Been here a few times and while it's good it's not out of this world or anything. Being a Texan I'm all about a good bowl of chili, but this is straight heartburn in a bowl. I do like that they give you crackers now with your chili instead of tortilla chips like they used to. They also give you a (I believe it's a) Serrano pepper. It's VERY fresh and full of seeds. Even after deseeding it, it was too hot. The flavor does go good with the chili, but only if it was cooked a little longer so it looses just a little heat. The menu is pretty limited unless you're a beer/wine drinker, which I am not. The service was good, nothing over the top though. After this last time I probably won't be back, we just happened to be in the area. read more

Tolbert's - Bowl of chili & chili burger + fritos - American Near Me - Grapevine, Texas

The bar staff are the best at Tolberts. But what's the deal with the kitchen crew? I know the difference between American and Pepper jack cheese, they don't seem to. The Ceaser salad was flooded with dressing. I just left it alone. read more

We very much enjoyed our first visit to Tolberts and will definitely be back. Cole was a great server! My husband got the original red Chili as a frito pie. I had the chili Verde. Both tasted great! We also really enjoyed live entertainment on a Saturday night :) read more

This was the worst experience I have had at a restaurant in a long time. I can only imagine that people don't care about the quality of food, as long as you have a premium location. The guacamole and queso were bland, to say the least. Our bowl of chili looked and tasted like it was reheated on a daily basis until they could get rid of it. It was burnt tasting and had absolutely no flavor. There is no way this place is "famous" for its chili. The fish and chips was 2 very small pieces of undercooked fish and the breading was so soggy. It was inedible. You think our waiter would have a clue when he saw it was hardly touched and I did not want a to go box. The country fried chicken was just a bland piece of chicken with tasteless gravy. The absolute worst thing served was the side of mac and cheese. The pasta had the texture of noodles that were boiled for an hour. A new born baby could have chewed on this without any teeth. And the sauce...wow, absolutely no flavor. It was reminiscent of something you would buy in a can at the grocery store. They should be embarrassed this. Once it goes out of date, chuck it. That garbage should not even be served to prisoners. We left and got desert somewhere else because we couldn't imagine how bad that it would have been. Grapevine's Main Street is in need of better restaurants. read more

Pro tip: Come for the famous chili, but leave before the obnoxious, loud music. Tolbert's is a chili parlor, so stick to the basics and order a bowl of red. I prefer the Frito Pie. There's a reason this recipe won the Terlingua championship. My only complaint is that the restaurant turns into a music venue after 8:30 PM. You had better finish your conversations by then, because you won't be able to hear a word once the band cranks up. It's deafening and the main reason I'm deducting a star. read more

Great food and nice staff. I've only been here for lunch but hear they have great bands in the evening during the weekends. My favorite has been their jalapeno cheese soup and the grilled asparagus. They also have a nice selection of beer, wine and specialty drinks. Their server Grace was extremely pleasant and attentive with our party. read more

Fun place. We sat at the bar. The bartender was great with his suggestions! All the food is on point. I ate ALL of my food & tasted wonderful! The steak was cooked just the way I like it! read more

See all

We were staying nearby and looking for a place to grab a good bite and relax a bit. Tolbert's definitely definitely fit the bill. The service was spot on and the atmosphere was very nice. I had the fried catfish and it was spot on; light, crispy and perfectly done. I got to sample someone else's shrimp enchiladas and they were delicious. I am a Texas Whiskey collector and was excited to find a place that features brands from Texas. So often, places like to brag on local sourcing but only have liquor from out-of-state. There is a thriving and growing Texas industry and Tolbert's clearly is backing the local brands. Sadly, we had kids in tow, so we couldn't browse the interesting collections/décor and had to leave long before the live music started. Would love to come back sometime with my wife and just hang out for the evening. Highly recommend. read more

Walkin' by and heard a saxophone being played live so I had to check it out...and order a proper Old Fashioned with Garrison Bros. Bourbon... read more

Great food and exceptional entertainment a short walk from the train station if you're not in the mood to drive

Do NOT get the chili or anything with the "world famous chili." It's not famous & it's not good. The only thing I had that was good was white bread toast. Also, "Kyle" was kinda rude. Ong read more

