It’s National Chili Month, so what better way to celebrate than to eat the best chili bowls from some of the most famous fast food chains? A big bowl of soup is the perfect fall comfort food. But not every bowl of chili is the same. The tastes, textures, and spice levels can vary from one chain place to the next.
I went to Chili’s, Twin Peaks, Outback Steakhouse, BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse, and Texas Roadhouse to try their chili and decide which made the best version of this famous dish. From least favorite to best, they were ranked.
The Dine-In Chili Showdown
5. Chili’s
Nutrition:
- 210 calories
- 12 grams of fat: 4.5 grams of saturated fat
- 950 mg of sodium
- Thirteen grams of carbs, with 1 gram of fiber and 2 grams of sugar.
- 11 g of protein
Chili was a named dish, so people had high hopes for it. Their version is based on Texas-style chili, but it doesn’t have any beans or tomatoes.
Instead, it’s made with beef, onions, and a unique mix of spices. You can add chopped cheese and crunchy tortilla pieces to make it more interesting.
Taking a Look: The chili looks dark, almost black, instead of red or brown. Even though there was a lot of ground meat, the appearance seemed to need to be more interesting once the toppings were added.
The Taste: However, Chili’s version didn’t work out. At first, you could pick up on bits of good spice, but quickly, the taste turned salty and overpowered any other flavors. This chili has been on the menu for a long time, but it wasn’t enjoyable and came in last place in this taste test.
4. Twin Peaks
Nutrition:
- 240 calories
- Sixteen grams of fat (6 grams of saturated fat).
- 680 mg of sodium
- Ten grams of carbs, with 3 grams of fiber and 4 grams of sugar.
- 15 g of protein
At Twin Peaks, brisket is used instead of ground beef to make the chili spicier. It’s served with pepper jack cheese and red onions. A filling piece of grilled sourdough bread is also part of the display.
When you look at it, this chili doesn’t look like regular chili. Instead, it looked more like a meat dip. Even though the beef chunks looked good, they were dry and overdone.
The Taste: The chili’s spicy, chorizo-like base gave it a good flavor, but the chewy beef bits took away from the experience. While some might like that, I was looking for a partial meal in this chili dish. It felt more like a party dip.
3. That Steakhouse Outback
Nutrition:
- 200 calories
- Fourteen grams of fat (6 grams of saturated fat).
- 760 mg of sodium
- Seven grams of carbs, with 2 grams of fiber and 3 grams of sugar.
- 12 g of protein
The Tasmanian Chili at Outback Steakhouse is a more classic chili with a little kick. This one has a lot of steaks, peppers, and a promise of solid spice. Even though it wasn’t as thick as the others, Outback stood out because of how well the flavors went together.
The Look: This chili was the thinnest of the bunch. It had a lot of water and not much meat. However, it did have a lot of tomatoes and toppings like cheese and green onions.
The Taste: This one is great for people who like spicy foods. With its strong hot kick, Outback’s chili isn’t too much to handle. But the steak could have used a little more of the sauce.
This might be the proper chili if you want something hot but not too heavy. However, because it was thinner, it felt more like vegetable soup.
2. The restaurant and brewery BJ’s
Nutrition:
- 400 calories
- 26 grams of fat, 13 grams of saturated fat
- 1,109 mg of sodium
- Twenty-two grams of carbs, with 5 grams of fiber and 4 grams of sugar.
- 19 g of protein
In honor of the Piranha Pale Ale in the mix, the chili at BJ’s Brewhouse is called “Piranha Chili.” This chili has a smooth texture and is one of the creamiest ones I’ve tried. It has both meat and beans.
The Look: The color wasn’t as dark as usual—it was more like a burnt orange than a typical red or brown. It was smooth and thick, and there were a lot of beans in it.
The Taste: This chili had a warm, homey flavor from the mild spices, soft beef, and creamy beans. The thickness was just right—not too thick or too thin—and more balanced than most.
Even though there wasn’t much heat, the beer base gave the food a unique taste that went well with it. It would have been better with more toppings, but it was a good dish overall.
1. Roadhouse in Texas
Nutrition:
- 210 calories
- Ten grams of fat (4 grams of saturated fat).
- 640 mg of sodium
- Fourteen grams of carbs, 4 grams of fiber, and 3 grams of sugar.
- 16 g of protein
Finally, Texas Roadhouse’s Texas Red Chili was the clear winner. Keeping with the chain’s Midwestern roots, this chili has beans and meat, making it a perfectly flavorful bowl.
The Look: This chili was a deep, dark red color. It came with lots of chopped cheese and red onions. The cup had a lot of meat and beans, so it was a big serving.
The Taste: This chili was great in every way. It had just the right amount of heat and was tasty and juicy. This dish felt like a full meal because the beans made it hearty, and the seasonings were right.
The beef was soft and juicy, and the mix of tastes made for a chili experience you will never forget. Aside from that, the Texas Roadhouse specialty rolls and butter made this a great meal.
Conclusion:
Some places indeed serve the same great chili. Some were too salty or thin, but others had great tastes and meaty textures. In this comparison, Texas Roadhouse’s chili came out on top.
It was perfectly balanced and made me feel like I had a hearty meal. There’s a chain that serves chili that will fit your tastes, whether you like it mild, like BJ’s Piranha Chili, or hot, like Outback’s Tasmanian Chili.