We Tried 11 Chain Restaurant Nachos And Ranked Them Worst To Best

Bar food staples, like pizza, Buffalo wings, and onion rings, are among the many crowd-pleasing favorites on restaurant menus across the country. But no appetizer spread is complete without nachos. They're a tasty addition to your order, whether you're looking for something to enjoy with drinks at the bar or want to indulge in casual, comfort fare at your favorite chain. I took to the maddening streets of Midtown Manhattan to taste as many chain restaurant nachos as I could (and as many as my stomach and budget would allow) and to see which ones were the best.

Most of the nacho contenders were good. Nachos can be great, and a heaping plate full of tortilla chips and cheese (amongst a very wide range of additional toppings) is difficult to get wrong. But, getting it just right is a Herculean task. Although only a select few spots achieved nacho perfection, I still ranked each chain from worst to best, based on factors like crunchiness, freshness of the ingredients, and the overall taste of the plate. 

Some recommendations are based on firsthand impressions of promotional materials and products provided by the manufacturer.

Arguably America's favorite Mexican restaurant, Taco Bell, currently has two nacho varieties on its menu: loaded beef nachos and Nachos BellGrande. While the portion size for the Nachos BellGrande is larger than the loaded beef nachos, it definitely does not justify the price — especially when this meal is twice as expensive.

The tortilla chips were not soggy. They were topped with refried beans, nacho cheese sauce, reduced-fat sour cream, and diced tomatoes. Though, I found another sauce present on these nachos that wasn't listed in the description; my best guess is it's creamy jalapeño sauce.

I opted to swap the beef for slow-roasted chicken in order to try different protein offerings, and I also added jalapeños as a side. If you order these, I advise you to do the same by adding jalapeños — but stick with beef. The chicken was a dull, dry mess. I also thought the cheese sauce was just okay. 

Other than that, the only differentiating quality between the Taco Bell offerings (other than size) is the tomatoes. This addition cannot save this dish from being ranked dead last. If you're really craving nachos from Taco Bell, skip these and opt for the more budget-friendly loaded beef variety.

The second itineration of nachos from Taco Bell tops tortilla chips (which, like the last, were firm and crunchy) with seasoned beef, refried beans, reduced-fat sour cream, and nacho cheese sauce. There were no diced tomatoes. Instead, the chips were topped with enchilada-style red sauce, and surprisingly (especially given its much lower price), a dollop of guacamole.

The lack of tomatoes shouldn't deter you from ordering this dish, as you could always add some diced tomatoes yourself if you're doing takeout. However, the topping-to-chip ratio was unfortunately much lower for this dish, and the cheese still had a sad, plasticky taste and texture. Overall, both of Taco Bell's options were huge disappointments.

The thing about nachos is, they are not haute cuisine. They can be bad, but more often they're mostly just okay in the same way loaded cheese fries are. Nachos are about a very specific kind of decadence and sustenance — one that focuses not on the vessel or its components, but on the overall heap of the dish. Simply, nachos are designed to erase mistakes after late-night follies or prevent them. I recommend the latter if you're craving nachos and Taco Bell's operating hours (which tend to run into the early morning) and price point fit your immediate needs. Otherwise, you're better off making them at home.

From this point on, you can take a sigh of relief, as every nacho contender going forward is perfectly edible. In my ranking of Yard House appetizers, I described the chicken nachos "perfectly inoffensive" and gave them a mid-tier spot. The same goes here. Since there are far fewer items to rank here, I would still categorize them as mid, but fine.

It wasn't the toppings that kept this dish from securing a higher position. The generous portion of guacamole tasted fresh, the chicken was tender, and there was just the right amount of jalapeños grouped together so you could easily control the amount of spice in each bite. The issue was the chips. I don't know if the dish had sat out for a while (though I suspected it did), but the chips, especially the ones in the center, were not crisp. The one that I picked up to taste was floppy. 

If you don't eat these nachos immediately, you might notice that this is the case. If you order these nachos, you should dig into them as soon as they arrive so that you won't encounter the same issue. 

Hard Rock Cafe's "legendary" nachos start with, unsurprisingly, a bed of tortilla chips and layers of black beans, pico de gallo, spicy jalapeños, pickled red onions, scallions, and melted cheddar and Monterey Jack cheeses. Hard Rock's website also lists queso as an ingredient, which is queso fundido dip. Instead of plain sour cream, a lime crema dots each chip.

To reduce food waste, I ordered the chicken nachos, but also requested a side of pulled pork and steak in order to try each variation. For the latter two, I made sure to find a chicken-less chip so as not to disrupt the experiment.

The issue here isn't the toppings or the chips, but the protein. Reviews of both the nachos and the pulled pork put ended up on a list of the dishes to avoid at Hard Rock list and I can see why. The pulled pork was very dry and stringy, and was an overall disappointing addition to the dish.

Of all the restaurants, Pink Taco and Rosa Mexicano had the most bougie ingredients topping their nacho dishes. Black beans, pickled jalapeños, pico de gallo, cilantro, Mexican crema, avocado salsa, red chile sauce, Pink Taco cheese sauce, a house cheese blend, and cotija cheese top the tortilla chips for this order of Pink Taco's chicken nachos. The combination of colorful sauces made these nachos one of the most beautiful iterations on this list.

Many of the ingredients tasted fresh, including the pico de gallo, guacamole, and the welcomed sprinkle of cojita cheese. However, even though the chips were crispy (including at the center), a few of them around the edges were burnt. In my opinion, there weren't enough jalapeños on the dish. While the chicken was tender, it had an odd flavor that battled with the rest of the ingredients. This could have been due to the spices that were used on the meat. I would recommend either foregoing meat altogether or opting for a different protein choice, like al pastor or carnitas. 

