Top 10 Restaurant Chains I Am Looking Forward to Eating At Once Quarantine Ends

If this quarantine has taught me one thing, it is that you should not take the tiniest things in life for granted. Seeing your friends, playing some games, shooting some hoops, and going to restaurants are only several activities that await us once we are free to move about once again

And I don't know about you guys, but the last one on that list strikes a chord for me. I love my restaurant chains, and much like everyone else, I have my favorites. And I would be lying to you if I said I was not looking forward to going back to these places. So, what better way to kick off my Top 10 series than to count down the restaurant chains I want to get back to?

Little note about my Top 10 series: They are not in order, because I really do not like to "rank" items in a list. I feel that all of these places are phenomenal dining establishments.

Fogo de Chao

 Type of Food: Brazilian

Fogo De Chao is perfect for the meat lover in your family. It's different than most other restaurants, as your food comes to you. Gauchos deliver your meat on skewers and cut it to your liking. Name your meat selection, it is most likely available there. Sirloins, lamb, chicken and sausage, and pork are just few of the cuts that are available. I like my top sirloin medium rare, but to be honest, all the food is good at Fogo. The salad bar before hand packs a punch as well.

Jose Tejas (or Border Cafe)

 Type of Food: Mexican

Alright, I might've cheated the system a little bit. I did just order Jose Tejas for my Cinco De Mayo dinner several weeks ago. Problem was that it just wasn't the same as eating at the place. For those of you who are reading this that may not be familiar with Jose Tejas, it's more Creole-Mexican than just a Mexican restaurant. You can get your fajitas, empanadas, and burritos here, but you can also get jambalaya and gumbo. I usually stick to fajitas, but chances are good you're gonna find something you like here.

Which Wich

Type of Food: Sandwich Shop


Go ahead and call me nuts, but I would love to back to a sandwich shop sometime soon. Which Wich is the chain for sandwiches that gives me the most satisfaction. Now don't be confused, this is not Subway. Which Wich is much better than Subway. The difference is that when you enter a Which Wich, you get a paper bag with every ingredient they offer. You can check off your sandwich order with your name on it, and the workers prepare it for you. It's not like Jersey Mike's or Subway where you only have a select few options to choose from. Plus, the taste of a Which Wich sub is so good. A step above their competitors, for sure.

P.F. Chang's

Type of Food: Asian Fusion, whatever that means


When I was a kid, I never was a big fan of Asian food. There was just something about it that just didn't set well with me. However, as I grew older, Asian food became something that I would include in my diet. Everyone has their favorite Chinese places that they eat at home (mine just closed during the pandemic, and the pain is so real). What sets PF Chang's apart from the others is that with PF Chang's, your food comes out buffet style. They give you massive portions for sharing, so to play the restaurant correctly, each member of your party should order something different. With that being said, I've tried half the menu at PF Chang's and I was not disappointed once. That's how you know this place is a hit.


Bahama Breeze

Type of Food: Caribbean


This is one of the instances where I'm not in the mood to eat at the restaurant, but I am craving one food item in particular. Do not get confused, Bahama Breeze is addicting to eat at and the food has always been incredible, but I am craving a Taste of Jamaica more than any other food item right now. For those that are unaware, a Taste of Jamaica is comprised of jerk chicken, pulled pork with Caribbean spices, a beef empanada, collard greens, sweet plantains, and rice and beans. It's a perfect match for each other, and it is surprisingly not too much food at once. Combine that with the specialty tropical drinks, and Bahama Breeze is worth the trip every single time.


IHOP

Type of Food: Breakfast/Pancakes


Now before everyone gets defensive about whether or not IHOP has good pancakes or not, the fact of the matter is that I want some gourmet pancakes for a Sunday breakfast again. I know that IHOP has many breakfast items on their menu, but pancakes trump everything else. To be fair, it is in the name of the restaurant after all. I typically go for a strawberry and whipped cream topping, but there are other sweet specialties that they offer. Peach is pretty decent as well. And no, I did not order the Grinch pancakes when they were introduced. Shocking, I know.

