IHOP gone

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mountainannie

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Dec 11, 2003
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rafael said:
I disagree 1000% I find most american franchises in DR to have exact same quality as in US. KFC, Fridays, Outback, Johnny Rocketts, Chili's, Wendys, McDonald's etc etc etc all taste the same as US.

Now, in US I rarely eat in any of those as there are way better options for the types of food they provide. However if I am in the mood for wings, I go to hooters, Hard Rock or Fridays, Burger I head to Johnny Rocket's, Prime Rib the only option is Outback.

My wife loves Prime Rib at Outback. To me it is just OK. She has never had smith and wollensky's or Lawrys though. Not only a different league, but playing a different sport!

Having said that, I have been to the "best" steakhouses in Medellin, Bogota and Cartagena and I would take Outback over any of them any day if just going by quelity of meat not ambience or location. There are also a bucnh of places in SD that have much better steaks than outback, Patagonia, David Crockett, Asadero Argentino, Don Nestor, Sofia's, etc etc etc but none of them have prime rib.
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I do not believe that the any of the burger fast food places here use imported US beef except Carls jr although I have not been to Johnny Rockets.

I went to Fuddruckers and could not eat the burger and that used to be one of my favorites. I can only eat Dominican beef in heavily seasoned meat loaf or a bolognase sauce.

I should try the upscale steak places. Only knew about David Crockett (not Davey? should be Davey Crockett,no?) and Asadero Argentino.. known about but never been.

I am sorry about IHOP. I went there twice as I am a big fan, it is a family tradition for Saturday mornings. First time I went the service was great, second time it was horrible.

And I think that the tax/service just kills it here. IHOP is known as a great family place for weekend breakfasts. There is usually a line til about 2 PM. Weekdays you can sit and linger and drink all the coffee you want. But the menu is really simple. Nothing that a beginner cook cannot make at home. And the omlettes here, of course, are made with the local cheese, which to me is just oil, so that is out. But I remember thinking that it was expensive.

Sambil is not a high end mall. Agora is a high end mall. I have heard from Dominicans that the people who shop at one would not go to another.. not that I really actually see that much shopping going on. A lot of browsing, a lot of eating at the food courts, enjoying the air conditioning, but actual bags of purchases? Those I have really only seen at Multi Centro.

I went to Denny's here as well. But it did not seem like Denny's which is really more like a diner in the States. Here they have "upscaled" the decor. The pancakes were small. I mean, really. Why a small pancake? I am not sure what they are trying to sell there but it is not like the Denny's back home.

I am getting to be like CCCC except I do still like Expresso Jade (not US i do not think) and Wendy's.. I just do not order the burgers.
 
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rafael

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Jan 2, 2002
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mountainannie said:
I do not believe that the any of the burger fast food places here use imported US beef except Carls jr although I have not been to Johnny Rockets.

.
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I would disagree. Trust me when I say I am likely more of a meat snob than you are, lol. Like I said I have been to "best" steakhouses in colombia with imported beef and they were below outback quality. In DR I will not eat beef that is not imported. I hve had burgers at Johnnie Rockets and even mcdonalds and they taste the same as US. No way that is dominican beef. I have yet to try Carl's or Fuddruckers. I actually eat chicken sandwiches at Fuddruckers and am not a big burger guy.
 
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windeguy

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Jul 10, 2004
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rafael, then I will admit you have more recent experience than I in such matters and that the franchises that I have tried, Burger King, McDonalds, Kentucky Fried Chicken, must all suck in the US as well if they are exactly the same as I have had here. Perhaps that just goes without saying.
 
Xavier_Onassis

Xavier_Onassis

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Aug 6, 2006
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Only knew about David Crockett (not Davey? should be Davey Crockett,no?)
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Of course it should be Davy Crockett. But Davy Crockett was a popular Disney TV show years and years ago and the name is surely copyrighted up the wazoo.

Davy Crockett was not famous for cooking and eating cows. He kilt bars. I reckon he et them as well.

The Australian Outback is noted more for sheep stations than cattle ranches.

Trade marks can be dumb, they only need publicity to match up to the expected image. Americans are not all that knowledgeable about Davy Crockett or the Outback, Dominicans probably less so, since these are English language memes.

So far, Argentina and Uruguay have the best steaks I have ever eaten.
 
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Celt202

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May 22, 2004
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JDJones said:
... Screw em'. (The service was excellent. We've been the only ones there each time, with 15.. yep, count them, 15 employees. All standing around... doing nothing.

...
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If Denny's folds they can go to work for TSA.
 
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Mauricio

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Nov 18, 2002
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Their Facebook indeed says that 'soon' they will be 'somewhere near Churchill'. A bit weird, two weeks ago they were apparently posting on their Facebook like if nothing is going on, no announcement. Then abruptly they clear out their local before apparently having a new place and (only on their Facebook and twitter) give some vague information that soon they will be 'closer to you'.

