10 Restaurant Chains That Serve The Highest-Quality Soup, According To Customers

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The three most enticing words in the culinary world could very well be "soup du jour" — or, at least, they are at these chain restaurants. Customers rave about the soups, bisques, and broths found on these menus. Each restaurant on this list touts its dedication to food safety, animal wellbeing, and nutrition, and these are all important indications of high-quality restaurant fare. But for most customers, the best evidence of a restaurant's quality is found in a steaming bowl of whatever the soup of the day is.

For these soups, the beauty isn't only in their taste and texture, but in their unexpected origins: You may not expect Potbelly to have a high-quality American classic on its menu, and you may be surprised to find that a well-known steakhouse chain, of all places, is doing exciting things with potatoes, cheddar cheese, bacon bits, and chicken stock.

From a unique take on chicken noodle soup to a Sichuan-enhanced broth, the 10 soups on this list prove that we've moved far beyond the metal confines of a soup can. To quote "Seinfeld"'s George Costanza: we're shifting into soup mode.

Admit it: you'd be surprised if you didn't see this menu item on this list. Panera's Broccoli Cheddar Soup just might be the dish the restaurant chain is best known for, and for good reason: it's cozy, creamy, and, of course, cheesy, which is all you really need from soup at the end of the day. "Panera's broccoli cheddar soup is one of their most popular items for a reason," according to one Reddit user.

Mashed readers agree; when asked to choose their favorite Panera soups, the majority — nearly 39% — agreed that the Broccoli Cheddar Soup was the clear winner. But don't just take our word for it. A Panera-commissioned survey found that 49 states believed the Broccoli Cheddar Soup was the best soup on the menu. (Minnesota is partial to Panera's Cream of Chicken and Wild Rice. Who knew?)

What makes the Broccoli Cheddar Soup so beloved is its ingredients. Whether it's served in a warm bread bowl or a to-go cup, the Broccoli Cheddar Soup can't help being the star of the meal. Yes, Panera might lose some points in the eyes of customers for using frozen soup straight from the supplier instead of cooking it from scratch, but the freshness of the ingredients make up for it. The soup and sandwich chain's no-no list of banned ingredients highlights the chain's commitment to clean, high-quality food.

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You know it's good when amateur cooks try to recreate your recipe for their blogs. The internet is full of other cooks' versions of Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana Soup, but some would argue that nothing beats the original.

Olive Garden is already a step-up from many chain restaurant kitchens due to its for-scratch kitchen. When you bring that steaming spoonful of sausage, potato, and kale to your mouth, you know those vegetables were hand-chopped, the sausage browned, and the broth simmered to perfection that very day. For some diners, from-scratch is as high-quality as modern pseudo-Italian chain restaurant fare gets. If it tastes even a little like nonna used to make, then it's a win. And customers seem to agree that Olive Garden's Zuppa Toscana would make nonna proud (or, at least, it would make her nod slightly in appreciation).

"Olive Garden is where I learned to love Zuppa Toscana," one satisfied customer wrote on Reddit. "I waited tables there in college for a few years," another Redditor reminisced. "I ate so much of that damn soup, dunking breadstick after breadstick into it." Suddenly, we're craving breadsticks ... and, of course, Zuppa Toscana Soup. We're not alone: the rapper Latto took to social media to wax poetic about Olive Garden, complete with a video featuring the Zuppa Toscana Soup. "God bless Olive Garden," she says in the video, with one commenter calling her "relatable."

When it comes to Chick-fil-A's Chicken Noodle Soup, its simplicity is what makes it brilliant. The soup is unassuming from the outside, but one spoonful is all it takes to see (and taste) just how special it really is. Where some canned soups give you small, rubbery chicken bits, Chick-fil-A provides wholesome shredded chicken breast. The soup earns its reputation for heartiness by including carrots, celery, and warm, soothing egg noodles. This is as good as it gets, especially when you have the sniffles.

When one Redditor reflected on Chick-fil-A's Chicken Noodle Soup, they said "it tasted like my granny's chicken noodle soup." Does praise get much better than that? Fans seem to agree that what makes Chick-fil-A's version of the classic dish so popular is its rich texture. "There's always generous amounts of carrots and celery, and it has a much thicker consistency than Campbell's or another canned soup brand," another person commented on Reddit.

At Chick-fil-A, "high quality" means ethically sourced chicken and strong animal wellbeing standards. Meat-eaters with a social conscience can rest easy knowing that Chick-fil-A's chicken is cage-free, properly fed, and protected from stress. And when a restaurant puts "chicken" in its name, we expect nothing less than the highest-quality chicken care — and a darn good chicken noodle soup. It's the least they can do.

