The Popular Chili's Entree That Doesn't Really Deserve Its Hype

Chili's is an affordable chain restaurant serving classic American food with an option for just about everyone. But as with most restaurants, some menu items are better than others. If you're looking to order a filling entrée with plenty of flavor, you might want to avoid the ultimate Cajun pasta — it landed in the lowest spot on Chowhound's ranking of popular Chili's dishes.

There's no denying that if you're looking for a meal to fill you up, this is it. The ultimate Cajun pasta comes with grilled chicken and shrimp, plus penne pasta tossed in a creamy Alfredo sauce. It's topped with tomatoes and green onions, then seasoned with Cajun spices. Despite being plenty of food, the sauce leaves something to be desired, as does the chicken, which both lack flavor compared to the Cajun-dusted shrimp. And reviews of the dish suggest it's unreliable in terms of how much seasoning and protein is added to each order.

On top of the pasta not passing Chowhound's review test, other Chili's diners have been unimpressed with the dish for a variety of reasons. A few Reddit users have complained of not feeling well after eating the dish, though it's not clear if there was any food poisoning involved or just some stomach disagreement. In a separate Reddit thread, a photo of the dish ordered to-go showed very little Cajun seasoning, with several users suggesting the orderer deserved a refund.

If you're looking for a more reliable dish with greater flavor, try the Big Mouth burger bites, which are slider-style cheeseburgers that come with bacon, sautéed onions, and ranch dressing, all of which work together to create that rich, tangy, miniature burger goodness. Other favorite items include the Big QP burger and the crispy chicken dippers; pair either one with an order of mozzarella sticks and a spicy frozen Patrón margarita, which takes the top spot on our Chili's margarita ranking.