15 July 2009

Chili's

I usually find chain restaurants disappointing. I think this comes from having high expectations from watching all these commercials for restaurants that are not in Hawai'i. You know, the food looks so good and you can't have it! Anyway, Chili's has been here for awhile but other than the excitement when they first opened, I have not been a fan.

Last time I went was in Sandusky, Ohio in 2006. Kea and I were in Sandusky for a couple days visiting Cedar Point amusement park. I thought Chili's was a Southwestern restaurant so I should order tacos or something. I don't remember what I ordered but I do remember that I hated it.

Anyway, we ended up at Chili's again last Friday with our nephews (age 10 and 8) and Kea's dad. I was racking my brain trying to think of a restaurant to please these two different audiences. Kea's dad usually doesn't eat out. He thinks it's a waste of money. If we were just going out with him, I think maybe we would've gone to a Chinese restaurant or like somewhere that served katsu curry or something. And kids of course are picky. I knew they liked Japanese food and pizza. They wanted to go to Hanaki at Manoa Marketplace and me and Kea refused. That place is so meh. It's good in that they have sushi, tempura, and all kinds of other stuff buffet style but the quality is really poor.

When we decided to go to Chili's, I was not happy, but Kea's sister recommended the Buffalo Chicken Salad. I ended up ordering it and it was awesome. I guess it helps that I love buffalo chicken. It was a little spicy--as in, more than I would expect from a chain restaurant. And it was nice having that somewhat healthy salad to go with the salty, battered, and sauced chicken. It was one of those salad's that's got so much stuff on it that non-salad people can enjoy it. But I have no problem with that.

Based on what everyone else ordered, I heard the ribs are good too.

5 Comments:

At 9:15 PM , Blogger Julie said...

I didn't think Hanaki was that bad when I went there years ago with y'all, but I've had better since. My parents like the salads at Chili's too!

 
At 7:33 AM , Blogger kristen said...

i recently had ribs at chili's and was disappointed. outback's are better. but maybe it was just bad luck.

 
At 7:33 AM , Blogger dj fuzzylogic said...

I used to LOOOOVE Chili's back in high school! My friends and I used to go regularly to get hamburgers and to check out the "hot" waitresses.

But now I can't stand the place... Do you think there is a difference between chains based on how expensive they are? What about TGIF or "Cheesecake Factory"?

 
At 8:30 AM , Blogger Robyn said...

Yeah, we were all into Chili's when it was new in Hawai'i. And I think it may have been the first place we went out for drinks the first summer when we all were 21. TGIF and Cheesecake Factory are also places I went a few times in college. Loved Cheesecake Factory the first time; not so much the second time.

Until this visit to Chili's, the only chains I liked were Macaroni Grill and CPK.

 
At 9:29 PM , Blogger dj fuzzylogic said...

Oh! Macaroni Grill...that place is delicious! The free super soft loaf they bring out >>> cheesy biscuits.

 

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