Comments (0) Best Chain Restaurant - 2006
Steak n Shake
Readers' Choice: P.F. Chang's
You hear the sizzle first, juices popping so sharply that, for a moment, you don't even notice the other families clamoring for a table, their children squealing for an adult-size milkshake this time, Mommy, please. Sometimes you imagine you can hear it from the road, that famous Steakburger, calling to you from the grill, demanding your immediate patronage. It's part of the charm of Steak n Shake: Your food isn't gussied up with clever marketing tricks or smothered in this month's hot ingredient. It's classic American drive-in cuisine, grilled where you can see, smell and, of course, hear it. The burgers are extra beefy, the shoestring fries are crisp and golden and the shakes are so thick that you could order one as an entr?e. You won't even mind waiting a bit longer than you would for fast or fast-casual food: You can pass the time reading the brief, self-deprecating jokes hidden throughout the placemats. A chain restaurant with great food that can also laugh at itself? Sounds good to us!
