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When you're on the road CB is just fine and very convenient. Place is big enough to park my RV and the food is consistent. I've been to OG once. These are basically cafeterias with servers. Get-em in, get-em fed, get-em out.
We haven't been to an Olive Garden or a Cracker Barrel in a long time, we really don't have one that close to us. If there was one nearby we would definitely go.
The last time I was in a Cracker Barrel was years ago, but I do remember seeing an old couple looking around the tacky gift shop. I whispered to the husband "you look like I do when my wife drags me around places like this". He couldn't stop chuckling.
We were late for a show last week so I suggested Five Guys for a quick meal that wasn't McDonald's. I got a burger, my wife the junior burger or whatever it's called. We split a small order of fries and a drink. We could not eat any cheaper yet the cost was $29. This would explain why restaurants are not doing as well today.
Last edited by DaveinMtAiry; 09-23-2023 at 02:17 PM..
We were late for a show last week so I suggested Five Guys for a quick meal that wasn't McDonald's. I got a burger, my wife the junior burger or whatever it's called. We split a small order of fries and a drink. We could not eat any cheaper yet the cost was $29. This would explain why restaurants are not doing as well today.
Unfortunately, the restaurants have been experiencing the same ridiculous inflation that the rest of us have. The cost of food and labor is hitting their bottom line, they have no choice but to pass that cost on to their customers. They either make a profit or they go out of business.
Most of the food served at both of these restaurants is prepared in a commissary kitchen and reheated, really not much different than what you’d get at the freezer aisle or hot deli of a grocery store. They do offer table service, and we get to skip cleanup so there is that bonus. Is it enough to justify paying 2X-3X the cost for food that is nothing special? Apparently a lot of folks vote “no”.
Yup...and it's not just these two establishments that reheat frozen foods and use reconstituted foodstuff.
Even the so-called better restaurants cut a lot of corners.
CB - after they did away with a couple of my faves and the constant pita to get strawberry jam and coffee refills, we quit going. I did enjoy their fireplace though. I’m not sure if the one in our location is still there.
OG - while I like “The Tour” m9stly for theParm and lasagna and the salad. Also wine (Poggio Moscato) but I don’t get that much. Desserts too. However, we just don’t go out as much as we used to.
Sometimes serving staff is nice, other times I get the feeling they’d rather be seeing cute girls or guys that are less than 30 years old.
Anybody who knows ANYTHING about Italian Food knows that very often you don't LIKE other people's cooking.
Henry Hill didn't like too many onions in the sauce. I don't like garlic in the sauce and certainly NOT a bunch of dry herbs with undertaste. I also want my tomatoes puree not chunky.
So the LAST PLACE I'd go is some "Italian" joint I didn't know about.
Like throwing my money away in a snobby joint that serves me roe on my lobster because somebody told them it was "culinary".
Or you jump in a Ruth's Chris, order a piece of fish telling the server NO SODIUM ON THE FISH JUST PAN BROIL OR SAUTE IT IN WATER.
What comes out? Crusted salty seasoned fish because "It won't cook without it".
People go to Olive Garden mostly because it's KNOWN, PREDICTABLE, and they won't throw their money away on FOOD THEY DON'T LIKE.
Not food YOU don't like.
I understand that you have an affinity for a specific Olive Garden in one particular location who performed good deeds for those 9/11 helpers. I give them a lot of credit for that. I do remember 9/11 very well and would be very grateful and supportive to the altruistic staff at that particular Olive Garden restaurant. But I wasn't writing about a specific location. I live in the NYC metro area, not in NYC at present. We have so many Italian restaurants within a 50 mile area, there's no need to eat at an Olive Garden if you get a craving for pasta. I'm sure people in Texas or CA would say the same about Taco Bell because Tex Mex restaurants are very abundant in those areas with better quality and cheaper prices.
If you live in an Italian food dessert, then Olive Garden might fulfill your needs. I'm just saying that there are better options in areas, such as Boston, or Providence, or NYC with large Italian-American populations. In my area, specifically, there are numerous Italian supermarket chains (Uncle Giuseppe, Iavarone Brothers, A&S Foods, etc.) that sell both in-house prepared Italian food or imported Italian food. Even these, taste much better than OG
I stopped eating at Cracker Barrel and Olive Garden, 15-20 years ago.
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