Snobby about chain food

[limeandwater]

Are people on MN snobby about chain restaurants?

I only ask because some of the comments on the £52 lunch thread.

I consider myself a bit of a foodie and enjoy fine dining.

But I also enjoy an American Hot at Pizza Express, a burger at GBK, the Katsu curry at Waggamamma's, a wrap at Nando's.

Am I a wrong un?

Chain restaurants have their place. Sometimes it's nice when I'm in a hurry to just know what I'll get. A Shake Shack chicken burger is the same everywhere. Where I live we have local pizzerias / Italian restaurants that are consistently better than their chain equivalent.

Every so often they are fine, satisfying even. I think in Wagamama, Pizza Express, GBK and, (at a push and only once every so often) Nandos, you have chosen quite nice chains for the purposes of this discussion.

Pizza Express I like every so often. Both GBK and Wagamama you can see have plenty of reasonably fresh veg or decent product.

Maccas and KFC etc are a different category, and there are quite a few chains, especially Italian (and I generally love Italian), that have really very insipid offerings. I honestly had a tomato based pasta a couple of years back that I am sure was a tin of chopped tomatoes on microwaved pasta - though that's probably healthier than a sugary sauce!.

In the end, you can't really compare Wagamama or GBK with a Michelin restaurant. It's like comparing a beach holiday with a ski holiday: both called holiday but that's where the similarity ends. You sometimes feel like one, sometimes the other.

Ultimately i guess there is a degree of snobbery in the fact that it needs to be occasional not regular because they generally are not very healthy. Again, GBK and Wagamama are in a different category from Burger King or nuggets and coke from KFC on that front ...

But, yes, from time to time, they fill a different niche.

I do think PE is massively overpriced, especially compared to the likes of Rudy's or Franco Manca or a local independent pizzeria. Wagamamas is decent, good kids offering too.

As a veggie, sometimes the offering at independent places are so limited it's actually pathetic. In the year 2026, the only veggie option should not be goats cheese & mushroom risotto. At least at chain places you get a few options.

I’m with others in that I am really not keen on going to a chain if I’m visiting a different place - I want to experience something that place has which others don’t.

Second thought is that I don’t want to go back somewhere I’ve been whilst there are still loads of places I haven’t

Thirdly, I tend to use First Table (a lot!) Some great places on there to try at 50% off food so less risky. Quite like a Groupon too

Wagamama is one of the few chains that we would visit, usually after the day at Wimbledon for a late supper or at an airport.
We much prefer independents as you never know what will be on offer.
Chains are predictable and that
suits some people.

There are some chains I absolutely won't entertain - McD and all types of Pizza establishments. I'm not a fan of pizza in general but I find it baffling that Dominos and Pizza Hut managed to stay afloat. It's utterly vile food. Franco Manca, on the other hand is perfectly decent.
I love Pho and would pick it over Wagamama but I had some lovely meals in Waga over the years.
I maybe tried KFC twice. It's ok but not somewhere I would chose to dine. Nandos are acceptable but not something to write home about.
Happy with Bella Italia, Gail's, Pret (although boycotting Pret currently after a man who used to bully me when I was working there as a teen rose to the top of the organisation - says it all about their ethos despite cutesy posters).

Aside from Pho, I wouldn't pick any of the above for a "special night out".

Wagamama is now owned by private equity firm, which is why the quality, portion size and variety of ingredients has gone noticeably down.

I dont mind chains, but they invariably grow because they are good, and then go shit due to 'selling out'.

I live in a town where nearly every restaurant is a chain.

I've eaten at lots of them. I'm definitely not a snob about it, but i dont find them exciting. Some have great food, some not so much. Eg, Italian restaurants, no matter the chain, its essentially pizza or pasta.

If we go away then I would rather find an independent restaurant if possible They have more interesting or seasonal meals to choose from.

Ps. To add, with the cost of eating out now, I find that the price of the meal feels overpriced for what it is. I also agree with a PP- chains lose their novelty due to opening so many then needing to cut costs. Miller and Carter was a favourite, been there about 5 times over the years. First 2 times when they opened- amazing. Food was quality. 3rd time- terrible, put it down to just a bad day. 4th and 5th time, still terrible. Not plans to go back again.

Me and my DD10 love eating out, but we're as happy having a McDonalds as our local "very naice" country club restaurant. It's all about balance in my opinion

I think a lot of it op is about cost and dressed up as snobbishness. There is an under tone on money running through many comments,

when I’m going out for dinner it does tend to be independents, there are a couple of fabulous ones round us we go to every couple of weeks, it is far from cheap, especially when you factor in wine, and we tend to go to chains only if out and hungry, so might pop to Wagamamas after the cinema for example. We would not decide to go out for dinner and pick Wagamama’s as the destination of choice.

so we are happy to eat in both, if specially going out for dinner, it would never be let’s all go to Nando’s. Because the social side of it is much better in the independent, If we are out already and want to eat,then we will happily pop into a chain and have a quick meal.

For me it is time and place. Chains are great to grab something if you are in in a rush or have picky eaters. I use Pret and Greggs a lot for lunch. And have spend large amounts in Wagamama, Pizza Express and Franco Manca over the years

Not all chains are equal though. I was the one who made the Costa point on the other thread as I think those rather over priced corporate coffee places are fine if you want somewhere alcohol free and casual to sit and have a hot drink and a break but are uniformly crap and expensive for food.

