Somethings wrong here.......

[ddog27]

There is something that has been bothering me. I stopped by Chili’s a few nights ago to get some take out for my family. As I stood there waiting for my order, I noticed that the waiters and waitresses were bringing out plate after plate of ribs. Now in my opinion Chili’s ribs are not that good. So what has been bothering me is why would people go to Chili’s for ribs and people who have a BBQ joint where they serve real low and slow cooked BBQ ribs, struggle to find customers? Something about that seems so wrong. What do you think?

[Sickmont]

Because people are stupid for the most part. And yes, Chili's ribs stink on ice.
It's probably mostly a location=convenience thing....especially since Chili's are all over the damn place.

[texas blues]

I would speculate that most people don't know what BBQ really is and how good it can be. Then again, in a microwave instant fast food world, many don't care. Most folks sadly think BBQ is firing up the charcoal weber and doin' up rollers and sliders, which of course is grilling, not bbq. I know of no chain that puts out any product that can compare to the smaller guy who makes it his life and passion. Lemme' 'splain.....choice of BBQ between Chili's? or Get Down Brown's Houston Mojo BBQ & Voodoo Catfish? Most folks opt for the Chili's because it's safe, they know what to expect. For those in the know, with a name like Get Down Brown's, there may be a suspicion that the "Q" will most likely, upon eating it, cause you to see GOD! Good BBQ will do that though! I'll choose the Saltlick in Austin or Cotton's in Kingsville over Chili's anyday.

[imaguitargod]

I concur with Sickmont... people are dumb. I'm still baffled that people eat fast food....

[Sickmont]

I would speculate that most people don't know what BBQ really is and how good it can be. Then again, in a microwave instant fast food world, many don't care. Most folks sadly think BBQ is firing up the charcoal weber and doin' up rollers and sliders, which of course is grilling, not bbq. I know of no chain that puts out any product that can compare to the smaller guy who makes it his life and passion. Lemme' 'splain.....choice of BBQ between Chili's? or Get Down Brown's Houston Mojo BBQ & Voodoo Catfish? Most folks opt for the Chili's because it's safe, they know what to expect. For those in the know, with a name like Get Down Brown's, there may be a suspicion that the "Q" will most likely, upon eating it, cause you to see GOD! Good BBQ will do that though! I'll choose the Saltlick in Austin or Cotton's in Kingsville over Chili's anyday.

Hell, i say the crummier or dirtier, the better!

[dreamtheatervt]

Another reason - familys. Kids aren't into ribs, they like chicken nuggets and french fries. If the kids aren't happy, chances are nobody is happy, and kids like crazy stuff on the walls and bright colors, and don't have the ability to know good food from chicken nuggets.

When I worked at a pizza parlor, I thought we made some damn good pizza; better than any national brand. Still kids would whine for Domino's because they know who Domino's is, and therefore it must be better in their mind.

[texas blues]

dream that's a big point. Brand recognition. In most cases people go for what they know. There was another post about Tabasco a while back and how we love to bash them. One reason a guy would buy Tabasco over say as an example, Cholula, everybody know's Tabasco. Some have never heard of Cholula. (what...you been in a cave?) Your pizza example as per Domino's is another manifestation of that and you are correcta mundo on the kid thang' too.

[Hillbilly Chili]

even Big Macs Mullet.
am me dumb 2

[thehotpepper.com]

I've always wondered the same thing. I know why people like fast food. It's a totally different thing than the real thing. You can't compare a White Castle burger to a backyard burger, and it's okay to like both. What I've never understood is the sit-down restaurants that aren't fast food... a la Chili's, Friday's, Olive Garden. Why go to these crap restaurants when you can go to a family restaurant and get a better meal? You are not saving time, as in fast food? People just don't know what good food is. If it doesn't taste horrible, they will rave about it, lol... "Chili's has the best ribs!"... whatever.

[marcosauces]

Convenience and big names..thats all it is...

[thehotpepper.com]

I really don't think it's convenience. People will go out of their way for these places. People actually make reservations and get together at these places.

[marcosauces]

well..thats true...and it is true that people don't know what good food is...I see it everyday now :)

[DEFCON Creator]

Mmmmmmmm, White Castle! Food of the Gods, but only at 3am when under the infuence of something. Castle's are actually an amazing food, it's the only food on the Earth that smells the same going in as it does going out.

[chemegator]

Maybe people buying baby back ribs at Chilis is a subliminal thing. They go to Chilis for something to eat, not knowing what they want, then the song plays in their head "Chilis Baby Back Ribs..." and they order them. It's good marketing, who doesn't know the Chilis baby back rib song? If you can get a jingle or a catch phrase for your product that becomes so common that everyone knows it, then you have hit the jackpot marketing-wise. For example the "oscar meyer weiner song" or the "big mac song"

[Sickmont]

Maybe people buying baby back ribs at Chilis is a subliminal thing. They go to Chilis for something to eat, not knowing what they want, then the song plays in their head "Chilis Baby Back Ribs..." and they order them. It's good marketing, who doesn't know the Chilis baby back rib song? If you can get a jingle or a catch phrase for your product that becomes so common that everyone knows it, then you have hit the jackpot marketing-wise.

And Mike Myers helped that tune out alot as well.

[chiliman]

Hell, i say the crummier or dirtier, the better!

