Lay's Vs Ruffles: Which Brand Makes The Better BBQ Chip?

There are a few chip flavors out there that can be considered true classics. Salted? Of course. Salt and vinegar? Obviously. Sour cream and onion? Fairly standard. The reigning king, however, might be barbecue, which was the first flavored chip released in the U.S. Lay's has been pumping out barbecue chips since the 1960s, so it might be one of the brands most associated with the flavor, but Ruffles changed the game in 2021 with its popular Flamin' Hot BBQ flavor. We put them both to the test in our ranking of 10 BBQ chips, and to us, Ruffles wins out.

Ruffles Flamin' Hot BBQ were released through a campaign featuring NBA player Jayson Tatum. The flavor was actually inspired by Tatum's native St Louis, which has a big barbecue scene. We loved the spice level on these chips, which was actually quite subtle and added something interesting to the mix. 

Online reviewers like the balance that the spice gives to the sweetness of the barbecue, and that you can still taste the flavor of the chips without them being overpowered by heat. That being said, we weren't too impressed by the texture of Ruffles. You can tell that they're artificially shaped, and they do taste slightly processed, so while Ruffles came in second in our ranking, the top spot went to Cape Cod Chips.

Of all the Lay's potato chip flavors, barbecue might hit the best on a warm summer evening or long day at the beach. But when they were stacked up against so many other similar options, they just didn't stand out to us during testing. They landed in sixth place in our ranking, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. We enjoyed their extremely thin, crisp shape and the light, acidic notes in the flavoring. However, they tasted cheap and didn't offer as much bite as thicker cut varieties. Ruffles is owned by the same company as Lay's, so that might be the reason for some of their similarities.

Of course, these iconic American chips do have some die-hard fans. There are millions of TikTok posts dedicated to them, and countless YouTube videos feature taste tests and different reviews. People add them to mashed potatoes, sandwiches, and hamburger meat. Lay's even sells other barbecue-inspired flavors, like Sweet Southern Heat BBQ and Honey BBQ. Lay's baked version of its BBQ chips was our least favorite, followed by the brand's Wavy Hickory BBQ. 

Stick the originals if you want some Lay's. Or, ditch what you know and try out Cape Cod's Sweet Mesquite Barbeque, if you really want to taste a winner.