I’ve been eating at Chili's for years — 7 things showed me it was poised for a comeback

The restaurant always seemed to be busy, especially on a weekend night. Still, wait times can be an hour long.

On my first-ever visit to a Chili's in Queens, New York, it was extremely busy on a Friday night in September 2023.

Families and couples filled the booths and tables, but my friend and I were seated right away in a comfortable booth near the center of the dining room.

On subsequent visits to the same location, I've sometimes had to wait up to an hour for a table — and with no option to make reservations, it can be hard to eat there on a busy weekend night.

Other visitors to the same location have also remarked that wait times can be long, indicating demand and suggesting an uptick in interest in the casual-dining chain.

The dining room felt modern and elevated, especially for a legacy chain.

The dining room felt more modern and polished than I expected from a legacy chain, with minimalist, almost industrial elements and simple nods to its most popular dishes, like its baby-back ribs.

The high-backed booths, warm lighting, and subtle Chili's branding made it feel comfortable without looking dated. It felt like a stark contrast to some Applebee's and TGI Friday's locations I've visited.

While I enjoyed the modern design, Chili's is actually in the process of remodeling 1,200 of its restaurants with a '90s-inspired, retro design, with about 10% of locations set to be renovated each year.

The menu seemed designed for sharing with a group.

Between the Dip Trio, the Triple Dipper, shareable chips and salsa, and a long list of drinks, there are plenty of options for a group to enjoy together before entrées even arrive.

The Triple Dipper especially made the strategy clear from my very first visit. At the location I visited, it cost $18.29, plus a small upcharge for bone-in wings, and came with three appetizers and three cups of sauces.

It was enough food to easily split among three people, or order alone as an entrée, which many started to do after the menu item went viral in 2024. Other chains have created their own shareable appetizer samplers, but Chili's was the first to truly catch my attention.

I prefer the items available in the Triple Dipper to other chain-restaurant appetizer platters, especially the Big Mouth Bites and the Southwestern egg rolls. It went viral for a reason.

The menu had enough variety to suit most kinds of diners at the same table.

One person could order baby-back ribs and mac and cheese, while someone else could go for a fresher option like the Quesadilla Explosion salad, which my friend said felt balanced and full of fresh ingredients, or an item off the Guiltless Grill.

That flexibility makes the chain an easier pick for mixed groups — though diners with allergies should still let the restaurant know, since Chili's says it cannot guarantee that any item is completely allergen-free.

While other chain restaurants also offer healthier or more allergen-friendly options, I find that Chili's tends to be a favorite among my friends who are pickier eaters.

However, I've also heard gripes from my gluten-free and vegetarian friends about the lack of options.

Chili's does not offer gluten-free buns for any of its burgers or sandwiches, and the only veggie burger on the menu is a black-bean burger rather than a Beyond or Impossible burger, which some vegetarians and plant-based eaters prefer.

Chili's does offer a few gluten-friendly menu options, including fajitas that can be customized with corn tortillas instead of flour tortillas.

Chili's served up generous portions and tasty food at affordable prices.

Chili's offered the kind of generous portions and good taste that made a night out feel like a real value.

From the smoky skillet queso and crispy Southwestern egg rolls to the tender ribs and creamy white-cheddar mac and cheese, the meal felt satisfying … without carrying the kind of tab you might expect at an independent restaurant in New York City.

For around $100 for two people, including appetizers, drinks, entrées, and a dessert, the price was hard to beat — although some might still think that's too expensive for a chain restaurant.

There are plenty of hyped-up items on the menu, but my favorites were among the most underrated.

Chili's has no shortage of menu items that have become internet-famous, from the Triple Dipper to its chicken sandwiches, fried bricks of mozzarella cheese, and monthly margarita flavors. But one of my favorite dishes was a less-hyped choice: Alex's Santa Fe Burger.

The burger was piled high with a beef patty, pepper jack cheese, avocado, crispy onion strings, and house-made Santa Fe sauce.

It was messy in the best way, with enough heat, creaminess, and crunch to make it feel more memorable than a standard chain-restaurant burger. It showed me that even if an item isn't "viral," it can still be worth ordering.

Paying for our meal was a lot easier than at other chains.

Splitting the bill among a group was straightforward thanks to the mobile kiosks at each table, which I haven't found at other chain restaurants.

Instead of having to put down a single card or ask the server to run separate checks, everyone could review the check on the kiosk, choose a tip, and pay for their own portion without handing over multiple cards or waiting for a server.

That kind of built-in convenience feels especially appealing to Gen Z diners, who often expect the same quick, frictionless experience they get from a delivery app or digital wallet. It also takes away one of the most awkward parts of a group dinner: figuring out who owes what.

As a Gen Z diner, I could see Chili's appeal.

It doesn't stop at the ability to pay individually on a user-friendly digital kiosk. Between the shareable appetizers, familiar comfort-food menu, booth seating, and casual atmosphere, Chili's struck me as an easy option for a group dinner with friends.

Its value meal — which starts at $10.99 and includes an appetizer, entrée, and bottomless drink — is a natural fit for budget-conscious Gen Z-ers and even Gen Alpha.

The chain has also used social media to reach younger diners, from turning its rotating $6 margaritas into a loyalty club to capitalizing on viral mozzarella-stick cheese pulls and its "Love Island USA" Bombshell Margarita campaign, inspired by one of the most popular shows of the summer among young people.

The strategy has helped keep Chili's part of the conversation by turning online trends into actual restaurant visits, and reflects a broader effort to turn existing fan behavior — whether that means ordering a viral appetizer or trying a limited-time drink inspired by pop culture — into social content and repeat visits.

As casual-dining chains compete for younger customers, Chili's appears to have found a more effective way than many of its peers to stay part of the conversation.

There's still room for improvement, but I can see why the chain has been able to turn a few viral menu moments into sustained momentum.

For me, Chili's has consistently offered the things that make a casual-dining night out feel worth it: a lively, comfortable dining room, shareable food that works for a group, a familiar menu with enough variety for different kinds of eaters, and generous portions in a day and age where value is the most important aspect of going out.

Chili's also understands how to make its existing strengths feel relevant to younger diners, whether that means leaning into viral cheese pulls, limited-time margaritas, or an easy, digital-first dining experience.

That doesn't mean every part of dining at Chili's is perfection. The restaurant can be difficult to get into on busy weekend nights, particularly because it doesn't take reservations. A meal for two can still add up to around $100, including drinks, appetizers, entrées, and dessert, which may be more than some customers want to spend at a chain restaurant. And although the menu is broad overall, Chili's could do more for gluten-free, vegetarian, and plant-based diners.

Still, those are problems the chain has room to address, especially as it continues to drive new menu innovations and growth.

Chili's has shown that a legacy casual-dining brand can grow by getting the fundamentals right, offering a clear value proposition, and leaning into what's resonating with customers — a strategy that could ensure the chain's comeback is here to stay.