The 8 Best And 4 Worst Chain Restaurant Chicken Pot Pies

There is a great reason why chicken pot pies have warmed their way into the hearts of so many comfort food enthusiasts. While there are different takes on the dish, a classic chicken pot pie is typically made with shredded chicken, carrots, onion, and peas (though if you are looking to mix things up you can always try chicken parm pot pie). Mushrooms and celery also sometimes find their way into some variations of the filling. Perhaps the main factor that makes chicken pot pies such a hit is the contrast between the creamy filling and the flaky pastry. The chicken and veggies in a rich sauce offer comforting warmth, while the golden crust adds a satisfying crunch — it really is the perfect balance of textures.

Got you feeling peckish? We have sifted through countless customer reviews to bring you a roundup of the best and worst chain restaurants to satisfy your chicken pot pie craving. To learn more about our evaluation criteria, check out the methodology slide at the end of this article.

"Home is where the heart is, and our Homemade Chicken Pot Pie is all heart," boast the employees of Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen on Facebook. Served with a house salad, the chain's homemade chicken pot pie is a delicious blend of creamy sauce, chicken pieces, and veggies encased in a light and flaky pastry. The scratch-made menu item is served as a lunch special, making it ideal as a midday indulgence that will leave you full without feeling overly stuffed. Sounds perfect to us.

The chicken pot pie at Cheddar's Scratch Kitchen has received the green light from diners, with many impressed by its balance of creamy filling and flaky crust. A case in point is one impressed Yelp reviewer who says, "The pot pie was on point today — piping hot with a perfectly golden-browned pastry crust and bubbling veggies with huge chunks of chicken laying right underneath." Another diner was just as taken by the menu item, commenting, "The chicken pot pie was very tasty. It contained multiple vegetables and white meat chicken. The crust was exceptionally flakey."

Founded in the Huntington Beach area of California in 2003, the aesthetics of Lazy Dog take inspiration from the cozy lodges of the Rocky Mountains. The chain's menu also reflects this down-to-earth vibe with a lineup of classic comfort food. Listed alongside other chicken dishes, such as fried chicken and chicken Parmesan, the restaurant's pot pie is made with garlic roasted chicken and slow-cooked veggies including onions, carrots, celery, peas, and mushrooms. Best of all, the dish is prepared from scratch daily, which means both flavor and texture that can't be beat by pre-prepared options.

Lazy Dog's chicken pot pie seems to have hit the right spot with many patrons, with one reviewer calling it delicious. "We definitely recommend the chicken pot pie — it was large, steamy, creamy and the crust was YUMMY!," they add. Another diner agrees, saying, "The pièce de résistance was the chicken pot pie — AAAAHHH!! It's WONDERFUL. It's every bit as good as the reviews all say. SO delicious!! Best chicken pot pie I've had at a restaurant. The crust is seriously delicious!! Flaky, moist and rich. And the gravy and filling is creamy & super good!!!"

Colonel Harland Sanders started serving his Southern-style fried chicken from a roadside motel in Corbin, Kentucky, in 1930. It was around a decade later, in 1939, that Sanders mastered his iconic blend of 11 secret herbs and spices. While KFC remains famous for its fried chicken, the chain's menu has evolved over the years to include other menu items. One of these is the chicken pot pie, featuring diced potatoes, carrots, and peas, all baked in a savory sauce and encased in a crusty pastry.

While KFC's claim to fame is chicken, it turns out that the chain's chicken pot pie isn't much to email home about. One of the complaints about the menu item is its lack of chicken, with one reviewer saying, "No chicken in this pot pie. Mostly carrots. [...] Whoever made these pot pies must have been high on something. I'll never get another pot pie from KFC again." Another diner found the gravy in the dish so overpowering that the composition of the filling made absolutely no difference since they couldn't taste it. They did, however, add that the pie's overhanging crust was to their liking.

The Claim Jumper Steakhouse & Bar has been serving chicken pot pie since the restaurant first opened its doors in 1977 in Los Alamitos, California. In fact, the recipe hasn't changed since the restaurant's inception over 45 years ago. Baked daily for maximum freshness, Claim Jumper's chicken pot pie is made with onions, carrots, peas, and mushrooms — all cooked in a creamy herb concoction. The dish is served with a plate of fresh fruit. The restaurant's other time-honored classics include Chicken Florentine, Country Fried Steak, and Meatloaf & Mashed Potatoes.

