the best "national" chain restaurants missing in your area?

[twoiron]

There are no fast food outlets were we live!!!!!
So when we go to Cairns, it is a big deal, to have McDonalds!!!!! I prefer Hungry  Jacks!!!!!
We probably go to Cairns, twice a year!!!

Jules, for the benefit of CONUS you should refer to Hungry Jacks as Burger King

We refer to Burger King as "BK" here. And you?

Usually "Jacks" or "Hungrys".

The only places in Australia that Burger King can trade as Burger King is in the International Airports. Everywhere else they trade as Hungry Jacks...

You don't refer to Hungry Jack's by its initials?

Not personally, but those with a limited vocabulary often do

[stroh]

LMAO.

Most times, the oddest threads are the best.

[JDerion]

We actually have a Carrabas but I haven't eaten there.  I'll check it out.

I wish we would get a Champp's Americana http://www.champps.com/

Same here. We have a Carrabas but I've never gone.

Champp's is probably the only chain restaurant I eat in on a semi regular basis. Good food, lot's of TV's, but unlike a local sports bar it's nice enough to get the wife to want to go.

[JDerion]

We need a good breakfast buffet place.  Like Shoneys.

IHOP is teh sukk.

shoneys ??!?!?!     even ihopp > shoneys !!!

$.02

We don't have them here, but I'll take the Eat 'n Park breakfast buffet over both of them.

[stroh]

Problem is, nobody up here knows how to cook a grit. 

[Seamus]

Almost every single restaurant you all have mentioned we do not have here. With a few exceptions like BK/Ihop/Fattburger/Mickey D's/PF Changs, all the others I've never even heard of.

If by independents you mean something like a "mom and pop" joint unfortunately they're almost dead near me. I do have a restaurant where I meet up with my dad at, and we have breakfast about once a month, but those places are virtually extinct, again with a few minor exceptions.