FARK.com: (7177424) Olive Garden and Red Lobster struggle to revive sales, as American appetite for authentic Italian foods and high-class seafood cuisine dwindles

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		Olive Garden and Red Lobster struggle to revive sales, as American appetite for authentic Italian foods and high-class seafood cuisine dwindles (businessweek.com)		416
		More: Sad, Red Lobster, Olive Garden, American Appetites, casual dining, Tuscany

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KOOLmike		2012-06-22 08:18:16 PM

Omahawg: better dressing than olive garden. make it at home any time you please

Short Stop Italian salad dressing:

1 Cup Sugar
2 T Salt
2/3 Cup Water
1 1/2 Cup Cider Vinegar
1 T Parsley
2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
Capers (I use a couple of Tablespoons)
Mix the above and let sit at least 1/2 hour.

Then add:

1 Cup oil
Stir and refrigerate. If oil gets thick let set out 1/2 hour before using.

Interesting, but what the hell's Capers?

Ficoce		2012-06-22 08:18:46 PM

I used to never eat Italian until about a year ago. I ordered Lasagna at this place that was suppose to be good. Layers of noodles with filling that looked like they used a paint brush to thinly spread it out. It was bad. Over the next six month we kept going to different Italian places with the same results. Not the best hobby, couldn't find any I liked.

I decided to do it myself. Picked up a couple of those small single serving Corning wear bowls with a handle and made my own. Still sucked, but learned that you have to really pour on the filling with no more than 3 layers of noodles.

Then I found canned spaghetti sauce doesn't work - no matter what brand. I had to figure out what caramelizing was and do it to the tomatoes - and use real herbs and about half the tomato paste to keep the salt level down. Still reminded me of high school until a guy at the meat counter introduced me to sweet Italian sausage to mix with the ground beef.

That really made the difference. I have to be careful to get the right sweet Italian sausage - they aren't all the same.

Here a couple months ago I look online and here's the recipe all over the place. Felt like I reinvented the wheel - except for the nutmeg in the ricotta. That really works.

I finally have it down. I found the secret to good lasagna is to use real ingredients and don't take short cuts. I improved my prep speed and can knock it out in 45 minutes.

I don't like lasagna very much anymore.

lilplatinum		2012-06-22 08:21:29 PM

HempHead: LtDarkstar: What's funny is watching all of the ghetto black people who go to Red Lobster in their "finest" fake furs and crap because to them that's a "very upscale restaurant" LOL! I wonder how many times Red Lobster has been asked if they take food stamps :P

Pappadeaux in Texas is the exact same.

The irony of someone from Dallas talking about people frontin' is delicious... unlike Red Lobster or Olive Garden.

/most of the Pappas chains are at least servicable
//Their steak house is pretty money..

lilplatinum		2012-06-22 08:22:08 PM

Smelly Pirate Hooker: lilplatinum: No excuse for eating at either of those places after high school... If you eat there you are bad and you should feel bad.. If you live somewhere where those are your choices, you need to move.

Better yet, go down to the Olive Garden or Red Lobster after they close and burn them to the ground. Fire is a cleanser

The fumes from a burning Olive Garden or Red Lobster would probably be considered some sort of biohazard.

HempHead		2012-06-22 08:22:31 PM

ciberido: KOOLmike: Here in KC, I don't understand why anyone would eat at On the Border when there is better, more authentic Mexican faire such as El Maguey or Manny's, often with lower prices than OTB.

Because On The Border's Gringo-Mex is so different from authentic Mexican that it's essentially an entirely different cuisine altogether. It's sorta like comparing French and Italian cuisine and arguing about which is more authentically Italian. Of course Italian food is more Italian than French food, but that doesn't make French food BAD. I happen to like both.

Most people do not like authentic Mexican.

bim1154		2012-06-22 08:22:56 PM

The last time I was in a Red Lobster, it smelled like very bad pussy.

