7 Family Restaurant Chains I Only Encountered After Moving to America

[@lanceg8299]

"57 years ago at the beginning on 2020." I laughed so hard that I drooled. Good lord.

[@Steff93]

I hit the like button as soon as he said that one! Lol

[@denicesanders4586]

It's only been 57 years ago? Seems more like 157 years ago

[@HipixOFFICIAL]

If that's what gets you to laugh so hard you drool then you're going to have a field day if you ever read a joke book 🤣

[@candicehoneycutt4318]

He ain't wrong 😂

[@mrmoshpotato]

Fifty-seven years is generous. More like 570 years.

[@DPerez3573]

I was surprised there wasn't as much love for the cheddar biscuits as there was for the breadsticks. Those biscuits are addictive

[@ninaradio]

They really are. And the Olive Garden breadsticks are...not. It’s hard to mess up plain bread and yet, somehow, they do.

[@jenlovesjesus]

Oh yes they are!

[@janelle144]

I come out of Red Lobster feeling bloated. Those biscuits must blow up in my stomach.

[@iloveyourunclebob]

@@ninaradio olive garden knows the only thing going for their breadsticks is the melted butter. I like plain old bread tho so I like them lol

[@chouseification]

@@ninaradio that really varies from store to store and cook to cook - I worked at one back in high school doing dishes, and due to having aced home ec, I would get pulled to do side projects more often than the other folks in the dish pit. Sometimes that was making sticks - you went through so many during lunch and dinner rush that there was a dedicated area next to the main line just for making sticks. Our restaurant had two double ovens at the stick area - enough for at least 4 full sheet pans to be going at the same time. The sticks came in half-cooked on bread trays and you'd slide them out of their plastic bag onto the pan and then toss them in the oven. When a pan of sticks was ready to come out (it only took a few minutes since these things were running hot), you'd use a food grade paint brush and dunk it in a Cambro bin filled with liquid Mazola oil - quickly smear that on the sticks and let them soak it for about 15 seconds before you'd dump them in the holding bin. Differences between a competent person and a warm body - competent person waits to take them out of oven until they are showing a tinge of golden brown on them, so they will be lovely and nice and slightly crunchy on the outside. Warm body makes sure they are warm enough to fully melt the margarine goo, but will take the pans out 20 to 30 seconds too soon out of ignorance, indifference, or just general inability to follow simple instructions. As to the "buttering" step, once again, competent person makes sure to paint down the lengths of the sticks although it takes a few more strokes than stroking down the pan - warm body strokes down the pan and misses the edges of most of the sticks, so they aren't as "buttered" as they're supposed to be. It's not the sticks, it's their management and staff apparently not caring, and not realizing how important those good slightly crunchy sticks are over slightly warmed bread.

[@cisium1184]

At 7:59, note how the coasts of New England and the Maritimes, where lobsters live, are conspicuously free of Red Lobsters.

[@SirWussiePants]

I took my father to Maine for one of his high school reunions and told him I would drive if we went to the shore for some Lobster. A day into the trip he said "Let's just go to Red Lobster". I did not freaking drive to Maine to eat at Red Lobster. I absolutely love lobster, but after 4 days of lobster rolls I can see why workers rebelled for being served too much of it way back when.

[@Markle2k]

Snow crab and king crab legs are another staple at Red Lobster and they are missing from Alaska as well.

[@MrKeserian]

@@SirWussiePants former Masshole, now Virginian checking in. Ya, whatever they serve is no longer allowed to be called "Lobster," nevermind the proper term "lobstah." It's frozen, typically overcooked, rubbery, and slightly flavorless. Nevermind that they charge you what's essentially market price for a full Lobster and just give you the tail. I went to college in Annapolis, and I can safely say that their crab is just as terrible, and just as overpriced. The only thing they do well are their cheddar biscuits, and I'm not ashamed to say that I once made an entire Doordash order just out of those.

[@PegR38]

New England has Legal Seafood. Of course, it's a LOT more expensive than Red Lobster.

[@valerieannrumpf4151]

That's because we have some darn good local seafood places in new england. If you ever go to connecticut, go to Lenny and Joe's fish tales, there's a few locations around the state, I've been to the one in new haven.

[@airicastarwall1349]

"Quarantine was made for me" I don't know if I've ever vibed so much with a statement more

[@jenlovesjesus]

True that!

[@currypenguin]

Same

[@MarkGast]

Yeah, the only change in my life is wearing a mask in public.

[@UTubeHandlesSuck]

Hear hear! You tell it!

[@thebitterapple11]

We could be best friends, who never see or talk to each other.

[@jcnash02]

If you hate pancakes, consider choosing “French toast” as a substitute. Many restaurants allow it, and its better.

[@anniebalsbaugh735]

Nooooo, lol...they never cok them long enough, when the eggs still move!! Did it once, never again.

[@kc9scott]

Cracker Barrel has good French toast. No matter what restaurant, though, I always first check to make sure it's not soggy on the inside.

[@jeaniechowdury576]

jcnash02 i hate pancakes. I have waffles instead.....❤️❤️

[@Ozymandias2x]

@@kc9scott Can confirm, Cracker Barrel has amazing french toast. They make it with their sourdough bread, which is also amazing. It's basically the only sourdough I actually like.

[@jenlovesjesus]

If you like French toast, try making it with Panettone, an Italian Christmas bread. I learned that from the Food Network and it's incredible for a holiday breakfast or brunch.

[@BornRandy62]

When traveling south toward St Louis stop at Lambert's. The house for the thrown rolls. They literally throw bread at you when you ask for more.

