# How to tell if restaurant food is pre-made...



## caseydog (Feb 14, 2018)

I stumbled onto the YouTube video while doing a little YouTube surfing. It kind of confirms some of my suspicions...

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cziqFw4nsMY

CD


----------



## Whiskadoodle (Feb 14, 2018)

Burp


----------



## buckytom (Feb 14, 2018)

Well, yeah. Kind of a "duh, me stoopid" video.

That's why I hate to eat in chain restaurants. It's just a nicer fast food joint.

Or, why I rarely order things (except soup and salad which are obvioysly made ahead) that can be easily slopped out of a bin and nuked.


----------



## Kaneohegirlinaz (Feb 14, 2018)

Aw ha, yup... this is why I'm not real big on chain joints... oh wait a minute, we had linner at Olive Garden yesterday 
Granted, we hadn't been there in like, what, maybe 10 years... don't like Applebees' or Chili's or Romano's Macaroni Grill.
Here in Cowboyville, we don't have that many chains anyways.
We've got Mom&Pop joints up here and you sit and wait for your food; it forces conversation, that is if you can get everyone to put down there devices... 
I'd bet that they may use some frozen stuff, like that Friday Fish Fry that they love so much here... I don't care too much for fried fish, I prefer grilled


----------



## caseydog (Feb 14, 2018)

buckytom said:


> Well, yeah. Kind of a "duh, me stoopid" video.
> 
> That's why I hate to eat in chain restaurants. It's just a nicer fast food joint.
> 
> Or, why I rarely order things (except soup and salad which are obvioysly made ahead) that can be easily slopped out of a bin and nuked.



No surprise to me, either. But, If I walk into an Applebee's on a Saturday night, it will be packed. The video does shed some light on why I have never, ever, ever had a decent steak at Outback -- when I'm dragged there by "friends." 

CD


----------



## Andy M. (Feb 14, 2018)

Well, that's depressing.


----------



## Kaneohegirlinaz (Feb 14, 2018)

caseydog said:


> No surprise to me, either. But, If I walk into an Applebee's on a Saturday night, it will be packed. The video does shed some light on why _*I have never, ever, ever had a decent steak at Outback*_ -- when I'm dragged there by "friends."
> 
> CD



HA! 
We had an Outback here in cowboyville... they closed real quick!
HELLO! 
This is COWboyville, they raise _Beef_ here (and dang good stuff too) ... there are "... the five C's of Arizona: Copper, *Cattle*, Cotton, Citrus, and Climate. 
I think they know their steak ... (as you would Casey ) ... not sure about those chains though


----------



## Cooking Goddess (Feb 15, 2018)

And my SIL wonders why we won't go to the chain restaurants with them...



caseydog said:


> ...The video does shed some light on why I have never, ever, ever had a decent steak at Outback -- when I'm dragged there by "friends."


And yet we've had very good steaks when we've eaten at a Texas Roadhouse, pretty much the one chain we'll visit infrequently regular.  If there is such a thing.  Then again, they do have a cooler with raw steaks as you walk in, so they just might cook them from scratch.


----------



## larry_stewart (Feb 15, 2018)

Pretty much figured that.
I have no problems with some of the chain restaurants, especially when traveling.
Might not be the best or freshest 'made at the moment' meal, but its nice to have some consistency when far away from home and dont feel like risking it.  Also, when my kids were younger, and very finicky with what they eat, a familiar place on the road was the easiest way to deal with them.

That being said, being a vegetarian, we didn't have to worry about the meat/ or fish issues that the above video describes.  Mostly pizza and pasta and saladwhich were fine.


----------



## Rocklobster (Feb 15, 2018)

I try to never eat at a chain restaurant..I'll have a soup and a blt somewhere before going to one..


----------



## buckytom (Feb 15, 2018)

Cooking Goddess said:


> And my SIL wonders why we won't go to the chain restaurants with them...
> 
> 
> And yet we've had very good steaks when we've eaten at a Texas Roadhouse, pretty much the one chain we'll visit infrequently regular.  If there is such a thing.  Then again, they do have a cooler with raw steaks as you walk in, so they just might cook them from scratch.



I stand corrected.

We've also had good experiences in 2 Texas Roadhouses in 2 different states.

Also, I forgot about Carraba's. But they seem to be going downhill, imo


No matter where you go, you have to order things that you think have to be made to order. EVERTONE uses shortcuts in some way.


----------



## CakePoet (Feb 15, 2018)

We was eating at Texan Longhorn here in Sweden and we saw a guy walk into  the kitchen with bags of the cheapest Lidl  big fries  ( think board walks fries), I  knows these bags cost 1 dollar a kilo and well they arent good.   I had I seen it before we order I had walked  out because they charged us  8 dollar for their home made  board walk fries...   We just  got our plates when he walked in to the kitchen with  20 bags of these..

6 months later that  restaurant was closed.


----------



## jennyema (Feb 15, 2018)

I cant remember the last time I ate in a sit-down chain restaurant.  Maybe 6 years ago?  Except Maggianos since its across the street from my office.


That video was pretty DUH ....


----------



## roadfix (Feb 15, 2018)

Well, when everyone at the table orders medium rare steaks except for my wife who orders her's well done I tell the waiter to go ahead and nuke her's.    Otherwise, we'd be done eating our's by the time my wife's steak arrives.


----------



## tenspeed (Feb 15, 2018)

I've never worked in a restaurant but it seems to me that quite a few things would have to be at least largely made in advance in order to be served in a reasonable amount of time.  Any filled pasta, sauces like bolognese, baked potatoes, and any other item that either requires time consuming preparation or a long cooking time would have to be made in advance.  The video cites risotto as an example of something that couldn't be served quickly if not made in advance, but I would be very surprised if a restaurant did not even start risotto until it was ordered.