I’m snobby about chain food. Unless it’s Pret or Japanese. Don’t like UPFs, burgers, pizzas, don’t like microwaved food etc, don’t even like Cote. Last time I had a McDonalds was end of the 80s.

There’s chain restaurants and chain restaurants aren’t there?

I like Nando, Wagamama, McDonalds.

I would rather die a slow, agonising death from hunger than eat in a KFC, Chicken Cottage or Wendy’s.

Its also occasion specific. I am more than happy to have a chain restaurant takeout on. Friday night when I am tired. I would be fucked off if my DP took me to dinner at one on date night. And I think eating at chain restaurants when you’re in a country you’ve never been to before is just daft.

I identify as a ‘foodie’, have frequented many a michelin star restaurant. Quite happy in a chain restaurant that is clean. I do refuse Costa and Subway because their interiors make me feel sad and I don’t usually go for chain pubs because of crazy carpets and sticky menus.

Best day of chain food for me would be;

1. McD’s sausage & egg McMuffin with hash brown for breakfast
2. Nandos Rainbow Bowl for lunch
3. Mowgli chat bomb and lamb chops for tea

mmmmmm

I’m not a foody by any stretch, but my husband is, so we often go to swanky pants restaurants.

But we’re absolutely not averse to going to chains. We often pick up Itsu or Pret for lunch, and we regularly go to Côte and the Ivy Brasserie. I know people can be snooty about both of those two, but I think they’re pretty decent.

Self confessed chain snob here.

My issue is that I don’t like spending the money they charge on food which I know hasn’t been freshly prepared in any way. For the food to be consistent across the chains it’s mass produced, then god knows what is done to it to make it transportable across the country.

Theres also a financial element in that if I’m spending the money to eat out, I want something new and interesting. We don’t eat out routinely so when I do, I want it to be money well spent on something delicious that I couldn’t have made at home.

my BIL/SIL will always go to a Zizzi for date night or when they go away for a weekend and I absolutely judge them for it (which they know and we laugh about before anyone yells at me!!). But we have different priorities - they want reliability quickly, I’d rather spend hours reading reviews to find somewhere unique.

Yeah I agree. This is why I can never make peace with Wetherspoons (and the fact that the owner is a cunt).

The decor makes me feel suicidal.

Also the hilarious 'but then {PAUSE} I don't class myself as a foodie' attempted mike drop! Classic MN sneer.

OP, the answer is yes, and generally I avoid chains too but mainly because JFC they're so expensive ... so even though I'm up for a reliably middle of the road chain meal every once in a while, especially if in an area i don't know, it's always spoiled by me thinking bloody hell that probably cost them £18 to make for the four of us, how come we spent £120?

Whereas I don't do that with independents because I know how tough it is without the chain's economies of scale.

I think a lot of food is becoming quite homogenous anyway. I was looking at a range of independent gastropubs over a fairly wide area the other day - many had very similar menus with vmany of the more "unusual" options offered at multiple places, presumably "bought in" as semi-prepared. Obviously you can still find fully independent restaurants with interesting menus, but it's not always as clear cut as independent vs chain.

I'm not snobby about chain food but won't go anywhere that has a buffet or salad bar as I've seen too many people being gross using them. Snotty kids using their hands, adults coughing and spluttering then touching the tongs etc.

Not keen on eating things that are made off site then heated up so wouldn't eat in Weatherspoons unless I was half pished and at the cheesy chips stage 😋😳.

And I think eating at chain restaurants when you’re in a country you’ve never been to before is just daft.

I don’t agree - I quite like trying different countries’ “local” chains. And even something like McDonalds can be very different in different countries.

I'm a bit partial to a Harvesters meal. It's one of the few places that I know who provide food that will fill the bottomless pit that is my DS too.
On the other hand I've also enjoyed food at a Michelin starred restaurant (I actually started going there before they got the recognition).

I buy from a number of chain restaurants and takeaways. Not because I like it....I'd much prefer to support my excellent local independents.

But I'm on a tight budget and invariably chain places have apps, offers and deals that mean I know exactly what the choices and prices are before I go in. I don't feel bad about not ordering drinks and extras from these places. Just have a jug of water, whereas I'd feel guilty not ordering drinks or dessert from an independent.

I never pay full price, which is good because I know they are essentially heated up ready meals. Take Bella Italia...if I won the lottery I'd never set foot in there again, but if I'm travelling, I check if their £5 pasta deal is on and head for one on a retail park not far off route. Recently they sent me a £20 off code. No minimum spend. So for one person I paid about 70p for a Lentil Ragu pasta dish and an Affogato.

Vegetarian, so don't really use McDonald's and Nandos. But as I was out and about, today's breakfast was from a Subway reward code - a footlong wholemeal sub with poached egg, cheese, sliced tomatoes, red peppers, olives and sweetcorn for £1.99. Had a free coffee code (from Confused.com - car insurance) for the Greggs next door.

I have a fantastic local deli/cafe and a baguette and coffee from there is infinitely nicer, but costs well over £10. I'm not snobby about food, nor am I a foodie, just on a tight budget and that leads me to the chains. They look similarly priced or even more expensive than independents on a menu comparison, but very few people pay those prices because of all the codes and deals available.

I have eaten in Mc Donalads / Burger King maybe twice in my life - grim.
Never had KFC or the like... smells horrid.

If I'm having pizza I would prefer indi to chain.

Wagamama is for children.

I would not ben happy with a Bella Italia etc unless I am at an airport and really need wine at 6am.

Do try katsu curry at an authentic Japanese restaurant - I promise you it’ s significantly better!