I'm going to start off by saying nothing can top "half apps" from Applebee's. If you are lucky enough, you live in a town that has an Applebee's that participates in the half-off appetizer deal starting at 10 PM each night. This is all well and good, however, if I was stuck in some weird situation where I could only pick one of the two to continue to have in my life I would choose Chili's in a heartbeat.
My number one reason why Chili's is better than Applebee's is simply the Texas Cheese Fries. This appetizer seems so basic, like it's been done before: french fries in a skillet topped with Monterey, pepper jack and cheddar cheese, bacon, jalapeños and green onions served with ranch. You may be thinking, Can't I get that anywhere? No. You can't. Chili's Texas Cheese Fries have a magical flare to them that I cannot find anywhere else. Maybe it's the combination of cheeses? Maybe it's the perfect amount of spice that the jalapeños add? Maybe it's the smoky bacon bits? Maybe it's the cool ranch that you dip into for every bite? Whatever it is, Chili's did it right and they do it right every time.
Number two has to be the portion sizes. I can easily go to Chili's with my best friend, order an appetizer and an entrée, split it and be full. At Applebee's, we have to order four or more appetizers for the both of us to share.
Reason number three is the Tex-Mex menu, with varying options. Chili's has the best type of food: burgers and burritos. Yes. It's the perfect place to go when you aren't too sure what you want to eat, because Chili's really has it all. Adding to the menu's variety, Chili's offers a black bean burger which I think is awesome for my vegetarian friends. I also love how there are so many appetizers to choose from at Chili's. I feel so restricted at Applebee's, without many options.
Number four has to be that the food looks, tastes and feels fresher. At Chili's, it's almost like I am eating a home-cooked meal, as opposed to at Applebee's where you can tell it was made in restaurant kitchen quickly, almost as if it was just to get it over with. You can see the difference between the two; for example, the cheese on my fiesta-lime chicken at Applebee's looks like it was sitting there for a while, and at Chili's, the melted cheese on my Texas Cheese Fries looks like it just came out of the oven.
Reason number five is the fact that Chili's has a more open, comfortable atmosphere. At Chili's, you are never sitting too close to someone who is not part of your party. It is definitely a more intimate dining area where you are more secluded. You never feel squished up against other people. Applebee's is also so much more crowded, with wait times that I have seen exceeding an hour and a half. I don't remember a time where I waited to be seated at Chili's, and it doesn't make sense because everyone should be going there considering how great it is.
Moral of this story, if you haven't gotten it already, is that if you ask me to go out to dinner with you and you're taking me to Chili's, it's basically a marriage proposal because I know you have good taste. I don't mess around when it comes to food. I think I just might have to take a trip to Chili's after writing this, those cheese fries sound so good right now.
