9 Chain Restaurant Appetizers That We're Tired Of

For most of us, appetizers have long existed as the classic precursor to a positive dining experience, soothing your grumbling stomach before the main course arrives. In France, this savory start to the meal is known as hors d'oeuvres; in Italy, there's antipasto. You also have Spanish tapas, a small dish intended to be served with drinks. However, in America, we often refer to these courses simply as starters or appetizers.

Designed to whet the appetite rather than satiate, these pre-meal courses are usually intended for sharing, adding to the casual, jovial atmosphere of dining out with friends and family. They evolve with the times, leaning into consumer trends and fading out as tastes change, particularly in chain restaurants. Some dishes, such as shrimp cocktail, stand as formerly popular appetizers that were once ubiquitous, but have since waned from eatery menus until vanishing completely from restaurant chains.

Currently, there are several appetizers that have seemingly overstayed their welcome at nationwide restaurants. Some of these items have been around for decades — others are more recent trends that have yet to fade from view. It's time to finally single out these exhausted appetizers for what they are, paving the way for a new generation of starters to take their rightful place.

A long standing offering in Tex Mex restaurants that has since spread to chains like Applebees, queso dip is an appetizer that may have run its course. A Texas-infused take on a warm dip that rose to power alongside processed American cheese, this spicy offering has been criticized as becoming increasingly bland over the years — and it has been some years since it was invented. Recipes for chile con queso (queso's official name) actually date back as far as the early 1920s.

Classically made with American processed cheese and chile peppers, the dip differs significantly from more authentic Mexican cheese dishes, which tend to be made with queso asadero or the white cheese Chihuahua. Unfortunately, many chain restaurants simply don't put a lot of effort into this savory dish to make it flavorful, continuing to use tasteless, processed cheese, occasionally even further thinned with milk. Another reason to start skipping this cheesy appetizer? Many queso dips are served with a large helping of salty chips, which increase customers' thirst, causing them to order more drinks.

But consumers won't be shying away from Mexican cuisine anytime soon. When it comes to appetizers, diners are seemingly increasingly drawn to more authentic Mexican offerings such as elote. Also known as Mexican street corn, this flavor-packed starter is composed from grilled corn, dressed with mayonnaise and topped with cotija cheese, lime, chili, and cilantro. Like queso, it can also be made dip-style. Perhaps the next great appetizer for the following century will be Mexican street corn dip.

Still a frequent menu offering at chains like Texas Roadhouse and Cheesecake Factory, fried jalapeño poppers continue on despite being a dish that may have overstayed its welcome. Although chain restaurants may spice up the name (calling them rattlesnake bites at Texas Roadhouse and chicken and jalapeño fritters at Cheesecake Factory) this dish is still one that many diners are fatigued with. Not only is this menu item often pre-battered and frozen, which leads to soggier results, the heat levels can vary widely on this appetizer, triggering acid reflux and heartburn in some with more sensitive stomachs.

Jalapeño poppers became pervasive in the 1990s, making their way onto the menus of nationwide chains like Applebees and TGI Fridays. A dish with Mexican lineage, it is comparable to chile relleno — a centuries-old recipe of roasted poblano stuffed with cheese and occasionally meat, which is then battered and fried. Still, today's jalapeño poppers are a far stretch from this long-established dish. Rarely will you find an entire jalapeño pepper filled with cheese and delicately crisped. Instead, these modern incarnations often dice the chile into bits, diluting the heat of the fiery foodstuff. Although great when homemade, many times restaurant poppers are more filler than fare, supplying you with cheese and breading without delivering on flavor.

Although the charm of Red Robin's high-climbing Onion Ring Tower is nostalgic, this may be a fried food that has run its course in chain restaurants. While onion rings can be absolutely delicious when coated in a good batter, like tempura, rarely do these eye-catching appetizers deliver on the crispy exterior. Onion rings can easily become overly bready if a coating is too thick, or too soggy if the oil isn't at the right temperature.

If fried foods are dropped into the oil before it reaches a high enough frying temperature, they'll sponge up the liquid instead of crisping up. By contrast, if the oil is too hot, they may overcook and burn. To further complicate things, every time a new batch is added, the oil temperature drops again, needing to come back to the correct temperature before being usable again — one could see how this might become an issue at chain restaurants with orders constantly coming in and out.

