Rainforest Cafe, Ponderosa, Applebees, Perkins, IHOP, etc.
They're all basically the same crappy quality food with different themes decorating the walls... some are more decorated than the others. And the price of their food increases with the number of words they use in the title of the meal on the menu.
"Sirloin steak" = 9.99
"chef's ultimate 10 ounce succulent sirloin on a pilaffe of rice" for the exact same steak = 14.99
Simply put though, there's no way a chain restaurant can serve "great" food and have consistency across the chain.
And, because of desired uniformity, there's no way they can even serve certain meals.
Go to a really good restaurant once. (Red Lobster ranks right down there with the rest of the crap. It's not a good restaurant.)
Imagine sitting down with a party of 4.
First, your bottle of wine arrives, and a FRESH loaf of Italian bread. (not fresh as in "made this morning", but fresh as in "it's still warm from the oven"
And the salad... no iceberg crap in the salad... REAL homemade dressings, imported vinaigrettes, etc. The salad contains sun ripened tomatoes (not crappy flavorless greenhouse tomatoes) and at least 4 or 5 types of greens (romaine, etc. Again, no iceberg lettuce.)
Hors'd'oevres such as escargot, stuffed mushroom caps (stuffed with crab meat, not breadcrumbs)
And the soup. Homemade, of course; never the stuff from the 1 gallon cans that they crack open in the kitchen. The food doesn't arrive too closely together, but not too spaced out either. Just a nice relaxed pace. Wonderful conversation at the table.
Then the main course - something you will NEVER find in any chain restaurant.
Dessert, again, all homemade.
Owner of the nice Italian restaurant comes over and brings everyone a shot of sambuca to "cleanse the pallet"
Ultimately, your party of 4 is at the restaurant, enjoying themselves for 2 to 3 hours. Every morsel of food was cooked perfectly. Service was exceptional.
As frugal as I am, I still don't mind paying $300 for that meal.