Worst/Unhealthiest restaurants you've been to

daylitemag

IMO, just about any restaurant worth eating in (i.e not a chain) doesn't have nutriction facts readily available. I will order things that I can easily guage (i.e. a chicken breast or piece of salmon). I have also, on occasion, asked the server to tell me the weight of the protein. Also, eating out less is important for those who are trying to eat healthier (and cheaper, too!).

NoPyForYou

Red Robin is horrific. Even the wraps are terrible, and many of the salads are higher in calories than some of the burgers. I haven't been there since I started counting calories because of it. Makes me so sad.....

I'm interested that you say this. I eat there a couple of times a month and never have trouble finding something that I can alter to fit my calories for the day.

Two examples - as ordered from the menu, the Teriyaki Chicken Sandwich comes in at 900 calories. But, i order mine on wheat, no cheese and no mayo (there's teriyaki on the burger, so it's not dry) - and it's down to 445. On top of that, I sub the fries for broccoli. If I drink water, or iced tea, then I've got a low calorie, but delicious dinner.

The other thing I get regularly there is the apple harvest chicken salad. From the menu, 812 calories. This is a huge salad and I can't usually eat more than half of it anyway. But, on top of that, I remove the blue cheese (-100 calories) and the walnuts (-94 calories). In addition, the garlic foccacia bread, while delicious, is a total trap (186 calories), so I only eat half of what they give me.

My point is, Red Robin can totally be what you make of it. If you can't walk into a burger place without having beef or fries or whatever, I totally get that. But if you're really sad about not being able to eat Red Robin, I wanted to let you know that their meals are highly customizable and it's really easy to pinpoint where the major calorie pitfalls are. They have a great tool on their website where you can customize your meals and see the comparison between the original and what you made. It helps me a lot because I can plan ahead before I go.

Barneystinson

While I'd love to see nutritional info for more restaurants, it's not exactly rocket science that an appetizer consisting of a large bowl of gelatinous cheese and a basket of chips is full of calories. However, I do understand the frustration with non-chain and specialty restaurants not offering any nutrition info. Your best bet is to find a recipe online which uses the "full fat" versions of the ingredients and go from there.

Here's a couple tips/rules when eating out:

1. If it's covered in flavorings and sauce, it's generally high in calories.
2. If the salad is a "dinner" portion and served in a big bowl with dressing added, it's full of calories.
3. If it says crispy, it's most likely fried, and therefore full of calories.
4. Most standard entrees run at 800-1200 calories at most chain restaurants.
5. If there's a healthier option, many chains now point this out on the menu - expect the better choices to run in the 400-700 calorie range per entree.
6. Most chain restaurants in the states are not in the business of catering to the health minded. If you have dietary needs, as many do, ASK the server to place items on the side or ask what selections on the menu are lighter. Most servers are pretty cool about this and if they do well - tip them well.
7. Ask for sandwiches without the bun. There's 200 calories vanished.
8. Most regular beers have 120 calories or greater per pint. Wine, dry, runs 70-110 for 4 ounces. Liquor, typically 70-100 per shot, not counting mixers.
9. Just because it's upscale and served on a small plate doesn't mean it's not full of butter.
10. Not all fast food is evil. Some of the worst offenders are places like TGIF's and Red Robin.

As for the WORST chain in America, my vote goes to the Cheesecake Factory.

DianaPowerUp

While I'd love to see nutritional info for more restaurants, it's not exactly rocket science that an appetizer consisting of a large bowl of gelatinous cheese and a basket of chips is full of calories. However, I do understand the frustration with non-chain and specialty restaurants not offering any nutrition info. Your best bet is to find a recipe online which uses the "full fat" versions of the ingredients and go from there.

Here's a couple tips/rules when eating out:

1. If it's covered in flavorings and sauce, it's generally high in calories.
2. If the salad is a "dinner" portion and served in a big bowl with dressing added, it's full of calories.
3. If it says crispy, it's most likely fried, and therefore full of calories.
4. Most standard entrees run at 800-1200 calories at most chain restaurants.
5. If there's a healthier option, many chains now point this out on the menu - expect the better choices to run in the 400-700 calorie range per entree.
6. Most chain restaurants in the states are not in the business of catering to the health minded. If you have dietary needs, as many do, ASK the server to place items on the side or ask what selections on the menu are lighter. Most servers are pretty cool about this and if they do well - tip them well.
7. Ask for sandwiches without the bun. There's 200 calories vanished.
8. Most regular beers have 120 calories or greater per pint. Wine, dry, runs 70-110 for 4 ounces. Liquor, typically 70-100 per shot, not counting mixers.
9. Just because it's upscale and served on a small plate doesn't mean it's not full of butter.
10. Not all fast food is evil. Some of the worst offenders are places like TGIF's and Red Robin.

As for the WORST chain in America, my vote goes to the Cheesecake Factory.

Great post!

About Cheesecake Factory - whenever I go, I order the Seared Tuna Tataki Salad. It's only 440 cal, low carb (probably high protein, but not listed), and absolutely delicious! You'll even have room for a bite of someone else's cheesecake!

daylitemag

About Cheesecake Factory - whenever I go, I order the Seared Tuna Tataki Salad. It's only 440 cal, low carb (probably high protein, but not listed), and absolutely delicious! You'll even have room for a bite of someone else's cheesecake!

I LOL'd when I read this.. We don't have the Cheescake Factory here in Canada, but I guess I just naturally assumed that they sold.....well, Cheesecake. I was trying to figure out what sort of Cheesecake would have Tuna Fish in it. Sorry to go off topic. That does sound like a reasonable compromise when eating in a place that must specialize in high fat, high calorie foods.