10 Fazoli's Italian Dishes, Ranked

How do you like your dinner plans? Big burgers in front of a big screen? A fancy steakhouse with a waiting list longer than the menu? Or maybe you're in the mood for some typical Italian? Though its slogan – "Real Italian. Real Fast." – may sound more like the next big movie in the "Fast and Furious" franchise than something fit for a restaurant, if that's more your meal mantra, Fazoli's has you covered.

Quick Italian comfort food has been Fazoli's specialty since it opened in 1988. And while it has changed operationally in the last 35-plus years – upgrading to real plates, removing artificial ingredients, and improving its drive-thru experience, just to name a few — the important things have stayed the same. The restaurant still sits at the intersection of fast-casual and sit-and-stay-awhile dining, where you order at a counter, but waiters buzz around to deliver food. And, of course, the menu is still filled with classic Italian American dishes like spaghetti, lasagna, fettuccine, and pizza. It's also important to mention those legendary breadsticks that come with every meal and get delivered in a bath of garlicky butter — it's a good thing they're unlimited.

But what are the absolute best entrees on the menu? Most customers have their favorites, and I chose 10 popular options to rank them based on flavor. I sat down with a local manager overseeing multiple locations to get the scoop and a taste of some of Fazoli's most prominent dishes.

Before any Italians scoff at this dish, let's just clarify that this is a very anglicized version of a carbonara. If the addition of chicken wasn't enough to give it away, then the broccoli will. And if you look even closer, the white Alfredo sauce is a far cry from the egg, pecorino, and black pepper emulsion that blankets the traditional recipe. It may be a disgrace in Rome, but at Fazoli's, it's a signature pasta.

So, now with our expectations in check, we can dive into taste. Despite its placement, there are some good things happening in this bowl. The spaghetti noodles, though thin, were cooked well, attaining a nice al dente texture — not too firm and not too mushy. And the surrounding sauce, though also thin and mildly soupy, has some decent flavor to it. It actually contains both Parmesan and cheddar cheese, and although it's not especially creamy, it has some salty, buttery notes. A little cracked black pepper would have gone a long way to jazz it up, but it was decent overall.

I didn't even mind the tender broccoli florets. Where it could use some work is protein and texture. The chicken cubes resolved to a strange, squashy texture, almost like canned chicken, while the bacon bits were flimsy, featuring some artificial smokiness that permeated the entire helping. With these two factors working against it, it ranked last.

The theme of the day was cheese — and I wasn't necessarily mad about it. Nearly every dish on the Fazoli's menu is baked with a crown of both mozzarella and provolone, and the chain doesn't stop there. The employees come around with Parmesan to grate it fresh at the table. It's the only table-side service offered, aside from coming around to bring you food.

The Chicken Broccoli Penne wasn't exempt from the cheese treatment. It also bears a lot of similarities to the previous Chicken Carbonara, which is why they're budded up in the rankings. That same loose, cheesy Alfredo is at play again, as well as the soft-textured chicken. As for the pasta, the change from spaghetti noodles to penne pasta was an even trade in my book. It's still cooked to a decent consistency, but this time with a firmer bite. What seems to be the main draw of the dish is the broccoli and cherry tomatoes that add some color — looks-wise and taste-wise. The broccoli delivered more flavor than the tomatoes, though, which were oddly bland — you'll also want to wait a minute before eating them because they emerge boiling hot.

I would classify this as another so-so dish, with the chicken cited as the largest problem. But since it loses the bacon, and with more cheese that makes everything better — especially when it's golden and bubbly — it hops the chicken carbonara.

Spaghetti makes an appearance on the menu several times in several different formats. You can have it with classic marinara sauce, with meat sauce, or topped with Italian meatballs. And then there are baked versions (code for covered with cheese). Of course, I had to go all out with the Baked Spaghetti with Meatballs.

You get three total meatballs on the platter, all in a fairly small size. And that was enough for me. As a combination of beef, pork, and chicken, they're not necessarily bad, and they definitely outperform diced chicken from the previous options. But they're not particularly flavorful. They seem just like the meatballs you would buy in bulk in the freezer aisle, and that's probably not too far off. I would have liked to see thicker egg-based spaghetti noodles at the base, but there's nothing fundamentally wrong with the pasta hiding at the bottom of the dish.

As for the sauce, I think Fazoli's does a decent job with this recipe, though it's not anything gourmet or overly special. However, it's smooth and has a brightly tart flavor. There's just a touch of sweetness to it and light hints of garlic and basic Italian seasonings. It's neutral enough to go with just about anything. A hearty layer of gooey cheese on top helps to make this menu item a respectably tasty one.