[@mollietenpenny4093]

My family went to Lamburt's while on vacation in Gulf Shores, Alabama. One of the funniest restaurants I ever went to !😂🤣

[@DurandCompton]

Been there, done that.

[@thatissomeBS]

I've been to Lampert's once. Great experience.

[@matthewbestdfghy]

They once threw stuff like green beans but it didn't take off. If you're ever in St. Louis try Imos pizza.

[@jthestar1421]

Love that place but there’s only 3

[@Emilaria]

I love how Uncle Toby has become part of our world on this channel. Also, 57 years ago was indeed the beginning of the year, and isolation was definitely made for me. I'm rocking this quarantine.

[@jademusic1211]

Oh, Laurence.. 🤣 I often have to stop your vids and rewind because I couldn't catch the meaning of something you said. Your wit keeps chugging along like a freight train that doesn't stop for its passengers. 😂 Thank you for the laughs and the information, as always. 🙂♥️

[@GONZOFAM7]

I'm aTexan who lived in the middle east and now Indiana. American restaurants in the middle east are good but just changed enough to satisfy local flavors. Now in Indiana I use your videos as a sort guide to living in this great state.

[@heidifedor]

Lol The thing you don’t like about Cracker Barrel is the thing most people love.

[@willvr4]

That's why everyone there is in their 70's or with kids lol

[@electricheartpony]

That was what turned my friend away from Cracker Barrel.

[@mloftin6472]

I LOVE Cracker Barrel!!!

[@chouseification]

oh the nicknacks and more importantly the CANDY section are fun to browse, but he's right... The ADA has been a thing for decades now, yet Cracker Barrel can't be honorable enough to just make sure there is one clean path to walk through the front area of their stores. I'm really surprised local Fire Marshalls allow it, as during an evacuation that lobby is a major hazard. I can't even imagine trying to bring somebody in a wheelchair there - the food is great but it's 2020 and it's time for them to clear a damn aisle, now. :P

[@AlexKS1992]

I love the food and I love it if a Cracker Barrel would open a restaurant in South East Idaho.

[@davidfrischknecht8261]

Cracker Barrel is actually one of my favorite chain restaurants, along with Olive Garden, Carrabba's, Longhorn Steakhouse, and Texas Roadhouse.

[@newdamage5945]

I love Longhorn. One of the best chains in my opinion.

[@thegooseisin6910]

Same Cracker Barrel is my family’s go to road trip restaurant because they are always near highways

[@mannfan12]

@@newdamage5945 It absolutely is. They are often better than "local" steakhouses here in Texas. You could easily see two hour waits on Friday night. Well.....before the pandemic that is.

[@LadyMercutia]

Carrabba’s absolutely SLAPS. Those zucchini fries are amazing.

[@davidfrischknecht8261]

@@LadyMercutia I'm partial to their meatballs & ricotta. I actually can't stand zucchini.

[@michaelbrennan6123]

Back in my childhood, 1960s and 1970s IHOP actually had more “international” options. You weren’t in the USA in the old days (pre1980s). Therefore you missed the predecessors of Cracker Barrel such as Nickerson Farms or Stuckey’s which were very similar. They and others like them, were the pioneers in interstate roadside “sit down” dining. These places had both souvenirs and meals for travelers. McDonald’s and Burger King hadn’t ventured out there yet.

[@DFX2KX]

That's a very interesting bit of information for someone who was born in 86. I've always wondered what the deal was where every Cracker Barrel I'd ever been to was half a car length from the off-ramp. Huh.

[@MelB868]

I wasn’t even born yet

[@AndrewAMartin]

I remember seeing Stuckey's a lot as a kid, but we never went to one. The distinctive white building with an aqua roof... Kind of like Howard Johnson's and their orange roofs.

[@lennybuttz2162]

Wasn't Stuckey's a truck stop?

[@donnarohdy2881]

I don’t do mornings, so I love any restaurant that has breakfast on the menu all day long!

[@agoogleuser4443]

Same here! My daughter gave me a coffee mug that said "due to unfortunate circumstances I'm awake."

[@scotthall2723]

Have you not encountered a Chilli's or a Red Robin or an O'Charlie's yet? I'm glad you didn't mention buffet type places like Golden Coral, MCM Cafeteria or Pei Wei. Honorable mentions go to Outback Steakhouse, Carrabba's, and Ruby Tuesdays.

[@kathywiseley4382]

O'Charley's is closing down all over Illinois so he may not have been to one yet. I miss their rolls! But not their pie.

[@McPhunk]

PF changs isnt buffet

[@jacobkeyser8628]

oh Red Robin. I worked there in High School. the best part was getting free fries every shift

[@scotthall2723]

Sorry, I meant Pei Wei, which _is_ a Chinese buffet place, and owned by P.F.Changs -- after all these years I think of the two synonymously. And I love the tower of onion rings at Red Robin.

[@LoyaFrostwind]

Got tough overcooked steak at Chili's, and my boyfriend got food poisoning from undercooked/contaminated food.

[@davidcantwell2489]

I remember when Long John Silver's spokespersons we're a group of pirates and you could still get Peg Legs. Their advertisements declared them to be a seafood shop. I liked them back then because they were the closest thing I could find to fish and chips.

[@michaelsmith-iu1be]

And the chicken was called Planks

[@denicesanders4586]

They closed them here in NW Tennessee and yet Captain Disease remains.

[@MrKeserian]

There's one near me here in Newport News, VA. It's the only one I've ever actually seen. Always used to see adverts for them in the 90s, but never actually saw a store. Honestly? I grew up in New England, so just about any "seafood" fast food joint is overpriced, and terrible quality.

