3 U.S. restaurant chains beat views, but bottom elusive

Sales at restaurants have softened and even tumbled as diners grappled with vanishing personal wealth and credit, the housing crises and rising unemployment.

Operators are closing weak outlets, paring labor and other costs and slashing plans for new restaurants.

"There were positive surprises all around. It doesn't mean the business trends are any better, but they're doing a good job where they can," RBC Capital Markets analyst Larry Miller said.

"Buffalo Wild Wings was outstanding. Chipotle was good relative to what a lot of us thought. P.F. Chang's did a good job on cost controls, though they are suffering a lot worse fate on the top line."