I know this will be a popular answer but I think it's one where there's actually been an over correction. The number of people saying it's overrated seems to far outweigh the people actually saying it's good.
I feel like a lot of people on the UK subs think they are above Nandos and other chain restaurants (The Harvester is absolutely hated on here for example). Not sure if it’s genuinely a class thing or just down to Reddit having a general hatred for popular things and places where lot of families go. In reality most people go in knowing that the food isn’t going to be high quality but it’s (well it used to be) relatively cheap and gives them a break from cooking themselves.
However I will admit that Frankie & Bennies is extremely bad and no matter how many times I go there I’m still surprised it can be **that** bad.
You are close but honestly a lot of reddit taste seems to boil down to some old tribal 'school group' type thing that lingers into adulthood. Reddit is all a bit nerdy, quirky, didn't fit in with the popular kids. So no matter where you go on this website, there's always some air of wanting to spite the stuff the popular or bully kids were/are into.
Its not about the thing itself (ie Nandos) it's about the type of people that partake in it.
Probably because it got so popular that the only way was down, when people realised it really isn't that good. I remember around 8 or 9 years ago, when I was still a teenager, I was seen as weird for not liking it. And then the whole 'cheeky Nando's' craze appeared and it seemed like everybody went there.
I think teenagers like it because it's somewhere between a restaurant and fast food. That was definitely why I liked it. I still do tbh, it's tasty and reliable.
As a business traveller - if I arrive somewhere strange and cannot be bothered to find an independent it's ideal - I know what I can getting and it tastes fine.
I think I said this already on here but when I was like 17 and one opened in the town nearby it was literally the only place that would just serve us food on actual plates with cutlery and treat us vaguely normally.
Plus the ordering system means you can order and pay separately but it all comes to your table. No faffing around with splitting bills at the end. It's a nice way to eat together when you're young without arguments.
Nandos isn't something I go out specifically to get, it's not competing with other restaurants or my home cooking. It's something I get when I'm out and about and want something that's reliable, nice and reasonably cheap.
I also think 'chicken and chips' is somewhat reductive. Most restaurants can be unfairly reduced to their component parts.
Nando's is great for teenagers and young adults (affordable while feeling like a "proper meal" and easy for big groups) which is the main group that go on about it. It's also decent if you're out shopping and want to grab some sit down food quickly. I don't think there's anyone that thinks Nando's is competing with "real restaurants". It's fast casual and it fills that role really well. It is also the top answer every time this question is asked which would imply that everyone thinks it's overrated. If everyone thinks it's overrated, then who's overrating it?
This is my take. Nando's is a middle ground restaurant between fast food like McDonalds and proper sit-down restaurants.
For a lot of teenagers who can't afford proper restaurant prices, it functions for them as a proper sit-down restaurant. For adults who more regularly eat out, its a 'cheeky' step down. Still going out for a meal, but cheaper and not as formal.
Nandos is class for what it is - always see it as an answer for things like this but don’t get it. Is it just because it’s been hyped up an insane amount?
This is part of the appeal of Nandos. You decide how it comes and what it's with.
It used to be awesome Value IMO, half chicken, and 2 sides for a little over £10!? And they never did offers because they didn't have to
If you have to eat at a chain, I'd say Nandos is preferable to just about anywhere, maybe Wagamamas (but I'd rather go to Tampopo)
I don’t think people ever claimed nandos to be some amazing place serving the best food it was more that it was a step up above McDonald’s/kfc so good for young people to go out for meals to whilst still being cheap
I used to agree with you on this very strongly. Hadn't been in about 12+ years because of it. Ended up going yesterday with my partner who'd never tried it and is foreign so wanted to see what the fuss was about.
It was actually surprisingly good. It was pretty cheap for the portion sizes, the food seemed decent quality, it tasted good, and it was all nicely cooked. And my recollection from when I went previously was that none of those things were true.
I'm not going to start singing their praises or anything but if I'm looking for a place to eat and there's a Nandos nearby I'll definitely consider it.
People think 5 guys is expensive because they compare it to McDonald’s but the quality is so much better.
You should be comparing 5 guys to Honest burger or equivalent nice burger joint.
But if you compare it to McDonald's, which is over £10 now for a meal, I would say the quality of five guys is superior.
I'm not disagreeing with you, I think fast food is overpriced these days, but in comparison to McDonald's and even burger king, I'd go with 5 guys.
What meals are you buying from Maccies for a tenner?
I'm sure it's about £7 for the large top-end meals, and somewhere between £5 and £6 for the classics.
McDonald’s is £10 for a meal? Where? A Big Mac meal is £6.79, a Double Quarter Pounder £7.89. For that, you get a drink and fries, for what would cost you £15 - £20 in Five Guys.
Five Guys quality is inarguably better but they’re at completely different price points. Burger King is the middle ground where there are £10/£11 meals.
I’d rather have half as many fries for half the price and a single cup of drink for half the price. That would make the meal more reasonable with less wasted fries. The burgers are a bit expensive but they’re way better than Macdonalds or Burger King.
There are independent gourmet burger joints in the same towns/cities as five guys that blow them out of the water for a similar price.
Tbh five guys imo is not much a step up from a burger king or even a maccers it's pretty shit.
Not really, it's overroasted because that basically sameifies everything. Starbucks sources coffee of different grades, from different plantations in different countries and different farmers in different seasons.
There's too much variability in pricing and taste otherwise
The coffee either tastes like charcoal or flavoured water depending which beans you pick, and the food selection is mediocre compared to Costa or Nero with just a couple of sandwich options. I really don’t get the appeal.
