Chili's Restaurant.

[mickeysgal]

Our Chili's is always busy. Their portions are too big for me though. I usually end up with their salsa (very fresh) and their Chicken Enchillada soup which is oh so good.

 

[CajunDixie]

We usually go to Chili's when I have a free GC from MyPoints. Applebees seems to be busier in the city where we go and won the family vote over Christmas break. I loved the WW menu items on our last visit to Applebees and am looking forward to trying Chili's guiltless grill items.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Chili's is one of the few chain spots I don't mind eating at. I live in the land of great Tex Mex food but their chips are my favorite by far. They are thin, greasy, and salty. The ones at most of our local mexican spots are too thick.

I take kids on lots of road trips and Chili's is that one spot I know everyone will like. They are typically VERY good at accomodating large parties and chain wide, fairly consistent. I rarely enter a dirty, poorly managed, or slow one.

ETA: Yes, the ones in my area are crammed on the weekends

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Ours is also really popular. It's my son's favorite restaurant, and where he wanted to go for his birthday dinner.

 

[Soarin08]

I went to one last night. It might have been the first time ever. The one near me is probably 20+ years at the same location. I was always under the impression that it was not an especially good place to eat, even for "family fare"... Don't ask me why, but that is the impression I had.

Anyway, I had the ribs with the rub on them, and I thought that they were pretty good.

But what surprised me was the HUGE lines to get in the place when we left! When we got there, there were no parking spaces. We drove around the lot 2x before getting a space, but once we were inside we only has a 5 minute wait ( we did call ahead seating ).... There were maybe 10 people already waiting.

When we left, however, there were probably 40 - 50 people waiting, and I noticed that people were parking in some other business' parking lot.

Are they all like that?

It was pretty good, and the whole family wants to go again.

Ours is always busy. We only have a few restaurants in town (not counting fast-food)- Chili's, Applebee's, Olive Garden, Outback Steakhouse, and Red Lobster are about the only choices for a sit-down meal where I com from.

We love Chili's though. One of our favorite places to eat. I love pretty much everything on the menu.

 

[CobraBubbles]

I love Chili's! As far as chain restaurants go it's my favorite by far. I moved and the closest one is now about 1/2 hour away so I don't get to go very often, and I like others get sick of chain restaurants, too. I always love Chili's though.

Chicken Crispers (just learned how to make them on my own)
Yummy Varieties of Fajitas
Buffalo Chicken Salad
Bottomless Chips

My Chili's no longer have awesome blossom with extra awesome though.

 

[JR6ooo4]

Started our first date at one. Chatting at the bar, over the music...

and have been back many times. Being only two we can get in pretty easy without a reso, same as Disney. But we only go back 'cause the food is pretty good.

Mikeeee

ps do not get the frosted mugs for beverages, anywhere. check them next time.

 

[scrapquitler]

Applebees, Chilis and Olive Garden around here are ALL like that...if you go on the weekend after 6PM, there is always a line. Olive Garden often has a line 20-30 minutes on the weekend even at like 2 or 3 in the afternoon.

 

[FF/MEDIC MEL]

Chilis is the only consistent chain restaurant in our area and we have all of them. BTW, they do have call ahead seating. Ours is always packed.

 

[gate_pourri]

Chili's is far from my favorite, but I live less than a block away from one, so it is a weeknight "it is cold.. I don't want to cook" standby for me. I don't have too many favorites, but do like the fajitas and the wings. I can make a meal out of their appetizers; and have been known to order a kids meal and a side salad for a filling meal.

I go through a special 'take-out' door, but the front is almost always packed.

 

[shenanigans]

I love Chili's. It's happy hour all day, every day.

 

[Golf4food]

Ours stay busy. I don't like them. I don't like spicy or hot flavors, so their menu is very limited for me (like a vegetarian at a Brazilian steakhouse, i'd imagine...). I'm mostly limited to the chicken fingers or whatever they call them, but the last time we were there with friends my chicken fingers were undercooked and the batter was gooey. Not good eats.

Give me a local place over any of those giant chains any day though. And of the chains, the new and improved Ruby Tuesday gets my vote if I have to pick one.

 

[Aimeedyan]

Ours stay busy. I don't like them. I don't like spicy or hot flavors, so their menu is very limited for me (like a vegetarian at a Brazilian steakhouse, i'd imagine...). I'm mostly limited to the chicken fingers or whatever they call them, but the last time we were there with friends my chicken fingers were undercooked and the batter was gooey. Not good eats.

Give me a local place over any of those giant chains any day though. And of the chains, the new and improved Ruby Tuesday gets my vote if I have to pick one.

I don't eat anything hot or spicy and I don't consider Chili's menu limited at all. Matter of fact, the only thing spicy on their menu that immediately comes to mind are their wings - and you can get those in a sweet BBQ sauce. Is your menu different?

 

[LindaG4458]

The President Margareta is the best I have ever had.

I love them, too. I rate them about the same as the Perfect Margarita at Applebee's. Both are outstanding.

The Chili's here in Vero Beach is a short drive up the street. Maybe we should go there for supper tomorrow night....

 

[KiminChicago]

We used to go to Chili's a lot more -- they used to give out free kids meal coupons at our kids' school for perfect attendance, so we would go once a quarter at least. I don't think they do that anymore, because I know the kids had perfect attendance last quarter but no coupons

 

[Papa Deuce]

I don't eat anything hot or spicy and I don't consider Chili's menu limited at all. Matter of fact, the only thing spicy on their menu that immediately comes to mind are their wings - and you can get those in a sweet BBQ sauce. Is your menu different?

They do offer a Habanero BBQ sauce.... but the lady who waited on us said that it wasn't really super hot. It was about "jalapeno hot" she said.

 

[mumto3girls]

We love Chili's. Would probably rank it a bit above Applebees, but equal with TGIFridays and Max & Ermas. The closest one in our area is about 20 minutes away so we don't eat there often, but one of the first restaurants we look for when looking for family friendly food out of town.

 

[pigletgirl]

It is super popular around here. I don't think its worth waiting 45min or whatever it is almost every night.

I can think of a handful of other places that I'd rather go.

 

[Vexorg]

All three of the Chili's restaurants around here closed down last year (apparently the franchise owner went under.) and the only one left in the Seattle area now is at the airport behind the security checkpoint. I went to one of them several times before they closed down, and the food was OK, but the service was always mediocre, with things like drink refills and getting the check seeming to take forever.

 

[Pin Wizard]

I went to one last night. It might have been the first time ever. The one near me is probably 20+ years at the same location. I was always under the impression that it was not an especially good place to eat, even for "family fare"... Don't ask me why, but that is the impression I had.

Anyway, I had the ribs with the rub on them, and I thought that they were pretty good.

But what surprised me was the HUGE lines to get in the place when we left! When we got there, there were no parking spaces. We drove around the lot 2x before getting a space, but once we were inside we only has a 5 minute wait ( we did call ahead seating ).... There were maybe 10 people already waiting.

When we left, however, there were probably 40 - 50 people waiting, and I noticed that people were parking in some other business' parking lot.

Are they all like that?

It was pretty good, and the whole family wants to go again.

That was my exact thought about Applebee's for years. I only went last year when three people at our office decided that's where they wanted lunch. Applebee's is okay. I wouldn't give it a great review.

We rarely visit Chili's. Too many changes to the menu from what we've liked. I was less than thrilled a couple months ago when we stopped.