OOTB Chain Restaurants Tourney: Phil Ford Region, Round of 64

[TarHeelNation11]

Okay gang. The bracket is set and it's time to vote. We will follow the same format that @heelz2345 pioneered in his highly successful (though quite controversial at times) TV Show Tourney. We will vote for Round One aka Round of 64 for this region, then we will do so for the other three regions. Then we will come back to this region and do the Round of 32 matchups, and then for the other three regions, etc. etc. until we get to our Final Four, and ultimately our champion. The matchups are listed below. Voting will close on Friday at 11:59 p.m. I want to give a decent amount of time for each round so as many as possible can vote. I also think it would be more fun to space it out a bit more than the TV Show one was, to build the drama. *Original bracket listings can be found here*

I will not provide commentary on each matchup like @heelz2345 did because there's only so much you can say about food places. And besides, I'd like the OOTB community as a whole to really make pitches for ''teams'' they feel strongly about, in an effort to persuade other voters. Feel free to change your vote whenever if you feel inclined to do so.



The Phil Ford Region, Presented by Hennessy


#1 Wendy's vs. #16 MOD Pizza


#8 Texas Roadhouse vs. #9 P.F. Chang's China Bistro


#5 Pizza Hut vs. #12 Captain D's


#4 Chili's Grill & Bar vs. #13 Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews


#6 Zaxby's vs. #11 Waffle House **This is the most intriguing first game of this region!**


#3 Cook Out vs. #14 Qdoba Mexican Eats


#7 Domino's vs. #10 Dunkin' Donuts


#2 Five Guys Burgers and Fries vs. #15 On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina

 

[coolwaterunc]

#1 Wendy's vs. #16 MOD Pizza

MOD Pizza is the most underrated pizza chain on this planet. I've never heard of them before I moved to Charlotte, and went I finally went in there, my first thought was "Why don't more pizza places do this?" The "Subway style" of ordering is perfect for pizzas, as they are the most fun to experiment with and create crazy concoctions out of. The pizzas from MOD are very good quality pies too. Wendy's is one of my favorite restaurants ever, but pizza is my favorite food, and because it's such a great idea, I'm going for MOD Pizza for the upset baby!

#8 Texas Roadhouse vs. #9 P.F. Chang's China Bistro

Going Texas Roadhouse for this one because America.


#5 Pizza Hut vs. #12 Captain D's

Pizza Hut pisses me off and has gone completely downhill over the years. They used to be the place to get pizza, but their quality has REALLY suffered big time. Going Captain D's.

#4 Chili's Grill & Bar vs. #13 Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews

I like both of these, but I'm going Red Robin. Endless fries.

#6 Zaxby's vs. #11 Waffle House

Intriguing indeed, but Zaxby's gets it because Zax Sauce. Waffle House's hash browns are legendary, but I've never wanted to fill my bathtub with it like I do with Zax Sauce.

#3 Cook Out vs. #14 Qdoba Mexican Eats

Cook Out. No explanation needed.


#7 Domino's Pizza vs. #10 Dunkin' Donuts

lol Okay, so let's see...pizza or dried up shit donuts. Yeah, let's go with Domino's.
Also, note to @TarHeelNation11, it's no longer Domino's Pizza. It's just Domino's.


#2 Five Guys Burgers and Fries vs. #15 On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina

Five Guys. America.

 

[heelz2345]

#1 Wendy's vs. #16 MOD Pizza
I have never eaten at MOD Pizza, so I'm going with my favorite fast food redhead, Wendy's

#8 Texas Roadhouse vs. #9 P.F. Chang's China Bistro
I'm going with Texas Roadhouse

#5 Pizza Hut vs. #12 Captain D's
I hate seafood, so Pizza Hut

#4 Chili's Grill & Bar vs. #13 Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews
I like Red Robin, but I don't have one close by so I don't go often enough. I want my baby back, baby back, baby back, I want my baby back, baby back, baby back, CHILI'S baby back ribs!

#6 Zaxby's vs. #11 Waffle House
Time for a Zax attack. Zaxby's

#3 Cook Out vs. #14 Qdoba Mexican Eats
I think Qdoba is overrated. Cook Out

#7 Domino's vs. #10 Dunkin' Donuts
Dunkin is also overrated. Domino's

#2 Five Guys Burgers and Fries vs. #15 On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina
Haven't eaten at On the Border enough to judge it, going with Five Guys

 

[JuleZ '02 HEEL]

#1 Wendy's
Never been to nor seen a MOD, so ...

