Top 10 Favorite Restaurants

[J-Mann]

As much as I give Bushie a hard time about his eating habits, I truly am a foodie and greatly enjoy exceptional cooking and exceptional dining experiences. What are your top 10 favorite restaurants (or, if you can't think of that many, what are your top five)?

Mine are:

1. Orozco's Portales Cafe, Kanopolis KS
2. Uncle Jack's Steakhouse, Bayside (Queens) NY
3. The Firehouse Restaurant, Sacramento CA
4. Sips Gastropub, Washington MI
5. Oklahoma Joe's Bar-B-Que, Kansas City KS
6. Farallon, San Francisco CA
7. The Vortex Bar & Grill, Atlanta GA
8. Joe Muer Seafood, Detroit MI
9. Steakhouse at Harrah's, Reno NV
10. 13 Coins Restaurant, SeaTac WA

Honorable mention:

11. Brookville Hotel, Abilene KS

[Atlas Has Shrugged]

10: Burger Fi (Delray Beach, Florida).
9: Big Apple Pizza (Boca Raton, Florida).
8: Highway Burger (Delray Beach, Florida).
7: Just Wings (Boynton Beach, Florida).
6: Five Guys (Everywhere).
5: West End Grill (Quincy, Florida).
4: PJ's Tavern (Cresson, Pennsylvania-owned my great uncle and cousin).
3: The Desert Inn (YeeHaw Junction, Florida).
2: Bono's (Vero Beach, Florida-since renamed).
1: Bud's Chicken (local fried chicken chain, about seven locations in Palm Beach County).

[Lief 🗽]

This is a very good thread! I will put together my list when I get a chance and look forward to reading the others.

[Eraserhead]

I want to see BushOklahoma's list. I definitely know what at least three or four of them will be!

[J-Mann]

This is a very good thread! I will put together my list when I get a chance and look forward to reading the others.

If we get some good responses, I'm going to reference lists when I travel. I'm always looking for great restaurants when I'm on the road.

[bedstuy]

I'm going to limit myself to NYC.

Saraghina (Pizza and Italian food) Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn

Do or dine (Mexican Japanese fusion) Bed-Stuy, Brooklyn

Per se (Fancy tasting menu) Columbus Circle

Momofuku in its various incarnations especially noodle bar (Asian fusion) NYC

Keens Steakhouse (Old timey NY steakhouse) Midtown Manhattan

Peter Luger (Old timey NY steakhouse) Williamsburg, Brooklyn

Balthazar (French) Soho, Manhattan

Ippudo (Japanese) East Village, Manhattan

Roberta's (Pizza) Bushwick, Brooklyn

Hot kitchen (sichuan) East Village, Manhattan

[memphis]

I seldom eat out and don't get to travel to other cities much either, but, in no particular order, here are some favorite local Memphis places. These are all fairly inexpensive restaurants as I'm too cheap for fine dining. There are plenty of "better" places available. I just can't speak for any of them.
1.Mosa Asian Bistro
2.India Palace
3.Pho Saigon
4.One and Only BBQ
5.Abyssinia
6.Gus's Fried Chicken
7.Sakura
8.Old Venice Pizza
9. Soulfish
10. Bosco's

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Is Uncle Jack's better than Peter Lugars? I've never been to Uncle Jack's but I love Peter Lugars and try to go every time I'm in New York.

[GaussLaw]

1. Capital Grille
2. Outback Steakhouse
3. Golden Corral
4. Cheesecake Factory
5. TGI Fridays
6. Red Robin
8. Buffalo Wild Wings
9. Olive Garden
10. Five Guys [don't really count it as a restaurant though]

[Badger]

1. Capital Grille
2. Outback Steakhouse
3. Golden Corral
4. Cheesecake Factory
5. TGI Fridays
6. Red Robin
8. Buffalo Wild Wings
9. Olive Garden
10. Five Guys [don't really count it as a restaurant though]

Your top 10 favorite restaurants are all chains? You really need to get out more.

[GaussLaw]

1. Capital Grille
2. Outback Steakhouse
3. Golden Corral
4. Cheesecake Factory
5. TGI Fridays
6. Red Robin
8. Buffalo Wild Wings
9. Olive Garden
10. Five Guys [don't really count it as a restaurant though]

Your top 10 favorite restaurants are all chains? You really need to get out more.

Yeah, I admit I don't have much exposure to fine dining, other than Capital Grille.  There are a few decent local restaurants, but chains predominate where I've lived.......

When I travel, I've gone to some good local joints, but nothing too spectacular, to be honest.

EDIT:  I admit my list looks eerily similar to something Bushie might post, though unlike him, I do not  go to these entities every day/week.

[bedstuy]

Is Uncle Jack's better than Peter Lugars? I've never been to Uncle Jack's but I love Peter Lugars and try to go every time I'm in New York.

Have you been to Keens?  That's definitely my favorite in NYC.

[memphis]

Is there a link between fundamentalist Christianity and a preference for generic chain restaurants?

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Is Uncle Jack's better than Peter Lugars? I've never been to Uncle Jack's but I love Peter Lugars and try to go every time I'm in New York.

Have you been to Keens?  That's definitely my favorite in NYC.

Never been to Keens. Looks like there's a new place I need to try when I go back next month.

I assume Keens and Uncle Jacks are more diverse than Peter Lugers. I always order the same thing at Peter Lugers when I go, but it's always worth the trip to Brooklyn.

[J-Mann]

Is Uncle Jack's better than Peter Lugars? I've never been to Uncle Jack's but I love Peter Lugars and try to go every time I'm in New York.

