Lucille’s “Snickers Ice Cream Pie” features a medley of Snickers bits, vanilla bean ice cream and homemade caramel and chocolate sauces in a cookie crust (Kelli Shiroma / Neon Tommy).

While the month is usually associated with the heart of fall, pumpkin flavors and other Halloween-related items, “National Dessert Month” does not mean you have to limit yourselves to candy apples and fun-sized candies to celebrate. 

Diners might have a love-hate relationship with chain restaurants. But the truth of the matter is … some of these chains feature one-of-a-kind desserts. And these colossal creations might be hard to find anywhere else. 

Some of America’s favorite family and casual restaurant chains include those with widespread locations like The Cheesecake Factory, Chili’s Bar & Grill Restaurant and Olive Garden. But the dessert menus at some of these eateries could provide evidence as to why customers keep coming back for more. 

True, the desserts listed below are not exactly healthy. However, if consumed in moderation and shared among friends or family members, these desserts may very well open your eyes to a whole new world the next time you visit one of these chains.  

“SNICKERS ICE CREAM PIE”

Symbolizing comfort food and Southern-style cuisine at its finest, Lucille’s Smokehouse BBQ is famous for its meaty entrées and variety of menu items designed to give customers an authentic barbecue experience. From its award-winning baby back ribs, chicken, beef and tri tip to pulled pork sandwiches, burgers and jambalaya, Lucille’s offers something for everyone, with plenty of leftovers to take home. 

Besides its delicious, generously portioned entrées, Lucille’s dessert menu offers its customers an array of decadent sweets. At first glance, the dessert menu is impressive, featuring sweets like “Chris’ Famous Bread Pudding” and “Red Velvet Cake.” However, the “Snickers Ice Cream Pie” is a must try from this joint. This dessert comprises a mixture of vanilla bean ice cream and chopped Snickers bars that is served in a crisp, chocolate, cookie crust and is drizzled with homemade caramel and chocolate sauces. The combination is amazing, not to mention the medley of all the sweet flavors and textures. Each bite of this dessert is filled with bite-sized Snickers bits, and the Oreo-like cookie crust complements the ice cream perfectly. Not only is this dessert delicious, but it is also one that can’t be found in very many places.

The "Honey Toast" dessert features billowy, soft pieces of homemade toast, ice cream and a syrup of your choice (Kelli Shiroma / Neon Tommy).

Bread can be served at breakfast, lunch, dinner … and dessert. Tokyo Table’s famous “Honey Toast” has been featured as the “Dessert of the Week” in OC Weekly and is a customer favorite. While the eatery—located in Irvine—might be a drive for those living in L.A., if you’re out in the area, the restaurant’s specialty sushi rolls and other unique creations—“Homemade Tofu Salad,” “Lobster Bomb Sushi Pizza” and the “Banana Flambe,” to name a few—make the visit worthwhile. But back to the “Honey Toast.”

The delicious creation is considered Tokyo Table’s “Specialty of the House” when it comes to desserts. Its components seem pretty simplistic—two thick slices of French toast that are cut out, cubed, drizzled with honey and served with two scoops of vanilla ice cream on top. But the presentation speaks for itself—the two pieces of thick toast are placed one on top of the other with the perfectly cut cubed pieces inside of each. The two scoops of vanilla ice cream add the finishing touch at the top of the toast and honey is drizzled generously over the entire dessert. Customers can opt for extra add-ons—like caramel, cinnamon, chocolate or strawberry—for $1 more. Though toasted and crunchy, the toast cubes retain a spongy texture, which is embellished as the ice cream begins to melt and moistens the toast tower. And because the main part of the dessert is toast, the sweetness from the ice cream, honey or other add-ons is not overwhelming in the least. This dessert is unique simply because of its texture—the combination of the crunchy toast; sweet, soft ice cream and mild honey flavor. And it’s so addicting that you won’t just want to stop after devouring the toast cubes … thank goodness the bread crusts—which look like walls surrounding the square toast fortress—are crunchy and edible as well.

