Chili's Grill & Bar — Restaurant in Florida

On 01/13/2024 my family and I went to Chilis to celebrate my 3 youngest family members' birthdays.Started out fine, not busy at all and our waiter Nick was on it!We were taken to our tables and around 4:15pm orders were placed & appetizers served w/ the Chilis bottomless Chips and salsa.Everything was going well until our baskets of chips were empty.I waited a good little bit hoping our server would come, but he never came.I figured he got caught up doing something, so asked someone else. We sat at a table by the kitchen so we could see who was doing what. The person I asked help for help from was Zach. Politely I called him(Zach) over, and told him our waiter was busy and he had been waiting a moment for him to circle back around and asked him to please bring us another basket of chips.Hesitantly said yes and went into the kitchen at 4:40pm, time goes by and I can hear and see him in the kitchen laughing and giggling with someone at 4:53pm. Still wanting these chips to hold us over before our meals arrive, I then asked a waiter with long hair in a ponytail (who was actually there at the time of the request) for help. You could tell he knew what was happening and almost upset himself; immediately he goes to the kitchen and the laughing stops with Zach and other person. Within seconds out walks the person I just spoke with, chips, and Zach at the same time.Zach is walking by makes eye contact with me and quickly cuts the gaze and persists to walk in the other direction. Uncomfortable about how that situation went down, I asked Nick to speak to a Manager. I did not get the Service Floor manager. I spoke with the Culinary Manager by the name of Mac.I spoke to him about the issue, he rolled his eyes and did not address the issue with Zach and downplayed it and only brought up his good qualities.He said he would talk to him but just by the lack of care, his posture arms crossed defensive.I told him “I’m sorry but the person your trying to sell me on today did not deliver the service your so used to in the past especially on handling a request like this and I would prefer to care about the issue Im bringing to you because we waited 20 minutes” Upset that I wasn't trying to be swayed by the jargon on raving about Zack being top 1%... Mac then says to me” Well what do you want me to do! I will talk to him but what you want me to do, the GM is gone so..! I dont have the Regional number written down you'll have to go get it from the front window of the store ” In shook at what he said to me I said “ok that's fine." Our conversation ended right there. And of course most of the waiters and waitresses got wind of the situation because then out walked Andrea the Service Manager to my surprise because Mac the Culinary Manager said he was the only one there. Andrea was nice and of course when she came to check on the table. At first when she asked if something was wrong I told her I did not think that she could handle the issue or the unprofessionalism of her counterpart, but she did mention that she was directly over top of the servers, so we addressed the initial issue. She came with empathy, kindness, and understanding; some qualities missing from my earlier conversation. She did not try to excuse Zach from his behavior. She did also kindly mention that it was one of the staff members birthdays so that could have been the cause. I also did make her aware as well that we came there to celebrate birthdays as well, and had a brief aha at the coincidence and prospectively it was understood how we all want to be able to accommodate important people in our lives and make an enjoyable memory. At the end Andrea was great and I wish I had only spoken to her because the review would not be the rating that it is And I made sure to give Nick a $30 tip because he was still great as well. And also helping Mac to understand and accept accountability and a few other Chili's core values would be good for him as well...

The only reason I gave them a star is because the greeter/hostess was super cool & very sweet. The rest of the experience SUCKED. 1st... Our waitress, a young girl, was very sarcastic and really did not represent the company she was working for, favorably AT ALL. 2nd... The food was AWEFUL. (except the appetizer, we ordered their Southwestern Egg Rolls, which Chili's has been serving for YEARS, so if they screwed that up.... well, I don't know what to say.) Anyway, I ordered their Smokehouse combo. My combo choice was Chili's so called "signature" chicken strip "Crispers," and 1/2 a slab of their Baby back ribs. It was served with "street grilled corn"???? mashed potatoes and Texas toast. Lemme tell you.... The ribs were horrible, they tasted like a bottle of liquid smoke was dropped on it. The chicken strips are no where near what they used to be. These actually looked and tasted as if they came out of a box in the freezer. The corn on the cob was visibly old. It looked as if we're cooked several days ago and it was gummy and difficult to eat. The toast was cold and the mashed potatoes... i really can't say the mashed potatoes were messed up, but hey... they were mashed potatoes! How can you mess that up? My mother ordered the steak and shrimp fajitas. Her floor tortillas were COLD, STALE AND GUMMY. The steak had a nice flavor to it but it was way over cooked, and while the shrimp tasted ok (not over cooked) it did not look fresh or appetizing. When I explained to the waitress how disappointed I was she apologized and relayed the message to the manager. The manager came to apologize and offered a different meal. I was not impressed with what we were given so far therefore I was not interested in ordering anything else. She agreed to remove the cost of my meal from the bill. You should know, when they brought the food out everything was on its own little plate, except the ribs and chicken, which were on the same plate. When I told the waitress how unhappy I was, she took back ONLY THE PLATE with the ribs and chicken on it. Which leads me to the frosting on the cake.... supposedly the manager adjusted the bill and removed the charge for my meal from my bill. Ha... The bill not only showed mom's meal, our drinks and the appetizer...ok.. but she charged me for 3 SIDE DISHES AT 2.00 A PIECE!! (for the NASTY corn on the cob, the mashed potatoes, and the COLD Texas toast! ALL of which sat sampled but uneaten on the table!)

You can best believe I will NOT EVER GO BACK THERE, NOR WOULD I RECOMMEND CHILI'S AT THIS LOCATION EVER!!!! The food was FAR FROM FRESH and with the exception of the hostess.... the staff was very unprofessional. Oh.. Wait... the lady who brought the food from the kitchen... she was cool... friendly.

But yeah.... I would not waste your money at this establishment. It's clear they do not value their...

What a delightful evening we had at Chili's in Wesley Chapel, celebrating ladies' night in our hilarious granny costumes! From the moment we arrived, our hostess, Kenzie and Jewels, welcomed us with smiles and laughter, clearly enjoying our outfits. They informed us that we’d be seated in under ten minutes. While we waited, the amazing store manager, Andrea, came over to compliment our costumes. She took the time to snap pictures with us, creating a joyful atmosphere that set the tone for the night.

Throughout the evening, we enjoyed mingling with fellow patrons, including a group of teenagers celebrating Sophia’s 16th birthday party, who also appreciated our granny looks. Andrea's warmth and hospitality made us feel right at home; she effortlessly ensured that our experience was nothing short of exceptional.

Once seated, we were introduced to our fantastic server, Hunter, who further enhanced our night with his engaging personality and impeccable service. He not only kept our drinks flowing but also embraced our theme with humor, ensuring we were never in need of anything. Our orders were spot-on, and he truly made the experience special with his lively spirit and attentiveness.

I highly recommend Chili's in Wesley Chapel for anyone looking for great food and outstanding service. From the hot and fresh meals to the top-notch staff, our night as grannies was unforgettable. Kudos to the entire Chili's team of Wesley Chapel for making our ladies' night one...