15 Beloved Restaurant Dishes That Are Terrible for You
Sometimes, you just get a craving for a very specific dish, and then you can't stop thinking about it until you it's sitting in front of you. We all have those comfort foods! So when you head to a restaurant with a certain meal in mind, you might not be thinking about just how bad of a choice these beloved restaurant meals really are.
Sorry to put it out there, but there are plenty of beloved restaurant meals that are simply, well, not great for you healthwise.
We might break your heart with these revelations, but we rounded up classically beloved dishes—including appetizers, main courses, and desserts—from some of your favorite restaurants that you're much better off refraining from ordering.
Outback Steakhouse Bloomin' Onion
It's no secret that this appetizer is one of the most iconic dishes on Outback's menu, but that doesn't mean you should be feasting on it. It has a startlingly high amount of calories, fat, saturated fat, trans fat, sodium, and carbs. Basically, there is nothing redeeming about this option.
Red Lobster Admiral Feast
In this Red Lobster dish, you're served up shrimp, bay scallops, clam strips, and wild-caught whitefish, which sounds like a hearty mix of seafood. Except it all happens to be fried, and you're now consuming 5,000 milligrams of sodium in one meal when The American Heart Association recommends having no more than 2,300 milligrams a day.
P.F. Chang's Great Wall of Chocolate
Just one slice of this truly decadent cake from P.F. Chang's and you're in for 190 grams of sugar—that's more sugar than you'll get in an entire pint of Breyers Chocolate Ice Cream. Yikes! If everyone at the table is going to split this sweet treat, go ahead and have a bite or two but just be sure you're not eating it all by yourself.
Olive Garden Chicken Alfredo
It's no secret that Alfredo sauce is creamy and delicious, but it's also filled with fat, and Olive Garden's version that is mixed with chicken and topped over noodles is no exception, clocking in at 100 grams.
TGI Fridays Loaded Potato Skins with Ranch Sour Cream
This appetizer seems harmless enough by the looks of it, and it's easy to eat as it's all bite-size. So it makes sense this is a popular menu choice. But the amount of calories, fat, sodium, and carbs you're getting before your main course is just way too much.
The Cheesecake Factory Pasta Napoletana
This is one pasta dish that is just scary! The Cheesecake Factory whips up Italian sausage, pepperoni, meatball, bacon, peppers, onions, mushrooms, and garlic in a rich tomato sauce, all over Parmesan cream pasta. Together, these ingredients create the worst dish you'll find on the entire CF menu, and you know that menu is a big one. There's more sodium here than you'll get in 33 bags of Lay's potato chips. Hard pass.
Panera Bread Mac & Cheese in Bread Bowl
Mac and cheese is forever a comfort dish and Panera Bread's spin on the meal is oh so creamy and delicious. Getting it served to you in a bread bowl you can eat too just takes it up a whole level. Well, this makes for one highly caloric, sodium and carb-filled meal. Sorry, but it's a no for this dish.
Cracker Barrel Pecan Pancakes
A trip to Cracker Barrel means there's a good chance you're going to go for a breakfast option and what's better than pancakes? Well, these pecan pancakes might be shockingly low in sugar, the dish is packing in sodium and fat.
Maggiano's Little Italy Mom's Lasagna
Just seeing the name of Maggiano Little Italy's beloved dish Mom's Lasagna is enough to bring on a wave of nostalgia and comfort. But unless your mom is making this meal for you herself, skip ordering this dish as it has more than 3,000 milligrams of sodium. And the 21 grams of sugar is high for a pasta dish, too.
Applebee's Brew Pub Pretzels & Beer Cheese Dip
Again, this seems like a safe appetizer choice but the sodium is through the roof for a small plate like this! Decide to get something else when you're dining at Applebee's.
Uno Pizzeria & Grill Deep Dish Individual Chicago Meat Market Pizza
This individual pie packs a ton of calories, fats, and sodium. Keep in mind this is meant to be eaten by just one person…
Red Robin Monster Burger
If you're going to Red Robin, a burger is a must, right? Well, the Monster Burger lives up to its name, that's for sure. It features two patties, bacon, cheese, and sauce, and is high in just about everything it shouldn't be, like fat, sodium, and sugar.
Chili's Dry Rub Ribs, Full Rack
A trip to Chili's means ribs are in order, but you might want to rethink that idea. A full rack of dry rub ribs has nearly two days' worth of sodium, plus it's super high in fat, too.
IHOP Cinn-a-Stack Pancakes
A trip to IHOP means pancakes are a must, and this Cinn-a-Stack flavor is an IHOP staple. But with 67 grams of sugar, it's just excessive, to say the least. Plus, it's high in sodium too, so you're just going over your daily allotment of both in one meal. Skip!
Ruby Tuesday Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet
In the mood for a little dessert after your meal at Ruby Tuesday? Well, the Chocolate Chip Cookie Skillet seems like the perfect sweet treat, as it's a freshly baked cookie served warm in a skillet with vanilla ice cream, drizzled with caramel and chocolate sauces. It's small enough for one person to indulge, but packing more than 100 grams of sugar is just not OK. It's higher in calories than some of the meal options on the menu and well, every aspect of its nutritional breakdown is just problematic.
