By OnMilwaukee Staff Writers   Published Aug 19, 2012 at 5:18 AM

This week, OnMilwaukee.com asked the Social Circle how they felt about chain bars and restaurants. Even though the response was overwhelmingly in favor of local, independent establishments, some still admitted to going to chain restaurants occasionally.

What are your thoughts: chains or no chains?

Kristin Finn Adler: "Boo! Love local!"

Emily Ann: "No, I like unique ones!"

Margaret Bacik: "I'll eat at Subway, but other than that, there are too many great stops in this city to bother with chains."

Sarah Berg: "I don't like them and try to avoid them. That said, I travel quite a bit (motorcycle touring) and often in smaller towns, there might not be much else available or accessible after a long day riding."

Kim Bollmann: "There are some that are OK, but give me the choice of a local place and chain, I'll take the local every time."

Jennette Cable: "Don't get me started. I seriously cannot understand the concept."

George Darrow: "No."

Jen Digate: "No."

M. Duncan: "I am always amazed that there are people in the Starbucks on Farwell and Brady, when there are almost a dozen other unique and excellent local coffee/ tea houses within a few blocks. Shop local!"

Becky Foster: "I typically don't go to chains, but once or twice a year I need to get my Olive Garden or Red Lobster cheesy biscuits on. You know you do, too. Don't lie."

Jerry Grillo: "I do not go to chain bars or restaurants."

Angela Scarpaci Guizar: "Sometimes, but chains are not typically my first choice."

Craig Harnack: "One thing you can say about chains: they're usually consistent. Consistently mediocre, that is."

Shannon Knapp: "Can't stand them. I want to know who cooks my food and I want them to know where it comes from. As for bars, this is Milwaukee. Everyone has a friend that owns a bar or four and we keep that local, too!"

Sue Knight: "Nope."

Matthew J. Knuth: "I disdain them."

Dan Krass: "I've been to cities where the selection of local businesses has been so weak that I've settled for the 'reliable mediocrity' of chain bars and restaurants. But in Milwaukee? That would be foolish, considering the countless unique, excellent establishments our city boasts."

Jason Larcheid: "I try to stay away. Typically bland food and atmosphere."

Shari Lau: "I prefer to visit one-of-a-kind unique places, especially when traveling. Why settle for a cookie-cutter experience when there are so many interesting places to go?"

Jackie Valent Lucca: "I try to support local whenever I can. There is so much more character in them and the food is rarely full of fillers, pink slime and strange ingredients you can't pronounce."

Nicholas Lynch: "Nope. Roman Coin! Neighborhood and local is best. Sometimes there are good chains that deserve our money, though. Now let's keep the same mentality for all businesses including exercise and wellness."

Lisa Malmarowski: "The only one we ever go to (maybe three times a year) is PF Chang's to sit at the bar and eat lettuce wraps and dumplings with a cold beer. I really, really wish there was a local place that would scratch that itch. Otherwise, it's local all the way, baby!"

Marlene Manske: "They are usually consistent, either bad or good, but I prefer a good old Mom and Pop's any day."

Bill Markut: "Eat, drink and patronage local."

Dave Mikolajek: "Stand in the place where you work. Now face West."

Danielle Neureuther: "No, support small business."

Pamela Newberry: "So many good independents selling locally sourced food and drink, why would you go to a chain?"

Kimberly Rykowski Pedersen: "Some are better than others. We like Red Robin."

Justine Victoria: "Go local!"

Mitchell Wakefield: "Um, don't get me started."

Jon Anne Willow: "There is no need in Milwaukee to settle for formula drinks and food service appetizers. We are very lucky here."

Carrie Wisniewski: "I don't like 'sterile' environments. I don't frequent chain bar and restaurants, thought I have been known to patronize them from time to time. Diversity is the spice of life, so I find cookie-cutter establishments unappealing."

William Zuback: "Try to avoid them. Prefer to and usually frequent local establishments and more specifically those in/near my neighborhood."

Sarah Zubarik: "Chains are definitely on the bottom of my list. when there are so many unique local places, why go corporate?"