The Best Mozzarella Sticks Come From A Steakhouse Chain

Mozzarella sticks should be gooey and crispy. They should have a distinct crunch when you break them apart, and the cheese should stretch as far as it needs to get to the marinara sauce. Even if you've found ways to make them as easily as possible at home — like air fryer mozzarella sticks, for example — it can be tricky to get the texture right. Frozen mozzarella stick brands can work great, but some of them can cook up to have mushy breading. Restaurants can offer a perfect mozzarella stick without any of the work — so we ranked 8 chain restaurant mozzarella sticks on a mission to uncover the best of the bunch.

The absolute best mozzarella sticks are found in steakhouse chain you might recognize, a place known for Australian stylings and a pretty good Bloomin Onion: Outback Steakhouse. This restaurant is good for more than just a juicy steak (here's our ranking of 5 Outback Steakhouse steaks), it's where your mozzarella dreams come true with an appetizer order known as Fried Mozzarella Bloomerangs. Our tester loved the golden-brown, crispy crust on these L-shaped mozzarella sticks. A few other features made the Fried Mozzarella Bloomerangs stand out as well, like Outback's signature Bloomin' Onion Seasoning in the breading.

Fried Mozzarella Bloomerangs are new to the Outback Steakhouse menu and they're already making waves. Their name is a nod to two icons in the Outback world: the beloved Bloomin' Onion and a common symbol of Aussie culture, the boomerang. That Bloomin' Onion spice mix sets these sticks apart from others — it's a signature blend of 17 herbs and spices, among them seasoned salt, garlic powder, and cayenne pepper.

They are served six on a platter with marinara sauce on the side, and customers can't get enough. The cheese pull is stretchy with these sticks, the breading is flavorful, and they're fried up to perfection — for a price tag of right around $10. Our taste tester absolutely loved the shape of these unique cheese sticks because it allows for a higher cheese-to-breading ratio — that means you get more mozz in every bite. Paired with a traditional dipping sauce like marinara, the Fried Mozzarella Bloomerangs at Outback Steakhouse hit the spot and take the cake for being the best mozz sticks we've had yet. They're also great with a side of Outback's Bloomin' Onion dipping sauce — made with mayonnaise, horseradish, ketchup, and spices.