We Tried Every Appetizer At Chili's, And This One Was The Absolute Best By Far

Almost every sit-down chain restaurant has that signature appetizer that you just have to try at least once. Red Lobster has its Cheddar Bay Biscuits. Outback Steakhouse has the Bloomin' Onion. P.F. Chang's is known for its chicken lettuce wraps. Plenty of other restaurants have various sampler platters that are always a hit for a crowd. But what about Chili's?

Our team at Chowhound set out to answer that question. We tried every appetizer Chili's has to offer and ranked them worst to first. From fragile chips with forgettable salsa to pricey but decent southwestern egg rolls, we gave each one a fair shot. And for our money, the best of the bunch was the classic fried mozzarella. Unlike other forms of fried mozzarella, these aren't just sticks. They are wide, long rectangles of perfectly melted gooey cheese. As the kids would say, this app is fire. But that's not the only thing that made Chili's fried mozzarella our favorite.

The cheese pull. Oh, the cheese pull. You've never seen a cheese pull like the one you'll get with Chili's fried mozzarella. And then there's the texture. The breading is super crispy and savory. That, combined with the gooey, cheesy interior, makes the appetizer a perfect contrast in textures — something that's quite impressive from a chain with more than 1,500 locations worldwide.

Chili's does offer upgrades to this appetizer, such as a Nashville hot mozzarella and a honey chipotle version. But we love the simplicity of the classic fried mozzarella with a side of marinara. At $14.79, it's not cheap, but the six large fried cheesy rectangles are perfect for sharing. And compared to the lower ranking appetizers on our list, such as the basic chips and salsa, the skillet beef queso, and the bone-in wings, the fried mozzarella is by far the tastiest and the best bang for your buck.

We won't lie. Typically, we'd pass over a fried mozzarella stick appetizer because they're often frozen, not fresh, and not authentic. Or maybe we'd just order a few for the kids. They're so commonplace now at restaurants and in the grocery store frozen aisle that fried mozzarella is usually bland and forgettable. Only Air-Fryer Homemade Mozzarella Sticks have been able to satisfy us in recent memory. But that's not the case here. In a world cluttered with boring chain restaurant appetizers, Chili's fried mozzarella is a tour de force. So, next time you're at Chili's, you can order a burger, some fajitas, or splurge on the surf and turf ribeye. But no matter what you do, don't forget about the fried mozzarella.