10 Chain Restaurants With The Most Terrible Ribs & 10 With The Best
Nothing Is Worse Than Disappointing Ribs
Ribs are one of those dishes where the ingredients are so simple and few, but the end result can be so easily and noticeably messed up. When it comes to ribs, not all chain restaurants are created equal. While some serve tender, fall-off-the-bone masterpieces, others serve dry, mostly meatless bones covered in fat. Here are 10 chain restaurants with the worst ribs, and 10 that do them right.
1. Applebee's
Applebee's has two rib dishes available: the double-glazed baby back ribs and their signature riblets. The general consensus is that the riblets are awful and gristly, and the ribs, though better, are still disappointing and lacking meat on the bone.
2. TGI Fridays
TGI Fridays' ribs have been given all the adjectives you don't want associated with this dish. They've been described as chewy, dry, and tough. Some even said the sauce had an unappealing, fake smoke flavor.
3. Tony Roma's
Tony Roma's set the bar high when they named their own ribs "World-Famous." Unfortunately, they don't live up to the title, with customers calling them tasteless, sour, overcooked, and tough.
4. Dickey's Barbecue Pit
Dickey's Barbecue Pit is a Dallas-born joint serving Texas barbecue since the 1940s. Unfortunately, all those decades in business don't translate to perfected ribs. Customers call the ribs here dry and bland.
5. Outback Steakhouse
Outback Steakhouse has been accused of serving ribs that are far too skinny. This makes them lack meat and tenderness, though the flavor of the sauce has been described as well-balanced and flavorful.
6. RibCrib
With a name like RibCrib, you might go in having high hopes, but customers warn you to temper your expectations. The ribs here have been called tough, dry, and thin.
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7. City Barbeque
City Barbeque smokes its ribs on-site, but unfortunately, this doesn't necessarily mean they're better. They've been described as tough, dry, and even gristly.
8. LongHorn Steakhouse
The ribs at LongHorn Steakhouse are smothered in a sauce that people call overly sweet, masking the flavor of the ribs. Beyond that, the meat has been called dry, chewy, and tough.
9. Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill
Smokey Bones Bar & Fire Grill promises "award-winning" ribs, so the bar is high. However, the delivery falls short, with customers describing the ribs as disappointing, tough, and lacking meat.
10. Logan's Roadhouse
The problem with Logan's Roadhouse is that the ribs are extremely inconsistent. Sometimes they come out succulent and fall-off-the-bone, but most of the time, they're dry and lacking meat.
Now that we've roasted the chain restaurants with the worst ribs, let's talk about the ones that actually do them right.
1. Rudy's Real Texas BBQ
The ribs at Rudy's are highly praised for their tenderness. Cooked with a simple dry spice rub over oak wood, the ribs are smoky and moist, just as they should be.
2. Texas Roadhouse
The ribs at Texas Roadhouse go through a three-day preparation process, and it shows. They're fall-off-the-bone tender with a unique flavor achieved through a secret blend of spices and house-made barbecue sauce.
3. Sonny's BBQ
Every Sonny's location has a certified pit master in charge of its ribs, and that expertise really shows. The ribs here have been called outstanding, with meat that melts in your mouth even without any sauce.
4. Famous Dave's
It's a bold move putting the word "famous" in your restaurant name, but in the case of Famous Dave's, it's well earned. The restaurant has won over 700 awards for its barbecue, and the ribs here, which the pitmasters start smoking at 4 a.m., are juicy and flavor-packed.
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5. Chili's
Chili's isn't a dedicated barbecue joint like some of the other places on this list, but you would never know that, judging by its ribs. Slow-cooked and smoked in-house, the ribs are juicy, thick, and tender.
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6. Moe's Original BBQ
Moe's Original BBQ was just ranked in the top 10barbecuee joints in the US by Relish. The ribs here are tender, juicy, deliciously smoky, and exceptionally thick and meaty.
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7. Mission BBQ
Mission BBQ ribs have been described as some of the best in the US. They're praised for their tenderness and unique blend of seasoning, which makes for a full-flavored experience.
8. The Keg
The Keg is a Canadian-based steakhouse, but that doesn't mean it can't serve up some mean ribs. They're tender, juicy, flavor-packed, and well-sauced.
9. Terry Black's BBQ
Terry Black's Barbecue is somewhat of a Texas institution. As such, you better believe the ribs are excellent. They're smoked low and slow over post oak, are rich in flavor, and fall-off-the-bone tender.
10. Montana's BBQ
The ribs at Montana's BBQ are slow-smoked over hickory, which imparts a unique smoky-sweet taste. They're succulent, thick, meaty, and well-sauced with a rich, balanced flavor.
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