[@Valitreah]

@@MrKeserian There was one in Hampton, VA the last one we had here, but it had a fire recently and closed.

[@lairdcummings9092]

Long John Silvers is a down-market Arthur Treacher's. Annoyingly, Arthur Treacher's is essentially gone.

[@GizmoRob176]

I never realized as an American, our culture is hilarious.

[@stephenpemberton9943]

Our culture is just someone else's x100!😆

[@CoasterMan13Official]

I say it's just unique.

[@saltyfoodie4512]

Our culture is tepid at best. Lawrence is hilarious.

[@dominickjustave3558]

Americana is a melting pot, a little bit of everything mixed in

[@lwwoern]

How about doing a video of British things in the USA that surprised you?

[@sirclarkmarz]

like Burger King, yes it's a British Corporation

[@PixelatedH2O]

@@sirclarkmarz I'm not sure where you get that info. The HQ is in Florida and they didn't arrive in the UK at all till 20 years after they were founded.

[@JesusFriedChrist]

john smith It’s just a restaurant, it’s not related to the British Monarchy.

[@kittyprydekissme]

@@sirclarkmarz According to Wikipedia, Burger King is currently owned by a Canadian Company. It was partly owned by a Brasilian company before that. I'm not aware of them ever having British ownership.

[@NathanMN]

@@kittyprydekissme BK actually acquired Tim Horton's just to relocate their headquarters in Canada for tax reasons. It's called a corporate inversion.

[@charlesbarrios9875]

Please don't feel bad about the lonestar/texas roadhouse mix up. those two restaurants were literally right across the street from each other in my home town for my whole life and it took me a solid 17 years until I could make the distinction between the two

[@KEVMAN7987]

"Pancakes are a choice not a threat." Are you sure about that?

[@ArtsyMagic239]

*Canada has entered the chat*

[@KayakTN]

I've never been to a Bob Evans. There is a Cracker Barrel directly across the street. Best pancakes in town.

[@ariellev9128]

most Bob Evans are in the south there's a few of them in the midwest like in Ohio. The food is tasty

[@stevebengel1346]

@@ariellev9128 most of them are in the Ohio area and Mid- Atlantic area, Florida is really the only southern state with more than a couple of restaurants

[@kathywiseley4382]

@@ariellev9128 Since Bob Evans is based in southeastern Ohio, I promise you that there are BE in Ohio. 😂

[@mannfan12]

Wen to a BE *once* in Maryland. Blechttt....

[@GTVAlfaMan]

We had Bob Evans in Michigan, live their biscuits and gravy.

[@GailGurman]

Admittedly, it's been a long time since I was in England, but my memory of Pancake Day is that the "pancakes" were more like what we would call "crepes," ie., the were very thin. Whereas American pancakes are thick and fluffy (when done right anyway).

[@mikesaunders4775]

You remember it right.

[@steveschainost7590]

I seem to recall an episode of Top Chef Australia were the contestants were challenged to make a stack of "pancakes". Any that were thicker than a dollar bill were rejected.

[@GudetamaSit]

To be honest, our pancakes are less actual food ( yours look pretty satisfying and thick ) and more just a thinly veiled excuse to stuff tons of jam/sugar/nutella/golden syrup in our gobs. A plain pancake isn't all that nice for me.

[@GenXBecks]

You made a Breakfast Club joke, but there's a chain of restaurants here in London called The Breakfast Club that focuses on American style pancakes and mountains of bacon. They use streaky bacon which, as an American, I heartily approve.

[@bill.godwin-austen]

I'd have Cracker Barrel at or near the top of the list among the restaurants listed. Whenever I'm on road trips that take me east of California (there are only 2 in California, and not in places I generally pass through), it's one of the places I look for to stop and enjoy some tasty, filling southern style comfort food. The crowded, kitsch-filled entrances are just part of the quirky personality of the place that you accept in order to get to the food.

[@Miesque1973]

I love Cracker Barrel, too. I can even resist the overload of the gift shop and tolerate the long wait for a table (you can sit in the rocking chairs). Chicken & dumplings, green beans, corn and hash brown casserole remain my go-to. Texas Road House makes decent steaks, but Lone Star Steak House is better. Applebee's always seems to be the "Well, we're hungry and there's nowhere else to eat nearby..." place to go. Olive Garden is okay, particularly gnocchi, but little local Italian places up North are better. It's sadly impossible to get genuine cheese steaks in Texas, but then again it's impossible to get good catfish up North.

[@pauljones2510]

I have two wooden rocking chairs on my front porch that were purchased at Cracker Barrel.

[@lennybuttz2162]

I only ate there twice, the food was OK, big portions, reasonable price but it was so busy it took forever to get a table and the dining room was so crowded. You can't be in a hurry, it takes forever to pay your bill. One day Cracker Barrel packed up and left WI, they just left.

[@gregmardon6973]

I'm new to your Channel and I'm having a ball, you are very creative and very funny !! For my liking is Belgian waffles, I just love the little squares that I can drown in butter and maple syrup.

[@carfreeneoliberalgeorgisty5102]

I'm a dual British/Canadian citizen and my favourite American restaurant of all time is Friendly's Ice Cream in the Massachusetts/New England region of the US. They make amazing ice cream and their other food is pretty good too

[@SuperDrLisa]

Try Newport Creamery if you're ever in Rhode Island, yummy, better than friendlies

[@54321jcc]

They aren't all gone but I do remember them filing for Chap 11 bankruptcy fairly recently. I think in the process of downsizing to become profitable. I don't think they'll flat out go away though, apparently the chain has gone through this before.

[@missmossie2010]

And Governor's, if you're in Maine

[@ericvacca551]

Friendlys used to be really good 20 years ago. Now its shit.

