12 Chili's Menu Items To Avoid, According To Customer Reviews

Chili's Grill & Bar got its start in 1975 as a small Dallas eatery that served burgers and chili dishes. The restaurant's expansion moved at a steady pace, with the chain growing to 23 locations by 1983. That same year, the business was purchased by Norman Brinker, who gradually transformed Chili's into a national casual-dining powerhouse. One of Brinker's first moves was to diversify the restaurant's menu, adding classic Tex-Mex favorites to the mix.

Brinker's strategy worked, and by the time he stepped down in 2001, Chili's boasted hundreds of locations across the United States. Today, Chili's operates around 1,200 restaurants across the country, with the biggest presence in Texas and Florida. The chain's menu features a range of Tex-Mex staples and hearty American comfort foods that appeal to a broad range of diners. That said, not all of Chili's dishes have earned praise from patrons, with some options drawing online criticism for their flavor and overall quality.

Ready to find out what not to order during your next visit to Chili's? Take a look at our roundup of the dishes that have received the worst customer feedback online.

Listed in the appetizer section of Chili's menu, among items such as fried mozzarella with dipping sauce, skillet beef queso, and guacamole, Southwestern Eggrolls are a playful take on more traditional Asian egg rolls. Instead of fillings such as cabbage, carrot, pork, and noodles, these crispy bites feature Southwestern-inspired ingredients. Enveloped in flour tortillas, the chain's version of the snack includes chicken, jalapeños, Jack cheese, black beans, corn, red peppers, and spinach. The starter comes with an avocado-ranch dipping sauce.

While Chili's Southwestern Eggrolls may sound great on paper, they leave a lot to be desired when it comes to execution. One Yelp reviewer calls them, "quite possibly [the] worst egg-rolls I've ever had," explaining, "The outer shell was soft, oily, mushy, and almost tasted like one of those frozen burritos you get at a grocery store. I cannot believe they would call this an egg roll." Another Yelp user also isn't impressed with the menu item, saying, "The Southwestern Egg Rolls were sent back to be remade because they were soggy and undercooked."

Chili's introduced Margarita Grilled Chicken as part of its "Lighter Choices" menu in 2012, but the dish made an appearance as the restaurant's limited-term offering as early as 1996. An early advertisement for the dish noted that the chicken is marinated in garlic and lime before being grilled over flames. Meanwhile, a later description of the dish refers to it as a "classic Margarita-flavored grilled chicken with hints of lime and citrus, served with rice, black beans, tortilla strips and house-made pico de gallo" (via Brinker International).

Many diners have expressed disappointment with Chili's Margarita Grilled Chicken. One Yelp reviewer was underwhelmed with the menu item, noting, "The chicken looked bland and unseasoned — not at all like the photo. Thrown together to say the least." And reviewers have also complained about the amount of chicken, with one person claiming to be an employee of the chain noting on Reddit: "As someone who works at Chili's, the Margarita Chicken is the worse value for your buck."

Aside from its more basic Side House Salad, Chili's offers two other salad choices: the Santa Fe Salad, and the Santa Fe Crispers Salad. The only difference between the two menu offerings is the way the poultry is prepared, with the Santa Fe Salad featuring pieces of grilled chicken and the Santa Fe Crispers Salad topped with crispy chicken pieces. Named after Santa Fe, New Mexico, Chili's Santa Fe Salad is supposed to evoke the bold flavors of Southwestern and Tex‑Mex cuisines. And the dish does feature a mix of Tex-Mex toppings, including pico de gallo, guacamole, cilantro, tortilla strips, as well as ranch and special Santa Fe sauce.

Unfortunately, diners haven't taken to the restaurant's Santa Fe-themed creations, complaining about their freshness and the meager amount of the chicken topping. A case in point is one Yelp reviewer who says, "The salad I received was pitiful looking, missing dressing and had absolutely no chicken." Another Yelp user says that his wife's Santa Fe salad wasn't fresh, with browning and wilting lettuce. For those interested in the source of the salad's chicken, a former Chili's employee explains on Reddit: "[It's the] leftover chicken from the night before seasoned and portioned into bags and then microwaved and thrown back on salads like the [...] Santa Fe salad."

For many diners, a visit to a restaurant isn't complete without the final course. Catering to this group of dessert enthusiasts, Chili's offers three different sweet treats, including Peanut Butter Pie, Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie, and Molten Chocolate Cake. Sometimes called lava cake, molten cakes are characterized by their warm and gooey center. Following this traditional recipe, Chili's version of the dessert comes with a molten chocolate center crowned with vanilla ice cream encased in a chocolate shell and drizzled with caramel sauce. Chili's also features a mini version of its molten cake for kids and a party platter with seven mini molten cakes.

