What oil does Maggiano's Little Italy fry in?
Maggiano's Little Italy cooks with Brinker International (Maggiano's parent) switched all fryers chain-wide to 100% soybean oil (trans-fat-free) in 2004, per maggianos.com/faq/nutrition — high confidence for fried items. Saute/dressing oils are not publicly disclosed, so sauteed pasta sauces are estimated at the 0.40 'olive oil blend' share and dressings at a similar undisclosed vegetable-oil-blend share; cream/butter sauces use the 0.04 dairy share..
The 5 cleanest things to order at Maggiano's Little Italy
Learn this once: a salad with grilled protein and the dressing left off is nearly always the lowest seed oil order anywhere. So the list below sticks to real meals, salads included, never just a water.
| Item | PUFA |
|---|---|
| Center-Cut Filet Mignon | 1.0g |
| Tiramisu | 2.0g |
| Beef Tenderloin Medallions | 2.0g |
| Warm Apple Crostada | 2.0g |
| Chicken & Spinach Manicotti | 2.0g |
Lower PUFA is cleaner. These are estimates from published nutrition data and disclosed oils; preparation varies by location.
Why the frying oil matters
Most fast-food chains fry in seed oils like soybean, canola, corn, or a blend of them, which are high in polyunsaturated fat (PUFA). A handful still use beef tallow or other stable fats, which are far lower in PUFA. The oil a kitchen fries in is the single biggest driver of how much seed oil ends up on your plate. See the full breakdown on the Maggiano's Little Italy report card, or where it lands on the Seed Oil Index.
Frequently asked
Does Maggiano's Little Italy use beef tallow?
No. Maggiano's Little Italy cooks with Brinker International (Maggiano's parent) switched all fryers chain-wide to 100% soybean oil (trans-fat-free) in 2004, per maggianos.com/faq/nutrition — high confidence for fried items. Saute/dressing oils are not publicly disclosed, so sauteed pasta sauces are estimated at the 0.40 'olive oil blend' share and dressings at a similar undisclosed vegetable-oil-blend share; cream/butter sauces use the 0.04 dairy share., not beef tallow. See which chains fry in real fats on Tallow Watch.