My Favorite Restaurant is a fast-casual dining chain

My order has barely changed in 18 years. The deliciously thin and crispy chips and salsa, an order of the boneless (important) buffalo wings, and the big mouth bites (sliders).

I have loved chili's as long as I can remember. I grew up in Albuquerque, New Mexico and "my" chili's was the one located on Wyoming and Paseo Del Norte. My continuous memory truly begins around 8 years old and I know that chili's was even a part of my life then.

Going to chili's was not some family tradition, it was a Baxate tradition, that if I was lucky enough my family would join along. Rarely did I convince my brother or father to go, so leave it to a true mother's love to be my most common guest across from me in the booth.

Chili's is remarkably consistent between locations. The food tastes exactly as I remember it from last time, and the time before that, and the time before that. In Albuquerque, in Atlanta, hell, even in Peru.

My family visited Machu Picchu in 2015, and while in Lima my mother noticed there was a Chili's. In fact, anytime she sees a Chili's in an unexpected place, she sends me a photo because the familiar red neon light with a bright green stem of the dining establishment reminds her of her son. Of course we didn't actually eat at a Chili's in one of the most famous food cities IN THE WORLD. But I did think about it.

Places have memories

The food, while tasty, is not why Chili's is so important to me. Going to chili's is like injecting pure nostalgia straight into my bloodstream. I never look at the menu, because unlike the decor, or the thick plastic mugs, or the deliciously sour taste of the boneless buffalo wing that is really just a chicken nugget, the menu is proof that time has passed.

I remember scheming with my twin brother and firing a straw wrapper at my mother's head and missing, sending it flying into an unsuspecting strangers meal in a neighboring booth. I remember discussing finances and how to be responsible with my grandmother before she passed. I remember doing well on the SAT and contemplating where I wanted to go to college as my mom helps me weigh positives and negatives. I remember losing student body president and once again my mom helping learn the lessons of what it means to lose with grace, to be a good leader, and to move forward when things don't go your way. I remember visiting my family in Atlanta after posting on social media for 2 years and getting recognized and asked to take a photo by a “fan” in front of my mom who beamed with pride.

All of these memories happened in a red leather booth, while eating out of a tray with a thin waxy paper, on top of a thick wooden slab inside a Chili's.

Extras

In the mid 2010's Chili's began rolling out tablets on every table where you could pay your tab. As part of this rollout, they also had a rewards program. While I don't remember all the details, the fact that it doesn't exist anymore makes me think it was customer's like me who shut it down. Seemingly ONCE A MONTH, I could bring my entire family to Chili's and our final tab because of all the points I had racked up would be a whopping $0.00. Yes, literally. 4 people ordering appetizers and entrees, completely paid for by the Chili's equivalent of frequent flyer miles. Good times.

I began going to the gym in 2015. This decision changed my life and likely will have its own blog dedicated to it. As part of my life decision to take my health seriously, my usual Chili's order beverage was swapped from a Dr. Pepper, to an unsweet iced tea. This incredibly small decision felt symbolic enough that I was changing my identity, which proved true as I have not gone a consecutive 7 days without a workout since I sipped that first unsweet iced tea in 2015.

I went to chili's on halloween October 31st, 2025. I was in Austin, Texas and incredibly sick. I was dressed up as Mario. My girlfriend took a photo to capture the moment of her fugue state boyfriend being one of the only people dressed up (at that time) enjoying his nostalgiac meal he could never finish due to lack of appetite.

I just like the stock

EAT. That's the ticker for chili's. Well, it's actually for Brinker international, who owns Chili's as well as Maggiano's Little Italy for some reason. According to their stock price, I am not the only one who loves Chili's. In the past 5 years, EAT has gone up an astounding 181.7%. Outperforming the S&P500 by almost DOUBLE. Those who analyze the industry think Chili's has kept to their strengths, honed in on them, and continued to drive value to their customers while similar competing restaurants have struggled to keep up. The parent company for the similar restaurant Applebee's (Dine Brands Global) is DOWN 45% over the past 5 years. And while brands similar to chili's struggle, the fast-food industry prices have inflated to the point where a meal from McDonald's is comparable to that of a meal at a sit-down restaurant with larger portions (Chili's).

I do not actually own any EAT, but as someone who is interested in Finance and is a fan of the restaurant, I keep tabs and want them to succeed.

Conclusion

Last time I went to chili's was last night with my team from NVIDIA. These days, I go to chili's maybe once a year. Again, it's more for the nostalgia and story than for the food. I don't think chili's is actually that special. It just happened to be a restaurant that had a location in Albuquerque with food items that contained enough sodium and fat to hijack the brain of a growing boy, and a tortilla soup that the boy's mother could sit and palatably consume.