Tuesday, October 20, 2009

What chain restaurant is the epitome of suburbia?

23 comments:

Unknown said...

(Cr)Applebees.

The last time I was there was in Ohio (shocking) and they played Arcade Fire. Then we went to the Walmart across the parking lot and an old lady was puking in front of the doors.

Leslie said...

I second Applebees.

To the UNH people who read QotD, I am going to have Jay's voice (or should I say Geisser's impression of Jay) in my head for the rest of the day.

Beth R. said...

TGI Friday's might be a close second to Applebees.

Scottie said...

Yup...gotta go with Applebee's. Although Chili's is up there too (and one of my personal favorites, by the way).

rob said...

i love applebees. but it is suburban... although there are some in major cities. not this one, of course.

tamika said...

Applebees--we used to go there in high school because we thought it was awesome. FYI, it is not awesome.

Ruby Tuesday's is next on my list, but I love the salad bar too much to make fun.

Dan said...

Applebee's. Apparently it is far far more widespread than either Chili's or TGIFridays.

http://www.amazon.com/Applebees-America-Successful-Political-Religious/dp/B001O9CF9U/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1256043982&sr=8-1

Unknown said...

Olive Garden.

Leslie, remember when Sara worked at Applebee's...hahaha

Cate said...

I agree... Applebees.

When I was in high school, my folks got a second phone line installed for the internets. But, when we weren't online, I used it as my personal phone line. Turns out the number we were assigned was the number of the local Applebees that had shut down. I would get calls at 3 in the morning from people asking if we were open. Of course I said yes to get back at them for waking me up in the middle of the night.

Andrew said...

Applebee's. Though, I did get tanked at a Ruby Tuesday's in podunk North Carolina this weekend. That was the hip place to go if you weren't up for driving into the city. And by city, I mean Fayetteville ... 50 minutes away.

Unknown said...

I say chili's. i think the fact that applebees is more wide spread is exactly why it's not so much the epitome of suburbia but more the epitome of a highway exit trying to class up their strip of fast food restaurants. Chili's seems to be most often found in the parking lot of a strip mall in suburbia.

Also, while we're on the subject of Applebees (stop reading now if you want to be able to eat at one again someday)...My professor's wife found a lizard head in her salad at the one in Coralville, IA, once. The other parts of the lizard were also subsequently found, thankfully some of them before they ended up on people's plates. That kind of thing doesn't happen at Chili's.

SngngMSW said...

I'd have to agree with Applebees. Also, though I wouldn't say it's epitome of suburbia, I also went to Cracker Barrel this weekend for the first time. I just have to say that it was kind of awesome.

beenu said...

SONIC!

applebees, chilli's and tgi fridays are all in time's square so they don't count.

Unknown said...

Applebee's definitely sucks enough to be the suburban awful chain restaurant, but I'm going to have to say Olive Garden. I have never seen an Olive Garden in a city center...

pinchie said...

I'm gonna have to chime in on Applebees. I think it's sad that "eating good in the neighborhood" means eating next to a Radio Shack and a Payless Shoes. Also, I am sad for John Corbett. He is now the voice of suburbia.

John said...

My former place of employ...the Applebees. I was a dishwasher (the only english speaking one) and a line cook. Only job to give me reoccuring nightmares when I slept.

Beth said...

I don't know about this Applebees thing. I think that this might have to do with competing definitions of suburbia. I think Applebees are too widespread, they go out into the exurbs and sometimes kinda rural areas. I would say something like a Macaroni Grill would be the epitome of suburbia. Generally find them only in close-in suburbs of urban areas.

sara said...

i used to hostess at applebees... yes kate, i haven't forgotten.

i have to say: applebees, ruby tuesday's, the olive, & TGI Friday's. Found near most malls in massachusetts.

Unknown said...

Muthafuckin' AppleBEEEEEEEEEEEZ!

The Chris Bannon Blog said...

All good choices but Red Lobster is always on street with big box stores outside every city in America

Dan S said...

There is an Olive Garden in Times square sadly:

http://nymag.com/listings/restaurant/olive-garden/

But I would say the epitome of suburbia can be defined with:

IHOP or Denny's

(although I think Applebees wins, I wanted to be different)

Suburban Sweetheart said...

Absolutely Applebee's. I was going to say it even before seeing that a billion others did.

Eva G said...

n my opinion it's Strada London, it's just so your average place to dine. It's great everytime. I love eating there.