Chili's Grill & Bar — Restaurant in Mount Vernon

I have genuinely never had a worse experience at chilis ever. Last night my family decided to have dinner at this chilis and we arrived at 7:15. There was probably about 7 cars in the parking lot. It was not busy at all. We go in, they seat us immediately and we get our drink orders taken within 2 mins. That was fine. At this point our two other guests arrive and we now have our 4 people at the table. Our waitress Maddie comes back with our two waters and the other 2 order 2 beers. She brings those back and asked if we are ready to order. one of our guests makes a comment about the beer being warm and he'll drink it but it's just warm and half way through his sentence she walks away and doesn't come back for about 7 mins. At this point we're a little annoyed but people have bad days so we brush it off. When she eventually comes back she has an attitude and asked if we have finished deciding what we want to eat. We order a appetizer of mozzarella sticks and then our food; one being a triple dripper that was fine, a surf and turf meal with a medium RARE steak, and 2 fajita meals one being steak and shrimp, and one being just steak with lettuce and then subbing out the guac for more lettuce. It was at this point we waited 20 mins for the mozzarella sticks (which was fine, I understand that they probably have to let them cool), they were pretty good. After we finished those we asked if she could turn on the chief game on one of the tvs. She did, but not without an eyeroll. We waited about another 20 mins for our food to come out and when it arrives there are quite a few issues. The steak was medium well, practically no pink, my fajita not only had probably about 6 peices peppers and 10 peices of onion, the steak was overcooked, the beans on both of them looked like guano, but also I had no fajita boat, not one. I got no extra lettuce (that i asked specifically for), no sour cream, cheese, pico, none of it. Before I could say anything she had left. I'm sure she wasn't doing this on purpose but it felt like she was ignoring our table. There was about 4 people at the bar and then about 4 to 6 tables being used by customers. It took between 15-20 mins to get her attention at this point. I was kind of fed up. We called her over and she asks what's wrong, we show her the steak that needs to be remade and she takes the plate and starts walking away before we were even done talking. We said hey hold on wait there's more stuff wrong and she turns around with the most attitude I have ever seen and come server. And says yes. We explain that I need the other half of what comes with my meal, at this point everything of mine was cold but I was just hungry and ready to eat. She says "I thought you only wanted lettuce?" I say " no, I just wanted to sub the guac out and get extra lettuce with that." Mind you, I wasn't given ANY lettuce in the first place and she goes back, gets most of the stuff I asked for and comes back. She hands me the fajita boat and there is one tiny sause cup of the lettuce on the plate. I kind of chuckle because it was humorous. She says oh was that not enough, do you want more. I said yes. She comes back with a HALF FILLED sauce cup and preemptively asked if we needed to see a manager, we say no and I started eating my cold fajitas. We wait 25 mins for the other medium rare steak to come out. But before it had even came out, she was asking how we wanted our checks split and if we needed boxes. When the steak arrives he quickly eats it and wants a box to take the sides home. Since she asked how we wanted the checks split, we haven't seen Maddie once. Idk if she left or was hiding but we waited another 15 to 20 mins to get a box and we didn't get one so I had to walk halfway into the kitchen to get someone's attention to get a box. I understand people have bad days but this was outrageous the attitude for the get go was unnecessary. I asked someone that I know that works there if she normally is like that and I was told that the past 5 tables had stiffed her on the tip. I'm not surprised given how we...

After nearly nine years, I decided to dine inside a Chili’s restaurant again, this time at the Chili’s in Mt. Vernon, IL. What I experienced exceeded my expectations in every possible way, thanks to the outstanding service provided by Allison, an exceptional wait staff professional with over two decades of experience in the service industry. Allison’s dedication, conscientiousness, and efficient handling of her responsibilities truly made my visit a memorable one.

From the moment I sat at the bar, it was evident that Allison possessed a level of skill and passion that comes only from years of experience. Despite being under pressure with over twelve customers at the bar—thirteen if you count me—she was never anything less than professional. She managed the bustling bar effortlessly, ensuring that every guest felt attended to without a hint of stress. Her swift movements, combined with her welcoming demeanor, reflected someone who takes immense pride in their craft.

Allison’s efficiency was truly admirable. As I watched her work, it was clear she knew exactly how to prioritize and balance the needs of each individual. My orders were taken promptly, drinks were served perfectly, and she ensured I had everything I needed without me having to ask twice. It was as though she had an instinctive understanding of her guests’ needs, knowing when to engage and when to let me enjoy my meal in peace.

More than just her technical skills, it was Allison’s caring and genuine personality that really stood out to me. She went beyond simply doing her job; she made it clear that she valued every customer. Her conversations felt sincere, and she brought an enjoyable personal touch to my experience at Chili’s. We even delved into a discussion on a more serious topic: the idea of requiring body cameras for service staff to highlight the inappropriate behavior that service professionals often endure. It was a thought-provoking discussion, and Allison expressed her perspective with wisdom and insight, showcasing the challenges people in her line of work face.

The care Allison demonstrated for her customers is what makes a good service professional truly great. Her ability to handle the stress of a packed bar while remaining personable and attentive is a rare quality, and it speaks volumes about her dedication to her craft. She epitomizes what the service industry should be—caring, efficient, and conscientious, and it’s clear that she genuinely loves what she does. This level of dedication and her attention to detail not only made my dining experience pleasant but also restored my appreciation for Chili’s after many years.

Allison is the kind of professional that makes any business shine, and Chili’s in Mt. Vernon is lucky to have her. She exemplifies what true hospitality is all about. I left Chili’s that day with a smile on my face, feeling well taken care of and grateful for her exceptional service. I sincerely hope that her hard work and dedication are recognized because she is a true asset to the restaurant. Thanks to Allison, I will not wait another nine years before visiting...

UPDATE: I went back to this location only because it was my only option when I arrived in town. It was worse than last time. Service still terrible! This time, my southwest egg rolls were very poorly made. Like someone was teaching their 7-year-old to cook. I also ordered steak, and the top was burnt in the middle. My macaroni was watery also.

Let's add to that an employee who walked out to go on break and took his cigarette out before he was barely out the kitchen and when he walked back in, the cigarette was still lit. I bet if I called the health department, this place would get shut down or majorly fined. Never again will I be eating here.

Ordered the shrimp pasta and southwest egg rolls to go. I walked over from Huck's (I'm a truck driver) to pick it up when I received a text that my order was ready. Yet, it wasn't ready when I got there, so you would think it'd be hot, right? WRONG.

I still had to warm it before eating. Also, the avocado ranch for the egg rolls was really watery.

When I paid for my order at the restaurant, I'm given the option on screen of how much I want to tip. No option to skip the tip, so I put in $1.00.

How about I don't want to tip when all I'm doing is picking up food, yet the order is not ready on time, food not hot, no one was manning the to-go register when I got there, and five employees walked passed me- three of TWICE- before anyone even paid attention or asked if I had been helped.

Service is in the TRASH these days, yet we are expected to tip tip tip. Enough is enough. Employees don't deserve tips for showing up to their place of employment, and we patrons don't want to...