Massachusetts Has 18 Chili’s Restaurants Remaining

Chili’s has been crushing the commercial game lately. Their discounted burger promotion had me quickly looking up Chili’s locations in Massachusetts. Not long ago, upon rolling up to a popular intersection I couldn’t help but notice a something was terribly different, looking out my right window. The only Chili’s in close proximity to my town was gone. Just like that, overnight, the branding removed, and the doors were sealed. It all came without warning.

The location is now occupied by another Mexican food establishment. Although their food is good, it still stings that Chili’s is gone. What can I say? I love Chili's.

Now, we must travel at least 15 miles, and one highway to get to the next Chili's location. As I mentioned, their recent commercials sparked quite the craving, and a need for Chili’s is very specific. Meaning that it can not be satisfied by anyplace else.

Perhaps you have had a similar Chili’s experience (or any favorite restaurant for that matter) where all of a sudden it vanished. Nonetheless all is not lost. There are still 18 locations in the Bay State.

According to ScrapeHero’s data we are not lucky enough to be in the top ten states with the most Chili’s restaurants. Texas reigns king with 218. Though it is surprising to think we have 200 less than that, having 18 is still respectable. Here they are.

Now that I have no choice but to make the drive and indulge in all that Chili’s has to offer, here is the perfect order.

Start off with the best queso dip. The skillet queso with fresh chips and salsa immediately makes any trip worth it. While I rarely stray from the combo fajita platter that you can hear coming from deep into their kitchen, their burger game is very underestimated.

Chili’s also knows how to make a drink. Though the draft beers are nice in cold in a mug, those Coca-Cola's just hit different. I’m not even a soda drinker, but there’s something about the Chili’s pour over ice that is just awesome.

Whether you pack in tightly to one of their six-seater booths or gather around the cheerful Chili's bar vibe, you are bound to catch some sports on their TVs. You can bring the kids for a fun family night or ride solo and catch the game. Either way, you are still in for a treat.

Ben and Jerry's new flavors couldn't be more different from each other. The popular New England based ice cream brand has added three options to their creative family so far this year, and here I will rank them all.

Coincidentally, I tried each of these in one sitting. This was an unplanned taste test. With a house full of young kids, a visiting friend recently stopped by and knew the way to quickly win over the youngsters. Pints of ice cream.

Before I get into explaining which was best, I should note I am not an ice cream (or dessert) enthusiast by any means. Dare I say, I hardly seek out ice cream, even in the summer months. However, if it is put in front of me, I will eat it if it's one of my favorite varieties.

If I'm going for ice cream, though, Ben and Jerry's is easily my brand of choice. Being a New Englander, I have toured their Vermont location a handful of times. Their half-baked in a cone is my go-to choice.

If you are not familiar, these are the Ben and Jerry's new flavors that have rolled out in 2024. Impretzively Fudged, PB S'More, and Marshmallow Sky. Now, it's important to note that Marshmallow Sky is new just to pints. Meaning, it was available in their scoop shops only.

Another flavor entitled Strawberry Cheezecake was also unveiled earlier this year. This did not qualify here as a new flavor ranking because it had been an ice cream flavor (branded "cheesecake). The new "cheeze" version is a vegan dairy-free dessert.

Upon seeing these at my house, I realized they were new. So, instead of selecting one pint to scoop, I took one for the team and realized I needed one proper scoop of each.

My process was to try one at a time and not have all three in the same bowl. Blending flavors might compromise the intended taste.

As a result, there was a flavor where one bite was enough. Another where I couldn't get enough, and the third was somewhere in between.

Here is my official ice cream ranking of Ben and Jerry's new flavors.

It's chocolate ice cream with fudge covered pretzel pieces and pretzel swirl. The problem here is that I do not like chocolate covered pretzels. Oddly enough, I love pretzels alone. Dip them in sugar and ice cream and it either compromises the flavor or classifies as "too much." So, this was my least favorite.

Here we have toasted marshmallow ice cream with peanut butter cups, graham cracker pieces, and marshmallow swirl. The graham crackers are the star of this show. They pair better with the ice cream and chocolate than the typical marshmallow of a S'More. This was certainly a tasty delight, but I feel if the marshmallow swirl did not need to be invited to the party.

Admittedly, I was a little cautious about the blue ice cream color thinking it could suffer from cotton candy syndrome (where too much equals upset stomach city). That is not the case here. It's marshmallow ice cream with swirls, and then chocolate chip cookie dough and chocolate chocolate chip cookie dough. The latter of the cookie dough bites just brings this to another level. Some sweets get forced together and some just belong together and make each other better. That's the case here. It's no wonder Ben and Jerry's decided to promote this flavor. It tastes as cheerful as it looks.