The Tortillas From A Once-Popular '80s Mexican Restaurant Are Still Available At The Grocery Store

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If you're a baby boomer, Gen Xer, or a millennial, you might remember a seriously delicious Tex-Mex restaurant called Chi-Chi's. The restaurant got its start in 1975 and ran strong until it shut down in 2004. While there is currently only one open Chi-Chi's location (more on that in just a moment), you can still get a taste of nostalgia by picking up Chi-Chi's flour tortillas at the grocery store. They're available at retailers like Walmart in both street taco and burrito size, so you'll be able to enjoy a taste of the '80s whether you're making a quesadilla, chicken adobado street tacos, or a seriously loaded burrito.

What, exactly, makes Chi-Chi's tortillas stand out from the rest? There are a few reasons they shine, according to reviews. For one, they're sturdy. It's super frustrating when a taco or burrito falls apart just as you're trying to roll it or pick it up. Thankfully, reviewers say that Chi-Chi's tortillas are able to hold up, even when they're heavily stuffed. One reviewer even said that they had no idea one brand of packaged tortillas could be so different from another until they tried the Chi-Chi's brand. Tortillas aren't the only Chi-Chi's branded food that you'll find at the grocery store, but the brand's salsa isn't nearly as well-loved as its tortillas.

Ready to pick up a pack of Chi-Chi's tortillas and put them to good use? You've got tons of ways to enjoy them. The street taco-sized tortillas are perfect for enchiladas and tacos (obviously). You can also use them for breakfast — scramble up a couple of eggs, sauté some veggies, and pop it all into a street taco-sized wrap. Both street-sized and burrito-sized tortillas are a great fit for chimichangas or Mexican lasagna (simply layer beans, taco meat, cheese, and tortillas repeatedly). Another option for both types of tortillas: slice them up into small strips and use them as "noodles" in tortilla soup.

If enjoying Chi-Chi's tortillas in your own kitchen makes you feel uber nostalgic — and you happen to live near St. Louis Park, Minnesota — you're in luck, as a new Chi-Chi's opened in the area in 2025. Hormel Foods owns the Chi-Chi's brand, and it's working with Michael McDermott (son of Marno McDermott, one of the restaurant's original founders) to bring back brick-and-mortar Chi-Chi's restaurants. In a press release, McDermott said that he plans to meld old favorites with new, modern flavors to create a nostalgic yet updated experience for customers (via PR Newswire).