Appetizers At America's Favorite Chain Restaurants That Aren't Worth The Price

When you go out to eat, ordering appetizers is a tried and true way to get warmed up before you dig into the main course. Plus, they're often easy to share with the rest of your table if you are looking for something that everyone can pick at. And hey, sometimes you just crave a specific type of app because they're just that good. Unfortunately, not all appetizers at your favorite chain restaurants are crave-worthy — or spend-worthy, for that matter.

In an attempt to figure out which dishes aren't worth your time or dime, I rounded up a few options worth avoiding at some of America's favorite eateries. My findings are based on online research, my personal food industry experience, and my own decades of chain restaurant consumership. Ready to discover which options to skip next time you dine out? Here's ten appetizers at America's favorite chain restaurants that aren't worth the price.

Texas Roadhouse offers a down-home feel and an extensive menu that many are surprised to learn includes much more than just mouthwatering steaks — it also includes several burger and sandwich options alongside chicken dishes if that's more your style. Of course, the menu also boasts several delicious appetizer options. My favorites include the Cactus Blossom, Twisted Mozzarella, and Grilled Shrimp Appetizer. Unfortunately, the Fried Pickles just don't fall into that category.

Texas Roadhouse Fried Pickles are dill pickles that have been battered and deep fried. They're served with your choice of sauce between Cajun horseradish and ranch. I want to preface this by saying the sauces are fantastic and the Cajun horseradish in particular has a full-bodied, delectable flavor. Unfortunately, the starring dish can't say the same thing — in fact, they came in dead last on a Daily Meal ranking of Texas Roadhouse appetizers.

The Fried Pickles are largely unflavored, without even the zest one would typically expect from dill pickles. The breading and pickles feel unbalanced, while any definable seasoning is missing. Worst of all, the pickles come out soggy on the bottom, leading to a textural nightmare. Texas Roadhouse Fried Pickles will set you back $7.99,  and frankly, there are better ways to spend your money at the restaurant.

Beyond my all-time favorite appetizers at Texas Roadhouse, there are a few options I've been known to eat semi-regularly, like the Killer Ribs and Cheese Fries. However, if there's one thing you won't ever catch me eating again, it's the Rattlesnake Bites.

The Texas Roadhouse Rattlesnake Bites aren't made with real rattlesnake, despite the name. Instead, they're just little balls of fried dough with diced jalapenos and Jack cheese mixed in. If you've ever had a hushpuppy, this is basically the same thing except with a slightly different target flavor profile. I say "target" because I don't think they exactly nailed what they were going for (but we'll discuss that in a moment). These are served with your choice of Cajun horseradish or Ranch dipping sauce.

The biggest issue with these Rattlesnake Bites is that they're largely unflavored outside of being "hot." I don't personally enjoy foods that are just spicy without anything else going on, so if you're like me, you'll want to skip these. They certainly aren't worth the $8.49 they cost.

Olive Garden is a longtime favorite of American families, serving up delicious highly ranked pastas, soups, and salads with a sprinkling of other menu items. In fact, the Italian-themed chain restaurant enjoyed numerous years as the top casual chain before recently being replaced by Texas Roadhouse. Unfortunately, not all of their offerings are worth your hard-earned money, and the Spinach-Artichoke Dip is among those.

The Spinach-Artichoke Dip primarily features a dip crafted from spinach, artichoke, and a few different cheeses. It's served with warm, flatbread crisps that are sprinkled with green herbs and Parmesan cheese. And, before I get into why the dip is lackluster, I want to highlight the fact that the flatbread crisps are perfect. The predominately starchy profile features not only the earthy tones of herbs and savory bite of cheese, but also the faintest hints of butter and salt. If only you could order these by themselves, I'd say they're entirely worthwhile.

The Spinach-Artichoke Dip itself doesn't come out looking like the thick masterpiece you find pictured on the company's website. Instead, it's watery and bland, with a taste that made the Daily Meal writer who created an ultimate ranking of Olive Garden appetizers believe canned artichoke was used... and from my personal experience, I can say that isn't a farfetched idea. Don't waste your $11.29 on this dip because it's just not worth it.

If you're craving something delicious in the middle of the night, Denny's is the place to go. This chain is best known for being open around-the-clock, so it can not only settle midnight cravings for greasy food, but also cater to shift workers and more.

Much of Denny's food is fantastic, especially (in this writer's humble opinion) their breakfast dishes. They even offer gluten-free English muffins for people following a gluten-free diet out of necessity or preference. However, the Zesty Nachos is one thing you'll want to skip if you're looking to order an appetizer. These nachos start with tortilla chips, which are then topped with seasoned ground beef, pepper jack queso, cheddar cheese, pico de gallo, and sour cream.

The biggest issue with Denny's Zesty Nachos is that they're way too filling to be an appetizer — unless, maybe, you have four or more people eating them. Anything less than that and you'll be stuffed before your food even comes out. Now, this may not be a bad thing if you plan to eat it as a meal on its own, but these nachos are also one of the unhealthiest things you can order at Denny's and have way too much going on. Since they're over the top across the board in all the wrong ways, these Zesty Nachos frankly aren't worth the $11.59 you'll pay for them.

I love Red Robin. So much so, in fact, that I recently did an ultimate ranking of Red Robin Gourmet Burgers, where I sat down and tried all 21 of them. Yes, it was a lot of burger to get through, but so worth it. Fantastic burgers aside, this chain has a range of other menu items, including various appetizers. While many of these are as delicious as their burgers, the Cheesy Mozzarella Twists are not.

