5 Chain Restaurants With the Best Shrimp Scampi, According to Chefs
Shrimp scampi strikes a rare balance—it’s rich, yet surprisingly light. Succulent, sweet shrimp are paired with a buttery, garlicky sauce brightened with lemon and white wine, creating a dish that feels a little special without being complicated. Even better, it typically comes together in under 20 minutes. But for nights when you’d rather go out, here are five chain restaurants that truly do it justice, according to Melanie Portman, chef and recipe developer with Droolrecipes.com.
Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Carrabba’s Italian Grill offers a unique version of the popular entrée. While it’s typically paired with pasta, the chain serves toasted garlic and herb bread.
“Carrabba’s shrimp scampi is the one I come back to,” Chef Melanie shares. “The sauce is built the way my family always made it — onions, garlic, dry white wine, lemon, and real butter, nothing shortcut about it.” She adds, “The shrimp are large and cooked properly, and the toasted garlic and herb bread alongside is the right way to serve them. At $13, it’s also the best value version you’ll find at any sit-down Italian chain.”
Maggiano’s Little Italy
Maggiano’s Little Italy treats scampi like the Italian-American classic it is.
“The garlic herb lemon butter sauce has real acidity that cuts through the richness — it’s not a cream sauce pretending to be scampi,” says Chef Melanie. “The pasta is cooked al dente, and the shrimp are plump. For a chain, this is as close to a proper Italian-American red sauce restaurant as you’re going to get.”
Olive Garden
Olive Garden’s shrimp scampi version is lighter than most — it features angel hair pasta, asparagus, tomatoes and garlic sauce. According to Chef Melanie, the ingredients are what make the dish work.
“It doesn’t overwhelm you with butter, and it lets the shrimp be the main event,” she explains. “For the price point and with the unlimited breadsticks alongside, it’s one of the better value Italian meals at any chain.”
Bonefish Grill
The scallops and shrimp scampi pasta is everything that works about shrimp scampi—garlic, butter, brightness—and levels it up with better seafood and a more balanced flavor, without losing that comforting, familiar feel. Chef Melanie says adding scallops is the “right call.”
She explains, “The white wine garlic lemon sauce over linguine with parmesan and diced tomato is a step above the standard formula, and the wood-burning grill gives everything a depth that you don’t find at most Italian chains. Worth it for a special occasion.”
The Cheesecake Factory
The Cheesecake Factory’s shrimp scampi is not only delicious, but its eye-popping presentation wows.
“The Cheesecake Factory’s version uses whole garlic cloves rather than minced, which gives the sauce a mellower, sweeter garlic flavor instead of the sharp bite you get with pre-minced,” says Chef Melanie. “The shrimp portion is generous, the angel hair keeps it from feeling heavy, and the tomatoes and basil add freshness. For a menu this large, the consistency on this dish is impressive.”