Who Has The Better Steak: Chili's Or Applebee's?

When cravings for steak strike, there's little you can do to suppress them. Yearnings for a juicy, buttery steak can't be silenced with grilled chicken. The problem is, a trip to a steakhouse can be decidedly pricy. And achieving a perfectly grilled steak at home can be a daunting task — especially if you don't have the finest cuts of meat at your fingertips. Never fear, your local fast casual restaurant offers some tasty steak options. Note: I said "some" because not all hit the mark.

I've been a food writer for 25+ years, so I decided to try and compare the steaks from Chili's and Applebee's. Both restaurants offered different cuts of steak – sirloin and ribeye — so I chose those two cuts and placed them side-by-side. The steaks came with two sides, so I tried those too. I realize the task was to judge the steaks, but it was fun to sample the side dishes nonetheless. I judged each steak based on the quality, flavor, and texture of the meat, and whether it was cooked properly. I also factored in cost because some steaks were pricier than others. 

Was there a clear winner? In my opinion, yes. The best steaks were mouthwateringly delicious and cooked to perfection. And the price was reasonable too. That means, next time you're longing for steak, there's no need to make a steakhouse reservation or travel far from home.

I'll start with my least favorite steak of the group – Chili's classic sirloin. When I first got the steak, I was shocked by its size. I ordered Chili's classic 6-ounce sirloin, and it was barely the size of my fist. I mentioned my surprise to my server, and she said, "Yeah, it starts at 7 to 8 ounces and then shrinks down." Since I've been writing about food for almost 30 years, I'm aware of that. But there's no way this steak started north of 6 ounces before cooking. In fact, it was smaller than the mound of mashed potatoes sitting alongside.

Once I got past the paltry size, I was disappointed by how the steak was cooked. I asked for medium-rare, and this steak was cooked to medium. Medium-rare steaks should be mostly warm, pink, and juicy in the middle, while medium steaks have a slight band of pink running through the center. This steak wasn't warm or juicy, and definitely not as pink as it should have been. I was truly disappointed, especially because the steak was $16.69. Chili's also offers a 10-ounce sirloin for $23.29, but I would hesitate to spend that much knowing it might arrive overcooked. The steak came with two sides — steamed broccoli and loaded mashed potatoes. Sadly, the broccoli was too crisp and salty, and the mashed potatoes were overly garnished with bacon. I'll be skipping this meal next time. 

Applebee's top sirloin was wildly different from the Chili's classic sirloin, and I was happy about that. The 6-ounce steak arrived perfectly cooked to medium-rare and was more appropriate in size — meaning the size it's supposed to be after cooking. Top sirloin comes from the upper back region of the cow, and it has less marbling (fat) to keep it tender. For that reason, it needs to be cooked properly; one minute too long on the grill and you end up with shoe leather. That wasn't the case with Applebee's top sirloin; it was tender and juicy and decidedly pink throughout. The steak wasn't just cooked nicely; the grill flavor on the exterior was on point. It was nicely seasoned, but not overly so; you could still taste the quality of the meat.

The steak was $19.99 and came with two sides — garlic mashed potatoes and garlic green beans (there wasn't a broccoli offering, so I went with the next green veggie). The mashed potatoes had great flavor, and little bits of red potato skin throughout; I enjoyed the flavor and texture of these mashed potatoes much more than Chili's loaded potatoes. The green beans were a bit salty and overcooked; I would have preferred them a bit more tender-crisp. Applebee's offers an 8-ounce top sirloin for $21.99, so if you prefer a bigger steak (or want leftovers for the next day), that would be a great option.

Once I tried each restaurant's sirloin, I moved on to ribeye. When it comes to taste and texture, there's a difference between sirloin steak and ribeye. As mentioned, sirloin comes from the upper back region of the cow; ribeye comes from the beef rib, a primal section that falls between the chuck (shoulder) and the loin. Ribeye has more marbling than sirloin, so the meat is (or should be) noticeably more tender. Unfortunately, that wasn't the case with Chili's classic ribeye. 

When I first sliced into the steak, I thought they mistakenly served me a pork chop. I ordered the steak medium-rare, but what I received was closer to medium-well. It doesn't matter how much marbling a steak has; if you overcook it, it will be tough. This was the only steak in this ranking that didn't have a weight listed, and I thought that was odd. The steak purportedly comes with garlic butter on top, but I couldn't really taste it. A heap of butter would have been a welcome bit of moisture.

The $24.29 steak came with loaded mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. As was the case with the sirloin, the broccoli was undercooked, crispy, and overly salty. The mashed potatoes were exceedingly stiff, like hardened bacon grease. And there was too much bacon overall. I wasn't a fan of this meal — the quality and preparation of the meat were disappointing, and the sides weren't enjoyable. I won't be ordering this again, especially for the hefty price tag.

Applebee's 12-ounce ribeye was the most expensive steak in this ranking at $26.99, and it was wholly apparent. The Applebee's ribeye is USDA select, a cut of beef that's slightly more affordable than higher cuts like prime and choice. Select beef has less marbling (white streaks of fat in the muscle fibers), so it's often leaner. Why am I telling this? Because the marbling in steak melts as the meat cooks, adding flavor and richness while keeping the steak tender and juicy. Since this select ribeye had less marbling, I expected it to be less tender. That wasn't the case. This steak was tender, juicy, and perfectly cooked to medium-rare. The center was rich and buttery, and the exterior had a delectable grilled flavor. This was the only steak in this ranking with detectable fat around the edges. The fat kept the steak moist while adding great flavor. In fact, this was the juiciest steak overall.

Applebee's ribeye comes with two sides, so I ordered the garlic mashed potatoes and garlicky green beans for consistency. As was the case with the sirloin sides, the mashed potatoes were light and fluffy and had colorful pieces of red potato skin throughout. The flavor was good and not too salty. The green beans were overcooked and no longer vibrant green, but the garlic flavor was nice. When cravings for steak strike, this is the one I'll be coming back to.

For this ranking, I purchased a total of four steaks — two at Chili's and two at Applebee's. I ordered each restaurant's ribeye and 6-ounce sirloin and asked that they be cooked medium-rare. Each steak came with two sides, so I chose the recommended mashed potatoes and green vegetables. Chili's mashed potatoes are loaded with bacon, while Applebee's creamy garlic mashed potatoes are more home-style. For the green vegetable, Chili's offered steamed broccoli, and Applebee's suggested garlicky green beans.

I judged each steak based on the quality of the meat, price, how it was cooked, flavor, and texture. If the steak was cooked as I ordered it, I was happy. If the steak was overcooked and/or shrunken, I was disappointed, especially because none of these steaks were cheap. I also judged the steaks on the flavor and texture of the meat. If there was a nice grill flavor and the meat was rich in taste and buttery soft, I moved it up in the ranking. 

This ranking focuses on steak, but I sampled the side dishes because they are intended to round out the meal. They are "suggested" sides for a reason, so I factored that in.