Red Robin's Cheesy Mozzarella Twists are similar to standard mozzarella sticks in that they're breaded and fried bits of cheese. However, they feature uniquely twisted shapes similar to corkscrews rather than the rectangular stick shape you're most familiar with. These are served with a side of marinara sauce which, on its own, is just fine.

In a previous ranking of chain restaurant mozzarella sticks, Red Robin's option came in last place, and there are several reasons for this. For starters, they aren't exactly aesthetically pleasing, as the cheesy twists forgo a beautiful golden color in favor of a pale sickly white-ish hue. The taste is very bland, with faintly cheesy notes and no other flavor tones to speak of. Overall, it's just a very underwhelming appetizer that isn't worth the $10.49 you'd pay for it.

The Cheesecake Factory is perhaps best known for its ridiculously expansive food menu that seems to go on and on forever. While we wish we could say every last thing on the menu is great, unfortunately, there are some items that fall flat. The Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes, which is one of the worst-ranked Cheesecake Factory appetizers, is borderline unpalatable.

The Sweet Corn Tamale Cakes features three small, round cakes topped with sour cream, salsa, cilantro, avocado, and salsa verde. They're presented atop corn husks tied at either end to create an almost boat-like appearance. The presentation is actually really nice, but that's about all this dish has going for it.

The cakes themselves are much too sweet, tasting more like dessert than an appetizer. The toppings, on the other hand, are rather savory, and the two flavors don't really mesh well. Rather, the dish ends up being unbalanced and downright gross. Plus, it goes too heavy on the salsa verde, leaving the corn cakes rather soggy... and nobody wants to eat soggy cakes. This dish is $16.50 and is definitely not worth the money.

Alas, that behemoth of a Cheesecake Factory menu was bound to have more than one appetizer flop, and these Buffalo Blasts are it. But hey, given how big the menu is, two flop appetizers isn't a terrible ratio. The chain restaurant has that going for them.

The Cheesecake Factory Buffalo Blasts are a unique menu item, to their credit, featuring chicken, cheese, and a spicy buffalo sauce stuffed inside a spiced wrapper. This concoction is then deep fried and served like buffalo wings with celery and blue cheese dressing. Far from a crowd favorite, these are actually one of the Cheesecake Factory menu items with the worst reviews.

On an aesthetic level, these Buffalo Blasts just look weird, like shriveled little triangles with jagged teeth protruding from one side. But strange monster-esque appearance aside, this is heavy, greasy, and arguably too filling for an appetizer. It also feels like it's trying to be several appetizers at once. At $18.50, this appetizer is the most expensive dish on the list, but you won't get enough bang for your buck. Even if they were somewhat good, they're far too overpriced for an appetizer anyway.

Chili's is a chain restaurant that largely serves up typical American fare. You'll find burgers, steaks, ribs, chicken, and similar items on the menu — along with, of course, various appetizers. Like the other chains on this list, the appetizers at Chili's are largely fantastic, with the exception of the Texas Cheese Fries.

The Chili's Texas Cheese Fries start with fries that are then topped with shredded cheese, bacon, jalapenos, and green onions. They're served with ranch dressing, which you can pour over the top once the dish gets to your table. While I'm personally a huge fan of loaded fries, these fall flat for a few different reasons – and, unlike other items on this list, it isn't because of the taste.

The taste of these loaded fries is fantastic, featuring a dominant starchiness interspersed with creamy notes and savory overtones, with a nice level of heat. But this particular Chili's appetizer can be incredibly unhealthy, featuring double the daily recommended sodium and nearly a full day's worth of calories for the average person. Sure, this is meant to be split, but it's still a lot. Keep in mind that this is intended to be eaten before your entree, so those numbers will only go up after you get your main meal. At $11.49, this sodium-rich, calorie-dense appetizer isn't worth the price.

Applebee's is a bar and grill featuring a combination of typical American dishes, Tex-Mex, and barbecue classics. Their menu isn't nearly as vast as what you'll find at The Cheesecake Factory, but they still offer something for everyone. One menu item we wouldn't recommend to anyone, however, is the White Queso Dip and Chips.

As the name suggests, Applebee's White Queso Dip and Chips features a melted white queso alongside white corn tortilla chips (which are made in-house). While the tortilla chips themselves are fantastic, with a perfect balance of starch and salt, the white queso dip simply falls flat.

If you try the queso on its own, you'll find that it's very lackluster and without any real flavor notes. Even the cheeses used are very mild and without much flavor. The next thing you'll notice is that it's much too salty — enough to make you grab your drink and take a few gulps to wash the salt away. If this were better, I'd say that you get a decent sized appetizer for only $6.99. But, being what it is, the Applebee's White Queso Dip and Chips aren't worth the cost.

Outback Steakhouse is an American chain of Australian-themed restaurants. Best known for their steaks, the eatery serves chicken, seafood, fun cocktails, and a range of appetizers. And yes, many of the menu items boast names that fit the Down Under theme. 

One of those appetizers is Grilled Shrimp on the Barbie. It features grilled and seasoned shrimp served over garlic toast with a side of remoulade sauce. You also get a lemon wedge on the side. Aesthetically, this has a nice presentation, with lots of white space on the plate to allow the dish itself to be highlighted. Unfortunately, the positives of this dish don't expand to the taste, which is why this is one of the dishes you should never order at Outback Steakhouse.

This Grilled Shrimp on the Barbie isn't bad, per se, but it's pretty mediocre. Although the shrimp are seasoned and grilled, whatever seasonings are used don't impart much flavor — and there's no charred taste or texture, either, which you'd expect from a grilled dish. This leaves the shrimp tasting very plain. Worse, the bread and shrimp don't pair well together, so everything here feels unbalanced. This appetizer goes for $14.99, and we suggest finding other ways to spend your cash.