Lithia-Pinecrest Chili's a Good Bet

Chili's--not a fan, until tonight. I've tried the two Chili's in Brandon, both on State Road 60, and neither one has done much to thrill me in the past.

I believe I got a Southwest eggroll from the one nearest to Valrico a couple of years back that wasn't burned. But until tonight, that was my fondest memory. My wife, Helen, and my daughter, Allie, and I ventured out on a rainy Saturday night in search of something different and, like I've said, Chili's wouldn't be my first choice. But, then again, I had never been in the one at 3422 Lithia-Pinecrest Road and everyone deserves a fair shake.

We had a hard time finding a parking place so we parked near an empty retail store in the back and entered through the "To-Go" door on the side of the building. We came around to the front and found a bevy of hostesses and servers standing around at the front foyer.

I announced that we came in through the side door to escape the rain and then I asked if there was a three-person booth available. A couple of the girls pretending to be hostesses gave me a sideways glance like they really expected me to go back outside and come around to the front door.

Suddenly, a young lady named Jessie excused herself and stepped between the girls standing around the podium, grabbed a pair of menus and looked to my 12- year-old and asked her if she wanted a kid's menu. My daughter said, "No," and the hostess picked up another adult menu, smiled and motioned for us to follow.

She sat us and, almost immediately, our waitress named Jen approached the table with a handful of napkins and wrapped eating utensils. She took our drink order and disappeared, momentarily.

We barely had time to scan our menus when she returned with drinks in hand, dropped them off and stated she would return in a second. I unwrapped my flatware and inspected the knife and forks and found them to be clean and polished--points to the server for that one.

I looked around at the air vents and the plants and found them to be dust free and the table and floor area clean.

On with dinner, my wife and I wanted to try the two for $20 promotion Chili's was advertising but I wasn't too impressed with the options we were given for our appetizer. We settled on the Texas fries with cheese, bacon, jalapenos, scallions and a side of ranch dressing.

Sidebar--This is one of those situations I warned you of previously about how substandard food is sometimes slipped into our meals, and I ordered the fries to make my point. I was pleasantly surprised when they arrived and I lifted the top layer of fries and found them to be fresh. I worked at a place once where it was standard practice to slip the not-so-fresh or borderline fries on the bottom of the dish and place the fresh, hot ones on top. (That way the customers just think they weren't eating fast enough.)

I got into more than one heated discussion about food quality there and even got counseled for taking a plate out of a fry cook's hand and tossing it out. Do yourself a favor in the future and lift up the top layer of fries just to make sure you're not being used to save the kitchen manager's food cost by eating the bad fries.

It didn't take long and our food arrived, fresh and hot. I ordered the Cajun Chicken Pasta while my wife and daughter split a ribeye and fried shrimp, doing the whole surf 'n turf thing. The ribeye was overcooked to medium-well, and they asked for medium-rare, but it was very tasty, and everything else was spot on. The fried shrimp were cooked just right, where you bite into the shrimp and get a slight crunch from the crispness of the seafood instead of just the crunch from the breading.

My chicken pasta couldn't have been cooked any better--the sauce was creamy and smooth like it had actually been cooked as a sauce instead of just being tossed in Parmesan and cream like so many places are doing nowadays.

There was food-a-plenty with the tomatoes and scallion topping being fresh while the chicken was done with that grilled and smoky taste that I value so much. The broccoli was cooked just right to where it was al dente and, as I've stated before, that means firm to the bite. The mashed potatoes were fresh and cooked the way I like them but my daughter didn't like the skin-in with the potatoes so more for me to take home.

The caramelized apples were an oddity to me. It was obvious that they were either brought in by can or bag and then portioned out and microwaved before service. I have no problem with that but there was a peculiar flavor that I couldn't quite figure out. I liked the apples but there was an after-taste that still boggles my mind--almost a nutmeg or allspice flavor that mingled with the cinnamon. It was like expecting to take a drink of tea but realizing that you have sipped someone's soda. It was still good, just surprising and unexpected.

I would give my visit a 3 1/2 star rating because the grill cook blew the rating with the overdone steak. I'll go back, if I'm hungry and want a cajun chicken pasta and some bizarre-tasting apples.

You better believe that when I return, I will go straight to the hostess named Jessie and ask for the server named Jen. My drink was never half empty and she anticipated all our needs and was right there for us, adding personal insights into the menu recommendations. Good appetite, Roy

1 Star--Wouldn't go back on a bet

2 Star--Would have to go back, but only on a bet

3 Star--If I was in the neighborhood and hungry

4 Star--Would go out of my way even if I wasn't hungry

5 Star--Would make reservations and wait in a line