Maybe they cancelled the franchise agreement and got another franchiser?
 
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monfongo

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Feb 10, 2005
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Mcdonalds does not get all it's beef from the US, the US doesn't have enough beef to supply the Mcdonalds all around the world, for example a lot of the eauropean mcds.beef comes comes from Ireland , I would be willing to bet the the McDonald in the DR get their beef right here, lets face it it's low on fat and tasteless.
 
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mountainannie

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My taste buds are pretty sure that the beef at McDs and Burger King and even Fuddruckers does not come from the US. At Fuddruckers, I could not even eat it and I asked where it was from and they said from here. That seemed pretty silly since Beef is really the only thing that Fuddruckers sells.

As I said Carls jr, does advertise that it is Angus beef and the burger was edible but nothing to write home about.
Or order again.

They should just do more pork. The pork here is fantastic and really even better than in the US.
 
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redfish46

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Dec 17, 2007
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windeguy said:
One place that should close in Santo Domingo is Fridays. Overpriced food with horrible service.

I rarely went to an IHOP in the US unless I was staying at a hotel that had no breakfast and an IHOP was close. They were good, but I can imagine that one in the DR would not be up to the same level. I can't think of one chain I have been to here that is at the same level as one in the US. I try them once and not again.
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Waffle house is the best
 
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mountainannie

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MerengueDutchie said:
It must be a real miss for the culinary scene in the DR, more particularly in SDQ..
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there really is no culinary scene in SDQ. I wish there were.

But the prices seem high and the quality is pretty low. Any of the decent restaurants will end up costing1000 pesos per person without drinks for the main course. Say 700 plus 28%. And the waiters expect something on top of that.

A $16 main course should still be an event, in my book. But it is usually a disappointment here.

I would pay more for good food with less decor. Sometimes the food reviews in the US magazines read like porn.

75 Under $20: Budget Gourmet
 
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Mauricio

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Nov 18, 2002
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The beef that Wendy's serve tastes so bad, like if they let it unfreeze and freeze it again. McDonalds doesn't taste bad to me, but I doubt if you can still call it beef. Just tasty fake food............

Burger King, I ate an excellent Whopper a while ago in Sambil. Thought: if they taste like this I am going there more often. Tried whopper's three times more at different BK's (including once again in Sambil) and they tasted all horrible. It's the consistency that makes franchises not even close to the ones in USA or Europe.

McDonalds and KFC in Europe are much better than here. Here you have to be lucky to get a good meal..

and now I stop about fast food...I realize I know way too much about the different fast food places.....
 
waytogo

waytogo

Moderator - North Coast Forum
Apr 3, 2009
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Santiago DR
The best food in town..............
My house.............
I love to cook and my friends call me a chef..........
Still can't find a top quality "bone in" prime rib.............

B in Santiago
 
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Criss Colon

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Jan 2, 2002
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"JD" maybe we should do "Breakfast & Cigars" at my house on Sunday mornings?????
American hickory smoked bacon, sausages, pancakes, English muffins,and we MUST come up with a "Chicken Fried steak, with bisquits & Sausage gravy!!!!!
I just had a nice 2 egg cheese omlet, Delish"!
I used "Food Club" brand Monterrey Jack cheese.
Available at "Super National", along with tons of other imported American cheeses.
Unlike Dominican cheese, it actually has flavor, and it "Melts"!!!!!!
Who Knew???????
CCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCCC
If you are a "Velveta" fan, (C mon now, I KNOW you're Out There!!!) they have several varieties

ps, I can get us a discount on "Stints" at CEDIMAT!!!!!.
Or maybe "Blandino's" would be better????
Eliminate the "Middle Men"!!!!!
 
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MerengueDutchie

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Oct 13, 2003
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mountainannie said:
there really is no culinary scene in SDQ. I wish there were.

But the prices seem high and the quality is pretty low. Any of the decent restaurants will end up costing1000 pesos per person without drinks for the main course. Say 700 plus 28%. And the waiters expect something on top of that.

A $16 main course should still be an event, in my book. But it is usually a disappointment here.

I would pay more for good food with less decor. Sometimes the food reviews in the US magazines read like porn.

75 Under $20: Budget Gourmet
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MA,

Years ago I had a very decent meal at a little place on the Malecon, a few blocks down from La Jaragua towards the centre. It had a Belgium chef.

My friend and I ate the Chateau Briand. The beef was good, the sauce was heavenly (the chef had added some Pastis to it) and of course the fries were Belgium :).

I can't remember the name but it was a wooden octagonal construction right on the Malecon (city side).

The Cave restaurant also was nice when I ate there with CB.
 
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