Chili's

Tasty, Hearty Tex-Mex Dishes

(Ratings: On a scale of 1 to 10, with 1 = Worst and 10 = Best)
Overall: 9
Ambience & Setting: 8
Food & Beverage: 9
Service: 9
Value for Money: 9
Spent about SGD $35 per person.





Chili's began in 1975 in the United States Of America, in Dallas, with a focus on the cuisine of the region, which is Texan style barbecue and Tex-Mex dishes. Arriving in Singapore in 2009, Chili's has since been serving up food that is consistent with its Southern American roots, hearty, generous portions of food that carry bold flavour.

Ambience at Chili's is comfortable, but lighting is somewhat dim, making the overall restaurants look dark. I like the little touches of stained glass, and mexican inspired decor, which give the interior its character. Layout is spacious, and furniture is functional with sufficient elbow room... although the size of the plates at Chili's tends to make the tables seem small.

Service at Chili's is excellent, styled after the personal and friendly service you'll get in America. Staff are knowledgable about the menu and ingredients, proactive to make recommendations and suggestions, observant and efficient. Food arrives very quickly, despite busy peak periods. Excellent service at Chili's, among one of the best I've seen!

Barbecue and Rotisserie is becoming more common in Singapore, but Chili's is one of the few places to get good Mexican or Tex-Mex cuisine. Recipes aren't very traditional or authentic, but flavour is big and bold, and many of the dishes are very tasty. Portions are quite large, and prices are reasonable, among one of the cheaper options for Mexican cuisine in Singapore.

Big Mouth Bites Poster

The Chicken And Green Chile Soup has slight sweetness and heat, but is a little thinner than I expected it to be. The ingredients are fresh, which lends a more natural taste to the soup.

Chicken And Green Chile Soup

The Monterey Chicken was probably the worst item I've eaten here. Simply a piece of grilled chicken, with some melted cheese and diced tomatoes on top. Recommended to skip.

Monterey Chicken

Soft drinks, such as Coca Cola Light, are free flow.

Coca Cola Light

They have happy hour promotions for beers like Hoegaarden Beer Pint, which is available on tap.

Hoegaarden Beer Pint

The classic Margarita is served in a beer glass instead of the traditional Margarita glass, but this means you get more for your dollar. The Margarita is well made, with the right balance of salty, sweet, and sour.

Margarita 01

Margarita 02

The House Made Tomato Salsa is fresh and very delicious, although I wish it could be slightly thicker. Because it was thin, it made dipping troublesome.

House Made Tomato Salsa 01

House Made Tomato Salsa 02

House Made Tomato Salsa 03

A non-traditional guacamole, because of the addition of grilled corn. The Fire Grilled Corn Guacamole (SGD $11) is excellent, with a smoky taste from the corn, and fresh, silky avocados mashed to a smooth paste. I found myself wishing I could have a huge bowl of it, and some chips... Would be happy enough! Highly recommended!

Fire Grilled Corn Guacamole 01

Fire Grilled Corn Guacamole 02

Fire Grilled Corn Guacamole 03

The Terlingua Chili Beef (SGD $11) features meaty, well seasoned minced beef, served in a generous helping. Really loved this dish, and it made for excellent dipping, and even as a sauce to spread over other dishes!

Terlingua Chili 01

Terlingua Chili 02

Terlingua Chili 03

Tostada Chips are served along the side for dipping, but the actual mass-produced chips itself isn't spectacular... They simply act as a vehicle for the various awesome sauces!

Terlingua Chili And Tostada Chips

Fire Grilled Corn Guacamole, House Made Tomato Salsa, Terlingua Chili And Tostada Chips

Considered a healthy dish, the Black Beans (SGD $4) here have a smoky, savoury taste, with is freshened with diced tomatoes.

Black Beans 01

Black Beans 02

Black Beans 03

The Dirty Rice (SGD $4) has a nice delicate flavour, although it could have been more pronounced.

Dirty Rice 01

Dirty Rice 02

A side order of Mashed Potato (SGD $4)... So huge it looks like a scoop of ice cream!

Mashed Potato

I like the sweet, smoky taste of the Baby Back Pork Ribs Original Barbecue (SGD $39). The meat is tender and comes off the bone easily, and the rib is evenly coated with the barbecue sauce.

Baby Back Pork Ribs Original Barbecue 01

Baby Back Pork Ribs Original Barbecue 02

The Crispy Chicken Tacos have tender, meaty pieces of breaded chicken. It's decent on its own, but add the various condiments to it and it becomes that much better!

Crispy Chicken Tacos 01

Crispy Chicken Tacos 02

Crispy Chicken Tacos 03

The spicy Wings Over Buffalo (SGD $14) are meaty and juicy, and I found them to be very good. Pour the cheese dressing over the wings for a cooling contrast of taste.

Wings Over Buffalo 01

Wings Over Buffalo 02

The Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers (SGD $25) have a sweet and spicy coating, that is well balanced with the crisp fried skin and the juicy chicken meat inside. Excellent, a good testament to the skill required to produce this without making it too dry, dense or soggy!

Honey Chipotle Chicken Crispers

The Platinum Presidente Margarita (SGD $16) is very affordable! Per serving, it's about 400ml, for only SGD $16! Made from tres gen tequila, cointreu, presidente brandy, agave nectar, lime juice and orange juice, this drink is fit for the President!

Platinum Presidente Margarita 01

Platinum Presidente Margarita 02

Tried the Mix & Match Baby Back Pork Ribs (SGD $39), which is served with 2 different styles of half slab pork ribs, along with 2 sides. The Baby Back Pork Ribs Honey Barbecue is much sweeter and mroe tangy than the regular classic, while the Baby Back Pork Ribs Honey Chipotle has a slight hint of spicy heat to the meat. Both have tender, fall off the bone meat that is evenly cooked, and totally covered with the yummy marinade.

Mix & Match Baby Back Pork Ribs

Baby Back Pork Ribs Honey Barbecue

Baby Back Pork Ribs Honey Chipotle

Loved the well buttered Corn On The Cob, flavourful and fresh! The Fries are thick cut and well cooked, with a nice firm potato flavour.

Corn On The Cob

Fries

I thought the Bacon Ranch Quesadillas (SGD $22) was one of the weakest dishes I had here. While there is a good portion of chicken meat to cheese, the meat was dry, and overall, the dish wasn't very satisfactory.

Bacon Ranch Quesadillas

The Southwestern Eggrolls (SGD $11) is a nice appetizer, with a complex flavour profile that bursts in the mouth. Excellent!

Southwestern Eggrolls