Another Spinoff: Restaurants You Want

[NorthernZel]

I'd kill for a Chinese restaurant (or even a Chinese take-away) to open up in my area - there was one until a 3-4 years ago, but that closed up. There are many food places in my neighborhood, but most of them are either Mediterranean/Middle Eastern, sushi bars or the run-of-the-mill pizza parlour. Oh, and a Vietnamese fish restaurant, too.

I wouldn't mind if a TGI Friday opened up here, either - I was at one while I was visiting Prague and liked the food they were serving.

[CaroPhoenix]

I forgot about Bennigan's! Wow. There used to be one in a city just north of here. I loved their baked potato soup! Yummy! But the last few times (before it was shut down), it was really cruddy. Really. (Fly in the ice cube kinda cruddy).

I want a Sonic. Again, it's in Fredericksburg proper. Depending on traffic (and I have to pass by Quantico), it can take 1 hour to get there.

[monolayth]

I would like The brazen head in Omaha Nebraska. Irish food and super yummy. I would also like Flavors in St Augustine Fl. I have it every time I go there and never disappoints.

[Mike Taylor]

In my area, I'd love to see a Whataburger, a couple more Dairy Queens and a Sonic Drive-In within reasonable driving distance of me. I'd also like a couple of Popeye's Fried Chicken places as well.

[monolayth]

OMG I forgot about whataburger!

[AccountingDrone]

In Virginia Beach back in the 80s was a place called Grate Steak. You picked your own slab of dead cow out and grilled it. There was a salad and side dish buffet, and foil wrapped baked potatoes you reheated on the grill while you did your steak. Nomnomnom.

There was also a fast food tempura joint near um, Military Highway sort of. Great place. Usual suspects, veggies, shrimp, chicken finger. Reasonably cheap too.

Not sure what the name of it was, we called it the brew and spew but it was a Third run movie theater that also served food. Great fun. Cheap movies and dinner, perfect for a date. We used to go pretty much every thursday evening. It was off the end of Witchduck, near the Farmfresh plaza that had the great used book store in it.

[DGoddessChardonnay]

Where I'm at, we have pretty much everything here (Red Lobster, TGIFriday's, Olive Garden, Steak and Shake, O'Charley's, et al_)

One thing I'd like to see here is a Roadkill Cafe. That's about the only thing we don't have I can think of.

[fireheart]

These aren't restaurants, but they are still food stores.

-Krispy Kreme (there are-or were-a few interstate and people who went interstate would bring back a TON of the donuts)

-Beard Papa-they do AWESOME cream puffs *drools* sadly they closed down the one in Adelaide

-Pizza Hut restaurants (there are a couple around, but they're rare as hens teeth, a lot of them closed down early on and were replaced by similar setups to Dominos)

-Starbucks. Enough said

[klhanson]

I wish wisconsin had bojangles.. i love going to north carolina because my first stop when i get out of the airport is bojangles

[wolfie]

Mr. Mikes (had half a dozen outlets in Vancouver when I was growing up, none remaining when I visited a couple years ago). They were a "grown up" burger chain.

The Pop Shoppe - 750 ml bottles of weird and wonderful flavours of soda, mix and match, sold by the dozen.

[mikoyan29]

For me:
In N' Out - but I realize that is never going to happen because apparently they have their own meat packing plant and want the meat fresh at their restaurants

Del Taco - There is one somewhere around here but I can never find it. Love them out in California

Chi Chi's - Not the best Mexican but I enjoyed it

Bennigans - Monte Christo

[1756GR2]

Eddie Leonard's. Best cheesesteaks I ever had. At least, they were the best (mumblemumble) years ago when I was in college. Georgia Avenue in NW DC, if I remember it correctly. I dearly wish it was up here.

[BeenThereDoneThat]

They took away our Whataburger...and Fazoli's too Checkers is gone too, though I hadn't been there in a while.

I've heard Bennigan's might be making a comeback...somebody with more time on their hands should Google it for us (it's 4:21 AM here and I'm still up)

Things they have over Orlando way that we don't have here on the coast:

• Romano's Macaroni Grill
• Cheesecake Factory
• Joe's Crab Shack (I think)

Things they keep taunting us with on TV but as far as I know there are NONE around here anywhere:

• Red Robin (YUM!!!)
• Dave and Buster's
• Jack in the Box (though I haven't seen commercials lately)

I would also love to have a Spaghetti Factory. Can you tell I love pasta?

[DeltaSierra]

In my area, I'd love to see a Whataburger, a couple more Dairy Queens and a Sonic Drive-In within reasonable driving distance of me. I'd also like a couple of Popeye's Fried Chicken places as well.

OY! I forgot about Whataburger too - I LOVED going there when I lived in Tulsa!!

-Beard Papa-they do AWESOME cream puffs *drools* sadly they closed down the one in Adelaide

They have one in the mall that is close to my college - I've never tried their cream puffs, but they are *ALWAYS* busy, so I assume they must be pretty darn good!

Mr. Mikes (had half a dozen outlets in Vancouver when I was growing up, none remaining when I visited a couple years ago). They were a "grown up" burger chain.

The Pop Shoppe - 750 ml bottles of weird and wonderful flavours of soda, mix and match, sold by the dozen.

I remember both of these - in fact my cousin managed a Mr Mikes in Parksville eons ago.

I LOVED the ice cream at the Pop Shoppe - it was the ONLY ice cream parlour in the tiny backwoods town I grew up in. I also loved being able to "mix and match" the pop and pick what flavours we wanted.

[thansal]

-Beard Papa-they do AWESOME cream puffs *drools* sadly they closed down the one in Adelaide

AHHHH
I was so sad when the Beard Papas near Astor closed, and I don't think there are any in NYC to my knowledge. (ok, google says there is one on the upper west side, but I don't GO there!)

There was also a fast food tempura joint near um, Military Highway sort of. Great place. Usual suspects, veggies, shrimp, chicken finger. Reasonably cheap too.

Fast food tempura sounds like a great idea!

Just about whenever I hit up Japanese I tend to insist on some vegie tempura, one of my favorite things ever.

I actually have another thing to add (or 2):

More Korean Food.
NYC Does have a decent selection of Korean places, however they are almost ALL in K-Town, or I happen to see them near other places that I love (and thus have a hard time going to the neighborhood and not going to them). I'm not a seafood person, however Koreans do some really excellent meat dishes, and everything is better with Kimchi.

More Vietnamese also. Pho makes me happy, and I can get it with some regularity (though they are all trips out of my way...). However, there is a lack of Banh Mi places. Crusty french bread with wonderful fillings is something there should always be more of.