A Family Dinner at Chili's Grill & Bar

Author: Jose G. Barr

The first lunch date that my wife and I went on was to Chili's Grill and Bar. It's been over 23 wonderful years since that first date and we are still avid customers. We have always enjoyed the food and the atmosphere.  Our son Joseph is now a big fan of Chili's,  but it's not necessarily just for the food, he loves their new Ziosk system.

Since the introduction of the Ziosk, Joseph has asked to go their to eat often. He loves the games that are available and can spend the entire time playing. From a father's perspective,  it gives us time to relax and enjoy our meal without him getting bored and constantly asking when we are leaving.  For the adult customers it is an amazing bit of technology. The Ziosk is a tablet like device that allows us to enhance our visit by taking food and drink orders when we are ready. Chili's still has their amazing servers to enhance the overall experience. It's up to you which way you order your meal. We like to place our initial order with the server and then Joseph places the dessert order via the Ziosk. At the end of the evening I use it to pay the check. It has really simplified the dining experience and made it more fun.

On this last visit, I sampled their prime rib tacos, Ruby had the Grilled Smoked Chicken Burrito and Joseph his favorite cheeseburger, the Old Timer with cheese. I'm usually a creature of habit and order the same thing every time, 23 years ago it was the chicken fried steak and mashed potatoes. My current favorite is the chicken fajitas and a bowl of their baked potato soup. I decided to be a bit more adventurous this time around and ordered the prime rib tacos (and a cup of the Baked Potato Soup, I couldn't give up all my usual's). 

When the server brought out our food we were excited to receive our beautifully presented food. The grilled smoked chicken burrito look appetizing as prepared with its side of smoky pasilla-honey chili sauce. I have to say that the sauce took the burrito the a new level of delicious. The size is just right, filling without being too much.  Joseph's Old Timer arrived cooked beautifully at a medium well temperature.  My little buddy can be very picky about his burgers, but this one he enjoys every last bite.  The only minor negative here are the french fries. They are delicious when they are fresh from the fryer, but lose much of their goodness as they start to cool off.  

Chili's Old Timer with Cheese

Chili's Grilled Smoked Chicken Burrito

Now onto my bit of deliciousness, my prime rib tacos arrived on a taco holder (designed to keep the tacos upright and ready to eat), wisps of steam still coming off of the delicious looking contents.  When I took my first bite of these amazing tacos it was as if a flavor bomb had gone off.  The prime rib was cooked beautifully at about medium well.  The chimichurri sauce and the queso fresco topped it off nicely. The plate comes with black beans and a chili lime rice. I think I may have found my new Chili's favorite.

Prime Rib Tacos

Once we were done Joseph ordered dessert for all of us. We had no clue as to what he had ordered until it arrived at the table.  What arrived was the Skillet Chocolate Chip Cookie.  This sweet concoction is a chocolate chip cookie baked in a skillet and then topped with a scoop of vanilla ice cream. The whole thing is served piping hot for melt in your mouth goodness.   

As always, our visit to Chili's did not disappoint. The staff were as friendly as always, making our experience that much more memorable. We will be back soon to try our some of their other new offerings (or I may just stick with the tacos for a while). 

Chili's has been kid tested and Father approved. Pay a visit to your local Chili's and have a taste of some fresh goodness.