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Tag: restaurant chains

9 Restaurant Chains That Serve the Best Eggplant Parm

Posted on by Betty R. Sattler

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Whether you’re a vegetarian or you’re looking for a different spin on the classic chicken parmesan, eggplant parmesan is a quintessential Italian dish in its own right. Some diners will judge a restaurant based entirely on the quality of its eggplant parm, and with good reason. A well-made eggplant parm is crispy, saucy, and eminently satisfying.

Making eggplant parmesan is a true labor of love. The eggplant must be sliced, breaded, fried, layered with sauce and cheese, then baked—sometimes double-baked—when being prepared into a parmesan dish.

So, on those occasions when you’re short on time or want someone else to do the cooking, it’s a good idea to head to a restaurant that knows how to do it right. These popular chains have been getting raves for the way they carefully prepare and serve the hearty vegetable dish. You likely do not live too far from at least one of them.

Buca di Beppo

buca di beppo eggplant parm
Buca di Beppo

Eggplant Parmigiana (1 order): 910 cal, 55 g fat (20 g saturated fat), 2930 mg sodium, 67 g carbs (12 g fiber, 24 g sugar), 40 g protein

The portion sizes at Buca di Beppo are gigantic. The popular Italian chain serves its food, from salads to pasta, family-style. Every dish is meant to be shared. That includes the eggplant parmigiana, which comes topped with homemade marinara sauce, Roma tomatoes, basil, and mozzarella. Order a small to feed two or three people, or a large to feed five. “Our main dish, the eggplant parmigiana, was absolutely delicious!” raved one customer on Tripadvisor. “Some of the

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6 Restaurant Chains That Serve the Best Shepherd’s Pie

Posted on by Betty R. Sattler

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interviewed and do not contain affiliate links. Meaning: If you use these links to buy
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When it comes to comfort food to keep you warm on a cold winter’s day, few dishes can compare to shepherd’s pie. The minced meat-based dish, layered with vegetables and gravy before getting topped with a buttery mashed potato crust, has been served for generations.

If you want to discuss technicalities, most of what diners would consider shepherd’s pie today is actually cottage pie. A traditional shepherd’s pie is made with ground lamb meat, whereas a cottage pie is made with the more commonly available ground beef. Over time, it became the cultural norm in the United States to label the beef version of the dish shepherd’s pie. The technicalities continue, as shepherd’s pie is commonly associated with Irish food, though the dish actually originates in northern England and Scotland.

Here in the United States, as you might imagine, the dish is mostly found in small, independently owned Irish- and British-style pubs—the ones with the dark-toned wood, the bartender who’s been working there for 40 years, and live music every Sunday night. However, there are a few chains that carry the dish as well. They may be few and far between, but some of the chains that wisely carry this savory dish have a wide reach, and you may be closer to a shepherd’s pie than you realize.

The Cheesecake Factory

cheesecake factory shepherds pie
The Cheesecake Factory

Shepherd’s Pie (Dinner Serving): 1460 cal, 85 g fat (42 g saturated fat), 3300 mg sodium, 90 g carbs (13 g fiber, 16 g sugar), 79 g protein

Restaurant chain juggernaut the Cheesecake Factory has a menu that is a

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11 Restaurant Chains With the Most Over-the-Top Burgers

Posted on by Betty R. Sattler

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interviewed and do not contain affiliate links. Meaning: If you use these links to buy
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If you’re anything like me, you might find yourself hankering for a different kind of burger each time the cravings hit. There are days when just the simple combination of beef, cheese, bun, and condiments tastes like absolute perfection. But there are also days when only the most over-the-top burgers can truly satisfy. We’re talking big portion sizes, tons of toppings, bold flavors, and unique ingredients you may not expect to see adorning your beef patty.

Several fast-food chains throughout the United States offer these types of extravagant burgers to on-the-go customers. But when you want to really sit back, relax, and enjoy your meal, there are also plenty of sit-down restaurant chains serving burgers that are just as inventive as they are wild.

From national brands to smaller names, here 11 restaurant chains serving the most over-the-top burgers in the country right now.

Applebee’s

Applebee's Quesadilla Burger
Applebee’s

Quesadilla Burger: 1,590 cal, 105 g fat (40 g saturated fat, 2 g trans fat), 3,420 mg sodium, 94 g carbs (8 g fiber, 5 g sugar), 68 g protein

Most of the burgers at Applebee’s are pretty standard. But there is one extremely notable exception to that rule: the Quesadilla Burger.

This menu item is a massive, messy, and undeniably over-the-top mashup between a cheeseburger and a quesadilla. It comes with two slices of pepper jack cheese, Applebee’s signature Mexi-ranch sauce, applewood-smoked bacon, pico de gallo, a beef patty, and shredded lettuce, all encased inside a warm cheddar quesadilla. 

So even though it lacks a traditional “bun,” Applebee’s certainly doesn’t skimp on the indulgence factor with

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The 12 Best Italian Chain Restaurants In America

Posted on by Betty R. Sattler

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interviewed and do not contain affiliate links. Meaning: If you use these links to buy
something, we will not earn a commission.

Italian food is one of those rare cuisines that everyone in the family seems to agree on. Classic Sicilian or Neapolitan pizza is always a welcome sight. You can’t go wrong with fresh pasta—a dish which comes in virtually every shape and size and can be paired with any sauce you please from marinara to pesto to Alfredo. Then, when you consider all the cheeses, fine wines, artisan bread like focaccia, and the glorious desserts and pastries—it’s really one of the dreamiest and most delectable compilations of fare ever created.

Many people will say you have to try Italian dishes straight from the source in order to properly experience and appreciate their grandeur. But, if you know where to look, you can find the bona fide tastes of Tuscany, Sicily, and beyond right here in the U.S.

For decades, eager chefs, restaurateurs, and fans of Italian cuisine have worked to bring its beloved recipes and cooking styles stateside. Now, the cuisine can be found in every corner of the country in pizza shops, gelato stands, wine bars, Italian delis, coffee shops, and, of course, traditional ristorantes—a few of which have even multiplied following their success and now stand as noteworthy chains.

Some of these chains have remained somewhat modest and regional, while others have cut ribbons in every state. Some keep their menus more authentic, while the rest put an American twist on the classics. But, they each have their own unique origins, essence, and quirks, and there are a select lot that have truly mastered their art.

Here are the absolute best Italian restaurant

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