Landed here for supper and had the grilled salmon, slaw, string beans. Food taste is a personal item so here goes: The salmon tasted like salmon. No seasoning. And grilled to brown on non-skin side, well done. Slaw needed salt and pepper. Green beans were too salty. My side salad had some black leafed lettuce. However... my Titos, Sprite, cranberry, lime was the best! I can honestly say i've never has salmon cooked like a chicken fried steak! See photo. I come here often and have had the Teachers Salad ( a 10!) and their signature chili (don't bite the pepper!). I recommend Tolbert's for the atmosphere, craft beer selection ( massive) and attentive wait staff. The salmon... uhm... get the chicken fried steak. read more

Tolbert's - Salmon, slaw, green beans. - American Near Me - Grapevine, Texas

The food and service (Cole was an excellent server) were both amazing! We were walking around town looking for a place to eat and just happened to walk in Tolbert's. The queso rojo (queso with chili mixed in) was so good I licked the bowl! Me and my brother shared an appetizer sample platter. It had chicken and cheese stuffed jalapeños that were the perfect blend of spicy and savory, fried zucchini (so good), chicken wings, onion rings, and donkey tails (beef hotdog wrapped in tortilla with cheese and deep fried). All of the food was tasty, perfect temperature, and aesthetically pleasing. If I could give more than 5 stars I would! read more

I've always enjoyed Tolbert's Chili since they were in downtown Dallas. I'm glad this opened and that the landlord hasn't raised the rent and run them off. The Original Bowl of Texas Red was great and with 10 Alarm added it was perfectly spicy. . The service and atmosphere were perfect! I'll be back. read more

Tolbert's - The Original Bowl of Texas Red - American Near Me - Grapevine, Texas

See all

Great owners who are friends of my sister. The chili burger is the best, but everything we have tried there is great.

I'm an ex-Texan and I thought I knew Texas chili & could make good Texas chili this is authentic Texas chili. The frito chili did not disappoint. However the frozen margarita was alittle weak for my taste. Met family here and the service was spot on and loved the decor. read more

Great food horrible service I went in and sat at the bar to get chill to go. I sat there for 10 minutes while others around got served until another customer requested that my order be taken read more

It's always a good time at Tolbert's, especially if you like any of these 3 things: chili, live music, people watching. I'll give any place a shot if they can provide memorable experiences in one of those three categories, and Tolbert's can totally handle all of them. The live music (classic rock, blues, tribute bands, country) is Tuesday - Saturday and seems to start around 8:30 or 9. You'll typically hear some good stuff. It's loud, so don't come for music if you want to have any lengthy conversation. I just tried tonight and my throat hurts from yelling. Anyway, where there's music, there's dancing. Not always impressive dancing, but spirited nonetheless -- that's why there's prime people watching, of course. I'd say we're dealing with a mostly middle-aged demographic at Tolbert's. It's in a central location in the middle of all the bustle of Main Street, so you'll probably see some families in here along with a few "ladies night" parties as well. Modern-suburban-southern belles and beaus gather for local music and comfort food -- I'm on board with that. The menu has a lot going on (steaks, burgers, Mexican food, seafood), but they call themselves a "chili parlor," so duh, had to order the Texas original red chili! It was pretty damn good and has a real depth to it; depth of flavor (almost smokey), depth of color (again, almost smokey). Lots of meat, diced onion, cheddar cheese, and a whole Serrano pepper just sitting on top. I love that shiny green pepper! A little extra whisper of heat to elevate the bowl.. beautiful. I wish there'd been more onion and cheese, however, and maybe some sour cream to lighten it up. This chili is too rich for my blood. Next time I'll just ask for those things on the side. Full bar, decent wine list, lots of beer. All's well at Tolbert's. read more

Tolbert's - Chili. Original red. Will warm you riiiiight up. - American Near Me - Grapevine, Texas

I love coming to Tolbert's- the food is great, atmosphere is awesome. If you like mojitos ask for Kim- she makes the best mojitos!!!!!

