Chili’s Restaurant is a staple of American dining found in nearly every major city. The bright red logo is highlighted with a chili pepper in neon lights as you walk into the franchise, and are greeted by a warm hostess who carries you along to your table. The positive initial introduction into the store is complimented with a prompt introduction from the waiter who will take drink orders, while familiarizing the diners to the menu.

The greatest part about the Chili’s menu is that the entire menu is economical for the average family of four, a date night, group of friends, and even an individual diner. To make their menu even more pocket friendly, they have a 2 for $20 section that provides 2 diners with a shared appetizer and 2 individual entrees. Their desert menu offers deserts that make you remember your experience; each bite of the Chocolate Molten Lava Cake brings goosebumps to the surface of your skin. Also, the drink menu is elaborate.

Chili’s atmosphere is friendly. The music that plays can often have a hidden gem that will make you stop in mid-sentence and exclaim, “That’s my song!” The colors are warm earth tones highlighted with green, tiled walls, and wooden floors; all of these elements combined help to bring out a feeling that makes visitors both relax and ease into conversation.

You can easily come into Chili’s, have your meal and leave, if that’s what you chose to do. You can also spend an entire evening there catching up with old friends, and never realize that you’ve let the time fly by.

Payment options and ordering have become increasingly convenient, as each table and booth is now equipped with its own electronic touch screen system that even allows you to split a check. Gone are the days of wondering where your server went, and when will they check on you again. These devices can also serve in distracting young ones, because they also have games included.

Some may compare and evening at Chili’s to competitors like Applebee’s, Ruby Tuesdays, or TGI Fridays, but where the competitors fail Chili’s is dominant, and that is in the menu. Their strength lies in offering a food selection that would appease all types of people, which can be said of the competitors also, but in the case of Chili’s the flavor is incredible. Applebee’s and Ruby Tuesdays have created a “health conscious” menu to stay with the current organic trends, yet has seriously sacrificed flavor. TGI Fridays is only now attempting to stay in pace with Chili’s, and still has a ways to go as their menu is neither memorable, nor does a great job of leaving the diner with a “wow” feeling after having ate there. Chili’s has lastingly surpassed its competitors in flavor, and with having some long term menu staples that would have visitors sit down and immediately order.

Although Chili’s is currently the leader in flavor, it could have trouble keeping up with TGI Fridays “endless appetizer” special which for a flat price offers up their best appetizers endlessly. If this idea is a long term success for TGI Fridays, it will not be hard for Chili’s to turn around and offer up their own version with higher quality taste in the future.
An overall experience at Chili’s is highly satisfactory, and will be your convenient go to place for economical get togethers where everyone can be their selves. The overall Chili’s experience is enjoyable and should definitely be put in everyone’s mental rolodex for those evenings when you might be driving with someone and asking each other, “Where should we eat?”