CLEVELAND, Ohio – Google “the history of chili” and you will get stories about everything from cattle drive chuck wagons to Canary Islanders making their way to San Antonio to Sister Mary of Agreda, a Spanish nun in the early 1600s who never left her convent yet had out-of-body experiences in which her spirit was transported across the Atlantic to preach Christianity to the Native Americans.
What we can be sure of is that chili – or “Texas Red” – exploded in popularity in the 1960s when President Lyndon B. Johnson shared his personal recipe for Pedernales River chili, named after the location of his Texas ranch. The White House received so many requests, Lady Bird Johnson, had the recipe printed on cards to be mailed out.
Today – there are as many recipes for chili as there are families in the United States.
Good homemade chili takes time to simmer to achieve that craveable goodness. But sometimes we just don’t have time to shop for all the ingredients, then bust out the crockpot to allow a batch to simmer to perfection.
Since we are in the midst of winter, and with National Chili Day being celebrated on Feb. 24, it seemed like a good time for cleveland.com’s Best of team to hit the drive-thrus at six popular fast-food eateries in search of Northeast Ohio’s best fast-food chili.
We taste-tested the chilis at nine restaurants, then rated them on flavor, heat, texture, and how close they came to the menu description.
Check out our thoughts, then head to your favorite drive-thru for a piping bowl of red goodness.
No. 9
Skyline Chili - Coney Bowl
Price: $7.39
Menu description: “Three of our specially-made hot dogs in a bowl of our original secret-recipe chili, topped with shredded cheddar cheese.”
Our thoughts: This was the biggest disappointment of the trip -- same thin broth with a minuscule amount of ground beef. No beans, no onions, but a very generous amount of cheese. What else was generous was the amount of salt -- in the chili and the Coney Island-style hot dogs. But if you love their coneys -- you’ll get three!
No. 8
Skyline Chili - Loaded Chili Bowl
Price: $6.99
Menu description: “Our secret-recipe chili with beans and onions topped with shredded cheddar cheese and sour cream.”
Our thoughts: The uninitiated likely will think that Skyline Chili very thin, loaded with beans and ultra-ground beef and way too much cheese. But even big Skyline fans may be disappointed if you get the dish we were served. The chili did have a decent amount of beans and onions to give it some much-needed texture. But it was served lukewarm, and even for Skyline, the broth was thin and bland. And where is the seasoning that keeps us coming back? Have napkins on hand.
No. 7
Steak ‘N Shake - Genuine Chili
Price: $4.99
Menu description: “Made with chili beef, chili beans, and our blend of special seasonings.”
Our thoughts: Like their burgers, Steak and Shake’s chili is thin in the meat department -- and on taste -- though it is big on kidney beans. This no-frill chili tastes more ketchup-y than tomato-y.
No. 6
Steak ‘N Shake - 5-way
Price: $5.99
Menu description: “Spaghetti topped with chili, extra chili beef, our special chili sauce, diced onions, and shredded cheddar and jack cheese.”
Our thoughts: Steak ‘N Shake’s 5-way missed the mark on Ohio’s own unique version of Cincinnati Chili. Thank goodness for the spaghetti base, which gave it texture, and for the slightly detectable added spice. But they definitely forgot the “extra chili beef” in our serving. We wished it had more. Served hot, but it was drier -- and lacked flavor.
No. 5
Steak ‘N Shake - Chili Deluxe
Price: $5.99
Menu description: “Our genuine chili with diced, fresh onions and shredded cheddar and jack cheese.”
Our thoughts: Onion lovers will be big fans of this bowl of chili since there is plenty of onion to love. Chopped -- not diced -- they rule the bowl. Same chili base as the other menu offerings, but a tad on the saltier side and thick with beans, but light on meat. The cheese was melty and added to the texture, though we craved more.
No. 4
Swenson’s
Price: Regular $3.75 Large $6.75
Menu description: “Traditional mild”
Our thoughts: We were deliciously surprised by this chili -- loaded with plenty of meat and beans and just the right amount of spice to create a good, thick and hearty chili. It was slightly greasy like someone forgot to skim the pot before serving, but before diving in, a good stir will solve that problem.
No. 3
Panera - Turkey Chili
Price: Cup $6.59 Bowl $8.19 Bread Bowl $8.39
Menu description: “A hearty blend of dark-meat turkey raised without antibiotics and chickpeas and kidney beans slow-cooked in an ancho and pasilla stock with tomatillos, tomatoes, edamame, carrots, cilantro, cumin and lime.
Our thoughts: The Best of Cleveland team disagreed on this chili. Yadi Rodriguez is a big fan of turkey chili, while Brenda Cain had never had a chili made with poultry before. It was hearty and dark and very cumin-forward. There is plenty of turkey and it is packed with veggies so can easily be a meal all in itself. Rodriguez’s advice: If you are not a fan of chickpeas, you may want to skip this one. The chickpeas left her disappointed. Cain felt they added to the richness of the dish.
No. 2
Wendy’s
Price: Small $2.49 Large $2.99
Menu description: “Perfectly seasoned and positively irresistible. Red’s kind of our thing, you know.”
Our thoughts: Wendy’s Chili is a fast-food legend. It’s difficult to imagine this chili came from a fast-food place. Wendy’s does not skimpy on the ground beef and the chili was not too overloaded with kidney beans, or chunks of tomatoes. Hearty and filling, it could easily be a meal in itself. Wendy’s Chili is arguably one of the best store-made chilis you can find at a fast-food restaurant -- so our advice would be to spend the extra 50 cents and get the large. It’s worth it.
No. 1
Culver’s - George’s Chili
Price: $3.49
Menu description: “... a hearty, medium-spicy chili con carne, made with simmered homestyle beef, diced tomatoes, dark red kidney beans, peppers, onion and celery, along with a secret blend of peppery spices.”
Our thoughts: The chili is hearty -- packed full of veggies and big chunks of meat. The medium-spicy chili con carne is packed full of flavor! It tasted as close to homemade as you will find out there. Though Culver’s is still fairly new to Northeast Ohio, this chili is worth seeking out!
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