Why I Choose This Regional Chain Over Applebee's Every Time

As I've gotten older, I've realized that chain restaurants have really lost their luster. To me, Panera is overpriced, I can make Chipotle cheaper and better at home, and Texas Roadhouse, well, it gets a free pass (have you tried those rolls?). But on the nights when the fridge is empty, and the last thing that I want to do is cook (despite my craving for home-cooked food), I have to resort to the casual dining chains of yesteryear.

In my search for a reliable chain, I revisited an old favorite and regional staple in Rhode Island and broader New England: The Ninety Nine Restaurant & Pub (or, as the locals call it, 99). Now, I grew up going to 99 and even had elementary ice cream socials in the dining room of the location closest to my parents' house in Connecticut. However, as I got older, I kind of scoffed at it. It has a kitsch feel, with Boston Red Sox memorabilia lining the walls (and the promise of Kids Eat Free the day after the team wins), and it's someplace I would associate with my 60-plus-year-old parents and other Boomer diners. However, when I paid my local restaurant a visit, boyfriend in tow, I found a new appreciation for it.

I vehemently refuse to patronize Applebee's because of its awful, horribly inconsistent food. And, like some other sit-down chain restaurants, it has become so impersonal that it feels sterile. But the staff at 99 is always warm, welcoming, and happy to help. It exudes a unique, neighborly, and classically Americana vibe that makes you feel more "in the neighborhood" than an Applebee's ever would. Combine that ethos with a varied, well-executed menu, and you've got a chain restaurant everyone should visit when they're in New England.

Because it's a chain restaurant that wants to appease everyone, not everything on 99's menu is perfect. That said, there are some dishes that I find 99 does better (and more importantly, more consistently) than any other chain — especially Applebee's. The first? Non-alcoholic drinks. I feel like I have walked the entire Earth trying to find a chain that offers tasty, non-alcoholic drinks that aren't just lemonade. At 99, you can get great non-alcoholic beers and signature drinks; its Mock-a-Rita tastes like a marg and is the perfect refreshing pairing to my favorite entrée: the steak tips. This dish is a New England staple and is always perfectly cooked, broiled to perfection, and juicy as ever. I've also had several of its burgers (on the rare occasion that its steak tips aren't what I'm craving), and they're just as good. Lobster rolls in the summer, sandwiches, and ribs make for a menu that everyone will love. 

However, it's not just the food at 99 that makes it an excellent place to visit; it's also the staff and the culture. The pub side kind of gives off dive bar vibes, but on Thursdays when it's trivia night, it's hopping. The staff is always willing to chat (again, think friendly diner where the person knows your order when you walk in). Perhaps it's an embodiment of Yankee hospitality, but I've never really felt as welcome in a chain restaurant as I do at a 99. In hindsight, I really regret all the years I spent turning my nose up at it.