Despite its promising marketing, Chili's Molten Chocolate Cake has drawn a considerable number of unfavorable reviews from customers. For example, one TripAdvisor reviewer calls the dessert "horrible," adding, "Cold & dry. Nothing 'lava' about it. The chocolate on the inside was a solid brick of chocolate, like a candy bar." A Yelp user echoes this sentiment, saying, "The cake was rock solid. The ice-cream — I honestly thought this was a cream to drizzle onto the cake. It was totally melted!!"

Chili's serves both Bone-In and Boneless Wings to satisfy different preferences. Those looking for classic, messy, and flavorful wings can opt for the restaurant's bone-in version of the dish, while diners who value convenience can choose its boneless, fork-friendly wing option. Available in 8, 12, and 16 pieces, the crispy bone-in or boneless chicken wings are tossed in up to two sauces, including the spicy Nashville hot, the medium Buffalo and Honey-Chipotle, and the mild Sweet Chili Zing and House BBQ. There are also two dipping sauces to choose from — ranch and blue cheese dressing.

Chili's chicken wings have received unfavorable reviews from diners, with many pointing out that they were served cold, overcooked, or too dry. For instance, one TripAdvisor reviewer goes as far as calling the menu item "a little offensive," adding, "Too much sauce and overcooked. The chicken was moist enough but [the] overcooked coating wasn't even softened by the excessive sauce." A Yelp user echoes a similar frustration, saying, "The plate was hot but the chicken wings were cold and dry."

With a brand built around Tex-Mex dishes and hearty American grill classics, Chili's doesn't offer many seafood options. In fact, the chain's only fish and shellfish menu items include shrimp dishes, such as Surf & Turf Ribeye and Ultimate Cajun Pasta, and Ancho Salmon. Made with seared Atlantic salmon, Chili's Ancho Salmon comes topped with ancho chile and cilantro pesto. The dish arrives at the table with a portion of Mexican rice and a side of steamed broccoli — America's favorite vegetable.

Chili's Ancho Salmon hasn't impressed patrons, with several online reviewers noting that the dish lacked proper preparation and flavor. One Yelp reviewer says that the plate was a complete waste of money, adding, "The salmon was dried all the way out and wayyyyy overcooked. The ancho sauce is usually a greenish color, this was yellow." Another Yelp user complains about the flavor of the dish, saying, "The sauce was a bit too heavy and masked the salmon flavor too much."

Chili's serves two distinct pasta menu offerings: the Cajun Pasta and the Ultimate Cajun Pasta. The only difference between the two is that the Cajun Pasta offers a choice of either grilled chicken or shrimp, and the Ultimate Cajun Pasta features both ingredients. Aside from the main topping, the chain's Cajun penne pasta comes with parmesan cheese, chili, tomatoes, green onions, and Alfredo sauce. The dish is finished with a serving of garlic toast.

Rooted in Louisiana's French-speaking Acadian heritage, Cajun cooking is known for its bold and zesty flavors. Sadly, Chili's Cajun pasta fails to reflect this culinary complexity. One TripAdvisor reviewer sheds light on the issue, saying, "Blandest Cajun pasta I've ever had. [...] Cajun Chicken Pasta by definition should be spicy. Mine sat under the heat lamp so long that the 'Cajun sauce' congealed. It was TOO BLAND." A Yelp reviewer seconds this, noting, "I got the Cajun chicken pasta. I actually felt like I was special for getting so much seasoning on top and then I realized it was all seasoning salt."

Chili's menu features a dedicated burger section that offers a range of classics such as the Big QP Burger — a quarter pounder with slices of American cheese, red onions, and pickles. There are also slightly more innovative and elaborate options like the Alex's Santa Fe Burger, which comes layered with guacamole, cheddar, red onions, jalapeños, tomatoes, pickles, and cilantro. The chain's Big Mouth Bites caters to groups of diners looking for smaller burger portions. Instead of one big burger, the menu item consists of four mini burgers with bacon, American cheese, sautéed onions, and ranch sauce.

The biggest complaint about the Big Mouth Bites at Chili's are the dry and tough patties. Perhaps one Reddit member sums this up best in their advice to the chain's kitchen employees, saying, "You're allowed to take the Big Mouth Bite patties off the flattop before they turn into hockey pucks. You're not required to cook them to death. A nice, thorough cook and nothing more is just fine. I know that the patties are small and they cook quickly, but you really don't have to keep doing [it] like this." A TripAdvisor reviewer clearly agrees with this sentiment, explaining, "All of our big mouth bites were inedible. They were like charcoal on a bun."

