When we first moved to our suburb, there was a clear lack of restaurants – especially compared to what we were used too. One of the first sit-down places that opened was Chili‘s. If we could have, we would have helped hammer in the nails as they were under construction. We were so excited!
Luckily, after they opened, we were not disappointed. The dining room is large and clean. The bar is similar and offers a huge amount of seating which is nice if you don’t feel like waiting … it’s open seating.
Aside from the food, my favorite thing about our neighborhood Chili‘s is call ahead seating. We use it ALL.THE.TIME. In fact, we eat there more often, because of this feature. With 2 kids in tow, waiting an hour to be seated is not on our lifeplan.
Needless to say …. we love Chili‘s. So, when I was approached by Chili‘s for a marketing campaign, I was a sure thing.
Don and I were excited to take part and although we have our “go-to” favorites that we get every time ….
(… like yummy Southwestern Egg Rolls. Oh my goodness … they are so good.) We were committed to trying something that we otherwise might not.
We started with Skillet Queso Dip …
… served with chips, it is more like a chili and chesse dip. We absolutely loved it.
Don ordered a Jalapeño Smokehouse Burger. It looked incredible.
With applewood smoked bacon, smoked cheddar, tortilla strips, the bacon alone would be worth ordering the burger. It was so thick and juicy … it looked like heaven on a plate.
I ordered the Bacon Burger and asked for it to be sprinkled with bleu cheese.
I couldn’t believe how large this burger was. I actually had a hard time finishing it, but it was one of those times when I couldn’t put it down. The juices that were flowing out of the burger were so good. The bun was thick enough that it didn’t fall apart, but just soaked up all the juice. I was so impressed.
Each of these burgers came with fries. Don ate all of his while I didn’t take a bite of mine. That says a lot since I love the seasoning on Chili’s fries.
I hate to admit this, but we loved what we had so much that we went back again 4 days later. We, again, order the Skillet Queso and decided to split a burger since it was for lunch.
We opted for the Ultimate Stacked Burger. It has 2 patties, cheese, bacon, and onion strings.
We cut it in half and neither of us could fit it in our mouth … Now THAT my friends is saying something! We loved it … and couldn’t eat it fast enough. The quality of meat that they are using in these patties has enough fat that it makes a really flavorful juice, but is meaty enough that it stays thick even as you hold on to it in the bun. It’s a great combination. Much better than what we use at home!
Although our kids didn’t join us this time, I feel like I should add that they LOVE going to Chili‘s. As a mom who doesn’t allow them to eat junk 24 hours a day, I really appreciate the healthy options on their menu. The kids alternate between pizza, quesdilla, and macaroni and cheese. For sides, they love the steamed broccoli, corn on the cob, and mandarin oranges.
Is there a Chili‘s in your area? If you don’t eat there often or haven’t tried it in a while, I’d encourage you to go back. The new additions to the menu, as well as the old favorites are better than ever! They might have converted me to a burger girl again … I’ve fallen in love with each one I’ve tried.
* I was contacted by a marketing company working in conjunction with Chili’s. I was provided a gift certificate to cover the costs of our food, but had no other requirements in writing this review. This is my honest opinion of my experience at the restaurant.
I totally stole this recipe from 
