10 Best Restaurant Chains For High-Protein Meals

We don't know if you know this, but protein is big right now. Over the last few years, it's become the nutrient that everyone's desperate to get more of (even though you likely don't need as much as you think, with Harvard Health Publishing noting that you need 0.36 grams per pound recommended to meet your nutritional requirements). As a result, high-protein foods have been everywhere, with options like high-protein breakfast cereals now the norm and retailers like Aldi pumping out high-protein products that fit into your diet.

What about when you eat out, though? It's harder to judge your protein intake when you're sitting in a restaurant, as most of the time, menus won't explicitly tell you how much of the nutrient is in your food. Some chains, though, make sure that there's a lot of it on their plate, and certain restaurants have a staggering number of high-protein options available to their diners, both in meat-based and plant-based form. It's important to note that these high-protein options can also be higher in fat or sodium — but certain restaurants have also bulked up their menu with leaner protein-rich choices, which could be great to opt for next time you eat out.

We know, we know. A steakhouse like Texas Roadhouse is a good choice for protein-rich meals. You're shocked, right? Well, it's true: This chain restaurant is one of the best places you can go if you're looking to maximize your protein intake. Importantly, too, that's not just because it has enough beef on its menu to sink a ship. Sure, its steaks are full of protein (with its bone-in ribeye containing a whopping 143 grams on average, and its porterhouse T-bone averaging out at around 139 grams), but it's also got a lot of seafood and chicken options that are abundant in the nutrient. Its California Chicken Salad, for example, has 74 grams of protein per portion, while its Sierra Chicken Pasta has 103 grams.

Its appetizers are also wildly high in protein. Texas Roadhouse's Hot Boneless Buffalo Wings have 60 grams of protein per serving, while its Shrimp Cocktail has 62 grams. Over on the Country Dinners portion of the menu, every option has more than 40 grams of protein, with its Bone-In Pork Chop meal containing a massive 86 grams. Importantly, all this may be more protein than you actually need in a full day, so consider sharing some of these meals if you want to keep things moderate.

As a restaurant that specializes in seafood, it probably comes as no massive surprise that Bonefish Grill has a wealth of protein-rich options. What will likely please you to hear, though, is that this fancy chain doesn't just serve fish and chips, which wraps up all that lean protein in a salty, fatty package. Bonefish Grill is true to its name, and its menu's Simply Grilled section is a must for lovers of relatively healthy, protein-heavy orders. Its Grilled Rainbow Trout is a particularly good choice: Each serving has 64 grams of protein and just 3.5 grams of saturated fat, with only 290 milligrams of sodium, too. Its Grilled Mahi-Mahi is similarly impressive, with 43 grams of protein and no saturated fat whatsoever.

Elsewhere, Bonefish Grill's From The Sea and From The Land menu items are chock-full of protein. Its Creamy Tomato Linguine with Salmon is especially high in the nutrient, with 93 grams of protein — although this dish does also provide 2,100 calories and 2,060 milligrams of sodium. It's also great to see edamame beans on its Starters & Sharing menu, which has 26 grams of protein per serving (although these also have 2,250 milligrams of sodium, so order wisely!).

Here's the thing, folks: No one's out here saying that Chili's is the healthiest restaurant you can eat at. That being said, if you're ready to go hard on the protein, then this chain's got you covered. Virtually every one of its entrées has a generous amount of protein, and its burgers, chicken options, fajitas, and ribs will all provide you with most, if not all, of your daily recommended allowance in one go. Amongst its heavy hitters are its Bacon Rancher burger, with 101 grams of protein (and almost 3,000 milligrams of sodium), and its full rack of BBQ Ribs, which has 136 grams of the stuff, and 2,160 calories per portion.

With all that in mind, it's tempting to think that you can't find anything that won't be high in protein but also incredibly unhealthy — but luckily, Chili's has thought of all that. Its Guiltless Grill menu offers five relatively lean, high-protein meals, with options like its 10-ounce sirloin delivering 59 grams of protein and six grams of saturated fat. Its Margarita Grilled Chicken, meanwhile, has 69 grams of protein, thanks to the double-dose of chicken and beans in the recipe — and it also has eight grams of fiber. It is astonishingly salty, though, with 2,660 milligrams of sodium, so maybe it's not entirely guiltless.

Ruby Tuesday focuses on making affordable food that it knows people will love, and luckily for people who want a lot of protein, those foods are often meat and seafood-based. Its menu has a host of ribs, steaks, chicken, burgers, and seafood options, and most of them are protein-forward. Amongst its most protein-rich items are its T-bone steak, providing 82 grams of the nutrient, and its full rack of baby back ribs, which delivers 95 grams. Elsewhere, items like its Honey-Glazed Salmon Bowl offer protein in a slightly healthier package, with the dish containing 42 grams, as well as a host of vegetables, dried cranberries, and sunflower seeds.

Ruby Tuesday doesn't just have tons of high-protein options — it also makes it easy for you to find them. The restaurant has a nifty interactive tool on its website that allows you to input your protein goals (as well as any nutritional and allergen requirements), and it'll provide you with a list of menu items based on your specifications. Make sure you check it out before you eat there to avoid ordering something that may not be the healthiest for you.

Red Lobster is ostensibly a seafood restaurant, but that's far from the only thing on the menu — and protein heads out there will be pleased to hear that both its seafood and non-seafood items are full of their favorite nutrient. Six of its regular entrées have more than 60 grams of protein, with its Salmon New Orleans winning out with 102 grams. Amazingly, this dish also has just 1,180 milligrams of sodium, which might still be a lot, but by restaurant standards, is relatively decent. Its Crab Carbonara, on the other hand, makes for less pleasant viewing: It may have 72 grams of protein, but it has a frankly unsettling 4,210 milligrams of sodium. Yikes.