  Serving times at good restaurants usually don't go too much longer than 20 - 25 minutes, so that limits what can be made to order.


----------



## RPCookin (Feb 15, 2018)

I mostly make my decision on what I order depending on the restaurant.  I would never order a steak at Applebee's.  All I have to do is see their steak on TV to know that.  But I have eaten various sandwiches and burgers there and that's just fine.  

I'll order steak here at Bully's, because I know that Mark buys the meat in person on the hoof, and cuts each steak himself.  He buys his pork chops from local hog raisers.  Everything is cooked to order, you can watch him and his assistants in the kitchen.  On the one day each month when they offer fish and chips, the fish is never cooked in the same fryer as the potatoes.  The Wednesday special, all you can eat Rocky Mountain Oysters, are cut and hand breaded the same day.  

They have a fairly limited dinner menu, but a good sandwich selection on the lunch menu, which can also be ordered for dinner.  It makes a difference when food is cooked to order, even in a little country restaurant like Bully's, and like the video said, offering too many menu items is a virtual guarantee of getting pre-made meals.



tenspeed said:


> I've never worked in a restaurant but it seems to me that quite a few things would have to be at least largely made in advance in order to be served in a reasonable amount of time.  Any filled pasta, sauces like bolognese, baked potatoes, and any other item that either requires time consuming preparation or a long cooking time would have to be made in advance.  The video cites risotto as an example of something that couldn't be served quickly if not made in advance, but I would be very surprised if a restaurant did not even start risotto until it was ordered.
> 
> Serving times at good restaurants usually don't go too much longer than 20 - 25 minutes, so that limits what can be made to order.



Note that the usual serving times for a good eatery is about the same as the time limits for the 3 rounds of Chopped! (20-30-30 mins)  I noticed this relationship some time ago, and the assumed reason for that is that they are testing mostly restaurant chefs, and that's the time they normally have available to make a dish when they are at work.  To me it seems crazy short, but them I'm just a clumsy home cook.


----------



## Cooking Goddess (Feb 15, 2018)

tenspeed said:


> I've never worked in a restaurant but it seems to me that quite a few things would have to be at least largely made in advance in order to be served in a reasonable amount of time...


I guess that even the good restaurants do have a few dishes pre-made, albeit made fresh from scratch that morning. Usually one of the daily specials, although those can have a whole different connotation in a smaller or chain restaurant.  This gives me a chance to tell one of my favorite Cleveland food stories...

The year Shaquille O'Neal played for the Cleveland Cavaliers (2009-10), he stopped into Michael Symon's Tremont restaurant "Lolita's" and asked for lasagna. Michael came out apologizing that it wasn't on that night's menu, and proceeded to offer suggestions. Shaq said "but I have a taste for lasagna". Michael then offered to make it from scratch, warning Shaq that it would take an hour or so to make. Shaq waited...and tweeted about being there and Michael taking good care of him. Granted he was a celebrity sports player, and Michael was already a celebrity chef, but it's still a sweet story - or would that be a saucy story...

Then again, neither have to be famous for a pleasant dining experience. We stopped at a little restaurant in NW CT. When I ordered some fish dinner off the menu, the chef/owner pops up at our table. "I'm sorry, I'm out of that fish. We get enough only for the day. Can I suggest....?" We talked flavor profiles and my likes and dislikes, and he produced the best meal I had had in ages. I felt so special.


----------



## Just Cooking (Feb 15, 2018)

The video pretty well confirms my preference for the less sophisticated diners and single house restaurants I am happy to find again in Missouri.. 

I will admit that there are dishes in a few chains I enjoy for their sameness each time I order them.. 

Ross


----------



## RPCookin (Feb 15, 2018)

That reminds me of another policy of our little pub up the street.  The Saturday dinner special is prime rib, and Mark roasts a set amount based on what he typically can sell.  If there is a particularly heavy demand, he will run out.  People know this and I've never seen anyone threaten to never darken his door again over it.  Just how it is.  

The other benefit is that when he doesn't sell all of the prime rib for dinner on Saturday, the next Wednesday (they are closed Sunday-Tuesday) it's available as a lunch special for either a regular prime rib sandwich with fries or open faced sandwich with potatoes and gravy and vegetable, for as long as the meat holds out.


----------



## GotGarlic (Feb 15, 2018)

RPCookin said:


> open faced sandwich with potatoes and gravy...



One of my favorite sandwiches of all time


----------



## caseydog (Feb 15, 2018)

Cooking Goddess said:


> And my SIL wonders why we won't go to the chain restaurants with them...
> 
> 
> And yet we've had very good steaks when we've eaten at a Texas Roadhouse, pretty much the one chain we'll visit infrequently regular.  If there is such a thing.  Then again, they do have a cooler with raw steaks as you walk in, so they just might cook them from scratch.



Yeah, _Texas Roadhouse_ does cook up a pretty good steak. 

CD


----------



## Kaneohegirlinaz (Feb 16, 2018)

jennyema said:


> I cant remember the last time I ate in a sit-down chain restaurant.  Maybe 6 years ago?  *Except Maggianos* since its across the street from my office.
> 
> 
> That video was pretty DUH ....




OH MY GOSH!! Love them!
DH and I went to Philadelphia back some years ago and 
stayed at the Marriott downtown on Market.  Across the street 
was the Redding Market and Maggiano's Italian kitty-corner.
The Redding Market was being overhauled and closed at the time
to our disappointment, so we went to Maggiano's.
That was really good, even for DH-American-Italian... didn't know
at the time it was a chain.


----------



## caseydog (Feb 16, 2018)

Kaneohegirlinaz said:


> OH MY GOSH!! Love them!
> DH and I went to Philadelphia back some years ago and
> stayed at the Marriott downtown on Market.  Across the street
> was the Redding Market and Maggiano's Italian kitty-corner.
> ...