The Claim Jumper's Chicken Pot Pie is one of the restaurant's most popular menu items, and for a good reason. Diners rave about the dish, complimenting both its flavor and size. For instance, one happy reviewer says, "had the Chicken Pot Pie and was blown away, it was the best I ever had. It was huge and filled with chicken. The sauce complemented the chicken perfectly and the crust was flaky and cooked perfectly." Some other adjectives used to describe the dish have included absolutely killer, divine, and delicious.

With just four locations in Rhode Island, Gregg's Restaurants and Taverns is a small regional chain well-known for its extensive menu and delicious desserts. Despite opening over 50 years ago, the chain has remained small, presumably focusing on quality over expansion. Listed alongside other poultry entrées, like chicken tenders and Everyday Turkey Dinner, the restaurant's chicken pot pie consists of white chicken meat, garden veggies, and a buttery crust. The dish comes with a choice of salad or a cup of soup.

While it may not have as many reviews as some other chain pot pies, the offering at Gregg's has received mixed feedback from patrons. One of the repeated complaints about the dish has been its overdone crust, with one diner saying, "The chicken and vegetables were fresh, but the crust was over cooked and there wasn't enough sauce or gravy in the pot pie." Meanwhile, a has commented that the dish was overly mushy inside, while another reviewer has noted that the pie wasn't large enough for the price.

If you like poultry, Cracker Barrel has you covered. With close to 20 chicken and turkey dishes, the restaurant offers comforting options such as Smoky Southern Grilled Chicken and Buffalo Buttermilk Ranch Mac 'N Cheese. The chain also serves chicken pot pies filled with slow-simmered chicken, carrots, peas, potatoes, celery, and onions. In case you're still hungry, the dish comes with either buttermilk biscuits or corn muffins.

Cracker Barrel's Facebook page calls the restaurant's chicken pot pie "the ultimate comfort food" that's "good for the soul." It looks like many of the establishment's patrons agree with this statement. One enthused diner says that they enjoyed every bite of the dish, adding, "I loved how it had a nice flaky pastry crust and enough fillings to balance out with the creamy sauce inside." Another reviewer comments that the chicken pot pie they ordered was huge, saying, "It can be easily shared with another and the both would be full."

With three locations in New York City, one in Washington D.C., and one in Philadelphia, P.J. Clarke's may not be on your radar. Many may also not be aware that P.J. Clarke's dates back to 1884, when it opened as a saloon in New York City. Interestingly, over the years, the establishment has seen its fair share of famous names, including Frank Sinatra, Nat King Cole, Buddy Holly, and Johnny Mercer, who is said to have written the song "One for My Baby" on the bar's napkin.

A lot has changed at P.J. Clarke's over the years and a lot has not. While the chain has steered away from any major overhauls and changes in atmosphere, we are pretty sure that its menu has expanded. From Black Sea Bass to Maine Lobster Cobb to Roast Chicken Caesar Salad, the chain's offerings cater to a pretty diverse palate. One of the restaurant's entrées is the Country Chicken Pot Pie with a cheddar cheese crust. While at $26 the dish isn't cheap, it seems to be a winner, as evidenced by diner feedback. A case in point are patrons who have described the menu item as "outrageously good," "delicious," and "to die for."

Jason's Deli's signature dish is the muffaletta, a sandwich with provolone cheese, olive mix, and premium meats nestled between two slices of crusty Italian bread. In fact, the restaurant still sources its muffaletta bread from the same New Orleans bakery with which its founder first struck a deal in the 1970s.

Notably, Jason's Deli was among the first chains to eliminate trans fats from its menu items in 2005. Since then the chain has also done away with artificial colors, high-fructose corn syrup, and processed MSG from its lineup of wraps, sandwiches, soups, and salads. Perhaps surprisingly, these items include chicken pot pie — listed under soups on the menu, the dish is served in a liquid form in a cup or a bowl with a square puff pastry placed on top.

While some diners say that they have enjoyed the chain's version of the pot pie, overall the menu item hasn't quite hit the mark in terms of composition, flavor, and texture. For instance, one reviewer says: "Many green peas, a few cubed potatoes, creamy rich sauce, square puff filo but where was the chicken? Was it alive & ran through the sauce! Should be called chicken shadow pie." A Reddit member seconds this sentiment, saying, "That soup definitely came from a bag and may be a day old."

