Diners reveal the seven chain restaurants serving the most comforting, crave-worthy lasagna.
There is something so comforting about a piping hot, gooey, rich, plate of lasagna. While nothing compared to mom’s or nana’s home cooked recipe, you can actually enjoy some pretty delicious versions of the Italian casserole style meal in a restaurant. Where should you go if you are having a lasagne craving? Here are 7 chain restaurants with the best lasagna according to diners.
Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Carrabba’s Italian Grill / Facebook
Matt Kirouac, an ETNT reviewer, picked Carrabba’s Italian Grill as the best lasagna of all the chains. He noted that Carrabba’s “earns extra points for authenticity—or, at least the allusion of authenticity. Unlike any of the others, this one looked the most rustic and legit, as if an Italian nonna made it herself from scratch. Everything about it just looks wholesome and real, from the vibrant sauce and the freshly grated parmesan melting on top, to the part that stood out to me the most: the crispy edges on the pasta,” he writes in his review. He loved the crispy edges, calling the meal a “textural treat, with the inner portion of the pasta being pleasantly chewy and soft, and the outer edges achieving a nice, caramelized crunch,” he noted. “The sauce is more balanced here, and not as sugary as some of the others. I could have used more meat, either in the sauce or between the pasta layers, but it still comes through and tastes fresh. Mostly, though, it’s the crispy texture and the right ratio of cheese that really set Carrabba’s apart.”
Buca di Beppo
If you want to feed a family with pounds of lasagna, head to Buca di Beppo for a hearty, cheesy, meaty meal. The dish is made with a combination of meat sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, and provolone cheeses, layered with lasagna noodles with enough to feed three to five.
Johnny Carino’s
Johnny Carino’s
Johnny Carino’s serves a surprisingly standout lasagna with real depth and solid texture. Johnny’s Fresh Baked Lasagna, made with Italian sausage, beef, meat sauce, ricotta, mozzarella, and parmesan, is a favorite of diners.
Bertucci’s
Bertucci’s
Bertucci’s serves up a homestyle lasagna with a brick-oven finish with a richer, heartier profile.One diner in Trevose, PA, called the item the “winner” of the menu, with its “handmade layers of pasta, Bolognese meat sauce, ricotta and mozzarella cheeses) baked to gooey perfection.” A Boston diner called it “delicious!”
Olive Garden
Olive Garden
Kirouac is also a fan of Olive Garden’s Lasagna Classico “with layers of pasta, parmesan, mozzarella, pecorino romano, and meat sauce.” It looks “actually quite striking, with a presentation that far exceeded anything else on this list. It arrives in a cute bowl, tastefully seasoned with herbs, and sprinkled with the perfect amount of fluffy cheese. The pasta and sauce appear in perfect balance, and everything looks super fresh and tasty. Which it was…for the most part,” he says. “The texture and thickness of the pasta was great, and everything holds it shape remarkably well. The lasagna had the right amount of sauce and cheese, and technically it was pretty close to perfect.”
Old Spaghetti Factory
The Old Spaghetti Factory serves up “Famous Baked Lasagna” made with noodles, marinara sauce, ground beef and pork, and four cheeses. “The lasagna actually looked quite good, if a bit saucy. I like that the pasta all held its shape really well, and the marinara—while excessive—appeared fresh and flavorful,” says Kirouac, who notes that “it tastes like a spot-on classic lasagna. It’s slightly meaty, super saucy, and the pasta all holds its own.”
North Italia
North Italia
North Italia serves a unique lasagna bianca with pesto, a béchamel sauce with pesto, and smoked scamorza cheese. The “lasagna bianca al forno” translates to white lasagna baked in the oven is a delicious options for diners who prefer a white sauce to a red.
Leah Groth
Leah Groth is an experienced shopping editor and journalist for Best Life and Eat This, Not That! bringing readers the best new finds, trends, and deals each week. Read more about Leah
