Good food and friendly service; just takes WAY too long for food. Went for lunch on a Tuesday and waited 40 minutes to get our meal.
(3)
Alexa E.
My server must have been new because he kind of took his time with things and you could tell he was focusing on what to do next. Regardless, no complaints about the service I received and the food was great! This place also has fancy electronic computers at each table. You can let your kids play apps, look up the menu, pay your tab, or read up on news headlines (as I did). Pretty cool, but I'm not sure there's a solid reason for those to be there.
(4)
Roseann M.
Sometimes you have to throw your expectations and prejudices about chain restaurants out the window. The last time I was in a Chili's was February 2002. Yes, really. How do I know the date so well? I went to a Chili's with family members when we gathered in Bloomington, Indiana, for the funeral of my step-father. So, yeah, the occasion is firmly in my memory. I haven't been to a Chili's since because I live in the heart of Chicago, and some chain restaurants just never penetrate. And, anytime I can go to a family-owned, locally-owned business instead of a national chain, I go. But I asked my elderly aunt, a resident of Hobart, where she would like to go for lunch, and she picked Chili's. So off to the wasteland of chain restaurants along Route 30 we went. Even though we arrived at 12:30pm, the restaurant was only about half full. We were able to sit immediately in a booth by the window. The waitress showed up quickly and gave us menus. There was the regular menu, and a menu for a lot of Mexican specialties. There is a lot of choice, but not so much if you're a vegetarian. My aunt found something pretty quickly, but I had to read everything carefully before figuring out what I could get without meat. Chili's is not a paradise for vegetarians. My aunt ordered a chicken sandwich with bacon. The waitress asked if she wanted the French fries. Aunt and I both made a "no" face at the fries. There were several choices of sides, and Aunt went with the steamed broccoli. She loved her meal. She said the broccoli was cooked perfectly and tasted better than any she'd had in a restaurant for a long time. The sandwich was very filling; she ate half and took the other half home. She said it wasn't the exact sandwich she'd had last time at Chili's. The menu had changed quite a bit. She enjoyed it, though. Chili's made her a very happy, full old lady. I looked at the Mexican selections. You could get two or three items with rice and beans. They had a cheese enchilada, but everything else was meat-based. I asked for a tostada, without the meat, and my request was met. Black beans and rice, veggie tostada, cheese enchilada -- I was very pleasantly surprised. Everything was delicious. There is a card reader at each table. When I presented my credit card with the bill, the waitress showed me how to pay tableside. This means that a customer's credit card is never out of her sight, even for five seconds. I appreciate the additional security and ease of payment. We ended up sitting and chatting over coffee and iced tea for maybe half an hour after I paid. We were never rushed to leave; in fact, we were left undisturbed to enjoy our drinks, and we enjoyed our conversation. I wish Chili's had more menu items for vegetarians. They don't even have a veggie burger. Just for that reason, Chili's wouldn't be my first choice among chain restaurants. At least I know I can get solid Mexican food there, without meat. If Aunt wants to go to Chili's again, I'd be perfectly happy to take her there.
(4)
Selina L.
Very dissatisfied. 2 tables got their found before we did and we had sat down before them. Husband got to looking at the tiled table and where the grout was between the tiles was black. Messed up on my order. Asked for roasted garlic and spinach and they brought a salad....after the rest of the dinner was gone. They did take it off the bill and apologized but it has gone down hill.
(1)
Ayrin B.
While other Chili's Restaurant may be okay, but the one by Southlake Mall needs to be shut down until they can get better management, better food, and better servers. My family and I had the worst experience at this Chili's. While the mediocre service and food would have been tolerated, everyone has their bad days, the Saturday night manager's actions made matters worse. On top of having a very unprofessional appearance; he had a very incompetent and lackadaisical attitude. He acted as if he could have cared less my family's experience in his restaurant and basically ran, away from our table before we could make a full complaint. He did make the excuse that our server did not feel well, which makes me wonder if I now have to worry about becoming sick from this visit. One positive, there was a very nice host at the front door. He needs to become the manager and teach others there about good customer service.
(1)
Kayla M.
