Bread basket – Matyunag/Getty Images
You know what we love? A bread basket. We’ve got absolutely no time for people telling us that it’ll ruin our appetite for our actual meal. When that portion of warm, crusty, free bread arrives at our table, you best believe that we’re digging in and smearing on that butter. Bread service in restaurants isn’t a distraction tactic: It’s a way for restaurants to demonstrate hospitality, to keep you occupied before your entrée arrives, and of course to align themselves with a practice that eateries have been doing for generations. That said, we’ve all been subject to bread baskets that have old, stale, chalky rolls in them that feel as though they’ve been sitting on the side for days … And there’s no quicker way to ruin the vibe of a meal than that.
Luckily, there are plenty of chain restaurants that still care deeply about their bread, no matter how small a part of your meal it may seem — and some of them absolutely nail it. Sure, you’ve got your Olive Gardens and your Texas Roadhouses, which are arguably as famous for their bread as they are for their meals. However, you’ve also got places like Bonefish Grill or Smith & Wollensky, which exhibit extraordinary quality in their bread, which customers absolutely love. Dine at one of these chains, and you’ll be starting your meal off right.
Read more: The Ultimate Ranking Of American Fast Food Restaurants
Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Bread and oil served at Carrabba’s Italian Grill – Brenda H / TripAdvisor
Carrabba’s Italian Grill’s got an ace up its sleeve when it comes to its bread. It doesn’t just get things right on the dough front, serving fresh, warm, crusty bread at the start of each dining experience. It also pairs this bread with a dip that takes things to the next level. This dip is a combination of finely chopped herbs and bread dipping oil, which you mix at the table before plunging your piece right in.
It’s an undeniably classy way to kick things off, and guess what? It keeps customers coming back for more. Folks aren’t shy about singing the praises of the Carrabba’s bread and dip combo, with some people stating that it’s an unskippable part of the experience, and one diner on Yelp saying that it was “addictive.” Others say that it’s the dip that’s the star of the show (but let’s be honest, unless it had the vehicle of a moreish piece of bread, it really wouldn’t be as exciting — it’s all in the gluten, folks!). Plus, if you’re ever grabbing a to-go order from Carrabba’s, you can ask for this dip to take home with you. If you ask super nicely, they might just give you the bread, too.
LongHorn Steakhouse
LongHorn Steakhouse bread and butter – nhinguyennieves / Instagram
Don’t write off the bread when visiting LongHorn Steakhouse; it might just be the best part of your whole trip. LongHorn’s bread is exceptional for several reasons. First off, there’s its sheer appearance. Instead of just giving you a few basic little rolls, here you get a whole loaf arriving at your table, complete with a side portion of whipped butter to smear at your will. Then, there’s the flavor: This bread is dark without being overly bitter or sweet, and it has a real freshness to it that ignites the taste buds instead of dulling them.
Did we mention it’s totally free, too (and that it arrives mere seconds after placing your order)? It’s no wonder that LongHorn Steakhouse regulars are big fans of it. One customer on Google Reviews even went as far as to say that the chain has “the best restaurant bread available,” which is very high praise. We’d be happy to chow down on a standard order of this bread all day, but one top tip that customers have is to ask for extra butter alongside it, for maximum flavor. Hey, look, if they’re happy to give it to us, then we’re gonna take it.
Olive Garden
Olive Garden breadsticks – Jenn R. / Yelp
Come on. Could we really discuss restaurant chains that serve great bread without talking about Olive Garden? This place has arguably the most famous bread offer out there, in the form of its unlimited breadsticks. Olive Garden’s breadsticks have been a staple of a meal there and a key way for the restaurant to keep people satisfied while they wait for their main dishes since the earliest days of its operations, and for four decades now, they’ve been keeping customers happy and fed.
Now, haters may say that the quality of its breadsticks has waned over the years, but let’s listen to what the diners themselves think. “They are so good it is hard to stop,” said one customer on Reddit about Olive Garden’s famous bread, with plenty of others out there expressing how much they love them and how consistent they are. When they hit the spot, they do it with flair, arriving at your table oven-warm and with a moreish quality that’s hard to deny — and when you can have as many as you want, it just adds to the joy.
Texas Roadhouse
Texas Roadhouse rolls with cinnamon honey butter – Colin Hui/Shutterstock
The rolls at Texas Roadhouse aren’t just good — for some people, they’re the primary reason to visit the restaurant. This chain has been dubbed by one Redditor as “the GOAT of free bread,” and when you take one look at its honey-butter yeast rolls, it’s hard to deny that title. These rolls are warm, pillowy, and plump, with an ever-so-slight sour note that runs through them that gives them way more life than you might think they have. It’s no wonder that they’re a lot of people’s favorites.
The secret to this bread’s success is in its scratch-made nature and quick turnaround. Texas Roadhouse proudly tells its customers on its website that its rolls are “baked fresh every five minutes,” ensuring that they never arrive at your table stale or tired-looking. The cinnamon butter that they come with is also a big positive, acting as a counterpoint for the bread and giving it a touch of extra sweetness, as well as a little boost of spice. Some people like Texas Roadhouse’s rolls so much that they’ve questioned whether they can order them on their own, without the fuss of a meal to go with them. Spoiler alert: You can, so go forth, people.
The Cheesecake Factory
The Cheesecake Factory bread basket – Ricardo T. / Yelp
The Cheesecake Factory’s famous brown bread may have some controversial origins, but you know what’s not controversial about it? Its flavor. Every meal at the restaurant is complemented by a serving of this soft, slightly malty bread, and served in tandem with a white bread option that never fails to tickle the taste buds. The folks at The Cheesecake Factory have managed to nail the freshness of its doughy accompaniment, and even when people aren’t completely in love with their meals, they generally come away in agreement that the free bread is one of the best out there.