I've only been to Maggiano's once. I enjoyed my meal -- pretty good immigrant Italian. But, I'm betting that their sauce is made in a factory (Sysco?), and shipped to the restaurants in five-gallon buckets. 

CD


----------



## Just Cooking (Feb 16, 2018)

caseydog said:


> Yeah, _Texas Roadhouse_ does cook up a pretty good steak.
> 
> CD


I agree... I think I said something about them in a post last year..

Now that I'm back in Springfield, MO, I intend to go there again..  

Ross


----------



## jd_1138 (Feb 16, 2018)

Ugh, seems like ordering all that pre-made slop and then reheating it would cost a lot more than just buying raw ingredients and having a more limited but higher quality menu selection?

Not to mention the inferior quality of the pre-made slop costing you customers.

The local pub down the street has a very simple menu -- like 4 entrees as in burgers, wraps, spaghetti/pasta, fish.  It's all fresh made.  I see them press the raw hamburger into a patty press.  They hand dredge their onion rings in a batter and fry them.  Fresh cut fries.

Plus it's a mom and pop place.  I'd rather give them my hard earned money than a chain place serving frozen junk.  

Heck, even Waffle House offers "a la minute" dining.  You order bacon, eggs, and a waffle, and they place the raw bacon on the grille, and they crack your eggs, and pour the batter mix into the waffle iron.  Their waffle batter is pre-made I think.


----------



## buckytom (Feb 16, 2018)

Quick cooking foods like breakfasts are exactly the opposite of the intention of this thread, me thinks.

Although, what about homefires, or hash browns. Are they really peeling  potatoes to order?


----------



## caseydog (Feb 16, 2018)

buckytom said:


> Quick cooking foods like breakfasts are exactly the opposite of the intention of this thread, me thinks.
> 
> Although, what about homefires, or hash browns. Are they really peeling  potatoes to order?



There is a certain level of pre-made I am willing to accept at a restaurant. Pre-shreded frozen hash browns that are cooked on a flat-top to order is okay with me. Pre-cooked meats and sides that are reheated in a microwave is not. 

If I am going to pay a restaurant to cook a meal for me, I want them to actually COOK a meal for me. 

CD


----------



## jd_1138 (Feb 16, 2018)

buckytom said:


> Quick cooking foods like breakfasts are exactly the opposite of the intention of this thread, me thinks.
> 
> Although, what about homefires, or hash browns. Are they really peeling  potatoes to order?



True, the hashbrowns are probably pre-shredded.


----------



## jd_1138 (Feb 16, 2018)

caseydog said:


> There is a certain level of pre-made I am willing to accept at a restaurant. Pre-shreded frozen hash browns that are cooked on a flat-top to order is okay with me. Pre-cooked meats and sides that are reheated in a microwave is not.
> 
> If I am going to pay a restaurant to cook a meal for me, I want them to actually COOK a meal for me.
> 
> CD



True.  If I wanted warmed over Sysco processed junk, I could do that at home for 1/4th the price.  Or better yet, buy some raw ingredients and make a superior meal for 1/10th the price.


----------



## Cooking Goddess (Feb 16, 2018)

jd_1138 said:


> ...The local pub down the street has a very simple menu...I'd rather give them my hard earned money than a chain place serving frozen junk.
> 
> Heck, even Waffle House offers "a la minute" dining...


The "Mom and Pop" works only when they ARE down the street. When you travel, sometimes it's nice to know that a plain, ordinary but still reliable chain is along your route. We drive from MA to OH at least twice a year to see our kids. We know which chains are trustworthy. We drive from MA to FL once a year. Again, we know where a safe bet meal is. We've tried the suggestions of people along the way at times. Sometimes they're a hit, other times they're a miss. When we walk out of the bad places we look longingly at that chain restaurant we passed by on our way to the local spot.


----------



## caseydog (Feb 17, 2018)

Cooking Goddess said:


> The "Mom and Pop" works only when they ARE down the street. When you travel, sometimes it's nice to know that a plain, ordinary but still reliable chain is along your route. We drive from MA to OH at least twice a year to see our kids. We know which chains are trustworthy. We drive from MA to FL once a year. Again, we know where a safe bet meal is. We've tried the suggestions of people along the way at times. Sometimes they're a hit, other times they're a miss. When we walk out of the bad places we look longingly at that chain restaurant we passed by on our way to the local spot.



I'm kind of the opposite when I travel. I get on the interwebs, or talk to people I know in the area, and try to find places that are NOT chains, and give them a try. Once-in-a-while, I get burned, but overall, I've mostly had really good meals. 

Sometimes I get really lucky, and when I ask the owner of a car I'm shooting where I should eat, he'll offer to take me to one, and pick up the tab. Other times, he will just tell me where to go (in a good way). 

I'm also not afraid of hole-in-the wall places, or places in "bad" neighborhoods. 

I remember this one time when I flew into Phoenix early in the morning, and was very hungry when I got there. I asked the guy driving the rental car shuttle where I could get some really good breakfast food. He told me about a place a few blocks from the rental car center. I got there, and there were bars on the windows and doors. I was the only guy in the place who spoke English. The staff treated me great, and the breakfast burritos where absolutely incredible -- and cheap. 

The last time I was in NYC, my hotel was in the Red Hook area of Brooklyn. OMG, I found some absolutely fantastic sandwiches at the local bodegas. 

CD


----------



## Kaneohegirlinaz (Feb 17, 2018)

caseydog said:


> There is a certain level of pre-made I am willing to accept at a restaurant. Pre-shreded frozen hash browns that are cooked on a flat-top to order is okay with me. Pre-cooked meats and sides that are reheated in a microwave is not.
> 
> *If I am going to pay a restaurant to cook a meal for me, I want them to actually COOK a meal for me.*
> 
> CD



HERE HERE Casey
I so agree!


