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Location: East of Seattle since 1992, 615' Elevation, Zone 8b - originally from SF Bay Area
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Wes topped eating at Cracker Barrel but is had nothing to due with inflation. The nearest was 3 hours drive, in Portland Oregon. We would go for the day, visit a relative, stop at a few favorite places like the Portland Nursery, and have lunch at the Cracker Barrel. Unfortunately it closed permanently in 2022, then 3 others in that part of Oregon closed in early 2023. As for Olive Garden, we have one about 1/2 hour away, and went there just a month ago, but only go 1-2 times a year but only because we have several other Italian places that we like better. We don't do fast food, only sit-down restaurants.
My retired mother loves Olive Garden. When I take her out to lunch she often wants to go there. If that's what she wants that's what she gets! I've never been to a Cracker Barrell. Don't know that I've ever lived near one. Actually a google search tells me there's one an hour away from me. Maybe if I ever drive by it I'll try it but I won't drive to that town specifically for that reason.
CA taxes and tip add considerably to waiter served restaurants.
Shakeys Pizza near me has a lunchtime all you can eat special and I go often. It often looks like a fat lady convention, I think that just happened, not anything to do with the restaurant.
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”.
I'm with this. The quality is junky, with most of the processing done in a food factory, packaged, frozen, and sent to the restaurants to be reheated weeks or months later. It's just like much of the frozen grocery store food, just heated up by someone else.
You're way better off getting fresh food from your grocery store, and preparing it yourself, at much lower cost, with more nutrients.
No CB near us, ate at one once, it was OK, but not great. Our old neighbor loved OG & we woudl always go there to celebrate her Birthday. Again, I wouldn't go there by choice, only when invited/function.
Inflation has hit the older people and sit down restaurants are seeing a drop in business as a result. They will move from sit down restaurants to buffet type places or even fast food.
Chilis has tried to bait customers with meal deals like burger/fries/chips and a drink for $13 or something which gets people thinking it will be the same price as fast food/better food quality.
IHOP still has an over 55 menu last I checked. You can get a pretty good sized breakfast for under $6 - not sure if the prices have changed, it's been awhile since I've been there, but it was a pretty good deal when I went. It would be hard to screw up or add any unnecessary ingredients to 2 eggs over easy, bacon strips, toast and black coffee.
I'm senior and in the past have liked CB. I like the specials and a nice selection of sides.
Recently on US road trip and stopped at one in NJ. They were out of the special and had to go up to hostess after 10 minutes to ask about a waitress to take my order. New Young lady was in training. Maybe an example of how hard to find employees now in USA.
also they took off the dinner size salad as a side option.
How can us seniors maintain our lithe sexy bodies without a salad?
Anyway I'll go again to see if this was just an anomaly and maybe down south I'll have a better experience.
I've only been to one CB once, and had a wonderful breakfast. It was up in Boone, NC in 2017. Everything was delicious, and good service too. I've wanted to eat at one again ever since but live in Rapid City SD now. I don't eat out much sadly, cash flow issues.
Also I don't give a flip about the control-ya virus . I'm 75.
CA taxes and tip add considerably to waiter served restaurants.
Shakeys Pizza near me has a lunchtime all you can eat special and I go often. It often looks like a fat lady convention, I think that just happened, not anything to do with the restaurant.
We had a Shakeys in the upper Midwest in the '70s and '80s (originally had the banjo players and balloons for the kids) that shifted to the lunch buffet. During my high school days, it was packed M-F with students from five or more local high schools and a couple of colleges.
Still miss the mojo potatoes.
Last edited by WoodburyWoody; 09-25-2023 at 02:55 PM..
I'm with this. The quality is junky, with most of the processing done in a food factory, packaged, frozen, and sent to the restaurants to be reheated weeks or months later. It's just like much of the frozen grocery store food, just heated up by someone else.
You're way better off getting fresh food from your grocery store, and preparing it yourself, at much lower cost, with more nutrients.
For many it's the social aspect of eating out. People get tired of eating at home.
Some people like to eat things that are time consuming to cook so they eat out.
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. I'm 75.
