There are a couple in the Portland suburbs. When I was in high school, my family and I would go to Old Chicago for our Friday night pizza night. Their pizza is really good for a chain, especially the Chicago Seven. Mmmmmmm. I'm really hungry now.

Why? Will that somehow change your experience when you eat there? No? Then let it go man ;)

I mean, people here are saying they only tolerate the cheesecake factory, which tells me they've never had the chicken stuffed tortillas there. ;)


Spreading too fast IMO. The quality is suffering the farther from Denver you get. They have a lot of beer but they have no clue how to pour it. If I get my guiness 15 seconds after I ordered it, I know someone screwed up.

WK should have included a disclaimer since he used to work at Old Chicago. ;)

I like Old Chicago too (excellent beer selection, decent food); Rock Bottum is similar and also good. I'm addicted to Chipotle, another Denver-based burrito chain with over 40 locations in the metro area. I tolerate most sandwich chains and dislike burger chains and Taco Bell. I love BD's Mongolian BBQ and go to their Boulder shop every chance I get. I like Red Robin too, particularly their BBQ whiskey chicken burger and their fries. I don't go there very often though; a bit too fattening. Other than that, I avoid most sit-down-and-order chain restaurants.

My only complaint with Cheesecake Factory is that they have so much stuff on their menu that it takes me half an hour to decide what to order. I like most chains ok, with the exception of IHOP...how can you call yourself the "international house of pancakes" and not have the most basic variation on pancakes (blueberry pancakes)? I have to admit getting a powerful craving for fast food once in a while, usually McD's. For some reason when I really get the urge for a greasy burger and fries, McD's is the only one that really fits the bill. I love In'n'Out.

Always prefer to eat at a local place if I'm away from home though. Nothing annoys me more than being on a business trip in a city I've never been to before and being with somebody that wants to go to Outback. To me the best thing about work travel is getting to sample the local cuisine and try to find out what the regional specialty. I go to Kansas City fairly often and you can't swing a dead cat there without hitting a great steakhouse or Barbeque place and I still wound up eating at Outback there not long ago. I don't hate Outback, but as far as steakhouses go they are mediocre at best and I don't get eating there when there are lots of better places around and the company is picking up the tab.