[@blueray15]

The one's by me just closed without any warning. Seriously employees showed up to work to find a sign saying the restaurant was permanently closed.

[@ajl8198]

Thank you for your hilarious channel it’s delightful always gives me a great laugh !!

[@jenniferd37]

There’s a restaurant in London called “Where The Pancakes Are” that I made a point of visiting on my first trip across the pond. On the inside of the exit door, it says “where the pancakes were.” Two thumbs up!

[@dale3404]

The thing about chain restaurants is the known. When traveling, I know what I’ll be getting and can make my choices accordingly. Btw, Roadhouse has good Ceasar salad and great rolls.

[@diannelavoie5385]

That's how I look at it. Can't always go hunting around for a mom and pop, though googling can help with this.

[@dale3404]

dianne lavoie These days finding restaurants is much easier, but for many years we stuck with the tried and true. Our rule: if it’s a restaurant in our hometown, we can’t eat there. Has to be somewhere new. Although, when we were visiting the Navajo Nation in Arizona (25 years ago), we ate at Burger King three meals in one day. Not many restaurants and we weren’t too adventurous.

[@indy_go_blue6048]

As for "off brand" (aka mom & pop) diners when I was growing up the saying was "look for where the truckers eat." It worked 99% of the time. I doubt if that holds true today.

[@merricat3025]

I don't travel outside the United States very much at all. I mean I've only been to other countries not counting Canada. I remember going to restaurants and not liking the food. I was happy to see chain restaurant so I would know what I was actually getting.

[@matthurst1774]

Laurence I love your videos. I say that’s to say this. As an American, you can not put crackle barrel and Texas Roadhouse before Applebee’s or how we say in my house crapplebees. Anyways I’m at 6 min and 59 sec back to the video

[@mimi1568]

Crapplebees! That is so, so accurate! I'll be using that from now on. Thank you, my friend.

[@pjschmid2251]

But they weren’t before. He went from worst to best.

[@kathywiseley4382]

Yes! This!!

[@Markle2k]

Oh, just wait. #1 is Olive Garden, FFS. And his favorite part is the breadsticks. There is a reason why Olive Garden gives them away for free, Lawrence. They are worse than the frozen ones from the supermarket that you heat up at home. If I were going out to dinner with Lawrence, I now know not to let him choose the restaurant.

[@NotSoFast71]

The country store is the best part of Cracker Barrel. Stewart's Orange Cream soda AND a tee shirt with wolves and dream catcher printed on it in the same store? Be still my heart!

[@ruk2023--]

IHOP omelettes are pretty good though, the only reason I still go there when visiting the USA.

[@CarlGorn]

For a more upscale Italian-American chain restaurant, try Buca di Beppo. While a meal for 2 is likely to cost you around $100 with wine and dessert, the quality is generally worth it. I especially recommend the chicken marsala with its wonderful citrus accents and the cannolis, which are the stuff of dreams. And if you're out with a group, it's more affordable, since they have family-size orders which are cheaper per serving, so everybody can chip in $40 or so and have a lovely night.

[@CameronEly]

I was surprised cheesecake factory wasn't on the list.

[@MrKeserian]

Too high quality. CF kinda sits on that line between "cheap chain restaurant" and "luxury chain restaurant." So, if you're lower middle class, it's your special treat when the boss has deigned to give you a bonus. If you're more well off, it's the place you go when you don't want to cook, but no one in your group can figure out what type of food they want.

[@BWPT.]

We have those in the UK

[@devinmorse3607]

That's because no one goes to Cheesecake Factory.

[@CameronEly]

Jesse Hall where do you guys have a restaurant? I don’t see anything it about it on their website?

[@ravenmills7777]

Waffle House!!

[@ArisimaSpinosa]

Back before the interstate system was developed in the US, when you lived in the Northeast and wanted to visit Florida, you traveled down US 1. When you got close to Florida, while still in Georgia, you had to pass through the town of Waycross. There was a very popular restaurant there called, "The Green Frog", and, apparently, EVERYONE had to stop there for a meal. After I-95 was built, business dried up, and the owners moved their restaurant to Florida, but decided to rename it to: "The Red Lobster".

[@RHEarl]

You can find "Bob Evans" in some grocery deli departments in the Mountains of Utah, but just their side dishes.

[@stanbrown32]

Also true in Georgia.

[@haroldwilkes6608]

Ditto, Wisconsin.

[@aprilvoecks5877]

Not their breakfast sausage? That's been in grocery stores at least several decades.

[@saramesko5898]

Hello from Pittsburgh, PA! I’m a server at Bobby E’s and was so pleased to see they were included.

[@ssga_tgbuddy3082]

I did ask a Brit ex-pat once 'Where do y'all eat?' He laughed at the question but wondered what I meant. I was just saying that looking at Google maps I would see pubs and restaurants but they always seemed small and just had a few choices. And the time for eating was very specific. 'Were there anything like our Applebee's or IHOP? He said the problem was that all the land is owned and people tend to hang on to it. So there really isn't a good footprint for those places to establish.

[@Frank-mm2yp]

There is a British pub/restaurant chain called WETHERSPOONS---ask any Brit

[@pamelascott2424]

If you ever find yourself in Southeast Ohio look up the Bob Evan in Rio Grande ( pronounced RIeo Grand) that is home of the original Bob Evan's. They still have the farm. You can go horse backfiring even. Bob was a super nice man!!! I had leukemia as a kid and when I 1st got to go home I had to redo all of the vaccines they give babies. He would keep the one end of the restaurant empty on the days I had appointments so we could stop to eat. I had a hard time eating and had lost a huge amount of weight. He was retired but would come in and make peach cobbler for me cause he knew he could tempt me to eat a bit of it. It wasn't on the menu even!!! Of course the place has been remodeled several times since he sold it but I have a lot of find memories of stopping there as a kid!!!

