# Chili's restaurant- how spicy hot would you rate their Mexican dishes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [November 12, 2015, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347 "2015-11-12T02:04:46Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/1 "2015-11-12T02:04:46Z")
Ate at Chili’s restaurant for the first time this evening. Had their Ribeye with mashed potatoes and broccoli. Quite a good meal and I was pleased with the tenderness of the steak. The Ziosk kept us amused while we waited and I liked paying through it. Their Mexican Burritos and Fajita platter looked really good. But, I have issues with acid reflux and take Omeprazole. The doctor hasn’t put me entirely on a bland diet but I definitely have to avoid any spicy food. Given[their logo.](https://www.waiterwheels.com/images/restaurant_images/chilis-logo-a1.png) Steak was probably my safest choice. But the Mexican dishes looked tempting. 🙂 The baby back ribs looked good too. I noticed one had a spicy sauce on it. But could probably eat the others. How would you rate Chili’s spiciness? ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 2:13am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/2 "2015-11-12T02:13:34Z")
I don’t eat at Chili’s enough to say ( maybe 2-3 times in my life and I don’t recall what I had ). But regardless I’m not sure the replies here will be very meaningful. How we experience spicy heat seems to vary quite a bit betwen individuals. One person’s mild is another’s three-alarm fire. ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 2:19am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/3 "2015-11-12T02:19:53Z")
On a spicy scale of 1-10, about a 2. Thanks for reminding me about the Ziosk, a major reason why I plan to never eat at Chili’s again. By the way, why are there separate poll choices for “Barely noticeable at all” and “Mild”? Is there a clear line of demarcation between those two? How about adding “this is spicy?” and “painfully bland”? ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 2:25am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/4 "2015-11-12T02:25:48Z")
I didn’t think about using Bland. Mild would be no hot pepper at all. Just basic salt & black pepper seasoning. The Ziosk bugged you? huh, I liked being able to pay and not wait for the waitress to bring my ticket. She did take our order. We didn’t order using the Ziosk. It could be a nuisance if you had kids that wanted to play the games. They charge for that. But neither me or my wife had any interest in the games. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 2:54am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/5 "2015-11-12T02:54:36Z")
Yeah, the terminology makes it hard for me to vote, too. I’ll just say that my mom has no problem eating there, and she doesn’t like spicy for the same reason as you, down to the omeprazole. I personally think it ranges between barely there to noticeable but manageable. But I haven’t had a lot of stuff, as there isn’t a local one, so I only eat there on special trips. If it doesn’t call itself hot and spicy, I’m pretty sure you’d be okay with it. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 1:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/6 "2015-11-12T13:35:51Z")
It is not spicy to me…but I like spicy food. And I am also on omeprazole - but I won’t stop spicy food, not for anything. I have more problems with acidic food, anyway, especially freakin tomatoes. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/7 "2015-11-12T13:49:32Z")
Not spicy at all, but then I eat raw habs for a snack. ---
**Author:** ![Ludovic](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/7ab992/32.png) [@Ludovic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ludovic)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 1:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/8 "2015-11-12T13:51:25Z")
Habbers represent! I too can eat them as a snack although I cheat and apply chapstick beforehand. But they taste great otherwise. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/9 "2015-11-12T13:54:22Z")
I think maybe the spiciest thing on their menu has some jalapenos in it, very mild and with the fajitas, you assemble them, so you could just leave out anything that is too spicy for you. ---
**Author:** ![txtumbleweed](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/278dde/32.png) [@txtumbleweed](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/txtumbleweed)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/10 "2015-11-12T13:56:50Z")
I voted mild, but the true answer is somewhere between that and barely noticeable. Of course, being from Texas I have fried out my taste buds on jalapenos and habaneros. Food many parts of the country would call hot barely register. ---
**Author:** ![ISiddiqui](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/97f17d/32.png) [@ISiddiqui](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ISiddiqui)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 3:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/11 "2015-11-12T15:45:31Z")
Barely noticeable. Though I haven’t eaten at a chilis in a little while; but I do remember their chips and salsa were really tasty. ---
