I'm sorry for the delay in the message, but apparently I wrote this blog 2 weeks ago and just forgot to post it. Here it is now...
For those of you who do not know me, one of my favorite restaurants is Chili's. I have been going there since I was a little kid (we used to go here after baseball games) and I was super excited when a location opened up in the Arboretum because that's right near my house! Of course, once I moved into my apartment with Katie I moved far away from that location, but I occasionally go when I am at my house. Anyways, Katie and I went here after my haircut and before our Cardio Jam class with Lem in the Promenade!
It was too busy outside to take a good picture of the building, but here is a picture from the Chili's website.
Batter and crispiness: B+
-When it came to the batter I was mildly disappointed. Positives: very light and crispy (did not overpower chicken) Negative: not enough seasoning! The batter could definitely have used more spices of some kind because it was pretty bland. However, the tenders were very crispy and y'all know how I love my crispy chicken tenders!
Tenderness/juiciness of chicken: A
-These tenders were very juicy and once again, I was surprised by the tenderness and quality of the meat! Not the most juicy chicken tenders I have had, but definitely up there.
Portion size/presentation: A-
-I gave this category an A- because while I did get a lot of food, some of the actual chicken tenders were very thin and small. The meal provides you with five tenders and two of mine (maybe I just got a bad batch?) had the equivalent of one tender from most other dining establishments. It was a good thing that the side dishes were so filling.
Reheating: Cannot rate...did not reheat tenders this time :(
-I am a bad food critic. Katie and I got so caught up in our errands for the day that we actually had to throw our leftovers out. :( It was kinda warm that day (it was a beautiful early spring day in Charlotte) and we did not think it was a good idea to try and save our food after it had been sitting in the car for over eight hours. However, I do know that the chicken tender portion of this meal heats up very well (I have eaten this exact meal probably 100 times from Chili's), but the fries do not reheat well because they become soggy.
Side item: A-
-Chili's does there chicken tender meal differently than most places because you get two very filling side items instead of just one. The first item (standard for all chicken tender meals) is french fries. The fries were very crispy (a plus) and seasoned well, but they were nothing outstanding. When it came to the corn, it was very tender and had a lot of salt and pepper. When it comes to the sides the reason they did not get an A is because the sides were good, but the corn could have had different seasoning that would have pushed it over the top.
Description on menu:
-The interesting thing about chicken tenders at Chili's is that they actually serve two versions! The original version is the "Original Chicken Crispers Served with corn on the cob, homestyle fries and honey-mustard dressing. 10.29" and I got these up until about 5 years ago I would say when I tried the "Crispy Chicken Crispers Extra crispy chicken with corn on the cob, homestyle fries and your choice of black pepper gravy, BBQ sauce, honey-mustard or ranch dressing. 10.29". Both options are delicious, it just depends on the mood your in as to whether you want crispy, traditional chicken tenders, or Chili's original version with more of a fish n' chips type of batter. You cannot go wrong either way.
My lunch for the day...btw, I love the tables at Chili's! So festive!
Overall I would rate the chicken tenders at Chili's an A-. I did not really have any major complaints about my meal and these are definitely great tenders considering they come from a major chain. Our server was very friendly and one of the best waitresses I have had in a very long time. The wait time for the food was about 10 minutes (typical in my opinion) and the food was very tasty. Also the ranch dressing on the side was good, I couldn't tell if it was made in house or not, but regardless, I enjoyed it very much. My only complaints were that I wish the batter had more seasoning in it and some of the tenders were rather small. But overall this was a very positive dining experience and I am 100% sure that I will be back for the chicken crispers at Chili's...and who knows, maybe I will have the Original Chicken Crispers when I return!
Until next time,
LB
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