You'd think you'd pretty much know what you're getting when it comes to Chili's - but would you be surprised when an 'entertainment fee' shows up on your bill? I was. There's nothing special about this particular Chili's location. It's what's you'd expect. It's clean, it's always reasonably packed and the menu is updated frequently. Our waitress was very nice - big plus, but shortly after we were seated a large group of loud women were seated across from us which set the tone for dinner. My girlfriend and I both ordered Salads - she the Santa Fe Chicken Salad and I the Caribbean Chicken Salad. You can never go wrong with a salad here, they are all good! My friend didn't expect the spiciness of the Santa Fe salad but remedied that by asking for a side of ranch as well. When the bill came we were shocked to see a $.99 charge listed as an 'entertainment fee'. Okay sure, there's the saying "but shit it was 99 cents".. so call me a cheap-o, but quite frankly I wouldn't say there was any entertainment provided, if anything it was obnoxious ambiance. We inquired about it with our server who explained they have handheld trivia games on the tables that you can play while you eat. If you play it you're automatically charged $.99 for it. Okay that'd be fine, if we'd had one of these so called games on our table but we didn't. She removed the charge from our bill and all is well. But who knew? Note to self: always check your bill before paying... even if it's only 99 cents.
(3)
Leslie L.
Went there today for my birthday and I would have given this review a photo but my mom was already mad I had my phone out to do a tip about the iced tea! The server was nice enough. I ordered unsweetened tea and the server said they have blackberry and a mango tea. They are not sweetened... But then I mentioned that I am diabetic and she said the syrup has sugar. I looked it up online and it shows there are 20 carbs in the glass. Pop has more sugar but still 20 carbs does not an unsweetened drink make!! We ended up ordering 2 steaks. My mom requested medium well 6 oz and mine rare 10 oz (the only way to eat a steak, sorry)! When we got our food I knew right away it was wrong. I was told to cut it open. I've had enough steaks where I can tell you the way it was cooked just by looking at it. Mine was overly done and I was told that I ordered a medium well (ewww) and I told her I ordered rare. My mom confirmed I will not eat a steak unless it's practically still mooing. The waitress told me to keep the steak so at least I had something to eat while waiting. My mom's 6 oz looked better so my mom took my 10oz flavorless cardboard and I took her 6 oz with some flavor. They brought me a 6 oz rare steak to make up for it... They charged us for a 6 oz and a 10oz which is what we had ordered but my mom was supposed to have a 6 oz. and me a 10. I know technically they left the 6 and brought me 6 so I had 12 oz... But only 6 of it was what I wanted to eat. I took the rest home because someone will still eat it. I know the waitress was trying to help by getting me a 6 oz rare steak and leaving the overlooked brick with me but that isn't really what I ordered. I know this review might seem silly but I'm serious about my steak, today is my birthday and I just wanted a good steak since I cannot have any cake today (I'm diabetic and my blood sugar is off TMI) I must say they didn't have a problem substituting more broccoli for me instead of mashed potatoes and the broccoli was cooked wonderfully. *** also on another note the bathroom was a little dirty looking and the toilets are so close to the floor I almost fell over.
(3)
Joel B.
They have good food but their "to-go" is terrible. Had to wait an additional 20 minutes beyond the time they quoted me the last 2x I have been there and on top of that they have forgotten things each time as well. Poor execution.
(1)
Todd B.
I love Chili's -- always have. (Disclaimer -- worked my way through college and grad school in the 90's working for Chili's in Nashville and Louisville). This store has the same great menu and atmosphere I've come to enjoy. Food is always good -- love the chips and salsa. Sometime skimpy on condiments (especially if ordering fajitas). Three stars is because the service is hit or miss. Sometime I get excellent service and other times it's mediocre. If it becomes more consistently good, I'd change to 4-stars.
(3)
Alethia D.
The service is very bad and the manager supports the service rendered. The food is cold long wait times after being seated. You don't get what you order and it takes forever to fix a concern. For example a signature item nachos with chicken (cheese hard cold and you get beef or no meat) thanks Chilis keep it up you will soon be like apple bees
(1)
Jim B.
Went in after watching The Sniper at the movies. This was one of the very first chain restaurants in the area, and as others invaded the space we started branching out as it were to different places. We got there about an hour before closing, there were two other tables occupied in the whole place. I got the Tilapia, and it broke 3 records for me. The saltiest broccoli I ever had, the driest over spiced rice I ever had, and the thickest crust of ground red pepper on a piece of overold (if that's a word) piece of Tilapia. There was so much red pepper and salt on everything I actually thought the cook was punishing us for coming in so late. They gave us some guacamole as part of the 2 for 20 program, and served it in a very hot bowl. We stood around at the front waiting for someone to seat us so long my wife went on a safari looking for the hostess or waitress. When we did get seated the gal we had was wonderful. As always, maintaining my faith in chain restaurants, low quality food with no one with their thumb on the kitchen.
