IN CHAINS

Between managing the store, family life, and just plain life we end up eating out WAY more than we really should (or can afford for that matter!).

Although we have always been committed to local businesses, once we opened our store and learned what it takes to run a family-business we REALLY focused on only shopping, eating and drinking at local  establishments. BUT we STILL fall off the wagon sometimes.

When it comes to cheap, quick meals, here are our chains of love:

Burgerville - Tasty, cheap and most importantly they only serve Oregon Country Beef. Since I read Fast Food Nation a few years ago, we don't touch any beef that isn't certified as vegetarian feed and natural by a trusted third party - in this case the Food Alliance and others. We aren't ready for vegetarian life and we don't put our trust into the USDA  - one reason is that their standard for "free-range" is that a chicken coop door is open for at least 5 minutes a day, how free is that?   Sorry, I am getting off-topic...

Marinepolis Sushi Land - Fast, cheap, and out of control...Mila loves the conveyor belt and her sushi!  She once plowed through six plates of shrimp rolls in a single sitting - I was absolutely dumbstruck...

Sweet Tomatoes in Beaverton - An very affordable, fresh, and tasty salad and soup buffet that has a great selection of vegetables, soups, breads, and more. Since it is just off 26, this is a standard stop for us going to or coming from the coast.

What chains spark a fire in your heart?

Comments

[Tripp]

Cha Cha Cha is popular with my kids and is inexpensive. The food quality is pretty high as well.

When on the road, we often go Taco Time because of the reasonable vegetarian options. Can't say that this one sparks a fire in the heart though.

[Monica]

There's always Papa Murphy's Take and Bake... fresh ingredients, great price, great taste and a local company.

[maura]

New Seasons: The childrens chicken bento is fabulous although portions size and amount of sauce is pretty inconsistent. Ask for no garnish or you may get some of the dreaded "yucky green stuff!"

Chipotle: They serve Niman Ranch Pork and its the best fast food Mexican chain I've found.

[Rebecca]

Would second Cha Cha Cha for fast food around town.

When on the road, Quiznos isnt so bad. At least it is not fried.

[Asha]

I thought you might enjoy reading this site:

http://www.quickservekids.com/

Not about local stuff necessarily, but interesting all the same. "Guiding kids through a fast food world."

[olivia]

We are fans of New Seasons Hot Woks. I think I have mastered making a mongo tower of stuff for stir-fry in one of the sauces. Can feed the whole family with one hot wok! I will echo the inconsistency in sauce usage. We have had a couple of recent bad batches that left the whole thing sort of bland. We supplemented with some sauces when we got home.

We also love Papa Murphy's -- with extra sauce. We usually call ahead and order whatever they may have on special.

Finally, a real treat is a trip to Burgerville. Especially when it's the season for sweet potato fries.

[Lea]

You all have some great options in Portland! We do have Sweet Tomatoes here in Raleigh, too, and it's one of Baby A's favorite places to go—probably because of the frozen yogurt machine, though.

We also find that the fresh Mex places work well. We'll give A some of our grilled chicken, beans, and rice, plus she's sometimes interested in guacamole. (Us, we're constantly interested in guacamole.)

And then we have one up on Portland: Chick-fil-As everywhere. Yes, it's fried, but an occasional lunch of chicken strips, fruit, and lemonade isn't so bad, and for Baby A it's as if we took her to Disney World.

- Lea / QSMama over at Quick Serve Kids

[Hau]

We love Hot Lips Pizza. It's a nice short walk from our house, and the slices are filling enough for the whole family. We also like to get it when we go to Jamison Square when we picnic with other families.