5 Chain Restaurants With the Best French Onion Soup and Warm Bread, According to Diners
The only thing that makes a bowl of rich, savory French onion soup even better? Warm bread to accompany it. I love dipping warm bread into the caramelized onion broth, usually topped with melted cheese and toasted bread or croutons. Where can you get the most delicious soup and bread combo? Here are 5 chain restaurants with the best French onion soup and warm bread.
Panera Bread
Panera’s French Onion soup certainly isn’t served the gooey, traditional way. It is “sweet, but not in the oniony way,” says our reviewer, Jennifer Cannon. There is a “sherry wine vinegar gastrique” as part of the recipe, which is “notable” in the “savory-ish,” broth. “I would call this minimalist French onion soup,” she added. It pairs perfectly with one of the chain’s free, warm French bread rolls.
Outback Steakhouse
Outback Steakhouse is a great place for a more traditional crock of French onion soup. “Outback has good French onion soup,” one Redditor confirms. The “buttery” gruyere is melted onto a “cute disc of beschuit,” making it a beautiful mess of rich and smooth broth generously loaded with caramelized onions. And it’s served with endless complimentary brown bread. “It’s sweet molasses bread, best bread to have with butter, the perfect mix,” says one Redditor.
LongHorn Steakhouse
LongHorn Steakhouse also has French onion on the menu. “Longhorn Steakhouse might be a chain but their French Onion is the bomb. Probably the best bang for your buck,” one Redditor says. It has a “highly desirable cheese pull,” and was the “easy overall winner” of our reviewers’ taste test. “The ooey-gooey cheesy goodness combined with the savory, decadent broth and expertly caramelized onions was, as far as chain restaurants go, perfection,” she wrote. “This delicious, gastronomic journey may not physically transport you to a small Parisian café. Still, you can take comfort in knowing there are good options to fulfill your French onion cravings much closer to home.” It is served alongside the chain’s warm, honey wheat loaf bread basket.
Applebee’s
Our reviewer also enjoyed Applebee’s version of French onion, a low-cost, tasty bowl of soup. “At just $3.99 for a decent-sized crock, you can’t beat the value,” she says, describing the look as “golden hour in a bowl,” with a “toasty brown top layer of cheese that looked fresh out of the broiler, lapping over the sides” of the crock. The taste is “light but still flavorful,” with the broth “well complemented by the cheese.” If you want a little carb action, order the delicious warm and buttery breadsticks.
Capital Grille
The caramelized French onion soup at The Capital Grille is a rich start to a steak dinner. The original Capital Grille recipe features sweet onions, dry sherry, and Grana Padano croutons under a blanket of melted Swiss and mozzarella cheeses. “Capital Grille has a killer French Onion Soup,” a Redditor says. And the swanky steak chain has my favorite bread basket of any chain, serving a variety of freshly baked breads, including wheat, onion, and seeded breads, and flatbread crackers.