There’s a New #1 Casual Dining Restaurant in the U.S.

There is a new king in town when it comes to casual dining restaurants in the United States.

As reported by Fox Business, the well-known restaurant chain Texas Roadhouse recently surpassed Olive Garden in a notable ranking, ending Olive Garden’s seven-year reign at the top.

As a dedicated moviegoer might say, even a beloved establishment like Olive Garden, known for its endless salad, breadsticks, and pasta deals, has faced challenges in maintaining its unrivaled popularity across America that it’s held onto so tightly for more than two years now.

Texas Roadhouse, with its approximately 700 branches, has become a popular choice among Americans looking for places to dine out and splurge their earned cash.

As reported by Restaurant Business, Texas Roadhouse experienced a significant sales growth of 14.7% last year, generating approximately $5.5 billion. Conversely, Olive Garden only saw a modest 0.8% increase in sales, accumulating around $5.2 billion from its over 920 establishments nationwide.

In the past, it was customary to wait around for about 45 minutes with a light-up pager before being seated at an Olive Garden restaurant for dinner.

Are those days behind us?

Despite having fewer than 200 locations compared to Original Grill (OG), Texas Roadhouse has managed to surpass them and become the leading choice for casual dining restaurants across the United States.

If you’re curious about the restaurants placing third, fourth, and fifth: Chili’s, Applebee’s, and Buffalo Wild Wings are the ones that come in these positions, with Chili’s taking third place, followed by Applebee’s and then Buffalo Wild Wings.

Ultimately, when it comes to choosing a dining spot that appeals most to us as Americans, we tend to keep things straightforward. Our preferences lean towards hearty meals such as steak, Italian, Mexican, and American cuisine, particularly focusing on chicken wings and burgers.

Amen.

Popular Restaurants That Have Faded Away

All-Star Cafe

As a fervent advocate for successful restaurant ventures, I can’t help but reflect on the tale of the Official All-Star Cafe, a venture that aimed to capitalize on the star power of sports legends. Following in the footsteps of its counterpart, Planet Hollywood, this eatery was backed by icons like Shaquille O’Neal, Ken Griffey Jr., and Wayne Gretzky. The initial location opened in the bustling city of New York in 1995, but despite the star power, it failed to gain traction.

One might speculate that perhaps the association with sports events, often synonymous with overpriced and uninspiring fare, may have contributed to its downfall. Regrettably, the chain closed its doors in 2007, joining the ranks of Hard Rock’s competitors that didn’t make it past a few years. The lesson here is clear: even with star power, a restaurant’s success hinges on more than just novelty items; delicious food remains the cornerstone of sustainability.

Beefsteak Charlie’s

Over time, a restaurant in New York City grew significantly and established itself as a well-known institution across the Tri-State region with numerous branches. Its advertisements promoting their steaks and endless salad bar were commonly seen on TV. The chain, along with its catchphrase “You’re gonna get spoiled!”, were humorously depicted in an early Saturday Night Live sketch called “Pre-Chewed Charlie’s”. Despite having a strong brand identity, the chain eventually struggled and closed down completely in the late 2000s.

Burger Chef

When the first screening of “Star Wars” took place, it wasn’t McDonald’s but Burger Chef, a popular burger chain with around 1,000 outlets during its peak in the 70s, that partnered up for the initial merchandise. Despite experiencing a downward trend throughout the 80s, Burger Chef remains significant in fast food lore; they introduced their “Funmeal” (which was essentially their Happy Meal) over five years prior to McDonald’s.

Chi-Chi’s

In the 1970s and 1980s, Chi-Chi’s, named after one of its founders’ wives, flourished. By the 1990s, the company managed over 200 restaurants, with Hormel using their name for a profitable range of tortilla chips and salsas. Today, these products are still available in supermarkets; however, the restaurants ceased operations by the mid-2000s, following a period when they were linked to a major hepatitis outbreak. It seems that people generally avoid dining at restaurants associated with such health issues.

Dive!

Steven Spielberg: Renowned film director and, for a period, sandwich creator? Indeed, during the 1990s, Spielberg ventured into the world of sandwiches with his Los Angeles-based shop, Dive!, famous for its underwater theme, featuring an enormous yellow submarine as part of its exterior. Among the submarine’s offerings were a soft shell crab sandwich and a “Nuclear Sicilian Sub Rosa,” a mysterious creation. Despite opening a second Dive! in Las Vegas, both establishments ultimately met their demise by the early 2000s.

Don Pablo’s

If you’ve never dined at Chi-Chi’s, it’s likely that you visited a Don Pablo’s instead. In the late 1990s, Don Pablo’s was the second largest Mexican and Tex-Mex restaurant chain in the country. However, its success wasn’t sustainable. Despite offering a variety of tacos and fajitas, the company that owned Don Pablo’s filed for bankruptcy in the 2000s, and the final location closed in 2019.

Fashion Cafe

At approximately the same period as the All-Star Cafe, a band of supermodels agreed to front a chain of Fashion Cafes. Unfortunately, despite the involvement of Elle Macpherson and Naomi Campbell, among others, and a menu boasting seven pages, it did not find much success. The flagship store in New York City was opened and closed within just three years.