When I asked the manager what the top-selling dishes were at his locations, fettuccine Alfredo was the first one he rattled off. Apparently, it's quite popular, and even before tasting it, it made a lot of sense as people generally love fettuccine Alfredo. I think the beauty is in the simplicity. There is nothing polarizing in the combination of noodles, cream, and cheese.

At Fazoli's, the tradition of fettuccine Alfredo as the ultimate Italian American comfort food are upheld. That sauce, thin as it may be, is as buttery as ever, and without ingredients like broccoli or bacon crowding it, the garlic notes start to come out a bit more as well. The thicker, flatter noodles also do a better job of mopping up the sauce, and I honestly didn't mind having some excess pooling around the edges of the plate. If anything, it presented the perfect opportunity for breadstick dipping.

I wouldn't nominate it for culinary awards, but it's a plate I would happily slurp up again. And it would have made much further in the taste test if it weren't dragged down by the chicken. There is some serious work to be done on this poultry. But until it gets an upgrade, I would recommend sticking to the classic fettuccine Alfredo. Learn from my mistakes and get your protein from a different source.

This dish earns points for pure novelty alone. Pizza spaghetti is not something you'll find at many restaurants, and it reads like the final boss of Americanized Italian food. For Fazoli's, though, it feels right at home on the menu.

It starts the same way as any other spaghetti dish would, with a pile of noodles and sauce. But it's not the same marinara that was featured in spaghetti and meatballs. It's actually listed as a signature pizza bake sauce, and it feels thicker and more robust in flavor. The real draw here, however, is undoubtedly the golden topper of cheese and greasy pepperoni. The light savory spice of the pepperoni is really what carries it and makes you keep coming back for more. I didn't want to stop eating it. Unsurprisingly, there's just something about that heavy combination of grease, carbs, and cheese that's very appealing to the taste buds.

Now, does it compare to some of the chain's more beefed-up menu options? Not quite. But much like the fettuccine Alfredo, it's still something I would indulge in again. Honestly, I'm intrigued by the other flavor variations as well. I think they might be onto something with the Supreme Pizza Baked Spaghetti, which features pepperoni, Italian sausage, bacon, and veggies. More meat and flavor diversity is just what this dish is missing.

When I think of sit-down Italian eateries — as non-traditional as they may be — my mind doesn't automatically wander to handhelds. However, Fazoli's dances to the beat of its own drum and actually offers a few different loaded sandwiches on its menu, including a Club Sub, an Italian Sub, and the most fitting of all, the Meatball Sub.

Yes, those same mediocre meatballs from baked spaghetti are back. As they are the core part of the sub, the dish lands closer to the back of the rankings. However, in this new setting, the meatballs are easier to appreciate. A thick layer of melted mozzarella hides many of their flaws, and a light slather of that zesty marinara gives each bite more flavor. The bread is no slouch either. I was told that each half gets a dab of garlic butter before it's toasted. So, it has some nice flavor to it, with a texture that combines crispy crust and soft interior.

There was also a surprise ingredient that I wasn't expecting. Pepperonis lined the bottom piece of the bread. Not an ingredient on your typical meatball sub, but I liked it. It turned the sandwich into more of a meatball and pizza sub hybrid. The pepperoni ups the ante in terms of taste, making the sandwich feel more complete. Plus, who doesn't love a little extra protein?

I love a hearty plate of chicken parmesan. It's one of my go-to's when I dine somewhere like Olive Garden, Carrabba's, or any Italian-centered restaurant. It's consistently tasty, and the best part is that between the pasta and protein, you get a lot of food — you can almost always count on leftovers.

The same goes for Fazolis' Baked Chicken Parmigiano. It's a generous portion, even though it is mostly pasta with a side of saucy noodles. Still, that spaghetti and marinara offer a solid start, and the chicken is prepared much differently from the one featured on previous plates. It is a thick, juicy cut — definitely not pounded thin and butterflied the way some other chicken parm recipes call for — and it comes lightly breaded in Parmesan crust. It's hard to tell, but there's also a layer of Alfredo sauce covering the chicken. Its flavor is mostly trumped by the marinara, but its texture is at least somewhat noticeable underneath the mound of baked-on mozzarella and provolone.

Altogether, the dish has a very homemade flair to it, which makes it feel wholesome but also a touch underwhelming at the same time. It feels like a meal I could easily whip up myself, and as someone with no culinary training, I expect just a little bit more from restaurant-quality fare.

