35% Think This Is The Best Auntie Anne's Pretzel
Foodies are obviously connected through their mutual love for grub, but the relationship between the gastronomes of the world runs even deeper than the affinity for a good meal. You may not have realized, but us foodies are all connected by a common relative — though not one you'll see on your family tree. Instead, this fun aunt is a fixture at your local mall or airport, where she's been baking some of the most delicious soft pretzels for over 30 years. So who is this long-lost aunt we all share? Her name is Anne Belier, but we affectionately call her Auntie Anne.
Okay, so maybe we're not all really related to Belier (who is, in fact, the real-life Auntie Anne). However, with the scent of her famous pretzels wafting through nearly half of the malls in America and an additional 25 countries outside of the U.S., it's safe to say that many of us share a love for her signature baked good, and if you ask us, that makes us all part of the Auntie Anne's fam.
As with any family, ours hold a few differing opinions about which of dear old auntie's delicacies is her most outstanding work, so to find out where our "cousins" stand on the matter, we asked 549 pretzel lovers in the U.S. which Auntie Anne's pretzel was the best. Everybody had a different fav but don't get things twisted. Based on the results, there's one flavor that clearly stands above the rest.
You can't beat the classics when it comes to Auntie Anne's
It's not often that people go to the mall these days, but on the rare occasions that you do need to visit the brick-and-mortars, a pit stop to see your sweet Auntie Anne is an absolute must (sorry, we don't make the rules). Dubbed the best mall restaurant by Buzzfeed, the Auntie Anne's menu has a little something for everyone — though for 197 of our survey participants, it's the chain's original pretzel that hits the spot every time. "It's versatile and salty and tastes like Disneyland and baseball games," Thrillist said of the eatery's OG twisted treat, which may explain why more than 35% of respondents to Mashed's poll dubbed it the best pretzel at Auntie Anne's.
Coming in second was Cinnamon Sugar, which earned votes from 26.23% of readers. This may be a bit of a head-scratcher since pretzels are more often than not considered a savory treat, but with eBaum's World describing it as a softer version of Taco Bell's beloved Cinnamon Twists, we totally understand the love for this sugary mall fare. With 86 votes (15.66%), Roasted Garlic & Parmesan took third and was followed up by Sweet Almond (11.66%) and Jalapeño (5.65%). Finally, Auntie Anne's Pepperoni Pretzel earned the least amount of love, capturing just 4.92% of the vote. However, considering that Sbarro is already dishing out pizza to hungry mallrats, we're not entirely shocked the pretzel-pizza hybrid came in last.