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Like anything, it depends on the chain, some are well run with decent food, most aren't.

If someone picks TGI Fridays because they love the food, it's a black mark. If they pick Lee's Sandwiches taken to the top of a parking garage to check out the view, I'm interested.

Well, I'm married now, so I guess I did something right.

I'd rather go to a local nice restaurant as well, but taking a date to a chain restaurant has the same advantage as taking your new gf/bf camping. If they moan and complain or get snarky, then you know what kind of person you're dealing with. I went on a few dates with a girl once who started complaining about my car. It was clean, ran well, and was perfectly good, but it was too old and not flashy enough for her. So I can thank that old car for revealing that girl's true character so I wouldn't waste too much time.

That being said, my rules for date restaurants generally avoided places that were too loud for comfortable conversation, and places with TVs.

Of course, I've been off the market for 10 years now, and it seems a lot harder to find places that don't have TVs.

I guess I never really thought about this. Where I grew up and did the majority of my dating (am living with my fiance now in the big city that we moved to together) there was not really any other options than chains. There were a few gritty hole in the wall places where I think they did more drug dealing then cooking so I think that would get me dumped right away. If there were better local places to go to in my home town I would have but it was all about a "fancy" dinner at Olive Garden for a date. Yeah my home town was THAT lame. Oh and we had to drive a half hour to said chain restaurants!

Absolutely not!

most definitely a dealbreaker! especially if it's Friday's!

2 qualifications;
Cheap beer.
Loud music.

"I've never even thought of this before, this dilemma sounds pretentious." I really wish some people would stop throwing around the word pretentious so much nowadays, if you are going to use it, make sure the context is correct. Is it really pretentious to dislike chain restaurants? Hell I think the best thing about a first date is going to new place. It is exciting and can make for some great conversation if you are the socially awkward type like myself.

On a real first date, the food is secondary to me.

It doesn't matter where I go. I'd even step foot in an Applebee's or Red Lobster (specifically) and order something hopefully innocuous like a garden salad so I don't have to eat their craptastic entrees.

If it were left to me, there are 10 restaurants I can immediately think of where I'd love to go, and none of them are chains, ranging from $7 - 40/person.

If you live in a big city where quirky, unique restaurants surround you, I'd say shame on you for choosing a chain restaurant for a first date. It wouldn't take much effort to research someplace more interesting than a TGIFriday's.

For those in more rural areas or places with limited options, I think a chain restaurant would be much more acceptable. Definitely not in New York though, I hope!!

Usually a dealbreaker for me. On a first date, the guy was going to take me to Santana Row (in San Jose, CA), so I got all dressed up for dinner on the town. He pulls into a Red Robin and talks about how great the food was there when I said I'd never eaten there. Let's just say it was the first and last date. :)

Only if I didn't want a second one.

Not a deal breaker for me. For my husband and I's first date we got pizza and breadsticks from Pizza Hut. Twelve years later we are still together.

Depends on the chain and how they feel about it. I dated a guy who loved Red Lobster. I grew up on the shore so that was a deal breaker.

Where I went to school there were very few local places that weren't packed all the time so going to Ruby Tuesdays was sometimes the only option for a date. It wasn't our favorite, but it was better than fast food.

Ah! Swim in the sea of pretentious comments! How dare he/she even *suggest* we step foot in a chain restaurant! *snooty indignation!* Keh, you won't see *me* on a second date with that SWILL. Chain restaurant! PAH!

It's a first date. Isn't the most important thing the DATE? Y'know, that person you agreed to go with because you (hopefully - unless you were somehow forcibly kidnapped and pressured into this) share some equal interest in each other. Food is not always the only defining characteristic and end all be all of an event in your life. My parents shared the following for their wedding dinner and remember it fondly: a grape slushie and barbeque flavour potato crisps. This fine dining experience was purchased at a quickie mart and hasn't formed some scarring moment on their marriage.

[In the defensive of the several reasonable and non-knee jerk reflex people who posted on this - you're right it's the person and a good memory and relationship can be formed over anything. Even if it is that *stereotyped snooty French drawl* chaiiiiin restaurant.]

My husband and I had drinks and dessert at the Cheesecake Factory on our first date. In retrospect, ehhh.... might've been nice to go somewhere interesting, but it was my first date with my husband! And that, more than anything else, is what matters!