(2)
Gerry H.
We ate here at the conclusion of some meetings in the greater Valpo area. And although I would normally give any Chili's a wide berth, I wasn't the decision maker this time, and I had a pleasant experience. The hostess was cordial and of good humor; she joked around with us and set a positive mood. The service was good, but I think there was a problem in the kitchen-It took a really long time for the food to arrive. I ordered the California Turkey club. The turkey had a processed lunch meat quality (or lack there of) but it was tasty. And the fries were piping hot and very nice. I like the addition of the fancy electronic device, the Ziosk, at every table. Especially because you can pay your bill with it.
(3)
Dan L.
My two friends and I arrived at this location on Tuesday, October 21st at about 12:20. The restaurant was not at all crowded by any definition. Despite this, we waited about 10 minutes for someone to come to the front to recognize us. Despite the bartender being in perfect view, he didn't acknowledge our presence at all or inform any waiter that we were there. After 5 minutes of waiting, my friend sought a waitress to ask if we were supposed to seat ourselves. She said we should wait. It takes another 5-7 minutes for someone to come up to us. Even during busy times, there should be someone at the front to take care of the customers. This was not a busy time, and we and the other party who came in after us felt very unwelcome due to apathetic glances from the bartender and other waitresses. The waitress who seated us was surprised no one had helped us and was kind and apologized. We asked to be seated in her section, and then a different waitress came to take our order. Waitress no. 1 came back to take our order, not realizing another waitress had taken our order. I understand being part of the waitstaff is not easy work and there is much to keep track off, but this service was very much below average. I give the experience two stars because the ability to use the table computer to pay/leave tip was convenient, and allowed us to get to our work in a timely manner after having experienced delays.
(2)
Nicholas W.
Looking to have a decent meal while trying to enjoy a beautiful fall afternoon, myself, a family and friends party of seven, were in the vicinity of Hobart's Southlake Mall, which is flush with chain restaurants of all types and a few independents. Most of them were full up customers on a Saturday late afternoon, with wait times before seating and service pushing well over an hour. We were about to drive to another municipality when we noticed that the Chili's restaurant didn't seem that crowded. We didn't really consider why. A vote was taken on what we should do and the majority vote - myself in opposition - was that we should go to the Chili's rather than wait an hour or more to eat. So, we parked, went inside and inquired as to the length of the wait. We were told 15 minutes. We waited, and waited, and waited - over 45 minutes, all while watching other groups of 5 or less be seated and observing a number of larger tables open. My spouse approached the maitre de and asked if we had been overlooked. She responded that there were no openings and that we would be next. By this time there were moans and groans among our party, my daughter starting to become ill (she requires nutrition due to a medical condition). My wife mentioned to the staff that there were tables available where they could accommodate 5 plus adding two more chairs, rather than allow others to go before us who had not been waiting as long. The maitre de refused to respond, choosing to send a waitress - of the same race - to placate us. This was not about that - it was about poor service. We continued to wait into the first hour, determining that we might as well stay because we would have to start all over again somewhere else. Finally, after more than an hour wait we were seated - mostly at the insistence of my spouse. Once seated, it was another 15 minutes before a waitress provided us with a menu and the table had not been bussed, but was still dirty with grease and food refuse left by the previous customers. Our assigned waitress finally took our order, but did not provide us with table utensils, napkins and took her time giving us water. When we finally got our appetizers, we STILL had to wait a full 35 minutes before our entrees were served - and then she ignored and did not put in one particular entree order, did not provide the order of one of our party for another 30 minutes! We ended up sharing our entree and appetizers with a member of our party because her meal was still being prepared (we believe it was not put in with the main order). Obviously we complained, a manager appeared and offered a reduction in our bill, but refused to take off the "late" entree which our group member was forced to put into a carry-out container because of the late hour and the time we had already spent in this restaurant. This is the kind of service - or lack thereof - of which comedies are made. Had I been a comedy writer and produced this scenario for amusement, no one would believe that this kind of thing had actually taken place. The food, by the way, was certainly not the best. But by that time it was simply a matter of having something to fill the void in one's stomach. I wouldn't eat at this place if it were the last place on earth - or any other Chili's establishment.
(1)
Beto D.
