Chili's Grill & Bar
Restaurant · Elliston Place ·
Classic Tex-Mex & American fare, cheap margaritas, queso
Classic Tex-Mex & American fare, cheap margaritas, queso
"Before the celebrity-backed honky-tonks descended upon Nashville, the West End Chili’s was a place where people—unironically—met up and hung out. It predates the city’s restaurant boom, and lots of people who lived here in the early aughts have fond memories of spending long evenings in a booth, splitting a skillet cookie with friends. In the years since, it's become a relic of its time, and the legendary butt of a joke on Reddit when visitors ask for the billionth time where they should eat. photo credit: Casey Irwin photo credit: Casey Irwin photo credit: Casey Irwin photo credit: Casey Irwin Pause Unmute And yet, years later, there’s still some genuine value and utility here. The West End Chili’s is a great move for cheap margaritas before a Vanderbilt game, or late-night crispy southwest egg rolls after a show at The End or EXIT/IN. No matter when you come, old-school Southern hospitality is on full display. Bartenders swing by your table to ask about the quality of the drinks, and servers pepper in an endearing amount of “honeys” and “sweethearts.” So much so that you might forget that every element of this chain restaurant was designed to be convenient and crowd-pleasing. To that end, we salute you, West End Chili’s. Hopefully, you'll always have a $6 margarita waiting for us when we need it most. Food Rundown Margarita Of The Month Chili’s Presidente Margarita—an undisputed classic—is generally a fairly solid crowd pleaser, so veering off the path of certainty can be risky. But sometimes the gamble pays off, especially where the “Marg of the Month” is concerned. A recent concoction—the Radical ‘rita—wasn’t overly sweet despite the dragonfruit and curacao in it. We liked it more than we’re comfortable admitting. Also, the marg of the month is $6, all day every day. photo credit: Casey Irwin Skillet Queso This is better than 80% of the disturbingly milky pools of liquid being passed off as queso around town. It has a thick consistency, thanks to the meat and beans added to the mix. The chips are a bit greasy, but they’re a mere tool in your quest to shovel more queso in your mouth. photo credit: Casey Irwin Southwest Egg Rolls A straight-up Chili’s classic, and as good as ever. The wrapper isn’t like an eggroll at all—it’s smooth and a bit doughier, but firmly holds the creamy black bean, corn, and jalapeño jack cheese filling in place. The avocado ranch dipping sauce is a bit bland, but this is still a good appetizer. photo credit: Casey Irwin Half Rack Of Ribs Go ahead. Sing the theme song. Because that’s the best part of this whole dish—the ribs are almost all bone with barely any meat. The sauce is cloyingly sweet, with a weird chemical aftertaste. Pass. photo credit: Casey Irwin Nashville Hot Chicken Crispers The Nashville hot chicken crispers are serviceable. They’re a bit heavy on the salt in the spice, but tender and indeed quite crisp. But also, ordering this when you’re two minutes from Red’s is silly. photo credit: Casey Irwin Skillet cookie Crispy edges, gooey middle, and every bit as good as your middle school memories of it. photo credit: Casey Irwin" - Jackie Gutierrez-Jones
"A casual-chain restaurant she likes because it once served a chicken Caesar pita that she enjoyed, though that menu item has since been discontinued." - Greg Morabito
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