#9 P.F. Chang's China Bistro

#5 Pizza Hut
Pizza Hut is several spots down the list of places I'd go for pizza. In fact if I got that far down the list I'd probably decide on something else rather than going to Pizza Hut. But Captain D's? I can't believe anybody nominated that utter and complete sh*thole. I REALLY can't believe anybody eats there. If you do so by choice you deserve whatever that frozen, questionably sourced "seafood" does to the inside of your body. Seriously, I LOVE seafood. THAT AIN'T IT. Do yourself a favor and stay far, FAR tf away from Captain D's.

#4 Chili's Grill & Bar

#6 Zaxby's

#3 Cook Out

#7 Domino's

#2 Five Guys Burgers and Fries

 

[coolwaterunc]

You guys seriously need to go find yourselves a MOD Pizza to go eat at. They are awesome. I love all the different things you can create with this thing. Plus, you can either do something simple like a pepperoni pizza or a 20-topping behemoth for the exact same price. Highly recommended. Seriously, go find one. You'll thank me later.

 

[Hark_The_Sound_2010]

The Phil Ford Region, Presented by Hennessy

#1 Wendy's vs. #16 MOD Pizza
I've never heard of MOD Pizza, however I do feel like Wendy's is overseeded on the one line. But, it looks like they won't face any competition til the regional finals so they'll cruise for awhile.

#8 Texas Roadhouse vs. #9 P.F. Chang's China Bistro
Chang's is pretty good for a sitdown chinese place. Don't think I've ever been to a Texas Roadhouse.

#5 Pizza Hut vs. #12 Captain D's
Pizza Hut sucks, and I love seafood - but I'd pick eating out of a dumpster before I'd ever do fast-food seafood, or really eating seafood anywhere farther than a half hour from the shore. That's asking for food poisoning. I don't know if Long John Silver's got into the field, but if so, I'll have the same commentary for them.

#4 Chili's Grill & Bar vs. #13 Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews
There's not a lot of Red Robin's up here. Chili's is pretty solid.


#6 Zaxby's vs. #11 Waffle House
Hmm, this one is tough because I've never eaten at Zaxby's, but have heard nothing but great things here about it. I have eaten at a Waffle House, and it was average. I can't use my typical tie-breaker of which one has locations that are actually close to me, because the closest location to Boston for both is in Virginia. I'll go with Zaxby's in the hope that it's better than the average that is Waffle House.

#3 Cook Out vs. #14 Qdoba Mexican Eats
Sleeper of the region for sure. It's damn good Mexican that you can get in a fast food type setting. Their queso is bomb. And it's not Chipotle so you're not getting e. coli - that's a win win.

#7 Domino's vs. #10 Dunkin' Donuts
Gotta go with the winner of my "conference" (aka northeast chains). Domino's has been doing some good things recently though.

#2 Five Guys Burgers and Fries vs. #15 On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina

Sit down quality with fast food convenience. And at pretty decent value (more expensive than the Wendy's/McD/BK's of the world, but not as bad as getting a burger at a sitdown spot). Plus, I love that they not only fry their fries in peanut oil, but also have huge open boxes of peanuts for general consumption in their locations. Just a refreshing change from everywhere else that bends over backwards to accommodate allergies. I like their style of - we have peanuts, if you don't like that, GFY.

 

[BillyL]

#1 Wendy's vs. #16 MOD Pizza

Wendy's is a big fav of mine. I have tried MOD Pizza and I liked it a lot . .


#8 Texas Roadhouse vs. #9 P.F. Chang's China Bistro

I like Chang's lettuce wraps and the spicy chicken entree.


#5 Pizza Hut vs. #12 Captain D's

Sorry, I'm just not a Pizza hut fan.


#4 Chili's Grill & Bar vs. #13 Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews

Chilis has some really good ribs.


