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The Absolute Worst Chain Restaurants

cheese burger and fried potato

cheese burger and fried potato

Reddit user Eris3344 asked: 'What is the worst chain restaurant?'

When a restaurant gets popular, the obvious choice is to franchise. The owners pick new locations to open a second or third restaurant, and if those do well, they can open up even more locations.

When I moved from India to America, it was easy to see places like Burger King and Dairy Queen were popular simply because of how many Burger Kings and Dairy Queens existed in just one town.

However, popularity can be subjective. Other times, popularity can be overestimated. Sometimes, opening up more locations isn't what's best for the business. Whatever the case, some chain restaurants are simply just... the worst.

Redditors know this all to well and are eager to share their opinions.


It all started when Redditor Eris3344 asked:

"What is the worst chain restaurant?"

Everyone Knows

"I'm convinced Applebee's isn't a real restaurant. Just a front for repurposed takeout from neighboring restaurants."

– Olclops

"I'm convinced their kitchen is comprised entirely of microwaves"

– ShawshankException

"Years ago, I ordered a burrito that was so bad I sent it back, and the manager said “I don’t blame you one bit.""

"I haven’t been back to Applebees."

– ANJohnson83

Better Sandwiches Everywhere Else

"Subway. Still lost about how they stay in business. The quality keeps dropping, the prices keep rising, the deals are shrinking, and their market share is being cannibalized over the last decade or so by places that offer a superior offering at less or just slightly more. I can walk in and get a Jersey Mikes sub for 10 bucks and it's miles better than anything subway can spit out."

– radiantpenguin991

"The toasted chicken carbonara sandwich from Quiznos handily beat anything Subway could offer at that time."

– yakusokuN8

"Believe it or not, Subway was really crappy back in the early 1990s, and then had a makeover and became good food for awhile. Now they have reverted back to the crap they used to be."

– hatmeworry4

No Chicken

"KFC. How can a chicken place be out of chicken so often? And bring back the corn on the cob as well as the tater wedges you fools."

– TheUnblinkingEye1001

"Bring back the buffet!"

– alwaysmyfault

Such A Rip-Off

"My wife and kids LOVE this place, but I'm just gonna say it: Fazoli's."

"It's literally just microwaved Italian Lean Cuisines (and if it's not I will be VERY surprised). It's not that it's gross, but I don't see the need to go out and pay a premium for it when I can hit up my local grocery store and nuke it at home."

– Guardian-Boy

"Being from the northeast with plenty of Italian and decent fast casual Italian-American food, trying Fazoli's in the mid south destroyed a little bit of my soul."

– EuphoricHighway9817

It Used To Be Awesome

"Burger King - awesome when I was a teenager, sucks now. I dunno, the food quality has gone too downhill for me."

– dayofthedead204

"In my city, all of the BKs were owned by one franchisee. He sold out a few years back."

"The franchise owner ate several meals per week at his restaurants. You didn't know when he was showing up. The restaurants were tight ships. We were spoiled with inexpensive BK that was perfect every time. We had no idea how bad it was outside of town."

"If you wanted good fast food in Lincoln, Nebraska in the 90s, you went to Runza or BK. Everything else was a distant third."

"A few years back, that franchisee sold out to a multi-state conglomerate that owns hundreds of BKs. That conglomerate ran the restaurants into the ground. They've declared bankruptcy."

– flibbidygibbit

"I've noticed a wide range of quality for BK depending on location. They just can't enforce consistency like McD's does."

– Inevitable_Professor

The Days Of Perfect Pizza Are Gone

"They all suck, but Pizza Hut has to be the one that fell the farthest."

– SpaceGoonie

"80s Pizza Hut was the best."

– Mackinacsfuriousclaw

"I've always believed there is money to be made on nostalgia. Pizza Hut executives are letting this demographic slip away. You think they'd offer a once-a-year special to satisfy us old-timers."

"Of course, in addition to my 80's pizza, I'd want a few games sitting down at a cocktail arcade machine..."

– lemming_follower

Lacks In All Aspects

"Hate me if you want, but I can't stand Olive Garden. Their menu is just too limited and their food has no inspiration."

– BackInTheRealWorld

"As soon as I read the question I audibly and reflexively said Olive Garden. Their food is f**king awful and they treat their employees like actual prisoners. F**k Darden."

– Korncakes

"Why would anyone hate you for stating straight-up facts? Olive Garden can't even cook pasta correctly."

– DenL4242

"They can't even drain pasta right. It's all watery slop"

– furiousfran

Cost Doesn't Match Quality

"Panera is on the list too."

– TheMillenniaIFalcon

"Panera costs more than a regular sit down. Totally ridiculous"

– Nature_Goulet

"I'll never understand why a small cup of their mac and cheese is like 7 bucks at the store... and my sister still buys that s**t all the time."

– MoscowMitchMcKremIin

From The Top Of The World

"Papa John's went from the top to the absolute bottom in a very short time. We refuse to order it anymore. It was never great but it has become inedible in the last 5 years or so. We actually threw it out last time we ordered it and made something else."

– ArminTanz

To The Bottom Of The Heap

"Chili’s has gone so far downhill that it’s sad. 15-20 years ago it was the top family restaurant in my eyes. Food was excellent, service was good and the atmosphere was fun. Now, the food is bland, it seems every chili’s is woefully understaffed and every time I go, it feels miserable there. It was one of my favorite places to catch a bite to eat and now I don’t even bother anymore."

– brechbillc1

Sell Out

"Tim Hortons"

– TheCanuckler

"I hate their phony, mass-produced nationalist pandering. Especially from a foreign-owned company that does everything in its power to avoid employing Canadians. No one outside Ontario gave a sh*t about TH until they started spamming TV with ads depicting themselves as a cherished Canadian institution. Where did they get the money to do that? By selling themselves to Wendy's."

– DeliciousPangolin

The Days Of Yore

"Sonic. Which sucks because I remember when the food there used to be good."

– lone_wolf1580

"What year? I’m genuinely curious since I grew up in a place far from sonic but they advertised frequently in my area (Canadian border tv). I tried it in 2010 finally and it was so mediocre I was in disbelief."

– KeyStoneLighter

People Matter

" McDonald's, they treat their workers like sh*t, they get paid to be abused by coworkers, customers, owners, and truck drivers. Get injured? too bad! That's a you problem! Get back to work!! You can't even make enough to SURVIVE food is sh*t, overpriced, and I'd rather eat my own sh*t over mcshit. You have a family member dying? Oh well we need you to come in cus our best Boi Mc. Never does anything wrong needs a month off cus he "earned it" aka siting on his @ss doing nothing while you cook, clean, fry, assemble, and so on!"

"Tldr: McDonald's is a hellhole and far worse than any fast food joint."

– phantom56_

"I’m definitely going to get hate for this but Panda Express."

"The food is mediocre at best but I will give them the benefit that you can’t find a larger portion of food for ~$10 anywhere else. However the real reason I say it is the worst is because due to how popular and widespread they are, it’s given a lot of people in less culturally diverse sectors the idea that all Chinese food is a cheap and greasy struggle meal. I am of East Asian descent and I’ve learned to stop suggesting Chinese food as a first date when meeting a non-Asian girl because I usually get hit with something like “What like Panda Express? Can we go somewhere better?”"

avg_bleach_enjoyer

I fully conquer.

Do you have any fast food joint you avoid completely?

Let us know in the comments below. Save us from going there.

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