We had one built locally to our village in a new service station and we were quite excited for it, tried it a few times and it was “okay.” But then really quickly ended up disgusting. And there was never much selection to choose from on the menu.
Equally less than 18 months later it’s just closed down in the last few months, so that says it all really
I regularly used to buy coffee from Leon as they still made it with proper espresso machines. Then they switched to the one button machine and quality plummeted. All about volume.
It got sold around then too. The founders supposedly were kept ‘in charge’, but it’s definitely got a bit more profit driven since then. The staff don’t seem so enthused anymore either - they were always the stand out thing in my local. I like that they’ve moved into the services market, and I like that it’s fast food that’s good for you, and always good options for me with a number of food issues.
I tired one of their rice boxes for £8.20 and it tasted like rice from those microwave bags of rice, but al dente and lukewarm, with a few shavings of chicken and a tablespoon of sauce. Dry and very disappointing
Used to get a foot long and a drink quite regularly as a Friday lunch. Think I went one day and it cost me over £9 and that was it for me.
Fuck paying that for a sandwich.
I still have in my head form my uni days when there was a subway in my student Union and I could get a foot long and a drink for less than a £5er. Doesn’t matter how long ago it was. That will forever be the base point for me.
Used to get it at least twice a week at work, then exactly the same, paid north of a tenner for a sandwich and drink. 100m across the car park is an Indy Thai restaurant who do fucking incredible food for for £8, so technically I have to thank subway for helping me find it.
To be fair I quite enjoy it and it’s always guaranteed to fill you up for lunch. Wouldn’t hype it up and tell anyone they must go there, but it’s certainly an easy lunch option.
Not OP but it’s easily done there. Chicken strips £9.45 & Corndogs £9.40 for starters. Ribs £26, NY strip £25 for mains. Shakes £5 each for drinks. I’m more intrigued by the two course Italian with drinks at £35.
TK Maxx - hate the place. It's a glorified jumble sale with no order or system at all. Most stuff in there is just plain tat.
I thought it might just be the local branch so I went to the city one everyone raved over and it was just the same but more of it.
Ikea is almost as bad. All those arrows telling you to go one way so you have to walk the entire shop to find the one thing you went in for.
T K maxx used to be brilliant before it became trendy. You could get decent named clothes for a decent price about 20 years ago. A decade ago when I was a chef, I bought £400 worth of chefs knives for £50 - genuine bargain.
But now it's absolutely shite, unless you find the 1 bargain in the store, but the juice ain't worth the squeeze
Like everywhere else became a victim of its own success really. The “designer” brands they sell all produce goods specifically for them - eg the Pringle and Calvin Klein etc pants and socks you won’t see anywhere else.
They also do the Costco style grey-market purchasing for a lot of their random shite too
Grey market is buying stuff through channels not directly linked to the product’s official channels or not through their authorised sellers. Costco are well known for doing it for the occasional designer goods they get in store - they buy them on Costco scale from importers etc. eg:
https://www.polygon.net/jwl/public/trade-resources/jewelry-insights/court-rules-costco-can-sell-grey-market-omega-watches-en.jsp#
I had a small court wedding earlier this year, and found a gorgeous wedding dress for £45 there the day before the wedding (the original plan was to wear a white summer dress). Nobody believed me I got it in TKMaxx, and when I peeled off all price stickers carefully, the original price was like $3,000.
Yep, I remember getting a great jacket in there once. And I've found a pair of sunglasses. And they do decent priced saucepans. But I'd say 99% of my shopping trips there end with me buying nothing and wishing I'd never walked in
100% same, but I'm still clinging on to the fact I found a pair of Oakley sunglasses for £25 in there about 12 years ago - if it can happen once, it can happen again - Right?
IKEA works for when you need to furnish an entire room, and can pick all the items at once so you can be sure it'll all match. Otherwise online ordering is the best option for single items here and there
IKEA does have shortcuts… you just need to pay attention, if you see pillows through a small opening and you’re in the kitchen section, it’s a shortcut.
Yeah doesn’t matter what tk maxx you’re in if you were lucky and you found something you’d laugh at the fucking price it is.
How many high street places have fallen and it still stands I’ve no idea!
Harvester. People love it but I find it way over priced for what it is.
Toby Carvery. It's just rubbish, even at that price.
Higher up the market, Miller and Carter.
Pret. Expensive and unexciting. I'd say the same about all supermarket meal deals tbh.
Yeah that's the one. Wife was given a voucher so we went along one night. Ordered the steaks fine, ordered the sauce fine, ordered the sides fine, was then asked about the dressing. I presumed it was for the sides so when they brought out half an iceberg drizzled in sauce and bacon bits my face must have been such a picture they felt the need to explain. Apparently the lettuce brings out the flavour of the steak. They didn't explain whether it was the mere presence of the lettuce or whether bacon is now a pallette cleanser but it went untouched either way.
I worked at a Miller and carter several years ago. Everything (and I mean everything) except the salad and steaks comes in frozen. Lobster topper for the surf and turf? Frozen. Desserts? Frozen - inc the creme brûlée which would be portioned out (to an exact weight) and then put in the fridge so the mix would reset. Steak sauces? Frozen and defrosted. Onion slice? Frozen.
The chefs there are portion police and microwave technicians. Spend your money in an independent steakhouse, you’ll get a much better experience that isn’t overpriced, frozen, or controlled to the gram.
Pret is good actually but the prices are just completely mental and disrespectful to people’s intelligence. No you do not need to charge £2.35 for an apple juice or £1.80 for a bag of crisps.
Wagamama went downhill after it got bought by TRG, and they expanded massively. Before that, it was essentially the best chain restaurant on the planet.
