Chili’s Caves to Fan Outrage, Brings Back Skillet Queso

The people have spoken, and Chili’s actually listened. Due to fan pressure, Chili's caved and the Skillet Queso shall return.

The beloved appetizer disappeared for - checks calendar - 22 days.

That's 22 days of an absolute slugfest gauntlet from fans of the chili/queso app, holding out and refusing so fervently to even try the new Southwest Queso. It was so bad, Chili's was giving away the new app for free for people to try, but it didn't work out in their favor.

Granted, melty cheese is generally good, but there's no comparing the new kid on the block to the old reliable veteran.

Lo and behold, Chili's is giving in and bringing back the Skillet Queso.

While it's a win for Chili's fans everywhere, the question now becomes... Will it be the same?

There was heavy speculation that Chili's was ditching the fan-favorite dish due to pricing and sourcing issues. While that's unsubstantiated logic, that is the trend these days. Not having to source an ingredient reliant on beef prices probably boosted the bottom line pretty well, and having to go back to it now, the 50/50 is that it'll either be the same or it'll taste a little different. It all depends on whether Chili's is still set on seeking a larger margin.

Or, Chili's may just up the already high price for it... Maybe that was the strategy all along. We've all seen how well that works for Taco Bell, constantly nixing and reinlisting old favorites.

Context: The chili burrito was 65¢ with tax when we had them in the 7th-grade cafeteria... When I ordered one to experience the nostalgia of it, they were $3+ per...

What's Done Is Done

It's already $10 in Oklahoma for +/- 8-ounces of the delicious dip, but you could make it at home a lot cheaper.

Copycat recipes that taste literally identical all basically consist of Velveeta, Hormel No Beans Chili, and a few spices. The real task is going to be sourcing those incredibly thin tortilla chips without making your own at home.

It can be done. We always just use those delicately thin tortilla shells from Walmart... Just heat them up in the oven first.

Chili's is learning a pretty gentle version of what could have been a much harder lesson. Most people, when choosing to go out to eat, won't just accept whatever food is being served. They want what they want. It'll be interesting to see the quarterly revenue stream for Chili's during this whole debacle when it's released to investors.