The Cheesecake Factory

Type of Food: Gourmet American, Cheesecakes


The restaurant with the largest menu imaginable, The Cheesecake Factory also fits in the Bahama Breeze category of "I'm Craving One Menu Item in Particular". This case, it's the Factory Chopped Salad with the White Chocolate Raspberry Truffle cheesecake for dessert. The salad is a mix of Julienne Romaine, Grilled Chicken, Tomato, Avocado, Corn, Bacon, Blue Cheese, Apple, and their house dressing. I cannot recommend this salad enough. The White Chocolate Raspberry cake is pretty self explanatory. As hard as it is to get a table there due to long waits, the Cheesecake Factory is absolutely on my bucket list of places to go back to.


Quaker Steak and Lube:

Type of Food: Buffalo Wings



I can't believe I have made it this far into this piece and not talked about my favorite buffalo wing place. I know there's the select few who think Buffalo Wild Wings is better, but Quaker Steak and Lube is the go to place to get wings for me. The sauces are superior to those at B Dubs and the actual wing has a better taste and quality. Plus, the entire restaurant is themed to an old school car repair shop. It can't get much better than that. My favorite? Arizona Ranch. Not too mild, not too spicy.


Cold Stone Creamery

 Type of Food: Ice Cream

I get I'm floating the term "restaurant" pretty loosely when it comes to Cold Stone Creamery, but you don't know how much I'm dying for a cup of fresh ice cream right now. Sure, Ben and Jerry's is great and I love Cherry Garcia. Yet for some reason, it's Cold Stone that I'd want more than anything when it comes to ice cream. Their batter flavors are out of this world and the milkshakes are perfect for the summertime. With the warm weather coming up, Cold Stone would be doing a business right now. I cannot wait until we are able to get our ice cream again.

Primanti Bros.

 Type of Food: Sandwich Shop

All my Pittsburgh readers just smiled from ear to ear reading this one. Primanti Brothers is a sandwich shop, but it is not like Which Wich or Subway. This is a sit down restaurant in which you order from a menu or a bar. Every sandwich comes topped with fries, tomatoes and coleslaw, the Primanti's specialty. The original location (and most popular) is in Pittsburgh and Primanti's is more than just a chain there. It is part of their culture. Hopefully, this great sandwich chain expands further into other parts of the United States so more people can taste heaven between two pieces of Italian bread.


So there you have it, the 10 restaurants I would rush to once this quarantine ends. Do you agree with my list? Which restaurants would you go to, and what would be the first thing you order from them? Hopefully you all liked this Top 10, and I will continue to do more of these in the future!



Image Links:

 Fogo De Chao: https://cdn.wedding-spot.com/__sized__/images/venues/2559/Fogo-de-Chao-Brazilian-Steakhouse-Las-Vegas-Las-Vegas-NV-3520d193-7c1f-4125-a4b1-bbf15f810683-97450e389c42885476f1fbe9bc5bca5a.jpg 

 Jose Tejas: https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/40/9d/e7/sala.jpg

Which Wich: https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/0b/b8/7a/33/entire-order-counter.jpg

P.F. Chang's: https://i.pinimg.com/originals/20/c7/fe/20c7fe6f8f76a5007e7263a60bda3540.jpg

Bahama Breeze: https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/08/c9/e4/2b/bahama-breeze.jpg

IHOP: https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/07/63/a5/60/ihop.jpg

The Cheesecake Factory: https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/02/ed/ab/94/cheesecake-factory.jpg

Quaker Steak and Lube: https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/proxy/AVvXsEjZuMjInQp8zS5VXU2sEkPF-6Yuy1cbhTYp_9g9pDRhRwUv7928IUJJPHOM3xJ3GjlM48s5I_Ae45ituZBTlC-ktJzFruCB5n20f4cBaKzoFUXW-aOfB6oQ9dqPU9hn9wnpX2YRYNTpQDhRFrvymdA-fXQ6QYF0x60GXxFqpUQOPCYVhecZxc_xVShlxrtw3DAo=

 Cold Stone Creamery: https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/07/6f/b4/31/cold-stone-creamery.jpg

 Primati Brothers: https://media-cdn.tripadvisor.com/media/photo-s/10/5f/94/ca/inside-primanti-brothers.jpg

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