I asked my three boys...."where do you want to go eat?" They said "Chili's", I said "Ok" mainly because I really like their Americanized fajitas and they used to have the boneless buffalo wings which were awesome, not sure if it's still on the menu as I did not order them this time around... As it turns out my boys like to come here for the little machine that they have on each table, kind of cool as it has all sorts of apps that they can use ... also you'll have to pay a 99 cent charge to use, no bid deal as they get to sit and play games - you can also look at menu items and pay your bill using the machine as we did. Ok...service was good (prompt and checked-in several times as we ate), restaurant was well-maintained (actually pretty sure they did some upgrading both outside and inside) and the food was also good - we had chicken tenders, burgers, and some sort of chicken chili dish that my wife really enjoyed ... of course, we had dessert and it was good...vanilla ice cream covered with caramel on a warm skillet - it was good. I rate it above other Chili's I've been to...Enjoy
(4)
Dawn R.
I was greeted by a host who was sweating profusely. I mean sweat was dripping from his face. After he wiped his face with his arm/hand, he picked up the menus with the same hand and handed them to us. I was immediately disgusted. This place was filthy. There were dead flies in the window, the window sill that I rested my arm on was sticky, the menus were crusty, and the bathroom was in need of repairs. My empty appetizer plate was dirty. When I walked to the bathroom, I saw the kitchen...the kitchen floor had food spilled on it and the staff was just working around it. Actually, it appears the place is in need of a total wipe-down. Why can't the franchise owner spend a little $$ and clean up/repair the place? My husband even commented on these conditions. Honestly, this place was awful.
(1)
Margaret A.
I know it's a chain, so you expect to get chain type food and that's fine. This was a joke! The beef nacho appetizer was really good. Dinner on the other hand was ridiculous! I ordered the southwest chicken salad. This is an $11 salad! No problem if you actually get a decent salad. It was about a half cup of lettuce and about 5 small chunks of chicken!! Not even a half of a split chicken breast!!! There was supposed to be avocado on the salad. There was 2 small slivers on the salad!! Ok fine, it is what it is, but wait.......once I fished out the brown rib parts of the head of lettuce, you know that stuff you pull off the head and throw away before you actually get to the edible part of the lettuce, I was left with maybe a quarter cup of lettuce for $11. So the server came and brought me 3 more paper thin slivers of avocado to make up for the scrawny disaster. The turkey club my other half had was about as ridiculous. The bread was 2 inches thick probably to make up for the fact that the turkey was that cheap pressed turkey crap you can buy for $1.99 a pound at the deli. Also not worth the $10 this bread overloaded sandwich cost. Let's not forget the 4yr old hand sized fries it came with. Maybe 10 whole French fries in the whole order. $40 meal and we are both scrounging through the fridge a half hour after returning home from dinner! The server was really nice though, it's not her fault this cheap regulated food is over priced and way under sized!!!
(2)
Eric A.
Just your average Chili's. The food was what you would expect. I got the bottomless lunch (soup and salad with chips and salsa.) The chips and salsa were excellent, the salad itself was great and was pretty "fancy" (for Chili's anyway) The only problem was the ranch dressing was watered down considerably. It even had consistency of water. The broccoli cheddar soup was good but didn't come with the pico de gallo on top that I've gotten at any other Chili's location. The waitress started off OK but then failed at the end. She disappeared for at least 10 -15 minutes and left us waiting for more soup and chips. The cool thing is if you don't need anything else and you're paying with a credit card you can pay right at the table using their wireless terminal located on each table. Your receipt even prints out the bottom.
(3)
Mary B.
Your typical chainy restaurant only I like this one a little better than some others. It's right near the mall so this one tends to get pretty crowded. Yummy margaritas is always good.
(3)
Dave Z.
Waitress askes before taking orders if we want separate checks and whose order goes on each check, which I liked. The current map as of 3/1/10 shows it on the SW corner of the mall. It's on the NE. Bing.com has it correct. Plenty of flat screens in the middle bar area, which is where our group of 8 was seated.
(4)
Petey V.
i love chilis good food for your money :)
(4)
bill s.
Their glasses of pop are giant mugs, enough said. Any place with giant mugs of pop is cool in my book. I've always felt that way, and always will.
(5)
E P.
Good Staff. Good Service. Complimentary Chips and salsa. Average prices for a franchise. Bartender was awesome, Angie.
(4)
Sorry, we don't have Q&A for this restaurant.
Sorry, No Coupons available for this restaurant.
