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First, I'll give Chili's credit -- they're a survivor in today's brutal casual dining segment. And how they can sell me a burger, a side, a small salad and a soft drink for $10.99 and make a dime
They can't. Its a loss leader. They make it up on drinks on other orders and especially alcohol.
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And, their quality is fairly respectable in today's environment, at least at the location I frequent.
Chilis and quality don't go together in the same language, much less same sentence. Hasn't since early 2000s, at least. It had been edible until before covid. Been there like twice in the last half decade, both times sucked. The menu has changed so many times in the last 20 years, and they've reinvented themselves numerous times during that period, that you never know what place you're going to.
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Second, old school Chili's was in fact a happening place. I'd hit the Greenville Avenue location in the early 1980's and there would always be a wait. You'd stand in an airport-terminal style line and they'd serve you drinks while you waited for a table.
NOW you're getting the dial tuned in. I don't think I was at the lower Greenville location more than maybe twice, but I hit most Dallas area old traditional locations (including the Greenville one near Walnut Hill) many times each. North Richland Hills, across the highway from the NE Mall, was, to my knowledge, the last original styled Chilis location before they tore everyone down and rebuilt. The Arlington one on 30 lasted a while as well (maybe longer). Menus had, of course, changed by then, but the locations still gave off the old style/charm.
In fact, now that I'm thinking about it, the Arlington location is at the same place and might have had some remodeling, but I'm not sure they ever shut down for too long.
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And the original Chili's burger recipe was the real deal. IIRC, that recipe is what Tom Snuffer 'modeled' his burgers on before he struck out on this own and founded Snuffers, but I digress.
According to the Snuffers/Highland Park location manager (several years before it closed, so this would have been circa 2012-ish), the burger mix they used was a combo of brisket and something -- I want to say round, but that may not be right. I remember the brisket for sure because I was surprised they'd use that in a fast cooking beef product, but the percentage was fairly low (20%-ish).
Honestly, what made the original Chilis burgers were the fresh buns and toppings. I'm not sure who made their buns, but after Brinker took over, the freshness fell down a ways. I guess you can't replicate quality across the country. When Chilis came out with their grilled chicken sandwich in the mid-80s, they had a great sourdough bun on it. I don't recall when they changed it, but it was for the worse. Getting local suppliers to all their stores beyond Dallas was, it seems, impossible, so they just said, screw it, we'll put out a (much) worse product and hope no one notices. Alcohol sales are their bread and butter anyway.
Chilis is a case study in how to watch your (failing) competition, mimic their failures, and destroy a brand. The fact that they're still around means they've forgotten their 70s and 80s customers and honestly don't care about them. It would be one thing if they had a complicated concept, but it was ridiculously simple, as you said. Light menu, good product, great atmosphere.
