What is your favorite meal at Denny's or any other non-Fast Food chain?

[Mountain high]

Yeah, it is there, It says Dennys

Denny's has a safety issue with their signs too.

https://www.cnn.com/2023/01/20/us/woman-dies-dennys-sign/index.html

 

[PancakeBill]

Maybe an ongoing maintenance issue? Signs, plumbing, time clocks

 

[DonTom]

The Horseshoe is under new ownership and seems to be coming up in the world.

i was trying to think of the name of that place. I thought it was great and that was before the new ownership--back in year 2017.

-Don- Barstow, CA

 

[Chef Duane]

It's semantics but I wouldn't really call that sandwich a "Club Sandwich" - it's something else, and yes I have had versions of it.


From 15-17 I apprenticed and worked as a chef - real restaurants. When I started college I interviewed at a Sambos and yes, it is all entirely formula/rote based.

Remember these guys weren't called "chefs." They were short order cooks.

I got hired but I didn't take the job. I knew I couldn't stand it. I did however take a job at Pizza Hut - they had keg beer - LOL... Eventually I switched and did a stint in the sporting goods department of K-Mart. It's own special kind of ****...

Some of the best chef's I've worked with were self-taught and did apprenticeships. They may not know the classic techniques and have the book learning of a degreed chef but they sure can crank out the food.
And in a churn 'n burn kitchen environment, that's what I want.

(.... well maybe "burn" isn't the right word. )

 

[Mountain high]

I worked in shipping at a mass production bakery in Los Angeles packaging restaurant bread products at the defunct Four-S Bakery in the 1970's. Here's the last photo of Robert F Kennedy in the kitchen in 1968 immediately prior to his assassination. Loaves of Four-S Bakery bread are in the foreground. We made a lot of restaurant bread.

 

[DonTom]

I am now at the Denny's in Tehachapi, CA

I timed it perfectly to first get my RV washed for $107.40 (for the whole 9 yards--I really mean 29' 11") at the Blue Beacon Truck Wash in Barstow, CA and to get hungry by the time I got here.

Now just waiting for the food. I know it will be great, the same female cook as last time.

-Don- Tehachapi, CA

 

[DonTom]

Yep. it was great here, just as I expected. The cook here needs to teach the cooks at the Denny's in New Castle, CA how to make the Bourbon Chicken Skillett correctly.

-Don- Tehachapi, CA

 

[PancakeBill]

Chefs. Both my sisters married chefs, the first one though divorced, He was trained at the CIA. Good chef, but an asshat,. Second sis (twins, BTW), married a by the bootstraps chef, he had a good career in the industry, and in retirement works parttime in a ministry, teachin g others. Their son is a chef, worked alongside his Dad. He has done pretty well, been invited twice as guest Chef at James Beard in NYC, been on Beat Bobby Flay (lost in first round though), has authored a New German Cookbook (available on Amazon). He hs helped start up a number restaurants in eastern PA.
I do a lot of cooking, either recipe or just come up with something after looking in fridge, I count on the family chefs for ideas and solutions on occasion. I was honored when making something for family BIL asked me for recipe.

 

[Ex-Calif]

Some of the best chef's I've worked with were self-taught and did apprenticeships. They may not know the classic techniques and have the book learning of a degreed chef but they sure can crank out the food.
And in a churn 'n burn kitchen environment, that's what I want.

(.... well maybe "burn" isn't the right word. )

Back in the 70's in Australia I don't think anyone would have ever heard of a cooking degree or schooling unless it was a Michelin culinary arts school or something and back then no-one went as a rookie. It was (IMO) for chefs who wanted the cred to start a restaurant or something.

My progression was basically dishwasher, prep, prep, prep, prep, salads and appetizers, prep, prep, prep, prep, meat prep/cutter, prep, meat prep/cutter, prep, meat prep/cutter, prep, meat prep/cutter, Steak/Grill chef, assistant sous chef.

I reached the point where I could make anything in the restaurant and was on my own during slow times while head chef did whatever head chefs do in their office - LOL...

The only thing I will say about these chef reality shows is that the cruelty and brutality in the kitchen is real. I never met a chef who wasn't an a-hole. I think it's just a culture of hazing that has existed forever.

 

[Chef Duane]

I am a career changer.. the first 25 years of my career was in hi-tech and communications.. worked in the defense industry in SoCal for some years then followed the money to Silicon Valley. Didn't go to Culinary School till I was in my mid-late 40's. Decided that if I was going to do it professionally I better get a degree. I've seen some a-hole chefs in my career but most tend to be sole proprietors who want things their way - after all its their place. But I've also seen chefs who are great and easy to work with and still put out great food. Same as any industry. I also seen 2 chefs square off with 10' chefs knives and it wasn't pretty. But I'm comfortably retired and mostly just on the eating side of things now!

 

[Ex-Calif]

I am a career changer.. the first 25 years of my career was in hi-tech and communications..

