I tried their chili and it was nothing to write home about.
It had everything but good taste.
Tim McCall
Good chili in the 40s diner one of the oldest diners in Burbank also so it’s a little dusty that’s part of the charm. Stop by have a bowl of chili get a hotdog order up a cane sugar soda pop in a bottle. Have a good lunch.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 4
HEATHER
My daughter Jasmine is visiting from Nashville Tennessee is the one that found this cute fun little restaurant in Burbank ! We are currently having their famous chili and spaghetti meal ! I have never tried spaghetti and chili together so I would have to say it is one of a kind and very delicious !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
david weinstein
Not enough staff to judge the waitress. The chili hot dog was the best I've ever had . Its the chili. Great tap beer .
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Tyler Montgomery
Honestly, this is some of the worst chili I’ve ever had. Flavorless and swimming in oil. I really wanted to like this place, but I honestly can’t believe they’ve stayed in business this long if this is truly the original recipe.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Gregory Serrano
Always worth stopping at Chili John's, the oldest restaurant in Burbank.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
adrianjovalle
Took more than 20 minutes for someone to take my order. No greeting or acknowledgement. The waitress was rude from the start and very short with me. The food was greasy and flavorless the chicken tasted old. I saw other customers that came after me treated with more respect than I was. Never coming back here again.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Laura Jean Bransky
Everything was great except I wish the chili was hotter - temperature wise.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
Diane Collins
OMG this is the worse chili I have ever tasted in my entire life - seriously! It was extremely greasy, had to sop the grease up with a paper towel. It tasted like it’s been there for days- no freshness at all and it made my daughter sick. The hot dog was good but it didn’t have any chili on it. Horrible!
We travelled from the UK and found this place after some online searching, fantastic service from Adam and he gave us some great local filming locations as we were touring about for them. The chilli dogs were great and the lemon ice box pie was incredible! Would 100% return when we're in LA again 👌
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Vee Dinh
Let's come to Burbank's oldest continuously operating restaurant for their chili recipe.
I had: 1. Chicken tenders and fries 2. Chili spaghetti and beans with oyster crackers - it's sooo spicy! 3. Chili hot dog 4. Soda 5. Lemon pie
Isabelle
Oh man I hate to negatively review an institution like Chili John’s but the entire experience left a lot of be desired and … a massive stomach ache.
Firstly, there is mold on the top of the ceiling. Black mold at that.
My stomach has been churning like butter since I ate here. The chili was mostly grease with some meat.
The sloppy John was just grease, sincerely.
If you want indigestion / a bad stomach this will do it.
Such a shame cuz it’s an establishment but the quality of food is not it.
The service was remarkably slow as well. At this point it should be dialed in and it took 15/20 minutes to even order a drink.
UPDATED REVIEW:
If it’s not mold but almost looks like it, it should probably be cleaned considering the ceiling is above where people eat.
Cowboy chili is bigger and with beans, it does not mean it’s swimming in a vat of grease.
And further more, a Quick Look on Yelp confirms many people feel this way. I looked up “sick” because of how bad I felt after and found a bunch of reviews stating the same.
I understand the establishment is old but it could use some general hygiene / cleanup.
Alix Roussel
**O, foul and greasy pit of culinary despair!** What devil’s kitchen hath wrought this sodden mess, Where once I sought the fire of noble spice, But found instead a **swimming pool of oil**, As if Poseidon’s wrath had drowned my meal!
**The meat**, so pale and limp, did shame the cow That gave its life for such a tasteless fate. **The beans**, like pebbles cast upon the shore, Did mock my hunger with their stony bite. And lo! The cheese—nay, **’twas but a ghost of cheese**, A spectral film that melted into naught But slick, ungodly sludge atop the tide.
**The heat? A lie!** No dragon’s breath was here, But feeble whispers of a timid pepper, As though the cook did fear the very spice That gives the dish its name and rightful soul.
**O, treacherous bowl!** Why dost thou tempt mine eyes With promises of bold and savory joy, Only to drown my hopes in oily woe? I’d sooner sup with **Falstaff in a tavern** Or gnaw on **Caesar’s lean and hungry crust** Than bear again this **soulless, greasy curse**.
**One star**—nay, half!—and even that’s too kind. Avoid, good folk, lest ye too weep in grease.
**—Yours in culinary tragedy,**
A M
I had been told of this place being in trouble of closing due to a loss of customers from the local area. It has some historical significance, as the oldest restaurant in Burbank, has been used as a movie or TV location and their Chili recipe has been around since the 1880s.
Interesting small place with a horseshoe seating area with fixed, raised stools and a hot center island used for food serving. (A small table was pushed to the very front, with 2 or 3 chairs.)
Service was friendly, where I was greeted by 3 or 4 employees as they exited the hanging cloth partition leading to the kitchen. After a chance to view the menu, being my first time here, I ordered the lunch special: hot (spicy) Beef Chili on Spaghetti with cheese and onions, a bag of Lay's chips and a bottle of cane sugar Dr Pepper. After many minutes of waiting after taking my order, the server assembled my order from the center island.
Chili was a fine grind with a little less kick than I expected for a hot chili, no beans but there are hot sauces available... but you have to ask. I found this out AFTER I'd finished my meal. Of course, I had to have a slice of their ice box line pie... which I needed to wait for as they were making the whipped creme. Super Fresh!
Well, O spent a pleasant hour and a half at this iconic place in Burbank, tried their Chili, ate their pie and drank their bottle of cane sugar Dr. Pepper. I sat on their well worn stool and was the first and only customer for maybe 40 minutes; another 2 people sat at the table and 1 person came in as I was going out the door. This probably will be my last visit here ... abd I wish them luck.