Lsherm		2012-06-22 08:23:07 PM

I'm as food snobby as anyone else but if you want crab legs - there's no reason NOT to go to Red Lobster. All of the crab legs in the US are precooked anyway, and they can reheat them as well as anyone.

I was just at Red Lobster last week and they had 1.5 pounds of King crab legs for $28. If they're offering that across the country, then Red Lobster is alright by me.

It's been years since I've been to an Olive Garden, but I wouldn't expect great cuisine there, either. However, if something floats your boat and they offer it cheap, I'm not going to judge you if you go.

ZombiesYall		2012-06-22 08:23:57 PM

Hey, is this the thread where we brag about being too high-class to eat at chain restaurants?

ladyfortuna		2012-06-22 08:24:25 PM

I'm late to this little get together, but I had to stop eating at both restaurants after I moved in with now-husband-man and had been cooking regularly for a while. I ALWAYS have digestion problems afterwords, either acid or the other thing... too much salt and fat, or something.

I should be in the kitchen		2012-06-22 08:24:29 PM

highwayrun: I should be in the kitchen: I still tease my mom about the first time she and dad came to visit me in Vegas, nearly ten years ago now. They had offered to take my then-husband and I out to dinner and she suggested Olive Garden.

Who goes to Vegas to eat at the freakin' Olive Garden?

I talked them into Battista's Hole in the Wall. The food is good--not spectacular, but the cool "Old Vegas" atmosphere, the little old man strolling around with his accordion and the all-you-can-drink house wine kick Olive Garden's ass any day.

I know, right? All kinds of choices to love in Vegas. You could be eating at the King's Buffet at the Excalibur or the Starchstravaganza at the Imperial Palace or Rewarmed Taco Night at the El Cortez.

I wouldn't know, I don't eat at buffets.

Funny thing about this city, there are nearly 2 million people in the metro area and we don't live on the Strip. It's not like there would be, you know, food options that cater to locals and tourists beyond the starch-bloated Midwestern Land Whales.

Think Imma hit the little family-owned Greek place by my house for dinner.

DocFarker		2012-06-22 08:27:36 PM

ZombiesYall: Hey, is this the thread where we brag about being too high-class to eat at chain restaurants?

Yelp, but you can only brag if your white though..

styckx		2012-06-22 08:27:43 PM

Lsherm: I'm as food snobby as anyone else but if you want crab legs - there's no reason NOT to go to Red Lobster. All of the crab legs in the US are precooked anyway, and they can reheat them as well as anyone.

I was just at Red Lobster last week and they had 1.5 pounds of King crab legs for $28. If they're offering that across the country, then Red Lobster is alright by me.

It's been years since I've been to an Olive Garden, but I wouldn't expect great cuisine there, either. However, if something floats your boat and they offer it cheap, I'm not going to judge you if you go.

lolwut?

HempHead		2012-06-22 08:29:05 PM

TheGhostofFarkPast: I was at the NTTA (toll both authority place for Dallas, TX) and two middle age white women where in front of me and a black guy was paying and he said something about cash so one of the women opened her book and wrote in big bold letters "that is what they only carry."

It was the one Plano wasn't it??

wambu		2012-06-22 08:29:21 PM

Chain restaurants are fine if you want average, consistent food.

But when I'm out of town, I already have a Red Lobster back home I don't eat at, so why bother?

HempHead		2012-06-22 08:31:23 PM

natazha		2012-06-22 08:31:30 PM

Last time, and I mean LAST time, I was in an Olive Garden we waited 15 minutes after being seated. No menus, no server, no water even. There were more staff on the floor than patrons. We walked. No one even noticed.

Biner		2012-06-22 08:33:31 PM

jshine: lots of tasty things have come from ethnic food being adapted to local tastes

"Mexican" food served in Northern New Mexico is a great case in point.

/ NM green chile FTW!