Big thread drift but I changed "careers" the other way. I remember distinctly one New Year's eve looking out the kitchen window at all the folks eating steaks and drinking champagne and realized that I was on the wrong side of the window!

I was probably 16. I moved back to the states, moved in with my dad and finished high school. I did really well on SATs and was recruited for a lot of good schools. I thought I wanted to be a lawyer but dad wouldn't consider even filling out forms for financial aid/loans and advised me to go to tech school. Got my A&P and eventually got my BSc in Aero Engineering in night school and the rest is history.

 

[Oldgator73]

Can’t remember the last time we were at a Denny’s. The restaurant we frequent the most here is Chesapeake and Maine. Sunday’s they have $15 lobster and buck a shuck oysters. Went lost Sunday had muscles in white wine, oysters and lobster.

 

[DonTom]

Can’t remember the last time we were at a Denny’s.

No Denny's on this side of Gate's Pass. Several are on the other side, but I have not gone to those during this trip because other restaurants are very good in this area. I have been mostly eating out on this trip. Every morning (except when it rained!) I have been going to the House of Cheng for an American breakfast (in A Chinese restaurant). And unless I have other things to do, such as a hike I now sometimes have lunch at Tiny's Restaurant, a place that @jackiemac mentioned to me in a PM. Looks like a real dump from the outside, but is nice when you get inside. Reminds me of the restaurants in Costa Rica when we were there 25 years ago, they all looked like dumps from the outside but were usually very fancy inside.

At any Denny's I mainly only have two items. For breakfast, it is the Loaded Veggie Ohmlet. For lunch or dinner, it is the Bourbon-Chicken Skillet.

I will ride my electric motorcycle down to the House Of Cheng in around 1.5 hours. If I go earlier, I will often have to wait because the place will be packed. Getting there at around 1000 hrs is the perfect time. They serve breakfast until 1100 hrs six days per week, until noon on Sundays.

-Don- Tucson, AZ

 

[John From Detroit]

Denny's is one of the restaurants where I Left a "Tip"for management instead of the wait-staff (Fire them was the tip)

Normally if I go there it's breakfast..Grand slam or an omlet.

 

[jymbee]

At any Denny's I mainly only have two items. For breakfast, it is the Loaded Veggie Ohmlet.
-Don- Tucson, AZ

That's just what I had two days ago-- with red skin taters.

 

[DonTom]

That's just what I had two days ago-- with red skin taters.

Bourbon Chicken Skillet? How did you like it? It does vary between different Denny's and cooks so some will be better than others. Some are great, but some of the others are mediocre.

I always have my Loaded Veggie Omelette with pancakes and fruit. The fruit will cost a buck more. Once in a great while I will have the triple Berry Pancake combo for a change.

I have the ARRP card which pays for itself and then some with my trips to Denny's. Saves me 15%@ Denny's. Almost as much as the tip.

-Don- Tucson, AZ

 

[jymbee]

Bourbon Chicken Skillet? How did you like it? It does vary between different Denny's and cooks so some will be better than others. Some are great, but some of the others are mediocre.

I always have my Loaded Veggie Omelette with pancakes and fruit. The fruit will cost a buck more. Once in a great while I will have the triple Berry Pancake combo for a change.

I have the ARRP card which pays for itself and then some with my trips to Denny's. Saves me 15%@ Denny's. Almost as much as the tip.

-Don- Tucson, AZ

Wasn't the Skillet thing. Just their "regular" omelette:

She had the fruit which looked better than my potatoes! Seems that's always the case where someone else at the table orders something that I wish I had ordered.

As for quality, I'd say mediocre. Yes, some Denny's are better than others and even one store can vary from one day to the other. I assume it has to do with who's cooking although you would think that shouldn't make a difference.

AARP? Absolutely. Every $.02 counts...

 

[DonTom]

Just their "regular" omelette:

Where are those "red-skin taters"? I never get them with mine, as I have the pancakes.

Of all the veggie omelets I have had (many), for some reason, I like Denny's and the one they serve in Verdi, NV at Gold Ranch restaurant the most of them all. Those two are a toss-up for being the best.

-Don- Tucson, AZ

 

[jymbee]

Where are those "red-skin taters"? I never get them with mine, as I have the pancakes.

Of all the veggie omelets I have had (many), for some reason, I like Denny's and the one they serve in Verdi, NV at Gold Ranch restaurant the most of them all. Those two are a toss-up for being the best.

-Don- Tucson, AZ

When taking the order they ask what kind of potatoes you want ("taters" was my own spelling). I usually get the red skins but they also have a couple of other options for the spuds.

 

[DonTom]

I usually get the red skins but they also have a couple of other options for the spuds.

OIC, I never have the potatoes with my Denny's "Loaded Veggie Ohmlet". But they use the redskin taters on the Bourbon Chicken Skillett.

-Don- Tucson, AZ