Chi Chi's to make a comeback next year

[Tenacious E]

I loved it as a kid, but my point of reference was a preteen/teen in Wisconsin, and I didn't have it more than a few times because my parents were cheap asses. I don't think I've ever had what many foodies here consider "real" Mexican, so I'm looking forward to trying the new iteration if one is around me.

https://www.cnn.com/2024/12/04/food/chi-chis-restaurant-relaunch/index.html

 

[TC Nole OX]

Chi-Chi's

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Chi-Chi's Sweet Corn Cake

It's sort of like cornbread, but much softer, almost like corn pudding, and it goes well with almost any entrée. Try our Chi Chi's Sweet Corn Cake recipe today!

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[joelbc1]

But Chi Chi died a few months ago! How does he make a comeback?

 

[onlyTheObvious]

Can’t see eating chain Mexican again in my lifetime.

So many local Mexican places with all the immigration.

Tough to screw up Mexican. Mostly it all seems the same but occasionally you find one that sets a high bar.

Never liked chi chi salsa. Seemed to thin/vinegary.

 

[QChawks]

 

[St. Louis Hawk]

Fried ice cream for all you magnificent bastards!

 

[Tenacious E]

Can’t see eating chain Mexican again in my lifetime.

So many local Mexican places with all the immigration.

Tough to screw up Mexican. Mostly it all seems the same but occasionally you find one that sets a high bar.

Never liked chi chi salsa. Seemed to thin/vinegary.

Yes, but are your local mexican joints "authentic" or do they serve stuff they think most people will like? I know authentic places exist, but if they are around me I don't think I've had it. In the interim, I will enjoy whatever mexican adjacent food I can find.

 

[onlyTheObvious]

Yes, but are your local mexican joints "authentic" or do they serve stuff they think most people will like? I know authentic places exist, but if they are around me I don't think I've had it. In the interim, I will enjoy whatever mexican adjacent food I can find.

Live near a meat packing town. Between the restaurants and food trucks you can get as close as you want. Including goat.

 

[jasonrann]

Spent many happy hours at the Chi Chi's in Cedar Falls when I was at UNI. Loved it!

 

[Fan In Black]

we would buy one beer and eat a a dozen baskets of chips and salsa when they had that deal. cheap meal.

 

[lucas80]

For some reason I am thinking of Les Nessman struggling to pronounce Chi Chi Rodriguez.

 

[praguehawk]

Chi Chis in Davenport was a treat for us after church. They had $1 kids meals so my parents were happy to get their 3 sons fed there along with the free chips and salsa. I remember that as I grew older there was a Baja plate that I would usually get. Interesting to see if it makes a successful comeback. I like the more authentic Mexican, but still can occasionally gorge on the microwaved combos that the chain places have and be happy.

 

[DirtyJohns97]

 

[fredjr82]

Diamond Daves > Chi Chis

 

[FAUlty Gator]

My brother used to bring me there when I was a kid. Seafood Nachos and fried ice cream were the height of culinary advancement as far as I was concerned.

 

[torbee]

Who could possibly make better Mexican food than a couple of Irish football players living in Minnesota!?

Chi-Chi’s, started in Minnesota in 1975 by Marno McDermott and Green Bay Packers player Max McGee, would eventually expand to more than 200 locations.

 

[bagdropper]

I have very mixed feelings about this. I put 11+ years of my life into Chi Chi's, going from lowly server to store manager and bouncing around the midwest through the years. I got out in the late 90's because my body simply couldn't stand the pounding that kind of work put my body through.

I still have several margarita glasses, hot pads, a couple server trays, etc...hell, I have a carved wooden logo that was a lounge wall decoration that is roughly 6foot by 3 foot heavy and huge!

Hell, some of the original buildings in midwestern cities are STILL standing, and even still have the facades they originally came with.

My lifelong best friends, I still have and they're from my Chi Chi's days.


FYI, the name Chi Chi's comes from Max McGee's wife's bountiful breasts - that's what he called them. Every Chi Chi's lounge had these wicker horn "tits" hanging above the bar.

