I Tried Chili From 5 Chains And Ranked Them Worst To Best

There's a reason (many reasons, actually) why chili is such a staple at cookouts across the country; at its best, it boasts a balance of sweet, savory, and spicy flavors, as well as a playground of textures and colors. Chili is so beloved that countless regional riffs on it exist across the United States, from Texas Red to the Cincinnati-style Skyline Chili chain.

While cooking your own chili can sometimes mean hours of simmering and plenty of ingredients, ordering from a chain restaurant can cut down on all of the prep and cooking and deliver a bowl that's (almost) as good as a home-cooked version in a fraction of the time. However, not all chain restaurants' takes on the dish are created equal — and many won't match the quality of the spicy slow cooker beef chili specialty that you might be accustomed to enjoying at home. So, I've tried five bowls of chili from five national chains to determine which is serving the most scrumptious version of this classic dish. Keep reading to see how they stack up against one another.

Allow me to start by saying that none of the chilis in this roundup tasted bad. In fact, all of these were scarfed down soon after they reached my kitchen table. That said, some tough calls had to be made, and the chili at Quiznos fell short of a higher ranking.

At this 45-year-old chain, which experienced a major downfall but was once best known for its toasted submarine sandwiches, chili is classified as a "rich and tangy" soup option, meaning that it rotates with other staples, such as broccoli and cheese and chicken noodle. The soup categorization is fitting, as Quiznos is serving the thinnest of the chilis on this list. It has a brothy, tomato-heavy base, of which you'll slurp up plenty in each spoonful, and don't hold your breath for the rich, cooked-down, stew-like consistency that you might otherwise anticipate from the dish.

Because of its thinner consistency, the classic bean and beef chili mix-ins are a bit more suspended in the broth, and as such, you might not get them in every bite. When you do get some on your spoon, they are hearty; expect sizable chunks of ground beef and sausage, firm pinto beans, and cooked-down aromatics like celery and onion. Quiznos is also not shy to include slabs of cooked-down tomato, which might be a plus for some, but they were a little too soft for me, especially since all of the other vegetables were so well-cooked.

The other sandwich shop on this list, Potbelly, beats out Quiznos' chili for being far more cooked-down, bringing out a savoriness and richness that begins to approach the higher-ranked bowls. The beef is finely ground, making for more of a cohesive bite than the chunks in Quiznos' version.

Ultimately, this chili ranks on the lower end because it is fairly unremarkable. In no way would I be disappointed to receive a cup of it, as it's given some sweetness and dimension with kidney beans, bell peppers, and onions, but it is not as memorable as some of the options from other national chain restaurants. 

Although I tried it without toppings for the sake of control and fairness, I am sure that the oyster crackers that came in the bag, along with a sprinkle of cheddar cheese, would kick this chili up several notches. In its original form, Potbelly chili does not offend — but it also does not necessarily impress.

I am sure that there is a small corner of the internet that will get mad at me for placing Wendy's chili as the third-ranked bowl on this list, and to them, I must say that a place in the top three is nothing to scoff at. This chili seems to have a cult-like following among fans, with many copycat recipes populating the internet, and I can certainly see why.

If I only had one adjective to describe Wendy's chili, it would be "bountiful." In the mix, which is thick and loaded with chunks of ground beef, you'll find multiple types of beans (I spotted kidney and pinto), as well as smaller, simmered cubes of peppers and tomatoes. The result is a kaleidoscope of flavors, textures, and colors.

It is quite literally impossible not to get a mountain of meat in every bite of this stew, making it well-suited to stand on its own as an entrée, but I can also very easily see why there are so many tasty ways to upgrade Wendy's chili with extra mix-ins and toppings. The chili would be ranked even higher on this list if the following two were not as showstopping as they are.

I know what you're thinking, because I was thinking it, too: meager portion, no beans, and a slight sheen on top from what I'm sure is a healthy portion of cooking oil. How could the Homestyle Chili from Smashburger possibly rank so high?

It's simple; in spite of all of its obvious warts, this bowl of chili imparts the most addictive, umami flavor of any of the other choices on this list. What it lacks in mix-ins or tomato flavor, it makes up for in deeply savory ground beef in an almost gravy-esque sauce that tastes like it was cooked low and slow for hours.

This cup of chili is traditionally served with a topping of aged shredded cheddar, which I am sure would only make it sing louder. In the meantime, even cheeseless, Smashburger's Homestyle Chili has solidified its place as the underdog of chain restaurant options. It's excellent as is, and I can only imagine how well its flavors would play with those in a classic cheeseburger.

To my pleasant surprise, it is Dave's Award-Winning Chili from Famous Dave's that clears the rest of the options on this list. This chain restaurant, which boasts more than 100 locations across 30 states, is serving a bowl that is balanced, packed with mix-ins, and, unlike any of the other choices on this list, decently spicy.

One look at this chili's ingredient list, and it is easy to see why it comes out on top. The scratch-made base features both hot link sausage and finely ground beef, as well as generous portions of beans, onion, and chipotle pepper for an added smokiness and gentle heat. The dish is finished with just a hint of the restaurant's Rich & Sassy BBQ Sauce, which also lends some slight sweetness and tomato flavor.

Between its sweet-and-spicy profile, smooth texture, and complex meaty flavor, you can't go wrong with the chili at this BBQ chain restaurant serving up exceptional sides. Before assembling this ranking, I had not been to the restaurant once — and now, I am ready to make a special trip just for the chili alone.

Before selecting the dishes for this ranking, I first defined the parameters of both chili and chain restaurants. Any restaurant that offered a dish that was not explicitly called "chili" was disqualified, as were any restaurants that were only offering the dish as a limited-time special. In curating this list, I defined a national chain restaurant as any eatery, whether quick-service or sit-down, with at least 100 locations in at least 30 states. I excluded regional restaurant chains (even if they do deserve national attention) from the list altogether.

While many of the chain restaurants on this list offered a series of bells and whistles for upgrading their chili (in the form of sour cream, cheese, and added crackers), I assembled this ranking based on plain bowls, with the goal of tasting the chili's flavors without any obstruction from other ingredients. In order to prevent any biases toward one chain restaurant or against another, I sampled each cup multiple times in a blind taste test before finalizing the rankings.