[@O2life]

I love how the beginning of 2020 is getting longer and disproportionally longer ago.

[@candicehoneycutt4318]

The beginning of 2020 feels like an eternity ago. I was young

[@Jamessmith-xk3fh]

I don't think I've ever seen a Bob Evans restaurant but I've seen there frozen food dishes here in Louisiana

[@sschmidtevalue]

I used to like Applebees, but about 10 or 12 years ago, they changed their flavor palette and started buying cheaper meat, so I moved on to other things.

[@mloftin6472]

Why would anyone eat at Texas Roadhouse?

[@mloftin6472]

Applebee's is just awful now.

[@CannelleInOK]

I just discovered your channel two days ago and I love it. =)

[@kristofftaylovoski60]

Red Lobster... proof that not everyone is qualified to cook fish.

[@MrKeserian]

As a former New Englander, Red Lobster isn't Red (it's far too expensive to be Communist), and it sure as hell isn't Lobster, or rather, "lobstah" as it is more properly known.

[@GailGurman]

The only thing I really like at Red Lobster is the cheesy biscuits. Yum!

[@ruk2023--]

Red Lobster is pretty good for us Brits as tourists...until we encounter a real seafood restaurant and then realise it's not. Atlantic Fish in Boston (and many others) make them look terrible.

[@grassfedmilkmomma]

Once you learn their cheese biscuit recipe theres no reason to ever go back.

[@MsCatstaff]

@@grassfedmilkmomma Unless you're a New Englander temporarily stuck in the Midwest. Red Lobster might not give you a proper clambake, but it's one of the few places you can be sure of getting the kind of lobster you ordered. (Tried ordering stuffed lobster tails at an otherwise decent non-chain restaurant in Illinois once - the menu said Maine lobster, but just looking at the shell, it was obviously rock lobster. I was Not Pleased.)

[@sailingfreakshow]

Alan Partridge voicing over 'Scissored Isle', that's what this chaps voice reminds me of. Love the content. I desperately want to try an I-hop and a Wendy's

[@MythicalPhoebe]

i grew up in an Italian american family and going to olive garden is like committing sacrilege.

[@ktoth29]

My Italian neighbors own a restaurant and catering business, and they invited us over for dinner once. Their spaghetti was so bland it was like something you'd get at a cafeteria. Literally Ragu with some garlic in it.

[@stephenpemberton9943]

More for me Stevie!😆 ✌💛🤘

[@catgirl6803]

They have a good lunch though. 🍲 🥗 and 🥖

[@loriloristuff]

Olive Garden is an infama if you're going for Italian food. There is no reason why, living in Chicago, to go to Olive Garden. Olive Garden is where the proverbial faculty goes to eat the all-you-can-eat salad, soup, and breadsticks, with a lot of wine.

[@MythicalPhoebe]

@@ktoth29 the thing is, we do have much better Italian restaurants in our area. olive garden is considered to be like the applebees of italian food. you only go there if you have no taste.

[@gidget123456]

You forgot to mention that you get to eat shelled peanuts and just throw the shells on the floor at Texas Roadhouse, and that if it's your birthday they make you ride a wooden horse while they sing to you.

[@romarobbins270]

I agree with you. I’m not that fond of Cracker Barrel.

[@dominickjustave3558]

Its overrated

[@AUsomMusic]

I've been to the Texas Roadhouse at the Yas Mall, Abu Dhabi, UAE. It is a nice treat after being in country for a while. They even had sweet tea. It doesn't hurt that Ferrari World is next door.

[@ghadrackpotato960]

"Pancakes once a year" I feel sad for your life. As a 50 year old man, I can make either pancake or chocolate chip cookie batter in the length of a commercial break during a football game (cookies cost a few cents more because if the chocolate) but Jesus, indulge a little bit, it's so cheap and awesome. For Christmas, ask for a copy of THE JOY OF COOKING. Get a copy for everyone in your family, ever, forever, always. When I moved out, it was my going away present from my mom. Learn to cook! I may still be able to dig out my Grandma's copy of TJOC from the 50's it had detailed instructions on cleaning and prepping squirels, rabbits on other garden rodents for dinner meals. Kids really should know this stuff, as weird as it may sound.

[@wandasetzer1469]

And peccary. I learned a lot about cooking from that book.

[@sherylhoward4831]

I have developed a thing for homemade blueberry pancakes wrapped around sausage. Yum!

[@joermnyc]

I actually found it better to get the boxed ‘mix with water” kind but I use fizzy water (I have a Sodastream, may as well use the thing!) The fluffiest pancakes I’ve ever had... and now every other pancake reminds me of cardboard.

[@LindaC616]

@@joermnyc I'm one of those "pancakes every 2 yrs" people, but next time I make them, I'm gonna try this, thanks!

[@BBQPorkSandwich3]

I live in Jacksonville, Florida Restaurants have been open for sit-in since May. I was at a restaurant July 5

[@BBQPorkSandwich3]

It was Texas Roadhouse that I visited how wierd

[@msmreviews8408]

OMG I am European and said to an American friend that I like Olive Garden and they were slightly horrified! So you have Cheesecake Factory in the United Kingdom? I am jealous!!!

[@juliebaker6969]

About the order I would have put them in, but I would have swapped Cracker Barrel and Olive Garden. I LOVE the atmosphere at Cracker Barrel, but Olive Garden is a bit too fancy for my taste. I think that my favorite dish at any of them though is Red Lobster's Coconut Shrimp, and you're right about the Cheddar Biscuits....heavenly!

