Chili's - Downed Bridges Be Damned

Here's a fun trivia question, can you name the restaurant on this list that Christine has worked at? As the title would suggest, the answer is Chili's, specifically the one on Broadway, which is the one we visited. I've been here more times than I can count but oddly enough, never had the fish tacos. The Broadway bridge is still down so traffic was a big pain, but when random.org commands, I follow without question. To Parkcenter we go!

The menu was promising, I'm a fan of tilapia and the toppings looked solid. I know there's an unwritten rule that you can swap sides if you want, but I elected to go with the recommended black beans and rice. It was also a bit temping to swap one of the tacos out for a spicy shrimp or prime rib taco, but alas, arbitrary rules are made to be followed. Or something like that.

Presentation - Clean restaurant, good booth setup, good kids meals, good service. The little taco holder was a nice touch too, made it so much easier to keep things contained and less messy. A bit light on the rice, but a lot of beans to make up for it. 4/5

Aroma - Pretty good, not quite enough lime, but otherwise on point. 4/5

Value - The tacos were unexpectedly large. The large serving of chips and guacamole that I had as an appetizer didn't help, but the meal was not small and I was full when finished. I didn't even finish off Christine's fries as is my usual custom. The server let us cheat a bit with our coupon too, making for an overall solid value, especially for a chain restaurant. 7/10

Fish - I'm a fan of tilapia, but these fell short a bit. More fishy than expected, though the seasoning was spot on. As usual I'd prefer fried, but these were among the better grilled fish tacos I've had. Solid serving sizes too, they don't skimp. 6/10

Not Fish - Flour tortillas, you know my feelings there, two corn or go home. Also no limes. On the up side, the slaw covered the cabbage requirement and there was a good sauce, although it wasn't explicitly mentioned on the menu. The avocado is a nice touch and the queso fresco, though unevenly distributed, was pretty solid. As mentioned earlier, good sides too. All around good. 7/10.

Overall Taste - To be honest, the sum of the parts fell a bit short. Not bad, but I feel like there's just a little something missing. 6/10

Bonus Points - All around good, but no standout to earn any bonuses. +0

Overall Overall - 34/50

Sliding into a close second. Some big hitters to come, but a good showing from the big guys.