America's Valentine's Day Dinner Ideas Apparently Include Red Lobster, Olive Garden and Outback Steakhouse

We couldn't help but notice a strange pattern in Google Trends this afternoon.

National chain restaurants Olive Garden, Red Lobster and Outback Steakhouse are burning up the Internet search charts -- and they aren't giving away free meals or hosting Justin Bieber concerts.

No, believe it or not, Americans are searching out these eateries in preparation for their Valentine's Day dinners. Along with Applebee's and the Cheesecake Factory, the aforementioned chains were searched by Internet users millions of times this afternoon.

Salon's Francis Lam noticed the trend, too, and reports that it's been consistent for the past two years. That's sweet news for Outback's parent company, OSI Restaurant Partners LLC, and Darden Restaurants (DRI), which operates Olive Garden and Red Lobster. Darden reported revenues of $7.11 billion in the last fiscal year.

If you don't feel like waiting for a table, you can re-create Olive Garden's Chicken Milanese at home. Here's how:

Or maybe your Valentine would prefer Red Lobster's Wood-Grilled Peppercorn Crusted Salmon:

And if you're confused about dietary restrictions, let "Flight of the Conchords" funnyman Jemaine Clement explain why he eats at Outback Steakhouse despite being a vegetarian:

More Valentine's Day stories from Surge Desk:
Who Is Cupid? 5 Facts About the Valentine's Day Icon
Twitter: Might As Well Call Valentine's Day 'Lame Hallmark Day'

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