The Ultimate Ranking Of The Chuck E. Cheese Menu
Let's be real here: If you've found yourself about to dine at a Chuck E. Cheese, chances are you're there for a kid's birthday party, possibly even against your will. Chuck E. Cheese is best known for its animatronic, mouse-fronted band, arcade games, and cheap plastic prizes that can only be won by painstakingly accumulating tickets. In other words, it's a children's paradise. And even if the joys of Whack-A-Mole have waned for you over the years, there is a certain nostalgia that comes from stepping into a Charles Entertainment Cheese establishment. And yes, there's even a certain nostalgia to eating their food.
Chuck E. Cheese has made strides over the years to provide food offerings that won't make parents miserable, even briefly offering healthier options like Caesar wraps (via PR Newswire). But the foods that have withstood the test of time on the Chuck E. Cheese menu have more or less remained the same: pizza, fries, wings, and various dessert options. You know, birthday party food. So if you find yourself having to eat at a Chuck E. Cheese, we've ranked their menu items to help you figure what to order and what to avoid while you wait for the giant robot mouse to sing happy birthday.
11. Gluten-Free Pizza
If you're ordering a gluten-free pizza, it's likely because you or your kid has a gluten allergy or intolerance. And while it's a lifesaver for so many families and kids that Chuck E. Cheese finally offers some gluten-free options, this is definitely more of an "order if you must" kind of item. Sadly, the bar for gluten-free pizzas is pretty low, and in Chuck E. Cheese's defense, theirs is one of the better ones. According to one gluten-free reviewer, they were just glad the pizza didn't taste like cardboard (via Stockpiling Moms). Not exactly a ringing endorsement, but not a total pan either.
However, if you are going the gluten-free route, it should be noted that Chuck E. Cheese goes to great lengths to ensure their gluten-free pizza doesn't get cross contaminated. Their gluten-free pizzas are packaged in a separate facility and even cooked and served in that packaging. They also provide gluten-free guests with their own personal, disposable pizza cutter, so that families can rest assured their food is safe (via PMQ).
10. Unicorn Churros
Released in 2019, these colorful churros were initially released for a limited time, according to Bustle, but they are still on the menu as of press time. These churros feature Ronnie the Unicorn, whose name is short for Ronaldo Sagittarian, believe it or not. While you can see how these churros would appeal to kids, they also seem to look better than they taste. First of all, their churros are baked instead of fried, which accounts for their lackluster, soft, mushy texture, according to a review at The Impulsive Buy.
The other problem with the Unicorn Churros is that they're dusted in fruity flavor powder. They come in three color/flavors: sour apple, blue raspberry, and cotton candy (via Chuck E. Cheese). As you can probably imagine, it's very hard to make a churro coated in sour fruity powder taste good, and according to reviews, they don't. The aforementioned reviewer complained that the flavors were barely perceptible, but depending on personal tastes, maybe that's a good thing? There's also only four churros in an order, which, again, is either a blessing or a curse depending on how you look at it. Bottom line: These are a food only a kid could love.
9. French Fries
To be honest, the french fries at Chuck E. Cheese are far from the worst thing you could order; in reality, they're nothing special. Their texture can be pretty inconsistent, with only some achieving that golden, crispy crunch you want from a french fry. After all, if you're going to eat fried food, you should be able to enjoy that fried-to-crunchy-perfection texture! We appreciate that their fries are on the slightly thicker side, but many were soggy, floppy, and a few were mysteriously ... wet? It's unclear if Chuck E. Cheese utilizes the double-fry method that really ensures the best french fries.
One reviewer ordered Chuck E. Cheese fries via takeout and had a similar experience where the fries were inconsistent in texture, but altogether not that bad. Admittedly, the sogginess of his fries could have been due to the nature of sitting warm in a takeout container. But the bottom line remains: You will neither celebrate nor regret ordering the french fries at Chuck E. Cheese. In fact, you might not remember them at all.
8. Chicken Wings
The chicken wings at Chuck E. Cheese are surprisingly good for a restaurant that's better known for game tokens than food. Part of their appeal is the variety of options you can choose from. Customers can order classic bone-in wings (which are always our recommendation) or boneless chicken breast nuggets, which really aren't wings at all but may be the more kid-friendly option, so we'll let it slide. You can also order your wings (or nuggets pretending to be wings) coated in three different sauces: buffalo, BBQ, or sweet chili. You can also order them bare.
As far as the sauces go, the buffalo sauce is our favorite. It's definitely lighter on the spice, but again, this is primarily a kid's restaurant so that's to be expected. Also, our wings were pretty light on the sauce in general, so you may need to ask for more on the side if you're a sauce-head. The sweet chili sauce has a goopy texture that may not appeal to everyone, but overall the flavor was nice, albeit also light on the spice. The BBQ sauce was a pass for us. It was weirdly sweet and also had a metallic flavor that was gross and mystifying. If you have picky eaters, bare is the way to go.
7. Salad Bar
The salad bar is an overlooked but crucial foodie gem at every Chuck E. Cheese location. Somewhere between the Unicorn Churros and Dippin' Dots, you can get some actual vegetables in your body (and maybe even your kids'). The restaurant chain even shot a 30-minute-long mindfulness video featuring a meditating Charles Entertainment Cheese himself intercut with peaceful images of waterfalls, nature, and the plethora of food and toppings available at its salad bars. Hard to imagine anything more blissful than that.
The Chuck E. Cheese salad bar is all-you-can-eat and features over 20 different items, so the possibilities are truly endless (via Chuck E. Cheese). They offer everything from fresh lettuce, peppers, olives, tomatoes, and pasta salad to tubs full of bacon bits, hard-boiled eggs, pickled peppers, and even, according to their website, "real cheese." While this is definitely the healthiest food option available at Chuck E. Cheese, just know that not all salad bar food items are created equal.
