The Surefire Way To Save Money At Chili's And Still Get A Great Meal

Chili's is rising as one of the nation's most loved casual fast food dining chains (ICYMI, the chain's viral stringy cheese pull snacks have been quite the talk of social media). With such a wide menu offering, Chili's usually has something for all types of diners — from smasher burgers to Cajun pasta, and even the popular Santa Fe salad. Even while the chain has some hard-to-ignore dishes and some not so highly ranked dishes, you still might want to rethink your go-to order. Between the rising costs of living and simply developing a habit of overdoing it while eating out at your local Chili's — even harder if you consider all the margaritas offered at Chili's — adjusting your order might be a good call. If you're serious about spending less at your next visit to Chili's, you might want to look into choosing something from the kids menu.

Ordering from the kids menu is a trick that the frugal-minded will want to get on board with. Employees at Chili's often reveal in forums and online that the chain doesn't have an age limit for who can order from the kids menu. The kids menu prices are set at $6.95 for an entree, one side, and a drink. You can add an additional side for $1.50. The kids menu portion sizes might not be as hearty as your usual order, but they are decently sized. Fill your tank just enough and save some coins at the same time.

Chili's kids menu may not dazzle and hold up well when ranked aside other fast food chain's kids menus, but there are still some really worthwhile dishes to try out for yourself. The cheese quesadillas are a great pick, especially if you're not looking for anything overly cheesy. These light quesadillas are ideal for snacks and can even be zhuzhed up with sauces or your own homemade additions. They are also ideal for vegetarians, which some vegetarian diners have championed the kids menu for in comparison to the limited vegetarian offerings on the main menu. The Pepper Pals Cheeseburger Bites will also keep you snacking at a fraction of the price. On the regular menu, the Oldtimer with cheese could cost around $13.69 and the Big Mouth Bites with four mini burgers with cheese and bacon could cost $15.99 depending on your location.

If you have a sweet tooth and would like a bite-sized treat to end your meal, you can enjoy a mini molten cake for $3.50 with a scoop of ice cream for 95 cents. A molten chocolate cake on the set menu would cost you around $11.39 depending on your location. Whether you've tried every Chili's menu item and are ready to try something new for a fraction of the usual price or need to give your wallet a breather, don't turn your nose up at Chili's kids menu.