiCi's (sometimes you just want cheap eats in a variety of flavors)
KFC (everyone needs a bit of greasy chicken sometimes. this is mine)

California Pizza Kitchen is good, but we don't have that here. We need it, though.
BJs is good.
PF Changs
Cheesecake Factory
Charleston's
Red Rock Canyon Grill

Full service
Carrabba's
El Chico
Applebee's
Chuy's

Quick service
Fuddrucker's
Chipotle

Fast food
Wendy's
Carl's Jr
Taco Bueno
Golden Chick

Full Service:
Charleston's
PF Chang's
Ted's Montana Grill
BJ's
Texas Roadhouse
Cheesecake Factory
CPK
Zio's

Quick Service:
Panera Bread
Papa Murphy's
Pei Wei

Fast Food
Chick-Fil-A
Dunkin' Donuts

Full service
Chilis
BJs
Red Robin
Chelino's
S&Bs

Quick service
Qdoba
Pei Wei
City Bites
Fuzzy's

I don't really do fast food but will pick up a Braums iced lemonade every once in a while.

Full Service
BJ's
IHOP
Johnny Carino's

Quick Service
Qdoba
Pizza Hut

Fast Food
Taco Bell (very easy to get a low calorie lunch while still having an excuse to get out of the office)
In-n-Out (if there was one here!)

Even though they made the list, most of these are fairly infrequent for me aside from Pizza Hut and Taco Bell.

While I've eaten at many national chains, I find it difficult to come up with a list of any that I frequent even once every couple of months.

Sadly, McDonalds in on my list because when I need a quick meal around 400 calories I often turn to their grilled chicken SW salad.

Before I lost around 50-pounds - my rotation was definitely; Taco Bell, Arby's, Cheddars, Pizza Hut (Buffet), Sonic.

I guess Subway and McD's are the only two I still frequent.

We don't do national full service chains as I can almost always find a local chain for the same price (and in my opinion better value).

Full Service: Texas de Brazil

Quick Service: N/A

Fast Food: White Castle

Full Service-
CPK is the only one that comes to mind, really- wish we had one here.
Oh, maybe El Torito. Not sure if that is really a chain, and we don't have them here.

Quick Service-
Panera
Chipotle
Freebirds
Corner Bakery (especially for breakfast; so so so happy we are getting one here!)
Wish we had a Rubio's (not sure if this would be classified as quick, or fast food, though)

Fast Food-
Chick Fil A (love that I can get grilled nuggets and a fruit cup and not feel bad about eating fast food)
Sonic (for drinks only, really; not a big fast food eater)
El Pollo Loco (another one I wish we had here; I may be deluding myself, but it seems higher quality than most fast food to me)
In N Out (big wishful thinking!)

Full service I can't seem to think of one that I have been to in the past 6 months
OOPS I just thought of one after reading others.. WIng Stop.. I do eat there at least once a month.
OKC needs a good local wing place.
.
Quick service
Chipotle
Panera

Fast Food
Panda Express ( due to my partners habit )
Raising cains
In-n-out

Here are some I can think of in no particular order. I don't eat at all of these place these regularly, but that's not the question as I read it - here are some chains I've eaten and would return to.

Full Service:
Buffalo Wild Wings
Texas Roadhouse
Johnny Carino's
BJ's
Olive Garden
Outback
Cheesecake Factory
Red Lobster
Cracker Barrel
TGIFriday's
Chili's
Macaroni Grill
IHOP

Quick Service:
Jersey Mike's
Golden Corral
Boston Market
Texadelphia (more of a regional chain I guess)
Pizza Hut buffet
Panera Bread
Qdoba
Jason's Deli
Jimmy John's
Firehouse Subs
Subway
Red Robin
Quizno's
City Bites

Fast Food:
Whataburger
Chik-Fil-A
Taco Bell
Schlotzky's
Dairy Queen
Burger King
Five Guys
Smashburger
In-n-Out
Wendy's
Panda Express
Steak 'n Shake
McDonalds
Arby's
KFC

Full-Service:

Buffalo Wild Wings
Outback Steakhouse
Cheesecake Factory
Carrabba's
Texas de Brazil

Quick Service:

Chipotle
Qdoba
Pei Wei
Subway

Fast-Food:

Arby's
Taco Bell
Taco Bueno
Carl's Jr.
Jack in the Box

nm, remembered I actually do know how google works. smh for being so lazy.

Full service
Carrabba's
El Chico
Applebee's
Chuy's

Quick service
Fuddrucker's
Chipotle

Fast food
Wendy's
Carl's Jr
Taco Bueno
Golden Chick
I like El Chico. I forgot how much I liked it from when I was a kid but when we went back a couple of years ago (after at least 15 years - maybe 25) I was surprised at how good it was.

Full Service
Pappadeaux
Chili's
Red Robin
Old Chicago
Cheddar's

Quick Service
Corner Bakery
Qdoba
Chipotle
Five Guys
Smashburger

Fast Food
Del Taco
Carl's Jr.
In-N-Out
Chick-fil-A
Panda Express