[@charliemac64]

My wife considers Olive Garden "The Italian Denny's". ha ha haaa

[@gailtempleton1249]

Tim Cook, Tim Curry and Tim Rice, Too funny! I laughed out loud!

[@Outdoorpizzaoven]

I consider my self as a sarcastic guy. However, this guy is a master. If he started a sarcasm school I would enroll tomorrow

[@hayhayc1981]

Lawrence. I came across your videos a couple months ago when I was trolling KZbin for British people who could teach me to learn the accent by listening to them speak. You.are.freaking.hilarious. And unfortunately you’re not my husband’s favorite cuz I gush openly of your awesomeness. Plus ur brilliant. You and tara are a hoot and I’ve taken you both with me from Utah to Oklahoma (just moved). Thanks for all the laughs, entertainment, and seriously raw real talent! (The way you deliver the things you say is unparalleled and can’t be learn im convinced). And thanks for the education on proper English pronunciation and all the new words/ phrases / way of speaking!! Love it love youuu!

[@fortheloveofgrey6045]

Thirty+ years ago when these restaurants first came out they actually had good food. Not so much anymore. I don’t eat at chain restaurants if I can help it. Only occasionally eat fast food. What about fast casual restaurants like Chipotle, Panera, Potbelly’s, Portillos?

[@agoogleuser4443]

Panera has good broccoli and cheese soup!😍

[@chiprbob]

While I don't eat pancakes very often, I do love a stack of buttered fluffy pancakes with maple syrup, a couple of over easy eggs on top, and a couple strips of crisp bacon on the side.

[@sickofstupidppl6969]

Have you done grocery stores or did I miss it? I know that my daughter's friend from London was gob-smacked by something as simple as Trader Joe's.

[@msmreviews8408]

I am from a poor Southern European country and our supermarkets are all an upscale version of whole foods combined with Target but better. I find supermarkets highly disappointing, crowded and unorganized on the east coast of the USA ( I can’t speak for any other places).

[@bunniesbunniesbunnie]

born and bred american here and I left for three years. Went to Japan. I was overwhelmed when I got back. Our stores are stupidly huge.

[@sickofstupidppl6969]

@@bunniesbunniesbunnie I agree. But we also have an Aldi here which is so very down-scaled. I was just curious as to Lost In The Pond's viewpont. Oh, and as for Asian markets in the US, check out 99 Ranch Markets. They're just as big as Ralph's or Safeway.

[@msmreviews8408]

Zak B I agree with that. Malls give me anxiety. I buy online or go to Streep malls where I am out in the open when I leave the store and that allow me to only go to one store at a time, like in Europe. I personally prefer that feeling. I also went out in Black Friday and froze and was unable to buy anything. Greatest insanity I ever experienced. But I sure love American ( USA) customer service and amazon same day/ next day delivery. I don’t think it exists quite like this anywhere else in the world!

[@filanfyretracker]

honestly im in the USA and have never seen a trader joes. Mostly because im not willing to drive 45min for a food store when there is a shoprite a mile from my house.

[@tonydavies8683]

red lobster also owns olive garden if i remember right, that is why you find them so close together in most places

[@barnabydodd8956]

I've never heard anyone hate on Cracker Barrel until now.

[@thomasjsanford4369]

I thought everyone did.... It's more tourist trap than restaurant...

[@harryhenrygebel3506]

I'm not a huge fan, but I don't hate them and they're one of the only places where you can get chicken livers and Zagnut bars so I do patronize them from time to time and enjoy the experience. I too have never before heard anyone say they don't like them and most people I know that go there think they are awesome. I do really love the decor and the gift shop.

[@embracethesuck1041]

I have no problem with Cracker Barrel unless I'm with my wife. That sad attic in front is like crack for anyone missing a Y chromosome.

[@LindaC616]

@@embracethesuck1041 🤣🤣🤣🤣

[@ddylla85]

The real reason we divorced that tiny island in 1776.

[@sgommerable]

As a Northern neighbour ( Canada ) I totally appreciate your wit. Keep up the good work

[@spaceshiplewis]

Who would drag a poor soul to Red Lobster and for their BIRTHDAY PARTY no less?! Or to Applebees for any reason at all!!!

[@O2life]

Applebee's is the worst! I hope he notices how upset he's made Americans by ranking it above anything else.

[@grantrichards4950]

Applebees used to be mediocre at best but now they do alright. Their Fish and Chips is really good. It's also not as pretentious or expensive as Red Lobster.

[@emmyfischer307]

Honestly, as someone who lives in the middle of the desert, Red Lobster is the best/most reliable seafood in town...but I’ve noticed it really depends on the individual restaurant. Ours is pretty good (but doesn’t hold a candle to any seafood restaurant by the actual sea...) but I’ve also been to crap Red Lobsters. My dream is to someday live close enough to an ocean to get good seafood but as it stands the Pacific is an 8-hour drive away:(

[@MsCatstaff]

@@emmyfischer307 Thank you! As a former New Englander, I agree. Red Lobster might not be truly good seafood, but it's decent and more to the point, reliable, in areas too far from the coasts to get truly good seafood.

[@scottplumer3668]

I call it Crapplebee's.

[@jeaniechowdury576]

This american does not like pancakes either!!! I get waffles instead... Thank you another excellent episode! Now i am hungry & will be going to Applebees for lunch! 🍔🥪🍟🍔🍔😊

[@isabellewillard2943]

57 years ago, starting at the beginning of 2020, I ranked the most rank restaurants from one to 57 in all 57 states of the United States, starting with cracker barrel and ending with McDonald's and Taco Bell.