#6 Zaxby's vs. #11 Waffle House


#3 Cook Out vs. #14 Qdoba Mexican Eats


#7 Domino's vs. #10 Dunkin' Donuts


#2 Five Guys Burgers and Fries vs. #15 On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina

 

[tarheel0910]

Wendy's
Texas Roadhouse
Pizza Hut
Chili's Grill & Bar
Waffle House
Cook Out
Domino's
Five Guys Burgers and Fries

 

[HEELS1984]

Wendy's
Texas Roadhouse
Pizza Hut
Chili's
Waffle House
Qdoba's
Domino's
5 guys

 

[coolwaterunc]

Just got back from MOD Pizza with an 11-inch pie (they specialize in personal pizzas) with:

Mozarella & Parmesean cheeses
Pepperoni
Spicy Italian Sausage
Ham
Bacon
Canadian Bacon
Green Peppers
Jalapeños
Broccoli
Onion
"Mama Lil's Peppers" (sort of like red banana peppers)
Fresh Basil
Mushrooms
Roasted Garlic
Tomatoes

All for just $8 and it is delicious. Place is no joke.

 

[grillheel]

Wendy's
Texas Roadhouse
Pizza Hut
Chili's
Waffle House
Cook Out
Domino's
5 Guys

 

[tarheel0910]

Just got back from MOD Pizza with an 11-inch pie (they specialize in personal pizzas) with:

Mozarella & Parmesean cheeses
Pepperoni
Spicy Italian Sausage
Ham
Bacon
Canadian Bacon
Green Peppers
Jalapeños
Broccoli
Onion
"Mama Lil's Peppers" (sort of like red banana peppers)
Fresh Basil
Mushrooms
Roasted Garlic
Tomatoes

All for just $8 and it is delicious. Place is no joke.

WTF dude? That's way too many flavors going on for just one pizza.

 

[coolwaterunc]

WTF dude? That's way too many flavors going on for just one pizza.

I like to get crazy. Why? Because that place lets you. It's the only place you can get a pizza like that. It was actually very good. Admittedly a bit weird and excessive, but tasty

 

[TarHeelNation11]

I like to get crazy. Why? Because that place lets you. It's the only place you can get a pizza like that. It was actually very good. Admittedly a bit weird and excessive, but tasty

You got broccoli on a pizza. You might wanna sit the next few plays out.

You also voted for something called MOD Pizza over Wendy's. You're like that lone writer who didn't vote LeBron to first team All-NBA.

 

[coolwaterunc]

You got broccoli on a pizza. You might wanna sit the next few plays out.

You also voted for something called MOD Pizza over Wendy's. You're like that lone writer who didn't vote LeBron to first team All-NBA.

What can I say? I like brocolli.

My vote was more of a "shout out" vote. Wendy's is the obvious winner, but I had to give MOD a vote just to give them some deserved recogniton since there are plenty of people out there who have yet to experience their delicious food.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

What can I say? I like brocolli.

My vote was more of a "shout out" vote. Wendy's is the obvious winner, but I had to give MOD a vote just to give them some deserved recogniton since there are plenty of people out there who have yet to experience their delicious food.

There's none in Atlanta but they're building one in Kennesaw soon (a town near my work) so that's cool. For now, I'll stick with QT Kitchen pizzas.

 

[Raising Heel]

And besides, I'd like the OOTB community as a whole to really make pitches for ''teams'' they feel strongly about, in an effort to persuade other voters.

You must be new here. All that's going to happen is poasters telling each other why their opinions are stupid. With that in mind, my picks:

#1 Wendy's vs. #16 MOD Pizza
I've never eaten at MOD. Wendy's is over-seeded, but they get the first round pick by default.

#8 Texas Roadhouse vs. #9 P.F. Chang's China Bistro
Uninspired steaks and peanuts all over the floor? No thank you. P.F. Chang's with a 20-point win here.

#5 Pizza Hut vs. #12 Captain D's
I will never, ever buy Pizza Hut again after they actually considered projecting their corporate logo on the face of the moon. Plus, their pizza is straight trash. Captain D's isn't great, but I do harbor some childhood nostalgia about eating fish 'n' chips with vinegar so I'll give them the nod here.

#4 Chili's Grill & Bar vs. #13 Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews
Tough call here but I'm picking Red Robin for the upset.

#6 Zaxby's vs. #11 Waffle House
Dammit this is a tough call. I'm leaning Waffle House because 24/7 breakfast is awesome.

#3 Cook Out vs. #14 Qdoba Mexican Eats
Oh look, another bland corporate Mexican eatery (cc: Moe's, Salsarita's, et al). I'll rock the $5.99 Cook Out Tray with an angioplasty side, please and thank you.

#7 Domino's vs. #10 Dunkin' Donuts
I love pizza and I love donuts but I love pizza more than donuts so Domino's.

