I Tried the French Onion Soup at 4 Popular Chains & the Best Was Rich, Gooey Perfection

There's something undeniably comforting about hearty soups during the chill of winter, and it doesn't get more heartwarming than soupe â l'oignon, aka French onion soup. The rich broth and caramelized onions topped with bread and gooey cheese is a simple but immensely satisfying dish.

While its history can be traced back to ancient Rome, it was first introduced in the United States in 1861 by New York restaurateur Henri Mouquin. Today, some of the best French onion soup can be found at your favorite restaurant chains.

I recently sampled this soup at four popular chains in search of the best-tasting version around. Here's how each ranked in descending order from my least favorite to the overall winner.

Panera Bread

I admittedly had higher expectations for this one, knowing it is, or at least used to be, a Panera fan favorite. Having read some recent customer testimonials on Reddit, I knew going in that this probably wasn't going to be the toasted cheesy goodness that it appears to be on the restaurant's website. In spite of this, and because Panera is a fast-casual restaurant versus a traditional sit-down establishment, I wanted to give it the best chance. A bowl of Panera's Bistro French Onion Soup cost me $6.69, and the French baguette side option (included) was an obvious choice.

The look: The first thing I noticed was that beyond the handful of croutons, there appeared to be no cheese. This was a basic bowl of soup. Upon further inspection I found an approximate tablespoon of grated Asiago cheese that had sunk to the bottom of the bowl. The dark, rich-looking broth had an oily sheen, and the onions, which appeared more clear versus dark and caramelized, were a larger dice than the other soups I tried in this review.

The taste: Sweet, but not in the oniony way. A sherry wine vinegar gastrique is a part of the recipe, according to the chain's website, and its flavor was notable. The broth is savory-ish, but more in the vein of a vegetable soup. My first thought was this reminds me of minestrone minus the noodles and extra veggies. I definitely missed the cheese and depth of flavor that more of it would've added with this broth. The advertised black pepper and sea salt were hardly noticeable on the croutons. I would call this minimalist French onion soup or, in a word, meh.

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Outback Steakhouse

Customers love Outback's French onion soup so much that there are infinite copycat recipes to be found online. One self-described former employee on Reddit has shared his own detailed recollection of the beloved soup under "Top Secret Recipes." The sodium content on this one is so high (more than double the others in this review), I had to go back and double-check it. A crock at my local Outback Steakhouse in Deptford, N.J., cost me $7.99.

The look: Nicely presented and very similar to the menu photo. What I first thought was a floating disc of cheese was actually a Holland rusk (twice-baked bread) round with the cheese melted onto it. The sprinkle of bright green parsley flakes over the top of golden brown, toasted Gruyère makes it even more visually appealing. The broth was deep brown and the right amount of thick with onions. If I were judging on looks alone, this one would be the easy winner.

The taste: Delicious, but salty. I quickly found out that the way the buttery gruyere is melted onto that cute disc of beschuit makes it difficult to navigate with just a soup spoon. I needed a steak knife to cut into it first, which made it a bit messy. I enjoyed the big but not overpowering flavor and generous amount of caramelized onions, along with the rich and smooth broth. I found the cheese to be a bit chewy, however. Combined with everything else, it was still a hearty tasting, satisfying bite—or, I should say, slurp.

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Applebee's

Applebee's might not be your first stop during soup season, but the French onion is unexpectedly worth a visit. At just $3.99 for a decent-sized crock, you can't beat the value.

The look: Like golden hour in a bowl, this crock arrived with a toasty brown top layer of cheese that looked fresh out of the broiler, lapping over the sides just so. Okay, maybe that sounds a bit dramatic, but it truly was a happy-looking crock of soup. The crusted top reminded me a bit of the way you might crack into a crème brûlée. The broth was light in color with the bread floating just under the top. There was a good ratio of broth and onions to bread and cheese.

The taste: Light but still flavorful. The broth is well complemented by the cheese. After the first bite, I found myself saying, "Wait, what kind of cheese is this?" It tasted a bit buttery, but also like Swiss. Sure enough, I asked and learned that Applebee's tops its French onion soup with a mixture of Swiss and parmesan. It was a different and unexpectedly delicious combination. I wanted to, politely, slurp up more of this one!

As much as I enjoyed it, there was one soup I liked better.

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LongHorn Steakhouse

While best known for grilling virtually every cut of beef to juicy perfection, LongHorn Steakhouse is also well known for serving up some of the best this classic and popular comfort dish. Fans of the chain on TripAdvisor say, "Get the French Onion Soup!" A large crock of French onion soup cost me a very reasonable $6.39.6254a4d1642c605c54bf1cab17d50f1e

The look: Cheese, and lots of it, is the star of this show. It arrived beautifully toasted over with a 'hat' of Parmesean and garlic crust over a blend of Swiss and provolone cheese. A disc of crostini floats directly beneath, along with a dark, rich looking broth and, of course, the onions. The amount of cheese was generous to say the least.

The taste: Pleasing in every sense, including the highly desirable cheese pull, this one's an easy overall winner. The ooey-gooey cheesy goodness combined with the savory, decadent broth and expertly caramelized onions was, as far as chain restaurants go, perfection. Longhorn Steakhouse uses sirloin beef stock in its broth, which elevates and notably enhances the flavors. The generous topping of Swiss-provolone combination is a velvety, creamy indulgence—and not the slightest bit chewy.

This delicious, gastronomic journey may not physically transport you to a small Parisian café. Still, you can take comfort in knowing there are good options to fulfill your French onion cravings much closer to home.

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