Instead of monumental stacks of onion rings, it may be time to focus on quality rather than presentation. What are some appetizers ready to replace this towering starter? Fried zucchini and fried green beans are two possible choices. Zucchini can be sliced into larger sections, ensuring the batter never overwhelms this delightful veggie. Additionally, the contrast between a crunchy breading and subtly sweet, moist interior is undeniably enjoyable. Diners who find zucchini too tender or who seek a stronger flavor may prefer fried green beans, instead.

An appetizer that garnered widespread popularity while being offered at TGI Fridays in the early aughts, fried pasta and cheese bites are still served nationwide at chains like the Cheesecake Factory and BJ's Brewhouse. Yet unbeknownst to these restaurants, it seems the era of fried mac and cheese balls may have come and gone. Not only is this appetizer overly filling, it is one that must be eaten immediately, lest the gooey pasta center turn into a cold, gloopy mess of overcooked starch.

While this dish may be fine for making at home (especially if you're using leftover mac and cheese), its novelty is starting to wear off for many diners at chain restaurants. Oftentimes the center may not be as ooey-gooey as advertised, even seeming a bit dry — other times you bite into this crispy pasta starter and find it overloaded with grease and mush. It all depends on how the restaurant prepares this dinner precursor. The mac and cheese has to be made ahead of time, then chilled, and often frozen. Texture can vary depending on the pasta used, the type of cheese, and, of course, the batter and cooking process.

For an appetizer with more consistent results, restaurants should consider leaning into starters like Brussels sprouts. Often crisped, caramelized, and glazed with a sweet coating like honey or maple butter, these earthy veggies are a truly flavorful appetizer when contrasted with a sweet coating. Likewise, smashed Brussels sprouts are quickly becoming more appreciated for their texture contrast, although chain restaurants haven't seemed to catch onto this trend yet. Similar to fried mac and cheese bites, the veggie is first cooked until softened, then smashed and cooked to create a delectable texture contrast. This shareable appetizer can also be topped with cheese for a delicious addition.

Although menus tend to vary on the name, chicken tenders remain a decades-old appetizer offering at countless chain restaurants. Called chicken crispers at Chilis and chicken fingers at other places, these plain, boneless chicken items persist as a standard on several chain restaurant menus despite evolving tastes. Although beloved by children, many adults find this appetizer staple to often have an inconsistent ratio of chicken to bread or be overly bland, heavily relying on dipping sauces to flavor this blasé fare.

Be they fried or baked, chicken tenders are made from chicken breast — a poultry part that can sometimes be somewhat tasteless if not prepared properly. This can especially happen if the breast is not brined correctly or the flour coating is under-seasoned. While little cups of honey, mustard, barbecue sauce, and ranch might seem generous, oftentimes this is just a trick to flavor zest-less menu items such as these. Chicken tenders, it seems, may be a starter best relegated to the kids menu today.

Instead of these boring, floppy chicken parts, more and more consumers are drawn to bolder chicken appetizers like Korean chicken wings or chicken glazed with gochujang — a fermented condiment made from red chili peppers and fermented soybeans. What about their vegetarian counterparts? Appetizers like the Cheesecake Factory's Korean fried cauliflower are an intriguing replacement, infusing plenty of international flavor into what might otherwise be seen as a boring, meatless starter.

Be they pretzel bites a la TGI Fridays or pretzel breadsticks via Applebees, this chewy, salted appetizer's time has come and gone. Not only are bread-based appetizers a dense and filling start to a meal (potentially letting restaurants get away with smaller entrée sizes), many times the beer cheese is underwhelming, being more akin to nacho cheese sauce than a classic beer cheese.

A traditional beer cheese, as invented in Kentucky, will be made from extra sharp cheddar, spices, and a flattened beer. Still, not all beer cheeses are created equally. While the best ones use an aged cheddar with a sharper bite to it, some choose milder, less flavorful cheeses for their dipping sauce, leading to a disappointing product. In other cases, the cheese to liquid ratio can be off, making it runny — a good beer cheese should be solid when cold. Moreover, the wrong beer can ruin this cheesy side. Even if the sauce is fine, there's also the bread to consider.

