It was a bit overcast on that day in late May, but nice enough to take a walk downtown. We were meeting Rocki and Ryan for lunch at an iconic Springfield establishment where folks have come to eat and enjoy the finest chili around for decades upon decades.
Since December 31, 1945, The Chili Parlour has been serving up classic food to the masses – and the walls tell the tale of only but a small fraction of those souls who’ve eaten the hottest of the available chilis: Firebrand.
It’s an unassuming restaurant, and you might not know that it is a legendary spot were you to be unaware of its history beforehand; Rocki noted as much when he said – in The Chili Parlour’s parking lot – “I’ve lived here a year and a half before going to The Chili Parlor…that is right down the street from my house.”
We got there before Rocki and Ryan, and as we waited in the parking lot for them to arrive in their vehicles, a couple left the parlour and held the door for us.
While we thanked them and explained we were waiting for friends, the woman noted wryly that, “The chili’s good today; we saved you and your friends some!”
We laughed and laughed, and as the couple got into their own vehicle, Rocki and Ryam each pulled up in theirs. It was time: Chili was to be had, and judgments were to be passed.
Entering into The Chili Parlour is – to paraphrase Ryan’s words for a moment – like stepping back into time in so many ways.
“…the Chili Parlour – it definitely has a relaxed vibe, and reminds you of an old-school American diner…” – Ryan
“Walking in, you definitely get the vibe that this place has deep roots in Springfield – from the clientele, to the staff, to the decor on the walls – this place has character.” – Rocki
The restaurant is dripping in history. From the framed magazine articles to the names of those brave souls who’ve been able to eat the hottest of the hot chili that The Chili Parlour serves, this is a local spot that the community still frequents rather frequently after nearly 80 years.
The checkerboard floor – white, black with red – is a wonderful touch, while the lighting is not too harsh either. Straight before you as you stand there – cardboard cutout of current owners Roy and Stephanie Beal on one’s left – sits the counter; it is an imposing and inviting monolith, to be sure.
Rocki was ahead of us, and Ryan was behind us. When we got to the counter finally, we decided upon the second hottest kind of chili – hot – because, as it was explained to us by the lovely individual behind the counter.
“The difference between hot and firebrand is that there are two scoops of the hottest meat for hot, and there are four scoops for firebrand.” – The Chili Parlour counter employee
Shredded cheese, sour cream, red onions, and oyster crackers were provided, as was a cup for water – an obvious necessity for such a mission. We got a vanilla ice cream as well for after; you’ve simply got to live a little.
Rocki had already picked up his chili dog, potato chips, and drink, and had chosen a seat and table for us far in the back; to say that he was hungry, well, might be an understatement.
We walked over with our food and found Rocki enjoying his meal as much as we might wish in just moments to enjoy our own. Ryan was trailing, sandwich on his red tray, grinning and ready to do his best Anthony Bourdain; the meal did not disappoint him either, apparently.
Each found themselves raving about the food as soon as they found their voices once more; Rocki began first.
“The meat is so finely chopped and tender. It just melts away in your mouth. It really is unlike any other chili that I’ve ever had. Everything is presented very simply, but the chili is the star, and that’s good – there is no other way to do it.”
Ryan agreed with this assessment and also noted that he enjoyed the chili because of how unique it was in general, and relative to the chili that he himself makes at home.
“It’s completely different from how I make mine [chili]. My chili has big chunks of meat, whereas The Chili Parlour makes their meat very fine.
When I check out a new restaurant, I always hope they have a different recipe than my own. I didn’t go with the hot or spicy chili because I wanted to experience the actual flavor of the meat.”
It was around this time, as the group was chatting and we ourselves were enjoying our bowl of hot chili – sweating away all the while – that Roy Beal – the real owner of The Chili Parlour, and not the cutout that Rocki and Ryan posed with earlier on – then came to our table to formally introduce himself to us all and to chat about the establishment, its famous chili, and the equally infamous firebrand challenge!
He had observed our lunch, and had decided to see if we were enjoying ourselves at the establishment that he has overseen since he bought it from the original family back in 2015.
“It’s been around since ’45. We purchased the place from Mary Ann in 2015. We’re the only people that’ve ever bought the recipe, so it’s been her family’s recipe ever since the start. Her dad came up with it – opened up the parlour on December 31, 1945. And it’s been going ever since.
…You know, some people come in and, nowadays you know, we have much hotter peppers and whatnot than what we used to have back in those days. They’re like, ‘Oh, can you make it spicier?’ And we say no, you know, this is it, it’s been around this way since 1945. We don’t mess with the recipe. We just leave it the way it is.
…The flavor, that’s the most important thing. You know, you can make anything hot, but it doesn’t necessarily taste good. Yeah, that’s fine. But flavor, that’s what we strive for. We want it to be spicy; spicy I call it, not hot. But it must have a good flavor, so that you got a little bit of heat, but it’s not overbearing. You want to actually be able to taste and enjoy the food.”
Roy stayed and chatted us up a bit longer, but then let us finish our meals and get on with our days; we did, however, promise him that we would return to do the firebrand challenge.
He had noted during our chat that some poor, unfortunate, courageous individual had eaten a record 11 bowls of firebrand chili in one sitting; Roy also noted, with a smile and a chuckle, that he hadn’t heard from the person since either. One only hopes they’re alright from the affair.
As we left the parlour, we noted that their summer holiday begins in early June and stretches for just a brief spell before they return to serve the tastiest treats for the rest of the hottest months of the year.
Rocki, as we stood in the parking lot once more, noted his feelings on lunch at The Chili Parlour succinctly, before Ryan followed suit in his own manner.
“Next time I go I’ll definitely be getting a bowl and a couple of chili dogs. I got the chili with medium heat, but tried some of the hot stuff. The next time I have a few days off, I’ll be going in for their challenge.The chili parlor is for chili like the Germans are for beer. They have it down, and they’re not changing. To be honest, if I made chili that good, I wouldn’t change it either….” – Rocki“When I moved to Springfield, I asked the QLZ listeners to share with me places, restaurants, bars, and other places of interest to check out.The Chili Parlour was one of the recommended spots, and it did not disappoint at all. I am glad I could check it off my list, and since I am a fan of spicy food, I can’t wait to join the wall for the Firebrand Challenge too….” – Ryan
Our thanks to Roy and Stephanie Beal, and the entire staff of The Chili Parlour, for their time, conversation, history, and delicious food.