Our server went if shift at 22:51. It's now 23:51 and have been totally ignored by the wait staff. Sure. I could have flagged someone down but they need to be attentive if someone goes off shift so they can take over. If i wasnt here for the music I'd probably have just walked out. read more

More proof that Texas inspires greatness! I had the chicken fried steak with a cup of chili and tater tots. Started with chili, it's as good as always, and still deserves to be the template for great chili. The cfs was delicious, good meat, crisp crust, and the gravy was rich and creamy. Tots were even good, lighter than the average. My wait-angel was Kim, who deserves a mention because she was attentive, knew everything on the menu, great attitude, and just naturally inspires a great meal. I'd love to live in Grapevine, just so I could come here more often, but my girth couldn't take it. Once in a while is plenty. read more

Came in for brunch and was seated at one of their high tops right away. Ok great. Ordered their champagne mimosas and it was lovingly heavy handed on the champagne, which we didn't complain one bit about it either. The food itself was just okay. Ordered their Tamales and eggs and the tamales were rubbery and not fresh and the cheese sauce the waitress toted to be "one of her favorites" literally tasted like some processed cheese from a can. This place advertises that their chili is pretty much the best stuff since white bread in essence, but I wasn't impressed. Yes it was meaty but it lacked any depth and the chili flavor was super mild, almost felt like I was eating a mild sloppy Joe with fritos on top for the bread portion. I think one visit was plenty for me. read more

If you're looking for some good chili with or without beans, this is your place. We had lunch and ordered a variable of items. We started with the loaded french fries (french fries, chili, jalapenos & cheese). A cobb salad was ordered, and it was fresh & plentiful. A bowl of plain chili was ordered, and it was perfect. Not greasy, lots of beef, and very flavorful. A grilled cheese sandwich was ordered, and it was full of cheese and grilled perfectly. I'm telling you, this is a fantastic place for lunch. I didn't take any pics, but I assure you this place is a must go! I look forward to going back for more chili & trying their dinner. They have live bands as I saw & heard them a few nights before my visit. The music is what drew me to their place & I made plans with the family to go a couple days later. They also have alcohol & beer/wine. The only reason I didn't give them 5 stars is their seater & wait staff are not that hospitable or friendly. They are on the older side & it was busy during Thanksgiving break, so maybe they were just stressed a little with the extra business. Being of their age, us old fogies patience isn't what it used to be. read more

I've been to Tolbert's many times. I always get their Mexican food which is fantastic! The main reason I go so much is for the live music. Most of the bands are classic rock/older music cover bands and tribute bands. The have a nice little stage where you can watch the band and dance a bit in front too. Nice place to go out, grab a bite, and listen to some live music for a few hours. read more

Tolbert's - Dallas Cooper, an Alice Cooper tribute band's stage setup - American Near Me - Grapevine, Texas

If you like chili, this is the place to be! In addition to tasty chili, they have a good variety of beverages to wash it down. Beer, mixed drinks, wine... pick your poison. The wait staff is friendly and attentive. The atmosphere relaxing. Cant go wrong with a dinner night here. read more

Tolbert's - American Near Me - Grapevine, Texas

We tried this place while we were in between baseball games and looking for a place to feed our brood. It is a hole in the wall in an old downtown area but when you walk in you are pleasantly surprised at how roomy and charming it is. Full bar, great drinks, really tasty food and quick service. Will eat here again when we are in the area. read more

Brisket quesadillas were excellent as were the Philly cheesesteak and onion rings. The chili was good but would've been better if not so thin/watery. Service was good, too! read more

Tolbert's - Philly cheesesteak and onion rings - American Near Me - Grapevine, Texas

See all

Classic burger, flame grilled delicious! Why did I never try the burger before at Tolbert's?? Will be back next time I am craving a great burger. read more

Solid. Great wings (only had the non-breaded). Fantastic. Only downside on this busy Fat Tuesday night was the server and the drinks were too far between. Great band on the stage. All good. read more

If you're visiting grapevine, this is a definite place to check out. Great flavors and quality. One of the only actual good restaurants in the area read more

Now that I can't each fried food, spicy food, or anything they are known for, I latched on to the chicken taco salad, which is only mildly spicy. It is delicious. Everyone enjoyed everything else. Good food. Good drinks. Good service. read more

Always enjoy the atmosphere and the chili is on point! Sitting at the bar for some drinks is always a good time also.

