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?

Chains have their place. If I'm working away and want something reliable (not going to be great but will be edible and not leave me unwell for meetings the following day) for example. If we need something quick and child friendly on a journey and so on.

In my home town, yes I know many lovely restaurants and would always pick those first but chains have their place.

I do think nostalgia plays a part - Pizza Express seemed quite cool in the 90s, all modern and European, especially compared to the other restaurants around at the time. On the one occasion I've been back there in the last 10 years or so I was disappointed, which was probably made worse by them being held in higher esteem in my memory than they deserved!

On the other hand, McDonalds was forbidden when we were children so that probably explains my love of them now - I haven't forgotten that excitement of a sneaked pocket-money-funded Big Mac when we were unsupervised

It also mean self indulgent, which works in the context of a restaurant.

I like Cote very much, too. They change the menu regularly and the one in my nearest city is very buzzy, a nice vibe.

I agree @limeandwater . As apparently does Marcus Wareing who says American hot romana is his favourite pizza in London

I also love Wagamamas noodle soups, the Chinese takeaway down our road and a cheeky nandos every now and again. I also love going to our local independent Italian restaurants, fancy country pubs, and 2-michelin-starred French restaurants....

Yes! I haven’t seen one for a while but you do get people posting saying someone rang the doorbell at 11am, AIBU to wonder who could it be? Approximately 1/3 of the comments are guessing who it might be, 1/3 will be saying “this is why I have a Ring doorbell” usually followed with if they don’t recognise the person on the ring they don’t answer the door, and the final 1/3 will be asking why they didn’t just open the door to find out.

You've forgotten McD and Wetherspoons, eaten in both on the last week, McD in Germany 😂.

Lunch can cost us anywhere from £10 to £70, we have very wide tastes.

You're right, there's a lot of snobbery around and huge numbers of people who will condemn cheap chains out of hand having never even been in them to realise that they all have healthy options these days.

Sometimes you just don't want any surprises. You want food you know you like in a setting you're familiar with. That's it.

I like Wagamamas and Pizza Express etc but don't particularly like McDonalds or any of the fast food stuff other than 5 guys. That said, I often do get McDonalds due to the convenience. They're everywhere and you can literally drive through it and get fed and get on with your business.

Sorry for the OP for being of topic but this has really made me laugh.

If we're going out for a nice meal (i.e birthday celebration, special occasion) then we wouldn't go to a chain restaurant. We're not snobby about food at all but just more that if we're spending a big chunk of money then I'd rather be spending it somewhere like a nice country pub or an independent local restaurant.

However I also love a McDonalds, a Greggs sausage roll or a Subway when I need something quick and on the go!

Pizza Express, Wagamama etc are definitely more "serve a purpose" restaurants to me. I don't mind the food but usually only eat in them if it's a work lunch, a quick stop whilst out shopping or we have some sort of voucher.

Peole have their own weird ideas about food, not always knowledge based. The other day, somebody said sliced bread and margarine would provide more nutrients than a cold happy meal. Um… no.

Lol I didnt even enter that thread because I knew people would be falling over themselves to express and froth at just how BAAAD a cold happy meal would be

I mean its not great, but its essentially meat between two bits of bread that the majority of the kids will also have in their lunch box.

True true! I was more thinking of my home town - my husband is in hospitality (has his own burger business on the side too), so we’re friends with a lot of the local restaurants/eateries (without the brand recognition a chain benefits from type vibe!). I worked in Pizza Hut in my late teens / early twenties and I still like their pizza when there’s a discount code going haha

I don’t think it’s snobby when you’re eating out to prefer to eat somewhere where the food has been freshly prepared by an actual chef or someone with cooking skills rather than coming straight from the freezer via a bank of microwaves. But clearly lots of people are fine with it or these places wouldn’t still be in business. It takes all sorts.

I love Five Guys. But it is quite expensive.

See, I genuinely expected to see why it was so popular when I ate there after a decades-long gap — I thought I’d see what other people liked, even if it wasn’t my thing. But it all seemed sort of limp and sweetish in a weird way, so I left none the wiser.

Agreed.

Our local Cote has gone downhill and it expensive. I don’t mind the menu changed, but often, there’s nothing I really want to go for. The local Ivy is style over substance and overpriced theatre.

Is there anything users here aren’t snobby about?

Nope. It’s competitive snobbery and trying to fit in on all MN threads these days. And this is from people who claim they use ‘critical thinking’ 🤣

Going to an independent doesn’t mean that they haven’t ordered in from Brakes or the equivalent, though.

Welcome to Mumsnet, where half the people on here can feed 30 people with 2 chicken breasts and a handful of salad.

I don't mind chains, they are easy when you have children/ fussy eaters/ people who exist solely on fresh air and dust tagging along. A nice independent is much more enjoyable child free with someone who also appreciates food.

I have preferences but not in a indie versus chain way. So, for example, I pick and choose pizza places carefully so I can get my Italian thin crust, I also make sourdough pizza from scratch at home, but sometimes I order Dominos and nom it down.

I’m veggie so most burger places suck for me. And f can buy that same beyond burger for a quarter of the price.

Authentic Japanese sushi is better than Itsu but Itsu is good too - just not enough vegetarian options.

So for me, it depends on the food and the chain but I don’t intrinsically judge all chain food as bad.

😂

There’s a time and a place for chains.

That said some very average chain food can be pretty pricey (zizzi has always been bad my parents sometimes insist on going there). Frustrating when you could get far better for about the same price.

I’m celiac and chain restaurants are great for me - they always have reliable GF options, clear labelling etc. I have a few friends who are snobby about chain restaurants and always want to go to somewhere independent and trendy, and it just doesn’t work for me. I care far more about being healthy than being cool…