7 Best Chain Restaurant Onion Rings, According to Chefs
Onion rings are the perfect blend of sweet and salty with a bold crunch. Whether you love them with a dipping sauce or alone, onion rings are one of those sides that can easily steal the spotlight from the main course. But not all onion rings are created equal—and when it comes to chain restaurants, some do it far better than others. To find the very best, Eat This, Not That! turned to Melanie Portman, chef and recipe developer at Droolrecipes.com, who shares the seven spots serving top-notch onion rings.
A&W
One of A&W’s signature items is onion rings. They’re thick, crunchy and high-quality. A&W is known for using whole-cut onion rings, not chopped or formed onion paste. That gives you a more natural bite—slightly firm, a little sweet, and closer to homemade. The onion rings have “thicker batter than most fast food competitors, and the onion inside is a single solid piece rather than layers that pull out when you bite,” Chef Melanie points out. “Paired with their root beer, it’s one of those fast food combinations that actually makes sense together.”
Red Robin
The Towering Onion Rings at Red Robin are a standout because they’re closer to restaurant-quality than fast-food—fresh-cut onions, hand-battered crunch, and a fun presentation. “Red Robin onion rings are made with a beer batter that creates a light, airy texture rather than a dense crust, and the sweetness of the onion comes through because the batter doesn’t overpower it,” says Chef Melanie. “Stacking them isn’t just presentation — it keeps the rings crisp longer by preventing steam from building up underneath.”
Sonic Drive-In
Sonic Drive-In’s onion rings taste different from other chains and in a good way. Sonic’s onion rings have a noticeable sweetness in the batter, which sets them apart and are fresh to order. Chef Melanie says they are “consistently underrated.” She explains, “The batter is thin enough to let the onion flavor come through, and the rings stay crisp longer than most drive-through versions. The Signature Sauce is worth ordering alongside.”
Burger King
Burger King’s onion rings are consistent, mild, crispy and perfect with sauce. “Burger King’s are the benchmark for fast food versions, and I mean that seriously,” says Chef Melanie. “The coating has a proprietary spiced flavor that’s been consistent for decades, and the crunch-to-onion ratio at this price point is genuinely good. If you’re calibrating chain onion rings, you start here.”
Fuddruckers
The onion rings at Fuddruckers are a “sleeper pick,” according to Chef Melanie. She says, “They are fried in small batches, so you’re getting rings that were just dropped in the fryer.” She explains, “The batter is thin — closer to tempura than beer batter — which lets the natural sweetness of the onion be the main event. For a burger chain, the sides punch above their weight.”
Applebee’s
Applebee’s typically uses whole onion slices, so you get a more natural texture—tender, slightly sweet, and more satisfying than processed rings. Chef Melanie explains, “They’re cut to a consistent thickness, which means even frying — no half-raw onion inside a dark crust.” She adds, “Their coating is substantial and crispy, giving you a solid crunch without feeling overly greasy. It leans more pub-style than fast-food light.”
TGI Fridays
TGI Fridays offers giant onion rings as a side order, and Chef Melanie raves about them. “The coating holds up through a full appetizer service — they don’t go limp five minutes out of the fryer, which is the failure mode of most chain onion rings,” she says. She adds, “They are straightforward, crispy and no surprises.”