----------



## Cooking Goddess (Feb 17, 2018)

caseydog said:


> ...I'm also not afraid of hole-in-the wall places, or places in "bad" neighborhoods...


Oh, we take chances on finding something local. Only problem is we aren't much for traveling during normal-people hours due to Himself having worked 4-midnight for ages when he was working. If you think it's hard to reset your body clock to a different schedule, try resetting HIS to a different one.  In the case of the local spots, pretty much all but the bars are closing by the time we're ready for supper. I need to turn him into more of a daytime person, or trade him in for someone who is. 

Best Ribs Ever in Kansas City. Drove through about five miles of serious ghetto. We were the only light-complexioned people, and the only non-beater car. About a quarter mile from the rib house, that started to change. Inside the place it looked like the U.N., so many nationalities and peoples thoroughly enjoying danged good food. It was like a community party, even if you weren't ever there before. Too bad real life can't be like that rib joint.


----------



## Rocklobster (Feb 17, 2018)

Chain restaurants are trying to eliminate the cooks and the expense of training them..this way, they can pay them less because it doesn't require much skill to follow a few instructions like a microwave..
You want somebody to actually cook something from a raw/fresh state, then you should support small, individually owned places where they have  kitchen employees who have made their jobs their careers. Who will put their face and reputation behind everything that comes out of that kitchen..
You may get the odd bad meal from a mom and pop, but you probably get just as many from chains..I'd rather take my chances and have four really good meals and one bad one that were cooked on the premises  than 5 sad, mediocre reheated, over priced ones that were cooked 1000 miles away and reheated by somebody who couldn't fry an egg and will probably be gone in a few weeks..
At least I know I am probably supporting some hard working owners and not some  share holders or franchise owners who don't work weekends, evenings or holidays but expect the minimum wage employees to..


----------



## RPCookin (Feb 17, 2018)

Cooking Goddess said:


> The "Mom and Pop" works only when they ARE down the street. When you travel, sometimes it's nice to know that a plain, ordinary but still reliable chain is along your route. We drive from MA to OH at least twice a year to see our kids. We know which chains are trustworthy. We drive from MA to FL once a year. Again, we know where a safe bet meal is. We've tried the suggestions of people along the way at times. Sometimes they're a hit, other times they're a miss. When we walk out of the bad places we look longingly at that chain restaurant we passed by on our way to the local spot.



I can go with this when we're on the road, but not exclusively.  If I get a tip about a place to try, and if it's convenient when the time comes to eat, I'll take a chance.  When we are exploring with no set time to be anywhere, then anything goes.  We have found some gems in some out of the way places. (If you are ever in or near Pella, Iowa, try Kaldera - good food.  Interesting town... the town square looks like something transplanted from Holland.  They even have a spring festival called Tulip Time)

If we are just trying to get from point A to point B with minimal stress and anxiety, then we will usually go for tried and true.


----------



## Just Cooking (Feb 17, 2018)

RPCookin said:


> I can go with this when we're on the road, but not exclusively.  If I get a tip about a place to try, and if it's convenient when the time comes to eat, I'll take a chance.  *When we are exploring with no set time to be anywhere, then anything goes.  We have found some gems in some out of the way places.* (If you are ever in or near Pella, Iowa, try Kaldera - good food.  Interesting town... the town square looks like something transplanted from Holland)
> 
> If we are just trying to get from point A to point B with minimal stress and anxiety, then we will usually go for tried and true.


One of the things I like about Missouri..  

Ross


----------



## buckytom (Feb 17, 2018)

When we're on road trips, we always look for something new, out of the way, or unique. That's part of the trip. We rarely go to chain joints when travelling.

At home, though, like after a day of holiday shopping, or when we're looking for appliances or furniture, we'll hit up a chain restaurant largely because it's quick and cheap and we probably just spent a lot of money earlier that day.

I've agreed to go to Olive Garden on occasion for $10 salad and pasta, or Cracker Barrel for $10 salty entrees, but I refuse to go to Crapplebees, or the Outhouse -Outback.


----------



## jd_1138 (Feb 17, 2018)

Cooking Goddess said:


> The "Mom and Pop" works only when they ARE down the street. When you travel, sometimes it's nice to know that a plain, ordinary but still reliable chain is along your route. We drive from MA to OH at least twice a year to see our kids. We know which chains are trustworthy. We drive from MA to FL once a year. Again, we know where a safe bet meal is. We've tried the suggestions of people along the way at times. Sometimes they're a hit, other times they're a miss. When we walk out of the bad places we look longingly at that chain restaurant we passed by on our way to the local spot.



With Yelp, you can find good non-chain places where the locals eat.  Might take a few minutes of research on your smart phone.

Chain places may be reliable in that you know what to expect, but they are each managed by a different manager.  So your food and service may still suck.

Not that we don't occasionally eat at chains, though.  I do like Cracker Barrel and Waffle House.  But you can find good mom and pop type places with a little research.  Also a lot of times you can get a great meal at a pub/tavern that has a kitchen.  The best pizza I ever had is at a local pub/restaurant.


----------



## jd_1138 (Feb 17, 2018)

Cooking Goddess said:


> Oh, we take chances on finding something local. Only problem is we aren't much for traveling during normal-people hours due to Himself having worked 4-midnight for ages when he was working. If you think it's hard to reset your body clock to a different schedule, try resetting HIS to a different one.  In the case of the local spots, pretty much all but the bars are closing by the time we're ready for supper. I need to turn him into more of a daytime person, or trade him in for someone who is.
> 
> Best Ribs Ever in Kansas City. Drove through about five miles of serious ghetto. We were the only light-complexioned people, and the only non-beater car. About a quarter mile from the rib house, that started to change. Inside the place it looked like the U.N., so many nationalities and peoples thoroughly enjoying danged good food. It was like a community party, even if you weren't ever there before. Too bad real life can't be like that rib joint.