Of course, any Italian-inspired restaurant would be remiss not to include a proper lasagna on the menu. I think people may riot if they didn't — especially my mom, who hardly ever orders anything else.

When Fazoli's take on the classic was first brought to my table, it looked like nothing more than a giant lump of browned, bubbly cheese and sauce. But, as I dug in, the layers started to show up. Strips of ricotta are sandwiched between flat noodles, and the meat sauce is plentiful. It appeared to have been poured on top, but no bite goes without. I wish there had been a bit more meat in the sauce, or at least more flavor. However, overall, the sauce is good and pairs well with the ricotta filling and the mozzarella-provolone shell on top. Everything also sits on a bed of Alfredo sauce. It seems that the chain can't resist sneaking it into its dishes. But I can't really taste it here, nor do I think it's fully necessary.

Like the chicken parmesan, the lasagna has a homestyle air about it. It's an unpretentious, homey kind of recipe, and I think more people would prefer it over chicken parm. But that's not to say it couldn't be improved by an extra handful of seasonings or a more meat-focused sauce. I also found it to be a little too mushy for my liking.

If I'm being completely honest, I wasn't expecting a lot from the chain's pizza. At a dine-in Italian chain, it seems more of an obligatory menu item that's thrown in to satisfy kids and picky eaters than the main attraction. But saucy pies have always been a core part of Fazoli's identity. And, after trying it, I can confidently say it's still one of the best parts of its operation. I changed my tune quickly.

The crust is really what impressed me the most. It's not a thin, cracker-like crust, and I wouldn't classify it as a thick crust either. It sits somewhere in the middle, similar to a pan pizza that's perfectly crisp around the edges but remains doughy and chewy in the center. On top of this quintessential texture, it's also brushed with garlic butter — presumably the same combination that coats the breadsticks — providing a savory, buttery upgrade.

Since I got the pepperoni double slice, it came topped with a tomato-based pizza sauce, mozzarella and provolone cheese combo, and pepperoni. It's not the cheesiest pizza I've ever had, and it's not covered in an obscene amount of pepperoni. But everything comes together in great harmony with greasy, saucy, and garlicky elements. And that's all I can really ask from a casual slice. It ended up as one of my favorites, second only to an exceptionally well-rounded pasta dish.

Spicy Baked Ziti is a dish that breaks away from Fazoli's norms. It's the only entree that brings some heat to the menu. This is still a filling, feel-good Italian dish, just with a spicy twist.

It's offered with chicken or Italian sausage, and I couldn't be happier that I opted for the latter. Instead of bits of unusually textured chicken, you get slices of savory spiced sausage. This is a major upgrade, and the rest of the dish is just as good. The pasta (which is actually ridged penne noodles rather than ziti, but we'll let that slide) comes out with a nice springy texture. It's also coated well — yet not completely smothered — in a spicy tomato pepper sauce. I was told that it's actually a combination of the chain's marinara and Alfredo sauces, with some red pepper flakes thrown in. That is exactly what it tastes like: Like a creamy vodka sauce with a bit of a kick. The dish has the word baked in the title, so you already know it goes over the top with its cap of cheese. There are also a few more red pepper flakes sprinkled on top, for spice and aesthetics. But don't worry, it's still a very manageable level of heat, in my opinion.

The baked ziti has everything you might want in a pasta: flavorful protein, a rich sauce, and plenty of cheesiness to finish it off. It was the most satisfying bite of the day, by far.

I have dined at Fazoli's more than a couple times in my life, but it had been years since my last visit. So, I think it's fair to say that I came into this taste test with a fresh, unbiased take on the entire menu. As someone who also loves Italian food in any form — whether it's from an authentic trattoria in Italy or a stateside chain restaurant — I think I was more than qualified to take on this endeavor.

To choose the 10 dishes to try, I mostly stuck to the chain's fan favorites, which actually take up the majority of the menu. I requested a good sample of everything, making sure to hit all different sauces and all different proteins in pasta dishes. I also had to try at least one of the subs and, of course, the pizza. I was able to sample everything at the restaurant during a coordinated taste test.

When it came to ranking, I was after flavor and well-cooked food — it's as simple as that. I looked for high-quality protein and pasta that featured a desirable texture. I wasn't after cheesiness in any dish, and I actually found the chain's sauces to be surprisingly solid. They're perhaps not the most traditional or authentic, but for fast-casual eating purposes, they get the job done. From there, it was all about the overall flavor. My favorites were comforting but also intriguing and surprised me in the best ways.