#2 Five Guys Burgers and Fries vs. #15 On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina
Five Guys is overrated as a burger place, but there is virtually nothing to recommend On The Border as far as Mexican food goes. Five Guys advances but I anticipate a dogfight in the next round.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

^

 

[coolwaterunc]

#8 Texas Roadhouse vs. #9 P.F. Chang's China Bistro
Uninspired steaks and peanuts all over the floor? No thank you. P.F. Chang's with a 20-point win here.

Your opinion is stupid.

 

[Raising Heel]

Your opinion is stupid.

No, yours is.

 

[gunslingerdick]

MOD Pizza - My buddy owns several of those so it's strictly a loyalty vote. Have never eaten there.

PF Chang's - I don't have a mullet so they won't let me eat at Texas Roadhouse.

Pizza Hut - @JuleZ '02 HEEL relayed my sentiments perfectly.

Chili's - I don't really like either but I can't remember the last time I was at a Red Robin.

Waffle House - I don't elect to eat chicken all that often.

Cook out - because it's the shit.

Dunkin' - best doughnuts around.

Five Guys - even mom and pop restaurants have a hard time matching their burgers.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

Waffle House with a furious comeback after falling down 0-5 to tie things 5-5! Could we have our first upset of the tourney?

 

[coolwaterunc]

Only OOTB would get rid of Zax sauce in the first round, so I wouldn't be surprised.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

Only OOTB would get rid of Zax sauce in the first round, so I wouldn't be surprised.

To be fair, y'all allowed both teams to be drastically under-seeded in the first place. Zaxby's is worthy of at least a 4 seed and Waffle House is no worse than a 7 seed

 

[tazki]

Wendy's (reluctlantly). Never had MOD's so rules them out.

P.F. Chang's China Bistro

Captain D's (only because Pizza Hut sucks)

Red Robin

Waffle House

Cook Out

Domino's (if playing Krispy Kreme, KK wins hands down)

Five Guys

 

[coolwaterunc]

@TarHeelNation11

Do you recall a discussion you had with me a while back about how much we like Waffle House, followed by Waffle House bashing by a bunch of resident OOTB'ers? I could have sworn that happened. Well, if that's the case, then that same place is about to beat Zaxby's, which everyone on here seems to love. I swear, you guys are freaking bipolar or something.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

@TarHeelNation11

Do you recall a discussion you had with me a while back about how much we like Waffle House, followed by Waffle House bashing by a bunch of resident OOTB'ers? I could have sworn that happened. Well, if that's the case, then that same place is about to beat Zaxby's, which everyone on here seems to love. I swear, you guys are freaking bipolar or something.

Yes I remember. But really I think this comes down to a matchup. Waffle House is an incredibly strong 11 seed. Plus, WaHo benefits from a more diverse menu.

Ironically, both are my hangover cure of choice. I'm still debating which'un is gonna get my vote.

 

[toophly1124]

Wendy's
PF Changs
Captain D's
Red Robin
Zaxby's
Cookout
Dominos
Five Guys

 

[TarHeelMark]

Wendy's - MOD sounds interesting but have never been.

Chang's - A couple of bad experiences at TRH is enough for me.

Pizza Hut - nostalgia vote, because their pizza ain't so good anymore.

Red Robin - flipped a coin.

Zaxby's - I haven't been to a WH in a million years; plus the Kickin' Chicken sammich is fantastic!

Cook Out - Good burgers and great milkshakes!

Domino's - hmmm... bland donuts vs. bland pizza. I don't need all that sugar.

Five Guys - tasty burgers and a big-azz bag of fries works for me.

 

[tazki]

Just my opinion but if Zaxby's beats WH it's a shame. I know some of you love Zaxby's but it's salty as hell, fries suck and I go there maybe once a year. You can't touch a 24 hour breakfast. JMO!!

 

[coolwaterunc]

Just my opinion but if Zaxby's beats WH it's a shame. I know some of you love Zaxby's but it's salty as hell, fries suck and I go there maybe once a year. You can't touch a 24 hour breakfast. JMO!!

Your opinion sucks.

 

[tazki]

Your opinion sucks.

As does yours.