You guys don't hit the road until like 4pm?  I'd be sitting a thermos of coffee on his chest at like 10am and say "get up!".  

Though it depends on you all's traveling style.  If you guys drive straight through and don't stop at a motel for the night, then leaving at around 4PM would put you in Ohio sometime in the morning so you can start visiting the kids.  But if you left at 10AM, you'd get to Ohio like at 2AM.


----------



## caseydog (Feb 17, 2018)

Rocklobster said:


> Chain restaurants are trying to eliminate the cooks and the expense of training them..this way, they can pay them less because it doesn't require much skill to follow a few instructions like a microwave..
> You want somebody to actually cook something from a raw/fresh state, then you should support small, individually owned places where they have  kitchen employees who have made their jobs their careers. Who will put their face and reputation behind everything that comes out of that kitchen..
> You may get the odd bad meal from a mom and pop, but you probably get just as many from chains..I'd rather take my chances and have four really good meals and one bad one that were cooked on the premises  than 5 sad, mediocre reheated, over priced ones that were cooked 1000 miles away and reheated by somebody who couldn't fry an egg and will probably be gone in a few weeks..
> At least I know I am probably supporting some hard working owners and not some  share holders or franchise owners who don't work weekends, evenings or holidays but expect the minimum wage employees to..



Absolutely. Not that mom and pop places can't fall into the same "pre-cooked" and cheap labor routine. But, you can also find some outstanding mom and pops. It is a gamble, but like you say, it is better than predictably mediocre food, IMO. 

CD


----------



## caseydog (Feb 17, 2018)

buckytom said:


> When we're on road trips, we always look for something new, out of the way, or unique. That's part of the trip. We rarely go to chain joints when travelling.
> 
> At home, though, like after a day of holiday shopping, or when we're looking for appliances or furniture, we'll hit up a chain restaurant largely because it's quick and cheap and we probably just spent a lot of money earlier that day.
> 
> I've agreed to go to Olive Garden on occasion for $10 salad and pasta, or Cracker Barrel for $10 salty entrees, but I refuse to go to Crapplebees, or the Outhouse -Outback.



Ha! I have to double my blood-pressure medicine dosage if I eat at Cracker Barrel. They do like to use salt. 

CD


----------



## Kaneohegirlinaz (Feb 17, 2018)

caseydog said:


> Ha! I have to double my blood-pressure medicine dosage if I eat at Cracker Barrel. They do like to use salt.
> 
> CD



Oh my gosh, right Casey?  
DH and I have cut salt pretty much out of our diet (I don't cook with much of it at all, more herbs and spices instead) but I think that Cracker Barrel is the biggest culprit of them all with the salt shaker.

When we're going to hit the road, I do research on the `Net, as others have made mention, prior to blast off.  If there isn't anything along our route then I pack sandwich makings (but then I always do that anyways, just in case ).  If we can't find a decent Rest Stop along the way, then I simply hop into the back seat, make up our lunch on paper plates and chow down in motion.
And once we do stop for the night in a hotel/motel, I always have at least one to two dinners ready for a quick micro-dinner in room, IF there isn't a Mom&Pop around and let me tell you, we've been to some places that there is NOTHING other than a fast-food-franchise-burger-joint.  Cold scratch-homemade pizza is better than any of those characters.


----------



## caseydog (Feb 17, 2018)

Kaneohegirlinaz said:


> Oh my gosh, right Casey?
> DH and I have cut salt pretty much out of our diet (I don't cook with much of it at all, more herbs and spices instead) but I think that Cracker Barrel is the biggest culprit of them all with the salt shaker.
> 
> When we're going to hit the road, I do research on the `Net, as others have made mention, prior to blast off.  If there isn't anything along our route then I pack sandwich makings (but then I always do that anyways, just in case ).  If we can't find a decent Rest Stop along the way, then I simply hop into the back seat, make up our lunch on paper plates and chow down in motion.
> And once we do stop for the night in a hotel/motel, I always have at least one to two dinners ready for a quick micro-dinner in room, IF there isn't a Mom&Pop around and let me tell you, we've been to some places that there is NOTHING other than a fast-food-franchise-burger-joint.  Cold scratch-homemade pizza is better than any of those characters.



When I travel, there is one chain restaurant that is my guilty pleasure go-to. _Waffle House_. If I stay in a hotel close to a _Waffle House_, I know I'm going to have an artery-clogging, but sinfully good breakfast in the morning. I sit at the counter, where I get to watch my breakfast being cooked from scratch. I always get three eggs, scrambled (in butter), bacon, hash browns (cooked on the flat-top in butter) and toast (with more butter). That, and coffee. 

CD


----------



## caseydog (Feb 17, 2018)

I have to tell this story. It cracks me up just to think about it. 

I was in a Waffle House, I think it was in Louisiana -- it was somewhere in the deep South. 

This guy walks in. He was about five-foot-six, and weighed at least 300 pounds. He sits a few stools down from me, and orders enough food to feed a family of four. I'm not exaggerating, the amount of food he ordered was insane.  

To wash all that food down, he ordered...... a Diet Coke. 

And yes, he ate all of it. I couldn't leave without knowing. 

CD


----------



## Cooking Goddess (Feb 18, 2018)

*Casey*, when we belonged to a couples' bowling league (the things parents to just to justify hiring a baby sitter...), the wife of the other couple would order a rum and Diet Coke. Himself asked "DIET Coke?" Her reply "I have to save calories somewhere!" 



buckytom said:


> When we're on road trips, we always look for something new, out of the way, or unique. That's part of the trip. We rarely go to chain joints when travelling...


