Best Tortilla Chips Ranked: Tostitos vs On The Border vs Herr's vs Lidl

Four popular restaurant style tortilla chip brands ranked from worst to best during a RockinFoodie taste test

A tortilla chip taste test comparing Tostitos, On The Border, Herr’s, and Lidl Snack Day. Feature Photo by Brian Kachejian

Restaurant-style tortilla chips may seem like a simple product, but there can be surprising differences between brands. Some focus on salt, others on corn flavor, and some try to strike the perfect balance between crunch and texture. For this taste test, we compared four popular brands to determine which one is worth buying and which ones might be better left on the shelf.

The biggest surprise of this review was that the expected favorite did not win. In fact, the winner was a last-minute addition that outpaced some of the most recognizable names in the category. One of the reasons I enjoy doing these taste tests is that they help readers make better buying decisions, and they also help me decide which products I will bring home in the future. Sometimes the results are predictable. Sometimes they are not. This was one of those times.

Before we get to the rankings, let’s take a quick look at the four brands.

Tostitos was introduced by Frito Lay in the late 1970s and has become one of the most recognizable tortilla chip brands in America. The brand dominates supermarket shelves and is often the first choice for parties, salsa, and nacho platters.

On The Border takes its inspiration from the popular restaurant chain of the same name. The company markets its chips as restaurant-quality products and focuses heavily on authentic Mexican-style flavors and ingredients.

Herr’s has been producing snack foods since 1946 when James Herr started the company in Pennsylvania. Today the brand remains family-owned and has become one of the largest independent snack manufacturers in the United States.

Lidl’s Snack Day line is the grocery chain’s value-focused snack brand. The products are often priced significantly lower than national brands while still offering large package sizes and competitive quality.

#4 Lidl Snack Day Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips

The Lidl chips were fresh and offered a nice crunch, but they struggled in the flavor department. There simply was not enough seasoning or corn flavor to make them stand out on their own. These chips would work well alongside a strong dip, but eaten plain, they lacked the character needed to compete with other brands.

Score: 4 out of 10

#3 Tostitos Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips

This was the biggest surprise of the entire test. Tostitos entered the competition as the favorite based on its popularity and reputation, but side by side with the Lidl chips it was difficult to identify a meaningful difference. The flavor profile was mild, and while there was nothing wrong with the chip, there was also very little that made it memorable.

Score: 4 out of 10

#2 On The Border Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips

On The Border immediately distinguished itself from the previous two brands with a stronger flavor profile. The chip offered more corn flavor and a more noticeable seasoning balance. While it did not quite take the top spot, it delivered a more satisfying experience and felt much closer to what many people expect from a quality restaurant style tortilla chip.

Score: 6.5 out of 10

#1 Herr’s Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips

The winner of this taste test was also the first chip sampled. Herr’s delivered exactly what it promised with a thin, crispy texture and a pleasant balance of salt and corn flavor. The chips were clean tasting, light, crunchy, and enjoyable from the first bite to the last. Even after revisiting the finalists multiple times, Herr’s remained the brand that offered the best overall flavor.

Score: 7 out of 10

Final Ranking

Herr’s Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips
On The Border Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips
Tostitos Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips
Lidl Snack Day Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips

The Winner

Herr’s Restaurant Style Tortilla Chips earned the top spot by delivering the best combination of flavor, crunch, and overall balance. While the margin of victory was not enormous, Herr’s consistently stood out as the chip I enjoyed most. If I were heading back to the store tomorrow and could only buy one of these brands, Herr’s would be the bag going into my shopping cart.

Watch Our Tortilla Chip Taste Test

Not every taste test produces a shocking upset, but this one certainly did. The expected favorite failed to separate itself from the competition, while a brand that entered with much lower expectations emerged as the winner. Watch the complete video below to see all of the reactions and tasting notes that led to these rankings.