The 14 Best Fall Foods & Drinks on Restaurant Menus Nationwide, Reviewed by Food Editors

As a food editor who’s tasted all 34 of Cheesecake Factory’s cheesecakes, I can say with confidence that the pumpkin pecan cheesecake is one of the most delicious. The layered beauty starts with graham cracker crust, then gets thick helpings of both gooey pecan pie filling and pumpkin cheesecake. It's finished with rich caramel, chopped pecans and whipped cream. There’s also a plain pumpkin cheesecake, if that’s more your speed.

I tasted and ranked every item on Cracker Barrel’s new fall menu, and I will never run out of good things to say about this masterpiece. The base is beyond-tender pot roast, swimming in savory, herbaceous, silky gravy. But the real magic lies in the cheesy hash brown casserole topping, which is baked to impossibly crisp perfection. It had a stellar mix of textures (succulent meat! tender veggies! crunchy spuds!), and I thought the tangy sour cream offered stellar contrast.

PureWow VP of editorial Candace Davison sampled every new item on Starbucks’s fall menu, and believe it or not, the ever-popular pumpkin spice latte isn’t her bev of choice. “The pecan crunch oatmilk latte tastes remarkably like a pecan pie, albeit not as sweet or syrupy as that might sound,” she writes.

It’s made with blonde espresso and oatmilk, then dusted with a ground-cookie-like pecan crunch topping (plus nondairy vanilla sweet cream cold foam, if you order it iced). “The drink felt like a toned-down take on the fan-favorite discontinued salted caramel mocha, if you ditched the mocha and dialed back the intensity of the salty-sweet notes from a ten to a seven,” she adds.

I recently tasted six of the chain’s new desserts, and this bright, citrusy, sweet-tart pick was my favorite of the lot. There’s a slight orange-y bitterness that I thoroughly enjoyed, and the sugary edge offered an occasional crunch, an ideal foil for the supremely moist, tender cake. I also enjoyed Panera’s ever-so-cozy rustic baked potato soup and vegetarian autumn squash soup.

After sampling seven of this regional ice cream chain’s flavors, I have to say, I was impressed with this LTO variety. The pumpkin flavor was dessert-like (its gently spiced profile is reminiscent of pie or pumpkin bread) and pleasant, so even picky kids would likely enjoy it. My one critique was that the cheesecake aspect could’ve been tangier, but if you’re into milder fall flavors, it’s certainly worth a taste.

I visited my local Paris Baguette to sample all the fall goodies, which range from a custardy pumpkin Danish to an impossible-to-dislike chocolate chip scone. My favorite of them all was the pecan tart, a buttery tart shell filled with sweet pecan pie filling and crowned with crunchy pecans. I can’t decide what was more drool-worthy, the texture or the flavor. Honorable mentions also include the spider mochi doughnut, which is coated in cookies-and-cream icing and topped with an Oreo, and the decidedly autumnal turkey, apple & goat cheese baguette.

This fall stunner—piled high with goat cheese, roasted sprouts, applewood smoked bacon, caramelized onion, Romano and Parmesan cheeses and black pepper—is back and better than ever. “It’s delightfully cheesy, salty and smoky—such a nice mix of flavors,” Davison raves. “It tends to be a little dry, so I recommend springing for a side of hot honey to drizzle on top. Or use a little olive oil from the bread app, if you don’t like heat.” If you’re more into smoky barbecue, go for the burnt ends pie instead for a heartier take on fall flavors. (P.S.: Davison claims CPK has the best restaurant kids’ menu overall.)

I love when NYC’s favorite bakery gives its signature chocolate chunk cookies an autumnal makeover. The limited-time confection from Levain is spiked with molasses, ginger, nutmeg and cinnamon to create a decidedly seasonal flavor profile. The best part is the decadent layers of Valrhona chocolate in every bite, IMO.

“If you want to go truly OTT this spooky season, try the black widow pops—fried mac and cheese balls tossed in Nashville hot sauce,” Davison suggests. “Balance things out with a Greek salad (it’s atop a giant pita, slathered with tzatziki and criminally underrated), and end the meal by splitting the truly unhinged Dracula’s bite shake, a cookies-and-cream milkshake topped with a vampire doughnut and whipped cream, studded with gummy worms.”

PureWow editor Abby Hepworth calls this seasonal gem from the fast-casual salad chain “divine.” It’s loaded with blackened chicken, maple-glazed Brussels sprouts, roasted sweet potatoes, apples, goat cheese, roasted almonds, wild rice, shredded kale and balsamic vinaigrette—whew.

“It feels like the salad equivalent of a PSL,” she adds. “It’s literally everywhere, incredibly basic, not particularly innovative—but damn, is it delicious. I would happily eat one every day for lunch in the fall and winter.”

Sonic ranked shockingly high on my super scientific taste-test rankings of fast food chicken sandwiches and fast food fries. But my favorite menu item ever was a red, white and blue float (blue raspberry slush, vanilla soft serve and strawberry fruit topping) that had a limited run a few summers back. So, I’m strangely intrigued by this green apple slush crowned with caramel bubbles and vanilla soft serve.

Personally, I’m a waffle girl…but not at IHOP. Next time I get my usual breakfast sampler (soft scrambled eggs, well done bacon and hashbrowns, please), I’ll be opting for the pumpkin spice pancakes instead of the O.G. While some companies use “pumpkin spice” as an excuse to add some cinnamon and nutmeg to the mix and call it a day, IHOP’s fluffy shortstack contains real pumpkin, in addition to that famous spice blend.

Did you know this iconic doughnut chain has a delicious collab with Ghostbusters? Of the four movie-inspired treats, I’m most excited for the pull-apart, which is an original glazed doughnut with powdered topping, marshmallow-flavored buttercreme and a Stay Puft Marshmallow Man candy. I also wouldn’t turn down a pumpkin spice cake doughnut.

Real talk: I recently tasted the pumpkin spice lattes from Starbucks and Dunkin’ and thought the former was the very clear winner. But I’m not letting that stop me from trying this just-launched, violet-hued sipper. Both hot and iced versions star espresso-topped, ube-marshmallow-flavored milk. I just might use it to wash down the spider doughnut, if I’m feeling like a treat.