A question in the Village Voice's Ask the Critics column has got me thinking about chain restaurants. Do you eat at a lot of chains? Although there's the occasional time I find myself at a chain restaurant, I generally avoid them. The large portions, standardized decor, and generic food don't appeal to me. If I'm going to spend money on a meal out, I want it to be delicious and original! That Read more

"Crispy. Tender. New," the Burger King website declares of its latest menu item, BK Chicken Tenders. Funny: they might've been new on the BK lineup, but we could've sworn we'd seen them somewhere. Oh, right, on the menu at every McDonald's worldwide for the last three decades as Chicken McNuggets. Much like the BK Breakfast Muffin was to the McDonald's Sausage McMuffin, the BK Chicken Tenders Read more

The economic recession may not sound like the best time for burgeoning enterprises to expand, but a few restaurant chains actually expanded a shocking amount in the year 2010. Among them? In-N-Out competitor Five Guys, BJ's Restaurant and Brewhouse, known for, among other things, its decadent Pizookie cookie; Jimmy John's, which is stacking up to be a fine competitor to Quiznos and Subway; and Read more

Taco Bell, it seems, is not done defending its beef tacos. After being sued by a woman who claimed the chain's beef tacos, which contain only 15 percent protein, were falsely advertised, the Tex-Mex eatery took out full page advertisements in major publications to explain the truth behind its seasoned beef. Today, Taco Bell has taken it one step further by announcing the world's largest taco Read more

When McDonald's first launched its Angus Third Pounders to much fanfare, we couldn't wait to try them out, and the consensus was that the chain's Bacon & Cheese Third Pounder came out on top. The golden arches must've known they were on to something, because now they've expanded their line to include an Angus Chipotle BBQ Bacon & Cheese Third Pounder. The new offering — which also Read more

As grocery bills continue to get steeper, Walmart is hoping to make a name for itself as an affordable place to buy healthy, wholesome food. At a Washington news conference Wednesday, America's largest grocer stood by First Lady Michelle Obama and pledged to make its food products more healthful — and affordable. "We don't think any American should have to choose between what's affordable and Read more

While at Fancy Foods, we caught up with J&D's Foods, the masterminds behind Baconnaise. Cofounder Justin Esch revealed what's next in the world of cured pork: soon, Hickory BaconSalt will grace the top of every table at Denny's Restaurants nationwide. In addition to Hickory BaconSalt's presence at Denny's, we also learned that Baconnaise is coming to the shelves of Wal-Mart. Hickory bacon Read more