The first date restaurant choice could definitely make or break the date for me. I don't expect fine dining or an extravagant evening; a P. Terry's hamburger and a round of putt putt at the byob Peter Pan would put be over the moon. However, if my date chose to take me to a national chain like Friday's, I would be extremely disappointed because of their lack of creativity and thoughtfulness. It's not that I outlaw chains, but they're only appropriate for a date when you've seeing each other for a while, you're hung over, and are both comfortable dining incognito.

haha, my husband and I went to Applebees for our first date.. Granted, it was 8 years ago and we were only 18/19, but it apparently had no ill-effect on our relationship ;)

California Pizza Kitchen rules!!! maybe the only acceptable chain restaurant in NYC even

I tend to be in the middle of this one - it depends on the chain - although I'm probably more impressed if we don't go to one. So funny too that this topic was brought up because I was just talking about it with a friend a few days ago. See I was supposed to have a first date last Sunday evening, and I was telling my friend how unimpressed I would be if the guy brought me to Outback or somewhere. It didn't matter anyway as we decided just to grab coffee in the afternoon instead, but he did tell me that he had been planning on taking me to J. Alexander's which is one of the few chains I love. Excellent food every single time, nice atmosphere, and actually, a really good place for a first date. In fact, I'd rather go there than a lot of non-chain places that I know of, so.....yeah, it really just depends on the restaurant.

On my worst date, I the vegetarian was taken to Longhorn Steaks and then to see Carlito's Way at the movies - a rather depressing film. Not such a good night.

Hmm, I don't know anyone for whom a chain restaurant would even enter their mind in this situation, and I think I would be pretty skeptical if someone invited me to one on a date, but as other people have mentioned, it's entirely relative to where you are. I've never lived outside of New York. But I know there are places where that's all there is, so how could you judge a person for that?

I was so giddy when Peanut took me on our first date, I barely noticed where I was (an Asian restaurant that wasn't a chain, for the record). We're still together 4 years later, and I'm pretty sure we would be no matter where we'd gone.

A guy actually took me to the 34th St. TGI Fridays in the photo above. It was a first and last date because he was unbelievably boring, and I'm convinced that the choice of the restaurant was the first evidence of this. We're in New York City, for crying out loud...

My guy and I went to a small local chain for our first date. We've also gone to chains like Chili's when we can't think of anything else. I really think it's perception. You can have great first dates bonding over crappy food at a big chain, or you can have horrible first dates at your favorite local place, or anything in between.

I don't mind some chains. One guy, almost 15 years ago, took me to a pho place (which was part of a very small chain) on a first date - I had no problem trying Vietnamese food for the first time, no problem with it being a chain, but being a pho newbie, I did wonder to myself, WTF, why is this guy taking me out for SOUP? Hehehehehe! Now I get it.

@Jengraf: I deleted a part of my post on being taken to fine dining restaurants on the first date. I rolled my eyes when my date ordered oysters and nudged me to get the lobster (he knew I love lobster). When I got a plate of salad, he reminded me that he had money. I HATE feeling obligated to "repay." I don't even want to be touched on the first date.

I laughed when I heard the story of my stepmother being so LIVID she walked out of a restaurant when my father took her -- not on a first date, but a couple weeks before they got married -- to a hole in the wall a few years ago. She was raised on white tablecloth, formal dining, no television during meals, being served, etc.

He took her to a place where you could see the meat hanging, and watch them chop the stuff up, and cook it behind an acrylic barrier, seated on wooden stools, served in paper plates and disposable chopsticks.

My stepmother is fine with eating at more casual restaurants now, as long as they are spotless and unusual - service or food.

Very well said, mttkauffman.

I also agree with Shamefree - I think ag3208 hit the nail on the head with "Once we get to know one another better, than we can figure out what kind of restaurants we both like or want to try and go from there."

I get where you chain-averse people are coming from. But completely discounting someone for picking a chain just seems like a crap judgmental thing to do.

When you get to the end of your life, are you really going to rehash all the restaurants you ate at with someone? Or are you going to remember THEM?

I recall that Amanda Hesser's first date with her now husband happened at a chain-type place . . . the company is what really matters.

Dealbreaker definitely, since the bond I'd want with my date, is through food. Taking me to a chain, would just show no imagination, unless ie. he can come up with some witty story about the place....
But indeed, it depends on the chain..the consensus is somewhere like Red Lobster (horrors!) or TGIF, then I'd call it off asap...
call me a snob, whatever...that's my take :)

There are good chain restaurants and there are bad ones. However, I think that going to a chain restaurant on a first date is probably a bad idea, barring the possibility that you live in the country and that's your only choice. If at all possible, a casual, relatively inexpensive local place with good food is always a safe bet. Lunch is also good, as it takes a lot of pressure off. My first date with my boyfriend was at a tiny steakhouse out in the middle of nowhere. It wasn't much to look at, but I remember the food was delicious and I had a great time.