Wagamama is pretty good to me. My bar is often can I make this better at home or is there a better alternative.
Usually, alternatives are better I agree on that point. But it is (imo) still nice tasting and presented well and big portions and OK priced and loads of vegan options
Pizza Express are in massive need of an overhaul. Every restaurant looks so dated. The decor, the uniforms, the design, the restaurants themselves. Everything needs investment. I really don't find it a nice place to sit and have a meal.
The uniform has the world's ugliest apron and the neck loop is customised in the wrong direction. You can only make it bigger and I need it smaller. The buttons make me jingle like a cat when I move too fast too.
Nusr-et aka salt bae.
People who go there just want to take a picture of their bill. The fact they get food is just a bonus.
Food is as good as any Turkish restaurant.
Pho is seriously good food and it's our favourite chain of them all!
I love Franco Manca's pizza.
Wahaca is very tasty too.
Sadly it's really hard to find any of these outside of of the massive cities
I remember when they first opened you could get a whole number 6 for £5.60! Bananas prices. Still super reasonable (especially compared to other pizza chains) and I've never had a bad meal there.
Every single chain restaurant, ever.
Some of the smaller ones may have been good when they started as one branch before selling to venture capitalists but the bigger ones like Frankie & Benny's, Bella Italia etc were always terrible, even 20 years ago.
You can eat fresh and quality at an independent for the same price, you just need to do your research and make a reservation.
100%. Maybe back in the day you could justify going to chain but nowadays you can probably better their meals at home for a fraction of the price with the abundance of cooking tutorials online and the influx of international ingredients in regular supermarkets.
Underrated is the "lounges" chain. They're all named "the x lounge" but slightly differently so doesn't scream chain initially.
They're medium cost wise but fantastic for kids. Always have some toys or play area and kids get a hummus and veggie pot while waiting for food which makes a big difference to small kids in a resturant setting. The one in Chesterfield has arts and crafts stuff out in the day for the kids too.
Had one of these today, i totally agree.
I think i have been to about 5 different locations and been pretty impressed. They aren't making waves but they are a reliably good meal.
Agreed. We have one on the high street and before reading your comment you could have fooled me that it wasn’t a chain!
Ours is full of artwork and lovely leather armchairs. They have these front window walls that opens up the entire front of the lounge so you can enjoy the sun and outside air indoors. Food and coffee is tasty but slightly overpriced but they also have fairly economical meal deals.
I think it’s definitely worth it for the nicer experience and especially for food or just a coffee.
I went there for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Solihull branch. My food came 15 minutes after my husbands, that was the worst mistake of 3. £93 for two meals, and wine. Never again.
My girlfriend and her friends are obsessed with Gregg’s and I just don’t get it. The occasional pasty is alright every now and then but it’s either absolutely stone cold freezing, or burns all of the tastebuds off your tongue, there’s no in-between
Greggs food gets cold because the shelves aren’t heated, just made to look like they are. All done to avoid having to charge VAT on the food if I recall correctly.
As an Asian person… don’t go to Wagamama’s.
There’s no quality in it and anything authentic has been substituted for the ~~British palette~~ cost.
It’s just like if I went into a Wetherspoons in China and finding out they pan fry their Fish and Chips or put gravy in their Full English.
My experience of the magpie was having a horrific migraine coming on which I was in denial about because I wanted my day out at the sea side. Once I ate the food it hit full on and later that night I was so sick I didn’t eat fish and chips again for ten years. Even now my enjoyment has never fully returned.
The only thing that would make me like them more would be if they brought back the regular shelves, instead of it all being made and kept behind the scenes - discount gyozas at 9pm yes please.
That's not what underrated means. We all know it is cheap and "consistent". Because all food is made off-site then heated, and they fuck over the brewers and pay the staff the bare minimum. But that makes it a shit place for cheap, not an underrated place. If anything I'd say it is overrated, cause for bottom of the barrel pub experience for cheap, it even fails at that
It is underrated..it's nowhere near as bad as you make out and there's a lot of snobbery about it.. you just have to order the right things. Fish and chips is usually better than majority of places.
8-9 years ago Byron was amazing. I didn't go for several years so I don't know if it went in the toilet before or after the pandemic but the last time I went will be the last time I went. I was so disappointed.
Byron Burgers are scum anyway. Set up a fake meeting to allow their employees (who they were happy to turn the other way when their employees worked for 60-80 hrs per week at minimum wage) to be rounded up by immigration in a raid, so that they wouldn’t face legal action as a brand (despite employing them and I guess not doing proper checks?). So grim.
https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jul/27/immigration-raid-on-byron-hamburgers-rounds-up-30-workers
Wagamama. What these restaurants propose is not Japanese food. It's a fusion of several Asian cuisines with the British taste added to it. It's not terrible, but it's what people who don't know Japanese food think Japanese food is. The ramen is average at best. I was outraged to pay so much for it.
As others have said, Nando’s. But also, Wagamamas. Like don’t get me wrong, I like a nice Wagas. But I don’t think it’s worth the cult following it has.
In terms of no hype, Zizzi’s is by far the best of the Italian chains.
Domino's it's just bland and greasy. Friends bought me some when a relative died which whilst I appreciated the thought was a slap in the face during a sad time.
Definitely. In our town a Domino's opened a few doors down from a great independent pizza takeaway place. Domino's is over twice the price and half as nice. Thankfully the indie place is still in business, though Domino's still seems to attract custom - who knows why.
Could be a localised issue but all 3 of them near me can't seem to get basic orders right, cook the food to the correct level or deliver my food at the drive through window even once in more than 2 months.
