Quite often, the things on which Consumer Reports reports don't make it online (or it's by subscription only), but since they tested casual dining restaurants - one of the most popular sectors of dining - it's no surprise that the story has popped up. Casual dining restaurants range from lower priced Cracker Barrel and Denny's to more upscale chains, like Ruth's Chris Steakhouse. They're popular because not only do they offer a familiar option to hungry patrons, but you generally know exactly what you're going to get and how much it costs before you walk in the door. This can be a huge asset for diners on a budget.
CR grouped the chains by the type of food they offered and their price level, then rated them based on the survey results from 66,000 readers who ate 149,000 meals over the course of a year. If you're familiar with the magazine, you already know that they go into great detail on all the things that they review, so this piece doesn't even cover half of the info in the article. To get the full story, pick up a copy the next time you're out at the newsstand, but I'll share their quick picks for special occasions, where the food and service justify higher prices, and "good food at a good price", where price and quality hit an equilibrium:
Special Occasion Quick Picks:
- The Capital Grille
- Ruth's Chris Steak House
- Morton's Steakhouse
- Houston's
- J Alexander's
- McCormick & Schmick's
- Bonefish Grill
Good Food at a Good Price Picks:
- Claim Jumper
- Romano's Macaroni Grill
- Johnny Carino's
- Abuelo's Mexican Food Embassy
- Texas Roadhouse
- Red Hot & Blue
- Famous Dave's
Other noteworthy things that CR picked up on were a focus on rediscovered regional cuisines (Cajun, northern Italian, etc.), an increase in family-friendliness and an upswing in the amount of takeout ordered.
10 More Dirty Restaurant Tricks
5 Things You Didn't Know About Turducken
10 Catchiest Food Jingles We Love to Hate
