This Chain's Signature Old Fashioned Is Unexpectedly Fancy

Chain restaurants probably aren't the first places you think of when you're looking for a fancy and refreshing cocktail. But these days, with an up-and-down economy and restaurants fighting more for your patronage, many chains are stepping up their game on food and drink alike. Still, some are better known for their cocktails than others. Chili's, for instance, has had margaritas on its menu since it originally opened back in 1975. The Blueberry Lavender Lemonade from Outback Steakhouse is another standout that might surprise you with its deliciousness. The blueberry lavender simple syrup can take hours to make in-house, according to a person purporting to be an Outback bartender on Reddit.

But, when it comes to a classic American cocktail, few drinks beat an Old Fashioned. And while you would expect to find a tasty version of this cocktail at a bar or fancy restaurant, you might be surprised to see an excellent smoked Old Fashioned on the menu at Bonefish Grill. That's exactly what we found when Chowhound ranked the 14 best chain restaurant signature cocktails to sip on.

All things considered, an Old Fashioned is a pretty basic cocktail that you can easily make yourself. A couple ounces of bourbon, some bitters, and a touch of sugar or simple syrup are essentially everything that's required, so it's tough to get it wrong. Depending on the fanciness of your Old Fashioned, it may be topped with either a basic maraschino cherry or a really nice Bordeaux cherry, the latter of which notably comes with Bonefish Grill's version. What really sets this chain's take on the cocktail apart, though, is the quality of the bourbon (Woodford Reserve) and the smoked element, which not only tastes delightful but also adds a little presentational pizzazz. 

The smoked method can be done in a variety of different ways depending on the bar or restaurant, but Bonefish Grill smolders oak chips in a brandy glass, fills it with smoke, then places the glass on top of the Old Fashioned. The deliciousness is next level, leading a Yelp user to go as far as gushing that it was "to die for." And for $14.50 it's not a bad deal either, relatively speaking. 

Sometimes, chain restaurants get unfairly frowned upon for simply being corporate establishments. But the ones that do it right serve genuinely great food and drinks. Bonefish Grill is already known for its high-quality seafood — the bang bang shrimp and crab cakes are among the menu's many standouts — but the chain really goes over the top with its cocktails, especially that fancy smoked Old Fashioned.