6 Restaurant Chains with the Best Bacon, According to Chefs
Bacon can make or break a meal. Whether it’s piled onto a burger or served alongside eggs, quality matters—and not every chain gets it right. “When people think of the best bacon, they typically think it’s the crispiest one; I don’t,” says Chef Isaac Bernal, Executive Chef at Representation of Spain to the United Nations. “If bacon becomes so crispy that it shatters when you bite into it, you’ve already lost a lot of what makes bacon so good.” He adds, “I want to taste the cure, the smoke and the balance between the meat and the fat. It should have texture, but it should still have some life to it.” You can find bacon on nearly every menu, but to highlight the best options, Eat This, Not That! asked chefs to share their favorite spots.
Wendy’s
Few fast-food chains earn praise from professional chefs for their bacon, but Wendy’s stands out for its preparation method and reliable quality. Steve Ingber, Executive Chef & Owner, MileHighCook, says those details make a noticeable difference in the finished product. “Wendy’s is the only major chain that cooks their bacon Applewood-smoked and thick-cut in the oven rather than pre-cooked and reheated, and that matters,” he says. “You get actual rendered fat, a real snap when you bite it, and a smoke flavor that survives sitting under a bun. Most fast-food bacon goes limp and greasy because it’s steamed back to life; Wendy’s keeps structure and char.” He adds, “As a chef, structure is what I care about: bacon should have chew and crisp in the same bite, and theirs delivers that consistently across locations, which is the hardest thing to pull off at chain scale.” Wendy’s earns a second nod for something chefs value just as much as flavor: consistency. Chef Bernal says the chain delivers dependable bacon that avoids one common mistake. “In a restaurant kitchen, consistency is everything,” he says. “The diner wants to know what they’re going to get, and that’s important. Wendy’s bacon usually has a good balance of lean meat and fat, and they don’t overcook it trying to make it extra crispy.
Waffle House
For a classic diner breakfast, Waffle House delivers the kind of bacon that keeps customers coming back. Dozus, home chef, recipe developer & food blogger, appreciates its straightforward, breakfast-friendly appeal. Their bacon has that classic diner style people expect with breakfast. It is usually crisp, salty, and simple, and it works especially well with eggs, waffles, or hash browns without feeling like an afterthought.
Bob Evans
Bob Evans has built its reputation on homestyle breakfasts, and its bacon is no exception. According to Dozus, it brings enough flavor to shine on its own while fitting seamlessly into the chain’s breakfast offerings. “Their bacon tends to have a slightly smokier flavor, and it fits naturally with the homestyle breakfast menu,” he says. “It is the kind of bacon that can stand on its own but also works really well in a breakfast sandwich or BLT.”
Denny’s
When it comes to a traditional breakfast plate, Denny’s makes a strong impression. Joonas Jokiniemi, Chef and BBQ Expert, says its bacon stands out for delivering the texture and flavor he looks for. “Denny’s bacon is my top pick because it always arrives properly crisp, rather than soft and greasy, although most of the time, I make sure to remind them to cook it that way,” he says. “Their bacon also has a proper salty and smoky flavor, but the texture is the real selling point for me.”
Chef Joobnas explains, “The thing is that bacon at a busy breakfast chain is often limp from being held too long. So when it arrives with that clean snap at the table, it makes a noticeable difference.” He adds, “I think it works particularly well with Denny’s classic breakfast plates. It’s nice and crisp next to eggs, pancakes, and syrup rather than being soggy like at some other breakfast joints.”
Five Guys
Burgers loaded with toppings can easily overshadow the bacon, but that’s not the case at Five Guys. Chef Bernal says the chain manages to keep its bacon flavorful and noticeable in every bite. “Their bacon has enough thickness that you still notice it – even in a burger loaded with toppings,” he explains. “You’re able to appreciate the smoky flavor, a little crispness around the edges and enough tenderness that it doesn’t feel dry. That’s harder to achieve than people think and they achieve it in mass.”
Chick-fil-A
Chick-fil-A may not be the first restaurant that comes to mind for bacon, but Chef Bernal believes it’s an underrated choice. He says the chain uses bacon to complement its sandwiches rather than compete with them. “It’s not overly smoky or overly sweet, so it works with the sandwich instead of taking it over and that’s exactly what I want,” he says. “Bacon should make everything around it taste better, not become the only flavor you remember.”