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What Not to Order: 8 Really Bad Choices From Chain Restaurant Menus
While the menus of many of the country's most popular restaurants feature salads and other pretty healthy choices, they also include meals you might want to avoid. Here's the worst of the worst.
October 22, 2017
IHOP's Cheeseburger Omelette
2 min to read
To help you decide which items to pass on the next time you find yourself in a chain restaurant, here are the “winners” of the 2017 Xtreme Eating Awards, which food-shames specific menu items that are over-the-top in calorie count and heart-unfriendliness. The nutritional information is provided by the 2017 Xtreme Eating Awards. Keep in mind that the recommended intake for an entire day is 2,000 calories, 20g saturated fat and 2,300mg sodium.
1
Worst Visceral Effects
Chili’s Ultimate Smokehouse Combo
So much food that it’s served on a tray instead of a plate, the Combo invites you to choose three meats from among a BBQ chicken breast, a jalapeño-and-cheddar smoked sausage, the brand’s Chicken Crispers and a half rack of baby back ribs. The sides that come with it are roasted corn, homestyle fries, toast and pickles.
2,440 calories
41g saturated fat
7,610mg sodium
2
Least Original Breakfast
IHOP’s Cheeseburger Omelette
A stack of three buttermilk pancakes sides the main course of eggs mixed with hamburger patty pieces, hash browns, tomatoes, onions, American cheese, ketchup, mustard and pickles.
1,990 calories
45g saturated fat
4,580mg sodium
3
Worst Adapted Pasta
The Cheesecake Factory’s Pasta Napolitana
Four meats—Italian sausage, pepperoni, meatballs and bacon—sit upon pasta swimming in butter and cream.
2,310 calories
79g saturated fat
4,370mg sodium
4
Worst Cheese in a Leading Role
Buffalo Wild Wings’ Cheese Curd Bacon Burger
A burger, cheese and two bacon strips are all drenched in a mayo-rich “cool heat sauce.”
1,950 calories
53g saturated fat
4,700mg sodium
5
Worst Original Appetizer
Dave & Buster’s Carnivore Pizzadilla
A 12" quesadilla, served pizza-style in eight slices, is stuffed with pepperoni, Italian sausage and Manchego and cheddar cheeses, then topped with more pepperoni and Italian sausage along with bacon, marinara sauce, and mozzarella cheese and Parmesan cheese.
1,970 calories
67g saturated fat
4,440mg sodium
6
Most Damage from a Supporting Vegetable
Texas Roadhouse’s Prime Rib
A 16oz prime rib comes with a choice of two sides, including the Loaded Sweet Potato with mini marshmallows and caramel sauce.
2,820 calories
72g saturated fat
5,330mg sodium
7
Worst Cocktail Design
The Cheesecake Factory’s Flying Gorilla
This cocktail is described by the chain as a “kicked-up chocolate banana milkshake with dark chocolate and banana liqueurs.”
950 calories
26g saturated fat
8
Most Ridiculous Ending
Uno Pizzeria & Grill’s Ridiculously Awesome, Insanely Large Chocolate Cake
The name of the dessert pretty much says it all.
1,740 calories
32g saturated fat
770mg sodium
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