The Best Chain Restaurant Chili Doesn't Actually Come From Wendy's

When you're looking for delicious restaurant chili, chain restaurants might not be the first to come to mind. And that's probably a good hesitation, as many restaurant chilis can seem a little bland and watery. Wendy's is famous for being one of the few fast food restaurants that serves chili, but some other chains offer their own version of this comfort food as well.

When we reviewed chili from five chains and ranked them worst to best, Wendy's fell right in the middle, but the chili is still one of the chain's best two side items. The chain restaurant chili we were most impressed with came from Famous Dave's. For the unfamiliar, Famous Dave's is a barbecue restaurant with more than 100 locations across 30 states. While it's obviously a bit more famous for its barbecue classics, like brisket, spare ribs, and Georgia chopped pork, this restaurant chain's chili is not to be missed.

This delicious chili includes a spicy mixture of hot link sausage, ground beef, beans, onions, and chipotle peppers. It has a touch of smoky, sweet, and tomato flavor from Famous Dave's Rich & Sassy BBQ sauce (one of the best BBQ sauces you can buy), which all comes together with a perfect, meaty texture that will challenge any other chain restaurant chili out there today. A cup of the restaurant chain's award-winning chili costs $5, or you can grab a bowl for $7. Add a side salad and a cornbread muffin for $11 total.

It's not just us. Online reviewers tend to keep it real, and they seem to love the chili at Famous Dave's as well. One YouTube reviewer called Famous Dave's chili one of the best menu items at the restaurant. Another reviewer on Tripadvisor shared a similar sentiment: "Fortunately I ordered a bowl of chili as a starter ... It was absolutely incredibly world class ... THE best that I have ever had (and I am a huge fan of mine!)." Another Tripadvisor reviewer wasn't impressed overall with Famous Dave's, giving it an overall two stars out of five. But, despite that, they said the chili was still very good.

Famous Dave himself actually shared the recipe on TikTok, and it all comes down to the restaurant chain's Cajun seasoning blend, as well as a mix of Famous Dave's store-bought barbecue sauces. Ultimately, chili is pretty difficult to mess up. Meat, maybe some beans (we know that's controversial), seasoning, tomato sauce, and cheese — it's all a match made in heaven. But if you're looking for a quick chili hit you can depend on, skip most of the chains out there and head on over to Famous Dave's. Even if you're not a barbecue lover, it's worth the trip for its chili alone.