It’s not your imagination—restaurant garlic bread is better. Here’s why and how to up your game at home with a few simple tricks.
Here’s Why Garlic Bread Always Tastes Better at Restaurants
Published on Feb. 06, 2025
All garlic bread is good garlic bread, but have you ever noticed that garlic bread from restaurants tastes extra good? A big part of that, of course, is the fact that someone else made it for you, meaning that instead of having the thought of washing dishes running through your brain, you can devote your full, undivided attention to the delectable, buttery carbs in front of you. That’s pretty much as close to heaven on Earth as you can get, as far as I’m concerned. But there’s more to it than that—something that I know firsthand.
I grew up in a big Italian family where garlic bread was always on the table. I’ve also been a professional chef and food writer for more than 20 years, so in a way, you could say I’ve built garlic bread into a whole lifestyle for myself. I’ve always taken it seriously (it’s an art form, really), so to think that some people are settling for inferior garlic bread at home—well, it just breaks my heart.
I’m here to tell you it doesn’t have to be that way. Here’s what makes garlic bread so good at restaurants—and how you can replicate this magic at home.
Get Reader’s Digest’s Read Up newsletter for more food, humor, cleaning, travel, tech and fun facts all week long.
Why does garlic bread taste so much better at a restaurant?
The reason garlic bread tastes different at a restaurant is that chefs don’t hold anything back. And by that, I’m mostly talking about butter (which, by the way, also tastes better at restaurants). Yes, you can make a delicious garlic bread with olive oil, but the secret ingredient in the best garlic bread is butter—lots and lots (and lots) of butter.
Garlic bread is not health food, and when you’re cooking at home, you might think there’s such a thing as too much butter. Restaurant chefs know that’s not the case. “Use more butter than you think [you need] to smear on your bread,” says Jonathan Basch, a chef at Cento Italiano in Columbus, Ohio. “As it melts, it provides that buttery-rich center of garlic bread everyone enjoys.”
Of course, we can’t forget the garlic itself. Banish all thoughts of garlic powder from your brain and instead go with fresh garlic cloves mixed into your butter. And again, use a lot of it. (More on just how much below.)
How can you get restaurant-style garlic bread at home?
It’s not hard to get restaurant-style garlic bread at home—as long as you’re willing to commit! Go big at home, and follow these professional tricks.
Start with great bread
Garlic and butter go well with all breads, so the style of loaf you use isn’t necessarily important—but the quality is. Skip the prepackaged stuff, and choose something from your supermarket’s bakery section or a specialty store. “I recommend you find the freshest Italian hoagie roll or focaccia, both of which provide a soft, delicate texture for the garlic bread,” says Basch.
Use the right proportion of fresh garlic
Basch recommends using at least one heaping tablespoon of freshly minced garlic for every stick of butter for a flavor he describes as “present but not pungent and overpowering.”
I, personally, would go even bigger because my love of garlic has no limits. I’m talking a whole head of garlic for a single loaf. Too much? Nope. There’s no such thing in this scenario. Follow your heart (and your taste buds).
Mix your butter
As noted earlier, butter is best. But if you’d like to lighten it up a little bit, or add a little extra flavor, Basch suggests mixing it with a little olive oil. Whatever you decide, though, you have to make the perfect garlic-infused mixture before applying your butter to the bread. Here are the two different ways to make garlic butter like a professional chef:
Method No. 1: Melt the butter, either in the microwave or in a saucepan over medium-low heat, then add your garlic and stir well. If you’d like, you can also add olive oil or herbs and seasonings like parsley, oregano or pepper. Then, brush the butter over the cut sides of your bread before toasting.
Method No. 2: Whip softened butter, garlic and seasonings using an electric mixer or combine them in a bowl using a wooden spoon. Smear the softened compound butter on the cut bread. It will melt almost immediately once you put it under the broiler.
Ultimately, there isn’t much of a difference between the methods since you’ll end up with perfectly toasted, buttery deliciousness in both cases. Just go with whichever seems easier to you—and gets to your ultimate goal of eating that bread ASAP!
Why trust us
At Reader’s Digest, we’re committed to producing high-quality content by writers with expertise and experience in their field in consultation with relevant, qualified experts. We rely on reputable primary sources, including government and professional organizations and academic institutions as well as our writers’ personal experiences where appropriate. For this piece, Allison Robicelli tapped her experience as a James Beard–nominated food writer, recipe developer and cookbook author. We verify all facts and data, back them with credible sourcing and revisit them over time to ensure they remain accurate and up to date. Read more about our team, our contributors and our editorial policies.