Pret's take on soups and sandwiches are more elevated than you might think. Where Panera provides the classics, Pret gives you what you didn't know you needed: Turmeric Chicken and Farro, Tomato and Feta — the list goes on, each more surprisingly satisfying than the last. Pret's Moroccan Lentil Soup is especially beloved, and not only because it's packed with spice and protein. The delectable secret behind the Moroccan Lentil Soup is, you guessed it, the humble lentil.

Pret is increasingly known for its lentils, which it has incorporated into soups, wraps, and salads. Yes, it's a great vegan option, but it's also just a great soup ingredient in general. "It's a familiar enough ingredient that people know what to expect when they see lentils on the menu, and I think that familiarity can be very comforting," said Pret's food director, Freida Hirsch. In fact, she told Lentils.org that the Moroccan Lentil Soup has "the highest order frequency amongst all Pret soups," making it an indisputable fan favorite.

But let's allow the fans to speak for themselves, too. "I recommend the Greek Falafel Wrap with a cup of the Moroccan Lentil Soup ... so delicious," a happy customer said on Tripadvisor. Another user agreed: "We were not disappointed," they wrote. "Tomato and feta and Moroccan Lentils were excellent." And one Redditor took to Reddit with a truly sad tale: "The Moroccan Lentil is always sold out at my local Pret!"

Potbelly's Chicagoland sandwiches bring to mind paninis piled high with fresh cold cuts, not cozy bowls of soup. But you shouldn't underestimate the sandwich chain or its foray into soup. It doesn't really get more wholesome or comfort-inducing than Potbelly's Chicken Pot Pie Soup. The soup is far from an afterthought; Potbelly guarantees the chicken is tender and slow roasted, and the garden vegetables add a level of freshness you wouldn't necessarily expect from a sandwich shop's version of pot pie soup.

It isn't the creaminess or pie crust crumbles that make Potbelly's Chicken Pot Pie Soup so high-quality (though they certainly help). The quality comes down to the ingredients, which includes hormone and antibiotic-free meat. Potbelly's "all-natural" chicken means you aren't consuming artificial flavors or preservatives, but clean, wholesome, high-quality chicken — an essential ingredient to an unforgettable chicken pot pie.

"The chicken club and chicken pot pie soup are my favorites," one Redditor wrote. Another customer described the soup on Facebook: "It's so delicious and hearty," they said. "You can't go wrong with this soup." Mashed sister site Tasting Table also heaped praise onto the soup, calling it the "ultimate comfort" that, in soup form, "turns into a half-gravy, half-stock base — a perfect creamy in-between of thick and thin." Here's our official plea to Potbelly: Put the Chicken Pot Pie Soup on the menu during the summer months, too, please! Why can't every season be soup season?

Plenty of restaurants receive frozen soup and thaw it out the day before serving. Some call this a time-saving strategy; others say it risks watery broth and diminished freshness. The Cheesecake Factory avoids this debate by making its food from scratch, and its soup is particularly well-known for being hot, fresh, and flavorful. It's also memorable, if the internet's fixation on the Factory's Chicken Tortilla Soup is any indication.

The internet is specifically obsessed with finding the recipe for The Cheesecake Factory's Chicken Tortilla Soup, which is, according to fans, a seemingly impossible feat. "I have seen a surge in requests for this recipe, which I found very hard to locate!" one recipe-builder said on Food.com, and provided their best recreation of the soup. A Redditor in search of the recipe said they "crave this soup," and another commenter (and former employee) said, "I kick myself often for not copying down numerous recipes."

With so many people vying for a recipe, it's gotta be good, right? This Tripadvisor customer confirmed as such: "The soup of the day was their chicken tortilla soup and I was not disappointed," this customer wrote. "It was very hearty with plenty of chicken, rice, and carrots." The Chicken Tortilla Soup's popularity is not only down to its freshness in a for-scratch kitchen (though this obviously doesn't hurt). People seem to love how this wholesome and filling soup also gives you a swift kick to the taste buds.

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Let's be real: You don't want to be anywhere near a bowl of Spicy Seafood Gumbo if it isn't going to be amazing. Thankfully, Jason's Deli has the Seafood Gumbo game on lock. "When we talk about food, we use words like respect and reverence," Jason's Deli says on its site. "How food is raised, grown and prepared affects us all long after lunch is over." We'd expect nothing less than the most high-quality crab, shrimp, and Andouille sausage from what Jason's Deli calls "a hearty, Southern-style soup that's both bold and satisfying."

We can't help but picture one of Jason's Deli's chefs standing over a simmering pot of Creole-inspired gumbo, a wooden spoon in one hand, a sprinkle of Cajun spices in the other. Fans of Jason's Deli's Spicy Seafood Gumbo can speak directly to the dish's freshness, and to its deliciousness. "Everything was so tasty," one customer said on Tripadvisor. "The seafood gumbo was to die for."

