Here’s how I see it:
Pros of chains: you know what you’re going to get, it’s a familiar menu, it’s quick and easy for people to agree upon as a destination (menu items that appeal to a wide variety of customers), and they’re generally reasonably priced. The menu rarely changes as well, so you can go back for the same thing.
Cons: They’re predictable, which can be boring. The menu and the atmosphere are not original, and they can certainly be cheesy. The food generally isn’t of the highest quality, and the corporate environment can draw servers who could give a shit less about their jobs.
Personally, I don’t go to chains often, but there are definitely some that I can stand and will go to. I’m okay with Red Robin, Applebee’s (though I always get the same thing), Steak and Shake, PF Chang’s, Stir Crazy, Cheesecake Factory, and Panera (although I know it by it’s real name – St. Louis Bread Company). I can stand Macaroni Grill too, sometimes. I consider fast food to be an entirely different ballpark, but I love Jack in the Box, Chick-fil-A, and Taco Bell. I think I mostly go back to these places because I’ve found one specific item that I will have a particular craving for (at Jack in the Box, it’s the Ultimate Cheeseburger, at Taco Bell, it’s the steak quesadilla, at Applebee’s, it’s the spinach-artichoke dip and the ribs, and so on and so forth). I don’t find myself to be limited because I do go other places and try other things. Living in New York City has definitely facilitated my culinary expeditions too. Sometimes, I just want something specific, and if that thing happens to come from a Bread Company or a Red Robin, so be it. Food is food is food, to me.