14 Popular Casual Chain Restaurant Chocolate Cakes Ranked Worst To Best, According To Customers

There's nothing better than ending a nice dinner with a slice of decadent chocolate cake. The luscious texture and sweet, buttery flavor give you an instant hit, and there's science behind why chocolate cake gives you such a feel-good boost. According to the Australian Academy of Science, chocolate contains chemicals and compounds that stimulate pleasure centers in the brain. With that in mind, it's no wonder chocolate cake is a dessert staple at so many chain restaurants.

Chain restaurant chocolate cake recipes vary vastly, from classic chocolate cake with chocolate buttercream icing to warm molten chocolate lava cake, and silky chocolate cheesecake. Some versions are dusted with cocoa powder, drizzled with fudge sauce, or served with ice cream on the side. Others are served straight-up, showcasing the chocolate in all its glory.

No matter which style of chocolate cake you prefer, there's no doubt that some restaurant chains have better versions than others. For all the chocoholics out there, we've ranked 14 chocolate cakes from popular casual chain restaurants to help you determine where to get your next dessert fix. We've ranked these based on customer reviews and we'll explain more of our methodology at the end. But for now, bring on the chocolate! 

Founded in 1980, Applebee's now has over 1,600 locations across the United States. The brand aims to be approachable and affordable, offering all-American dishes like burgers, boneless wings, and riblets with fries. If you're looking for something sweet and chocolatey to add to your meal, the Triple Chocolate Meltdown is the chain's version of a molten chocolate lava cake. It consists of chocolate cake filled with fudge, drizzled with more hot fudge for good measure, and served with vanilla ice cream on the side.

Part of the appeal of a good lava cake is cutting into it and seeing all that warm chocolate filling ooze out. Unfortunately, that's not always what you get at Applebee's. Many diners say the cake is dry and either lacks chocolate in the center or the fudge inside is hard instead of gooey. One customer commented on TripAdvisor, "Perhaps most disappointing of all was the Triple Chocolate Meltdown. Clearly a frozen cake novelty that is zapped in the microwave when ordered. The "hot" fudge was clumpy and cold in spots." The flavors may not be terrible, but the sad center places Applebee's chocolate cake second to last on our list.

Bravo! Italian Kitchen is all about indulgent dishes like hearty meatballs, lasagna, and chicken parmesan. The chain also offers an array of desserts to finish off your Italian feast. If it's chocolate you're after, the Warm Chocolate Cake sounds tempting with its promise of a molten chocolate center. The cake is complemented by crème anglaise and vanilla bean gelato. Molten chocolate cake can be utterly decadent if done correctly, but many diners find that Bravo's version doesn't quite hit the mark.

Complaints about the Warm Chocolate Cake seem to come down to temperature and texture. More than a few patrons reported that their cake came out cold and that it ruined the experience. One diner said on Yelp, "We ordered dessert (chocolate lava cake) and when it was brought to the table, it was a congealed mess, not hot." A Google reviewer said the cake was like a "lukewarm mushy brownie," while another Google review stated that the cake had "no molten center and was like dense curdled custard." If you're a fan of molten chocolate lava cake, you may find Bravo's take on it disappointing. 

Founded in Houston, Texas in 1986, Carrabba's Italian Grill offers hearty Italian dishes that are inspired by family recipes. While their mains are often praised by diners, the desserts get mixed reviews. In particular, the Sogno di Cioccolata "Chocolate Dream" seems to have guests divided with some saying the dessert lives up to its name and others who think it's more like a nightmare.

The Chocolate Dream features layers of fudge brownie, chocolate mousse, and whipped cream, all drizzled with chocolate sauce. Those who like it use adjectives like "decadent" and "divine." However, there are just as many diners who say it's pretty unappetizing. For example, a customer on Yelp commented, "The Chocolate dream cake is definitely frozen and tastes like a freezer." Another customer left a Google review stating that it was "dry as if it had been sitting out for a day or two." 

LongHorn Steakhouse prides itself on serving succulent steaks, along with an array of tempting sides like loaded baked potatoes and mac and cheese. If you have room for more after your steak dinner, the Chocolate Stampede is an enticing dessert option. The dish comes with not one, but two slices of cake consisting of six different types of chocolate, and it's paired with two scoops of vanilla ice cream. According to LongHorn, it's "so big, you'll need the whole herd."

Although diners have some good things to say about the Chocolate Stampede, there are a few reasons it ranks in the middle of our list. For one, it contains an astonishing 2,460 calories. That's more than double the amount that Red Lobster's Chocolate Wave contains. However, we placed it slightly above the Chocolate Wave because it's priced similarly at around $10, but you get double the portion. As one Google reviewer said, "You can't beat the Chocolate Stampede if you don't mind an extra 2,500 calories; it's big enough for 4 people."

Chicago-born chain Portillo's is famous for its hot dogs, Italian beef sandwiches, and incredibly rich chocolate cake. The cake is so popular that the chain also serves it in milkshake form. According to Portillo's website, the cakes are made in-house every morning and feature two layers of cake sandwiched between and encased by two pounds of thick frosting. At about $4 for a slice or about $30 for a whole cake, it's also a steal.

The secret to Portillo's moist, fluffy cake is mayonnaise. It may sound bizarre, but as David Warner reported for Registry Tampa Bay, "That dollop of mayonnaise does the trick. Portillo's cake is indeed very moist, with a pleasantly velvety crumb." The thick icing also adds to the richness of the cake. As one diner said in a Google review, it's the "perfect balance of sweetness, chocolate, and moisture." Portillo's chocolate cake is not for the faint-hearted though, and some customers find that it can be overly sweet for their tastes.

With over 1,200 restaurants in 49 states, there's a good chance there's a Chili's close to you. The casual restaurant chain specializes in Southwestern fare like fajitas, ribs, steaks, and burgers with toppings like avocado and jalapeños. If you're hankering for dessert, the Molten Chocolate Cake is one of Chili's most popular menu items. The chocolate cake has a gooey hot fudge center and is topped with a scoop of ice cream with hardened chocolate sauce. The cake also gets a caramel drizzle for an extra hit of sweetness.

The Molten Chocolate Cake has plenty of fans who come back for it time after time. One Google reviewer said, "I usually like to go there simply for the sake of the Molten Chocolate Cake." Another patron left a Google review that said, "The Molten Chocolate Cake has been my all-time favorite dessert for the last 20+ years." Diners comment on the huge portion size, how warm and gooey the center is, and the great combo of the ice cream, sauces, and cake. A few diners commented that their cake wasn't heated up enough, but those seem to be isolated incidents.

Caribbean-inspired Bahama Breeze takes the cake (pun totally intended) with its Chocolate Island dessert. This dreamy creation includes a rich fudge brownie base topped with airy chocolate mousse, which is then drizzled in chocolate sauce. It's served with a vanilla bean crème anglaise sauce, topped with a dollop of whipped cream, and sprinkled with sliced almonds. It provides the perfect balance of denseness, lightness, smoothness, and crunch.

It's hard to find many negative reviews about Bahama Breeze's Chocolate Island. Most guests gush about how delicious it is. One Google reviewer summed it up nicely saying, "It had a brownie that was both chewy and fudgy. And a great vanilla bean sauce with whipped cream. Lastly, you get a fantastic added texture with the sliced almonds." The majority of guests seem to think the portion size is great, the flavors are spot on, and it's decadent without being too sweet. In fact, some diners go so far as to say it's their favorite dessert of all time and the best they've ever had. As one Google reviewer simply put it, "OMG."