There are lots of great restaurants here in San Angelo. We have many award-winning eateries, including the Western Sky Steakhouse, featured at Governor Abbott's most recent inauguration.

Still, there are a lot of popular national restaurant chains that we've all come across in our travels that haven't opened up a location in San Angelo yet or opened and closed already.

So here are some of the most popular restaurant chains nationwide that are not in San Angelo, along with the closest location.

1) Panera Bread-Nearest Location to San Angelo 85 miles 3506 S. Clack Street Abilene, TX

Photo: Miosotis Jade
Photo: Miosotis Jade
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Fortunately, San Angelo does have a McAlister's Deli and Jason's, which are somewhat similar to Panera Bread. If you are a diehard fan of Panera Bread, you will have to jump in your car and travel to the nearest location, about an hour and a half away in Abilene.

2) Applebees Grill and Bar-Nearest Location to San Angelo 184 miles 4025 S. Loop Lubbock

Photo by Nelson Ndongala on Unsplash
Photo by Nelson Ndongala on Unsplash
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It seems our Applebees location in San Angelo closed just as pop culture and country music was beginning to immortalize it. If you were looking forward to going out to Applebees, only to find the San Angelo location was gone, then good news. The nearest location is in Lubbock, just a short 3-hour drive away. Fortunately, we still have a Chili's location.

3) Culvers Nearest Location to San Angelo 145 miles 1300 Junction Highway Kerrville,TX

Photo: Culvers
Photo: Culvers
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Kerrville? Really. They put a location in Kerrville and not San Angelo. Culver's fans love their Butter burgers, frozen custard, salads, and soups. Their Wisconsin-inspired flavor combinations are popular nationwide.

4) Cracker Barrel Old Country Store Nearest Location to San Angelo 32 miles 801 Commerce Street, Robert Lee

Photo: Cracker Barrel
Photo: Cracker Barrel
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I searched everywhere: Google, Cracker Barrel's website, Yellow Pages. I was sure I've seen a Cracker Barrel here in San Angelo. Am I dreaming? Surely, I'm missing something. If there really isn't a Cracker Barrel here in San Angelo, the nearest one is only about a half hour away. That's good news because whenever my mom visits, she INSISTS on getting their chicken and dumplings.

5) Red Lobster Nearest Location to San Angelo 88 miles at 1280 S. Clack Street, Abilene

Photo: Red Lobster
Photo: Red Lobster
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Are you missing San Angelo's Red Lobster yet? The Cheddar Bay biscuits are a major favorite. Fortunately, if you're craving them, the nearest Red Lobster location is only an hour and a half away in Abilene.

6) The Cheesecake Factory's nearest location to San Angelo 185 miles 6014 Slide Road Lubbock

The Cheesecake Factory is more than cheesecake. It is upscale dining that specializes in high-quality ingredients and presentation. It is a popular destination for group dining and special occasions. Unfortunately, it is not popular in San Angelo as the nearest location is in Lubbock.

7) In-N-Out Burger's nearest location to San Angelo 205 miles 10918 Culebra Rd San Antonio

In-N-Out is California's answer to Whataburger. Maybe that's why they were so keen on getting locations in Texas. Why not? A lot of Californians are moving here. Don't get it twisted. In-N-Out will never replace Whataburger for Texans. If you're a Californian in Texas and you haven't figured out that Whataburger is better yet, you will. If you just have an In-N-Out  I hope you have three hours to kill. The nearest location is in San Antonio.

8) Zaxby's nearest location 207 miles 11903 Alamo Ranch Parkway San Antonio

Photo: Zaxby's
Photo: Zaxby's
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I fell in love with Zaxby's when I lived in Georgia. As good as their boneless barbeque wings are I would walk on hands and knees 207 miles to get them. Zaxby's needs to grow. I would start one here in San Angelo if I had the franchise start-up costs. Their sauces and delicious menu items are THAT good.

9) Five Guys nearest location 119 miles 2816 W. East Loop 250 North Midland

Photo: Five Guys
Photo: Five Guys
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If you want a burger that is better than fast food, you must go gourmet at Five Guys. Not only are all their burgers made with fresh never frozen ground beef, but their fries are also cut daily. No one offers the customization options that Five Guys offer. You can even get a Peanut butter topping on your burger if you want it.  Fortunately, if you want the better Five Guys burger experience, you can have it after less than a two-hour drive from San Angelo

10 Bojangles' nearest location 545 miles 2305 Louisville Avenue Monroe, Louisiana

Photo: Bojangles
Photo: Bojangles
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What are they thinking? If ever a chicken restaurant was made for San Angelo it is Bojangles. Their most popular menu items include southern fried chicken and biscuits. The biscuits are flaky, buttery, and made from scratch every 20 minutes. They are known for their sweet tea, which is definitely a Texas favorite. Yet, there is not one single Bojangles location in Texas. They aren't even in Houston which everyone knows is the capital of the American south.

It seems that lately, more popular national restaurant chains have left San Angelo than have announced that they are coming here. I'm sure that is a temporary after-effect of Covid. We'll keep watching for new locations to announce their arrival.

In the meantime, road trip anyone?

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