While Chili's may be a convenient on-the-go dinner destination, the restaurant is probably not the best choice for diners seeking a premium steak experience. And the fact that Chili's offers five different sirloin dishes — plus, two ribeye options — doesn't mean that they are made with high quality beef or prepared with care. Interestingly, the restaurant offers both classic and guiltless versions of sirloin beef. The classic steak comes topped with garlic butter, as well as sides of mashed potatoes and steamed broccoli. Meanwhile, the guiltless sirloin is topped with a cilantro pesto sauce and pico de gallo, and comes with roasted asparagus. 

Regardless of the dressing and accompaniments, diners say you shouldn't order the sirloin steak from Chili's, and agree that the real issue is the beef itself. A case in point is one Yelp reviewer who describes the beef as, "Tender as a mother in law's love!," and then elaborates, "That's how I would describe their 6 oz. sirloin. For those who don't understand country talk — that means that it was the toughest steak I ever tried to eat." Similarly, a Yelp user complains about the restaurant's beef quality and its size, saying, "Ordered a 10oz. sirloin from Chili's. Thought it looked a little small so I weighed it when I got home... 5.4 oz. barely half as advertised not to mention it was dry and tough. Pretty much gave me a 5oz piece of beef jerky."

Crispy french fries are a fast-food staple that's both satisfying and perfect for sharing as an appetizer or a side dish. However, while well-prepared fries don't require much more than a sprinkle of salt, their poor-quality counterparts can't even be saved with piles of toppings — like the Texas Cheese Fries at Chili's. The restaurant's appetizer is finished with shredded cheese, bacon, jalapeños, green onions, and ranch sauce on the side.

Many diners have expressed their disappointment with Chili's Texas Cheese Fries, complaining about the limp fries and the underwhelming amount of toppings. One Yelp user says that they don't recommend the appetizer, saying, "My Texas cheese fries were atrociously cold and looked like they had been sitting for hours." Another Yelp reviewer also takes issue with the dish, noting, "There was minimal cheese. Not only that, I had asked to get them remade and they BROUGHT THE SAME FRIES OUT! Super disappointed in the Chili's Franchise. Never eating [at] Chili's again."

Some diners may be familiar with Chili's '90s "I want my baby back, baby back..." jingle. Said to have been written by ad executive Guy Bommarito in just five minutes, the iconic song grew into a pop-culture phenomenon, even appearing in an Austin Powers movie. Today, the chain continues to serve full and half racks of baby back ribs, which it slow-cooks and smokes in-house, and finishes with the chain's signature BBQ sauce. Whichever portion size diners opt for, the dish comes with a side of fries and creamy mac and cheese.

Numerous customers have given Chili's ribs negative feedback, however, complaining that they were tough, dry, and cold. For instance, one unhappy TripAdvisor reviewer says, "I had the half rack of baby back ribs and thought they were not good. The ribs had very little sauce and were very tough. Ribs are supposed to fall off the bone and mine could hardly be cut with a steak knife." Similarly, a Yelp reviewer says that they were "underwhelmed" by the dish, complaining, "The ribs were dry, not much meat, and slow coming out of the kitchen."

While quesadillas originated in Mexico, the versions of the dish often seen in fast-food restaurants are Tex-Mex adaptations. So what's the difference between the two? Classic Mexican quesadillas typically feature a corn tortilla stuffed with Oaxaca cheese. On the other hand, Tex-Mex quesadillas are usually prepared with flour tortillas and filled with a range of cheeses and beef, chicken, or shrimp. They also normally come with sides of sour cream, guacamole, and pico de gallo.

It's this second version of the dish that is served at Chili's. As such, it's not surprising that the Brisket Quesadillas come with shredded cheese and jalapeños, and are served with pico de gallo, sour cream, BBQ sauce, and ranch. Alternatively, diners can opt for the chain's Chicken Bacon Ranch Quesadillas, which feature chicken, bacon, shredded cheese, and chili spices.

Diners haven't been overly impressed with the restaurant's Brisket Quesadillas, with the main criticism centered on the quality of the meat. One TripAdvisor describes the dish as "terrible," adding, "I don't know what was in the brisket quesadilla on the BBQ plate, but it didn't taste like brisket!" Along similar lines, another diner notes that the brisket in the quesadillas was overly fatty. Finally, another TripAdvisor member sums up the dish with biting sarcasm: "Still searching for the brisket in what looked like 3-day-old quesadillas."

Many fast food restaurants feature large menus to appeal to a broad range of tastes. Unfortunately, quantity often leads to inconsistency. It can be tricky to ensure that dozens of quickly-made fast food menu items are prepared with the same level of freshness and quality. Chili's is no exception, offering several menu items that don't quite hit the mark.

To bring you a list of the most disappointing menu items at Chili's, we have analyzed hundreds of customer reviews on platforms including Reddit, Yelp, and TripAdvisor. Our evaluation of the dishes considered elements such as quality, flavor, preparation, and temperature.