Address :2425 Southlake Mall
Merrillville, IN, 46410
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : No Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : No Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : Free Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
Jonathan S.
Good food and friendly service; just takes WAY too long for food. Went for lunch on a Tuesday and waited 40 minutes to get our meal.
(3)Alexa E.
My server must have been new because he kind of took his time with things and you could tell he was focusing on what to do next. Regardless, no complaints about the service I received and the food was great! This place also has fancy electronic computers at each table. You can let your kids play apps, look up the menu, pay your tab, or read up on news headlines (as I did). Pretty cool, but I'm not sure there's a solid reason for those to be there.
(4)Roseann M.
Sometimes you have to throw your expectations and prejudices about chain restaurants out the window. The last time I was in a Chili's was February 2002. Yes, really. How do I know the date so well? I went to a Chili's with family members when we gathered in Bloomington, Indiana, for the funeral of my step-father. So, yeah, the occasion is firmly in my memory. I haven't been to a Chili's since because I live in the heart of Chicago, and some chain restaurants just never penetrate. And, anytime I can go to a family-owned, locally-owned business instead of a national chain, I go. But I asked my elderly aunt, a resident of Hobart, where she would like to go for lunch, and she picked Chili's. So off to the wasteland of chain restaurants along Route 30 we went. Even though we arrived at 12:30pm, the restaurant was only about half full. We were able to sit immediately in a booth by the window. The waitress showed up quickly and gave us menus. There was the regular menu, and a menu for a lot of Mexican specialties. There is a lot of choice, but not so much if you're a vegetarian. My aunt found something pretty quickly, but I had to read everything carefully before figuring out what I could get without meat. Chili's is not a paradise for vegetarians. My aunt ordered a chicken sandwich with bacon. The waitress asked if she wanted the French fries. Aunt and I both made a "no" face at the fries. There were several choices of sides, and Aunt went with the steamed broccoli. She loved her meal. She said the broccoli was cooked perfectly and tasted better than any she'd had in a restaurant for a long time. The sandwich was very filling; she ate half and took the other half home. She said it wasn't the exact sandwich she'd had last time at Chili's. The menu had changed quite a bit. She enjoyed it, though. Chili's made her a very happy, full old lady. I looked at the Mexican selections. You could get two or three items with rice and beans. They had a cheese enchilada, but everything else was meat-based. I asked for a tostada, without the meat, and my request was met. Black beans and rice, veggie tostada, cheese enchilada -- I was very pleasantly surprised. Everything was delicious. There is a card reader at each table. When I presented my credit card with the bill, the waitress showed me how to pay tableside. This means that a customer's credit card is never out of her sight, even for five seconds. I appreciate the additional security and ease of payment. We ended up sitting and chatting over coffee and iced tea for maybe half an hour after I paid. We were never rushed to leave; in fact, we were left undisturbed to enjoy our drinks, and we enjoyed our conversation. I wish Chili's had more menu items for vegetarians. They don't even have a veggie burger. Just for that reason, Chili's wouldn't be my first choice among chain restaurants. At least I know I can get solid Mexican food there, without meat. If Aunt wants to go to Chili's again, I'd be perfectly happy to take her there.
(4)Selina L.
Very dissatisfied. 2 tables got their found before we did and we had sat down before them. Husband got to looking at the tiled table and where the grout was between the tiles was black. Messed up on my order. Asked for roasted garlic and spinach and they brought a salad....after the rest of the dinner was gone. They did take it off the bill and apologized but it has gone down hill.
(1)Ayrin B.
While other Chili's Restaurant may be okay, but the one by Southlake Mall needs to be shut down until they can get better management, better food, and better servers. My family and I had the worst experience at this Chili's. While the mediocre service and food would have been tolerated, everyone has their bad days, the Saturday night manager's actions made matters worse. On top of having a very unprofessional appearance; he had a very incompetent and lackadaisical attitude. He acted as if he could have cared less my family's experience in his restaurant and basically ran, away from our table before we could make a full complaint. He did make the excuse that our server did not feel well, which makes me wonder if I now have to worry about becoming sick from this visit. One positive, there was a very nice host at the front door. He needs to become the manager and teach others there about good customer service.
(1)Kayla M.
