Chain Restaurants That We Need

My neighborhood--Southwest quadrant of D.C.--sorely lacks restaurants, though that is likely to change in the coming years with redevelopments and opening retail space. Inevitably, some chain restaurants will try to open there, and this will likely cause acrimony in the community.

One thing on which I differ from a number of my friends is the fact that I don't have an aversion to chain restaurants--some chains are successful for a reason. Sure, some just plan suck like Taco Bell--how can they screw up something so simple as Mexican?--but there are a few that I wouldn't mind seeing open in my neighborhood:

1) Silver Diner. They have a pretty broad menu, late hours, and can satisfy the need for blunch.

2) Ruby Tuesday--their fries are the best of any sit-down chain restaurant. Plus the burgers are pretty good.

3) Red Lobster--I get a lot of crap for this one, but their cheesy bread is delicious and no I don't want to know what their calorie count is. Sure, it's not great seafood--but it's servicable!

4) Cracker Barrel. They generally put together a solid breakfast--it may not be authentic southern fried (or maybe it is? I'm not a real southerner) but their chicken fried steak is solid.

5) Steak n' Shake. Why oh why don't we have one in D.C.?

6) Cosi. It's a sign that your neighborhood is hip when they put in a Cosi! It's like Starbucks but not awful.

7) Moby Dick. They do something with the rice that I am unable to replicate at home.

8) Sonny's BBQ. Okay, now I'm starting to think that a chain restaurant in our neighborhood is going to give me a heart attack.

9) Stuckeys. My arteries are clogging just thinking about this....

10) Longhorn Steakhouse. Damn doctors and their scolding....

11) Cheeburger Cheeburger. Is it normal to sweat when you eat?