Chilis's New Menu

[brendygirl]

Usually when we go out to Chilis for lunch, all the people I work with get the soup and salad, except for me. (I can't tolerate cream, and I don't even like that cheesy baked potato soup they have.)

And, to be fair, I recently posted a minor rant on my blog here about Chilis and how they suddenly took the gluten free honey bbq sauce off the menu (so I couldn't order ribs), sabotaging a visit with my family over the holidays. It's ANNOYING that they change their menu every few months, so the printed ones in the folder I keep in my car are always incorrect and they always have to print me a new one.

However they won me over with the most recent menu switcharoo. Except for holding the croutons, I got to order and eat a "normal" meal and it was yum-OH!

I devoured the [b]"Bottomless Soup N Salad Express Lunch $6" Chicken Rice Lime Soup- flavorful

Chips and Salsa- chips are extra thin and yummy, salsa is fair

House salad with a honey-limey dressing- the bowl was shallow

which is perfect for scoping out any hidden croutons (for deeper bowls I have to dump it on a plate b4 eating to rake through and verify), the iceberg lettuce was shredded (not my preference), and the dressing was tangy and delicious.

The new menu (valid until mid-April) also listed tacos and several other items I'm looking forward to trying, as a Chilis is 5 minutes from my house.

The waiter wouldn't let me keep the menu, tho, and I'm too lazy to look it up right now to share the rest with you.

[luvs2eat]

Chilis is one of our faves... and one of the ONLY "chain" restaurants where we live (in the boonies!). I like their baked potato soup... just a little is so filling! As we do anywhere we go out to eat... we make friends w/ our server ("Have a seat and let me tell you about my food issues." ha ha) and I tell them, w/ a smile, that if there are croutons on my salad, I'll have no CHOICE but to ask that another be made. By the time they leave our table, I've said, "PLEASE, no croutons," about 5 times with a big smile and it totally works!

Isn't there another BBQ sauce for their ribs on their gluten-free menu? Seems to me I've had the original sauce.

[redsidekick]

I also thought that the orignial bbq sauce for the ribs were ok. Really hope that hasnt changed.

The Chillis near me has always been very accomadating to me when I come in. In fact the last time I came in w/my family they sent a waitress from another section to serve us because she also has celiac and she was very helpful (She told us the chips and salsa were OK, I did not know that.

[Sunny Side]

I'll have to check out the new menu and see what the choices are. I usually get the baked potato soup, sometimes with a side salad. I had no idea the chips and salsa were gluten free. I don't remember that ever being listed as gluten free on the menu. It's good to know.

[MindytheOrganist]

I did not know the chips & salsa were gluten-free. I wrote to Chili's Corporate Office and was told the chips were NOT fried in a dedicated fryer and CC could occur.

I do believe Chili's is getting better with gluten-free options.

[pugluver31902]

I did not know the chips & salsa were gluten-free. I wrote to Chili's Corporate Office and was told the chips were NOT fried in a dedicated fryer and CC could occur.

I do believe Chili's is getting better with gluten-free options.

Yes, you definitly CANNOT have the chips and salsa. They are fried in the same fryers as all the breaded items, and they ARE NOT listed on the gluten free menu. The waitors get confused because the chips themselves are gluten free, but then they throw them in the fryer

[MindytheOrganist]

Shoot! I was afraid of that. If only they could dedicate a fryer, it would put Chili's near the top of our list.

Of course, nothing comes close to Biaggi's.

[buffettbride]

Chili's is off our list now because they changed from the "original sauce" which was safe to a sauce that now has beer in it. They have removed ribs from the gluten-free menu altogether. What was so great about Chilis is that my daughter's fave meal pre-Celiac was from Chilis and it was awesome to not have to take away that from her too. Grrrrrrr. Bad Chilis. Bad.