Which Chain restaurant is best for Craft beer selection?

I've found there are far to many independent restaurants to try than to waste any more time/money at any of the above. Much better beer and wine selections as well.

 

Haven't been to a chain restaurant in years, but alot of BJ's have good guest taps and bottles. The Buffalo Wild Wings near me has Racer 5, Hop Stoopid, and Double Jack on tap.

 

Those are all pretty lacking, although Ruby Tuesday did make a (half-hearted) effort to expand their beer menu a few years ago. The problem is that their beer menus were all printed based upon east-coast selections, so there were references to Yeungling, Harpoon, Brooklyn, etc. out here in Colorado...when none of those make it within 500 miles of here. I asked the manager about it and he was sick of having to tell people that 1/2 the menu was wrong.

 

The only one I have ever seen have anything beyond Sam Adams and harpoon was Uno's. I had a bottle of lagunitas there. Granted they knew little about it and labeled their ipa as the pilsner.

 

It honestly depends where you are. At the Applebees my girlfriend works at, the best tap is Newcastle. The two closest to me both have Troegs on an all-times, though. The Chilis I frequent has nothing interesting, much to the chagrin of the former bartender, who just quit to work at a craft bar. Our local Fridays has a "craft" selection that consists of Harpoon IPA and #9. I'd take the Applebees every time, but if I'm going to a chain, I'm probably not drinking or drinking liquor.

 

This poll needs a "none of the above" option...

 

Uno's by me (Exton) had Hopslam - I couldn't believe it but it looks like they are trying to brand themselves as a craft beer restaurant. I hate their food so I guess it is moot for me, but if my family forced me to go to a chain restaurant, I'd vote for there so at least I'd find some decent beer to drink.

 

The PF Chang's near me typically will have a couple of locals on tap along with a SA seasonal. Also some decent bottles, last time I was pleasantly surprised to see and have a Stone IPA.

 

None here qualify as good, the best you get is SA or SNPA.

 

They are all lacking around me. Margaritas has 60min and Lagunitas PA on draft....that's the best it gets. I'll drink sam or harpoon anywhere else.

 

good thread. No craft bars in Clifton Park and I've really wanted to find SOMEPLACE in town to have at least a draft IPA. I had two for one 12oz. Saranac ( Matt Brewing) White IPA's at chili's recently. decent IPA.

 

Mellow Mushroom probably has the best selection that I have seen around the Charleston/Savannah area.

 

Your right, I forgot about MM. Hopslam on tap, and maybe a dozen craft taps at least. The one here in Burlington usually has 2XIPA, DFH 90, Stone or Hop Devil on tap, lots of Western Nc Stouts and such..

 

There's a few chains that have quite a few taps. Bennigan's was great in the 90's, and they had a beer club to "tick" your beers too. Some TGIFriday's have 20+ taps.

Old Chicago is another chain with lot of taps.
Yardhouse has the most drafts in the country.


I agree with many others that this tier of chain restaurant is something I tend to avoid. Better chains are places like Yardhouse, Maggiano's, Houston's, NORTH, J.Alexander's, Ruth's, etc.

 

I'll take Yardhouse and Old Chicago! Wasn't aware that any listed had craft beer, besides Fat Tire and Blue Moon.

 

BJ's now has about 50+ guest beers, at least here the one does. About 20+ are Belgians, and about 20 or so are guest drafts. They easily have 2.5 to 1 guest to home beer ratio now, maybe 3 to 1.

 

Yardhouse and Houston's are great choices for beer and food, but if I am at Ruth's, a cocktail is the drink of choice.

 

Uno by me for sure. They have had 120Min and KBS recently. They usually have stuff on tap from Lagunitas, Weyerbacher, Sixpoint, Stone, DFH, Oskar Blues, and have a pretty extensive bottle list for a chain.

 

Or asked another way: which independent restaurant has the best selection of bland chain food?