Just to make it clear, we stop at chains while in transit for efficiency's sake. Once at our destination, we enjoy finding the good local spots. But the travel time? Get me from point A to point B unless we plan on staying somewhere along the way for longer than a travel meal.



jd_1138 said:


> You guys don't hit the road until like 4pm?  I'd be sitting a thermos of coffee on his chest at like 10am and say "get up!".


No, we're usually on the road by noon.  I think you're confusing the 4PM with the start of his work shift time back when he was still working.

We're retired. We don't drive straight-through to anywhere outside of New England. We eat breakfast in the car on Launch Day, at the hotel the mornings we're on the road. I also pack sandwiches, veggies, etc. as lunch food to eat at pit stops. Then we stop for supper...which we aren't ready for until about 8:00 PM. Mom and Pop restaurants are locking their doors around then, if not shortly after. We will not walk into a restaurant if we'd be the only people there once seated. I won't impose on a staff by making them hang around. Instead, we hit reliable chains.


----------



## caseydog (Feb 18, 2018)

Cooking Goddess said:


> Just to make it clear, we stop at chains while in transit for efficiency's sake. Once at our destination, we enjoy finding the good local spots. But the travel time? Get me from point A to point B unless we plan on staying somewhere along the way for longer than a travel meal.



If my goal is to get from point A to point B, I fly. I have a MINI CooperS, which is a blast to drive, but not a "point A to point B" kind of long distance cruiser. 

When I have a job to do in Houston, I fly, and rent a car there. There is no viable route to drive other that I-45, which really, really sucks. 

If I have a job in Austin or San Antonio, I drive my MCS, and take the back roads through the hill country, and I eat Hill Country BBQ along the way. It would take less time to drive I-35, AKA the NAFTA Highway, but I'm not doing that in any car I care about. 

I am in the planning stages of driving from Dallas to Keystone in Colorado in July during the _MINI Takes the States_ tour. I hope to eat some good food on the way up, but I will definitely eat well on the drive home. Breckenridge/Keystone was my home base back in my skiing days. I've done that drive many times. 

I will probably stop in Amarillo for the night, and have a steak at the Big Texan... but not the 72 oz steak challenge. They do cook a good steak, but I can't even imagine eating 72 ounces of anything. 

https://www.bigtexan.com

BTW, the current record holder for the 72oz steak challenge is a 5 foot 7 woman who weighs 125 pounds. 4 minutes 58 seconds. That is for a 72oz steak, a salad, a baked potato and a dinner roll. 

CD


----------



## buckytom (Feb 18, 2018)

Cooking Goddess said:


> *Casey*, when we belonged to a couples' bowling league (the things parents to just to justify hiring a baby sitter...), the wife of the other couple would order a rum and Diet Coke. Himself asked "DIET Coke?" Her reply "I have to save calories somewhere!"
> 
> 
> Just to make it clear, we stop at chains while in transit for efficiency's sake. Once at our destination, we enjoy finding the good local spots. But the travel time? Get me from point A to point B unless we plan on staying somewhere along the way for longer than a travel meal.
> ...



As a family, we aren't able to drive 3 hours without stopping for some reason. 
 Again, the ensuing argument about having to stop is also part of the trip

I've driven 9 hours non-stop in a blizzard home from Vermont with a coupla buddies in the car, but that's another story.


Casey, ever since I saw that Big Texan challenge on a foodie show I've wanted to try it. I used to eat a 2 lb. steak, salad, baked potato, and 1.5 litres of wine (cheapo white zinfandel) when I was a lonely, single guy on a Tuesday or Wednesday night off. Either that, or a salad, whole NYC sikzed pizza, and the wine.
Then I'd hit the pool for a half mile swim, or inline skate 20 miles the next day to work it off.  

I think I could handle 72 ozs of steak now, but I'll probably need a wheelchair to get home, and BP meds right away.


----------



## caseydog (Feb 18, 2018)

buckytom said:


> As a family, we aren't able to drive 3 hours without stopping for some reason.
> Again, the ensuing argument about having to stop is also part of the trip
> 
> I've driven 9 hours non-stop in a blizzard home from Vermont with a coupla buddies in the car, but that's another story.
> ...



I've been _The Big Texan_ about a half-dozen times over the years. The only reason to go to Amarillo is to get to someplace else, like going from Dallas to Colorado to ski, or to go camping in Palo Duro Canyon. I've done both of them often. The dining selection in Amarillo is not great. _The Big Texan_ does grill up a pretty tasty steak. 

So, if you ever decide to try the challenge, you will, at least, eat some good steak. 

CD


----------



## jd_1138 (Feb 18, 2018)

Cooking Goddess said:


> No, we're usually on the road by noon.  I think you're confusing the 4PM with the start of his work shift time back when he was still working.
> 
> We're retired. We don't drive straight-through to anywhere outside of New England. We eat breakfast in the car on Launch Day, at the hotel the mornings we're on the road. I also pack sandwiches, veggies, etc. as lunch food to eat at pit stops. Then we stop for supper...which we aren't ready for until about 8:00 PM. Mom and Pop restaurants are locking their doors around then, if not shortly after. We will not walk into a restaurant if we'd be the only people there once seated. I won't impose on a staff by making them hang around. Instead, we hit reliable chains.



What we do a lot when we're staying in a hotel or motel on the road is order delivery Chinese food or pizza.

I have to do all the driving so I'm usually tired when we check in.  We just check Yelp for the local places that are good.  Sometimes the clerk in the motel will know which local places have the best delivery food.  They have takeout menus on hand.

But yeah, the chains you're used to are always an option.

Oh I guess some hotels have room service still.  My friend from childhood, his dad was a chef at a local hotel.  I remember eating a lot of yummy club sandwiches.  They'd make up a certain amount for their room service menu, and whatever didn't sell he'd bring home for his own family.


