5 Chain Restaurants Where You Can Order A Bowl Of Chicken Noodle Soup

Chicken noodle soup is a classic dish, whether it's to start the meal or the meal itself. You might be accustomed to cracking open one of those red Campbell's cans or taking the time to make a homemade chicken noodle soup for a comforting lunch or dinner, but sometimes you might have the craving for the soup when you sit down at a restaurant. Surprisingly, not as many of those popular chain restaurants many Americans dine in offer the classic soup (hint: Applebee's or Cracker Barrel), so we scoured online menus to find the ones that do for your next comfort meal while eating out.

You can easily find chicken noodle soup at some fast-food chains, like Chick-fil-A, but sometimes the drive-thru doesn't match the occasion. So, a slightly elevated fast-casual chain or sit-down restaurant might be where you crave a warm bowl of broth loaded with tender chicken, vegetables, and noodles. Of course, this doesn't include regional chains or your local diner, but we have found places from Olive Garden to Panera Bread that should nourish your appetite. And if you find the craving at the grocery store, you can check out our ranking of the most popular canned soups when a meal at home is the move.

Now, Culver's does have a drive-thru, but it's slightly more elevated than some of the more popular fast-food spots. The locations have comfy seating inside too, where you can order a range of items from soups and burgers to the frozen custard that the chain might be most known for. The Wisconsin-founded chain has nearly 1,000 locations in states like Florida and Texas. That means you've got options on where to try its chicken noodle soup depending on where you live or travel.

Now, let's get to the chicken noodle soup, which is available for order in both medium and large sizes to make it a side or a meal. Its rendition of the classic soup uses egg noodles with the usual suspects like chicken, carrots, and celery. As you might expect, the soup is served with a side of saltine crackers. According to its nutrition information, it contains allergens like dairy and shellfish, so be mindful if you're allergic to those foods. The chain also serves other soups like wild and brown rice with chicken soup if you want to skip the noodles.

Denny's is a quasi-diner, so it makes sense that it has chicken noodle soup on its menu. Be mindful, however, because the chain has a rotating menu of soups of the day so you'll need to check your location to see when chicken noodle soup is available. These days, Denny's has over 1,500 locations across the country so there's a chance you might live or travel near one on the right day to give it a taste. At some locations, the soup is served on Fridays, Saturdays, and Sundays.

The restaurant chain cooks its soups in a kettle according to its menu, which helps make thicker soups that won't burn at the bottom. In a bowl of Denny's chicken noodle soup, there are bites of chicken, carrots, and celery as is usually the case. It must be good because you can find copycat recipes online to make it at home. It's available in eight-ounce cups and 12-ounce bowls, coming in at 260 and 390 calories respectively. And if you dine with someone who prefers breakfast, here's the lowdown on whether IHOP or Denny's serves better pancakes.

Jason's Deli might be most known for its sandwiches and salads, but it also has an array of soups also on its menu. The chain has 239 locations across 27 states so you've got plenty of opportunities to try its chicken noodle soup and other items like its new harvest turkey sandwich. It's worth the try, because the chain has made quite the effort in recent years to remove artificial flavors and banned dyes in its ingredients.

A bowl of chicken noodle soup at Jason's Deli uses egg noodles like Culver's, with chicken, carrots, celery, herbs, and spices according to the chain's menu. A look at the soup shows that it's more creamy than brothy, so try it if that's your preferred type of soup. Order it as a cup or bowl — or make it a combo with half of a sandwich and chips for lunch. The spot landed near the top of our ranking of popular sandwich chains so consider the combo for a balanced meal.

Hear us out. Olive Garden doesn't have a traditional chicken noodle soup on its menu, but it does have chicken and gnocchi soup available, and we think it's worth a mention. The Italian-American chain is arguably one of the most popular chains across the country, and you've likely taken a bite of its breadsticks and salad. You can even keep the meal light and stick with the breadsticks and salad with a bowl of its creamy chicken and gnocchi soup.

Gnocchi is a type of pasta or dumpling that replaces the typical noodles that usually make their way to a pot of chicken noodle soup. It's a creamy soup that also has tender chicken (obviously) and spinach for a dose of vegetable flavor. At its Times Square location in New York City, a bowl of the soup is $10.99, but prices vary by region and location. And if you don't have a location nearby, make our copycat Olive Garden chicken gnocchi soup recipe to warm up.

The last chain restaurant on our list is Panera Bread, an obvious choice for a variety of soups and their famous bread bowl. Yes, Panera Bread does have drive-thru locations these days, but it has a cozy sit-down area at all of its locations. The cafe chain has a slew of other soups and menu items, so you'll likely find something to pair with the soup or to feed the others in the party who don't want a bowl of comfort to nourish themselves.

Its chicken noodle soup has the traditional ingredients that most of the other chains on our list incorporate into its recipes, like chicken, celery, carrots, and herbs. It starts at 120 calories per serving, and can be ordered as a cup, bowl, or bread bowl depending on how hungry you are. The soup can also be ordered as a combo with a sandwich or salad. And if you don't have a Panera Bread around, it does sell ready-to-eat products, including its chicken noodle soup, at nationwide retailers like Target.