 

[ohio tarheels]

#1 Wendy's
#8 Texas Roadhouse
#5 Pizza Hut
#13 Red Robin
#6 Zaxby's
#3 Cook Out
#10 Dunkin Donuts
#2 Five Guys

 

[TarHeelNation11]

#1 Wendy's vs. #16 MOD Pizza
Wendy's is the blueblood. The Tar Heels Basketball of chain restaurants. How dare any of you say Wendy's is over-seeded. That's impossible. The Baconator. The Frosty. The Spicy Chicken Sandwich. The innovative 4-for-$4 Deal, which is perfect for fatasses who are also cheap like me. The outstanding chicken nuggets. Outstanding burgers that won't rape your wallet like Five Guys does. This one is over within the first 5 minutes of the game. No one even knows what conference MOD Pizza plays in, and no one cares.

#8 Texas Roadhouse vs. #9 P.F. Chang's China Bistro
Crappy generic American food vs. crappy generic Chinese food. Texas Roadhouse gets the nod because you can't really screw up steak that much. This match-up reeks of two P5 schools who only made the dance because of some early season wins in the non-con.

#5 Pizza Hut vs. #12 Captain D's
This is a vote against Captain D's. Both teams played grabass all game until 00:10 left on the clock, when Pizza Hut accidentally bounced the ball into the basket to win 2-0.

#4 Chili's Grill & Bar vs. #13 Red Robin Gourmet Burgers and Brews
If I want good American-style fast food, I'm not going to Red Robin. Chili's Cajun Chicken Pasta for the win.

#6 Zaxby's vs. #11 Waffle House **This is the most intriguing first game of this region!**
This is an unfair first-round matchup. It just is. Both are legends from the Peach State, and both were terribly under-seeded by the dook-lover selection committee. This one comes down to the final minute in a hard-fought, back-and-forth contest. Ultimately, Waffle House claims it because of its versatility and ability to get offensive production from all five guys on the floor. The hash browns, the All-Star meal, the underrated T-Bone steak, the Texas melts. It's just a bit too much for Zaxby's to handle. If seeds had worked out differently, Zaxby's could've been an Elite 8 contender, but alas.

#3 Cook Out vs. #14 Qdoba Mexican Eats
Qdoba was the friggin bomb when I was at Carolina. Drunk 2 a.m. steak burrito with queso was on point. But c'mon... it's Cook Out. The $5 Cook Out tray reigns supreme.

#7 Domino's vs. #10 Dunkin' Donuts
If Domino's was a woman, I'd give her all my money and eat her all the time. Oh wait.... that's what I already do with Domino's. Weird.

#2 Five Guys Burgers and Fries vs. #15 On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina[/QUOTE]
This matchup is akin to watching Tony Bennett's UVA go up against a team that runs the Princeton offense. We all lose for having to even watch. Five Guys is the taller midget and wins in a 23-17 shootout.

 

[-COUNTRY-CLUB-JOE-]

I'd like to waive my right to vote on each matchup and give 8 votes to WaHo instead.

Bo's makes Zaxby's somewhat redundant. That's why I hardly ever go there.

WaHo, on the other hand, always gets the nod over IHOP because it's so much better.

 

[TarHeelNation11]

I'd like to waive my right to vote on each matchup and give 8 votes to WaHo instead.

Bo's makes Zaxby's somewhat redundant. That's why I hardly ever go there.

WaHo, on the other hand, always gets the nod over IHOP because it's so much better.

I will grant one vote to Waffle House for you lol. But yes, IHOP is like a Louis C.K. joke -- painfully not funny.

 

[-COUNTRY-CLUB-JOE-]

I will grant one vote to Waffle House for you lol. But yes, IHOP is like a Louis C.K. joke -- painfully not funny.

Wendy's
Chang's
Hut
Chilli's
Cook out
Domiho's
Five guy's

 

[coolwaterunc]

I don't know what to say to you people anymore. My mind cannot process what is happening. I like Waffle House, I really do, but over Zaxby's, guys???? I was starting to let the whole Looney Tunes fiasco go. I was just thinking you know, people dig old school cartoons, and maybe I just have to respect that. This is going too far. Maybe you guys really are just completely nuts. You have to be. I'm at a loss.

 

[toophly1124]

I don't know what to say to you people anymore. My mind cannot process what is happening. I like Waffle House, I really do, but over Zaxby's, guys???? I was starting to let the whole Looney Tunes fiasco go. I was just thinking you know, people dig old school cartoons, and maybe I just have to respect that. This is going too far. Maybe you guys really are just completely nuts. You have to be. I'm at a loss.

It's ****ing mind blowing.

 

[heelz2345]

like a Louis C.K. joke -- painfully not funny.