MBZ321		2012-06-22 08:33:37 PM

I pretty much stopped going to most AppleChiliFridayTuesdaybees, just because I can get pretty much EVERYTHING at a local diner (and if you are from the philly area, you can't go a mile without hitting one). Sure, the environment isn't the most trendy or anything (mostly senior citizens unless you go after 9 PM), and some of the dishes aren't the best, but you don't feel like you are getting ripped off on food. You get bigger portions, can get a real burger or sandwich or pancakes for dinner, plus you are supporting a small business, not a franchise where the owner probably owns a dozen restaurants in the area. But if you drive by any chain restaurant in my area (PF Changs, Melting Pot, Applebees...) they'll be lines out the door on a Saturday night.

\Texas Roadhouse was probably the last chain restaurant I went to, but not again. It has since become filthy and dried out food.

\Did hit up Golden Corral one time and for the price, the food wasn't too terrible. You can eat healthy if you just make a big salad and grab a couple sides. Unfortunately, it's on the border of the city and suburbs so the umm.."clientele" left a lot to be desired.

\Will never step in an Old Country Buffet though. The last time I went to one, the place just reeked of dirty overweight people and/or dirty dish rags. Luckily, it went out of business.

highwayrun		2012-06-22 08:35:51 PM

I should be in the kitchen: highwayrun: I should be in the kitchen: I still tease my mom about the first time she and dad came to visit me in Vegas, nearly ten years ago now. They had offered to take my then-husband and I out to dinner and she suggested Olive Garden.

Who goes to Vegas to eat at the freakin' Olive Garden?

I talked them into Battista's Hole in the Wall. The food is good--not spectacular, but the cool "Old Vegas" atmosphere, the little old man strolling around with his accordion and the all-you-can-drink house wine kick Olive Garden's ass any day.

I know, right? All kinds of choices to love in Vegas. You could be eating at the King's Buffet at the Excalibur or the Starchstravaganza at the Imperial Palace or Rewarmed Taco Night at the El Cortez.

I wouldn't know, I don't eat at buffets.

Funny thing about this city, there are nearly 2 million people in the metro area and we don't live on the Strip. It's not like there would be, you know, food options that cater to locals and tourists beyond the starch-bloated Midwestern Land Whales.

Think Imma hit the little family-owned Greek place by my house for dinner.

I did eat at buffets when I lived there. While some (the Rio, Paris) are better than others (the Orleans, Imperial Palace) they all tend to mediocre, which isn't surprising when you consider to whom they're marketing, namely gullible tourists.

I do have to say, though, Mr. Or Ms. Kitchen, that the best sushi I've ever had, hands down, was on Spring Mountain about a mile off the Strip.

hlehmann		2012-06-22 08:39:39 PM

LadyHawke: Seriously, I don't think the people who run that restaurant have ever heard of al-dente.

Places that serve a lot of pasta to the rubes just cook it in huge batches. Then, when an order comes in, they dunk one portion into boiling water for a moment to heat it up and voila, pasta. It's more work for the cook to cook each serving al dente, so most places don't.

Omahawg		2012-06-22 08:41:18 PM

KOOLmike: Omahawg: better dressing than olive garden. make it at home any time you please

Short Stop Italian salad dressing:

1 Cup Sugar
2 T Salt
2/3 Cup Water
1 1/2 Cup Cider Vinegar
1 T Parsley
2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
Capers (I use a couple of Tablespoons)
Mix the above and let sit at least 1/2 hour.

Then add:

1 Cup oil
Stir and refrigerate. If oil gets thick let set out 1/2 hour before using.

Interesting, but what the hell's Capers?

sarcasm or a real question?

upload.wikimedia.org

Lsherm		2012-06-22 08:43:35 PM

styckx: Lsherm: I'm as food snobby as anyone else but if you want crab legs - there's no reason NOT to go to Red Lobster. All of the crab legs in the US are precooked anyway, and they can reheat them as well as anyone.

I was just at Red Lobster last week and they had 1.5 pounds of King crab legs for $28. If they're offering that across the country, then Red Lobster is alright by me.

