Caesar salads are a staple at Italian restaurants and steakhouses. But a fun fact? The first Caesar salad was tossed in Tijuana, Mexico. According to culinary historian Jeffrey Pilcher, it is truly an “Italian salad” by orgin. “Caesar Cardini, the inventor of the salad, was an Italian immigrant,” Pilcher explained during an interview with NPR. “And there were many Italian immigrants to Mexico, and they opened up restaurants.” Cardini served the salad at Caesar’s Place, tossing together ingredients on hand and making a show of it in the dining room for his mostly California-based diners. When it comes to finding a good Caesar, there are lots of options at chain restaurants. “It’s incredibly hard to make a bad Caesar,” Chef AJ Capella, Executive Chef at Summit House, once told us. Here are 7 restaurant chains with the best Caesar salads.
Texas Roadhouse
Texas Roadhouse
According to diners, Texas Roadhouse Caesar Salad “is phenomenal!” The fresh salad can be ordered as an entree or a side, but many people recommend the entree with chicken, which comes with tender strips of grilled chicken with crisp hearts of romaine, Parmesan cheese, croutons and zesty Caesar dressing. It is so good that there are multiple Reddit feeds with dupes. “Texas Roadhouse Ceasar has had me in a chokehold for years now. I usually go with the 16 oz prime rib w/ double ceasar for sides. That dressing is godly,” writes one person.
Panera Bread
Panera Bread
We asked Chef AJ Capella, Executive Chef at Summit House about his number one salad order at chains. “My go-to is a Caesar salad at Panera Bread,” he says. According to the website, the Panera version features “crisp romaine and lettuce blend tossed in Caesar dressing, topped with shaved parmesan, and black pepper and sea salt croutons.” You can also add chicken, which will amp up the protein offering.
Outback Steakhouse
Outback Steakhouse
Our reviewer Ronnie Koenig gave Outback Steakhouse’s Brisbane Caesar salad an 8 out of 10, ranking it the best of chain restaurants. The version features crisp romaine lettuce and homemade croutons “bathed” in Outback’s Caesar dressing. “The dressing was so thick I couldn’t pour it over my salad, I needed to use a fork to distribute it. The roll it came with was huge. The chicken looked like it was coated in a nice spice rub—I was intrigued,” one diner writes. “This salad was delicious. While the lettuce was crisp and fresh, and the dressing was good, it was the chicken that put it over the top. This tasted like fresh rotisserie, not prepackaged meat. It was spicy—so much so that I’d say you’d better like some flavor before you order this one (I do!). This salad was so yummy and flavorful, and all the ingredients came together nicely. I’ll be ordering this one again.”
Cheesecake Factory
Cheesecake Factory
The Cheesecake Factory has a super extensive menu, but you can’t go wrong if you keep it simple with the Caesar. “Cheesecake Factory’s Cesar salad hits every time,” writes one Redditor. “The Almost Traditional Recipe with Croutons, Parmesan Cheese and Our Special Caesar Dressing,” they write in the menu description.
Red Lobster
Red Lobster
Seafood eatery Red Lobster also has a salad worth ordering, especially because it comes with extras. “Red lobster has the best chicken Cesar salad! Plus you get biscuits when you order which is a plus lol,” one writes. The salad features “crisp romaine lettuce, shaved parmesan, a creamy Caesar dressing and toasted brioche croutons.”
Pollo Tropical
Pollo Tropical
You can’t go wrong with a Caesar at tropical-themed eatery Pollo Tropical. “If you are near them Pollo Tropical has the best fast food Caesar Salad I have ever tasted,” one person said.
Noodles & Co.
Noodles & Co
“Noodles & Co has my favorite Caesar salad,” one person said. This version has “Romaine tossed in a Caesar dressing with grilled chicken, garlic croutons and parmesan,” per the menu.
