5 Chain Restaurants Serving the Best Golden Fried Calamari and Dipping Sauce
Calamari is a tough one. When done correctly, it’s tender, perfectly crisp, and flavorful. The ideal starter to any meal! When it’s done wrong, it’s chewy, rubbery, and overall very unpleasant. Next time you visit one of these 5 chain restaurants for lunch or dinner, give their golden fried calamari and dipping sauce a try.
Olive Garden
I had a bone to pick with Olive Garden after they suddenly got rid of the portobello ravioli, but I have to say, we ate there recently, and their food surprised me in the best way. Other customers agree, especially when it comes to their lightly breaded fried calamari. “Great food from start to finish. Best raspberry lemonade. The appetizers were good and fresh. We shared the sampler of fried ravioli, a combination of beef and pork, stuffed mushrooms and fried calamari,” a reviewer said on Yelp.
Red Lobster
The hand breaded calamari, crispy and fried to perfection, from Red Lobster is served with a delicious, jalapeño ranch sauce, and marinara sauce. “For food we got the calamari, Bacon Cheeseburger, and a Lobster and shrimp topped sirloin with a choice of two sides from the Lobsterfest menu. Everything was delicious and definitely hit the spot for me,” a reviewer said on Yelp.
The Capital Grille
The Capital Grille has a delicious pan fried calamari served with hot cherry peppers as an appetizer on their menu that customers really enjoy. “What a wonderful first time experience we all had! The food was absolutely top notch. We enjoyed steaks, lobster crab cakes, lobster Mac & cheese, clam chowder soup, spinach, mashed potatoes and calamari. We had no complaints about any of our food choices,” a reviewer said on Yelp.
McCormick & Schmick’s
The fried calamari at McCormick & Schmick’s can be served as the classic calamari with marinara sauce, or a sweet and spicy Asian style. “Their Fried Calamari Tossed with Garlic Butter, Banana Peppers is very tasty and the breading was perfect – not greasy or soggy or over-fried – fresh and just right,” a reviewer said on Yelp. “The two people I was with ordered the fried calamari appetizer and both LOVED it,” another said.
Pappadeaux
Pappadeaux prioritizes high-quality dishes at their establishment, and that includes the calamari. “Pappadeaux is a scratch seafood kitchen,” the website says. “We serve coastal and French Quarter classics—from live lobster to crispy alligator to gumbo to Swampthings.” Their fried calamari and octopus served with a spicy pomodoro sauce and a crisp lemon aioli is another favorite among diners. “We had calamari well seasoned and crispy. Garlic bread [is] very good. I had fried catfish with spicy shrimp etoufee and dirty rice. So much food for lunch,” a reviewer said on Yelp.