I've never been to Peter Luger before, though I pulled up their site and their aging process looks to be similar to Uncle Jack's. Jack's does 45 days of dry aging ... I had a ribeye that simply fell apart when I put it in my mouth ... charred outside, like butter on the inside and no knife necessary. It was phenomenal.

One of the reasons I went to Uncle Jack's in the first place, though, is because they are known for their service. The server was very knowledgeable and made the whole experience better, for sure.

[J-Mann]

I seldom eat out and don't get to travel to other cities much either, but, in no particular order, here are some favorite local Memphis places. These are all fairly inexpensive restaurants as I'm too cheap for fine dining. There are plenty of "better" places available. I just can't speak for any of them.
1.Mosa Asian Bistro
2.India Palace
3.Pho Saigon
4.One and Only BBQ
5.Abyssinia
6.Gus's Fried Chicken
7.Sakura
8.Old Venice Pizza
9. Soulfish
10. Bosco's

Quite a nice variety there, and I'm glad to see you have barbecue represented! I've never had Ethiopian before and am interested in trying it.

[Fmr. Pres. Duke]

Is Uncle Jack's better than Peter Lugars? I've never been to Uncle Jack's but I love Peter Lugars and try to go every time I'm in New York.

I've never been to Peter Luger before, though I pulled up their site and their aging process looks to be similar to Uncle Jack's. Jack's does 45 days of dry aging ... I had a ribeye that simply fell apart when I put it in my mouth ... charred outside, like butter on the inside and no knife necessary. It was phenomenal.

One of the reasons I went to Uncle Jack's in the first place, though, is because they are known for their service. The server was very knowledgeable and made the whole experience better, for sure.

See, you aren't even supposed to ask the servers anything at Peter Lugers. Looking at the menu is taboo there, and if you ask for a recommendation, the server normally tells you he isn't the one eating the food. Of course, they're famous for their quit witted servers.

I have no idea what my list would be because I can't really rank my favorites, but the ones that stick out to me are:

1. Peter Lugers (NYC)
2. Fig (Charleston)
3. Marea (NYC)
4. Halls steakhouse (charleston)
5. The Ordinary (charleston)
6. Joe's Shanghai (NYC)
7. Colt and Allison (sea island, Georgia)
8. Seasonal Pantry (DC)
9. Shake shack (NYC)
10. TAO (NYC)

Whew, that was hard
 

[IceSpear]

1) Braum's
2) Braum's
3) Braum's
4) Braum's
5) Braum's
6) Braum's
7) Braum's
Braum's
9) Braum's
10) Burger King

[traininthedistance]

Is there a link between fundamentalist Christianity and a preference for generic chain restaurants?

There's a link between religiousness and living in rural, non-cosmopolitan areas; and there's also a link between living in rural, non-cosmopolitan areas and preferring generic chain restaurants because that's often genuinely the best* option when you're far away from the density, wealth, and ethnic diversity which are all-too-often prerequisites for good local food.

*or at least safest, or possibly even only  

[dead0man]

As much as I give Bushie a hard time about his eating habits, I truly am a foodie and greatly enjoy exceptional cooking and exceptional dining experiences. What are your top 10 favorite restaurants (or, if you can't think of that many, what are your top five)?

Mine are:

1. Orozco's Portales Cafe, Kanopolis KS
2. Uncle Jack's Steakhouse, Bayside (Queens) NY
3. The Firehouse Restaurant, Sacramento CA
4. Sips Gastropub, Washington MI
5. Oklahoma Joe's Bar-B-Que, Kansas City KS
6. Farallon, San Francisco CA
7. The Vortex Bar & Grill, Atlanta GA
8. Joe Muer Seafood, Detroit MI
9. Steakhouse at Harrah's, Reno NV
10. 13 Coins Restaurant, SeaTac WA

Honorable mention:

11. Brookville Hotel, Abilene KS

Have you tried Kozaks yet?  It's my bro-in-laws, and supposedly really good.  He's preparing the menu the Royals are using on their flight to Baltimore.

[Chunk Yogurt for President!]

1: Dragon Cafe (Prospect, KY) Best Chinese you will ever eat
2: Havana Rumba (Louisville, KY) Great Cuban food
3: Fiesta Time (Louisville, KY) Really good Mexican
4: Chick Fil A (Most States have at least one)
5: Buffalo Wild Wings (nationwide I think)
6: Habanero's (Middle of nowhere, Western KY) Great Mexican food
7: Carrabba's (Nationwide) Great Italian food
8: Hard Rock Cafe (Various locations)
9: Long John Silver's (Nationwide, but sadly, there aren't any close to me)
10: Hometown Pizza (Various locations in KY)

Honorable mentions:
A Really Good Italian restaurant halfway between Seattle and Aberdeen.
Some really good restaurants in Pembroke, Wales.
A lot of places in Philadelphia.
Five Guys.
Sonic.

[J-Mann]

Have you tried Kozaks yet?  It's my bro-in-laws, and supposedly really good.  He's preparing the menu the Royals are using on their flight to Baltimore.

I'll add it to the list -- probably the next time I go to the Improv in North Kansas City, I'll hit it up. The menu looks good.

[dead0man]

Everybody in the family can cook, but he's the only one that's done it professionally.  He's been all over the country as a head chef in various restaurants.  This is the first one that's been owned by him though and by all accounts, it's a great place.  We'd have gone down by now, but a 2+ hour drive just to eat seems kind of silly.

[J-Mann]

Everybody in the family can cook, but he's the only one that's done it professionally.  He's been all over the country as a head chef in various restaurants.  This is the first one that's been owned by him though and by all accounts, it's a great place.  We'd have gone down by now, but a 2+ hour drive just to eat seems kind of silly.

Let me know when you decide to make the drive and I'll meet you there

[dead0man]

Midwest Atlas Fest!