6. Veggie Pizza
A pizza is a time-honored vehicle for sneaking vegetables into kids (and adults too). And the veggie pizza at Chuck E. Cheese is an excellent option for pleasing everyone's palates while also adding in a bit of nutrition to your meal. Every veggie pie comes topped with a medley of black olives, green peppers, mushrooms, red onions, tomatoes, and of course everyone's favorite vegetable, cheese (via Chuck E. Cheese). They basically took some of the most common salad bar items and tossed them on a pizza.
The veggie pizza finds itself in the middle of our list because while it is satisfying enough, it's also nothing special. The dough is not too thin or thick, and the cheese has just the right amount of umami saltiness. But green bell peppers and raw tomatoes don't really add a ton of flavor to this pizza, and the tomatoes can even make it a bit wet and mushy if it sits for too long. Raw red onions are also not for everyone's tastes, especially little kids, and many parents may find themselves having to pick those off. So all in all, a solid B+ of a pie.
5. Birthday Cake
One of the perks of throwing your kids' birthday party at a Chuck E. Cheese is that they do a lot of the work for you, and that includes providing a chocolate or vanilla birthday cake in either an 8-inch round or quarter-sheet size, depending on the size of your party (via Chuck E. Cheese). The cakes are pretty basic in their design, with rainbow sprinkles coating the sides and a printed Chuck E. Cheese image on top. They can even print a customized Edible Image on their cakes, although they cannot spell your kid's name out in icing (go figure). Both for the ease and the deliciousness factor of these cakes, we recommend them.
The Chuck E. Cheese birthday cakes wouldn't win the star baker prize on "The Great British Baking Show," but hey, it's cake! The buttercream icing is definitely on the sweeter side, but it isn't too dense, as can sometimes be the case with buttercream. The cake itself is surprisingly moist and fluffy for a mass-produced cake. We're particularly partial to the chocolate cake, which had more flavor and was less dry than the vanilla.
4. Dippin' Dots
Dippin' Dots ice cream are synonymous with childhood fun. Often found at amusement parks, ball games, and of course, Chuck E. Cheese, it's safe to say that where there are Dippin' Dots, there is also fun. If you've somehow made it this far in life without trying Dippin' Dots, let us enlighten you: They're delicious beads of ice cream that have the most satisfying texture, don't melt as fast as regular ice cream, yet are still creamy and packed with great flavor. These tiny ice cream dots are flash frozen using liquid nitrogen and were invented by a microbiologist back in 1988 using cryogenic technology (via Dippin' Dots). So there's a lot of fancy science behind this delightful frozen dessert!
Chuck E. Cheese offers a variety of different Dippin' Dots flavors, from cookies and cream to a rainbow-colored fruity blend that taste a lot like Fruity Pebbles. They also often offer seasonal flavors, like Dippin' Dots with crushed peppermint for the winter holidays, or another with crunchy chocolate candies on top. Basically, if you're ever in a position to eat some Dippin' Dots, please do so.
3. Cheesy Bread
The Cheesy Bread at Chuck E. Cheese is a must-order item. This simple and always deeply satisfying appetizer is like the best parts of a pizza amplified. You've got a thick, chewy bread topped with shredded and melted mozzarella cheese and cheddar cheese (via Chuck E. Cheese). But the ingredient that makes the cheesy bread extra special is the garlic spread, which adds a much-appreciated burst of flavor. And as if a bunch of garlicky melted cheese on bread wasn't enough, the cheesy bread also comes with some dipping sauces on the side: either pizza (or marinara) sauce or a light ranch dressing. We're particularly partial to the marinara sauce because it compliments the ingredients perfectly, but you really can't go wrong with either.
According to an AMA on Reddit with a former Chuck E. Cheese employee, the cheesy bread is actually made in house, so it always comes out fresh and hot (and frankly, it's so tasty we'd even eat it old and cold). The Chuck E. Cheese cheesy bread is so delicious that its even inspired some copycat recipes online!
2. Supreme Pizza
Chuck E. Cheese's pizza is generally considered to be better than an arcade chain's pizza really should be. In fact, their pepperoni pizza beat out Pizza Hut's in a national blind taste test in 2015 (via Pizza Marketplace). This is why we recommend their Supreme Pizza, which is basically a pizza with all the available toppings in one supreme pie. The Supreme Pizza comes with pepperoni, sausage, olives, green peppers, mushrooms, and red onions (via Chuck E. Cheese). And of course they top it all off with their generous helping of cheese.
The Supreme Pizza has something for everyone (except for vegetarians). Their pizza crust is on the thinner side but still has a satisfying chew to it. The sauce is a little on the salty side, but it's nothing egregious. And as the name Chuck E. Cheese suggests, their pizzas do not skimp on the cheese, and the Supreme Pizza is no exception. If you're ordering for a crowd, this surprisingly delicious pie is a solid choice.
1. Giant Warm Cookie
Is there anything better than a warm chocolate chip cookie, fresh out of the oven, with a still-gooey center and melted chocolate chips? The only thing that comes to mind is a giant warm chocolate chip cookie, and that's something you can get at any and every Chuck E. Cheese location (via Chuck E. Cheese). This cake-sized cookie is so good, it's almost worth taking a trip to Chuck E. Cheese just to eat it.
As the name suggests, this larger-than-life cookie cake is in fact served warm, fresh from the oven in a tin pie pan. It's sliced like a pizza pie, so little (and big) hands can dig right in and grab a cookie slice as soon as it hits the table. The cookie cake is soft, gooey, and sweet, but not too sweet. The chocolate chips are still warm and melt all over your hands in a way that will make you feel like a kid again. It really begs the question: Why aren't all cakes cookie cakes?