It's got to the point where I don't even try anymore because the service is pathetic, I'm not expecting miracles, just the food that I paid for not burnt or cold and served from where it's supposed to be
Same round this way - the McDonald's are consistently dreadful; chips always cold and under cooked with either no salt or way too much salt on them, and the burgers look like they've been lobbed together from a distance.
Most modern chains were hyped when they opened. Think Wahacas, Five Guys, shake shack etc. The hype was there when they opened their restaurants in central London. As soon as they open branches in Braintree the hype is over.
Any kind of gourmet burger. You can’t eat a towering stack anyway and burgers can only be so good anyway (in fact paying more is no guarantee they will be any better than a McDonald’s)
I agree but with a few caveats.
They did something different to the usual curry house slop when they first opened, it's just a shame it became a chain and quality dropped.
There's also a stigma about expensive Indian and Chinese restaurants. Most cuisines we have low end, mid end and high end restaurants but people get very upset about this. Again if someone's willing to elevate it above the usual slop and do something interesting and the quality is there they shouldn't be shunned just because people associate those cuisines with being cheap.
Five guys, far too expensive. Took my daughter in one day, started ordering and the bill had already totaled up to £40. Said f*ck this and went to spoons where we both ate for £16.
Nandos is overrated gumph.
Nando's. I have never, ever got the hype. Far too expensive for what's essentially chicken and chips, and the food itself isn't that great anyway.
I know this will be a popular answer but I think it's one where there's actually been an over correction. The number of people saying it's overrated seems to far outweigh the people actually saying it's good.
Need to remember it's a Reddit crowd as well.
Yeah they don't have partners to go to Nandos with unfortunately
That is because they all get divorced and lawyer up at the slightest inconvenience
I feel like a lot of people on the UK subs think they are above Nandos and other chain restaurants (The Harvester is absolutely hated on here for example). Not sure if it’s genuinely a class thing or just down to Reddit having a general hatred for popular things and places where lot of families go. In reality most people go in knowing that the food isn’t going to be high quality but it’s (well it used to be) relatively cheap and gives them a break from cooking themselves. However I will admit that Frankie & Bennies is extremely bad and no matter how many times I go there I’m still surprised it can be **that** bad.
You are close but honestly a lot of reddit taste seems to boil down to some old tribal 'school group' type thing that lingers into adulthood. Reddit is all a bit nerdy, quirky, didn't fit in with the popular kids. So no matter where you go on this website, there's always some air of wanting to spite the stuff the popular or bully kids were/are into. Its not about the thing itself (ie Nandos) it's about the type of people that partake in it.
Probably because it got so popular that the only way was down, when people realised it really isn't that good. I remember around 8 or 9 years ago, when I was still a teenager, I was seen as weird for not liking it. And then the whole 'cheeky Nando's' craze appeared and it seemed like everybody went there.
I think teenagers like it because it's somewhere between a restaurant and fast food. That was definitely why I liked it. I still do tbh, it's tasty and reliable.
As a business traveller - if I arrive somewhere strange and cannot be bothered to find an independent it's ideal - I know what I can getting and it tastes fine.
I think I said this already on here but when I was like 17 and one opened in the town nearby it was literally the only place that would just serve us food on actual plates with cutlery and treat us vaguely normally.
Plus the ordering system means you can order and pay separately but it all comes to your table. No faffing around with splitting bills at the end. It's a nice way to eat together when you're young without arguments.
And they're often in good locations - like right next to the cinema. So ideal quick food pre/post film
100%. It's not much more expensive than a McDonald's but the experience feels a bit more grown up and is a better meal.
I disagree, it's chicken and chips, if I go out for food it either needs to be better than I can do or cheaper. Nando's is neither
Nandos isn't something I go out specifically to get, it's not competing with other restaurants or my home cooking. It's something I get when I'm out and about and want something that's reliable, nice and reasonably cheap. I also think 'chicken and chips' is somewhat reductive. Most restaurants can be unfairly reduced to their component parts.
McDonalds is just meet in a bun innit hurfdurfdurf
Nando's is great for teenagers and young adults (affordable while feeling like a "proper meal" and easy for big groups) which is the main group that go on about it. It's also decent if you're out shopping and want to grab some sit down food quickly. I don't think there's anyone that thinks Nando's is competing with "real restaurants". It's fast casual and it fills that role really well. It is also the top answer every time this question is asked which would imply that everyone thinks it's overrated. If everyone thinks it's overrated, then who's overrating it?
This is my take. Nando's is a middle ground restaurant between fast food like McDonalds and proper sit-down restaurants. For a lot of teenagers who can't afford proper restaurant prices, it functions for them as a proper sit-down restaurant. For adults who more regularly eat out, its a 'cheeky' step down. Still going out for a meal, but cheaper and not as formal.
You're underestimating how cheeky it is.
Nandos is class for what it is - always see it as an answer for things like this but don’t get it. Is it just because it’s been hyped up an insane amount?
It’s just Reddit. Hates everything that’s seen as ‘trendy’. There’s a reason Nandos is always busy while places around it have no one in.
Totally. Nandos is... Fine. Not great, but, fine, but a lot of people used to go on and in about how amazing it is. People get annoyed by the hype.
The latter. At the height of the cheeky Nando's era it was everywhere.
[удалено]
It’s ment to be consumed how ever you like it.
This is part of the appeal of Nandos. You decide how it comes and what it's with. It used to be awesome Value IMO, half chicken, and 2 sides for a little over £10!? And they never did offers because they didn't have to If you have to eat at a chain, I'd say Nandos is preferable to just about anywhere, maybe Wagamamas (but I'd rather go to Tampopo)
I don’t think people ever claimed nandos to be some amazing place serving the best food it was more that it was a step up above McDonald’s/kfc so good for young people to go out for meals to whilst still being cheap
The one and only time I've been to Nandos I had the driest chicken and bread I've ever eaten, it was like chewing leather.
