7 Restaurant Chains That Serve the Best Mashed Potatoes
A perfectly made bowl of mashed potatoes is hard to resist, but when you’re not in the mood to whip up a batch, hitting your favorite drive-thru or go-to restaurant is the next best thing. While it’s hard to beat homemade, some chains come surprisingly close and deliver on flavor, texture and buttery goodness. So when the craving hits, these eight places are top picks among customers for serving up some of the best mashed potatoes out there.
Mastro’s Steakhouse
Besides their premium steaks, Mastro’s Steakhouse is known for their lobster mashed potatoes, as well as their garlic mashed potatoes which is reason enough to indulge at the high-end chain.
Yelper Fred B. from CA wrote, “The lobster mashed potatoes are amazing. The service is outstanding. The ambiance is very good to. A great date night place.”
On Opentable for the Palm Desert, CA location, many diners couldn’t say enough amazing things about the mashed potatoes.
One customer wrote, “The menu offered a great variety of delicious options; we chose the New York steak and the filet mignon, both of which were cooked to perfection. Our sides of mashed potatoes and asparagus complemented the steaks beautifully.”
Another shared, “Ribeye cooked to perfection with garlic mashed potatoes, Caesar salad & shrimp cocktail all split for the two of us. Server excellent & music by Chenza fabulous!”
Another diner wrote, “We sat at the bar and had dinner. What a great decision!! Their service was excellent, drinks outstanding and the lobster mashed potatoes is a must have. Entertainment was fabulous too. Definitely going back👏👏”
Houston’s
Houston’s is a small chain with 10 locations in six different states and is known for their upscale casual vibe and unforgettable food like their mashed potatoes. In a Reddit thread about where to find the best mashed potatoes in Los Angeles, Houston’s was highly recommended.
One customer commented with just the name of the restaurant while another chimed in and wrote, “Houston’s has amazing everything.”
A third agreed and shared, “Ah yes, they have cabbage in them so they aren’t pure mashed potatoes but they are delicious. Really adds something wonderful to them!”
Tender Greens
Tender Greens is a California chain with 22 locations in LA, Orange County, San Diego, and San Francisco. It’s legendary for its commitment to locally sourced and organic ingredients and environmentally friendly practices and according to customers, has the best mashed potatoes.
In the Reddit thread mentioned above, Tender Greens was also mentioned several times.
One person simply wrote, “Mmmm… TENDER GREENS.”
Another wrote, “Tender Greens. So good.”
Popeyes
Popeyes is renowned for their chicken, but the mashed potatoes also get glowing reviews from customers. One TikToker raved about the creaminess of the potatoes and how the gravy “had a little kick to it.” There is “nothing better,” she said.
Others commented and agreed. One person wrote, “I love Popeyes mashed potatoes.” Another diner shared, “I go to Popeyes to just order the mashed potatoes and a side of gravy as well
it’s just so delicious.”
Jollibee
In 1975, Jollibee was founded in the Philippines and is slowly expanding across the U.S. with locations in California, New York, Texas, and more. While it might not be a chain every diner has heard of, the mashed potatoes are earning high praises.
Yelp reviewer Krista S. from Mission Viejo, CA wrote, “The side I got was mashed potatoes and the mashed potatoes were wonderful and the gravy was good too.”
Boston Market
Known for its homestyle comfort meals like rotisserie chicken, mashed potatoes, mac and cheese, Boston Market once had over 1,200 chains and was down to 27 locations in 2024, according to Restaurant Business due to financial reasons. While the chain has suffered a massive decline, fans still love Boston Market and continue to praise the mashed potatoes.
In a Reddit thread many commented how theirs was the best and are upset there’s so few locations now.
One person wrote, “Boston Market really did have the best, but they’ve all disappeared.”
Another shared, “Boston Market was so good I don’t understand really why they failed it was similiar to Quiznos they had a lot of good hot subs they brought to market used to love both places but I must have bad taste or something because they both disappeared. I used to go to boston market all the time for meatloaf and mashed potatoes and that free cornbread was so good I really miss it.”
Pioneer Chicken
Pioneer Chicken is a classic LA fast-food joint with only two locations left. In its heyday there were 270 locations, mostly on the West Coast, but was acquired by a larger franchise in 1996 and all locations closed with just a couple remaining, but still is so beloved.
On Yelp, it has a 4.2 rating with customers raving about the food and of course mashed potatoes.
One user wrote, “Flavorful! Crispy! No misses here. Pioneer Chicken gets all the glory. Best chicken spot in SoCal? Yes. This location had great service; the inside had a chill ambience. Place looks like it hasn’t been renovated in a minute–I say keep it that way. The mashed potatoes & gravy hit the spot, and the BBQ beans were a nice sidekick. Pioneer Chicken sets the standard, and all these other spots need to take a few notes. Simplicity is key. If it ain’t broke, don’t fix it!”
Another wrote, “I’ve been going there ever since I can remember as a kid great chicken strips mashed potatoes over experience very good.”