You'd think you'd pretty much know what you're getting when it comes to Chili's - but would you be surprised when an 'entertainment fee' shows up on your bill? I was. There's nothing special about this particular Chili's location. It's what's you'd expect. It's clean, it's always reasonably packed and the menu is updated frequently. Our waitress was very nice - big plus, but shortly after we were seated a large group of loud women were seated across from us which set the tone for dinner. My girlfriend and I both ordered Salads - she the Santa Fe Chicken Salad and I the Caribbean Chicken Salad. You can never go wrong with a salad here, they are all good! My friend didn't expect the spiciness of the Santa Fe salad but remedied that by asking for a side of ranch as well. When the bill came we were shocked to see a $.99 charge listed as an 'entertainment fee'. Okay sure, there's the saying "but shit it was 99 cents".. so call me a cheap-o, but quite frankly I wouldn't say there was any entertainment provided, if anything it was obnoxious ambiance. We inquired about it with our server who explained they have handheld trivia games on the tables that you can play while you eat. If you play it you're automatically charged $.99 for it. Okay that'd be fine, if we'd had one of these so called games on our table but we didn't. She removed the charge from our bill and all is well. But who knew? Note to self: always check your bill before paying... even if it's only 99 cents.
(3)Leslie L.
Went there today for my birthday and I would have given this review a photo but my mom was already mad I had my phone out to do a tip about the iced tea! The server was nice enough. I ordered unsweetened tea and the server said they have blackberry and a mango tea. They are not sweetened... But then I mentioned that I am diabetic and she said the syrup has sugar. I looked it up online and it shows there are 20 carbs in the glass. Pop has more sugar but still 20 carbs does not an unsweetened drink make!! We ended up ordering 2 steaks. My mom requested medium well 6 oz and mine rare 10 oz (the only way to eat a steak, sorry)! When we got our food I knew right away it was wrong. I was told to cut it open. I've had enough steaks where I can tell you the way it was cooked just by looking at it. Mine was overly done and I was told that I ordered a medium well (ewww) and I told her I ordered rare. My mom confirmed I will not eat a steak unless it's practically still mooing. The waitress told me to keep the steak so at least I had something to eat while waiting. My mom's 6 oz looked better so my mom took my 10oz flavorless cardboard and I took her 6 oz with some flavor. They brought me a 6 oz rare steak to make up for it... They charged us for a 6 oz and a 10oz which is what we had ordered but my mom was supposed to have a 6 oz. and me a 10. I know technically they left the 6 and brought me 6 so I had 12 oz... But only 6 of it was what I wanted to eat. I took the rest home because someone will still eat it. I know the waitress was trying to help by getting me a 6 oz rare steak and leaving the overlooked brick with me but that isn't really what I ordered. I know this review might seem silly but I'm serious about my steak, today is my birthday and I just wanted a good steak since I cannot have any cake today (I'm diabetic and my blood sugar is off TMI) I must say they didn't have a problem substituting more broccoli for me instead of mashed potatoes and the broccoli was cooked wonderfully. *** also on another note the bathroom was a little dirty looking and the toilets are so close to the floor I almost fell over.
(3)Joel B.
They have good food but their "to-go" is terrible. Had to wait an additional 20 minutes beyond the time they quoted me the last 2x I have been there and on top of that they have forgotten things each time as well. Poor execution.
(1)Todd B.
I love Chili's -- always have. (Disclaimer -- worked my way through college and grad school in the 90's working for Chili's in Nashville and Louisville). This store has the same great menu and atmosphere I've come to enjoy. Food is always good -- love the chips and salsa. Sometime skimpy on condiments (especially if ordering fajitas). Three stars is because the service is hit or miss. Sometime I get excellent service and other times it's mediocre. If it becomes more consistently good, I'd change to 4-stars.
(3)Alethia D.
The service is very bad and the manager supports the service rendered. The food is cold long wait times after being seated. You don't get what you order and it takes forever to fix a concern. For example a signature item nachos with chicken (cheese hard cold and you get beef or no meat) thanks Chilis keep it up you will soon be like apple bees
(1)Jim B.
Went in after watching The Sniper at the movies. This was one of the very first chain restaurants in the area, and as others invaded the space we started branching out as it were to different places. We got there about an hour before closing, there were two other tables occupied in the whole place. I got the Tilapia, and it broke 3 records for me. The saltiest broccoli I ever had, the driest over spiced rice I ever had, and the thickest crust of ground red pepper on a piece of overold (if that's a word) piece of Tilapia. There was so much red pepper and salt on everything I actually thought the cook was punishing us for coming in so late. They gave us some guacamole as part of the 2 for 20 program, and served it in a very hot bowl. We stood around at the front waiting for someone to seat us so long my wife went on a safari looking for the hostess or waitress. When we did get seated the gal we had was wonderful. As always, maintaining my faith in chain restaurants, low quality food with no one with their thumb on the kitchen.
