6 Chain Restaurants With the Best Meatballs, According to Diners
Meatball appetizers, spaghetti and meatballs, and meatball subs are all delicious. While nothing compares to mom and grandma’s home-cooked meatballs, restaurant chains come close, serving tasty, moist, perfectly cooked meatballs, generally bathed in marinara sauce. Where can you get the best meatball meals? Here are 6 chain restaurants with the best meatballs, according to diners.
Buca di Beppo
Buca di Beppo is famous for serving family-style, giant meatballs, which diners maintain are the size of softballs. The spaghetti and meatballs dish is as show-stopping as it is delicious. Served family style, a “small” order, which still feeds three guests, costs $34.99.
Maggiano’s Little Italy
Maggiano’s Little Italy is known for its house-made, tender meatballs served in hearty, saucy portions. They recently upgraded their signature spaghetti-and-meatballs dish with a premium meatball. “Our Spaghetti and Wagyu Beef Meatball may just be a secret menu item, but it’s no secret how rich and flavorful our new Wagyu Beef is. Tell your server you want to try this delicious new dish today,” the restaurant shared on Facebook.
Jersey Mike’s Meatball Sub
Craving a meatball sub? Head to Jersey Mike’s for a hearty, filling, melty cheese-and-meatball sub with bold marinara flavor. “Jersey Mike’s has the best meatball by far in my opinion,” says a Redditor.
Olive Garden
Olive Garden meatballs are legendary. Our reviewer, Megan Hageman, is a fan, noting that each order comes with “three generously sized meatballs,” spaghetti noodles that “weighed in at a standard thickness,” the top “ladled with a maroon-colored sauce,” and a sprinkle of basil and parmesan. As for the taste, ” good things are happening,” including the al dente noodles and the “juiciness” of the meatballs.
Bravo! Italian Kitchen
Bravo! serves a comforting plate of spaghetti with juicy beef-and-pork meatballs, a tangy tomato-basil sauce, and Grana Padano Zanetti, the hard Italian cheese. According to Hageman, there is a generous portion of meatballs, a sauce that is “on the lighter side and chunky.” And the taste? “A plate straight out of Nonna’s kitchen. Typically I would save the best for last, but I have to jump right into the surprise star of the meal: the sauce. It’s sweet yet well-seasoned and modestly applied yet robust, adhering well to the thicker-set noodles and announcing its presence in every bite. It just has that unspoken zip of authenticity and was the perfect match for the hearty meatballs.”
Primo Hoagies
If you live near a Primo Hoagies, the Old World Meatball sub is legendary, made with meatballs, sharp Provolone cheese, and grated Romano. “I mean if you’re going to get a hoagie better make it a PrimoHoagie… Stopped by @primohoagiesdenver down in Centennial to try their Old World Style meatball sandwich and definitely not mad at it! Great size and flavor,” wrote someone in an Instagram post.