14 Restaurant Chain Frozen Meals, Ranked Worst To Best
In case you haven't noticed, the frozen food industry is booming. As consumers' lives get busier and the need for quick, convenient solutions to mealtime grows, it makes sense that many shoppers will turn to the frozen aisles for easy-to-prep meals that are both yummy and filling. Restaurant chains have hopped onto the frozen foods train and have chosen to chase profits by churning out their own lineups of frozen meals. Alas, having a successful restaurant doesn't guarantee that your frozen line will be equally as good. Like all frozen foods, some restaurants are pretty hit or miss when it comes to frozen options.
I'm no stranger to frozen foods by now, as I've ranked several categories of frozen meals, including selections from Costco. Whenever I'm ranking frozen meals, I look for a few things — the most important thing is that the cooked product holds up to its package description (unfortunately, sometimes the product falls woefully short). Second, it has to taste good, with flavors and textures representative of non-frozen versions of the dish. Finally, I consider more minor elements, such as whether the dish cooks evenly and, in this case, whether it lives up to the restaurant's name. I headed to my local grocery store and got two frozen meals from each restaurant line I saw, and the results were pretty much as expected — some meals were passably good, and others were very much lacking.
14. Benihana hibachi chicken rice
Unfortunately, Benihana's hibachi chicken rice was so severely disappointing that I couldn't help but put it at the bottom of my list. Though I am a fan of frozen Asian-inspired foods in general, I didn't have any particular expectations for this dish. All I wanted was a decent fried rice with notable vegetables and some umami flavor in the sauce. What I got, however, was nothing like what's pictured on the box, which I could have forgiven if the resulting dish had been at all passable.
Upon first bite of Benihana's hibachi chicken rice, I was struck by an overwhelmingly sweet flavor that was honestly pretty off-putting. Beyond that, there wasn't much umami to it at all, or even any salty elements to add flavor to the dish. The textures were fine — the carrots held some bite and the chicken was tender enough — but none of the elements were distinguishable from each other. Plus, the eggs were rubbery.
13. White Castle original sliders
Sure, White Castle may have paved the way for fast food burgers, but the company's ingenuity hasn't extended to the frozen aisle. I was dubious even before opening the box of original sliders, as the picture on the box doesn't look that promising. Unfortunately, these sliders fell short of even my low expectations.
The sliders were easy enough to microwave, but upon pulling them from the appliances, I was confronted with an incredibly off-putting smell reminiscent of old, greasy meat that made me not look forward to trying one. The sliders were palatable enough, but they weren't great; the dry buns begged for some sauce and though the grilled onions were a nice touch, they didn't save this sandwich from tasting like an extraordinarily processed slider. Beyond that, the meat patty was too thin to be at all substantial. I did finish one and I could eat another if it was the only food available at a gathering, but I wouldn't go after these again.
12. White Castle chicken and cheese sliders
White Castle's Chicken and cheese sliders are marginally better than its original beef ones. I actually felt there was a pretty big gap in quality between the two slider choices. There was no unappetizing smell when I heated these chicken sliders up, and they were far more pleasurable to eat than the beef sandwiches.
At the end of the day, I really didn't mind the chicken slides, and I'd have them as a snack if nothing else was available (provided there was also a sauce I could dip them in). Similarly to the other sliders, the bun was a little dry, though the melty American cheese helped give these sliders some much-needed moisture. The chicken's breading wasn't at all crispy, but its flavor wasn't bad; I found it to be fairly well-seasoned. The chicken itself was dry and the cheese was clearly processed, which gave the sliders a distinctly "fake" flavor. But, they still weren't the worst things in the world.
11. Marie Callender's sweet and citrusy orange chicken bowl
The final dish on the bottom tier on this list (which I wouldn't eat again, unless near-apocalyptic conditions necessitated it) is Marie Callender's sweet and citrusy orange chicken bowl. As a particular fan of orange chicken, I will say that my standards for this dish may have been higher than for some others. However, I think that I'd have been disappointed with this meal even if my standards had been lower.
I had one primary complaint with this frozen meal: It was incredibly sweet. The citrusy tang that was present in the sauce came secondary to the sugary glaze that coated the entire dish (which I'd be tempted to call a syrup rather than a sauce). Sticky, sugary syrup aside, the orange chicken itself offered nothing notable. It was dry and boasted no discernible crunch. The dish was obviously underseasoned, as it only relied on the sauce for its flavor. The rice was well-textured, but none of the other vegetables were noticeable. Though not horrible, this was a very subpar frozen orange chicken dish that I wouldn't buy again.
10. TGI Fridays spicy Cajun-style chicken fettuccine Alfredo
I wanted to give TGI Fridays spicy Cajun-style chicken fettuccine Alfredo a higher score because I actually thought it tasted pretty good. Unfortunately, the fact that it had several missing key elements knocked it down a few pegs. You can probably tell, simply by comparing the cooked dish to its representation on the box, they look nothing alike. And, I'd soon find that this dish didn't taste anything like I expected it to.
