Restaurants to Avoid!

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  • nixirain
    nixirain Posts: 448 Member
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    There is a Bennigan's at the Galleria Mall in Dallas, TX. It's right next to an ice skating rink. At least it was in 1998. I had my heart broken in that restaurant. Don't go there.

    Really? Huh. I ate there once and met a great girl! Said she was just getting out of a relationship.. It was the late 90's...


    :tongue: :laugh:
    Please accept my apologies for that rash and doctor visit.

    Wha? Do you mean there WAS a Bennagin's at the Galleria? The closest one now is privatly owned and in Irving.

    I too once had my heart broken at a bennagin's, but it was the one on park and preston. Well, not really heart broken, more like kind of miffed. But it was just because happy hour was over and my beers were no longer $2 a pint. hehe
  • nixirain
    nixirain Posts: 448 Member
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    Well I'm officially going to start a 'restaurants to avoid' list. #1 on the list right now is Champps Americana.... I've eaten there several times in the past and honestly enjoyed my experience EVERY time. Today, to pre-plan my attack (having lunch there with a friend) I found out that they have almost nothing under 1,000 calories... They have 'lite' portions of 3 different meals, they are almost 700 calories each too. Even their kids' menu will get you darn close. WTH???? I just sent them an customer comment e-mail suggesting that it is something they should work very hard on. What are they doing to get those types of calories in these meals???

    Are there any restaurants that you avoid?

    I know what you mean! I look up all the restaurants in my area from time to time and couldnt believe the calorie count on these meals. I understand when a restaurant serves over sized portions and has their calorie counts but Champps is just out of control.
  • jcstanton
    jcstanton Posts: 1,849 Member
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    Do you think that your brother would have any nutrition estimates? Feel free to add me on here if you like!


    He does the cooking, so I'm sure he at least has a better idea of exactly what goes in the food. Might make it easier for you to estimate if you know exactly how it's prepared. You know, like, if oil is used, what kind, and how much...that sort of thing. I'll ask him next time I see him. Sending you a request now. :smile:
  • kealey1318
    kealey1318 Posts: 290 Member
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    Wowzers! I had no idea this topic would be quite so popular! I'm really glad to hear all of your perspectives though...

    I agree with the 'onus is on the orderer' and was definitely pre-planning what to order. Yes, most meals are overportioned and should be split in half. My comment was really more along the lines of the fact that even this restaurant's salads were in the 1,000 calorie category... Absolutely no healthier alternatives and, no, they don't offer grilled chicken... I would have been happy if they did. Basically, the least 'calorically expensive' thing on the menu was Fish and Chips! Why does that seem wrong somehow? LOL

    Anyway, I know that many restaurants offer a reduced calorie line-up and I appreciate them when they do. Since I only go to Champps on the rare occasion, I don't necessarily feel like I'm 'punishing' myself by putting them on a 'Restaurants to Avoid' list. Basically, if the group I'm eating out with has the general consensus that we go to Champps, we will go... Just not a place that I will probably every pick on my own.

    BTW, I have enjoyed most of the restaurants listed today... LOL I fondly remember Bennigan's from when I lived in Plano, TX, like Red Robin, Olive Garden, Red Lobster, 5 Guys, Raising Cane's... Obviously I need a tastebud transplant! :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh: :laugh:
  • daffodilsoup
    daffodilsoup Posts: 1,972 Member
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    I know it's a little off topic, but reading some of these posts makes me think of a certain cable TV show. Anybody on here watch Man vs. Food on the Travel Channel? Any time I'm tempted to over eat or binge on junk food, I'll watch an episode of MVF. Watching that show makes me wanna puke....and I used to binge like that at least once per week. Seeing the look on Adam's face after eating like that is a stark reminder of how I always felt after a binge. It never fails to curb my appetite when I see that. I NEVER wanna feel that full again. It's actually painful.

    I'm the opposite - I could watch that fat man eat steaks until kingdom come! xD

    I eat at whatever restaurant I please, I just make sure to maintain enough of a deficit in my daily allotment.
  • thirtyandthriving
    thirtyandthriving Posts: 613 Member
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    I avoid any restaurant that forces me to get the high calorie items, and forces me to eat the whole thing.

    Those are the worst! NEVER go to those places.
  • YennaBean
    YennaBean Posts: 77 Member
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    It saddens me to say.. Johnny Corinos. It used to be my favorite place EVER. When I started MFP I wanted to go there. But my favorite dish (Chicken Scalapini) turned out to be 1,806 calories.