“ULTIMATE RED VELVET CHEESECAKE,” “REESE’S PEANUT BUTTER CHOCOLATE CAKE CHEESECAKE” AND “BLACK-OUT CAKE”

The variety of desserts at The Cheesecake Factory truly showcases the eatery in all its splendor. Customers can opt for “simpler” cheesecakes—like “The Original” or the “Fresh Strawberry”—or go all out with more extravagant desserts. Some of The Cheesecake Factory’s most decadent dessert creations to date include the “Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake,” the “Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake,” and the “Black-Out Cake." 

The “Ultimate Red Velvet Cake Cheesecake” features moist layers of the restaurant’s “Original Cheesecake” interspersed with layers of delicious red velvet cake and topped with its signature cream cheese frosting. This cheesecake takes classic red velvet cake to a new level of decadence and richness, due to the sweet cheesecake layers. The “Reese’s Peanut Butter Chocolate Cake Cheesecake” is every peanut butter lover’s dream. This dessert includes generous chunks of Reese’s Peanut Butter Cups in layers of the “Original Cheesecake,” which are interspersed with layers of moist fudge cake and caramel. The array of flavors—the Reese’s mixed with the cheesecake; the plain chocolate cake to balance the cheesecake’s richness; the slightly salty and gooey caramel layers that offset the creamy peanut butter; and the additional crunch of the chocolate chunks throughout—in this one dessert is absolutely amazing. Finally, the “Black-Out Cake” is a dessert featured on The Cheesecake Factory’s “Specialty Desserts” menu, since it actually does not include cheesecake. This monstrous mixture features a rich, moist chocolate cake with numerous chocolate chip-filled layers and the back of the cake slice is studded generously with almonds.

BJ’s famous “Pizookie” desserts come in a variety of flavors, including “Red Velvet” and (pictured) “Cookies ‘N Cream” (Kelli Shiroma / Neon Tommy).

“PIZOOKIE”

When most people think of BJ’s Restaurant and Brewery, two things often come to mind — delicious deep-dish pizza and "Pizookies." 

“Pizookie” is a familiar term to regulars at BJ’s; even those who have yet to visit BJ’s might have heard of it, due to customers’ ravings about the eatery’s signature dessert.

For those who don’t know, a “Pizookie”—a hybrid term for “pizza-cookie”—consists of a warm, chewy, fresh-out-of-the-oven cookie served in a deep dish and topped with two scoops of vanilla bean ice cream. BJ’s, which is credited with coining the “Pizookie” phrase, offers Pizookies in multiple varieties, including “Red Velvet,” “Triple Chocolate Made with Ghirardelli” and “Cookies ‘N Cream.” There’s even a “Gluten-Free Chocolate Chip Pizookie” option, a “Pizookie Trio” for those who are undecided, and a “Pizookie Party Platter” for customers bringing the celebration to BJ’s. Regardless of the Pizookie type, though, the cookie’s soft, chewy consistency, fresh taste and sweet, silky ice cream remain constant factors in each.

“MOUNTAIN HIGH MUDD PIE”

While Red Robin features more than 15 varieties of burgers on its menu, the “Mountain High Mudd Pie” will have customers going “Yummmmm” for the rest of the day. For a sweet price of $5.99, customers can opt for this delicious dessert, featuring an “avalanche” of vanilla and chocolate ice cream layered with fudge, caramel and Oreo cookies. The “Mountain High Mudd Pie” mainly consists of the ice cream, but the Oreo cookie crust, fudge and caramel—and the whipped cream topping, of course—all add to the dessert’s richness and unique texture. So, pass up on another heaping of those “Bottomless Steak Fries” … this dessert is worth saving room for.

The “50/50’s Famous Bacon Brownie” features two brownies fudged together with chocolate ganache, topped with candied bacon bits and vanilla ice cream (Kelli Shiroma / Neon Tommy).