----------



## jd_1138 (Feb 18, 2018)

caseydog said:


> I've been _The Big Texan_ about a half-dozen times over the years. The only reason to go to Amarillo is to get to someplace else, like going from Dallas to Colorado to ski, or to go camping in Palo Duro Canyon. I've done both of them often. The dining selection in Amarillo is not great. _The Big Texan_ does grill up a pretty tasty steak.
> 
> So, if you ever decide to try the challenge, you will, at least, eat some good steak.
> 
> CD



lol, yep not much in Amarillo.  When my parents divorced in 1980, my dad moved to Amarillo to take a job as a mechanic, so I sort of grew up there and in my native California.

That 72 ounce steak is 4.5 pounds of steak AND all the fixings like shrimp cocktail, potato, salad, bread all of which also has to be eaten.  So Buckytom's gonna have a challenge.  lol.  We ate there a lot, as we lived in the east part of Amarillo so it was only a few miles from our house.

We ate out a lot when we were in Texas with our dad.  He wanted to get married to an attractive redhead woman, but he asked us if we minded if he got married and we selfishly told him we didn't want him to (loyal to our mom).  Bratty kids.  I feel bad now.

Plus she would've made us a lot of nice home cooked meals, instead of us eating at McDonald's most days.


----------



## CraigC (Feb 19, 2018)

caseydog said:


> I have to tell this story. It cracks me up just to think about it.
> 
> I was in a Waffle House, I think it was in Louisiana -- it was somewhere in the deep South.
> 
> ...



To you it may be funny, not so much for me.  Soft drink wise, I drink diet coke, because I hate the taste of regular coke. Everybody and their brother has a version of this story.


----------



## buckytom (Feb 19, 2018)

I love real Coke from a soda fountain, or in glass bottles, but not so much from a can. 

I usually drink Coke Zero in a can or plastic bottle, though. I'm not a big fan of Diet Coke, but I'll have that over any kind of Pepsi any day.


----------



## Rocklobster (Feb 19, 2018)

buckytom said:


> I love real Coke from a soda fountain, or in glass bottles, but not so much from a can.
> 
> I usually drink Coke Zero in a can or plastic bottle, though. I'm not a big fan of Diet Coke, but I'll have that over any kind of Pepsi any day.


I'm a Coke Zero guy, too..GF hates diet pops..I'll lie to her some times when she asks if it is regular pop so she can take a sip from my glass just to see her make a face...then, she makes another face which isn't as funny


----------



## CraigC (Feb 19, 2018)

Rocklobster said:


> I'm a Coke Zero guy, too..GF hates diet pops..I'll lie to her some times when she asks if it is regular pop so she can take a sip from my glass just to see her make a face...then, she makes another face which isn't as funny





  We went out for breakfast yesterday. For drinks I ordered a sweet tea  and Karen an iced coffee. I squeezed some lemon into mine and Karen put  cream in hers. Have you ever tasted iced coffee with lemon in it or  sweet tea with cream in it?


----------



## RPCookin (Feb 19, 2018)

CraigC said:


> To you it may be funny, not so much for me.  Soft drink wise, I drink diet coke, because I hate the taste of regular coke. Everybody and their brother has a version of this story.



I drink Diet Pepsi for the same reason.  I think that all sugary soft drinks taste like pancake syrup.  I also put rum in it on occasion.  In a bar I order rum and diet.

That said, my drink of choice is water.  I don't drink coffee or tea, I rarely drink any "sports" drinks.  I have a big stainless steel Yeti knock off from Walmart that pretty much goes everywhere with me.  I keep it filled with ice water, light on the ice.


----------



## caseydog (Feb 19, 2018)

CraigC said:


> To you it may be funny, not so much for me.  Soft drink wise, I drink diet coke, because I hate the taste of regular coke. Everybody and their brother has a version of this story.



Seriously? You took offense to that? Do you drink your Diet Coke with a week's worth of food at one meal?

CD


----------



## CraigC (Feb 19, 2018)

caseydog said:


> Seriously? You took offense to that? Do you drink your Diet Coke with a week's worth of food at one meal?
> 
> CD



No and I don't take your story seriously. Like I said everybody and their brother has a similar story. Those stories started more than 20 years ago. So, I don't put a lot of stock in yours.


----------



## caseydog (Feb 19, 2018)

CraigC said:


> No and I don't take your story seriously. Like I said everybody and their brother has a similar story. Those stories started more than 20 years ago. So, I don't put a lot of stock in yours.



So, I'm a liar? Gee, that's not offensive. 

It really happened. I really saw it. Honestly, I had never heard anyone tell the same story before. But, I don't think I've met Everybody, or his brother. 

CD


----------



## powerplantop (Feb 20, 2018)

As someone who is on the road a lot I have a few opinions on the subject. 

Chain places do what they do to reduce cost, kitchen size, number of cooks, get the food out quickly and no need to hire chefs. All of these reduce the cost for a plate of food allowing them to sell at a lower cost to bring in people. Most of the chains listed in the thread make the money from alcohol. 

For someone on the road chains have a place. Nutrition info is readily available if you care or need it (allergies etc). They usually have a bar area perfect when when I am alone. After a long day at work its great when they share the same parking lot as the hotel. Walk over have something to eat and drink, walk back to hotel. 

Yelp: Yes I use it and have found some great places using it. But I have been burned way to many times. Went to a very highly rated Italian Mom and Pop in TN, would have preferred Chef Boyardee. Nice folks but the food sucked.

Breakfast: Most hotels I stay at have it but I get board with it and usually leave before its ready. Love it when a Waffle House is close by. Usually the Mom and Pop places are not open at 6 so usually can not hit them. Note on my days off if a First Watch is close by that is my first choice. 