Freakin' delicious. Andrew B is a gem of a server and perfectly guided my first "Texas red hot" experience. Amazing food, great atmosphere, and killer drinks. read more

This isn't a bad place, but I don't get the craze about their chili. But again, I'm a person who believes chili isn't chili, without beans. So far, I haven't disliked anything I've tried. What I felt needed a bit of work: Fish and Chips, it had WAY TOO much breading and the fish and batter were very bland. The chicken fried chicken was a bit underseasoned, but not horrible. The burgers are very delicious and the bartender can make a winning Moscow Mule, it definitely came with a punch. I've seen two bands there and they're pretty rockin' and sound great, no complaints there. read more

I'll be honest, I can't say that I loved it but this is the type of thing that you don't find out west so I had no choice but to try it. As much as "Texas Red" is talked about around the country, this was the only place in the area that I could find a bowl which makes me wonder....do Texans not eat chili either? Anyway, I ordered a bowl of the original Texas red. I really wanted to try the green chili with pork as the description reminded me of my favorite burrito in Los Angeles, but I'm only here for another day so I needed to stay focused. I asked for the "10 alarm" which wasn't that spicy at all. In fact, I have to think that maybe my waitress misheard me because if you have a 10-alarm, then you presumably have alarms 1 through 9. But with the spice level of the 10, I don't see much room to stretch that low. Anyway, fortunately they put a serrano on top, otherwise this thing would have zero heat. However, as much as I've been talking about the heat level, my biggest disappointment was actually in the flavor. I wanted some more complexity out of it, but it was really just salty. I wanted more acid, more heat, the flavor of multiple peppers etc. It just wasn't there. I also ordered a size of queso since that's what everyone seems to order in these reviews. You know, I like Tex-Mex queso with the processed cheese and what not. Out west, chefs and patrons alike all seem to think that that's not real food so they make queso dip out of flour, milk, and grated yellow cheddar. And you know what? It tastes like something that's not worth the calories. I don't care if it's a processed space-age food, this queso stuff tastes better and I'm glad Texans haven't backed down to the snobs and the hipsters. Still....I wish your chili was better... read more

This is mine and my husbands new favorite place! They have a great variety of food and we have loved everything we have tried so far! That being said if you go in ask for Miley! She is an excellent server but even better she kinda reminds me of my daughters. She has a very spunky, feisty personality. We love her! read more

I stopped here after a recommendation from the shuttle bus driver (yes, that is true) and enjoyed a Margarita and Frank X. Tolbert's World Famous Chili. I had a bowl of Frank's Frito Pie - Frank's original recipe with Fritos and honestly is was very good. I was not sure what to expect, but if this is truly world famous, then that is what I wanted to try. Overall, the decor is country western and they do have a nice bar and live music, but I was there for the chili. read more

Went there with my wife, wanted to try the award winning Tolberts Chili. I loved it, if you're into Texas chili, this is a must. If your looking for a weekend getaway and Downtown Grapevine is on your mind, I'd recommend stopping in. Great bar area, perfect for any drink you can think of. If you're lucky you might catch a band on their stage. The menu has plenty of options, from Burgers to Tacos, Steaks and salads. If your looking for a place with some history, come check it out read more

Stopped in for an early dinner tonight. Staff was really friendly, restaurant was nice and clean. Got seated quickly and our waitress got us drinks and our appetizer quickly. I decide to have a bowl of red and some onion rings. Good homemade onion rings. Tortilla chips were nice and warm that came with the queso sampler. Good guacamole too. The chili was good but was a little colder then I expected (serving temp) and seemed a little watery. Overall great service good food. I'll be back. read more

Wow this place was packed & it's easy to understand why! Right on the Main Street you can get chili to chicken fry. We tried the chicken fried steak, chicken fried chicken, chili, mashed potatoes & gravy, fries (amazing!), Cole slaw & jalapeño cornbread. We came @1p & waited 40 mins for a table. The vibe is chill & festive. I would come back! The Cole slaw was really up there for me - large pieces of cabbage and it was not too sweet, really delicious. The chicken fried chicken was great - not too greasy & the chicken was a perfect piece nicely fried with a lot of gravy! The chili comes with a Serrano pepper on top, nice touch. read more