Home to the famous “50/50 Burger” (featuring patties made with half bacon and half beef) and other delicious dishes like the renowned “Vampire Dip”—the eatery’s popular roasted garlic, cheese and artichoke dip—Slater’s 50/50 continues to wow its customers when it comes to desserts. Among the eatery’s signature desserts is “50/50’s Famous Bacon Brownie.” Now, this is no ordinary brownie dessert. The “50/50’s Famous Bacon Brownie” features not one, but two moist, chocolate brownies stacked atop each other with a chocolate ganache center. The brownies are topped with candied bacon bits and more chocolate ganache and the dessert is served à la mode. The fudgy, moist brownie seems even more decadent because of the chocolate ganache filling (and topping), but the bacon bits prevent the dessert from being overly sweet while adding extra crunchiness. And, of course, the small scoops of vanilla ice cream on the side add extra creaminess to the dense brownie mixture.

“COLOSSAL BROWNIE SUNDAE”

Buca di Beppo Italian Restaurant is known for its grandiose variety of “Italian classics served family style.” Most of the menu items at this eatery feature larger-than-life entrées designed for sharing, and this is no different when it comes to dessert. Enter the “Colossal Brownie Sundae," which is not only big in size, but also in sweetness, richness and flavor. This sundae includes components characteristic of “traditional” sundaes, but its uniqueness factor comes from its gargantuan serving. Featuring 12 fudgy chunks of freshly baked brownies layered with six scoops of both chocolate and vanilla ice cream—and topped off with chocolate and caramel sauces, mounds of whipped cream and a cherry—this sundae is not for the faint of heart. The chewy brownies mixed with the vanilla and chocolate ice creams is an indulgent combo, while the various sauces add extra sweetness.

“THE VOLCANO”

The Rainforest Café’s ambiance alone is enough to make it unique. One step into the restaurant and you will feel like you’ve been transported to another world … or, rather, the deepest part of a rainforest or jungle. Almost every item on this eatery’s menu sticks with the rainforest theme and best sellers include the “Tribal Salmon”—a seared Atlantic salmon fillet topped with a delicious, roasted hazelnut butter—and “Primal Steak,” a center-cut, aged, char-broiled New York strip steak topped generously with steak butter and served with seasonal vegetables and red-skinned garlic mashed potatoes. But many large parties and chocolate-loving customers finish their experience at the Rainforest Café in a grand way — by ordering the “Volcano.”  

Designed to be shared among two or more individuals, the “Volcano” features three large slabs of brownie cake served with several scoops of vanilla ice cream. Each of the brownie pieces are placed at an angle on the dish to form a volcano-like tower (hence, the dessert’s name), with one of the ice cream scoops placed at the top with rivers of hot fudge running down the entire dessert from top to bottom. The dessert’s majestic appearance will indeed remind you of a hot volcano spewing lava … but in a rich, delicious, chocolatey form. As if this were not enough, each “Volcano” is topped with a lit sparkler for additional pizzazz. Every time a “Volcano” comes out fresh from the kitchen, the server bringing it announces, “VOLCANO!” repeatedly until the dessert reaches its eager owner.

The “Chocolate Chip Calzone” provides a sweet combo of bittersweet and white chocolate chips inside strips of warm, freshly baked pastry shells (Kelli Shiroma / Neon Tommy).

“CHOCOLATE CHIP CALZONE”

Most people would think of savory pizzas when they hear the word “calzone,” but at Claim Jumper Restaurant, the “Chocolate Chip Calzone” is one of the most extravagant ones on its dessert menu. Probably next to the renowned “Chocolate Motherlode Cake”—featured on “The Food Network” as one of America’s “Top Five Most Decadent Desserts” and comprising six rich, fudgy layers of chocolate cake topped with sweet, chocolate fudge icing and walnuts—this “Chocolate Chip Calzone” is one of the more unique desserts the restaurant offers (so much so that it takes at least 15 minutes to bake). Almost resembling a cannoli, the “Chocolate Chip Calzone” is always baked fresh to order upon customers’ requests and features bittersweet and white chocolate chips inside strips of homemade, crunchy pastry shells. Served with vanilla ice cream and whipped cream, this dessert is full of personality. The ice cream is needed to balance the rich mixture of the chocolate chips coupled with the crunchy texture of the bread-like shell. Each “Calzone” dessert comes with four “strips,” a generous portion for sharing (in true Claim Jumper fashion). Sidenote: This delicious dessert is not baked at every single Claim Jumper location, so call ahead to see if your local restaurant provides it.

Reach Kelli Shiroma here.