Chili’s, Pune… Not ‘hot’ at all !

My friend and I decided to go to Chili’s at Phoenix Market City last night. If we had to sum it up in one line we’d say; we wish we hadn’t! This may just as well be the shortest review ever written by me. They wasted my time and my money so I sure am not wasting my time writing a long drawn out review of them.

We ordered for Tostada Chips and Salsa (Rs 225), Chicken Burritos (Rs 475) and Chicken Stuffed Quesadillas (Rs 475). The burritos made us want to ask, ‘Why such ‘bura’ (bad) Burritos?’ They were tasteless! The Chicken Quesadillas too were nothing to write home about. The sour cream wasn’t up to the mark and the salsa definitely needed seasoning and more flavor in terms of spice. The beans served were unremarkable. The one thing I found really flavorful was the cilantro rice they served with the beans. I could find no fault with it but seriously did we spend such an exorbitant amount of money for cilantro rice?

We decided to finish the meal with Molten Chocolate Cake on recommendation from our server. There was lots of molten chocolate flowing out when we dug into it but the cake by itself was bone dry, instead of being moist. I had also requested for a Virgin Lemon Margarita (Rs 275) which they served in a beer mug! I know it’s a non-alcoholic drink, but who in their right minds serves Margarita in a beer mug?

The ambience wasn’t bad but the floor was really sticky. My shoes kept sticking to the floor and that’s not a very nice or clean feeling. If they have diners who drop food, then they should retain people to regularly mop the floor. The dishes served were good in terms of quantity but how does quantity make any sense when the quality is terrible ? Some dishes needed seasoning and some needed ‘chili’s’ (read: spice). Instead of talking and enjoying our meal we actually ate the meal in silence, both of us wondering why we chose this place for dinner.

I try my best to give a place its due and rarely, if ever, do I thrash a restaurant because I truly believe all restaurants have their good days and bad, but yesterday wasn’t just a ‘bad’ day, it was downright terrible. To top it all, the restaurant levies 12% as service charge for a meal that just wasn’t worth the price. If it stays open long enough, rest assured, I won’t be visiting it for a long, long time.

Restaurant Ratings (out of 5):

Ambiance: 2.5 (They need to mop the floor more often) | Service: 3.0 | Food: 2.0 | Overall: 2.5

Meal for two: 2000 + taxes (without alcohol)

Credit Card: Accepted | Wheel chair friendly: Yes | Liquor: Available | Timings: 12 noon to 12 midnight

Address: UG 49, Phoenix Market City, Nagar Road, Viman Nagar, Pune | Tel: 020 30950400 / 020 30950401

This is an anonymous review with the meal paid for by the author.