One large part of our everyday lives is food. Many of us are busy and on the run constantly and have very little time to have a sit down meal. Several large restaurant chains have sensed the need people have to eat quickly without the “fast food” environment. These restaurants specialize in good meals served in a short amount of time and have become a mainstay of our modern culture. Here are the top ten most popular restaurants in our modern day lives:
10. Pizza Hut
Love pizza? Pizza Hut started off serving basic pizzas and then expanded their menu to include a variety of foods including side salads, buffalo wings, pasta, garlic bread and desserts. Deep dish pizzas and a variety of 18 house pizzas cover the menu, but you still have the option of building your own pizza. With a great variety of comfort food at reasonable prices, this restaurant is a family favorite.
9. Domino’s
A dependable and comfortable pizza place with a variety of great choices for pizza. Twelve specialty pizzas are available on the regular menu, with the build your own pizza option available to you if you prefer to go that route. There is also a choice of the hand tossed crust, the thin crust, the deep dish crust and the gluten free crust option. They have now started to serve wings and boneless chicken, as well as bread stix, cinna stix and chocolate lava cake for dessert.
8. Starbucks
This is a massive coffee franchise with outlets in almost every major city in the world. Starbucks has been dedicated to ethically sourcing the finest Arabica coffee beans for their coffee shops since 1971. This coffee house has expanded to serve the most extravagant coffee concoctions including lattes, cappuccinos, americanas and a wide variety of smoothies and speciality sandwiches and desserts. Its not hard to find a Starbucks in your local area and enjoy a variety of hot or cold drinks.
7. McDonald’s
This old standby has been around for several decades and has been a mainstay in many people’s lives. Who hasn’t had a kid’s birthday party at McDonald’s when they were little? The cheeseburgers are a mainstay, as is the Big Mac and Quarter Pounder with Cheese. The French fries as salted to perfection and the shakes and smoothies are sure to please any palate. Recently, McDonald’s has added small wraps and salads to their menu as well as the “McFlurry” which is a soft serve ice cream treat that has added candies or chocolates blended in. Recently McDonald’s has ventured into the Coffee market and has started to advertise their coffee as being excellent. This is one of the few restaurants that is highly affordable for larger families to dine at.
6. Jimmy John’s
A sandwich franchise founded in 1983 that has now expanded to more than 1600 locations. This sandwich store has club sandwiches and sub sandwiches that boggle the mind. The J.J. Gargantuan is a massive sandwich that is about 5 inches tall and contains a massive amount of vegetables, meats and cheese, topped with Jimmy John’s famous Italian dressing. Chips and cookies are also on the menu as well as jumbo kosher dill pickle that is a meal in itself.
5. Subway
With a catch phrase like “eat fresh”, many people are flocking to Subway as a healthier alternative for fast food. Here you can choose from a variety of sub buns, including flatbreads and wraps. The buns are baked on site in ovens and served fresh out of the oven to waiting hungry customers. You can build your own sub or choose from the menu of a variety of different subs like the Subway melt or the Oven Roasted Chicken or Beef sub. Subway also offers up a variety of excellent breakfast sandwich choices and sides like cookies or chips. You can also opt for a salad with meat instead of the bun if you are on a low calorie diet.
4. Olive Garden
Offers a wide variety of Italian themed dishes, from pasta to seafood to salads and bread. You can choose from soups, salads, appetizers, pizzas, chicken, fish and a lighter fare menu. The atmosphere is warm and the food is comforting in this well-loved restaurant that many people love to frequent for a nice evening out. The items offered are reasonably priced and anyone can delight in the fact that there is something for everyone on the menu.
3. Buffalo Wild Wings
A well loved sports bar that serves the finest of comfort foods to excited sports fans. Want to see the game, but don’t want to make a mess at home and spend time in the kitchen? Get yourself and your friends down to Buffalo Wild Wings and sample the fare, with over 22 varieties of wing flavors, hot or mild, boneless or natural, you can devour wings to your heart’s content. Don’t let the name fool you, though, there are also a variety of burgers and fries, nachos, mini corn dogs, fried pickles, flatbreads, wraps, salads, popcorn shrimp.
2. Applebees
Want something light or a big gnarly steak? It doesn’t matter if you are watching what you eat or eating what you like, you can definitely find something satisfying on the menu at Applebees. There are steaks, a weight watcher’s menu selection, items that are under 550 calories, and salads. There is also a kid’s menu and desserts as well as appetizers, lunch combos and delectable drinks. Looking for a great night out for the whole family that won’t break the bank? This is definitely a place that you can go and enjoy your meal without blowing your budget.
1. Chipotle
If you enjoy Subway’s concept but crave something a little more Southwest, Chipotle is a burrito joint with a “build your own” format. First you choose the burrito you want and then you add the toppings you would like. Fresh veggies, rice, sauces, it is all laid out in front of you as you move down the line and top your burrito. At the end of the topping line, your burrito is expertly rolled and wrapped before your very eyes, and then you can take it to go or eat it in the restaurant at a table with friends or on your own.