While starting a meal with free bread used to be customary, more and more restaurants are paring back on this offering, rebranding bread as an appetizer. This is in part to curb food waste from uneaten bread, but also a financial decision. While restaurants tend to make the most revenue from alcohol sales, appetizers also help up the bill, leading to more profit for the restaurant. Additionally, all that pretzel salt can make you hungrier. It's true — research shows salty food actually can increase hunger, causing you to possibly eat more than planned. Altogether, this is a trick many consumers are wising up to, leaving salt-coated bread and underwhelming cheese sauces a less desirable appetizer.

Although consumers have become drawn to fresher appetizers or those that choose air-frying methods, many restaurant chains continue to double down on their deep-frying approach, offering party-style platters of all their fried foodstuffs everywhere from Denny's and Chilis to Buca di Beppo. Fried pickles, fried chicken, and fried mozzarella are often paired together, piling up menu items that are high-calorie and abundant in trans fats instead of fresher offerings like shareable hummus plates with veggies.

We get the appeal — a fried sampler platter is a great way to satiate everyone's palate at the same table. There are meatless options, like onion rings and fried zucchini for some consumers, but plenty of heartier options like chicken wings for protein-lovers. But consumers have long been hankering for something more — something that was temporarily fulfilled with the rise of the charcuterie board.

Like the fried sampler platter, this diverse appetizer offers meats and nuts alongside fare like cheese, olives, and pickles. Despite its popularity, few chain restaurants ever hopped on the charcuterie bandwagon, sticking to their outdated fried fare. While some argue the time of the charcuterie board has passed, others disagree. Either way, it's time for something new to replace the batter-coated assortment at restaurant chains, be it craftily arranged veggies and meats or something more like an upgraded eggroll sampler, featuring a mix of veggie-friendly and meatier choices.

While more frequently offered at fast food venues, waffle fries have also made the appetizer lists of restaurants like Applebees, where the fare is often overloaded with cheese and bacon. Yet, is the waffle fry really an improvement on the centuries-old original? While the classic fry as we know it dates back to the 18th century, the grid-shaped waffle fry was invented in the 1970s. Created in 1979 when originator, Edgar Matsler, patented a special potato slicer to make this grid-shaped fry, the invention then spread out from there, eventually disseminating to fast food venues and chain restaurants.

Despite its quirky history, the question must be asked — what does this lattice-like appetizer have on the straight-cut fry? Some have argued that waffle-fries hold more surface area, improving your capacity to scoop up sauces and toppings. Unfortunately, this is also the waffle fry's downfall. Waffle-cut fries are more likely than their straight-cut counterparts to become soggy or greasy, especially when overloaded with sauces. Largely, the waffle fry seems to be more about novelty than practicality, making this appetizer a subpar starter diners have wearied of seeing.

Still an offering at Olive Garden and some other Italian chain restaurants, fried or toasted ravioli is one of those appetizers that almost always sounds better than it actually is. While toasted ravioli might be prepared well in in its birthplace of St. Louis, it is oftentimes not so satisfying elsewhere. In some instances the ravioli turns out too crispy and dry, taking on a chewy-crunchy texture. On other occasions, it comes out far too mushy, featuring floppy pasta pouches coated in a sad, flimsy breading.

Even if you strike upon an Italian chain restaurant that actually serves this dish right, does it really make sense to start off the meal with pasta only to eat more pasta? After taking all its faults into consideration, fried ravioli is an appetizer that we wouldn't mind departing from restaurant menus.

What might make a better starter? Perhaps these Italy-inspired chains should take a page out of a more authentic Italian cookbook. A possible untapped appetizer might be arancini, a popular Sicilian snack made from using rice or risotto and various other fillings like cheese, meat sauce, peas, and tomatoes. Once rolled in breadcrumbs and fried, these golden-hued croquettes become a delightful appetizer, holding the heat in perfectly until broken apart with a fork. Although this centuries-old staple may be considered a common street food in Sicily, it's one with a solid reputation and lengthy heritage, unlike the more recent invention of fried ravioli.