Where the Protein Is: Best Plates by Protein Density
Grilled muscle meat with nothing added is close to the best protein-per-calorie food available in a restaurant, and this menu is largely built from it.
The strongest options are not the largest steaks, though — leanness matters more than size.
The strongest plates
Grilled BBQ Chicken at 300 calories is a marinated half-pound breast. Half a pound of chicken breast for 300 calories is an exceptional ratio for a restaurant entrée.
Herb Crusted Chicken at 260 is comparable and slightly lighter still.
The Hand-Cut Sirloin at roughly 42 calories per ounce is the strongest beef option. An 11oz sirloin at 460 calories delivers a substantial quantity of protein for the calorie cost.
Grilled Salmon at 410 for 5oz is higher in calories per gram of protein but brings omega-3s that nothing else on the menu does.
Where the numbers mislead
Ribeye at roughly 80 calories per ounce delivers about half the protein per calorie of sirloin, because the extra calories are fat rather than muscle. A 12oz ribeye at 960 calories contains less protein than an 11oz sirloin at 460 — for double the calories.
Fried chicken items look protein-dense and are not. Country Fried Chicken at 780 calories contains a similar quantity of chicken to the Herb Crusted at 260; the difference is batter and gravy.
The salads are the worst offenders. A Chicken Caesar at 1,100 calories contains one chicken breast, the same as the Grilled BBQ Chicken at 300.
- Best overall — Grilled BBQ Chicken, half-pound breast at 300 cal
- Best beef — Hand-Cut Sirloin, roughly 42 cal/oz
- Best lighter option — Herb Crusted Chicken, 260 cal
- Best with omega-3 — Grilled Salmon, 5oz at 410 cal
- Worst ratio — any Caesar salad, or anything fried
Building a high-protein plate
Pair a lean protein with two vegetable sides rather than starches. Green beans at 100 and fresh vegetables at 190 add fibre without much else.
Skip the sauces where you can — cream gravy and dipping sauces add calories without protein.
Two grilled proteins on one plate is available through the combos. Grilled BBQ Chicken with a 6oz Sirloin at 590 calories is the best protein-per-calorie plate in the whole combo section.
Frequently asked
Which single item has the most protein?
Among reasonable orders, the 16oz Hand-Cut Sirloin or the Grilled BBQ Chicken depending on whether you are optimising for total protein or protein per calorie.
Is ribeye a good protein choice?
It is protein, but at roughly 80 calories per ounce against sirloin's 42 you get about half the protein per calorie.
Do the kids meals work for a small high-protein meal?
Kids Grilled Chicken at 110 calories is the lightest protein on the entire menu, though portions are sized for under-twelves.
Keep reading
The Healthiest Things You Can Order
Calories are one measure. Protein density, portion control and what you drink matter too — and they point somewhere slightly different.
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Sirloin vs Ribeye: Which to Order and Why
One extra ounce of meat, 500 extra calories, and $4 more. The comparison that explains the whole steak page.
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The Lowest-Calorie Meals on the Menu
A complete steakhouse dinner around 450 calories is genuinely available. It just is not where most people look for it.
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