It's been years since I've been to an Olive Garden, but I wouldn't expect great cuisine there, either. However, if something floats your boat and they offer it cheap, I'm not going to judge you if you go.

lolwut?

Don't watch The Deadliest Catch? Almost all of the crab meat that gets shipped elsewhere is cooked and flash frozen right after it's caught. Something about the inability to keep it fresh for very long if it's dead and raw.

So if you're on the east coast like I am and you're eating crab legs - they were caught, cooked, and frozen long before they ever got to the restaurant. Then they're steamed, but that just reheats them.

4seasons85!		2012-06-22 08:44:13 PM

I should be in the kitchen: I still tease my mom about the first time she and dad came to visit me in Vegas, nearly ten years ago now. They had offered to take my then-husband and I out to dinner and she suggested Olive Garden.

Who goes to Vegas to eat at the freakin' Olive Garden?

I talked them into Battista's Hole in the Wall. The food is good--not spectacular, but the cool "Old Vegas" atmosphere, the little old man strolling around with his accordion and the all-you-can-drink house wine kick Olive Garden's ass any day.

Love Batistas!!! Did you have the really old guy playing the accordion while you were there? The food's great and I love tha atmosphere. I may go eat there this weekend now! Thanks!

MrEricSir		2012-06-22 08:46:45 PM

optikeye: Yelp is pretty useless IMHO. It's like depending on You tube comments for suggestions.

Still a few rungs above Olive Garden.

styckx		2012-06-22 08:46:47 PM

Lsherm: styckx: Lsherm: I'm as food snobby as anyone else but if you want crab legs - there's no reason NOT to go to Red Lobster. All of the crab legs in the US are precooked anyway, and they can reheat them as well as anyone.

I was just at Red Lobster last week and they had 1.5 pounds of King crab legs for $28. If they're offering that across the country, then Red Lobster is alright by me.

It's been years since I've been to an Olive Garden, but I wouldn't expect great cuisine there, either. However, if something floats your boat and they offer it cheap, I'm not going to judge you if you go.

lolwut?

Don't watch The Deadliest Catch? Almost all of the crab meat that gets shipped elsewhere is cooked and flash frozen right after it's caught. Something about the inability to keep it fresh for very long if it's dead and raw.

So if you're on the east coast like I am and you're eating crab legs - they were caught, cooked, and frozen long before they ever got to the restaurant. Then they're steamed, but that just reheats them.

Interesting..

Rindred		2012-06-22 08:49:02 PM

In my area, both RL and OG are perfectly serviceable, but I can happen to know where I can find seafood and Italian for half of what I'd pay at those two with better-tasting grub. Maybe what their company is finding out is that with the financial strain on the average American household budget during this economic doldrum, there are competing restaurants in their markets that are a better value for the buck.

Omahawg		2012-06-22 08:49:20 PM

Coco LaFemme		2012-06-22 08:50:49 PM

kidsizedcoffin: styckx: berylman: styckx: My favorite ghetto place (and by ghetto I mean stereotyping the place by the commericials) is Golden Corral. I see their commercials all the time and lol @ the fattie magnet Chocolate Wonderfall and now they're even giving away Cotton Candy.. That place is the poster child for obesity in America.

Oh yeah I saw that this morning and was thinking alike laughing. I would really like to sit in on their marketing team meetings. It's like their subtly mocking their clientele. Golden Corral, we know you have no dignity left so come on down.

I really want to go there and stick my wang in the chocolate wonderfall and cause a scene for lulz but I would probably end up tased to death.

Dude, people dip steak and meatloaf in that fountain and not for jokes either. Link

shiat, if this is gonna be that kind of party, I'm gonna stick my dick in the mashed potatoes.

Never thought I'd see a Beastie Boys reference in a thread about Red Lobster and Olive Garden, but there it is. Kudoes to you, good sir/madam.

Omahawg		2012-06-22 08:52:17 PM

i'm an idiot and posted the wrong place. because i am an idiot. my apologies.

