The 10 Best Onion Rings In America

Along with French fries, onion rings are a quintessential junk-food side dish. Something truly magical happens when sliced onions are battered or breaded and tossed into the deep fryer, and these restaurants do it better than just about any other restaurants in America.

Mahony's serves some stellar po'boys, but it also serves what very well might be New Orleans' best onion rings. These are sliced super-thin and lightly breaded for the ultimate surface-to-crispy ratio, and are light as a cloud and not greasy at all.

Find more on Mahony's here.

At this Indianapolis institution, both the burgers and the onion rings have a perfect crust. These beauties are battered and fried to order, and are deep golden brown and supremely crunchy.

Find more on Workingman's Friend here.

Black Tap's insane milkshake creations may currently be all the rage, but no visit is complete without sampling the onion rings. Huge and shatteringly-crisp, the lack of complete onion coverage leaves plenty of room for the onions themselves to caramelize.

Find more on Black Tap here.

Cornmeal is a popular dredge for onion rings, but the end result can often be tough and crumbly. At this LA gem, the coating is crisp, greaseless, and full of flavor.

Find more on Nickel Diner here.

This under-the-radar spot serves some stellar fried chicken, and its onion rings are so good because they're given the royal treatment, being breaded with the same mixture as the chicken.

Find more on The Mason Jar here.

Chicago's best onion rings are served at this unassuming pub; big, thick slices of onion are given a quick dredge, and the resulting product is crispy, craggy, and irresistible.

Find more on Moody's Pub here.

Hut's is an Austin landmark, and its onion rings are the stuff of legend. These are cut so thick you can eat them with a fork and knife, but the breading has no trouble adhering to the onion, they fry up light and crispy, and the spices in the dredge give it an added kick.

Find more on Hut's here.

If it's possible for onion rings to be "gourmet," the ones served at Cindy Pawlcyn's renowned Napa landmark for more than 30 years are it. Sliced super-thinly and given a super-light breading before being quickly fried, this heaping mound is served topped with scallions and alongside some homemade tomato-apple ketchup. If Pawlcyn were to ever remove these from the menu, there would be riots.

Find more on Mustards Grill here.

When chef Tim Love sets his mind to something, he masters it, be it barbecue, burgers, or, in this case, onion rings. These rings are thin-sliced and given a quick dunk in a slightly spicy batter, and they're served in a pile that will be gone before you know it.

Find more on The Love Shack here.

The perfect complement to Hodad's famous burgers, these thick-cut onion rings are big, crunchy, filling, and full of flavor.

Find more on Hodad's here.