The Cheesecake Factory’s brown bread also has a bit of a deceptive appearance. Its dark brown color and oat topping might lead you to believe that it’s bitter and dense, but it has a real sweetness that keeps it light. It’s fair to say that The Cheesecake Factory’s bread isn’t the healthiest option out there, though: It gets its color and its flavor from brown sugar and molasses. Hey, this restaurant isn’t exactly known for its restraint when it comes to portions and nutrition, so maybe that shouldn’t be a huge surprise.
Outback Steakhouse
Bread and butter from Outback Steakhouse – Lilah J. / Yelp
We personally think that Outback Steakhouse’s bread is pretty underrated. As steakhouse bread options go, it doesn’t quite have the star billing of the rolls at Texas Roadhouse, or the fanciness of the bread you get at a place like Smith & Wollensky. Nor does it look out-of-this-world appetizing: Its dark brown nature definitely sets it apart, but you’d be forgiven for thinking that it’s mealy and thick.
There’s a reason that multiple people dub it the best restaurant chain bread out there, though: It rocks. Outback Steakhouse’s bread is a consistent winner, even when the rest of the meal doesn’t quite stand up to scrutiny. It’s tasty, moreish, and goes perfectly with butter, and while it’s a little dense, this pumpernickel loaf has a gentle sweetness to it that means it doesn’t weigh too heavily on the palate. You know it’s good restaurant bread when people are trying to order it without having to resort to actually getting a full-on meal. The good news is, if you live near an Outback, you can do just that: It might cost you a couple of bucks, but you can get this bread to-go and enjoy it in the comfort of your own home.
Bonefish Grill
Bonefish Grill’s bread and oil dip – livslilnibbles / Instagram
You wanna know a restaurant that doesn’t get enough credit for its bread? Bonefish Grill. This fancy restaurant chain may be better known for its fish and chips, but you really shouldn’t sleep on its bread and dip, which customers have pointed out is an unassuming yet excellent start to the meal. Bonefish Grill serves its crusty bread with a sort of deconstructed pesto, giving its customers a nice variation on the classic bread and butter that we know so well. This alternative fat fits in with the overall lighter culinary experience at the fish chain, and opting for it is a choice that’s paid off with customers.
Plus, can we talk about the bread itself? It’s pillowy and flavorful, it looks great, and its flavor isn’t too strong to cloud the rest of your meal. Plus, it’s absolutely free — and all these things are a combo that customers love. “I’m so glad they don’t have a cap on how much bread to give their customers because we asked for at least 4-5 loaves,” said a customer on Yelp. “Every time we finished one, we asked for another.” The customer then concluded, “Their bread is amazing.”
Logan’s Roadhouse
Logan’s Roadhouse bread rolls with butter – Amanda H. / Yelp
Move over, Texas Roadhouse: You’ve got competition in the bread zone. Logan’s Roadhouse may be, to some people, a steak chain that has a slightly lower overall quality than the likes of Texas Roadhouse and Outback Steakhouse, but when it comes to its bread, it’s doing something very right. Its yeast rolls are the stuff of legends amongst customers, and some people have said that they’re even better than those served at Texas Roadhouse – and given how much people love that chain’s bread, that’s very high praise.
As ever, you can tell when a restaurant chain does good bread when customers are going there expressly for it, and that’s exactly what happens here. “These rolls are legit the reason I’m At Logan’s Roadhouse,” said one customer on Instagram, while others shout them out as one of the best parts of the meal. Honestly, we get it: The rolls have a soft, slightly squidgy quality that makes them infinitely munchable, and they come with a generous helping of butter that sets off their flavor even more. Sure, you may not get the best steak of your life there, but as far as bread goes, it’s hard to beat.
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar
Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar bread and butter – Jennifer M. / Yelp
A meal at Fleming’s Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar (less formally known as just Fleming’s) is always gonna be pretty good. This is a steakhouse chain that’s known for its quality meat, and it gets everything else on your plate just right. Thankfully, that attention to detail extends to its bread, too. This complimentary sourdough is resoundingly praised by customers, with one person on Google Reviews going so far as to say that it’s “definitely the best bread I’ve had at any restaurant.” Who are we to deny a passionate endorsement like that?
Not only is the bread itself excellent, but Fleming’s also serves it with a variety of rotating spreads and butters — and they all win esteem from customers. Whether it’s an onion butter dip, a cheese spread, or a more seasonal pumpkin butter, folks love the variety and the way that these options offset the bread. All of these just give your meal a little extra touch of class, and give you the experience of eating in a restaurant that’s considered every stage of your meal in full. It’s safe to say that we’re big fans.
Smith & Wollensky
Smith & Wollensky bread and butter – siena_eats / Instagram
Smith & Wollensky is a fancy old steakhouse, and so you would rightly expect its bread to be a cut above the rest, wouldn’t you? Well, if you did that, you’d be richly rewarded with what arrives at your table. The bread at Smith & Wollensky is a joy for the taste buds and for the eyes. Each table gets a bulbous, glossy loaf of bread, studded generously with rosemary and flaky sea salt, and served with a side of butter. It’s the kind of bread that invites you to dig into it immediately, and honestly, it’d be hard to stop us from doing so.
It’s hard for customers, too. People have praised this bread for its freshness, fluffiness, and overall flavor. It manages to stand out even when paired with the rest of Smith & Wollensky’s high-quality food, which is saying a lot, considering how much this steakhouse chain prides itself on giving people the best experience possible. Naturally, you’re not gonna want to eat too much of it — you’ve got a big old steak on the way — but when it tastes this good, you may well end up ordering more.
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