The Marie Callender's story begins with Marie Callender and her sweet and savory pies. In fact, the coffee shop, which opened in 1964 in Orange, California, was an extension of Marie's successful pie business. Over the years, more and more of Marie's recipes appeared on the restaurant's menu, turning what was once a small coffee shop into a full-fledged restaurant chain. Known for its homestyle comfort food, Marie Callender's still serves a range of pies, including the Heartland Chicken Pot Pie with chunks of chicken and seasoned veggies baked in a hand-pressed crust.

Since Marie Callender's claim to fame is pies, it's not surprising that the chain's chicken pot pie is rated highly by patrons. One Yelp reviewer says that the dish is the best pot pie they have ever tried, adding, "It was so flavorful and the breading was perfectly cooked into the bowl." Another diner praises the pie's filling, describing it as "a lot of chicken and veggies in a very rich creamy sauce." Yet another reviewer calls the pie's crust amazing, flaky, and delicious.

Founded in 1992 in Jacksonville, Florida, Metro Diner still operates in its original location. Aside from its flagship outpost, over the years, the restaurant has expanded to more than 60 locations in 12 states. Metro Diner's menu is also substantial with offerings such as pancakes, waffles, huevos rancheros, burgers, sandwiches, and desserts. The chain's chicken pot pie is listed as a "Lunch & Dinner Favorite" alongside menu items such as fish & chips, steak tips, and shepherd's pie. The dish features a biscuit crust filled with a mix of chicken, celery, carrots, corn, and a cream sauce.

While Metro Diner's chicken pot pie has been updated over the years — including in 2020 when the biscuit crust was replaced with puff pastry — it seems that the current version the restaurant serves is the original. And this is definitely an improvement, as the updated recipe didn't get great reviews. The original — and current — version of the dish seems to fare much better. For example, one diner says that the chain serves the best chicken pot pie, reminiscing, "I only ate here twice but, oh, that Chicken Pot Pie." Another patron echoes this sentiment, saying, "[It] was fantastic. [...] This came with a toasted thin biscuit crust on top, which was wonderful. [...] It was full of flavor, I would definitely order it again."

Boston Market serves two types of chicken pot pie. The one-sided chicken pot pie only features the top pastry layer. Meanwhile, the two-sided chicken pot pie comes with a top and bottom pastry for a more hearty meal. Both versions of the pie are filled with a medley of rotisserie chicken, vegetables, and a creamy chicken sauce. Plus, the dish is served with freshly-baked cornbread.

Boston Market hasn't been doing well as of late, facing significant financial struggles and legal challenges. Just like the chain itself, its chicken pot pie is now being outshined by the chain's competitors. One underwhelmed diner says: "This place has gone from bad to terrible. I picked up 2 meals and a chicken pot pie for lunch. The chicken and meatloaf meals were so skimpy, about half of the meat portions that were previously given." Another diner is also dissatisfied with the menu offering, saying, "Disgusting! BM has been my fav for over a decade but the past couple times it was nasty. I ordered my usual chicken pot pie and it was made from all scraps of dark meat. Super greasy/ oily texture didn't even taste like the same chicken pot pie that's been my favorite for MANY years."

Established by Arthur Simms, a vet stationed in France during the Second World War, Mimi's Cafe serves French dishes and American comfort food. This includes a number of French classics such as French pot roast, French onion soup, and quiche Lorraine. On the American side, the menu features countless favorites like jambalaya, Mimi's Meatloaf, and, of course, chicken pot pie. Listed as an entrée, the hearty dish is loaded with roasted chicken pieces, carrots, peas, potatoes, onions, and a creamy herb sauce.

While the chicken pot pie at Mimi's Cafe can be hit or miss, it seems that overall customers enjoy the iconic American dish. One diner calls the pie excellent, elaborating, "[It] was filled with lots of white meat chicken and vegetables and perfectly toasted crust." Another reviewer recommends the dish, saying that it was "delicious and reasonably priced." Several other diners also praise the creamy menu item, calling it yummy and saying that it will make your day.

The appeal of chicken pot pies is undeniable. The savory comfort food melds the creamy deliciousness of the filling with the crunch of perfectly-baked golden pastry. However, the dish can also be a disappointment if not prepared correctly. Too dry, too soggy, or simply too bland, the wrong balance of flavors and textures can be a turn off for diners.

To help you navigate the world of chain chicken pot pies, we have spent hours researching different options. More specifically, our evaluation has taken into account a number of elements, including the quality of the pastry and filling. In order to form a thorough picture, we have also read countless customer feedback on popular platforms such as Yelp and TripAdvisor.