Chili's in Garhoud, Dubai - Restaurant Reviews

Chili's

The exposed brick-and-vintage-cola-posters atmosphere – a vague approximation of the mythical all-American diner of the 1950s – is slightly irksome 2 Reviews

The exposed brick-and-vintage-cola-posters atmosphere – a vague approximation of the mythical all-American diner of the 1950s – is slightly irksome. Posters for provincial American ‘chili cook-offs’ from the mid-’80s along with plenty of potted fake greenery contribute to this atmosphere. Chili’s seem to want to convince us that if The Fonz were alive and living today, he’d be hanging out and munching cheeseburgers right underneath the nifty neon signs on the restaurant’s wall. On our visit the place was heaving. Joining us in the restaurant’s warm fug were office workers out for lunch, a noisy group of friends celebrating a birthday, and a gaggle of young men competitively comparing ringtones. The food comes in massive portions, with even the starters almost impossible to finish. A huge portion of nachos was smeared with hot and cheesy chilli, accompanied by sour cream, excellent guacamole and heaps of fresh salad. The ‘world famous house burger’ (‘the one that put us on the map!’ screams the menu) was so loaded down with dollops of chilli, salad, and a thick meaty patty, that the buns disintegrated soon after the dish arrived at our table. A sizzling platter of ‘fire fajitas’ featured chicken, in a rather synthetic-tasting ‘citrus margarita’ sauce, and shrimp in a splendidly tangy chimichurri concoction. We struggled to find room for the sweet chocolate cake, although we appreciated the oozing mass of choc sauce in its centre. Sadly, we weren’t so delighted by a portion of tooth-rottingly sweet cheesecake. Leaving satisfied but bloated, we concluded that Chili’s is a good, if unrefined, fast-food diner.