Red Lobster also has several salads that are rich in protein, including a chicken Caesar salad with 43 grams. If you're looking for lean protein, then both its blackened and broiled mahi-mahi have 41 grams respectively, and just one gram of saturated fat apiece. Its Atlantic salmon options are also a great choice, and while they have slightly more saturated fat, they're high-protein with moderate sodium levels.

If there's one thing that The Cheesecake Factory's known for, it's moderation. Kidding! Everyone is well aware that this chain restaurant does nothing by halves, and both the size of its menu and the size of its portions are famous. This means that protein lovers will have no trouble here: You're not only spoilt for choice amongst its sandwiches, Glamburgers, flatbread pizzas, steak, fish & seafood, and pastas, but most of these dishes have more of the nutrient than you need. Its "Pizza Style" Chicken Parmesan is especially beefy, with 120 grams of protein, while its orange chicken has 107 grams.

You can also amp up any meal you want by adding grilled chicken to your order, which will provide 39 grams of lean protein. For something slightly more modest, try its Skinnylicious Tuna Tataki Salad, which has 34 grams of protein and 2.5 grams of saturated fat. Notably, too, The Cheesecake Factory is one of the only chain restaurants out there that accommodates plant-based eaters who still want a good amount of protein, thanks to its Impossible Burger, which has 35 grams. You can even order it gluten-free.

Virtually any steakhouse you choose to name will have countless high-protein options, and to be honest, Outback Steakhouse is no different. What we love, though, is that it doesn't just rely on its steaks to give customers high-protein options. Its menu has an abundance of chicken, fish, seafood, burgers, and entrée salad options, most of which are protein-heavy and will stock you up with the nutrient for the rest of the day. For a relatively lean and healthy choice, its Grilled Chicken on the Barbie is a great move thanks to its 62 grams of protein, 17 grams of total fats, and 860 milligrams of sodium. Elsewhere, its Seared Peppered Ahi has 37 grams of protein and just 3.5 grams of saturated fat (although it does have 2,160 milligrams of sodium).

Let's be honest, though: You're probably going to order the steak at Outback Steakhouse. If you do, rest assured that you'll be getting more than enough protein. Its 20-ounce bone-in ribeye is especially protein-heavy, with 87 grams, and its 11-ounce prime filet has 85 grams total. That's all before you order any sides, too: Grab its Steakhouse Mac and Cheese, and you'll amp up your meal by 26 grams.

When you think of Olive Garden, protein may not be the first thing you think of. Sure, its meals generally have meat or seafood in them, but it doesn't feel as though it comes in such abundance as in other places. However, you can rest easy knowing that Olive Garden's got you more than covered for your protein needs. Whether you're going for its Grilled Chicken Parmigiana (64 grams), its Herb-Grilled Salmon (45 grams), or its Calabrian Steak & Shrimp Bucatini (78 grams), you'll likely find something that'll stock you up. If you want to go really big, its Chicken Tortelloni Alfredo has a massive 112 grams of protein.

Interestingly, Olive Garden is also a great choice for vegetarians who want high-protein choices — although you might want to consider your other macros when ordering some of its most protein-rich items. Take its Five Cheese Ziti at Forno, for example: It has an impressive 46 grams of protein, but it also has a wild 36 grams of saturated fat. Always remember to consider every nutritional aspect of a meal before ordering it, as you may just be swapping one potentially unhealthy aspect for another.

Ah, good old Applebee's. Sure, it may not be the fanciest restaurant around, and it may not have the most out-there options — but when it comes to high-protein staples, it's reliable and won't cost you a fortune. Plus, the Applebee's menu does have some interesting dishes that give you truckloads of protein while also providing some nice flavors. Take its Blackened Cajun Salmon, for instance: This smoky, fiery dish has 42 grams of protein, and somewhat surprisingly, eight grams of fiber. Its Bourbon Street Steak, on the other hand, has 52 grams of protein and a similarly spicy flavor.

That's just the tip of the iceberg, though: Most of its entrées are pretty protein-forward. Its 12-ounce ribeye is especially rich in the nutrient, with 76 grams of protein, and a high 19 grams of saturated fat. The appetizers at Applebee's are also mostly heavy in protein, with some surprisingly so: Its chicken quesadilla, which could get away with having barely any meat in it, has 48 grams. Crucially, Applebee's isn't the healthiest option for high-protein choices, but you definitely won't miss out on it here.

Looking for a restaurant that provides high-protein options that are just a bit different? We present Yard House for your consideration. Sure, this chain has all of the protein-rich options you might expect, like pizzas, chicken, and steak, but it also has a dedicated and surprisingly extensive portion of its menu made with Gardein meat-free substitutes. Here, you can order everything from tenders to orange chicken, and mac and cheese to a Cobb salad made with Gardein protein, and it'll be vegetarian and full of protein.

The amount of protein in some of these dishes is pretty impressive. Its Gardein Orange Chicken, for instance, has 60 grams of protein, while the regular Cobb salad has 39 grams. It's important to bear in mind that these meals aren't fully plant-based, and therefore may not be suitable for vegans, but some (like its Garden Chicken Rice Bowl) are. Others can be made totally vegan-friendly with just a few tweaks, so make sure you check with your server about how you can adapt them if that's what you're looking for.