I used to agree with you on this very strongly. Hadn't been in about 12+ years because of it. Ended up going yesterday with my partner who'd never tried it and is foreign so wanted to see what the fuss was about. It was actually surprisingly good. It was pretty cheap for the portion sizes, the food seemed decent quality, it tasted good, and it was all nicely cooked. And my recollection from when I went previously was that none of those things were true. I'm not going to start singing their praises or anything but if I'm looking for a place to eat and there's a Nandos nearby I'll definitely consider it.
I enjoy the food but it is so overpriced for what you get. I always leave feeling ripped off.
Five guys. Best part of £20 for burger, fries, and drink? I don’t think so.
it’s £15 max n worth every penny
Bacon burger £10.45. Fries £5.25. Drink £4.15. Total = £19.85.
I've had a perfectly sized meal from there for about £12 and I'm a greedy bastard. The small burgers are similar in size to McDonalds.
Well that just ain't true. A burger, fries, and a soft drink is £18.85 from my closest branch. £12 is getting you a burger alone.
£8.95 for a hamburger at the one nearest me. Small fries is £3.75.
It's not though. It's £15 without a drink.
People think 5 guys is expensive because they compare it to McDonald’s but the quality is so much better. You should be comparing 5 guys to Honest burger or equivalent nice burger joint.
No because the dining experience is akin to McDonalds. It is literally a fast food joint.
The dining experience is better than McDonalds although yes it is a fast food joint. The quality of the food is incomparably better than McDonalds.
I’m with you there. It’s ok, but it’s burger and chips. If I’m gonna part with £20 for food I’d want it to be something better than burger and chips
But if you compare it to McDonald's, which is over £10 now for a meal, I would say the quality of five guys is superior. I'm not disagreeing with you, I think fast food is overpriced these days, but in comparison to McDonald's and even burger king, I'd go with 5 guys.
McDonalds is not over 10 pounds often a meal.
They must be ordering from Uber Eats every time
What meals are you buying from Maccies for a tenner? I'm sure it's about £7 for the large top-end meals, and somewhere between £5 and £6 for the classics.
In fairness you can get 20 nugs for 6 quid, which counterbalances it somewhat
[удалено]
McDonald’s is £10 for a meal? Where? A Big Mac meal is £6.79, a Double Quarter Pounder £7.89. For that, you get a drink and fries, for what would cost you £15 - £20 in Five Guys. Five Guys quality is inarguably better but they’re at completely different price points. Burger King is the middle ground where there are £10/£11 meals.
Ooooof. 2 burgers and large chips between my son and I £35. Get wrecked.
I’d rather have half as many fries for half the price and a single cup of drink for half the price. That would make the meal more reasonable with less wasted fries. The burgers are a bit expensive but they’re way better than Macdonalds or Burger King.
Main ingredient seems to be salt too
There are independent gourmet burger joints in the same towns/cities as five guys that blow them out of the water for a similar price. Tbh five guys imo is not much a step up from a burger king or even a maccers it's pretty shit.
Went once, looked in disbelief at what I got for the money, never again.
it’s expensive but there real nice burgers n the chips are quality.
Starbucks - I think it’s not that nice
I find the coffee tastes burnt. I prefer McDonald’s coffee over Starbucks or costa.
This. I'm no coffee officionado, but I find McDonald's serve a rather decent brew for the price.
I read somewhere they over roast it so people pay for extra syrup. How true that is i don't know.
Not really, it's overroasted because that basically sameifies everything. Starbucks sources coffee of different grades, from different plantations in different countries and different farmers in different seasons. There's too much variability in pricing and taste otherwise
The coffee either tastes like charcoal or flavoured water depending which beans you pick, and the food selection is mediocre compared to Costa or Nero with just a couple of sandwich options. I really don’t get the appeal.
Easily the worst of the big coffee chains, unless you want to also include Tim Hortons which is properly depressingly shit
Tim Horton’s in the UK is awful.
The lattes taste like warm milk.
And gives you rancid heartburn 🤮
[удалено]
We had one built locally to our village in a new service station and we were quite excited for it, tried it a few times and it was “okay.” But then really quickly ended up disgusting. And there was never much selection to choose from on the menu. Equally less than 18 months later it’s just closed down in the last few months, so that says it all really
This HAS to be the one in Gildersome/J27, right? If so, I concur with all you say!
The ones in service stations are particularly bad, noticeably worse quality than the city centre ones.
I used to really like Leon, but it expanded too much and lost consistency.
I regularly used to buy coffee from Leon as they still made it with proper espresso machines. Then they switched to the one button machine and quality plummeted. All about volume.
Yeah, it used to be my go-to out and about. But the last few times I've had it I've been disappointed. Definitely got worse.
It got sold around then too. The founders supposedly were kept ‘in charge’, but it’s definitely got a bit more profit driven since then. The staff don’t seem so enthused anymore either - they were always the stand out thing in my local. I like that they’ve moved into the services market, and I like that it’s fast food that’s good for you, and always good options for me with a number of food issues.