(2)Gerry H.
We ate here at the conclusion of some meetings in the greater Valpo area. And although I would normally give any Chili's a wide berth, I wasn't the decision maker this time, and I had a pleasant experience. The hostess was cordial and of good humor; she joked around with us and set a positive mood. The service was good, but I think there was a problem in the kitchen-It took a really long time for the food to arrive. I ordered the California Turkey club. The turkey had a processed lunch meat quality (or lack there of) but it was tasty. And the fries were piping hot and very nice. I like the addition of the fancy electronic device, the Ziosk, at every table. Especially because you can pay your bill with it.
(3)Dan L.
My two friends and I arrived at this location on Tuesday, October 21st at about 12:20. The restaurant was not at all crowded by any definition. Despite this, we waited about 10 minutes for someone to come to the front to recognize us. Despite the bartender being in perfect view, he didn't acknowledge our presence at all or inform any waiter that we were there. After 5 minutes of waiting, my friend sought a waitress to ask if we were supposed to seat ourselves. She said we should wait. It takes another 5-7 minutes for someone to come up to us. Even during busy times, there should be someone at the front to take care of the customers. This was not a busy time, and we and the other party who came in after us felt very unwelcome due to apathetic glances from the bartender and other waitresses. The waitress who seated us was surprised no one had helped us and was kind and apologized. We asked to be seated in her section, and then a different waitress came to take our order. Waitress no. 1 came back to take our order, not realizing another waitress had taken our order. I understand being part of the waitstaff is not easy work and there is much to keep track off, but this service was very much below average. I give the experience two stars because the ability to use the table computer to pay/leave tip was convenient, and allowed us to get to our work in a timely manner after having experienced delays.
(2)Nicholas W.
Looking to have a decent meal while trying to enjoy a beautiful fall afternoon, myself, a family and friends party of seven, were in the vicinity of Hobart's Southlake Mall, which is flush with chain restaurants of all types and a few independents. Most of them were full up customers on a Saturday late afternoon, with wait times before seating and service pushing well over an hour. We were about to drive to another municipality when we noticed that the Chili's restaurant didn't seem that crowded. We didn't really consider why. A vote was taken on what we should do and the majority vote - myself in opposition - was that we should go to the Chili's rather than wait an hour or more to eat. So, we parked, went inside and inquired as to the length of the wait. We were told 15 minutes. We waited, and waited, and waited - over 45 minutes, all while watching other groups of 5 or less be seated and observing a number of larger tables open. My spouse approached the maitre de and asked if we had been overlooked. She responded that there were no openings and that we would be next. By this time there were moans and groans among our party, my daughter starting to become ill (she requires nutrition due to a medical condition). My wife mentioned to the staff that there were tables available where they could accommodate 5 plus adding two more chairs, rather than allow others to go before us who had not been waiting as long. The maitre de refused to respond, choosing to send a waitress - of the same race - to placate us. This was not about that - it was about poor service. We continued to wait into the first hour, determining that we might as well stay because we would have to start all over again somewhere else. Finally, after more than an hour wait we were seated - mostly at the insistence of my spouse. Once seated, it was another 15 minutes before a waitress provided us with a menu and the table had not been bussed, but was still dirty with grease and food refuse left by the previous customers. Our assigned waitress finally took our order, but did not provide us with table utensils, napkins and took her time giving us water. When we finally got our appetizers, we STILL had to wait a full 35 minutes before our entrees were served - and then she ignored and did not put in one particular entree order, did not provide the order of one of our party for another 30 minutes! We ended up sharing our entree and appetizers with a member of our party because her meal was still being prepared (we believe it was not put in with the main order). Obviously we complained, a manager appeared and offered a reduction in our bill, but refused to take off the "late" entree which our group member was forced to put into a carry-out container because of the late hour and the time we had already spent in this restaurant. This is the kind of service - or lack thereof - of which comedies are made. Had I been a comedy writer and produced this scenario for amusement, no one would believe that this kind of thing had actually taken place. The food, by the way, was certainly not the best. But by that time it was simply a matter of having something to fill the void in one's stomach. I wouldn't eat at this place if it were the last place on earth - or any other Chili's establishment.
