Salty, slightly sweet, and oh-so-satisfying, soft pretzels are beloved by many. Not only are they a popular pick-me-up at shopping malls and concession stands, but they’ve also been reimagined as hamburger buns at fast-food joints and restaurants. Pretzel Baconator, anyone?
Pretzel buns aside, many restaurants also offer their own take on the soft, doughy item by serving it in the form of sticks, bites, and of course, the classic knotted pretzel with signature cheese dips and mustard. And, you can’t forget about those mouthwatering options dusted in cinnamon sugar.
With so many spots serving the Germany-born pastry, you may be left wondering where to get the absolute best one. From mall hotspots to dine-in restaurants chains, here are some of the top places where you can satisfy your soft pretzel craving with that perfectly chewy bite.
Auntie Anne’s
Nutrition: Original Pretzel (Per 1 Pretzel):
Calories: 340
Fat: 5 g (Saturated Fat: 3 g)
Sodium: 870 mg
Carbs: 65 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 8 g
You can’t mention soft pretzels without bringing up Auntie Anne’s. What began as a pretzel stand at a Pennsylvania farmers market ultimately grew into the world’s largest soft pretzel franchise. Today, Auntie Anne’s has more than 1,300 locations in the U.S., with units in 26 countries. If you’ve ever visited a mall, airport, or stadium, you’ve likely encountered an Auntie Anne’s.
Swing by one of the chain’s locations, and you can choose from classic twisted pretzels sprinkled with salt, cinnamon sugar, or toasted almonds. You can also opt for bite-sized choices like pretzel nuggets or mini pretzel dogs, with the latter featuring Nathan’s Famous hot dogs. And since a soft pretzel would be incomplete without something to dip it into, Auntie Anne’s offers an array of choices. These dips include cheese, sweet glaze, marinara, hot salsa cheese, honey mustard, caramel, and light cream cheese.
Wetzel’s Pretzels
Nutrition information unavailable.
While considerably smaller than Auntie Anne’s, Wetzel’s Pretzels still has a major presence in the pretzel space, operating over 390 locations around the world. The brand’s menu has notable overlap with Auntie Anne’s, offering classic twisted pretzels, bites (which it refers to as “Bitz”), and dogs, which are made with all-beef hot dogs.
Besides the standard cinnamon sugar-coated pretzels, Wetzel’s is also currently offering another sweet option—the Strawberry Funnel Cake Bitz—for a limited time. This menu item consists of bite-sized pretzels covered with powdered sugar and strawberry sauce.
Philly Pretzel Factory
Nutrition: Pretzel (Per 1 Pretzel):
Calories: 340
Fat: 0 g
Sodium: 280 mg
Carbs: 70 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 2 g)
Protein: 14 g
Since opening its first location in 1998, Philly Pretzel Factory has expanded outside of Philadelphia and into 19 total states, now operating more than 170 locations. The soft pretzel brand prides itself on its short list of ingredients, with its dough made with just flour, water, yeast, and a pinch of salt.
At Philly Pretzel Factory, customers can choose from twisted options, pretzel-wrapped hot dogs, or bite-sized choices, one of which is filled with cheesesteak. The chain even offers some creative dips in flavors like brownie batter, pumpkin, and cinnamon.
“Philly Pretzel Factory pretzels are always outstanding ~ week after week after week,” one Yelp reviewer recently wrote. “[…] Extraordinarily doughy on the inside with just the exact amount of crustiness on the outside, salted to perfection and warm from the oven ~ these little beauties are crave~able and so very satisfying.”
Culver’s
Nutrition: Pretzel Bites: (Per Serving):
Calories: 450
Fat: 20 g (Saturated fat: 8 g, Trans Fat: 0.5 g)
Sodium: 840 mg
Carbs: 53 g (Fiber: 2 g, Sugar: 5 g)
Protein: 15 g
Midwestern burger chain Culver’s may be best known for its famous ButterBurgers and cheese curds, but there’s another menu item you’ll also want to keep on your radar: pretzel bites. These small, spherical pretzels have a crispy exterior and chewy interior and are served hot with a Wisconsin cheddar cheese sauce.
“OMG THE PRETZELS! So buttery and delicious, plus the cheese sauce makes them even better,” one Yelp reviewer recently raved, adding, “Burgers are always good. Never had a bad meal here.”
Red Robin
Nutrition: Pretzel Bites (Per Serving):
Calories: 780
Fat: 39 g (Saturated fat: 10 g)
Sodium: 1,750 mg
Carbs: 91 g (Fiber: 9 g, Sugar: 5 g)
Protein: 15 g
Before sinking your teeth into one of the chain’s gourmet burger, consider starting your meal with a salty, cheesy appetizer. The chain’s soft pretzel bites come sprinkled with salt and are served with a side of New Belgium Fat Tire beer cheese. If you’d prefer a sweeter pairing, you can also opt for a side of caramel for dipping.
Yard House
Nutrition: Jumbo Bavarian Pretzel (Per Serving):
Calories: 1,230
Fat: 46 g (Saturated fat: 17 g, Trans Fat: 1 g)
Sodium: 3,870 mg
Carbs: 161 g (Fiber: 8 g, Sugar: 9 g)
Protein: 40 g
Pretzels and beer are a popular pair, and this sports bar chain has over 100 options on tap. At Yard House, customers can couple their draft beer with the Jumbo Bavarian Pretzel, which comes with a side of house IPA cheddar beer cheese and horseradish mustard.
“Pretzel was indeed huge and one of the best pretzels I have had,” one customer wrote in a recent Yelp review.
Besides its massive pretzel, Yard House boasts a variety of sports bar appetizer favorites like nachos, wings, sliders, and cheese curds.
Buffalo Wild Wings
Nutrition: Everything Pretzel Knots with New Belgium Fat Tire Beer Cheese and Honey Mustard (Per Serving):
Calories: 870
Fat: 41 g (Saturated fat: 10 g)
Sodium: 2,480 mg
Carbs: 103 g (Fiber: 4 g, Sugar: 12 g)
Protein: 19 g
From hummus to ice cream, it feels as though everything bagel seasoning has been added to just about everything over the past few years—and pretzels are certainly no exception. Buffalo Wild Wings customers can gear up for their chicken wings by munching on the chain’s single pretzel offering: Everything Pretzel Knots. Like the famous bagel, these soft pretzels are covered in a mixture of sesame seeds, poppy seeds, salt, dried onion, and garlic. They’re also served with a side of New Belgium Fat Tire beer cheese and honey mustard.
Applebee’s
Nutrition: Brew Pub Pretzels & Beer Cheese Dip (Per Serving):
Calories: 1,160
Fat: 49 g (Saturated fat: 15 g)
Sodium: 3,580 mg
Carbs: 146 g (Fiber: 6 g, Sugar: 17 g)
Protein: 34 g
Take a look at Applebee’s appetizers and you’ll find a range of casual restaurant favorites: chicken wings, nachos, chips and queso, and of course, soft pretzels. The chain offers Brew Pub Pretzels, which consist of four Bavarian-style pretzel sticks served alongside a Blue Moon white cheddar beer cheese dip and honey dijon mustard.