So very very true. I think the best BBQ sammy I ever ate came from a place that looked like it could have beena multi-seat outhouse. It was somewhere in Ga. on my way down to Kissimmee for a cookoff. Haven't found it again, but I know it's off an exit next to a gas station and will continue to search for it on my way down south to Disney (sorry GG, got kids).

[tinner666]

:( Some places get the moniker 'The "IN-Place" to be'. And I find nothing really fantastic about the 1 or 2 I've visited becasue somebody else wanted to go there and 'be seen'.:rolleyes:

[darthcarl]

Taste and quality are not the #1 choice for going out. Socialization and convince are #1 and #2. the generalization "good food" , which is VERY subjective, is #3. Chilis creates an atmosphere that is friendly, family, and has enough variety as to be neutral enough to please everyone.

I'd like to sight my source but I forget which industry mag it came from. Probably restaurant news weekly.

[imaguitargod]

Taste and quality are not the #1 choice for going out. Socialization and convince are #1 and #2. the generalization "good food" , which is VERY subjective, is #3. Chilis creates an atmosphere that is friendly, family, and has enough variety as to be neutral enough to please everyone.

I'd like to sight my source but I forget which industry mag it came from. Probably restaurant news weekly.
For me:
#1 Availability and price of good beer, #2 Socicialization, and #3 Good food...huh...good food still came in thrid...that magazine was right.

[darthcarl]

and add in that quantity is associated with value in most consumers...

the "i want my baby back ribs" marketing...

The monster that is called Brinker....

[LUCKYDOG]

Probably better than anything that their wives or mom's could ever whoop up... Once you start making your own its hard to ever ever go back... made my own sausage the other day and I'll be damned if I ever buy it again, same with ribs, brisket virutally everything.... my wife like to go out because its the point just to go out

[Sickmont]

... my wife like to go out because its the point just to go out

Yeah, that's true too. You don't have to worry about the prep, busting your butt in the kitchen, clean-up, the dishes, etc. Sometimes it's nice to just go out and have a meal and a drink(or twelve!)and not have to worry about all that.

[csigi_chili_sauce]

If anyone on here hasn't seen Fast Food Nation yet, then you should. It's a film by Richard Linklater. He's also recently done A Scanner Darkly, which is based on a great novel by Philip K. Dick. Philip K. Dick is probably one of my favorite authors! Richard Linklater has also done Waking Life and Dazed and Confused.

Mmmm, after seeing Fast Food Nation, you might really think twice about getting that Wendy's burger to got a craving for! lol Even going to a large chain restaurant like Chili's or Friday's. Soooooooo much iodized salt! Which is another huge problem with the mainstream food supply in this country. Also be careful of the evil and devious corporate takeover of the Organic Foods market.

Fresh Samantha/Odwalla: Fresh Samantha is a popular organic juice brand regionally produced in Maine. Odwalla is a juice company founded in Santa Cruz, CA, in 1984. Fresh Samantha and Odwalla merged in May, 2000. Little do health conscious consumers suspect that Odwalla Juice is owned by CocaCola, as part of their Minute Maid unit.

Boca Burgers is owned by Kraft Foods, which is owned by Philip Morris.

Stoned Wheat Thins are made with GMOs (genetically modified organisms) and is owned by Nabisco, which was acquired by Philip Morris in December, 2000.

Arrowhead Water and Poland Spring Water are owned by Nestle (which is being boycotted because its "breast milk substitute" causes the deaths of millions of babies).

Soy Silk is owned by White Wave, which is owned by Dean Foods, whose main shareholders are Microsoft, General Electric, Philip Morris, Citigroup, Pfizer, Exxon/Mobil, Coca Cola, WalMart, PepsiCo, and Home Depot.

So even when you think you aren't supporting some of these corporate giants, in actuality you still are! Talk about capitalism run amok! -Lars-

[HydroHal]

my kids LOVE bbq'd ribs! lol the bigger questions is why people go to Chili's?
i like the ribs at Outback Steakhouse (not sure if it becuase my wife is manager and she bring me home some 3 nights aweek)

[chilliman64]

I married my wife because of her ribs, and a few other bits of her anatomy I find rather pleasing also ;)

yeah baby!!!

[The Iron Tongue]

I've been to chilis once. About 2 years ago when I was last in Texas.

I had the ribs and TBH I didn't think they were that bad. My it's my amateurish taste buds. You guys seem to love your ribs stateside :)

[DevilDuck]

You guys seem to love your ribs stateside :)

...and how!!! :P

[Canuk Pepperhead]

Untill I moved here years back..I never seen so many chiptrucks in one town.When I lived on the other side of toronto I remember seing 1 chiptruck for the whole town here there is 3 for a town of 5000 always with lineups id be lieing if I sead I never went to them but what gets me is tonnes of peeps live off these chiptrucks..Poutines and a coke lol..
is it people are too busy,lazy to cook for themselves or is it a habit that has been passed on..Ill never know but myself id rather fire up the bbq anyday over eating that stuff..Eating poutines every day cant be that healthy..But off the rant lol theres a place around here I am dieing to try,Big Lukes he is known all around for his ribs hell you have to make resevertions to get in...And he claims to have the hottest sauce in this aera..

[Canuk Pepperhead]

Heres a review of this bar and grill
http://www.restaurantica.com/restaurants/8251/