[@sherylhoward4831]

McDonalds UGH!!

[@alicem6611]

I love your information

[@allanlank]

Most American restaurants who want to go international, try Canada first. The restaurants in the Middle East are usually the result of "following the troops" and are on military bases. Following this action, there was a Tim Horton's restaurant on the Canadian base in Kandahar.

[@NatoBro]

There was also a Burger King, KFC, TGI Fridays and Nathan's on the boardwalk at Kandahar Airfield!

[@NatoBro]

And forgot Pizza Hut. Yep.

[@marklittle8805]

It is funny. Some American chains come to Canada and it just isn't the same and they end up leaving. Olive Garden and Outback are two that were the same and they couldn't make the numbers work. We insist on paying higher wages here

[@karenstewart8818]

Ah, memories. Having honeymooned in the UK in 1988 (after driving from Germany and bouncing across the channel pre-chunnel), I was treated to The Happy Eater and Little Chef.

[@mms208]

You...you placed Applebee’s above TX Roadhouse? Never will I be able to trust your tastebuds again.

[@jek__]

Have you ever been to a 50's american diner? I love the style, especially if you can find one that still has good burgers instead of surviving only on kitsch. It's all about those metal milkshake cups :P. Johnny rockets, nifty fifty's, and the like I hadn't heard of the first three chains

[@Wiley_Coyote]

I see you missed out on the ridiculousness of Outback Steakhouse, and the confusingly named T. G. I. Fridays. I am sad The Olive Garden ranks so high on your list. To me, it's a nightmare made real.

[@NathanMN]

There are Fridays restaurants in the UK. (Same chain, simplified name.)

[@MrHypnofan]

Thank God It's Friday is what it stands for.

[@Eowynnofrohan]

Have homemade pancakes with wild blueberries. The best. Mom made them on our trip to Canada in September 2019. Blueberry season

[@imaof4]

To be clear, the chain restaurants were a BIG plus for those on road trips on the highways and by-ways.

[@radio645]

My friend from Scotland was disappointed with american restaurants because they didn't serve porridge, the Euro name for what we can "hot cereal". I told him to order hot cereal instead, porridge is for people like Mary Poppins and Dame Edna.

[@cjpenning]

Applebees has large portions? 3 pieces of broccoli and a mashed potato pile as big as a large egg?

[@SanskarWagley]

American portions are large compared to Europe

[@allybird1440]

You're at Applebee's and order broccoli and mashed potatoes and are complaining? I love the ribs and seasoned fries and plenty of beer.

[@kathywiseley4382]

Applebee's here is terrible. Rude staff and the menu is way too expensive for the quality. It is one of my least favorites.

[@cjpenning]

@@SanskarWagley That may be, but Applebee's portions are not large compared to other American restaurants.

[@O2life]

Maybe he just meant in terms of calories....

[@jillpoloni7205]

As far as chain restaurants go, Maggiano’s Little Italy gets my vote. Good portions, great food and a pleasant atmosphere. There are several in the Chicago area! 👍

[@marzxbarz]

Idea for a new video: Chain restaurants that serve the best freebies: Olive Garden's breadsticks, Red Lobster's cheese biscuits, Cheesecake Factory's (molasses) bread...

[@cbart4285]

And Texas Roadhouse for their rolls😋

[@elizabethlangheim7214]

Kroger is now selling Cheesecake Factory (brown) bread. It is fab when heated 5 mins in the oven as directed.

[@rachelwollan3310]

When visiting Anderson or Indy next, come on up the road a bit to Grains & Grill in Fairmount. You can get a taste of home another 8 miles north on I-69 in Gas City at Payne's.

[@danielfronc4304]

And of course stop by James Dean's cemetery, with it's lipstick kiss mark defacements all over it (a real crime), as you head back out to I-69.

[@Jess91296]

Me: ohhhh I love Cracker Barrel! I hope he does Cracker Barrel! Him: These are the restaurants ranked from worst to best! *first one* Me: 😑

[@slipknota7xeg]

Cracker Barrel is far better than Bob Evans.

[@JeanieD]

I’ve never been to a Cracker Barrel that didn’t mostly ignore the customers and get at least part of the order wrong.

[@randalphmiller82]

Cracker barrel is for people who have no taste buds and hate seasoning on food

[@melissamcqueen582]

after eating at a cracker barrel in oklahoma city, i was scoped by the police for suspected solicitation while walking back to my hotel to watch nascar. i've never felt more american 🇺🇸

[@ladybee883]

I hate Cracker Barrel. We had never eaten there (despite being born and raised in the South) until my husband received a gift card for Christmas one year. After the initial dining foray, we made sure to take a friend (who actually liked it) to finish out the remaining balance of the card. The green beans had grease floating on them.

[@stephenpemberton9943]

Mmmm Flapjacks!😋Dude just even out the sweetness with a pound of bacon and you'll come to love said griddle cakes!

[@OldMan_PJ]

Cracker Barrel is seriously overrated, everyone I know just goes there for the decor. Bob Evans is okay for breakfast. IHOP is only good for pancakes and only when there are no crowds. I love Texas Roadhouse though, excellent ribs, steaks, pulled pork, fires, and mashed potatoes with your choice of gravy (drool.) I usually go to a greasy spoon nearby for breakfast though, cheaper and only the locals know about it (tourists usually don't go, they're too busy crowding around Cracker Barrel.) I forgot to mention, when I was living in Lake County Illinois all of the Applebee's closed when they lost a lawsuit over having to pay minimum wage to the wait staff when they were doing *required* cleaning. From what I recall they were required to spend 30% of their shift cleaning windows, floors, and such. Rather than pay the back wages the company that owned all of the Applebee's in the area decided to declare bankruptcy and shut'em down. ****ers.