I tried their chili and it was nothing to write home about.
It had everything but good taste.
Good chili in the 40s diner one of the oldest diners in Burbank also so it’s a little dusty that’s part of the charm. Stop by have a bowl of chili get a hotdog order up a cane sugar soda pop in a bottle. Have a good lunch.
Atmosphere: 4
Service: 4
My daughter Jasmine is visiting from Nashville Tennessee is the one that found this cute fun little restaurant in Burbank ! We are currently having their famous chili and spaghetti meal ! I have never tried spaghetti and chili together so I would have to say it is one of a kind and very delicious !
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Not enough staff to judge the waitress. The chili hot dog was the best I've ever had . Its the chili. Great tap beer .
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 4
Honestly, this is some of the worst chili I’ve ever had. Flavorless and swimming in oil. I really wanted to like this place, but I honestly can’t believe they’ve stayed in business this long if this is truly the original recipe.
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 1
Service: 3
Always worth stopping at Chili John's, the oldest restaurant in Burbank.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Took more than 20 minutes for someone to take my order. No greeting or acknowledgement. The waitress was rude from the start and very short with me. The food was greasy and flavorless the chicken tasted old. I saw other customers that came after me treated with more respect than I was. Never coming back here again.
Atmosphere: 2
Food: 2
Service: 1
Everything was great except I wish the chili was hotter - temperature wise.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 4
Service: 5
OMG this is the worse chili I have ever tasted in my entire life - seriously! It was extremely greasy, had to sop the grease up with a paper towel. It tasted like it’s been there for days- no freshness at all and it made my daughter sick. The hot dog was good but it didn’t have any chili on it. Horrible!
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Yummy chilli! 🌶️
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Restaurantji Recommends
We travelled from the UK and found this place after some online searching, fantastic service from Adam and he gave us some great local filming locations as we were touring about for them. The chilli dogs were great and the lemon ice box pie was incredible! Would 100% return when we're in LA again 👌
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Let's come to Burbank's oldest continuously operating restaurant for their chili recipe.
I had:
1. Chicken tenders and fries
2. Chili spaghetti and beans with oyster crackers - it's sooo spicy!
3. Chili hot dog
4. Soda
5. Lemon pie
Oh man I hate to negatively review an institution like Chili John’s but the entire experience left a lot of be desired and … a massive stomach ache.
Firstly, there is mold on the top of the ceiling. Black mold at that.
My stomach has been churning like butter since I ate here. The chili was mostly grease with some meat.
The sloppy John was just grease, sincerely.
If you want indigestion / a bad stomach this will do it.
Such a shame cuz it’s an establishment but the quality of food is not it.
The service was remarkably slow as well. At this point it should be dialed in and it took 15/20 minutes to even order a drink.
UPDATED REVIEW:
If it’s not mold but almost looks like it, it should probably be cleaned considering the ceiling is above where people eat.
Cowboy chili is bigger and with beans, it does not mean it’s swimming in a vat of grease.
And further more, a Quick Look on Yelp confirms many people feel this way. I looked up “sick” because of how bad I felt after and found a bunch of reviews stating the same.
I understand the establishment is old but it could use some general hygiene / cleanup.
**O, foul and greasy pit of culinary despair!**
What devil’s kitchen hath wrought this sodden mess,
Where once I sought the fire of noble spice,
But found instead a **swimming pool of oil**,
As if Poseidon’s wrath had drowned my meal!
**The meat**, so pale and limp, did shame the cow
That gave its life for such a tasteless fate.
**The beans**, like pebbles cast upon the shore,
Did mock my hunger with their stony bite.
And lo! The cheese—nay, **’twas but a ghost of cheese**,
A spectral film that melted into naught
But slick, ungodly sludge atop the tide.
**The heat? A lie!** No dragon’s breath was here,
But feeble whispers of a timid pepper,
As though the cook did fear the very spice
That gives the dish its name and rightful soul.
**O, treacherous bowl!** Why dost thou tempt mine eyes
With promises of bold and savory joy,
Only to drown my hopes in oily woe?
I’d sooner sup with **Falstaff in a tavern**
Or gnaw on **Caesar’s lean and hungry crust**
Than bear again this **soulless, greasy curse**.
**One star**—nay, half!—and even that’s too kind.
Avoid, good folk, lest ye too weep in grease.
**—Yours in culinary tragedy,**
I had been told of this place being in trouble of closing due to a loss of customers from the local area. It has some historical significance, as the oldest restaurant in Burbank, has been used as a movie or TV location and their Chili recipe has been around since the 1880s.
Interesting small place with a horseshoe seating area with fixed, raised stools and a hot center island used for food serving. (A small table was pushed to the very front, with 2 or 3 chairs.)
Service was friendly, where I was greeted by 3 or 4 employees as they exited the hanging cloth partition leading to the kitchen. After a chance to view the menu, being my first time here, I ordered the lunch special: hot (spicy) Beef Chili on Spaghetti with cheese and onions, a bag of Lay's chips and a bottle of cane sugar Dr Pepper. After many minutes of waiting after taking my order, the server assembled my order from the center island.
Chili was a fine grind with a little less kick than I expected for a hot chili, no beans but there are hot sauces available... but you have to ask. I found this out AFTER I'd finished my meal. Of course, I had to have a slice of their ice box line pie... which I needed to wait for as they were making the whipped creme. Super Fresh!
Well, O spent a pleasant hour and a half at this iconic place in Burbank, tried their Chili, ate their pie and drank their bottle of cane sugar Dr. Pepper. I sat on their well worn stool and was the first and only customer for maybe 40 minutes; another 2 people sat at the table and 1 person came in as I was going out the door. This probably will be my last visit here ... abd I wish them luck.
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