Chili's Grill - Blaine

Nice portions, we ordered the $8 lunch special. Our server was a nice young lady. The reason I didn't have five stars, we felt it was adverage, No Wow factor. If we were to go back here, it would depend on what else was in the area.

Peter's service started off strong tonight, quick greeting, got us our drinks and appetizer right away. When he dropped the meals off he never acknowledged my nearly empty beverage or asked if we needed anything else. Never received a refill, neverchecked in on us after food was delivered, had to go track down my own to-go boxes. Food was tasty otherwise this would be2-stars.

I took my wife for lunch here and it was meh. Probably not going back. First off there was about 6 tables occupied in the whole restaurant. Our server Tony was super nice. He came took our order and got it entered. Food took about 25 minutes to get out. Mywife ordered the Cajun Shrimp Pasta and the Shrimp Fajita. My order was complete wrong, I ordered the Cajun Chicken Pasta and Ireceived the Chicken Fajita. Our server was willing to fix it however I didn?t want to sit there for another 25 minutes for onedish. So I decided to eat the Chicken Fajita. That was a bad idea, the rice on both of our dish was undercooked (hard) or thedishes have been siting so long under a heat lamp it just got ruined. I don?t think I will be returning to Chili?s anytime soon.

We ordered the Pick Three Appetizers which included Onion Petals, Cheese Curds, and Mango Habanero Chicken Strips. The chicken was crispy and the sweet and spicy flavors worked well together. The Ancho Chili Grilled Salmon had a nice crispy bottom and a delicious southeast style topping, but it was slightly overcooked. The Dry Rubbed Ribs and Cheddar Jalapeno Sausage platter was excellent. The ribs were tender with a tasty char on the underside, and the spices were fragrant. One of the best non-smoky ribs we've ever had, more savory than spicy. We requested a substitution for fries and bread, and were pleasantly surprised with a large side salad in a chilled bowl and a generous amount of steamed broccoli. We really enjoyed it!

The food at this restaurant was excellent and served very quickly with efficient service. However, the owners seemed disorganized, uncommunicative, and confusing. Despite there being many open tables, we had to wait for an additional half hour for a table for two. When one man asked to wait in the bar area, he was told no, although others were allowed to sit there. Our server, along with a trainee, provided excellent service with attention to detail. Despite the chaotic start at the front door, the staff and chefs ultimately made the experience worth it. It felt like watching a scene from the Keystone Cops.