[@AlbertMeza]

I love your dry sense of humor!

[@ezmeraldadudortoka7549]

Love it!!😁😁 "I can now move on with my life and base all of my assumptions about taxes off one restaurant" 😂😂

[@williamclark6555]

I would like to hear your description and review of TexMex food.

[@joshcotlar2099]

I’m surprised Outback Steakhouse wasn’t on the list

[@lindatisue733]

Outback is in Several countries. It is pretty bad in other countries and usually as overpriced as Starbucks, so he may not have tried it in the US.

[@dindixie]

Or Logan's Steakhouse. Every Outback I've been to wasn't all that, but Logan's has been very good.

[@JeanieD]

He did briefly say, at the beginning, that he had been to one while on vacation (holiday) in Florida as a child, so wouldn’t be including it (as he had not MOVED to America yet).

[@katieroets]

They have Outback in the UK. I ate at one in 2006 when I was over there.

[@Ljt2024]

Love Olive Gardens bread sticks too. Saw a video on Facebook where people are buying breadsticks to take home and use as a hotdog 🌭 bun. I’m going to try it soon. My two loves. Hotdogs and Olive Gardens breadsticks 🥖

[@dadoctah]

The "gift shop" at Cracker Barrel is a big plus when you're taking your mother or grandmother there for Mother's Day brunch, because everyone else is doing the same thing so you need something to keep them entertained during your three-hour wait for a table. That said, the biscuits and gravy aren't as good as the same dish at Waffle House.

[@davidcruz8667]

Three hour wait? Try that at any Cracker Barrel in Texas and see what happens.

[@chiswsuburbs6523]

The piquant tanginess of the biscuits and gravy at waffle house is caused by what ever industrial cleaner they are using in the restrooms at the time....

[@chiswsuburbs6523]

...which isnt often....

[@Jamie-rr5me]

You gotta get the chicken fried chicken and hash brown casserole... Mmm now I wanna go

[@sariannach]

Next time you're in New England, you may want to check out The Ninety-Nine and Friendly's. The former is a family-centric sports bar/restaurant, and the latter is a kid-centric American-food restaurant with their own ice cream line.

[@recyclingtreasures1541]

Crackle Barrel? How sad it left you with such a bad impression. Love the video though.

[@sirclarkmarz]

I'm surprised that Cracker Barrel hasn't been looted and burned by a leftist mob

[@AndrewAMartin]

@@sirclarkmarz It's sad and pathetic enough as it is.

[@oldad6207]

In Gallia County, Ohio the home of Bob Evans himself, we called him Uncle Bob.

[@YunliDeUlrika]

The only good thing I can say about Olive Garden is that while I was living in Costa Mesa, CA a writer for the local free OC Weekly paper was so incensed that Olive Garden won the reader poll for "Best Italian" that year that he wrote a very handy article listing ten restaurants that were locally owned Italian restaurants that were better than Olive Garden. That list (this was before we had grown to call them listicles, which just sounds like your testes are leaning a bit) was a goldmine for dining out for us for years to come, and it wouldn't have existed if it weren't for the pre-cooked and frozen industrial horrorshow that is Olive Garden.

[@GTVAlfaMan]

We eat pancakes here in America at least once a week or more. Bob Evans has good biscuits and gravy in Michigan.

[@erictaylor5462]

Actually, "IHOP" is what amputees say. I should know, being one.

[@TrevFirestorm]

That map for bob evans had NJ highlighted.... never heard of the chain before here lol... did a map search... there is exactly one in NJ

[@DestinationsChronicles]

PS.. I don't do chains. I have cooked in restaurants and I can do better.

[@catgirl6803]

Agree. I’m lucky to live in a city with amazing food. Actually a state with 3 cities close by with amazing food. Chains don’t survive here. Maybe in the burbs. But not the cities. Baltimore/Annapolis/DC.

[@Lucas-fs4gp]

Not only Middle East. Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Applebee’s are also in Brazil.

[@MrBryophyte]

Fazoli's is the king of breadsticks.

[@tiffanispiker8886]

I miss Fazoli's. I loved them when I was a kid.

[@MrHypnofan]

Somebody else remembers them, huzzah!

[@morrigankasa570]

My favorite sit-down Restaurant chain is Olive Garden, second favorite is Denny's, third favorite is Perkin's, fourth favorite is Outback Steakhouse, fifth favorite is Applebee's, sixth favorite is Red Lobster (but only cause of the Cheddar Bay biscuits otherwise I'm not a fan of seafood generally).

[@Theendgamelv3]

Bob Evans is a restaurant? I thought it was microwavable mash potato brand lol.

[@KebaRPG]

You see that often where restaurant chains will mass produce TV dinner versions of their more popular dishes.

[@stevethepocket]

@@KebaRPG I wish they had done that with their biscuit bowls. Only time I actually ordered a breakfast dish at lunchtime there. Well, that and the next time I was there, when I ordered the other kind.

[@mannfan12]

well their restaurant doesn't taste much better than microwaved food,

[@Theendgamelv3]

@@KebaRPG Yea, I have seen TV dinner versions of food from Boston Market. I just never knew about Bob Evans

[@hopefletcher7420]

My family drove from Connecticut to Phoenix in the early 60's and we ate almost exclusively at Howard Johnsons. I think I ordered a grilled cheese sandwich each time; it came with a few chips and some bread and butter pickles. To this day I always have some pickles with my grilled cheese.