Denny's, Bob's, etc.

There's a big discussion under this area about Waffle House. Around 1975, in Dallas, I liked WH late at night for grilled cheese and fries, but about ten years ago, in Alabama, I was unimpressed with their breakfast.
A few years ago, my girlfriend and I enjoyed the local Denny's in Downtown Los Angeles at 2AM or so, about once a week. The cook knew us, and gave us fabulously crisp (using a bacon press) bacon, about twice the usual portion, and we always tipped him. But it dawned on me that it was dumb to be spending $20 on bacon and eggs for two, so I started doing just the eggs, and tater tots, at home for WAY less money. And I can do scrambled eggs WAY better than Denny's. I liked our cook at Denny's, but I know that was an unusual situation, and mostly the fare is mediocre and overpriced. It's the same problem with Carrow's, here in SoCal. Any time we talk about these operations, imagine what their food costs are. I can buy 30 eggs at Smart&Final for $3. That's ten cents each. Carrow's wants like $10 for breakfast, if you add coffee. It's insane.
As for Bob's (Kip's in Dallas) Big Boy... They appear to all be different. The one in Toluca Lake (LA) is supposed to be good, but every other one I've been in sucks.
It's a smallish chain, but Hamburger Hamlet, which was so good 15 years ago, has gone completely down the tubes. Don't even think about it. It's really very sad.
Norm's (in LA) is pretty awful. The absolute lowest grade stuff they can get.
I've already talked about the decline of the Farmer Boys franchise in DT LA. They are real iffy now.
I'm trying to think of other chains...Everyone seems to hate Subway, and I have to agree with that. Quizno's is marginally better, but WAY overpriced. There are some oddball chains you see along the freeway from LA to Phoenix, I don't know from them.
-Scott Lindgren

I've noticed that with just about any meal you buy in a restaurant you could easily purchase the ingredients and make it at home for a lot less money. But then, about 90% of the point of eating out for me is that I don't have to make it at home, or clean up.

There is no relationship between Bob's in Toluca Lake and Kip's in Dallas. Bob's originated the Big Boy and then licensed the name and style to Kip's, Shoney's etc. The store in Toluca Lake is the last of a once wide spread chain.