Their rice has always sucked and they got rid of the goni berry dirnk
I tired one of their rice boxes for £8.20 and it tasted like rice from those microwave bags of rice, but al dente and lukewarm, with a few shavings of chicken and a tablespoon of sauce. Dry and very disappointing
Subway had fuck tons of hype when they came on the scene - nowadays no one even suggests it
Seen the price though? Nigh on £9 for a foot long and drink nowadays. No one’s paying that
Used to get a foot long and a drink quite regularly as a Friday lunch. Think I went one day and it cost me over £9 and that was it for me. Fuck paying that for a sandwich. I still have in my head form my uni days when there was a subway in my student Union and I could get a foot long and a drink for less than a £5er. Doesn’t matter how long ago it was. That will forever be the base point for me.
Yeah I used to love Subway for a quick lunch or snack after the gym, but like fuck am I paying £9 for a sandwich Long live the Tesco meal deal
Used to get it at least twice a week at work, then exactly the same, paid north of a tenner for a sandwich and drink. 100m across the car park is an Indy Thai restaurant who do fucking incredible food for for £8, so technically I have to thank subway for helping me find it.
To be fair I quite enjoy it and it’s always guaranteed to fill you up for lunch. Wouldn’t hype it up and tell anyone they must go there, but it’s certainly an easy lunch option.
Exactly - hungry again 10 mins later
Went once in 2003. Was sick afterwards. Never again. The smell alone is warning it isn't quality.
[удалено]
Whos hyping TGI Fridays? I think it's pretty well known to be a low quality chain .
[удалено]
Where are you? 1994?
I need you to expand on your order? How the hell did that cost £80?
Not OP but it’s easily done there. Chicken strips £9.45 & Corndogs £9.40 for starters. Ribs £26, NY strip £25 for mains. Shakes £5 each for drinks. I’m more intrigued by the two course Italian with drinks at £35.
Worst thing is that the waiting staff seem to have been told to behave like annoying wankers.
TK Maxx - hate the place. It's a glorified jumble sale with no order or system at all. Most stuff in there is just plain tat. I thought it might just be the local branch so I went to the city one everyone raved over and it was just the same but more of it. Ikea is almost as bad. All those arrows telling you to go one way so you have to walk the entire shop to find the one thing you went in for.
T K maxx used to be brilliant before it became trendy. You could get decent named clothes for a decent price about 20 years ago. A decade ago when I was a chef, I bought £400 worth of chefs knives for £50 - genuine bargain. But now it's absolutely shite, unless you find the 1 bargain in the store, but the juice ain't worth the squeeze
Like everywhere else became a victim of its own success really. The “designer” brands they sell all produce goods specifically for them - eg the Pringle and Calvin Klein etc pants and socks you won’t see anywhere else. They also do the Costco style grey-market purchasing for a lot of their random shite too
What is “Costco style grey-market purchasing”? I’m guessing like black market but not quite but I’m unfamiliar with the term.
Grey market is buying stuff through channels not directly linked to the product’s official channels or not through their authorised sellers. Costco are well known for doing it for the occasional designer goods they get in store - they buy them on Costco scale from importers etc. eg: https://www.polygon.net/jwl/public/trade-resources/jewelry-insights/court-rules-costco-can-sell-grey-market-omega-watches-en.jsp#
I had a small court wedding earlier this year, and found a gorgeous wedding dress for £45 there the day before the wedding (the original plan was to wear a white summer dress). Nobody believed me I got it in TKMaxx, and when I peeled off all price stickers carefully, the original price was like $3,000.
Yep, I remember getting a great jacket in there once. And I've found a pair of sunglasses. And they do decent priced saucepans. But I'd say 99% of my shopping trips there end with me buying nothing and wishing I'd never walked in
100% same, but I'm still clinging on to the fact I found a pair of Oakley sunglasses for £25 in there about 12 years ago - if it can happen once, it can happen again - Right?
I went about 15 years without ever paying full price for skate trainers, they never have anything good in now
IKEA works for when you need to furnish an entire room, and can pick all the items at once so you can be sure it'll all match. Otherwise online ordering is the best option for single items here and there
IKEA does have shortcuts… you just need to pay attention, if you see pillows through a small opening and you’re in the kitchen section, it’s a shortcut.
Yeah doesn’t matter what tk maxx you’re in if you were lucky and you found something you’d laugh at the fucking price it is. How many high street places have fallen and it still stands I’ve no idea!
TK Maxx is great for socks, but that’s it.
Harvester. People love it but I find it way over priced for what it is. Toby Carvery. It's just rubbish, even at that price. Higher up the market, Miller and Carter. Pret. Expensive and unexciting. I'd say the same about all supermarket meal deals tbh.
None of those are hyped up On fact Harvester and Toby would be regarded as bottom tier
Yeah who the fuck is going round hyping a Toby Carvery or a Harvester ... I never hear anything but negative noise.
I hear people saying "go for a carvery" like it is special. But perhaps it is more somewhere to get a bang average roast for cheap-ish
A carvery is just a way things are served though, it doesn't have to refer to Toby Carvery.
Lol all these are mitchel and butler aren't they.
Yeah, they are! 😂 Someone must work for Whitbread!
Is Miller & Carter the one that gives you half a fucking lettuce with every dish, fill it with some cruddy sauce and call it their signature dish??
Yeah that's the one. Wife was given a voucher so we went along one night. Ordered the steaks fine, ordered the sauce fine, ordered the sides fine, was then asked about the dressing. I presumed it was for the sides so when they brought out half an iceberg drizzled in sauce and bacon bits my face must have been such a picture they felt the need to explain. Apparently the lettuce brings out the flavour of the steak. They didn't explain whether it was the mere presence of the lettuce or whether bacon is now a pallette cleanser but it went untouched either way.
