When Chili’s Grill & Bar started operations way back in 1975 in Texas, USA, they did so with just 11 dishes & drinks whose popularity grew to such an extent that the brand managed to carve the initial footprints in the casual dining space of the country and subsequently the international market. Starting 15th July 2014, Chili’s Grill & Bar bought back the original lipsmackers in the form of a Limited Time Offer (LTO) across all their outlets in Bangalore (Orion & Phoenix Market city), Mumbai, Pune & Hyderabad. I was lucky to be part of the bloggers table which happened there to taste these items on the menu.
My favorite on the original Chili’s menu was the Chili’s Pie which is made with buffalo meat and contains chili, cheese, onion, tostada chips, home made pico de gallo and jalapenos). I could taste a part of history which was being made way back in 1975 when Chili’s was just finding it’s feet on the ground!
Looking at the regular menu, I ordered the trademark non-vegetarian appetizer called “Wings over Buffalo”. This was Chicken drumettes and winglets tossed in tangy & spicy Buffalo wing sauce. It is served with cool ranch dressing. I loved the spiciness of these Wings which was quite similar to what we have in South India!
In seafood section, I tried out Country Fried Calamari. These were Calamari fish lighty battered and golden fried to crispy perfection. This comes with double dipper: served with both creamy cilantro and zesty chipotle aioli dressings. These were my second favorite dish after Buffalo Wings.
In beverages, I had the classic Frozen Margarita which is a popular frozen, lime-flavored tequila margarita. It could be flavored with multiple things according to your liking. The portion sizes are huge specially for drinks so that you can mull over them for a longer time!
My favorite drink though was the Tequlia Sunrise. The glassware was perfect for holding the plus sized drink. It had black currant liquor, tequila, orange juice and grenadine syrup. This drink really pepped me up on a hot afternoon and refreshed me with i’ts fabulous flavors!
In main course, tried Grilled Fish of the day which is a Vietnamese basa fillet seasoned with garlic and herbs. This is served with rice and seasonable vegetables. I felt the Grilled fish was a bit too salty for my liking.
Ended the meal with trademark Bombay Burger which is available at Chili’s across the world! This is deliciously seasoned southwest potato patty with carrots, peas and beans, fried golden brown with Bombay-ranch dressing, shredded lettuce, tomato, pickle and onion.
