The Best And Worst Ribs You'll Find At Chain Restaurants, According To Customer Reviews

For many of us ribs were a barbecue staple growing up. It wasn't a proper summer cookout or Fourth of July celebration without the tender meat covered in a delectably sweet BBQ sauce or a mouthwatering savory and sweet dry rub. However, in reality ribs — and there is a difference between baby back and spareribs — have only been popular for a little over a century and didn't even start being offered in restaurants until the 1920s.

Today, ribs are on the menu at numerous chain restaurants, but that doesn't mean they're all created with good quality. Ideally, the ribs that you order from a restaurant would be extremely juicy as well as packed with great flavor and meat so tender it's falling off the bone. Still, all of that depends on the quality of the meat, the portions, the sauce or spice rub, and the preparation process that the food establishment is using.

In order to determine which eatery's ribs are worth sinking your teeth into and which ones are better left on the rack, we have analyzed rib dishes at various chain restaurants to see which are the best and worst. To do this, we studied customer reviews that talked about the taste and overall quality of each chain's ribs. If you want to learn more about the evaluation process, go to the methodology slide at the end of this article.

Logan's Roadhouse is one of several steakhouse chains struggling in 2025, and after reading the reviews of its ribs we think it might be obvious as to why. The steakhouse chain has gone through bankruptcy twice in 2016 and 2020. Currently, the chain operates 130 restaurants which is a step down from the 261 restaurants it had before being acquired by SPB Hospitality in 2020.

The management at Logan's Roadhouse claims that its ribs are tender, slow-cooked in-house, and are labeled as one of the establishment's signature items — a claim that diners who have tried them might question. Reviewers on Yelp and Tripadvisor complained about the ribs being dry, while the poster on Tripadvisor also noted the food quality fluctuates, as one visit they'll get ribs that are fall-off-the-bone tender and another the meat is stringy. 

A customer on Yelp went to Logan's, ordered the ribs, and described the meat as "very tough," noting it wasn't even on the bone but in "one big glob of tough pulled pork" — which definitely isn't what you expect when ordering ribs. Another patron took to Yelp to complain about a visit in February of 2025 where they were served ribs that felt as if they had come straight out of the fridge, adding that the server told them they weren't the only ones to complain that night about receiving cold food.

On its menu, Texas Roadhouse labels its ribs as fall-off-the-bone tender, and describes them as slow-cooked with a unique blend of seasonings as well as its signature barbecue sauce. The restaurant's website says that the ribs go through a three-day preparation process in order to ensure they are not only fork-tender but packed with flavor. Most reviews of the chain's ribs are positive, though it does seem that the three-day preparation process can be hit-or-miss in terms of the quality that customers receive.

One diner on Yelp stated that they are a fan of Texas Roadhouse, explaining how they always receive great service and high-quality food, emphasizing that the ribs melt in your mouth. A Redditor dubbed the ribs respectable for being from a chain restaurant. A YouTuber who reviewed the ribs said that these ribs are some of the better ones that they had tried, even showing the meat actually falling off the bone — however, they weren't very fond of the barbecue sauce they come covered in. 

There was a patron on Yelp who complained about the ribs being dry, although they noted that the restaurant in the past had been excellent. Another customer on Yelp said the ribs they received were not only dry but lacked flavor, noting they had to get more barbecue sauce to make up for it. Some self-proclaimed rib connoisseurs on Reddit declared that the ribs aren't even barbecue, calling them shortcut ribs, although one poster said Texas Roadhouse's are one of the better shortcut ribs.

Smokey Bones is a restaurant chain that declares it specializes in providing three things; good drinks, good times, and good food. However, the last one promise seems to be hit or miss based on customer reviews.

The bar and fire grill's menu advertises its baby back ribs not only as a Smokey Bones signature but also as award-winning. The ribs are described as being seasoned, hand-rubbed, smoked for four hours, and then covered in a sweet and smoky barbecue sauce. Redditors called the ribs decent and good enough in a thread, but didn't seem blown away or impressed by the chain's barbecue. Diners on Tripadvisor also said that the ribs were tasty and sufficient but nothing amazing, with one adding that the European Baby Back Ribs they received were slightly overcooked. 

However, other customers on Tripadvisor were clearly disappointed with their experience at the barbecue restaurant, describing the ribs they received as cold, lacking flavor, chewy, and unappetizing — with one stating that the eatery had been declining over the years.

The ribs are such a Chili's fan favorite that the secret to copying its baby back ribs at home has been unearthed and shared for customer enjoyment. The baby back ribs are slow cooked and smoked in-house with the diner's choice of flavor and can be ordered as a full or half rack. For the most part customer reviews of the ribs are positive, although the occasional complaint does rear its ugly head.

