Pork Ribs Face-Off: Do Diners Crown Applebee's Or Chili's The Winner?

Sometimes, you just want to devour a few ribs. Maybe you don't have six hours to cook them on your own, and maybe your local barbecue restaurants — if they even exist in your city — aren't all that great. So what do you do? That's what massive restaurant chains are for! And two of the biggest — Applebee's and Chili's — are known for ribs. So if you're in that "I need them right now" moment, which of these chains should you turn to?

We scoured online reviews and threads to see what the people think. And, by our estimation, Chili's has the better ribs according to customers. Chili's baby back ribs are smoked in-house, and customers can order a half rack of ribs with white cheddar mac and cheese and French fries for $21.49 or a full rack with the same sides for $26.99.

"By far the best ribs you can get at a chain restaurant IMO," wrote one Redditor. Many other reviewers also praise Chili's for their new ribs, saying: "I got ribs from Chili's over the weekend, and I was very impressed with how much better they were than the last time I remember getting them." Redditors who claim they work at Chili's thanked a new seasoning and cooking process for the improvement. This could also be related to Chili's installing TurboChef ovens in all of its restaurants, according to Restaurant Business. And while our reviewers at Chowhound might not say these are the absolute best chain restaurant ribs, they're definitely in the conversation — Chili's ranked a respectable four out of seven, while Applebee's didn't even make the list.

For all Chili's does right with its baby back ribs, Applebee's has some missteps. Applebee's serves half racks, full racks, and "riblets," which are smaller rib pieces trimmed from spare ribs.  The riblet plate with fries costs $12.29, and the riblet platter — a larger portion with coleslaw and fries costs $15.29. The half rack sells for $16.99, and the full rack costs $22.49 — both come with one side. While those options are certainly cheaper than Chili's — and these meals must have some fans — many customers aren't impressed with the quality.

After posting an unappetizing photo of what appears to be gnarly riblets, one customer on Reddit said, "I ordered Applebee's ribs so you don't have to," adding that the ribs were brutal. Another poster gave the ribs a 4 out of 10, calling them tough, dry, and chewy. And just like Chili's, some Redditors who claimed to be Applebee's employees shared some behind-the-scenes info. One person wrote that the ribs are pre-seasoned by the manufacturer, steamed in-house, and refrigerated until ordered. Then the worker microwaves the ribs and places them on the grill for char marks, slathers them in sauce, and brings them to the table. Microwaved ribs? A 4 out of 10 might seem too high.

Look, we're not talking Michelin-star barbecue, like you'd find in Austin. These are chain restaurants, after all, and quality isn't always the top priority. But if you need a quick rib fix or are craving baby back ribs, Chili's appears to be the better option.