432661 Sat Aug 18 19:16:57 -0700 2007 18 32 Chains 0 2858610 Ugh, I don't know what this place even is, but I can just smell the awful coming off of it. Then again, it will be replacing Applebees, so it can only be an improvement... http://dailygrill.com/index.cfm Sat Aug 18 19:16:57 -0700 2007 14271 tamerlanenj 1 2859392 It is better than Applebees, but not by that much. As steakhouse/grill chains go, I'd put it somewhere in between Outback and Houston's. Sun Aug 19 09:02:15 -0700 2007 2858610 97646 cutmymilk 1 2859476 Not to rip on a place that I'd never even heard of before, much less tried, but here's the first thing you see on that website: "For those who appreciate great American food made fresh from scratch, one meal at a time, by people who care." Oy. This sounds an awful lot like, "When you're here, you're family." Or, my all-time favorite idiotic marketing tagline: "For people who eat food." Sun Aug 19 09:47:42 -0700 2007 2858610 10143 MC Slim JB 1 2859514 I don't get "horrible" or "awful" - like MC Slim, I don't know anything about the place - bad ad writing by no means equals "horrible or awful" food, necessarily. Sun Aug 19 10:05:26 -0700 2007 2858610 12205 sophie fox 2 2859626 When have you ever seen an ad like that correlating with good food? BTW, here are some of their other soundbites: "Visit any Daily Grill and you will be immediately reminded of the great grills of days gone by. Grills that served delicious foods, in hearty portions, prepared from scratch, every morning, by real chefs." "At Daily Grill we'll tantalize 4 out of your 5 senses with every meal." Sun Aug 19 10:52:50 -0700 2007 2859514 10820 Blumie 3 2859641 "real" chefs? And what's with the sensory deprivation? Sun Aug 19 10:58:46 -0700 2007 2859626 77061 bear 4 2859651 The "real chef" line reminds me of a visit to Friendly's with my daughter and mother-in-law. My mother-in-law was telling the waitress to "tell the chef that there's much too much mayo in the tuna salad." I pointed to a pimply-faced 16-year-old employee on break at a nearby table and said, "there's the chef right there; tell him yourself." Sun Aug 19 11:05:29 -0700 2007 2859641 10820 Blumie 1 2859781 Well, I dunno if I would call it horrible. I followed your link and downloaded some sample menus and they have a few interesting things, though for the most part it is your typical corporate chain restuarant menu that you find in most similar places these days. It reminds me a lot of Jack Astors, a chain here in Canada, in terms of menu choices. It's all in the execution, of course. What troubles me about places like this is that the corporate mindset limits any sort of local flavor. I was looking at their menus for their Seattle and Portland locations and aside from a Chateau St. Michelle selection there are no local wines shown. If I'm in Portland why would I want a glass of crummy Mirassou pinot noir when there are so many outstanding Oregon pinots? The same thing happens here with these places erving frozen seafood from god knows where when local stuff is plentiful and far better. Sun Aug 19 12:08:25 -0700 2007 2858610 12103 Greg B 1 2859865 I would describe the one in Houston as more "bland" than "horrible." Much like a restaurant at a hotel chain (as I thought this one was, it being connected to a Westin, but it isn't.) My steak was thoroughly mediocre and the service in a half-empty room was slow. I wouldn't recommend it. Sun Aug 19 12:52:18 -0700 2007 2858610 16852 jim1126 1 2860019 Looks like they're aiming around Ruth Chris/above Outback and directly at the business/corp/tourist dinner. The "clubby" vibe to the website indicates this. There's one is in SF, off Union Sq, that'll be interesting to see how it does. All the California locations seem to indicate this...biz or tourist oriented. Interesting side-note, supposedly it's started by the people behind The Grill on the Alley in Beverly Hills...where Phil Spector likes to go. Sun Aug 19 14:07:27 -0700 2007 2858610 27275 ML8000 2 2860271 We've actually been a few times and it's really good. Just below Ruth's which cooks a mean steak. Give it a shot and you'll be surprised. Where/what is Pru??? Sun Aug 19 16:35:27 -0700 2007 2860019 11737 NoeMan 1 2860316 Daily Grill is pretty decent. Good salads, and they do a great turkey meatloaf with mashed potatoes. It's definitely above Applebees/Chilis/Macaroni Grill type quality. Sun Aug 19 17:00:07 -0700 2007 2858610 12384 boogiebaby 1 2860440 I guess it will fit right in next to the Cheesecake Factory and PF Changs...and I doubt any non-chain could afford the rents there. Here's hoping it's decent. I guess it might fill the wierd void of a steakhouse that doesn't serve USDA prime but where you can get a steak for around $25 with a side, instead of $35 a-la-carte. Sun Aug 19 17:53:12 -0700 2007 2858610 14271 tamerlanenj 2 2860483 Still wondering what Pru is......... Sun Aug 19 18:14:35 -0700 2007 2860440 11737 NoeMan 3 2860588 This thread was moved from the Boston board. Pru = the Prudential Center in Boston. Sun Aug 19 18:56:57 -0700 2007 2860483 10820 Blumie 4 2863029 Ah thanx. I see they've noted the move in the title now. Mon Aug 20 13:29:41 -0700 2007 2860588 11737 NoeMan 1 2861358 The DC location is hit-or-miss: some steaks are higher quality/flavor than Outback or other chains, some just as bad. Price point is still very high, but everything in DC is. Tourist and expense account friendly. For the price, you're still better off going to any local non-chain steak place. Also, noisy as hell. You can't swing a dead cat without hitting a screaming television. Mon Aug 20 06:22:56 -0700 2007 2858610 12359 monkeyrotica 2 2866621 i see they have one in Houston and another coming to Austin soon.I wonder if they will get one in San Antonio? However from looking at the prices on the lunch menu for the Houston restaurant,i don't think I will eat there when and if they come here.Seems rather pricey for lunch. Tue Aug 21 12:14:58 -0700 2007 2861358 28392 HollyDolly 3 2866641 Going to Daily Grill for steak in Texas is like going to Pizza Hut for pizza when you're in Naples, Italy. You can do better and you shouldn't really have to try too hard. Tue Aug 21 12:18:41 -0700 2007 2866621 12359 monkeyrotica