11 Chain Restaurants With The Best Lobster Bisque, According To Customers

If you've never had bisque, you're missing out on one of the most flavorful, creamy, and internally warming soups out there. The thick soup is similar to a chowder, but there are a few key differences. Unlike chowders, which have large pieces of veggies for texture, bisques are smooth and have pieces of separately cooked lobster, crab, or shrimp added when it's served.

Sounds quite fancy, doesn't it? But the truth is the soup started out like a lot of good food does — out of proximity and need, and it was initially not a luxurious dish. But the meal was so good that through the centuries it's turned from a poor-person's supper into an often high-priced starter or side.

The restaurants on this list get customer accolades for making some of the finest bisque in the business. These discerning diners call the soups everything from tasty and filling to divine. You'll have to stop in at one of the different chains many locations to see where your own opinion falls. And just in case you ever want to try your hand at making one at home, here's a few tips from Alton Brown on how to make it come out every bit as good as these eateries.

When you think of soups at Legal Sea Foods, no one would blame you immediately associating the restaurant with its clam chowder. The chain has been supplying the chowder to U.S. presidential inaugurations since the early 1980s. But there's an equally tasty and lauded lobster bisque on the menu. Legal makes its bisque with cream and sherry before finishing it with a chopped lobster meat garnish. At the Cranston Garden City Center, Rhode Island location, a cup of the soup costs $10, while a bowl will run you $12. And just in case you want to experience it again at home, the company ships its bisque across the country starting at $38.99 per quart.

Reviewers appreciate how well-balanced the soup is, saying it isn't overly salty and has a lovely creamy texture. Others agree, calling it thick and sweet, while highly recommending the dish. Diners also say the bisque is very fresh and has incredible flavor, with some declaring that the soup outshines the chain's chowder. Repeat customers say the bisque has yet to disappoint them, and some even think it's the best soup of any seafood restaurant.

Texas de Brazil combines the hospitality of the Lone Star State with traditional Brazilian churrasco culture, meaning the chain makes sure the craft of cooking beef to perfection fire-side and using fresh ingredients of incredible quality can be found in every bite. With such a focus on beef, having lobster bisque be one of the dishes the restaurant is best known for might seem a bit counterintuitive. And it wasn't originally on the menu, but when a distributor mistakenly gave the restaurant a box of leftover shells, the culinary director took the opportunity to put his own twist on the soup.

Fans are glad he did because the bisque is now a highlight of any meal at the steakhouse. People remember, and crave, the dish long after they leave the restaurant. Some say it's their favorite thing on the menu and suggest dunking the Brazilian cheese bread into the soup. Folks call it superb, perfect, full of flavor, and delicious. Some have even declared the dish is a must-have.

Nearly everyone is familiar with Olive Garden, but fewer people know about the massive Italian-inspired chain's sister restaurant: Eddie V's Prime Seafood. This upscale restaurant chain is much smaller, but it's highly respected for its fresh seafood, elegant atmosphere, and live music. It serves dry-aged steaks, sashimi, calamari, and, of course, lobster bisque. Eddie V's version is made with cognac and cream before being garnished with brioche croutons, pieces of Maine lobster, and a dab of crème fraîche. At the Charlotte, North Carolina location, a bowl of it is priced at $17 and is served as one of the second course options.

Diners enjoy the rich, creamy soup so much that they finish every bite and say it tastes every bit as good as they thought it would. The bisque is thick and filling and comes in a generous portion, which fans say they can't get enough of. Customers appreciate the fact that the soup is poured for them table-side and that there is a good size piece of lobster in it. Several people love it so much, they've called it to die for.

With only 14 locations, McCormick & Schmick's is one of the smallest restaurant brands on this list. It's also one of the most expensive seafood chains in the U.S. and has been offering diners a selection of locally sourced ingredients and seafood since 1974. The menu ranges from oysters and seared Ahi tuna to Wagyu top sirloin and truffle mac and cheese. You can probably see why the price tags are so high. Luckily, the highly rated lobster bisque is a bit more economical. Appearing on both the lunch and dinner menus, the luxurious sherry-spiked soup costs $11 for a cup and $15.50 for a bowl at the Baltimore, Maryland location.

Diners who tried the bisque advise fellow customers not to pass it up when eating at McCormick's. Even people who weren't otherwise impressed with their meal still enjoyed the bisque, calling it very flavorful. One person was so taken with the dish they declared they'd been inspired to attempt making it at home. Overall, fans say the soup tastes incredible, and they appreciate the texture the croutons add, as well as the option of freshly ground black pepper from the servers. Multiple people recommend the bisque, while calling it some of the best they've ever eaten.

Luke's Lobster is best known for its Connecticut and Maine-style lobster rolls, as well as crab and shrimp options. But that's not all on the limited menu. While lobster rolls are a New England favorite, so is a hearty, smooth lobster bisque, and Luke's version certainly meets those requirements.

The chain has been earning loyal fans since opening in 2009, and many of them come for the bisque. In fact, it's so popular that the company has put the soup into grocery stores or ships it right to your door. Made with cream, sweet potato, onion, and pureed lobster, the dish can be added as a side to a roll combo or bought by itself in 8 and 12 ounce options.

People have called the bisque tender, sweet, and incredibly tasty, while being impressed with the lobster pieces in the soup. Customers return and order the bisque again and again, saying it's worth the price. Some people love it so much they ordered a second cup in the same visit. Fans report the soup is outstanding, with one Tripadvisor user saying it "was everything we hoped for. Full of lobster pieces, creamy, and tasty, without being too rich."

