Join Us Saturday, July 26

  • My husband, my teenage son, and his girlfriend visited Chili’s on a Friday night for dinner.
  • Our teenage dining companions love Chili’s and our food wasn’t bad, but I’m not sure I get the hype.
  • The $100 meal seemed reasonably priced, but Chili’s definitely isn’t my favorite chain restaurant.

On one of my teenage son’s first dates with his girlfriend, they went to Chili’s.

As a food writer, I was curious about the choice. I wouldn’t classify the major chain as an ideal date-night destination, but it’s clear they may have been inspired by TikTok.

Chili’s is a hit with Gen Z on the social-media platform, which is brimming with videos of people around their age eating mozzarella sticks with impressive cheese pulls and burgers loaded with toppings.

A few months later, it was my son’s requested birthday dinner, so my husband and I accompanied him and his girlfriend to our local Chili’s on a Friday night.

The place was hopping, with a 30-minute wait for a table and loud groups of diners sipping colorful, fish-bowl-sized margaritas as they waited for their meals.

It felt like the hottest spot in town, but I found the food underwhelming. Always willing to give a restaurant a second chance, our same group returned to that Chili’s on another Friday night a few weeks later.

Here’s what I thought of my second try at understanding Chili’s popularity with younger customers.

Although Chili’s was once again crowded, we didn’t have to wait for a table.

Unsurprisingly, Chili’s was just as crowded around 6 p.m. on a Friday as it was the last time we visited. This time, though, there was no wait to be seated.

Within seconds of walking in the doors, we were at a table looking over the Chili’s menu.

We started with a free appetizer that I earned through Chili’s rewards program.

We’re signed up for the Chili’s My Rewards loyalty program, which costs nothing to join and includes perks like a free birthday dessert and special savings offers throughout the year.

My Rewards member can choose between a free non-alcoholic beverage or free chips and salsa at each visit. We chose the latter

The appetizer at Chili’s is usually around $7, so it’s a nice freebie to split across the table while waiting for entrees. It wasn’t bad or super memorable.

While we snacked on our chips and salsa, we ordered a round of drinks — sodas ($3 each) for my son, his girlfriend, and I, and an $8 beer for my husband.

After we ordered, I spent some time observing the crowded restaurant.

The restaurant was only getting busier by the time we’d ordered our meals.

I was surprised by the mix of clientele, from young women in their 20s who were dressed for a Friday night out to families with little kids to elderly patrons dining together in groups.

On a trip to the bathroom, I spotted lots of brightly-colored, giant-sized margaritas, too — a true sign you’ve landed at a Chili’s.

My son ordered what seems to be Chili’s most TikTok-ed dish.

TikTok loves the Chili’s Triple Dipper. The dish has thousands of posts with millions of views on the platform, and people seem to love ordering it for its customizability.

It’s meant to be an appetizer, but it contains enough food for a person to order as their meal. It consists of a pick-your-own selection of any three appetizers from the menu.

Earlier that day, my son was already anticipating his Triple Dipper, telling my husband he was “so hyped” to order one that night.

His choice of appetizers in the $18 platter? Big Mouth Bites cheeseburger sliders, fried mozzarella, and fries.

Although he loved everything in his Triple Dipper, he said he’d skip the fries next time since they cost less and aren’t as filling as other appetizer options.

To get the most value for his money and add protein to the meal, he’d keep the sliders and mozzarella sticks but add chicken tenders as his third item.

Chili’s has really, really good chicken tenders.

My son’s girlfriend chose a $15 platter with four Chicken Crisper chicken tenders, fries, and white-cheddar macaroni and cheese.

She enjoyed the meal, and since that’s exactly what I ordered the last time I visited Chili’s, I knew how delicious it was firsthand.

I’ll give Chili’s this: The chain serves really well-battered, crispy chicken tenders — probably some of my favorites from a chain restaurant.

Diners can also customize their tenders by having them tossed in sauces like honey chipotle or Nashville hot.

There are an impressive amount of options for dipping sauces to pair with them, too, from standards like honey mustard and ranch to unique-to-Chili’s dips like Sweet Chili Zing and Buffalo Ranch.

My husband and I shared the most expensive item on the menu.

Out of curiosity — and because we’re focusing on a low-gluten, high-protein diet — my husband and I ordered the most expensive dish on the Chili’s menu to share.

Chili’s Fajitas For Two comes with four meat portions (we chose two portions of steak, and one each of chicken and shrimp), rice, black beans, tortillas, and fixings like sour cream, cheese, and pico de gallo.

The $40 entree came out hot and sizzling, and the fajita meats and grilled bell peppers and onions were delicious. The roasted jalapeño on top was flavorful and spicy, a nice contrast to the cool sour cream and shredded cheese.

Overall, we liked our meal, but I’d feel better about spending my money on fajitas at one of the mom-and-pop Mexican restaurants in our town rather than a chain restaurant.

Our $100 meal felt reasonably priced, but I still don’t get the Chili’s hype.

Our meal, which cost just under $100 before tip, felt reasonably priced.

However, there are plenty of other spots (including other chains) where I’d prefer to spend the same amount on dinner for a Friday night out.

Both times I’ve eaten at Chili’s, I felt the food was tasty enough, but not super memorable (aside from those yummy chicken tenders, of course).

I wish I could say I fully understand the Chili’s hype, but it’s still just not my favorite chain restaurant.

Still, Chili’s is popular with teenagers these days, and I love getting to share a meal with my son and his girlfriend and just talk.

As parents of two teens, my husband and I are always trying to find little ways to understand what they enjoy, so if hitting a crowded Chili’s on a Friday night and bonding over Triple Dippers and sizzling fajitas is what they want to do, we’re only too happy to oblige.



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