BTW: Most hash browns usually come in dehydrated not frozen. If you want hash browns like your favorite big chain place try using dehydrate potatoes. Hungry Jake one come in a small milk carton type box. Hydrate them the night before and store in the fridge over night.


----------



## Just Cooking (Feb 20, 2018)

+1...  

Ross


----------



## Steve Kroll (Feb 20, 2018)

Rocklobster said:


> I'm a Coke Zero guy, too..


Same here. I'm a recent convert. I don't drink diet soda much at all, but once in a while I like a Rum & Coke. I can't deal with sugary soda, though, so I reluctantly ask for Diet Coke instead. 

Last year at a bar I ordered a Rum & Diet Coke, and it was wonderful. It tasted so much like real Coke, I had to ask the bartender if he had made a mistake. Turns out it was Coke Zero. As far as sodas go, it's the only kind I'll drink now.


----------



## roadfix (Feb 20, 2018)

In the context of that guy ordering massive amounts of food and a Diet Coke to go with it, I got chuckle out of that.

If I feel like soda it's always the diet variety.    Nothing to do with calories, and like many, I don't like the taste of regular soda, they're too rich and syrupy tasting for me.


----------



## caseydog (Feb 20, 2018)

The aftertaste of Diet drinks is what gets to me. Then again, I prefer a good unsweetened iced tea to any soda. 

CD


----------



## jd_1138 (Feb 20, 2018)

roadfix said:


> In the context of that guy ordering massive amounts of food and a Diet Coke to go with it, I got chuckle out of that.
> 
> If I feel like soda it's always the diet variety.    Nothing to do with calories, and like many, I don't like the taste of regular soda, they're too rich and syrupy tasting for me.



They used to be better.  I remember as a kid in the 1970's the sodas were made from real sugar.  You'd put 20 cents in the pop machine and pull out a super cold bottle of pop.  You'd swig it down and then sit the empty in the wood crate next to the machine.

My dad was a mechanic at a shop that had one of those.  I think they had RC Cola, Fanta Orange, Fanta Strawberry, root beer.

Now I usually just have a glass of draft beer when we go out, or if it's before 2 I'll have some coffee.


----------



## roadfix (Feb 20, 2018)

jd_1138 said:


> They used to be better.  I remember as a kid in the 1970's the sodas were made from real sugar.



They use real sugar in Hansen's sodas.   I buy them for my father.


----------



## Just Cooking (Feb 21, 2018)

caseydog said:


> The aftertaste of Diet drinks is what gets to me. Then again, *I prefer a good unsweetened iced tea to any soda.
> *
> CD


I don't drink soda unless Jeannie and I are sharing a drink (she prefers Dr. Pepper) at a FF place.. I always order unsweetened iced tea with a meal...  

Ross


----------



## caseydog (Feb 21, 2018)

Just Cooking said:


> I don't drink soda unless Jeannie and I are sharing a drink (she prefers Dr. Pepper) at a FF place.. I always order unsweetened iced tea with a meal...
> 
> Ross



Just about the only soda I ever drink is Dr. Pepper. It is a real Texas thing. 

CD


----------



## CraigC (Feb 21, 2018)

Once in a while, I get a hankering for Vernor's and once in a great, great while Birch Beer.


----------



## buckytom (Feb 21, 2018)

Ooh, birch beer. There's a pizza place near my old house that still sells it from their fountain. Although, it's not that great; just a sort of light cola dyed red.

The best I've had was real birch beer, and root beer for that matter, in Pa.'s Amish country. Certain farmhouses sell the concentrate. I tasted a drop of it straight up, and it's nasty on its own, so you need to add a ton of sugar to the carbonated water.

I was thinking of trying agave syrup with it next time, or maybe stevia.

Casey, we mostly drink unsweetened iced tea, especially when we eat out. So much so that it's one of those things that we use to judge the restaurant's first impressions, along with the bread and the initial service. If the service is quick, and the bread is good, AND they have good, unsweetened iced tea, it's usually going to be a good meal.

Have you ever tried Korean bori-cha, or oksusu-cha? Unsweetened roasted barley tea, and roasted corn tea, respectively. 

If you like unsweetened tea, you'll love these. Served hot or cold, they're frighin' addictive.


----------



## caseydog (Feb 21, 2018)

buckytom said:


> Casey, we mostly drink unsweetened iced tea, especially when we eat out. So much so that it's one of those things that we use to judge the restaurant's first impressions, along with the bread and the initial service. If the service is quick, and the bread is good, AND they have good, unsweetened iced tea, it's usually going to be a good meal.
> 
> Have you ever tried Korean bori-cha, or oksusu-cha? Unsweetened roasted barley tea, and roasted corn tea, respectively.
> 
> If you like unsweetened tea, you'll love these. Served hot or cold, they're frighin' addictive.



I have not tried them. Sounds interesting. Do you buy it bottled, or is it a restaurant or fresh-brew thing?

CD


----------



## roadfix (Feb 21, 2018)

During the summer we always keep a pitcher of mugicha (barley tea) in the fridge.   They come in giant tea bags so they’re easy to brew.


----------



## buckytom (Feb 21, 2018)

Yes, mugicha us the Japanese word for it. I prefer it cold, too. Even in winter.

I but the bags of loose roasted grains and make it in a stock pot, then strain into a pitcher. Great stuff.


----------



## CraigC (Feb 21, 2018)

buckytom said:


> Ooh, birch beer. There's a pizza place near my old house that still sells it from their fountain. Although, it's not that great; just a sort of light cola dyed red.
> 
> The best I've had was real birch beer, and root beer for that matter, in Pa.'s Amish country. Certain farmhouses sell the concentrate. I tasted a drop of it straight up, and it's nasty on its own, so you need to add a ton of sugar to the carbonated water.
> 
> ...



No, but I'm very partial to Soju!


----------

