7 Biggest American Restaurant Chains You Won’t Find in Michigan

Michigan is fortunate to have a lot of options when it comes to dining out, including at least a few locations of almost every major American restaurant chain.

But there are a few national places that have yet to grace The Mitten with their presence.

READ MORE: 14 Chain Restaurants in Michigan That Could Be on the Chopping Block

These are the seven biggest American restaurant chains you won't find in Michigan.

7. Round Table Pizza

Round Table Pizza has around 400 U.S. locations, primarily out West.

6. In-N-Out Burger

Based in California, In-N-Out Burger is known for its bare bones menu and quality ingredients. Most of its 420 or so locations are out west, but the chain has begun to expand in the past decade — now with locations further east in places like Texas and Tennessee.

5. El Pollo Loco

El Pollo Loco (Spanish for "the crazy chicken") has about 480 locations, again, primarily in the Western United States. Michigan doesn't have any locations at all.

4. Godfather's Pizza

Michigan is the birthplace of some of America's most famous pizza chains (Domino's, Little Caesars), but Godfather's Pizza is the biggest national pizza chain without any locations in the state. It has roughly 600 locations in other parts of the country, including a few as close as Indiana and Ohio.

3. Zaxby's

If you've ever been to a Raising Cane's, Zaxby's is somewhat similar — only its chicken has flavor that stands on its own without needing a sauce. That's not to say the Zax sauce isn't amazing, because it is.

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2. Whataburger

Whataburger is basically a religion in Texas, the state where almost two-thirds of its roughly 1,000 locations can be found. The chain is known for its big burgers and shoestring fries served with spicy ketchup.

1. Waffle House

The largest American restaurant chain without any locations in Michigan is Waffle House. It has around 2,000 locations nationally, mainly in the southeast part of the country. It's basically a 24-hour diner with waffles (of course), and other inexpensive breakfast, lunch and dinner favorites.