(1)Beto D.
I asked my three boys...."where do you want to go eat?" They said "Chili's", I said "Ok" mainly because I really like their Americanized fajitas and they used to have the boneless buffalo wings which were awesome, not sure if it's still on the menu as I did not order them this time around... As it turns out my boys like to come here for the little machine that they have on each table, kind of cool as it has all sorts of apps that they can use ... also you'll have to pay a 99 cent charge to use, no bid deal as they get to sit and play games - you can also look at menu items and pay your bill using the machine as we did. Ok...service was good (prompt and checked-in several times as we ate), restaurant was well-maintained (actually pretty sure they did some upgrading both outside and inside) and the food was also good - we had chicken tenders, burgers, and some sort of chicken chili dish that my wife really enjoyed ... of course, we had dessert and it was good...vanilla ice cream covered with caramel on a warm skillet - it was good. I rate it above other Chili's I've been to...Enjoy
(4)Dawn R.
I was greeted by a host who was sweating profusely. I mean sweat was dripping from his face. After he wiped his face with his arm/hand, he picked up the menus with the same hand and handed them to us. I was immediately disgusted. This place was filthy. There were dead flies in the window, the window sill that I rested my arm on was sticky, the menus were crusty, and the bathroom was in need of repairs. My empty appetizer plate was dirty. When I walked to the bathroom, I saw the kitchen...the kitchen floor had food spilled on it and the staff was just working around it. Actually, it appears the place is in need of a total wipe-down. Why can't the franchise owner spend a little $$ and clean up/repair the place? My husband even commented on these conditions. Honestly, this place was awful.
(1)Margaret A.
I know it's a chain, so you expect to get chain type food and that's fine. This was a joke! The beef nacho appetizer was really good. Dinner on the other hand was ridiculous! I ordered the southwest chicken salad. This is an $11 salad! No problem if you actually get a decent salad. It was about a half cup of lettuce and about 5 small chunks of chicken!! Not even a half of a split chicken breast!!! There was supposed to be avocado on the salad. There was 2 small slivers on the salad!! Ok fine, it is what it is, but wait.......once I fished out the brown rib parts of the head of lettuce, you know that stuff you pull off the head and throw away before you actually get to the edible part of the lettuce, I was left with maybe a quarter cup of lettuce for $11. So the server came and brought me 3 more paper thin slivers of avocado to make up for the scrawny disaster. The turkey club my other half had was about as ridiculous. The bread was 2 inches thick probably to make up for the fact that the turkey was that cheap pressed turkey crap you can buy for $1.99 a pound at the deli. Also not worth the $10 this bread overloaded sandwich cost. Let's not forget the 4yr old hand sized fries it came with. Maybe 10 whole French fries in the whole order. $40 meal and we are both scrounging through the fridge a half hour after returning home from dinner! The server was really nice though, it's not her fault this cheap regulated food is over priced and way under sized!!!
(2)Eric A.
Just your average Chili's. The food was what you would expect. I got the bottomless lunch (soup and salad with chips and salsa.) The chips and salsa were excellent, the salad itself was great and was pretty "fancy" (for Chili's anyway) The only problem was the ranch dressing was watered down considerably. It even had consistency of water. The broccoli cheddar soup was good but didn't come with the pico de gallo on top that I've gotten at any other Chili's location. The waitress started off OK but then failed at the end. She disappeared for at least 10 -15 minutes and left us waiting for more soup and chips. The cool thing is if you don't need anything else and you're paying with a credit card you can pay right at the table using their wireless terminal located on each table. Your receipt even prints out the bottom.
(3)Mary B.
Your typical chainy restaurant only I like this one a little better than some others. It's right near the mall so this one tends to get pretty crowded. Yummy margaritas is always good.
(3)Dave Z.
Waitress askes before taking orders if we want separate checks and whose order goes on each check, which I liked. The current map as of 3/1/10 shows it on the SW corner of the mall. It's on the NE. Bing.com has it correct. Plenty of flat screens in the middle bar area, which is where our group of 8 was seated.
(4)Petey V.
i love chilis good food for your money :)
(4)bill s.
Their glasses of pop are giant mugs, enough said. Any place with giant mugs of pop is cool in my book. I've always felt that way, and always will.
(5)E P.
Good Staff. Good Service. Complimentary Chips and salsa. Average prices for a franchise. Bartender was awesome, Angie.
(4)