For starters, the sauce was incredibly watery and the pasta was too al dente — even though I microwaved it for about 30 seconds longer than the recommended time. It didn't have the consistency I was expecting, but even that didn't stop me from moderately enjoying this dish. However, I don't think it can be called "spicy Cajun-style" in the slightest. Though some Cajun flavors came through, it wasn't the least bit spicy. The biggest problem, however, was the chicken, which was super dry even after it was repeatedly dunked in the sauce. If it weren't for the chicken, I may have ranked this dish higher, but the chicken plus the inaccuracies of this dish ultimately gave it a middle spot on this list.
9. Marie Callender's Vermont cheddar mac and cheese bowl
Onto the more middling spots on my list — these next few dishes didn't suffer from any major pitfalls, but they ultimately weren't good enough to justify ranking at the top of the list. Marie Callender's Vermont cheddar mac and cheese bowl starts off this section. It definitely wasn't bad, but it didn't fully deliver on its promises.
First, I'm confused as to why the company chose to include breadcrumbs in this dish. It seems obvious that they won't crisp up from microwave preparation, and they don't add anything to the dish if they aren't crispy. Breadcrumbs aside, I enjoyed the flavors in this dish. The cheese wasn't too sharp and there was a hefty amount of it, which I enjoyed, but I could see some being turned off by it. The pasta cooked up slightly too tender for my liking, but that could just be a matter of personal preference.
8. Boston Market country fried beef steak
I wasn't particularly keen on trying Boston Market's country fried beef steak, but my fears were moderately assuaged after pulling this dish out of the microwave. It smelled pretty yummy and savory, which quelled some of my hesitations. I'll be the first to admit that this dish doesn't look great. It's fully beige, and the mashed potatoes are only slightly distinguishable from the gravy. I'm happy to report that it tastes better than it looks.
My biggest complaint about this dish was that the mashed potatoes could be seasoned more. They were rather bland, but the gravy gave them enough life — so I wouldn't call them "bad." As far as the rest of the dish, the gravy had a somewhat gluey texture that wasn't too noticeable when combined with the dish's other elements, and it had a nice peppery flavor. The steak's breading obviously wasn't very crispy, but it was seasoned well. The textures of this dish are a little off and definitely not comparable to a restaurant version of the dish. But for a microwavable dinner, it's really not half bad.
7. Benihana yakisoba steak
Fortunately for Benihana, its yakisoba steak meal was far superior to its hibachi chicken rice, and though it still didn't wow me, I wouldn't mind eating it again. The dish features steak, yakisoba noodles, and grilled veggies in a yakisoba sauce. I'm a fan of yakisoba noodles, and though I've had better varieties of this dish from a restaurant, this definitely wasn't bad for a frozen meal.
The yakisoba noodles boasted a decent bite, though I thought they could have been slightly thicker. The steak was seasoned well but was a bit chewy. I also appreciated that the vegetable pieces were large enough to be noticeable. As far as the sauce goes, it was plenty flavorful and tasted like a standard soy-based yakisoba sauce, though it was a little too salty for my palate. I think there's definitely room for Benihana to grow with this offering and it could have been worse.
6. P.F. Chang's chicken lo mein
P.F. Chang's chicken lo mein also found a middling spot on this list due to its, well, middling delivery. I neither loved nor hated this dish — rather, it was one I wouldn't seek out again, but wouldn't be mad to see put in front of me. I do love lo mein noodles, and these weren't the best frozen ones I've ever had. Nevertheless, the dish was pretty good.
My favorite element of this dish was the flavor of its sauce. It wasn't too strong, but it still boasted plenty of flavor. It had the umami that I was looking for in the last-place hibachi chicken rice dish. I also thought there was a good amount of sauce. While frozen foods frequently have either too much or not enough of it, this one struck a good balance. Both the noodles and the carrots boasted a decent bite and the mushrooms were a nice addition. The biggest pitfall of this dish was the chicken. While it wasn't bad, it wasn't noticeable either. Ultimately, the protein didn't add anything to the dish.
5. TGI Fridays pulled pork with mac and cheese
I'll lead with this by saying I'm usually not a fan of pulled pork combined with macaroni and cheese. My expectations for TGI Fridays' whiskey-glazed pulled pork with mac & cheese weren't high, which may play into why this dish earned a higher spot on my list. It was tasty enough that I couldn't justify ranking it any lower, but it also failed to deliver on all its elements. If it had pulled through, I could see myself putting it a spot or two higher.