1.bp.blogspot.com

weirdneighbour		2012-06-22 08:53:18 PM

Why go to Red Lobster when I can go to any decent buffet and eat crabs legs/lobster all night long, in fact as much as I can eat

fn129		2012-06-22 08:54:06 PM

KOOLmike: ROBOTwHUM4NHAIR: KOOLmike: ROBOTwHUM4NHAIR: KOOLmike: Red Lobster and Olive Garden are in the same category as Applebee's, Chili's, On the Border, Chi-Chi's (remember those?), etc. Piss poor representations of their respective cuisines. Joe's Crab Shack sucks, too.
When you know where all the independent restaurants or hole-in-the-wall joints are in town, the chains just don't cut it.
Here in KC, I don't understand why anyone would eat at On the Border when there is better, more authentic Mexican faire such as El Maguey or Manny's, often with lower prices than OTB. Same goes for Italian-- why spend a fortune eating at Carrabba's when V's or Garozzo's has much better food? It might sound snobby, and that's okay, but there's no way anyone can say with a straight face that the food is better at those chain restaurants.

Im not even sure if it was a national chain, but if it was add Cooker's to that list.

Hmm, never heard of Cooker's. What type of food did they claim to serve?

It was one of those applebee/ tgi friday like places. Dont remember too much about them they closed down when i was like 12

Ah, sounds like the Bennigan's that were around when I was a kid growing up in the Detroit area.

There's a fairly chain joint here in KC called Cheddars. Yet another place like Applebee's that basically serves glorified bar food. Fam and I tried it and it wasn't too bad, and the prices were reasonable. I'd probably consider it again if the kids requested we go there, but I don't think it will be my or the wife's first choice.

Everytime I see a Cheddar's I keep feeling like it serves all of it's food drenched in velveeta style cheddar cheese... And that just makes me want to eat there even more.

badgerb		2012-06-22 09:00:44 PM

DocFarker: How do a bunch of honkie crakers turn an article about Red Lobster and Olive Garden loosing business in piss poor economic times into a race issue?

Welcome to Fark

KOOLmike		2012-06-22 09:03:15 PM

Omahawg: KOOLmike: Omahawg: better dressing than olive garden. make it at home any time you please

Short Stop Italian salad dressing:

1 Cup Sugar
2 T Salt
2/3 Cup Water
1 1/2 Cup Cider Vinegar
1 T Parsley
2 Cloves Garlic (minced)
Capers (I use a couple of Tablespoons)
Mix the above and let sit at least 1/2 hour.

Then add:

1 Cup oil
Stir and refrigerate. If oil gets thick let set out 1/2 hour before using.

Interesting, but what the hell's Capers?

sarcasm or a real question?

No, I'm not much of a cook if it doesn't involve a smoke pit, and had never heard of them. I Googled, then C&P'ed your recipe and texted it to the wife. She's intrigued, thanks for posting.

kidsizedcoffin		2012-06-22 09:03:59 PM

Rufus Lee King: Speaking of crabs: When I worked in a seafood restaurant in Charleston, SC quite a few tourists would ask if the Alaskan king crabs were caught locally. They weren't kidding, either. Sure, they were caught locally. We caught them in boxes from a huge freezer in Shallotte, NC!

That's like asking if Chilean Sea Bass is caught in Chile.

ZeroCorpse		2012-06-22 09:04:33 PM

KOOLmike: Red Lobster and Olive Garden are in the same category as Applebee's, Chili's, On the Border, Chi-Chi's (remember those?), etc. Piss poor representations of their respective cuisines. Joe's Crab Shack sucks, too.

Say what you will, but Chi-Chi's chimichanga remains one of my favorite dishes, and I've never found anyone that does it remotely the same as they did. Nobody gets the sauce or the consistency of the cheese right.

No, it ain't "real" Mexican food, but I've had real Mexican food and it's severely overrated. The Americanized version adds some flavor.

Anyway, I'm sad that Chi-Chi's is gone. There are none left in Michigan that I know of, and I assume the chain is long-since dead.