    I then looked back on every time I ate that dish... and wanted to cry. Lol

    So I stay away from Johnny Corinos. Most of their dishes are crazy calories!!!
  • cloud2011
    cloud2011 Posts: 898 Member
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    I eat occasionally at Panera (always the pick 2 ...I get 1/2 cuban panini & a cup of soup, with lemonade).

    At Taco Bell, I get the fresco chicken burrito supreme with a side of guacamole. I think it's around 400 or so calories...you have to check.

    At Starbucks, I just tried the tall mocha with skim milk for 100 calories. Mmmm. I don't drink coffee, except for that (don't know if it counts as coffee).
  • barbarajohnson
    barbarajohnson Posts: 3
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    Five Guys is death to fitness
  • eschwab855
    eschwab855 Posts: 258 Member
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    texas road house :/ i just cannot pass up the buns!! :embarassed:

    They just opened one of those near us and we went last Saturday. That place rocks.
    And they had a decent selection of beer on tap.
    did you eat the hot rolls and butter omg I love that
  • sschoolfield
    sschoolfield Posts: 94
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    When I go out to eat, it's usually about the company I am with more than anything. I can almost always find something that fits in my calorie budget and if not, I eat half of a meal and make it fit.

    What I love at a restraunt is when they include the nutrition information on their menu or have a droid code that can be scanned by my smart phone to direct me to a website with their nutritional information.

    Do not be fooled....just because a meal is listed in the light and healthy section of the menu does not make it a good choice.
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
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    Chilis!!
  • hesn92
    hesn92 Posts: 5,967 Member
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    I love Zios it's one of my absolute favorites but I looked up the nutrition and my meal that I always get, the BEST pasta dish ever, is over 1000 calories :(
  • dolshine
    dolshine Posts: 1
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    I eat at Panera and I can get a pick 2 for lunch for under 500 calories. I normally get a half smoked turkey on country (or I have done it on honey wheat) and a chicken asian salad to total 440 calories. It is so yummy. But I do agree with you, I used to get the Turkey on Asiago bread and it was almost 700 calories just for the sandwich. You do have to watch what you order if you eat there. But I love it anyways.
  • hedgiie
    hedgiie Posts: 1,245 Member
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    I don't avoid any restaurants. If big portion/calorie is an issue then splitting or take out left over can be my solution. I sometimes extend the eating into 2 or more meals.
  • joconnor09
    joconnor09 Posts: 124
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    Definitely Cheesecake Factory. Their cheesecake is out of control!!! So delicious, but almost an entire day's calories at 1100-1300 calories PER SLICE!! And they don't even post the nutrition info online. I'm always very suspicious of restaurants who make their nutrition info hard to access... what are they hiding??? (More calories than a person should eat in a lifetime, that's what.)
  • tmoyer1209
    tmoyer1209 Posts: 215 Member
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    I know it's a little off topic, but reading some of these posts makes me think of a certain cable TV show. Anybody on here watch Man vs. Food on the Travel Channel? Any time I'm tempted to over eat or binge on junk food, I'll watch an episode of MVF. Watching that show makes me wanna puke....and I used to binge like that at least once per week. Seeing the look on Adam's face after eating like that is a stark reminder of how I always felt after a binge. It never fails to curb my appetite when I see that. I NEVER wanna feel that full again. It's actually painful.

    I am right with you! The other night my hubby was starving and ate a humongous plate of food (no prob for him, he has a really active job and doesn't need to mind his eating) and seeing that much food made me sick to my stomach. It was like watching Adam eat a 10lb burger or something!!
  • lschuttem
    lschuttem Posts: 82 Member
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    LOL! reading through this post is soo funny. I live in a rural part of Ontario, Canada, and we have almost NO fast food chains, i cant recognize hardly any of the ones posted here.
    I always look forward to a rare trip into the US. Fast food is SO cheap, and the portions are HUGE!!! Its such a guilty pleasure for me! like at mcDonalds, the mcchicken was on the dollar menu!!! lol here its like 6 bucks at least. and Olive Garden is also one of my US favourites. Its CO cheap compared to most sit-down restaurants here.
    I went to a little restaurant in upstate NY a couple weeks ago and had a burger that was the biggest burger I've ever seen in my life, and it was topped with a crab cake! It was definitely delicious, but I could onl eat half of it, and i tried as hard as a could to finish (it was a splurg) lol
    I would definitely be 300lbs if I lived down there. :s
  • HLeAnn
    HLeAnn Posts: 261 Member
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    I avoid any restaurant that forces me to get the high calorie items, and forces me to eat the whole thing.

    lol love this
  • lisakyle_11
    lisakyle_11 Posts: 420 Member
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    Taco Bell
    Burger King
    (the two nastiest fast food places)

    how dare you dis Taco Bell...

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