My main question I had while eating this meal was: Where is the cheese? Rather than having any semblance of cheesiness, this dish tasted like glazed pulled pork and pasta in a light cream sauce. The box was incredibly misleading, but had I only been presented with the meal without seeing the box, I may have thought there wasn't anything wrong with it. The pork was deliciously sweet and slightly tangy. I also thought that the protein had an excellent texture, as did the noodles. I really enjoyed this dish, but it doesn't hold up as a macaroni and cheese-based offering.
4. Boston Market Swedish meatballs
I put off eating Boston Market's Swedish meatballs frozen meal for a while because I wasn't looking forward to it. I didn't think that a frozen meatballs and pasta entrée would be at all appetizing; fortunately, I'm happy to report that I was wrong. This is a dish that I may not seek out again, but I'd grab it if I was presented with a limited selection of frozen food options. Trust me, it's better than its unfortunately bland appearance would let on.
The biggest surprise of this dish wasn't the meatballs or the pasta, but the sauce they were served in. It was incredibly flavorful and herby, and Boston Market's decision to add sour cream to it was a good one. It gave the sauce a thicker consistency (that was closer to gravy) than it might have had otherwise. The noodles were tender and the meatballs were well-seasoned and didn't cook up dry. I do wish there were more meatballs and that this frozen meal had incorporated a vegetable or two, but I liked it for what it offered.
3. California Pizza Kitchen signature uncured pepperoni pizza
Sure, California Pizza Kitchen has an obvious leg up in this ranking. Frozen pizzas may just be some of the most common frozen foods on the market, and I'm willing to bet there's enough of a standard for creating one that it's not too hard to get right. Moreover, frozen pizza is more familiar than other frozen foods — consumers have even been known to choose frozen pizza over restaurants.
This was a pretty good frozen pizza, and though I've had some that I personally enjoy better, I can see a wide variety of consumers liking this brand. In particular, I really liked the thin, crispy crust. The whole pizza was thin in general, which meant that it cooked through and cooled down quickly (so no, I didn't burn the top of my mouth when I bit into it). The thinness made it also feel light and easy to eat. I also liked the basil on top. My sole complaint was that there was a slightly sweet element to the dish — maybe it was the uncured pepperoni? Regardless, it's not a bad pizza by any means, so if you need a new go-to frozen pizza brand, give California Pizza Kitchen a try.
2. California Pizza Kitchen BBQ chicken pizza
I liked California Pizza Kitchen's barbecue chicken pizza far more than I thought I would. Admittedly, I'm a newbie to barbecue sauce on pizza, as I prefer to stick to my tried-and-true pepperoni. You can achieve similar results by using leftover chicken to upgrade frozen pizza in a pinch, or you can go this route and grab one of California Pizza Kitchen's pies.
Just like its pepperoni pizza, the crust of the barbecue chicken pizza baked up thin and crispy, but it still held the (slightly heavy) elements of the pizza without drooping. I liked the barbecue sauce the company used; it was slightly sweet, but not overly so, and it married perfectly with the other parts of the pizza. It wasn't too cheesy and the herbs were a nice touch, as were the other toppings. The red onion added a welcome sharp crunch and the chicken pieces were a great pairing with the sauce. The elements of this pizza are very well-balanced, and barbecue fans would love this pizza.
1. P.F. Chang's Korean-inspired pork bowl
Finally, my favorite of these restaurants' frozen meals comes from none other than P.F. Chang's. Though the company's other meal, chicken lo mein, didn't wow me, I was very surprised by its Korean-inspired pork bowl, which features lo mein noodles, pork shoulder, and veggies in a gochujang sauce. I'm fairly sensitive to spicy foods, but this wasn't the least bit overwhelming to me. So, don't shy away from it if you're averse to spice.
My only complaint was that this dish had slightly too much sauce for me. Other than that, I thought it was great. It had well-balanced sweet and spicy elements. I particularly liked the noodles, as they had plenty of bite, but also remained tender. The pork shoulder had a great texture and rich flavor — I only wish the pieces were slightly larger so that they would be more noticeable. The mushrooms weren't prominent, but the shredded carrots added a nice textural element, as did the cabbage and scallions. I wouldn't give this perfect marks on my list, and I've had better frozen Asian-inspired meals, but this was without a doubt the best of this bunch.
Methodology
The first step in ranking restaurants' frozen meals was gathering as equal a selection of foods as possible. I chose two dishes from each available restaurant based on what I thought I would like — however, many of these brands have other selections to choose from. I cooked them all up according to the package instructions and chose to microwave dishes that could also be cooked in a conventional oven to keep the playing field as even as possible.
The most important factor in ranking these foods was whether they delivered on what the box promised. TGI Fridays' pulled pork mac and cheese was the only outlier here, and though it definitely didn't deliver on any cheesiness, it was too good to justify ranking it any lower. The bottom few selections on this list were simply unpalatable, while the top few were quite enjoyable and gave me what I expected.