So weird. I wonder why they suggest ordering the fajitas without the boat? Isn't the boat just the salsa, sour cream etc? Also, it's interesting to see the black bean burger on the suggested foods list for tree nut/peanut allergic people. I'm a vegetarian and am always nervous about ordering veggie burgers at restaurants because you never know if there are nuts in them. Then there's also the bread to consider etc.

My son has always eaten at chilis. He speaks to the wait staff and they keep his food away from any other food. They always seemed to be very cautious.
Now I guess Chili's is off of his/our list. I'm sorry to say.
Peg

I do have to say that Chili's is going far, FAR out for listing items that are safe for peanut, soy, milk, etc allergies.
By looking the lists over again...I do not feel comfortable eating at Chili's anymore.
I already knew to stay away from fried foods anyway since they are all cooked in the same oil/deep commercial fryers. I never realized they had that MANY items fried in the same oil...
Chili's is now on my OFF list.

Although our initial "hey, hello, were new to your establishment" visits were great, our last three visits have been lousy. We wrote them off before hearing about his. The salmon I ordered could have been used to shingle a roof. More often than not recently, the food in general was stale, the ribs were getting knarly, and the soft tacos were strewen willy nilly across the plate. We couldn't tell if they were supposed to be served hot or cold. And corporate folks, puhleeze, find different dishware, a better cleaning system, or store the plates differently. The lighting in the place reveals every thumbprint (and the plates were littered with them), splotch, and leftover nib of whatever on the dinner ware. Seconds on sodas and even the best molten lava chocolate cake does not make up for this.
Oh, and we tried using some giftcards. (rubbing forehead). The server seemed unaware as to how to apply them and fearing mischarges on our checking account, we just debited the whole thing, without applying the giftcards. I wasn't about to send her away with my debit card after she explained how she would apply them. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/tongue.gif[/img]
The only reason we persevered through that many cr@ppy visits was because we thought Chili's was an [i]option[/i] for us. No longer. Toodles. (Thinking of trying a new PF Changs in our area...)
I'm wondering if there have been *more* changes than I'm aware of on the surface as the quality (of the Chili's in our area---3 total) has dropped significantly in recent months.
OOOO. And we just *loved* the meal at our recently opened Giordano's. So tata.
[i]And our Giordano's is "no smoking".[/i]
I was sick of walking out of Chili's smelling like old cigarette smoke anyway. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/rolleyes.gif[/img]
Get with the program guys!

Chilis used to be so good back maybe 15 years ago. The past few times, very salty, not so great.
My ds does love it there and we've allowed him to eat there.
The thing with the PB in the Chili is annoying. That will be good cause for me to nix them from restaurants that are okay....

Quote:Originally posted by saknjmom:
[b]The thing with the PB in the Chili is annoying. That will be good cause for me to nix them from restaurants that are okay....[/b]
exactly how I feel. We've eaten in places that use peanut products (and nuts) in various items, but this whole regression back to peanut butter as a thickner in Chili is just moronic. Everyone knows [i]maize flour[/i] is the way to go. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/wink.gif[/img] Soy. Anything but a pretend to be "secret ingredient". Who goes out to eat chili anyway? I can whip it up enmasse [i]at home[/i]. There is sooooooooooooo much more I'd be willing to pay, tax and tip for if I'm hauling hubby, three children and my butt out during the dinner hour. Chili just ain't what I'm willing to brave the crowds, questionable hygeine practices, and hard earned dollars for.
Besides, after working nearly a decade and a half in food service, [i]chili, in any form, isn't something I'm ordering.[/i] My best recollections are ancient buckets of the stuff shoved into the corner of the walk-in refrigerators. Crusty old soup ladels to spoon the stuff into dishes and then the microwave. People, best to know your product. [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/eek.gif[/img]
Oh, and meat-salad with mayo anything is off my list too.

I e-mailed Chili's about one week ago with my concerns about the PB in the chili. Specifically the risk for those with PA. Here is their very generic response....
Thank you for your email and for your interest in Chili's. We certainly appreciate you
taking time out of your day to provide us with your feedback.
We have forwarded your comments and suggestions regarding the changing of our chili
recipe along to our culinary team for their review and consideration.
We again thank you for your interest in Chili's, and we hope we have the opportunity to
see you in one of our restaurants soon. It will be our pleasure to serve you.
Chili's Grill & Bar
Guest Relations
Ref # 592479

I got the same response (different number).

Oh, I am sad. I lost a fun place with a great margarita.
We went to Chili's today. I called first and was told they hadn't started their new menu--and specifically asked about the new chili recipe. I was told that they are still using their old recipe for a little while longer. So we went.
I was having fun on the way thinking about which grilled thing I would get--chicken or maybe a burger (haven't had one of those out like this in ages). We got there and explained to our waitress that we have food allergies to be concerned with (nuts, shellfish like shrimp, and sesame). DS is PA, I am allergic to the others. We also said that DS is a vegetarian, so we would be inquiring about the beans and everything he ordered to make sure it wasn't prepared with a meat-related ingredient.
I wanted to order the spinach & artichoke dip and asked what else is fried in the oil used for the chips (I learned at another restaurant how important this question is). She said that they use peanut oil. I said, "Wait! You haven't before. I don't think you do now, but please check." She said when they empty the used oil during cleanup that it smells like PB, and that's why she said it.
So she went to check and also said she'll bring the printout of what you can eat if you have a particular allergy.
Instead the manager comes and talks with us. The oil was safe--or at least wasn't peanut. I asked what else was fried in the oil, and he hedged a bit but said nothing with nuts. And that the shrimp wasn't. When I asked about whether they still have a dedicated space for grilling shrimp, he said that [b]no, they don't, not anymore--when it gets busy, they put shrimp anywhere on the grill.[/b]. So a lot of what is on the allergy menu for someone with a shrimp allergy is not realy safe. They do have a disclaimer on the allergy menu referring to shared cooking space and cross contamination.
He also tells us that they have the new chili with PB and also that the old chili would be used for four more days. I asked him if they were cooking the new PB chili, and he said he thought so. But that didn't make sense to me--why would they be doing both recipes? He seemed confused about this and wasn't able to give us a clear answer--not good. I told him that if I had known they were using the new recipe, we would not have come with DS. He questioned why, and I told him that the more PB around the kitchen in general, the lest safe it could be for DS. He seemed to understand that.
He put DS' order in directly, and it came out soon after the appetizer-which wasn't a bad thing. DS can be a slow eater. But it did come out wrong. And he noticed that at one point when he came out. And then we asked for mashed potatoes for DS w/o the gravy (just easier for a vegetarian). They came out with gravy, but the waitrss inquired for us, and there apparently are no drippings in the gravy.
I ended up getting the SW egg rolls and felt there was really only one other thing I could have gotten--a ceasar salad (of course, they also can top a ceasar with shrimp, and when I see this I usually steer clear of the salads altogether). I could have gotten chicken fried steak, but I only get it once a year and that at a restaurant in Dallas, Good Eats. Still, the Chili's menu referred to a breaded sesame chicken. So I wanted to stay away from anything that might be pan fried.
Except for a margarita with DH, we won't be going again. This really saddens me, as I've always had a fondness for Chili's--the kind of fondness you reserve for things from home. I remember the first time I went to a Chili's my freshman year in college--it was on Northwest Highway in Dallas.
Oh well.

I feel everyones pain.
But there is ALWAYS another place to go, right? [img]http://uumor.pair.com/nutalle2/peanutallergy/smile.gif[/img]
Always.
Jason
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[b]* Beyond Obsessed * [/b]