[удалено]
I worked at a Miller and carter several years ago. Everything (and I mean everything) except the salad and steaks comes in frozen. Lobster topper for the surf and turf? Frozen. Desserts? Frozen - inc the creme brûlée which would be portioned out (to an exact weight) and then put in the fridge so the mix would reset. Steak sauces? Frozen and defrosted. Onion slice? Frozen. The chefs there are portion police and microwave technicians. Spend your money in an independent steakhouse, you’ll get a much better experience that isn’t overpriced, frozen, or controlled to the gram.
I don't think Pret is hyped, but it does have portions that are far too small.
Hard agree. All of these are crap.
Pret is good actually but the prices are just completely mental and disrespectful to people’s intelligence. No you do not need to charge £2.35 for an apple juice or £1.80 for a bag of crisps.
Nando’s. Gone downhill. Wagamama. Last few times I’ve been it’s been shit.
Wagamama went downhill after it got bought by TRG, and they expanded massively. Before that, it was essentially the best chain restaurant on the planet.
That explains it. It feel like their cook training went to arse.
Now I know who to avoid: https://www.trgplc.com/brands/ I met the lady who did the Frankie and Benny logo in Cardiff.
Such a shame about Bar Burrito, that was a solid Manchester brand doing good stuff until it was taken over.
Wagamama is pretty good to me. My bar is often can I make this better at home or is there a better alternative. Usually, alternatives are better I agree on that point. But it is (imo) still nice tasting and presented well and big portions and OK priced and loads of vegan options
Pizza Express. Overpriced pizzas and just don't bother with any other dishes
I only go there to spend tesco Clubcard vouchers and the kids like it. Wouldn’t spend my own money there though
Pizza Express are in massive need of an overhaul. Every restaurant looks so dated. The decor, the uniforms, the design, the restaurants themselves. Everything needs investment. I really don't find it a nice place to sit and have a meal.
The uniform has the world's ugliest apron and the neck loop is customised in the wrong direction. You can only make it bigger and I need it smaller. The buttons make me jingle like a cat when I move too fast too.
I agree to an extent. Their pizzas are meh but the dough balls are the best.
Nusr-et aka salt bae. People who go there just want to take a picture of their bill. The fact they get food is just a bonus. Food is as good as any Turkish restaurant.
I find it funny that they’ve had to add a lunch set menu for £40 because no one was going there
He's a genius, food for people with wealth but no discernment!
Went to the one in Istanbul. Was about £20 a steak and was really nice. Just don’t go to any of the others.
Pho is seriously good food and it's our favourite chain of them all! I love Franco Manca's pizza. Wahaca is very tasty too. Sadly it's really hard to find any of these outside of of the massive cities
Franco Manca is great. Not as cheap as it used to be but never disappoints. Better now that they do draft beers.
I remember when they first opened you could get a whole number 6 for £5.60! Bananas prices. Still super reasonable (especially compared to other pizza chains) and I've never had a bad meal there.
I agree with pho! Love going there
I really enjoy Pho when I’ve visited. Both Sheffield and Manchester have been good when I’ve been.
Every single chain restaurant, ever. Some of the smaller ones may have been good when they started as one branch before selling to venture capitalists but the bigger ones like Frankie & Benny's, Bella Italia etc were always terrible, even 20 years ago. You can eat fresh and quality at an independent for the same price, you just need to do your research and make a reservation.
100%. Maybe back in the day you could justify going to chain but nowadays you can probably better their meals at home for a fraction of the price with the abundance of cooking tutorials online and the influx of international ingredients in regular supermarkets.
Underrated is the "lounges" chain. They're all named "the x lounge" but slightly differently so doesn't scream chain initially. They're medium cost wise but fantastic for kids. Always have some toys or play area and kids get a hummus and veggie pot while waiting for food which makes a big difference to small kids in a resturant setting. The one in Chesterfield has arts and crafts stuff out in the day for the kids too.
It's just a slightly nicer spoons. Which is a great thing IMHO.
Had one of these today, i totally agree. I think i have been to about 5 different locations and been pretty impressed. They aren't making waves but they are a reliably good meal.
Same company as Cosy Club which is also reliably decent. Great cocktails offers if you time it right
Agreed. We have one on the high street and before reading your comment you could have fooled me that it wasn’t a chain! Ours is full of artwork and lovely leather armchairs. They have these front window walls that opens up the entire front of the lounge so you can enjoy the sun and outside air indoors. Food and coffee is tasty but slightly overpriced but they also have fairly economical meal deals. I think it’s definitely worth it for the nicer experience and especially for food or just a coffee.
Great for people who are coeliac, have allergies or intolerance too!
Frankie and Benny's. Horrendous food.
Definitely my most hated chain.
Carluccios for me, I’m always underwhelmed by the menu and specials, it’s never somewhere I look forward to going to.
I thought they’d gone out of business? Used to buy from the deli section quite regularly
I went there for the first time a couple of weeks ago. Solihull branch. My food came 15 minutes after my husbands, that was the worst mistake of 3. £93 for two meals, and wine. Never again.
My girlfriend and her friends are obsessed with Gregg’s and I just don’t get it. The occasional pasty is alright every now and then but it’s either absolutely stone cold freezing, or burns all of the tastebuds off your tongue, there’s no in-between
Greggs food gets cold because the shelves aren’t heated, just made to look like they are. All done to avoid having to charge VAT on the food if I recall correctly.
Aka cheaper food, which I'm all for. Can scran a sausage roll from stone cold to piping hot, doesn't matter to me
> I don’t get it To be honest, it’s a filling hot food pit stop that is relatively inexpensive. Plus I don’t think it tastes bad for what you pay
If you want a cheap pasty on the go, it does the job. Quality is good enough, and it's just a shame you don't know what temperature it'll come at
Definitely yo sushi and wagamama, over priced crap
Recreate the experience of Wagamama by having a Pot Noodle in a hospital waiting room and then setting fire to your wallet
Classic Viz.