**Author:** ![Oredigger77](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/oredigger77/32/3181_2.png) [@Oredigger77](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Oredigger77)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 4:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/12 "2015-11-12T16:41:15Z")
I’m pretty sure they iust keep one jalapeno in the back and wave it at the spicy dishes. ---
**Author:** ![amaguri](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/49beb7/32.png) [@amaguri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amaguri)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 4:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/13 "2015-11-12T16:56:51Z")
Some dishes are spicier than others, but those are usually pretty obvious. In general Chili’s is not spicy at all. ---
**Author:** ![dracoi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/90db22/32.png) [@dracoi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dracoi)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/14 "2015-11-12T17:04:27Z")
The chilis are in the name, not the food. 🙂 There are some regions of Mexico where this is the authentic way of doing things, but for a mass-market appeal in America, you pretty much have to go light on spice and let people add their own if they want to. ---
**Author:** ![Spud](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/spud/32/347_2.png) [@Spud](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Spud)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/15 "2015-11-12T17:41:34Z")
> [@dracoi](#): > > The chilis are in the name, not the food. 🙂 I have to agree… the logo has more spice than anything. Eating the logo from the napkin would be as spicy as anything they serve. ---
**Author:** ![aceplace57](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aceplace57/32/3500_2.png) [@aceplace57](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aceplace57)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 5:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/16 "2015-11-12T17:44:58Z")
Very, very interesting Poll results. Mild or barely noticeable it is. I thought for sure their chili pepper logo was a warning they liked to put the heat in food. Not 5 Alarm OMG hot, but something that would say, “yeah there’s chili pepper in there”. I was watching this [youtube review of Chili’s prime rib burrito.](https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FHzcpMsMczU) He said the green sauce is milder than the red. So I’ll probably ask the waitress to leave off the red sauce. ---
**Author:** ![pulykamell](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pulykamell/32/3166_2.png) [@pulykamell](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/pulykamell)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 5:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/17 "2015-11-12T17:57:08Z")
I would say that Chili’s is on the same spice level as other restaurants like Applebee’s and TGIF’s or other such middle-of-the-road chains. Maybe slightly more, but not that I have noticed. I voted “barely noticeable at all.” ---
**Author:** ![Drunky\_Smurf](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/drunky_smurf/32/449_2.png) [@Drunky\_Smurf](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Drunky_Smurf)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/18 "2015-11-12T18:02:44Z")
> [@aceplace57](#): > > I thought for sure their chili pepper logo was a warning they liked to put the heat in food. They do. That was the spiciest vanilla milk shake I’ve ever had. My tongue burned for days. ---
**Author:** ![madmonk28](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/madmonk28/32/20811_2.png) [@madmonk28](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/madmonk28)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/19 "2015-11-12T18:07:03Z")
I will say this for Chili’s, of all the chain restaurants in that range, their food is the closest to home made. I worked as a cook in a lot of places when I was younger, both independent places where we made everything from scratch and large chains. At Chilis, we punched potatoes to make fries, made ribs by putting them in a smoker, etc. At places like Bennigans, almost everything came pre-made in a bag and mayyybe you reconstituted it with some added water. I’ll eat at Chili’s before most other chains. ---
**Author:** ![Anaamika](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/5f9b8f/32.png) [@Anaamika](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anaamika)\ **Post date:** [November 12, 2015, 6:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347/20 "2015-11-12T18:28:25Z")
> [@Oredigger77](#): > > I’m pretty sure they iust keep one jalapeno in the back and wave it at the spicy dishes. For sure! This is a great depiction and I am totally stealing it shamelessly. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/chilis-restaurant-how-spicy-hot-would-you-rate-their-mexican-dishes/737347.md?page=2)