4 Chain Restaurants with New Menu Items Chefs Recommend
When eating out, it’s easy to stick with your go-to favorites—but several restaurant chains are leveling up their menus, and Melanie Portman, chef and recipe developer at Droolrecipes.com, is taking notice. From creative spins on classic comfort foods to bold, flavor-forward newcomers, these spots are proving that even familiar names can surprise you. Here are four restaurant chains with new menu items that Chef Melanie says are actually worth ordering.
Le Pain Quotidien
Le Pain Quotidien’s new limited-time menu is one you won’t want to miss. Available now, it features a range of delicious items across breakfast, brunch, lunch, bakery, and drinks—each a welcome update to the lineup.
“Le Pain Quotidien does seasonal menus better than almost any chain,” says Chef Melanie. “The organic ingredients, the communal table ethos, and the European bakery feel make every new addition worth trying.” She adds, “For spring, their Baked Eggs Benedict that’s available with avocado, bacon or smoked salmon and the Strawberry Babka Brioche with the chain’s legendary signature strawberry jam, are the orders I’d go to first.”
Here are the menu items you have to try at the cozy, rustic-chic European bakery.
BREAKFAST & BRUNCH
-Baked Eggs Benedict
-Pistachio Strawberry French Toast
LUNCH
-Chipotle Chicken Club Toastie
-Tuscan Tuna Toast
-Avocado & Charred Corn Caesar
BAKERY
-Strawberry Babka Brioche
-Poppyseed Passionfruit Crookie
-Cheddar Scallion Scone
BEVERAGES
-Iced Strawberry Matcha Latte
-Iced Shaken Banana Chai
-Sparkling Lavender Lemonade
Applebee’s
Known for its casual vibe, great deals and good food, Applebee’s is rolling out a new spring menu that’s budget-friendly and tasty! To make things even better, guests can pair their meals with an all-new lineup of Mucho Beach Break cocktails at just $6.00.
Here’s what diners can look forward to:
-O-M-Cheese Burger ($11.99): Now even cheesier, diners have the option of ordering alone or as part of the 2 for $25 deal.
-Potato Waves
-Sesame Salmon Bowl
-Lemon Parmesan Chicken
-California Grilled Chicken Salad
-Strawberry Balsamic Chicken Salad
BEVERAGE
The $6 Mucho Beach Break Sips are an affordable way to welcome the warmer weather with bold, beach-inspired flavor.
-NEW ADIOS- Caribbean blue Long Island Iced Tea made with Smirnoff Vodka
-Watermelon Mana Margarita
-NEW VIBE DROP-Guests can upgrade their sips with a choice of Vibe Drop, featuring top-shelf options like Patron Silver, Don Julio Reposado, Grey Goose, or Woodford Reserve.
“This is the spring menu rollout is the one I’m most excited about,” says Chef Melanie. “The new O-M-Cheese Burger ($11.99) serves a juicy all-beef patty with Applewood-smoked bacon and spicy honey mustard in a sizzling skillet of molten queso and blended cheddar — the cheese pull alone is worth ordering it,” she shares. “The new Loaded Potato Waves are the appetizer I’d go to first: thick-cut potato slices smothered in cheddar and bacon, served with ranch, simple and completely shareable.” She adds, “For something lighter, the Sesame Salmon Bowl — blackened salmon over cilantro rice with avocado cucumber salsa and almonds — shows the kitchen doing something genuinely interesting.”
Wendy’s
While Wendy’s is best known for its “fresh, never frozen” square-patty burgers, its chicken sandwiches have built a loyal following of their own. Now, the chain is leaning into that popularity with an upgraded Spicy Chicken Sandwich that delivers even more bold, craveable flavor—making it a standout even among its classic beef offerings.
“The Wendy’s Spicy Chicken Sandwich is iconic, and we saw an opportunity to make the best spicy chicken sandwich in the category even better,” said Lindsay Radkoski, U.S. Chief Marketing Officer, The Wendy’s Company, in a press release.
Chef Melanie loves Wendy’s and says, “It continues to be the chain that takes fresh ingredients more seriously than other fast-food joints.” She raves about the elevated version of the Spicy Chicken Sandwich and says, “It’s juicy, has a bit of a kick, but just the right amount of spices.”
Carrabba’s Italian Grill
Carrabba’s Italian Grill strikes a balance between comfort, flavor, and a slightly more personal dining experience than most big chains. Guests can enjoy a new limited-time spring menu that Chef Melanie says “leans into the wood-burning grill in all the right ways.”
New items include:
-Calabrian Chicken Skewers
-Calabrian Shrimp Skewers
-Garlic Lemon Herb Linguine
-Tuscan-Grilled Lamb Chops
-Goat Cheese Sacchetti
“The seasonal proteins pick up that char that you simply can’t fake, and the lighter sauces they bring in for spring work beautifully with the heat of the grill,” Chef Melanie explains. “It’s always worth checking what’s new here when the season changes.”