A Redditor who claims to have eaten ribs from just about every type of eatery around the country claimed that Chili's has the best ribs. Beneath that positive review, other commenters criticized the opinion, with one saying they frequent restaurants where the head chef is a microwave and another stating that the original poster likes ribs with no meat, are over-processed, and have a bunch of additives. 

Keith from The Try Guys on YouTube tried every flavor of Chili's ribs, and dubbed the Texas dry rub baby back ribs as the best, as he enjoyed the rub alone and with barbecue sauce. He did think that the others were decent, but criticized the house barbecue ribs for being extremely dry as they drained all of the saliva from his mouth.

Tony Roma's offers pork, beef, and lamb ribs, but is known for its baby back ribs ... which received fairly average or even negative reviews. The restaurant's World-Famous Baby Back Ribs claim to be tender, lean pork loin meat basted with the establishment's original barbecue sauce or the customer's choice of its other sauces.  Its St. Louis Ribs are supposed to be a larger, meatier cut of pork rib that has more natural marbling.

A diner on Yelp said the ribs were tender but nothing special. Another Yelper explained the baby back ribs came out only slightly warm and tasting as if they were cooked last week, rating them a three out of 10. One patron on Yelp even described the ribs as "buttered fat on a couple bones." A poster on Tripadvisor stated that Tony Roma's used to be their go-to for baby back ribs, but during a recent visit they were advised by the waiter to order different ribs and simply said they just didn't meet the same mark as the barbecued meat they previously had there. A different Tripadvisor post titled  "World Famous Dry Tasteless Ribs" explained that they didn't know if it was a bad day for the cook, but that the ribs were horrible, going as far as stating that the ones they got at the supermarket were tastier.

Rudy's Real Texas Bar-B-Q is one of the regional barbecue chains that we want to see everywhere due to its variety of food which includes brisket, sausage links and, of course, pork ribs — which most reviewers seemed to enjoy. The barbecue chain has both baby back ribs and pork ribs on its menu. It uses oak rather than mesquite wood in its pit, and seasons with dry spices to perfect each plate. 

A diner on Yelp visited Rudy's for the first and was blown away by the ribs, describing them as perfect, tender, and delicious even with no need for added sauce, though that's not going to stop them from stocking up on Rudy's sissy sauce. A Tripadvisor reviewer talked about how great the service was and how flavorful the meat was, also stating that it didn't need any extra sauce. Another patron on Tripadvisor also complimented the staff and stated that the ribs were scrumptious as well as tenderized and juicy. 

However, there was one poster on Tripadvisor whose wife thought the ribs were only passable, and a reviewer on Yelp stated that while the ribs were tasty, the meat didn't pull away from the bone as easily as they would have liked. A reviewer in the forum on Pitmaster Club said that even though the ribs had a nice crust and smoke flavor, the meat on the inside was a little bland and ended up giving them a C for a grade.

Outback Steakhouse attempts to be a top dog in terms of restaurants by prioritizing delivering high-quality food. Unfortunately for the Australian-inspired restaurant, it has been subjected to howls of complaints for its ribs due to reviews from customers. The Outback Ribs are smoked, then brushed with tangy barbecue sauce, and grilled.

A TikToker who tried the ribs said that they came with a fair amount of sauce, adding they would eat them again but still weren't better than the ribs at Texas Roadhouse. A Yelp reviewer's wife ordered the ribs and thought they were perfect and incredibly tender, but complained that the sauce tasted bottled — the same sauce another patron on Yelp said the ribs had too much of. A different customer on Yelp had a horrible experience after not only being mistreated by their server but also receiving ribs that were burnt.

Sonny's BBQ offers St. Louis ribs and baby back ribs on its menu, which are slow-smoked in-house over oak to make the meat tender and give it a delicious smoky flavor. Each Sonny's restaurant is said to have a certified pitmaster that is required to go through its Pitmaster In Training Academy, which not only has hands-on learning but written and practical exams. It seems that the chain's preparation and training pays off, as most patrons who have eaten their ribs have positive things to say with very few complaints to be found.

A patron on Yelp called Sonny's one of their favorite places to eat ribs, adding that they are properly seasoned and enjoyable even without sauce — while still noting that the sauces are great. Another customer who took to Yelp dubbed the ribs outstanding, stating that they were incredibly juicy and flavorful. Meanwhile, a different Yelper said the meat melted in their mouth. There was one diner on Tripadvisor who complained about the ribs being so tough they couldn't eat them, but noted the ones they had in the past had been fall-off-the-bone tender.