During the same timeframe as the All-Star Cafe, a group of supermodels were chosen to represent a chain of Fashion Cafes. However, despite the involvement of popular figures like Elle Macpherson and Naomi Campbell, and a menu said to be seven pages long, it didn’t thrive. The flagship location in New York City only lasted for three years before closing its doors.

The Ground Round

First established as an offshoot of the renowned Howard Johnson’s hotel and restaurant network, The Ground Round was well-known for its extensive menu of classic American dishes, not to mention the complimentary popcorn basket that greeted diners at their tables. Initially boasting over 200 locations, the chain found it challenging to keep up in the intensifying casual dining market and eventually filed for bankruptcy in 2004. Despite being largely defunct today, a few independently-run Ground Rounds continue to operate – primarily in North Dakota. If you find yourself in the region and craving Cajun tortellini or Caribbean sizzling sirloin tips, give Google a search. Here’s hoping they still serve popcorn!

Howard Johnson’s

Over the years, Howard Johnson’s original owners have faced similar hardships. Although they continue to manage several hotels, they were once the leading restaurant chain in the U.S., but their restaurant business has now completely ceased operations (the last one closed in 2022). If you’re interested in an intriguing online exploration, search for Howard Johnson’s Children’s Menu and discover some of the peculiar dishes they offered to kids, such as the “Humpty Dumpty,” a combination of Small Tuna Fish Salad, Egg, Tomato on Crisp Lettuce, Potato Chip Garnish, Roll, Butter, Ice Cream, Sherbet or Gelatin, and a drink, all for just 95 cents. Delicious!

Kenny Rogers Roasters

In an episode of Seinfeld, Kramer and Jerry became hooked on the chicken from Kenny Rogers Roasters, transforming country music legend Kenny Rogers into a fast-food pioneer in the 1990s. Despite the closure of the U.S. branches, they continue to thrive with over 100 outlets worldwide. It’s high time for Kramer and Jerry to pack their bags for a trip to Malaysia!

Lone Star Steakhouse

Among the distinctive traits of this popular steakhouse chain: Each table receives a bucket of roasted peanuts, and diners are invited to toss the shells on the floor. Children find joy in the unique experience of being allowed to create a mess, though it’s debatable whether their parents shared the same sentiment, given that the restaurant’s floor was often dirty due to this practice. There is said to be only one Lone Star steakhouse still operational in Guam; the rest have closed down and moved on.

Known for a peculiar characteristic, tables at these steakhouses are served with buckets of roasted peanuts, inviting guests to throw away the shells on the floor. Kids appreciate the novelty of being allowed to make a mess, although it’s unclear whether their parents were as fond of dining in a restaurant where the floor is regularly unsanitary. It is said that only one Lone Star steakhouse remains open in Guam; the others have vanished long ago.

Marvel Mania

Check out this fascinating fact: Take a look at where Marvel stood three years prior to the release of X-Men. This was Marvel’s first-ever themed restaurant, nestled within Universal Studios Hollywood. Indeed, that’s what the Hulk costume character appeared like during its grand opening. The food at Marvel Mania, a place I begged my parents to take me to, was nothing special, but the decor, featuring a life-size Iron Man armor, was an absolute dream come true back then. Regrettably, the mediocre food proved more appealing than the captivating Marvel memorabilia, and the restaurant shut down before a second location could be established.

Morrison’s

Back in the day, numerous Morrison’s Cafeterias dotted the American South, each boasting an array of items to choose from. For instance, an old commercial I came across on YouTube showcased their famous fried shrimp, seafood au gratin, baked fillet, fried fish, fried scallops, blackened fillets, and any two vegetables served with bread and butter – quite the feast! However, in 1998, they were acquired by one of their rivals, Piccadilly, who closed most of the restaurants. Interestingly, there’s apparently still one operational in Mobile, Alabama. Does anyone fancy some seafood au gratin?

NASCAR Cafe

Instead of motor oil and diesel fuel being the most enticing scent you can imagine, it seems many people prefer something else significantly more. Despite NASCAR’s ongoing fame, the NASCAR Cafe didn’t last long, not even with its prime location in the Sahara Hotel on the Las Vegas Strip, which featured a roller coaster known as Speed: The Ride. Regarding the menu, none of the online menus I’ve found show connections to racing, although the decor was genuinely remarkable, boasting life-sized stock cars lining the walls as if they were racing on a track.

Old Country Buffet

Many people enjoy dining at all-you-can-eat restaurants, especially those with extensive menus and affordable prices. During the 1980s and ’90s, buffets like Old Country Buffet became very popular. Regrettably, buffets were not designed to handle pandemics; they struggled to adjust to a world dominated by food delivery services, and their large food displays began looking more like health risks than attractive features. As a result, the company that owned Old Country Buffet, along with several other buffet chains such as HomeTown Buffet, closed them in the early 2020s.

Showbiz Pizza Place

In the 1980s, two titans dominated the pizza/arcade industry: Chuck E. Cheese, which still exists today (albeit with its iconic animatronics being phased out), and Showbiz Pizza Place, famous for its unique animatronic animal group, The Rock-afire Explosion, that has a dedicated cult following so strong it inspired a documentary in 2008. Showbiz and Chuck E. Cheese merged in the mid-1980s, with the Showbiz brand eventually being discontinued. Since then, the show has ended.

2025-04-09 16:24