Now, what really bothers me is blatantly cheap guys. My ex boyfriend and I always alternated who payed when we went out to eat. (Poor college students.) Whenever it was my turn to pay, we always mysteriously ended up at some fancy place. His turn? "Hey, does Whataburger sound good?" UGH. Once I caught on, that ended pretty fast.

Growing up in a tiny, rural town, driving about 30 minutes & going to a chain restaurant was really our only option for 'dating'. I wouldn't fault a guy for it, necessarily, particularly back when I was younger.

Now, however, I live in St. Paul, and if you need to choose a chain, you're really not trying at all. There are SO many fabulous little 'hole in the wall' places. First date with the current boyfriend was at a chain - morning date at Starbucks. Totally redeemed through a meet up at a total beer bar later that evening (we're both craft beer freaks), followed by a late-night bite at a local (infamous) diner.

Summary: I wouldn't fault if that's kind of the only option, but I would if it's a ridiculously clear indication someone isn't even trying to put thought into the date.

I've gone on a slew of first dates in the past year since I became single again. I don't go to chain restaurants generally anyway, and I've only had one guy take me to a TGI Fridays on a first date. I didn't see him again. It wasn't because of his choice in restaurant (and strangely enough the guy was a chef) but it didn't really help.

I live in Albany NY and my favorite place to introduce people to is Crisan Bakery & Edible Art Gallery on Lark Street. It's this little place that has all kinds of cutesy baked goods to eat, and art made of rice paper & sugar in various forms.... and yummy gelato for $1. I would highly recommend this to any guys in the Albany area looking to impress a gal. The Capital District is pretty good in terms of restaurant selection. I think I dislike chains because they tend to be crowded, loud and obnoxious. It's more about the atmosphere than anything else. Just pick a place that's not too noisy, and if it's pretty that helps too. :-)

I really want to read through all the comments. Here are my thoughts though (and this goes for "Would I say yes to a proposal when I hate the ring" as well - the answer is no) - especially at this stage in my life, I am very vocal and it is very obvious how much food means to me, how important it is. If a guy hopes to have a shot with me, he should have talked to me enough before asking me on a date that he would realize this. There are two options here: he defers the decision to me (which is actually a negative but that's because of something else, and is better than suggesting PF Chang's), or he goes out of his way to research something interesting for us to do/eat. A guy who suggests TGI Friday's knowing that I am very into food seems like he just has no regard for my taste whatsoever - like suggesting a steakhouse if I am a vegetarian.

Having said that, I do note that I was not as vocal about my love of food just 6 years ago, and yet, on my first date with my boyfriend, he chose a place that he said, "I bet you've never heard of it/never been there, but the food is excellent, I'd be really surprised if you didn't like it." This, despite his being a picky eater who, at the time, ate to live, while I lived to eat. And I appreciated the gesture, the thought, and yes, the restaurant lived up to the standards (and we've been back a fair amount in the past 6 years). Kind of makes you think, right?

Of course, a few dates later, he told me he knew where to get really good Japanese food, then took me to a hibachi place in his neighborhood owned by a Chinese man (in fact, "Szechuan" appears in the name of the restaurant!), and then was flabbergasted when I got sick and didn't like the food... But it's a fun memory now. :)

Honestly, though, I think if I really liked a guy, it probably wouldn't matter. I do hope that I wouldn't go on a date with a guy who didn't even take the time to find out what kind of food I like, though.

Speaking from quirky Portland Oregon - if i were on a first date with a girl, and she chose TGIF, or something equally annoying - i would be highly suspicious.

1st thought : this girl eats factory food from FSA and Sysco - are you kidding me? that shit sucks!!! serious black mark

2nd thought: for a factory chain like this to even be an option tells me she probably lives out in the burbs surrounded by strip malls
(as opposed to all the urban dwellers of Portland that walk & ride bikes everywhere, and every neighborhood corner has wonderful food and bar options)

3rd thought: the likes of TGIF ship their goods by truck all over the damn country just to make sure that every menu is the same
(see point 1 - factory food) which tells me that anyone today who thinks this is responsible or sustainable is not paying attention - black mark.

she would have to be incredibly hot, I would have to be desperate, and/or she would be seeking to move into Portland and seriously make a life change for me to seek a 2nd date.

Good quality food is serious business!!

This reminds me of one of my favorite Seinfeld moments:

Elaine: I met this lawyer, we went out to dinner, I had the lobster bisque, we went back to my place, yada yada yada, I never heard from him again.

Jerry: But you yada yada'd over the best part.

Elaine: No, I mentioned the bisque.

I would not be the least put out by going to a chain for a first date, as long it was at least somewhat classy. However, my most recent flame cooked our first meal together for me all by himself in his own kitchen, and we are now engaged. :]