Diners who visit City Barbecue can order the establishment's St. Louis ribs in a full slab, half slab, or by the individual rib bone — they even come at a discounted price on Tuesdays. For its smoking process the barbecue joint uses local hickory wood, ensures the heat is perfect, allows the hickory smoke to do its work, and only cooks the meat for a specific allotted time. Despite all of that effort, City Barbecue's ribs have still received some seriously negative feedback, although it is offset by a few positive responses.

A customer on Tripadvisor called the ribs amazing, describing them as delicious, immensely tender, and great quality with a nice char on top, noting that the original sauce is an excellent pairing. A Yelp reviewer also stated that the ribs were smoked nicely. However, it seems the preparation is inconsistent, as a different critic on Yelp received ribs that were full of fat, with meat that was leathery. Meanwhile a TikToker who tried the ribs acknowledged they were juicy, but were also cold and lacked seasoning. 

Dave Anderson, the founder of Famous Dave's, has won over 700 awards for his barbecue, earning him and the restaurant recognition within the barbecue world. The pitmasters at Famous Dave's start the smoking process with hickory logs at 4 a.m., using fresh spices to season its meats, and then slow cook them to the ideal tenderness. Based on reviews it appears that the process works, and the recognition is deserved as the restaurant's ribs rarely receive complaints.

A customer on Yelp said the ribs were so tender they were falling off the bone and delicious. Another diner on Yelp described the St. Louis spare ribs as tender, juicy, and packed with flavor, adding that it's one of the only things they get at the restaurant. A Tripadvisor reviewer, who as a young boy worked in a barbecue restaurant cooking hundreds of ribs, said that Famous Dave's ribs were tender, meaty, and executed perfectly. However, someone else on Tripadvisor called the ribs just adequate. In addition, a Yelper explained that the ribs can be hit or miss on tenderness, noting that on their most recent visit the ribs were so tough and flavorless they ended up throwing them away.

The pulled-pork sandwich from Dickey's Barbecue Pit received the top spot when chain restaurant pulled pork sandwiches were ranked. Unfortunately, its ribs were not as impressive to many reviewers. The pork ribs are said to be smoked on site for up to six hours every day, then seasoned and brushed with a sweet barbecue sauce.

There was a diner on Yelp who said that ribs were amazing and a good value. One couple who tried the ribs on YouTube called them some of the best ribs ever, describing them as savory and fall-off-the-bone, also highlighting the rub. Meanwhile, a customer on Yelp stated the ribs they got were fairly tough, with the only bright side being that they were hot. Another patron on Yelp dubbed them the worst ribs ever, adding that they were cold, tough, and lacked flavor.

Unlike others on this list, LongHorn Steakhouse is not known for its barbecue, but rather for its steaks. However, that didn't stop its baby back ribs — which are slow cooked achieving fall-off-the-bone tenderness, seasoned with the LongHorn's rib seasoning, then fire-grilled and brushed with housemade barbecue sauce — from receiving nothing but positive reviews and earning the top spot on our list. 

A diner on Yelp who visited LongHorn for lunch with their family had a great experience, highlighting the service and the ribs that they shared with their husband, calling them perfect. In a Reddit thread where the original poster stated that LongHorn was impressive and Outback was a letdown, there were multiple commenters who stated that LongHorn's ribs were delicious and that they were surprised by the barbecued meat's quality. There was even a YouTuber, who has been trying ribs from multiple different restaurants, that called them possibly their new favorite chain restaurant rib, adding that they are truly fall-off-the-bone tender and fantastic.  

In 2024, you may or may not have seen TGI Friday's name in multiple headlines and wondered, what happened to TGI Friday's? The chain has been struggling; in 2024 alone it closed numerous U.S. locations, and filed for bankruptcy in November of 2024 — citing COVID-19 and its capital structure as the main reason. Although, another cause — if reviews of the ribs are any indicator — might be the fact that while the establishment's food is decent, it doesn't stand out and the preparation is inconsistent. 

A diner on Yelp who ordered the ribs reported that they "were very disappointing, not at all tender," and that getting the meat from the bones was a struggle. Meanwhile, a Tripadvisor user stated that the ribs "were just terrible," citing a lack of meat and chewiness. On the other hand, a YouTuber who tried them said they were fantastic, expressing that the sauce was sweet and tangy and the meat soft and tender, but complained that the ribs weren't hot enough.

Experiences at restaurants — especially chains — can vary due not only to customer's opinions but also based off of location and when the diner visited. In light of this, when looking to analyze chain restaurant ribs, we made sure to read various customer reviews from independent, reputable platforms such as Yelp, Tripadvisor, and Reddit. We looked for posts that went into detail about the overall taste, quality, and texture of the ribs. In addition, we looked for reviews from critics, local publications, or ones that were posted on YouTube or TikTok.