Our Least Favorite Chain Restaurant Chicken Parmesan Still Hits The Spot

Chicken Parmesan is a lot like pizza — a dish with Italian roots that can be tough to get absolutely perfect. That said, even mediocre versions are still pretty yummy. This is true for both home-cooked and dine-out iterations, as we discovered in our ranking of chicken Parm dishes from chain restaurants. Fast casual spot Fazoli's took last place, yet our taste tester still found some nice things to say.

Fazoli's is a quick-service restaurant with around 200 locations in the U.S., and with its drive-thrus, ordering counters, and self-serve drink dispensers, it's closer to a fast food joint than sit-down spots like Olive Garden. Its Baked Chicken Parmigiano is surprisingly substantial, delivering a cheese-crusted chicken breast topped with tomato sauce, provolone, and mozzarella, all sitting on a bed of spaghetti marinara. Our taste tester found the dish decently tasty, even if it doesn't come close to our number one pick (not to mention a crispy and saucy homemade chicken Parmesan).

While the taste is serviceable, our taster pointed out that the main draw of Fazoli's chicken Parm is its value. This is probably true for all of the chain's entrees, which are served in generous portions for around $10 to $12 per dish. At these prices, you can't expect the pinnacle of Italian cuisine, which is ultimately why we put Fazoli's at the bottom of our ranking of Italian chain restaurants. However, its Chicken Parmigiano — along with other menu items — holds a cheesy, saucy place in the hearts of many.

Sometimes, the most upscale version of a dish simply isn't what you want, and customers agree that Fazoli's Baked Chicken Parmigiano hits the spot for cheap Italian fare. One Reddit commenter wrote, "Fazoli's is miles better than Olive Garden, IMO. Their chicken Parm meal is my jam, and the pizza isn't too bad, either." Meanwhile, a reviewer on Facebook said, "It is such a huge portion I couldn't finish it! Chicken was very moist inside with a ton of flavor." Commenters on Fazoli's Facebook page are also feeling the chicken Parm love, with one fan calling it "the best!"

In general, Fazoli's gets a lot of affection online, with many fans fiercely defending it from detractors. This may be because the chain has a real underdog story. Following financial struggles and a decrease in food and service quality, Fazoli's closed roughly 200 restaurants from 2004 to 2010. Carl Howard became CEO in 2008 and got to work remodeling stores and improving the menu, which led to a positive turnaround in sales. In 2021, Fazoli's was purchased by Fat Brands for $130 million, and the chain has since returned to areas that hadn't seen an operating location in years. One Redditor slammed on the caps lock and exclamation points when they found out Fazoli's was returning to Orlando, Florida, adding that the news "made my entire week." Another customer said of the food, "I wasn't expecting much, but for the dollar, it was worth every single one."