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8 Sit Down Restaurants That Are No Longer Worth the Wait or the Money

The days of excellent dining deals are gone at many large chain restaurants.

By Amanda Machado , Edited by Calista Headrick

Updated Sept. 4, 2026

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Many popular restaurant chains in the U.S. made names for themselves by offering a range of solid meal choices at affordable price points. Unfortunately, with the price of goods and services on the rise, some of those chains have lost some of their luster and customer base due to issues with affordability, customer service, and/or meal quality.

If you enjoy dining out on a semi-regular basis and have been trying to stretch your restaurant budget, it may be wise to avoid these eight restaurants that customer satisfaction surveys suggest are no longer worth the money.

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Olive Garden

Olive Garden has held a steady American Customer Satisfaction Index (ACSI) rating, which is based on benchmarks like food quality, staff friendliness, and variety on the menu, over the past year. Yet it regularly makes an appearance on lists of overpriced chains.

Even though Olive Garden sells itself as a family-style Italian restaurant with affordable prices, basic pasta dishes are typically between $20 and $25 these days, which is not exactly a steal.

If you swing by at lunchtime, though, the chain does still offer its famous unlimited soup, salad, and breadsticks deal for less than $15, an undeniable bargain.

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Red Lobster

It's no secret that Red Lobster has been struggling in recent years, with dozens of restaurants shuttering across the country, a dwindling base of loyal customers, and a bankruptcy filing.

Though the seafood chain has been reorganizing and attempting to get back on its feet to win back fried shrimp fans, some customers say that the reorganization plan has come with steep price hikes.

The restaurant's ACSI rating dropped 1% between 2025 and 2026, and though it was once wildly popular, it dropped to #45 on a YouGov ranking of the most popular national dining brands.

IHOP

Many people still love IHOP and will weather price hikes and smaller portions to enjoy a delicious plate of fluffy pancakes. However, IHOP's ACSI rating fell 3% between 2025 and 2026, more than any other major national chain in the rankings.

While egg prices have been a subject of much chagrin in recent years, customers are not buying that they're paying so much at IHOP these days just because of eggs.

On the plus side, IHOP does still offer a value menu. Portions may be less than ideal, but two eggs, two pancakes, and a side of bacon or sausage for $6 is not bad.

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The Cheesecake Factory

The Cheesecake Factory is a bit of a toss-up when it comes to customer satisfaction. On the one hand, the chain's ACSI rating actually went up a bit between 2025 and 2026, and there's no denying that, with an absolutely gargantuan menu, pretty much everyone could find something to eat at the restaurant.

However, the Cheesecake Factory is another one that is regularly slammed by customers online over prices and declining quality.

It is hard to defend an $11.50 price tag for a single piece of plain cheesecake.

Cracker Barrel

Cracker Barrel's ACSI rating was down 1% over the past year, and there are a range of reasons customers give for declining satisfaction.

Restaurant-goers have increasingly been turning to online forums to complain about affordability, food quality, and portion sizes. One particular price hike that's rubbing many customers the wrong way is the price of drinks, and that goes for sodas as well as alcohol.

However, the gimmicky chain does still offer some undeniably great deals, like a full Southern Fried Chicken meal with two sides for $15.

Chili's

Chili's is still incredibly popular these days and has maintained favorable ratings across several national surveys. Its ACSI rating was up 1% between 2025 and 2026, and YouGov rated it in ninth place on its list of the most popular national dining brands.

However, customers have recently taken issue with the quality of food as well as price hikes on seemingly cheap menu items across online forums like Reddit.

Like many other chains on this list, it's possible to find value at Chili's if you stick to certain specials, like the "3 for me" deal that includes an appetizer, entrée, and drink with prices starting at $10.99.

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Buffalo Wild Wings

Buffalo Wild Wings is another one that might still be worth a visit if you swing by when special deals are running, like BOGO Wing Tuesday.

The ACSI rating at the wing chain/sports bar actually crept up quite a bit over the past year, by 3% between 2025 and 2026. It was also listed as #18 on YouGov's survey of the most popular dining brands, but customer satisfaction was down in that survey, with only 59% of people viewing it positively.

Common customer complaints include loud music, incorrect orders, and food prices.

Applebee's

There was a slight drop in customer satisfaction at Applebee's this year, with the chain's ACSI rating down 1% between 2025 and 2026. A quick skim of some Reddit forums proposes a few reasons for this, including understaffed restaurants, unpleasant dining experiences, and cold or incorrect food orders.

Despite its faults, Applebee's has maintained some hard-to-beat meal deals throughout the years.

It may not offer a world-class dining experience, but you can still get half-price late-night appetizers and a two-meal deal that includes two entrées and an appetizer for just $25.

Bottom line

The restaurant/dining out budget is often one of the first to go when people are looking to save money on bills. While many popular chains could be counted on to offer enough value to justify a night out here and there in the past, increasing food prices have made this unfortunately rare.

Though nearly all of the restaurants on this list have incensed some customers due to price hikes recently, many also offer incentives like BOGO deals and lunch specials, so an all-out boycott may not be needed.

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