The Capital Grille is a renowned fine dining restaurant that's among the best steakhouses in the nation, partially thanks to its in-house dry-aged steaks. The upscale establishment also serves a variety of seafood, such as seared tuna, oysters Rockefeller, sea scallops, and glazed salmon. There's also a lot of lobster on the menu, with its mac 'n' cheese, crab cakes, and risotto all containing the crustacean. Then there's the lobster bisque, which the chain calls its most popular soup. Made with sautéed lobster and a drizzle of sherry, you can buy a cup for $18 or a bowl for $20 at the Orlando, Florida I-Drive location.

Fans say they get the bisque each time they visit the Grille, noting it has generous portions of lobster and that the sherry is the perfect accompaniment to its richness. Some say it's a meal in itself, calling it one of the best versions they've had. Customers have declared the bisque decadent and succulent and say they've never liked another restaurant's better. One person did say they thought there was too much lobster in the soup for it to be called a bisque, but we think that's a great problem to have.

Fleming's Prime Steakhouse & Wine Bar first opened in 1998 with a focus on prime cuts of meat and a passion for char-broiling. The combination was a winning one, and the restaurant is widely praised. It's even been named as serving one of the best ribeyes by a steakhouse chain. Today, the brand has more than 60 locations from coast to coast selling a variety of seafoods alongside its steaks, salads, and desserts. One of the three soups offered, the lobster bisque, is only available on the dinner menu, and at the Dallas/Plano, Texas location, is priced at $21 per bowl.

Customers fondly remember the bisque long after they leave the restaurant. Others call it one of their favorite menu items, with another person noted that it met all of their expectations and then some. They say the flavorful soup is smooth and rich, creating a comforting and luxurious dish that has plenty of lobster pieces and cream. Fans also say the bisque is fresh and some of the tastiest they've tried, with one reviewer noting the sherry was a welcome addition to the soup.

Ocean Prime was established in 2008 and has grown to include over 20 locations across the nation. The award-winning chain prides itself on using responsibly sourced seafood and is striving to remove plastics from its packaging. That commitment to quality shows in the restaurant's menu, which includes sushi, crab cakes, premium steaks, and specialty sauces. Among the seafood offerings, the lobster bisque is a popular option that on both the lunch and dinner menus. At the Beverly Hills, California location, a bowl costs $22 and includes butter-poached lobster pieces.

The soups comes highly recommended, with people calling it some of the greatest bisque they've eaten and emphasizing to get the full bowl instead of just a cup. Customers appreciate the soup being prepared for them table-side and say it's tasty enough that it's tempting to try to take a companion's serving when yours is gone. Some even have to fight the urge to lick the bowl clean. So, it's no surprise that diners call it some of the best lobster bisque around. Many people agree that the soup is rich, creamy, and comes with a generous portion of the crustacean.

Del Frisco's Double Eagle Steakhouse has been in business for over 40 years. The chain serves USDA prime beef and cuts its steaks in-house. Food Republic named it one of the best steakhouses in New York City in 2026, citing the friendly service and fan-favorite crab cakes. The award-winning restaurant is dedicated to using high quality ingredients, and that's made clear in its version of lobster bisque, which costs $17 per bowl at the New York, New York location.

Fans are quick to point out the large lobster pieces in the soup, as well as the dish's creaminess and overall flavor. Other diners agree, calling it wonderfully tasty and noting other members of their group ordered their own bowls after seeing how good it was. Reviewers also say it's filling, praising the soup as phenomenal, rich, and ultimately delicious. One person claimed Del Frisco's bisque blew other restaurants out of the water, with another calling it a must-have menu item.

Truluck's has made using sustainable seafoods part of its core business practices since opening in the early 1990s. The company abides by the Ocean Conservancy guidelines, so the menu periodically rotates to avoid serving over-harvested seafoods. Items like Dungeness crabs, calamari, Ahi tuna, and cold water lobster tails are rarely not on offer, and the same goes for the chain's lauded lobster bisque. Finished with sherry and lobster pieces, a bowl of the soup costs $19 at the Fort Lauderdale, Florida location.

Customers enjoy the bisque so much that some people never order anything else. The soup is beautifully prepared and presented, with people saying it's some of the best bisque they've tried. Fans report there's lots of lobster included in the rich soup and that it's well seasoned. Some note it has a bit of spice, as well. It's also called a must-have dish, amazing, creamy, and delish.

Mason's Famous Lobster Rolls specializes in a variety of crustacean rolls made with fresh Maine lobsters. Opened in 2014, the rolls and soups are made with quality ingredients so customers can appreciate the seafood's flavor instead of fillers. While the limited menu's lobster rolls are indeed well known, the lobster bisque is equally respected and popular. The soup can be ordered in 8 or 12 ounce portions or a cup can be added as a side in the roll and soup combo. The bisque costs $5.95 for a cup and $7.95 for a bowl at the Washington D.C. location.

Fans love the rich soup, saying it makes the entire meal better and suggesting dipping one of the lobster rolls into the warm bisque for the best combination of flavors and texture. People note the dish is smooth and thick, with an incredible flavor overall. There's plenty of lobster in the bisque, which diners call fantastic and wonderful.

Deciding which lobster bisques should be on this list involved narrowing down dozens of different chains across the country. I had to examine multiple factors, such as the overall customer experience, the value and taste of the soups, whether they were regularly available, and the prices.

I then searched through social media posts, comment threads, professional reviews, and user review sites. Only the bisques with the most positive customer reviews across several platforms were chosen for the final list, and the ranking was based on the number of positive reviews the lobster soups had on those various platforms.