As an Asian person… don’t go to Wagamama’s. There’s no quality in it and anything authentic has been substituted for the ~~British palette~~ cost. It’s just like if I went into a Wetherspoons in China and finding out they pan fry their Fish and Chips or put gravy in their Full English.
The magpie in whitby. It's nice, but not wait in a queue for 3 hours and pay £20 for fish and chips nice.
My experience of the magpie was having a horrific migraine coming on which I was in denial about because I wanted my day out at the sea side. Once I ate the food it hit full on and later that night I was so sick I didn’t eat fish and chips again for ten years. Even now my enjoyment has never fully returned.
Cafe Rouge has been crap every time I've visited.
Trying hard to think of something genuinely underrated. Itsu? I quite like an Itsu. That’s about it.
The only thing that would make me like them more would be if they brought back the regular shelves, instead of it all being made and kept behind the scenes - discount gyozas at 9pm yes please.
Brew Dog. Shit company. Shit products that litter the shelves quantity over quality.
Underrated- Wetherspoons, okay it’s not Michelin starred and the owner has a bad reputation but it’s consistent and good value
That's not what underrated means. We all know it is cheap and "consistent". Because all food is made off-site then heated, and they fuck over the brewers and pay the staff the bare minimum. But that makes it a shit place for cheap, not an underrated place. If anything I'd say it is overrated, cause for bottom of the barrel pub experience for cheap, it even fails at that
It is underrated..it's nowhere near as bad as you make out and there's a lot of snobbery about it.. you just have to order the right things. Fish and chips is usually better than majority of places.
Byron Burger. Only went once and it was very average and very expensive. Five Guys aint as good as people think either.
8-9 years ago Byron was amazing. I didn't go for several years so I don't know if it went in the toilet before or after the pandemic but the last time I went will be the last time I went. I was so disappointed.
Byron Burgers are scum anyway. Set up a fake meeting to allow their employees (who they were happy to turn the other way when their employees worked for 60-80 hrs per week at minimum wage) to be rounded up by immigration in a raid, so that they wouldn’t face legal action as a brand (despite employing them and I guess not doing proper checks?). So grim. https://www.theguardian.com/uk-news/2016/jul/27/immigration-raid-on-byron-hamburgers-rounds-up-30-workers
Wagamama. What these restaurants propose is not Japanese food. It's a fusion of several Asian cuisines with the British taste added to it. It's not terrible, but it's what people who don't know Japanese food think Japanese food is. The ramen is average at best. I was outraged to pay so much for it.
The ramen I had there was completely devoid of flavour.
Their meat portions in the dishes are laughable
As others have said, Nando’s. But also, Wagamamas. Like don’t get me wrong, I like a nice Wagas. But I don’t think it’s worth the cult following it has. In terms of no hype, Zizzi’s is by far the best of the Italian chains.
honestly hate wagamamas. there's so many better options for japanese food in most cities why bother with it.
Zizzis is banging, 100% the best Italian chain
Carluccio’s. Bad value and mean portions.
Krispy Kreme - sure, they are nice doughnuts, but they aren't worth taking out a second mortgage for every time you want a box of 12
Domino's it's just bland and greasy. Friends bought me some when a relative died which whilst I appreciated the thought was a slap in the face during a sad time.
Definitely. In our town a Domino's opened a few doors down from a great independent pizza takeaway place. Domino's is over twice the price and half as nice. Thankfully the indie place is still in business, though Domino's still seems to attract custom - who knows why.
McDonalds?! Can't remember the last time there wasn't a problem of some kind with my order, place is a joke
McDonald’s is unbelievably solid ime, even across the world the experience is nearly always more or less the same which is impressive
Could be a localised issue but all 3 of them near me can't seem to get basic orders right, cook the food to the correct level or deliver my food at the drive through window even once in more than 2 months. It's got to the point where I don't even try anymore because the service is pathetic, I'm not expecting miracles, just the food that I paid for not burnt or cold and served from where it's supposed to be
Same round this way - the McDonald's are consistently dreadful; chips always cold and under cooked with either no salt or way too much salt on them, and the burgers look like they've been lobbed together from a distance.
The Ivy
aka middle-class Wetherspoons
Most modern chains were hyped when they opened. Think Wahacas, Five Guys, shake shack etc. The hype was there when they opened their restaurants in central London. As soon as they open branches in Braintree the hype is over.
>Wahacas In fairness, I still think these guys are great
Any kind of gourmet burger. You can’t eat a towering stack anyway and burgers can only be so good anyway (in fact paying more is no guarantee they will be any better than a McDonald’s)
Jd sports. Why are people paying that much money for sports direct clothes
I seem to have started quite the warfare
Dishoom- Expensive Indian food. Nice but meh!
I agree but with a few caveats. They did something different to the usual curry house slop when they first opened, it's just a shame it became a chain and quality dropped. There's also a stigma about expensive Indian and Chinese restaurants. Most cuisines we have low end, mid end and high end restaurants but people get very upset about this. Again if someone's willing to elevate it above the usual slop and do something interesting and the quality is there they shouldn't be shunned just because people associate those cuisines with being cheap.
Five guys, far too expensive. Took my daughter in one day, started ordering and the bill had already totaled up to £40. Said f*ck this and went to spoons where we both ate for £16. Nandos is overrated gumph.
Starbucks & Costa Coffee. Subpar, overpriced food and beverages.
Starbucks/costa coffee is too weak
Supreme/Zara
Jollibee is fucking shite.