I used to really like Chili's . . .
The paradise pie . . . the chicken crispers, the chicken quesadillas, the burgers, the southwestern eggrolls. Loved them all! It used to be my 'go to spot' . . .
but that was years ago.
In the last few years - because the food was just so INCONSISTENT and the service got to be CONSISTENTLY lazy, rude & 'ghetto' (and keep in mind ghetto is mentality - not a skin color - a lack of professionalism, doing the bare minimum, having no work ethic or no concept of having pride in yourself or your workplace) - I really fell off visiting them. If I did go - I stuck to takeout - and I only ordered burgers.
To lessen my interaction with the staff - I have tried my best to use the online system - but for some reason - they have no option to add mayo to your burger. And there's no section for 'special notes' - so I always wind up having to a) place my order online or b) place my order online THEN call the store to request the mayo. Or even c) place the order for curbside, but go in to get the order to request a packet of mayo because I don't want to inconvenience the server by asking them to go back inside the restaurant to get a packet of mayo and walk it all the way back to my car.
So here's what happened on my last 'visit' and why I'll have to mark them off my visit for a while:I'd already had red meat twice the month, so a burger was out. I wanted a chicken quesadilla meal (used to come with half a quesadilla, black beans & rice). I didn't see it on the online menu. In fact - I didn't see the traditional quesadilla at all. The 'chicken bacon ranch quesadilla' was listed but with NO option to omit bacon. So I called, because sometimes restaurants will make 'off menu' items for you as long as there's a way to ring it up at the register.
I spoke to a server who indicated that they'd never had the meal I described. Um. Okay.
No need to argue - I ask, "Can I get a plain chicken quesadilla with no bacon?' She says yes. I ask, 'Can sub black beans instead of bacon?' She says yes, but it will cost $1.99 to add the beans. I respond, 'Even though I'm omitting the bacon.' She says yes. I ask,'But it's the same price whether if I completely omit the bacon." She says yes. I'm a glutton for punishment and I like wasting money - so I order the quesadilla, no bacon, no sour cream, no pico de gallo - just the tortilla, chicken and cheese.
I drive to the restaurant and sit at curbside for about 7 minutes (no one comes to the car). I exit my vehicle and hobble past 5 or 6 handicapped spaces (the curbside parking entrance does not have parking spaces right outside the door like most places). I enter and stand at the curbside pickup register. A clean-cut, young African American male approaches the register, but stops short about a foot and starts reading some papers posted on the wall. I wait about 60 seconds, then shout a friendly hello. He does the startled 'clutch my pearls' gesture, then chuckles and tells me I scared him and that he didn't see me. He goes on to say that he doesn't work this area but someone should be right with me, then he wanders off back towards the kitchen with a very distracted air.
I continue to stand there and a short, petite, African American lady approaches me (curly updo / ponytail) and tells me I'm standing in the wrong place and curbside orders have to go the bar. That's when I notice a sign at the register indicating that I need to go the bar. It was angled away from the door so I didn't notice it. I apologize & walk 2 feet over to the bar.
The bartender, (Caucasian lady with updo / wavy bun) tells me she'll be right with me. She wanders off then comes back and ask what she get me. I tell her I'm picking up and she asks my name. I quickly ask her if I was supposed to come in even though I called in order. She replied Yes. And went on to say that they only come outside if you already placed your order on the website. I say Ok, my bad. But I know that's not true. Because here's the thing. You can pull up at any other Chili's curbside and someone will come out and take your order, then bring the food back to you - like the old-school carhops. So how did they know I wasn't a 'new' customer wanting to place an order?
But even all of that didn't merit them a 2 star review. I've gotten used to their tomfoolery. The 2 star review is for customer service combined with the horrid food. My quesadilla was absolutely lackluster. Barely seasoned chicken, low-quality cheese and tiny portions. Yes - its an entire tortilla cut into wedges, but because there's no veggies / fiber and very little diced chicken - it was not filling at all. See pics. The quesadilla USED to have large chunks of chicken, onions & peppers (and you could add or sub mushrooms for peppers). It was massive, and came as an appetizer, or order it as meal (tortilla folded in half) with rice and black beans.
Anyway. Chili's keeps trying to tell me they don't want my business: message received. read more