Greenbeanx		2012-06-22 09:06:52 PM

I like olive garden..service was a lot better then other places..women was really attentive

austin_millbarge		2012-06-22 09:09:22 PM

9beers: Contrabulous Flabtraption: Called my dad on father's day. He said he'd gone to Red Lobster for dinner only to find it "full of every black and mexican" in the area.

I LOL'd at his racism.

That's not racism, it's a fact. The last time I was in a Red Lobster, it was about 75% black and that's in an area where blacks make up 10% of the population at most. Brothers will drive their asses off for some bad seafood.

I went to a Red Lobster in a black neighborhood once so I'm getting a kick out of your replies.

silvervial		2012-06-22 09:09:43 PM

I've never been to an Olive Garden. My Italian mother would spin in her grave (if she had one - maybe dust up in her urn?) if I ever went there.

But I have been to Red Lobster a few times. Last time was years ago when the whole family went for the "All you can eat Crab misguided promotion that got the VP fired" special. I think our table of four ate 25lbs of crab, probably more, and the damn place was PACKED. All you could hear from every table including ours was cracking and mmmmmm. Never saw the need to go back again when they said they'd never do that promotion again.

/make my own version of their cheddar garlic biscuits

styckx		2012-06-22 09:09:57 PM

ZeroCorpse: KOOLmike: Red Lobster and Olive Garden are in the same category as Applebee's, Chili's, On the Border, Chi-Chi's (remember those?), etc. Piss poor representations of their respective cuisines. Joe's Crab Shack sucks, too.

Say what you will, but Chi-Chi's chimichanga remains one of my favorite dishes, and I've never found anyone that does it remotely the same as they did. Nobody gets the sauce or the consistency of the cheese right.

No, it ain't "real" Mexican food, but I've had real Mexican food and it's severely overrated. The Americanized version adds some flavor.

Anyway, I'm sad that Chi-Chi's is gone. There are none left in Michigan that I know of, and I assume the chain is long-since dead.

Chi-Chi's was the best troll restaurant ever. Nothing ever beat randomly picking out one of your friends, taking a piss, then telling the waitress it's your friends birthday today.

10 minutes later

Happy happy happy birthday happy happy happy birthday happy happy happy birthday to you. to you. to you. ole

Johnny Bananapeel		2012-06-22 09:12:27 PM

austin_millbarge		2012-06-22 09:12:34 PM

TO THE RESCUE!!!!

John Buck 41		2012-06-22 09:13:12 PM

My local real Italian restaurant. Awesome doesn't come close to describing it.

Link

badgerb		2012-06-22 09:13:45 PM

AbortionsForAll: ongbok: LtDarkstar: What's funny is watching all of the ghetto black people who go to Red Lobster in their "finest" fake furs and crap because to them that's a "very upscale restaurant" LOL! I wonder how many times Red Lobster has been asked if they take food stamps :P

It's even funnier watching the trailer trash white folks like you that go there dressed in your best CAT hat and flannel laughing at them when everybody already knows the real joke is that Red Lobster is the closest that you will ever get to an upscale restaurant.

Just so you know, your reply was vastly inferior to the statement which you were answering (on multiple levels - humor, accuracy, etc.).

Agreed.
2/10 at best

Blackwind		2012-06-22 09:17:44 PM

bim1154: The last time I was in a Red Lobster, it smelled like very bad pussy.

Yeah, the last time we went to a RL, which was like 2 -years- ago, I wasn't very impressed at all, especially with that big ass bill they brought me.
The wife always loved eating there as a kid, but that was her last time, made her sick as a dog.

Olive Garden we ate at a couple of times. It was "OK", but I could probably do better at home. Service was nice though.

Five Guys put us in the hospital one time. Myself, my wife and my then 3-year old. They had to put me on IV fluids.
Never went back there again, ever. If I look at a Five Guys while driving by, it makes me sick.
Most likely some nasty bastard back there making burgers who couldn't wash his hands properly.

