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Hi Ed. I just found this post while trolling the web for Houston's Key Lime Pie recipe/ingredients. I waited tables in the Rockville, MD Houston's from 1993-1995. Having seen Houston's and more than a dozen independently-owned restaurants from the waiter's side of the table, I agree with everyone's positive comments about Houston's. It's one of my go-to spots when I want to treat myself (and I live in Manhattan).

Although more personal non-chain restaurants are great, only Houston's made me memorize each ingredient in every dish before letting me serve a customer. We had line-up every night where we were quizzed on the number of ounces in the coho salmon and the marinade for the Houston's Hawaiin ribeye. I learned how to give 110% to a job and what to expect as a guest in a restaurant.

Next time you go, you must order the smoked salmon appetizer served with toast points and a delicious dressing. Melt in your mouth and crazy good! I promise, you'll love it! They discontinued it and brought it back because of demand.

They used to serve a fantastic steak platter and the most outrageous mashed potatoes w/celeriac. Unfortunately they discontinued it but like the smoked salmon appetizer, I'm still hoping they'll bring it back.

On a local level I like P.F. Chang's. At the mid-level I have to agree with several posters re. the quality at Roy's and on the upper end I highly recommend Nobu.

What about Rosa Mexicano? I love that place in New York- now with DC, Palm Beach, Atlanta and Miami- i think they are great

Houston's is consistently very good at The Riverside Square location in Hackensack, NJ. My favorites are the Smoked Salmon Appetizer, Grilled Artichokes Appetizer, Seared Ahi Tuna and Thai Beef Salads. They serve a fantastic Loaded Baked Potato as well.

Anyone who is a fan of The Cheescake Factory or Houstons, My new favorite chain is The Grand Lux Cafe located in The Garden State Plaza in Paramus New Jersey. It is owned and operated by the Cheescake Factory, but more upscale, like Houston's. The original concept was designed to be put in the Bellagio Hotel Complex in Las Vegas, Nevada.

Pf Chang's and Maggiano's is also located at The Riverside Square Mall.

I would agree with the Cheesecake Factory being on the list.

I will definitely have to try some of the places mentioned in southeast Michigan...

I would strongly disagree with Applebee's and Olive Garden. Yuk. A friend and I went to Applebee's once, and she asked for one of their salads but with no bleu cheese crumbles. The waiter said he couldn't do that because the crumbles were already in the salad -- WTF??

I'm not a fan of PF Changs. They use too much sugar in all their dishes. Even the hardcore meat dishes have tons of sugar in them. After a few bites, all I taste is sugar. Three hours later -- I'm hungry again.

Whereas, the RuthChris in Midtown NYC is excellent -- and most of the Legal Seafoods are wonderful. They have a fantastic New England clam chowder.

I though Boston Chicken was good before it became Boston Market. I like Morton's, The Palm, Legal Seafoods, The Ninety-Nine (I'm pretty sure its a North East thing- great prime rib), Maggiano's and Crackerbarrel (great pit stop on long drives!). I used to like Pizzera Uno, but my last few trips to them were disasterous.
What creeps me out is when you go to a chain that has photos of the food on the menu and the food comes out looking just liked the photo.

Do some chains start as chains or do they all grow out of one original place? I know McDonalds didn't start as a chain, but I can imagine that a place like Olive Garden was conceived as a chain.

foodinmouth says there's no PF Changs or Cheesecake Factories in NY. If you mean NYC, ok. Otherwise, check out their websites & locate. Out on LI there's two Cheesecake Factories...Smithhaven Mall in Lake Grove & The Mall at the Source (who names these damn things?) in Westbury. Westbury has PF Chang's as well, & Houston's is next door at the Roosevelt Field Mall. I haven't been to any of them but it's on my list of things to do.

Ed,

Funny you should run this story this week. On Tuesday I was in NJ with a friend and both of us were craving our favorite Houston's salads. We gave in and had lunch there at the Riverside Square Mall location. The salads hit the spot - they were fresh and tasted exactly the way we've enjoyed them every other time we've been there. And both of us commented after lunch about how we consistently have a satisfying meal there. While my preference is to eat at unique restaurants there is something to be said for being able to go into a restaurant and feel confident that the meal is going to be good every time. People poo-poo chains for being cookie cutter but consistency is a Houston's standard that it wouldn't hurt other restaurateurs to embrace.

P. F. Chang's is good, and (at least in my neck of the woods--SE Michigan) actually has some dishes I've never seen at so-called "authentic" Chinese restaurants. One of my favorites, though, is Mitchell's Fish Market (which appears to have locations across the Midwest and into Pennsylvania, at least)--head and shoulders above Red Lobster (or Green Lobster, as my in-laws call it), and not much more expensive (although it still fits the $25/person criterion). Not necessarily creative cuisine, but fresh, which is unusual this far from the coasts.

I, like other poster's don't eat at chains while in New York, but do so when out of town. Fav's include Legal Seafoods and Cheesecake Factory ... and I do like a lot of the steak chain's althought you have "banned" them from the competition - they are normally very reliable. Can I comment on the one's I DON'T like ... Applebees, Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Outback Steak - although, again, this is a steak chain.

It's been a while, but I've always had a good time at Benihana's. Love the scallops and steak. Not sure if it's a foodie destination but it's good and fun.