In the pandemic, I wanted to support struggling mom-and-pop restaurants instead of big conglomerates. So I went out of my way to order from places with names I didn’t recognize, both to try them out (you never know if “Alberto’s Tacos” has the best taco you’ve ever had in your life) and to make sure that tiny places could stay afloat.
I still remember the first time this came to bite us in the ass. We ordered from this cute little shop called Thrilled Cheese. They had cute little sandwiches… that both looked and tasted horrible. I was wondering how on earth they had stayed in business with food like that and so I looked up their address from the app.
It was an IHOP. Specifically, an IHOP that we purposely avoid because it’s a terrible IHOP that got a “B” from the health inspector and once gave us food poisoning.
Now we have to triple-check that the little family-owned place is really a little family-owned place. Too often it turns out that it’s an Applebee’s or an IHOP or a Denny’s or something. (We did discover some great local restaurants though. Shout-out to “I Heart Pancakes” in Santa Ana, CA - best pancake place ever.)
Yup. This was it for me. Ordered a burger from a no name local place. It came in a Red Robin bag and container. Apperantly they gave no fucks. Since then if I found a place, and it turned out to be real, I just marked it with the heart. Anything not marked it either a big name chain restaurant, or it’s suspect. Especially since we also know about ghost kitchens where it’s one place posted under at least 10 different restaurants.
Edit: Just for shits and giggles, I just loaded up the app. First place I didn’t recognize I checked and Google shows it in the middle of an industrial complex. No restaurant signs anywhere to show where it’s at.
Then I saw “the burger den”, which another person said is Dennys. Google maps takes it to Dennys
Red Robin used to be a great regional burger place but it has just been destroyed. We used to go a few times a month but I haven’t been for at least 5 years.
In the pandemic, I wanted to support struggling mom-and-pop restaurants instead of big conglomerates. So I went out of my way to order from places with names I didn’t recognize, both to try them out (you never know if “Alberto’s Tacos” has the best taco you’ve ever had in your life) and to make sure that tiny places could stay afloat.
I still remember the first time this came to bite us in the ass. We ordered from this cute little shop called Thrilled Cheese. They had cute little sandwiches… that both looked and tasted horrible. I was wondering how on earth they had stayed in business with food like that and so I looked up their address from the app.
It was an IHOP. Specifically, an IHOP that we purposely avoid because it’s a terrible IHOP that got a “B” from the health inspector and once gave us food poisoning.
Now we have to triple-check that the little family-owned place is really a little family-owned place. Too often it turns out that it’s an Applebee’s or an IHOP or a Denny’s or something. (We did discover some great local restaurants though. Shout-out to “I Heart Pancakes” in Santa Ana, CA - best pancake place ever.)
Yup. This was it for me. Ordered a burger from a no name local place. It came in a Red Robin bag and container. Apperantly they gave no fucks. Since then if I found a place, and it turned out to be real, I just marked it with the heart. Anything not marked it either a big name chain restaurant, or it’s suspect. Especially since we also know about ghost kitchens where it’s one place posted under at least 10 different restaurants.
Edit: Just for shits and giggles, I just loaded up the app. First place I didn’t recognize I checked and Google shows it in the middle of an industrial complex. No restaurant signs anywhere to show where it’s at.
Then I saw “the burger den”, which another person said is Dennys. Google maps takes it to Dennys
Red Robin used to be a great regional burger place but it has just been destroyed. We used to go a few times a month but I haven’t been for at least 5 years.
They’ve resorted to 4 ghost kitchens smh, Chicken Sammy’s, The Wings Dept., Donatos, and Fresh Zone
Donatos is an actual, stand-alone pizza place.
At least doordash marks when places are virtual brands now, a lot less googling addresses for me lol
Sometimes. It seems to be inconsistent.