Beyond the Triple Dipper: A Comprehensive Burger Ranking of Chili’s Menu Items

In recent years, Chili’s has been making headlines for its successful launch of the Triple Dipper and the Big Smasher burger. As a journalist, I wanted to put Chili’s other burgers to the test and see if they live up to the hype. During a visit to their headquarters in April, executives shared that Chili’s was focusing on advertising campaigns and new menu items to improve brand awareness and attract more customers. This strategy seemed to be working, as same-store sales rose 3.5% in the third quarter according to CEO Kevin Hochman of Brinker International, Chili’s parent company.

Despite overall decreases in traffic, Chili’s outperformed competitors in the casual dining industry by over 7% in sales and nearly 4% in traffic during the third quarter. The successful quarter was attributed to a return to television advertising and the release of the new Big Smasher burger that mirrored McDonald’s Big Mac. Burgers are a significant area of potential growth for casual dining chains, with limited-service chains generating $110 billion in sales in 2023.

Chili’s is working to position itself as a value-focused burger chain, with a renewed emphasis on their “core four” menu items which include burgers, fajitas, Chicken Crispers, and margaritas. While the Big Smasher has already been tried, I wanted to sample and rank the other burgers on Chili’s menu based on taste and value. I only tried the full-sized burgers as-is, including fries as a side. Business Insider organized this taste test in partnership with Chili’s Grill & Bar, though BI paid for the meal and the chain had no influence on our rankings.

Here is my ranking of every Chili’s burger from least favorite to most favorite:

10) Buffalo Burger – This burger lacked flavor and was overly dry compared to the other options on this list. It also had an off texture that detracted from my overall experience.

9) Jalapeno Cheddar Burger – While this burger had some nice heat from jalapenos and cheddar cheese melted on top, it was still lacking flavor.

8) Mushroom & Swiss Burger – The mushrooms added some depth of flavor but were not enough to make up for an otherwise bland sandwich.

7) Bacon Avocado Ranch Burger – The avocado added creaminess but it didn’t do enough for this sandwich.

6) BBQ Cheddar Burger – The BBQ sauce added some smoky flavor but it wasn’t balanced well with everything else.

5) Teriyaki Grilled Burger – The teriyaki glaze gave this burger some nice depth of flavor but it could have used more saltiness.

4) Classic Cheeseburger – This classic cheeseburger was decent but nothing special or memorable.

3) Southwest Burrito Stuffed Burrito – While this burrito had great flavors like chorizo and black beans inside it didn’t blend well with everything else.