Fans flocked to Reddit with similar praise. "Muffuletta with a bowl of seafood gumbo can't be topped," one Redditor wrote. Others associate the gumbo with spicy meals of the past. "I still go there when I am craving a nostalgic lunch," another Reddit user said. "Half a pastrami, spicy seafood gumbo, chips, and a free soft serve cone. Hit the spot!" This user may describe the gumbo as a side, but with ingredients like onions, bell peppers, and shellfish, it's obviously a star dish.

All it takes is one sip of The Capital Grille's Lobster Bisque to know you're eating something truly special. The rich, luxurious bisque and North Atlantic lobster is complemented by a "splash of sherry," according to The Capital Grille. Of course, if you're ordering Lobster Bisque (or any seafood, honestly), you're going to want it to be as high-quality as possible. It's a good thing Darden Restaurants, the company behind The Capital Grille as well as Olive Garden and LongHorn Steakhouse, maintains a Total Quality program made up of food, nutrition, sanitation, environmental, and health experts.

"Our best-in-class food safety and Total Quality team closely coordinates with our restaurants and our suppliers at every step," Darden claims in its 2025 Impact Report. Its efforts haven't gone unnoticed; one family said they were willing to spend almost $500 on the food, including lobster, served at The Capital Grille. Reddit agreed: "Good chunks of lobster, they pour it fresh, and the sherry add-in is awesome."

The lobster bisque may seem like small potatoes compared to Darden's lofty goals, but that's exactly what the company is aiming for: seemingly simple food that ends up being unforgettably delicious. The Capital Grille says the Lobster Bisque is the "most popular soup" on the menu, and with so much quality control and care behind it, we can see why.

You may go to Outback Steakhouse for the steaks, but the Loaded Baked Potato Soup is no slouch. One Redditor gave the dish the highest praise a foodie can give — "chef's kiss" — and another fully called Outback's potato soup "excellent." The restaurant is open about its sustainability and animal welfare practices, which keeps it accountable for its high-quality ingredients.

Bloomin' Brands, Outback's parent company, assures customers that it has their best interests at heart. "We hold our suppliers to high standards through our Supplier Code of Conduct, which outlines our expectations for ethical practices," the company claims on its website. "This approach extends to every aspect of our dining experience, from rigorous food safety protocols and cleanliness standards to providing easily accessible nutrition and allergen information."

Great — but what about the Loaded Baked Potato Soup? Trust us, when you're loading that many ingredients into a bowl, you want to know that they've all been ethically sourced. Like most of Outback's Aussie-inspired fare, the Loaded Baked Potato Soup doesn't shy away from flavor. Green onions, Monterey Jack cheese, bacon, butter, heavy cream; all of these ingredients bolster the star of the show — the potatoes, duh — and earn that sought-after "chef's kiss." It may not be an entree, but with all of those mouthwatering ingredients in a bowl, do you really need one?

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According to soup fans, Haidilao's Hot Pot Broths shouldn't be underestimated. Still, when you're constructing your own hot pot, it's easy to get distracted by the cornucopia of potential toppings: shrimp, crab, chicken, pork, beef — and those are only the proteins. Do you add mushrooms? Bok choy? Tofu? Carrots? The beauty of hot pot is that each experience is customizable.

The dizzying array of ingredients can make the broth pale in comparison. Which is a shame, considering it's the broth that pulls the whole ensemble together — and which customers often rave about the most. "I love the spicy pork broth at Haidilao and would love to eat it at home," one Redditor wrote. And the love spreads to Yelp, too: "Definitely recommend the tomato and chicken soups for a comforting meal and the spicy soup for spicy food lovers."

Variety seems to be the spice of life at Haidilao. When building a hot pot meal, the strength of the broth determines the strength of the entire experience. The Signature-Sichuan Spicy Soup Hot Pot is far from Haidilao's most interesting option (which is saying something, considering it's, you know, Sichuan). The Forest Mushroom, Tom Yum, Pork Tripe and Chicken, and Mala Milk Hot Pot bases are all meant to spark your imagination as much as your appetite.

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The expression goes: "there's a bowl of soup for every ladle." This became increasingly clear as we researched the most high-quality soups for this list. One person's "delicious" is another person's "disgusting," which is why we combed Reddit, Yelp, Facebook, and Tripadvisor for input from a wide variety of customers. From unique flavoring and nostalgic ingredients to satisfying textures, customers seemed to think these soups are the best of the best. 

Our definition of "high quality" doesn't just include customer reviews, but the quality of the food according to the restaurants serving it. In other words, we looked into where these restaurants get their food, their health and safety policies, and their sustainability practices. We did this in an effort to find out if the food is good, and whether it is sourced ethically. For the soups on this list, we feel comfortable saying "yes" to both.