 

[torbee]

Can’t see eating chain Mexican again in my lifetime.

So many local Mexican places with all the immigration.

Tough to screw up Mexican. Mostly it all seems the same but occasionally you find one that sets a high bar.

Never liked chi chi salsa. Seemed to thin/vinegary.

The trick to enjoying a place like Chi-Chis is to not think of it as "Mexican" but as "Tex-Mex Themed" and a kind of fun place to go drink goldfish bowl-sized margs, chomp down free chips and salsa and enjoy some greasy, cheesy, yummy southwestern style dishes in a bright festive atmosphere.

It's not a culinary extravaganza - more like the dining version of going to Six Flags.

 

[WadeLookingbill]

I have very mixed feelings about this. I put 11+ years of my life into Chi Chi's, going from lowly server to store manager and bouncing around the midwest through the years. I got out in the late 90's because my body simply couldn't stand the pounding that kind of work put my body through.

I still have several margarita glasses, hot pads, a couple server trays, etc...hell, I have a carved wooden logo that was a lounge wall decoration that is roughly 6foot by 3 foot heavy and huge!

Hell, some of the original buildings in midwestern cities are STILL standing, and even still have the facades they originally came with.

My lifelong best friends, I still have and they're from my Chi Chi's days.


FYI, the name Chi Chi's comes from Max McGee's wife's bountiful breasts - that's what he called them. Every Chi Chi's lounge had these wicker horn "tits" hanging above the bar.

That's gold Jerry! A post like this is why I'll never quit this weird ass place.

 

[cfbfan23]

FYI, the name Chi Chi's comes from Max McGee's wife's bountiful breasts - that's what he called them.

I'm sure they were back in the day.

 

[Tenacious E]

I'm sure they were back in the day.

At first I was like:

Then I was like:

 

[beanerhawk]

As a teenager Chi Chi's was ok but Carlos O'kelly's was my go to. Back then they were about the only two mexican places to eat at. Crazy to think about now a day's when there are 100 of them in town.

 

[bagdropper]

As a teenager Chi Chi's was ok but Carlos O'kelly's was my go to. Back then they were about the only two mexican places to eat at. Crazy to think about now a day's when there are 100 of them in town.

Yep. Back in the day there was somewhat of a rivalry between the stores if they were both in the same city.

"Those two stores just plain don't like each other" describes it well. The first few years, every fall, we'd have staff football games against each other. One year it turned into a "Longest Yard" kind of cheap shot fest!

I actually got myself kicked out of a Carlos once, for no good reason other than they knew I was a Chi Chi's employee. I hadn't even had anything to drink that night, had just gotten off work. My gawd, I was one pissed off hombre.

 

[Tenacious E]

Yep. Back in the day there was somewhat of a rivalry between the stores if they were both in the same city.

"Those two stores just plain don't like each other" describes it well. The first few years, every fall, we'd have staff football games against each other. One year it turned into a "Longest Yard" kind of cheap shot fest!

I actually got myself kicked out of a Carlos once, for no good reason other than they knew I was a Chi Chi's employee. I hadn't even had anything to drink that night, had just gotten off work. My gawd, I was one pissed off hombre.

If only Chi Chi's knew you spilled blood for them, they would have made you regional manager. Or assistant regional manager. Or assistant to the assistant regional manager.

 

[bagdropper]

If only Chi Chi's knew you spilled blood for them, they would have made you regional manager. Or assistant regional manager. Or assistant to the assistant regional manager.

Meh...I got out while the going was good. The Downward Slide was well underway by then. Sales were sliding across the board and they were cheapening the menu.

That Mexican food health controversy of the late 80's early 90's did a number on them big time and their reaction to it (trying to make more "healthy" Mexican entrees) failed miserably.

That's why I'm a bit leery of this revival. They grew by making great food, using the best ingredients. They ultimately failed by cheapening ingredients. The whole green onions fiasco (not their fault ultimately) was the final nail in the coffin.