In the last year, we've been to Checkers, BK, Sonic and McD's. Mostly for the kids, because what parent doesn't let the kids have McD's or the like once or twice a month?
The wife and I usually just have a drink. If we do eat anything there, it's either a burger by itself (no fries, etc) or in the case of McD's, I've been guilty of getting a medium milkshake.

ZeroCorpse		2012-06-22 09:21:06 PM

styckx: My favorite ghetto place (and by ghetto I mean stereotyping the place by the commericials) is Golden Corral. I see their commercials all the time and lol @ the fattie magnet Chocolate Wonderfall and now they're even giving away Cotton Candy.. That place is the poster child for obesity in America.

I used to work in a Sveden House restaurant. It was a smorgasbord (using the term loosely. It was really just a run-of-the-mill buffet), and every Sunday all the absolute fattest people in the tri-city area would drop in, pay their $5.00 a head (this was the 80s), and stay there ALL DAY, eating like pigs.

It was disgusting. I'm not just talking about your average fat people, here. I'm talking about the kind of people who need two chairs... The kind of people who have to wash with a rag on a stick... The kind of people who probably have car keys and missing household pets stuck within their folds of fat.

And these heifers would load up their plates with everything at once. Mashed potatoes with chocolate sauce? You bet! Swedish Meatballs covered in nacho cheese? Oh, yes! Beef gravy milkshakes? They did it. An entire plate heaped with Jell-O and corn? Yes, they did that, too. Getting their coffee in a bowl? Yes. Filling a plastic cup with chili, water, and cheese, and then drinking it? Yes, they did this, too.

Barfing on the table and shiatting on the floor in the restroom? That was them, as well. One time, I even found a plate full of chicken bones in a stall, on the floor next to the toilet... Some porker waddled in there with a pile of fried chicken and sat there crapping and eating for what must have been at least 15 minutes. Possibly more. It was a lot of chicken bones. I think it might have been the equivalent of a chicken and a half. And the bones were cracked, too. They sucked the marrow out of at least some of them. ...All while taking a dump.

The place was horrific. It was almost 30 years ago, and I still occasionally have nightmares about it. And the worst thing about it was the the owner had a strict rule: No bussing the tables until the whole party leaves. That meant the mess piled up in the middle of the table, and under it, and on the floor next to chairs... All while these people stayed for hours and hours, eating more food in a day than some people eat in a month.

So the chocolate fountain at Golden Corral doesn't bother me. It has nothing on the Sveden House.

HempHead		2012-06-22 09:23:26 PM

kidsizedcoffin: Rufus Lee King: Speaking of crabs: When I worked in a seafood restaurant in Charleston, SC quite a few tourists would ask if the Alaskan king crabs were caught locally. They weren't kidding, either. Sure, they were caught locally. We caught them in boxes from a huge freezer in Shallotte, NC!

That's like asking if Chilean Sea Bass is caught in Chile.

makeapowerfulpoint.files.wordpress.com

Funk Brothers		2012-06-22 09:24:42 PM

This is what a kitchen in an average Red Lobster looks like.
i.imgur.com

loonatic112358		2012-06-22 09:29:32 PM

meh

also, what the fark are you people on about regarding the restaurant is always full of people of the ethnicity or race you dislike?

loonatic112358		2012-06-22 09:32:15 PM

ZeroCorpse:

I used to work in a Sveden House restaurant..

you must have an iron stomach

I'd have vomited right into the middle of the table watching these things

did you ever offer someone a wafer thin mint, just in the vain hope they'd pop?

Indubitably		2012-06-22 09:33:00 PM

Biv: Indubitably: How does a thread about food go racism?

Oh, yeah.

Racists and perceptions.

Color me surprised.

;)

What color is that? I want to make fun of you.

It doesn't matter, friend, for skinned, I'm as meaty as human is.

Well, I may be meatier than some, but that doesn't change the equation...

And when I say meat, I mean muscle-meat. Sure, I got fat; you do or you die, so goes the human at this rate...

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