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Like it or not, Chili’s is as much a part of Big D as the Cowboys and JR. The fast-casual restaurant was founded in 1975 in Dallas by longtime local restaurateur Larry Levine. The chili soft tacos were formative, and the baby back ribs jingle lives on as an iconic earworm.
The restaurant has gone through some changes lately, fussing with consumer palates and budgets. In 2022, they changed the recipe for their Chicken Crispers from a soft, pillowy, tempura-like batter to a more traditional batter. People were ready to riot.
Recently, they also read the room and saw that people are watching their dining budgets and introduced a “3 for Me” deal for $10.99; a beverage, an appetizer (chips and salsa) and a main. This summer, the Wall Street Journal even picked it up with an on-point headline: “The Chili’s Economy Is Here: What’s Behind the Casual-Dininig Boom.”
Most of us don’t need to guess what’s behind anything that appeals to our wallets. Like a Reddit feed from a month ago where Cityslicker673 had a humblebrag: “I ate at Chili’s with my mom today and the bill was only $26.” Hell, yeah!
The Death of the Skillet Queso
Then, on Oct. 2, Chili’s went for the jugular and removed the iconic yet soul-shaming Skillet Queso from the menu. The Dallas Morning News got the whole scoop. After 35 years, the chain felt like the world was demanding a better queso. The original Skillet Queso, which accounted for 1% of the restaurant’s total sales, was replaced by a Southwest Queso made with American cheese, cheddar, green chiles, onions and lime.
The change in the recipe, which had been on the menu since 1990, caused a small riot. A poll on The Dallas Morning News showed that 62% said they would miss the skillet queso, while 38% said they wouldn’t.
Then, on Sunday, Chili’s posted “Justice is coming” for the skillet queso. What could justice possibly look like? Was the skillet queso really just 1% of sales or the glop that holds the entire franchise together. Another question: is this just a big marketing scheme? Has Chili’s taken a page from the McDonald’s McRib? Are we about to see the first of many skillet farewell tour?