The legendary steak nachos are better than the pulled pork ones, but only marginally. I don't really have any complaints about the foundational toppings of the nachos, since many of the ingredients, I assume, came from a can. This means they were not notably fresh or unfresh, except for the steak, tomatoes, and guacamole. The guacamole was the standout here; it had just the right amount of lime and perfectly green avocado. But the steak was, unfortunately, a bit chewy and rubbery — which, for me, ruins the experience. I wish Hard Rock had taken steps to tenderize its steak, because it would have offered buttery, melt-in-your-mouth morsels. 

This was a larger order of nachos that came out on a metal tray. The chips were crispy, though I would've liked to have seen them seasoned more like Pink Taco's carne asada nachos. 

The base nachos were fine, crunchy throughout, and had no burned spots. It was pretty standard in comparison to other chain nacho offerings, namely Yard House's chicken nachos. But, the creaminess of the cheese and the tenderness of the chicken bumped Hard Rock's chicken nachos dish much higher on the list.

Also, these nachos, like a few others on this list, are served on a large metal tray. There is just something about that I find unappetizing and even unsettling about this. The tray is a gleaming beacon of shame, and, in my opinion, mimics an animal trough. It's popular enough that people have become desensitized to it, but there is just something cozier and more appealing about being served nachos on a plate. 

The cheese was evenly melted, and the white meat chicken was not dried out. I would've liked a little more spice and spiciness throughout, but there was nothing bad about this dish. The tomatoes were as fresh as you can expect in wintertime in the Northeast (read: not very flavorful), but this can't always be avoided.

The second protein option at Pink Taco is also its superior one. The carne asada seasoning was so delicious and it smelled incredible coming out of the kitchen. I couldn't wait to take a bite. However, I was disappointed by the rubbery texture that a lot of the steak pieces had. If they had been more tender, this dish would've ranked much higher on this list. For me, chewiness in meat dishes is a dealbreaker. But, not every piece had an unpleasant texture, so that is why, along with the delicious toppings, it placed higher in this ranking.

These nachos contain the same base ingredients as the chicken nachos. If you like carne asada and don't mind a chewy texture, go with this flavorful option. However, if I order these nachos again, I will stick with the meatless option.

It's quite a feat for these nachos to make it to third place, considering they were the only ones I did not order in-restaurant. When I received the delivery, I initially thought that the toppings and chips were in separate containers. But sadly, that wasn't the case — though it really should be. Viva la revolución, I say! Preserve the integrity of the nachos and pack them separately!

Rosa's signature red chili chicken nachos contain Chihuahua cheese, black beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, pickled jalapeños, and cotija cheese. There was a good ratio of chicken and jalapeños to chips, but I found myself using the additional, complimentary chips that came with my order for the chip-less toppings. The portion size was paltry, especially when compared to the others on this list. But the flavor was really good, even after transit, so that is why they ascended so high on the list.

If the Rainforest Café dated your funcle, Margaritaville would be their lovechild. There is just something fun about the over-the-top gaudiness of the Times Square location, which features a margarita glass-holding Lady Liberty replica that's a third of the height of the actual Statue of Liberty. The sheer ridiculousness of the entire space, and the accompanying light show on the larger-than-life margarita glass, made me feel like I was in an alternate universe's Las Vegas, or, with the roaming photographers selling souvenir photos, perhaps a cruise ship. Whatever Margaritaville is serving simply by existing was exactly what I needed on a doldrumy night.

Part elementary school project, part impressive table pleaser, the tortilla chips are assembled into a mountainous tower and smothered with beef and black bean chili and fiesta cheese queso cheese sauce. On top of the volcano is pico de gallo, sour cream, pickled jalapeños, and fresh guacamole. Trust me when I say, the picture (which was taken while the light show was being performed) does not do this dish justice. There was no splitting on this cheese; it was a velvety orange lava perfectly cascading down the volcano. I was happy that the guacamole was included with no upcharge, too. But, while the menu description claimed that there was beef in the chili, I didn't find any.

The figure of speech "never bring a knife to a gunfight" applies to this nacho victor. It's almost unfair to compare the decadent yet airy freshness of these poke tuna nachos to its other competitors, but competitions are rarely a fair fight.

Instead of tortilla chips, this dish starts with crispy, melt-in-your-mouth wonton chips topped with marinated raw ahi tuna, avocado, serrano peppers, nori, sesame seeds, cilantro, green onions, white truffle sauce, soy ginger sauce, and sriracha aioli. There is a bite of tuna placed on each chip, and the combination of sweetness from the ginger sauce, the saltiness of the nori, and soy sauce — along with the kiss of white truffle — makes this appetizer into a full meal. It's no surprise that since it was my favorite appetizer from Yard House and also the winner here. 

My goal for this ranking was to try a wide range of nachos and their accompanying proteins. I sought out to try as many nacho varieties as I could, and tried to order different protein options as sides. Not only did this stretch the limitations of my ventriculus a bit further, but it also reduced food waste, as consuming an entire plate of nachos in a single sitting is nearly impossible. Though you can try to reheat nachos, you will never really be able to bring back the crispiness of the chips.

Chip crispness, the amount of chips charred (if any), the tenderness and flavor of the meat, and the quality of the other ingredients all were factored into my rating. The freshness of the components, especially when concerning fresh salsa, pico de gallo, and avocados also contributed to a higher or lower rating. Presentation and ambiance (if applicable) were also considered.