In Baltimore, there's an entire shopping mall filled with restaurants called "Harbor Place". When people are hungry and wanting to go out, they hop in the car and head to Harbor Place, then decide AFTER they get there what it is that they're hungry for. In Dallas, there's a place called "Restaurant Row", with restaurant after restaurant crammed shoulder-to-shoulder in an area of about half a square mile. The concept is simple: go first, decide later. There's one place in Rhode Island that fits the same role for the hungry-but-not-yet-decided -- Bald Hill Road in Warwick.

That stretch of Route 2 from Rhode Island Mall down to the edge of East Greenwich fits more restaurants than you need to have to make the final decision of where to eat. Most of them are national chains, with consistant menus you can count upon before you get there. And while it's difficult to find a glittering star among restaurants manufactured to a single mold, it often fulfills the need for finding something that everyone can agree upon.

I'll start by saying that there are two Wendy's, a Burger King and Walt's Roast Beef and Taco Bell and McDonald's and Subway sandwich shop and a Bess Eaton donuts all in that little stretch of road. I won't be going over the pros and cons of fast food. There are also many excellent restaurants just off Route 2 well worth mentioning, but I won't since they're not exactly on Route 2 and I have to draw a line somewhere. Finally, there are little restaurants like Panelli's, Panda Island, Cinnimon Cafe, and Little Chopsticks that will not get the full mention that they deserve, simply because I'm concentrating on the big chain restaurants.

Okay, that said, let's start with Grand Buffet, probably the best of the Asian mega-buffets in Rhode Island. Excellent selection, custom-made Mongolian BBQ, and special seafood dishes, all without MSG, make it a restaurant I go back to again and again.

Sharing the same parking lot, you'll find the Lone Star cafe. This chain carries a Texas theme and makes some great steaks. I'm fond of their side dishes of roasted sweet potatoes and an iceberg lettuce wedge with blue cheese dressing.

Near the crest of Bald Hill, you'll find Home Town Buffet. Hungy? Really really hungry? For about $10 per person for dinner, you can eat to your heart's content, buffet style. Some dishes change daily, so you can expect backup choices of Chinese food one day and Italian the next. Most evenings they have roast beef and turkey, fish, and hot vegetables and mashed potatoes. If you show up for lunch you can pig out at bargain prices.

Chili's, just past the apex of Bald hill is a restaurant that has a little southwestern theme. Yes, you can get chili at Chili's, along with burgers and fries and fajitas. If you're a "beer with dinner" type person, this might be a good choice for you.

Smokey Bones is a relatively new addition to Bald Hill Road, taking the space of the old Red Lobster. It's a sports bar with food that includes barbeque. If you prefer to have a television running while you eat, and like food with side-orders of french fries, then this is the place for you.

Olive Garden, right next door, seems incredibly popular for a state where there are so many family-owned Italian restaurants. Their salad and bread sticks keep bringing me back, and their pasta dishes are more than acceptable if you're looking for a taste of Italian food.

TGI Friday's is sort of a relative to Chili's -- a place for alcohol AND food. Gone are the buttons and suspenders on the staff, and the menu has started to include Atkins-approved dishes, like an artichoke-spinach dip with fresh veggies, but it's still a place for good food and good times.

Applebee's farther along Route 2, in the stretch that is beginning to be called "Quaker Lane" is another choice of food with alcohol. They advertise well on TV, so if their message calls to you, head on over.

99 Restaurant, a local chain has taken up the old Weathervane restaurant's site. This is local food served "family restaurnt" style -- a bit more expensive than another local chain "Greg's" but also with a sightly better menu, too.

Denny's is Denny's. Of course Rhode Islanders don't have a lot of experience with Denny's. They're great for a late-night grilled cheese sandwich and I adore their nachos. Think of them like a diner that went out to see the USA and returned home to Rhode Island.

Ruby Tuesday's has a great salad bar, which is probably what keeps bringing me back there the most. It's also smoke-free since they are in East Greenwich. Their menu has changed over the years, but the servers are always happy to help with finding something to fill you up.

Outback Steakhouse is an Aussie-themed steak restaurant. Expect large portions and a jovial atmosphere. Beef!

And the end of the list is China Buffet, another excellent choice for an Asian mega-buffet. They concentate on their seafood dishes, making their food top quality in addition to well priced, and you can order from the menu in addition to eating from their buffet.

Of course I missed places. Someone will write to me and tell me about a restaurant I never noticed before. They might mention the Starbucks or the coffee shop in Barnes and Nobel (or maybe even the cafe inside Target). Some of the places that I would have mentioned a year ago are closed, and by the time you read this there might be a new one or two opened.

But for now, here's my list. Notice I didn't give you phone numbers and street addresses. That's because I expect that you'll do the same thing I do. You'll drive out to Bald Hill Road when you're hungry, and then decide on where to eat once you're there.

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