Restaurants to Avoid!

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kealey1318
kealey1318 Posts: 290 Member
in Food and Nutrition
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?
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Replies

  • jazziesaj11
    jazziesaj11 Posts: 351 Member
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    Olive Garden, never really eat there but I remember reading something about only a couple of options under 1,000 cals there too. I used to love Panera, never would've thought though that a simple turkey sandwich would get my close to 1,000 cals... until I started logging on here, to say the least I'll never eat there again. xD I here a lot of sammy shops are like that, you would expect it to be healthier but it's even worse.
  • Tori_356
    Tori_356 Posts: 510 Member
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    Taco Bell
    Burger King
    (the two nastiest fast food places)
  • japruzze
    japruzze Posts: 453 Member
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    Red Robin (Yum...love it but its a calorie/fat killer)
    Arby's
  • firesoforion
    firesoforion Posts: 1,017 Member
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    Olive Garden, never really eat there but I remember reading something about only a couple of options under 1,000 cals there too. I used to love Panera, never would've thought though that a simple turkey sandwich would get my close to 1,000 cals... until I started logging on here, to say the least I'll never eat there again. xD I here a lot of sammy shops are like that, you would expect it to be healthier but it's even worse.

    Panera can be bad but there are a lot of reasonable and very tasty options as well. Plus, you can get half portions of anything, salads, soups (cup), sandwiches, and that brings down the calories a ton.


    Also Red Robin, it has an online menu to specifically help you customize and tailor your sandwich to your nutritional content. It works pretty well and you can get a decent hamburger for a decent amount of calories. Of course that excludes the limitless fries. :embarassed:
  • nmzeta
    nmzeta Posts: 381 Member
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    Olive Garden, never really eat there but I remember reading something about only a couple of options under 1,000 cals there too. I used to love Panera, never would've thought though that a simple turkey sandwich would get my close to 1,000 cals... until I started logging on here, to say the least I'll never eat there again. xD I here a lot of sammy shops are like that, you would expect it to be healthier but it's even worse.

    I know - I used to love the Sierra Turkey from Panera. I mean it's just a turkey sandwich, right? NOPE as much fat and calories as TWO Big Macs
  • Cberg9
    Cberg9 Posts: 123
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    5 Guys Burgers and Fries....I haven't eaten there in almost a year but I can eat like a thousand pound man if left to my own devices but that place will always hold a special fat place in my heart :brokenheart:
  • sabre21d
    sabre21d Posts: 4
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    Heart Attack Grill
  • becoming_a_new_me
    becoming_a_new_me Posts: 1,860 Member
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    This is sad: Man suffers heart attack while eating at Heart Attack Grill

    http://news.yahoo.com/blogs/sideshow/man-suffers-heart-attack-while-eating-heart-attack-185717972.html?fb_action_ids=337265826318801,2912051838249,2710955856659,336957279682989,10100679568486249&fb_action_types=news.reads&fb_source=other_multiline&code=AQCUk3mwZGgioKSamsKh4yecfeMrs7a-eveXO-gW-Hj9O-jh7-U2DYCmKdlBGsOP8GvXMO5yBvW-1Gne3m2fNXVgloS5BpCKGlVeQsqiSkYSyZwWxVNhdmzOwACzsR-eI3IqL7ZbSYwpVm_aVap_72HjNhrPFYJA0hOfhpbTZdaXLtrJ3vR9LldTLTcOEberoCM#_=_

    The menu includes "Single", "Double", "Triple", and "Quadruple Bypass" hamburgers,[1] ranging from 8 to 32 ounces (230 to 910 g) of beef (up to about 8,000 calories)

    The Quadruple Bypass Burger with 8,000 calories (33 MJ) has been identified as one of the "world's worst junk foods".[11] It consists of four half-pound beef patties, eight slices of American cheese, a whole tomato and half an onion served in a bun coated with lard.

    Normal meals at the Heart Attack Grill easily exceed 8,000 calories.
  • haaaleyx
    haaaleyx Posts: 83 Member
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    Friendly's...I always get the kids meal so it's not as large of a meal, but then it comes with a free ice cream which I of course just HAVE to get ) : haha.
  • twinsanity
    twinsanity Posts: 1,847 Member
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    Also Red Robin, it has an online menu to specifically help you customize and tailor your sandwich to your nutritional content. It works pretty well and you can get a decent hamburger for a decent amount of calories. Of course that excludes the limitless fries. :embarassed:
    I LOVE this about Red Robin's site. You can add or delete any ingredient in your dish to completely customize your order, and it will give you the calories and nutritional info for only what you consumed, rather than trying to figure it out when you specialize your order. And, as most restaurants will do these days (even the fast food ones), you can get their burgers bunless, which comes with lettuce on the top and bottom of your burger instead of the bun. Cuts WAY back on calories.
  • vilardip1
    vilardip1 Posts: 34
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    Taco Bell
    Burger King
    (the two nastiest fast food places)

    my two favorites...we have them right next to each other by me...ill go to taco bell first for my meal, then get onion rings at bk for the rider home :-)
  • LuckyLeprechaun
    LuckyLeprechaun Posts: 6,296 Member
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    PF Chang's. They are lying jerkfaces: they say their rice bowl lunch is two portions, so they can pretend the calorie count is reasonable. Also, their sodium is atrocious.

    Applebees. Sodium levels are outrageous, calorie counts are offensively high. The "lime chicken under 500 calories" meal has 4900+ mgs of sodium. That's almost 5 GRAMS of sodium in a meal. Gross.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    Places that serve bad food and/or have bad service. Places that are overpriced but the quality of the food doesn't line up with the prices. And whenever possible, chain restaurants.

    If you're gonna go out to eat, make it worthwhile. Otherwise make your own food.
  • KMiche82
    KMiche82 Posts: 144 Member
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    Johnny Carinos sodium is out the map and so is the calories, salads there are 700+ calories that is ridiculous.
  • infamousmk
    infamousmk Posts: 6,033 Member
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    I prefer to not eat at restaurants with a sh!tty beer list.
  • taso42
    taso42 Posts: 8,980 Member
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    I prefer to not eat at restaurants with a sh!tty beer list.

    Yes, this too. It just seems odd when a place has a well thought out menu, nice wine list, and then just Bud, Miller Coors, and Heineken for beer choices.
  • erikastarryiz
    erikastarryiz Posts: 48 Member
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    2 words: Golden Corral. They do have a salad bar, but for me it is too hard to stick to the salad bar when there's potatoes and gravy, fried chicken, mac & cheese all staring me down. Not to mention the dessert bar, which sings like a siren. It's just better to avoid the place all together.
  • shanolap
    shanolap Posts: 1,204 Member
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    Places that serve bad food and/or have bad service. Places that are overpriced but the quality of the food doesn't line up with the prices. And whenever possible, chain restaurants.

    If you're gonna go out to eat, make it worthwhile. Otherwise make your own food.

    ^^^THIS!!!
  • UponThisRock
    UponThisRock Posts: 4,522 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.
  • onedayillbamilf
    onedayillbamilf Posts: 662 Member
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    Taco Bell
    Burger King
    (the two nastiest fast food places)

    ^ This.....although, I do admit that I crave a Whopper once every 5-6 years. And I do enjoy BK's Mocha Iced Coffee once every 3-4 months.

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