The most calorie-packed monstrosities from your favorite chain restaurants

July 20, 2023

Since the FDA began requiring chain restaurants to list the calorie counts of their menu items, one would think that high-calorie meals would become less popular and eventually drop. It appears this simply isn’t the case, as pretty much every popular chain restaurant has at least a few calorie-heavy options for those willing to indulge. Keep in mind that the USDA touts around 2,000 calories as an appropriate daily amount for most adults.

These menu items from popular chain restaurants have practically the full day’s supply of calories in one meal.

Buffalo Wild Wings Cheese Curd Bacon Cheeseburger — Buffalo Wild Wings

Buffalo Wild Wings: Cheese Curd Bacon Burger

The most calorie-packed meals from your favorite chain restaurants

Calories: 1,210

Chow down on two patties, American cheese, cheese curds, bacon, mayo, chipotle seasoning, and lettuce, tomatoes and onion thrown in for good measure. What doesn’t this massive burger have?

Shake Shack Lockhart Link Burger — Shake Shack

Shake Shack: Lockhart Link Triple Burger

Calories: 1,300

This is what you call a serious burger: three beef patties and cheese plus smoked jalapeño cheese sausage, all on a buttered bun. The sandwich, which is available at Austin, TX locations, contains a whopping 92 grams of fat, more than is recommended to eat in an entire day.

Five Guys: Large French Fries

Calories: 1,310

Five Guys describes their fries as “freshly made boardwalk-style fries, cooked in pure, cholesterol-free, 100% peanut oil”. The chain’s large size fries is still a belly-busting calorie extravaganza with 41 grams fat and 131 grams of carbohydrates.

Johnny Rockets: Double Bacon Cheddar Burger

Calories: 1,500

Applebee’s: Oriental Chicken Salad

Calories: 1,560

Proof that salads aren’t always the healthiest option, this loaded platter of lettuce has crispy breaded chicken tenders, crunchy noodles, and almonds in vinaigrette. It comes with a breadstick coated with buttery garlic, which ups the calories even more.

Homemade Fried Bloomin Onion — bhofack2/istockphoto

Outback Steakhouse: Bloomin’ Onion

Calories: 1,620

Breaded, deep fried, and served with a creamy dipping sauce, this is no ordinary root vegetable. The calorie-laden appetizer also has 126 grams fat and 4,140 milligrams of sodium. Of course, ideally one would share the starter with others rather than chowing the whole thing themselves.

IHOP: Cheeseburger Omelette with Pancakes

Calories 1,990

This dish of eggs stuffed with cheeseburger patty pieces, hash browns, tomatoes, onions, American cheese, ketchup, mustard, and pickles is more than your average omelette. Add a side of pancakes and it’s a calorie-busting breakfast.

Bob Evans: Double Meat Farmer’s Choice Breakfast

Calories: 2,110

This enormous breakfast features three hotcakes, two eggs, two sausage patties, three strips of bacon, and a pile of home fries. All that adds up to a total of 100 grams of fat 4,040 milligrams of sodium, and 236 grams of carbs.

BJ's Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza — BJ’s Restaurant Brewhouse

BJ’s Restaurant and Brewhouse: Deep Dish Chicken Bacon Ranch Pizza

Calories: 2,160

Meant to be shared, this pizza isn’t for the faint of heart with its packed ingredient list. The calories come from bacon, chicken, jack and cheddar cheese, and a drizzle of ranch dressing all over.

Cheesecake Fettuccini Alfredo with Shrimp — The Cheesecake Factory

Cheesecake Factory: Fettuccini Alfredo with Shrimp

Calories: 2,250

The Cheesecake Factory makes this list more than once, simply because so many of the meals are outrageously indulgent, it’s hard not to list the whole menu. Nonetheless, the Fettuccini Alfredo with Shrimp stands out, with a rich parmesan sauce likely being the calorie culprit.

Uno Pizzeria & Grill: Deep Dish Buffalo Chicken Mac and Cheese

Calories: 2,200

What do you get when you take macaroni and cheese and combine it with buffalo chicken? A full day’s supply of calories, fat, and cholesterol all in one meal. This dish also has a whopping 133 grams of fat and 4310 milligrams of sodium.

Cheesecake Factory Nachos — Cheesecake Factory

Cheesecake Factory: Factory Nachos with Spicy Chicken

Calories: 2,950

This serious nacho concoction features any and every topping you can imagine on your chips, including melted cheese, guacamole, sour cream, jalapeños, onions and salsa. Add chicken, and you’ve upped the calories. It’s one of the chain’s more calorie-laden meals, and that’s saying a lot.