Cute little old diner with some of the best chili around. Don't like chili?They also have a yummy hot dog ?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Charles W.
Best Chili I have eaten, ever. Seating is rather basic, not fancy. Go to Chili John's for the chili. CW
Howard H.
Loved being there. The owners daughter was great server. She gave out free oranges too. Food great. Saw it in a movie weeks later. Great food good price great service. What more can u ask for?
Kim D.
Overly salty chili. They use beef fat instead of tomatoes. This chili is a heart attsattackck waiting to happen and is overly expensive for what it is. Don't waste your time.
Christine S.
Hands down, the best chili! The countertop service is so nostalgic, and the service was great. Lemon pie is out of this world delicious. A cool and classic spot.
Greg Curtis
Step into 1946 here, where the owners care, and the food is handmade and delicious. Not the fastest food, but when did that become a priority, anyway? Thoughts like this pop into your head as you ponder the menu and soak in the horseshoe-bar ambience. Then, the food arrives and you are in heaven.Kid-friendliness: Great for kids. Fun to sit at the "bar," and plenty of options like hot dogs, fries, etc. and the pies and shakes....
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Marc E.
I drove by with the family on a Friday night and the place look empty as we looked in the window. I told my kids this is a Burbank staple and we should support small business and try it. I have been here many years ago and it was really good. Upon walking in there was no staff at all or customers. After a few minutes we heard a dog bark near the kitchen area, a guy walks out and his vibe was not welcoming at all. He was a "rocker" type of guy and he did not say hi or how can I help you. He could have asked us if we had any questions on the menu. The guy looked annoyed that we were there I immediately lost my appetite based on his vibe. With nobody else in the restaurant, it felt very uncomfortable. I wanted to walk out, but my wife really wanted to order something so we got it to go. The chili was not bad but the level of unwelcoming behavior made me have a bad taste in my mouth. My daughters were not impressed with his vibe. He should have been happy that he had 4 customers. Maybe the guy (maybe he was the owner) was having a bad day and wasn't in the mood to deal with people and I can forgive him for that. The reality is this was a Friday night. This place should have been packed! This is a Burbank staple. Are they Marketing this place? Maybe run a special where kids can get a free bowl of chili and get people into the place. Or maybe the staff is not great a customer service and thats why its empty on a Friday night @ 6PM. Bottom line, connect with your customers and they will always come back.
Korrin R.
This was my first time eating at Chili John's. I'm not really a chili person so I ordered a regular cheeseburger. However the people I dined with ordered Chili and they loved it. I noticed that the portions were big. Also do not come here without getting a Dr Pepper! It was so good my whole party ordered one to go. My burger was good and the bun was perfectly cooked. This is a historic family owned restaurant. I really enjoyed hearing about the restaurant's history from the owner. He was extremely nice and personable so thank you for sharing this gem! He knows ALOT and can answer just about any question about the restaurant. If you're in the area check it out! It's important that we support small businesses and keep places like this open!
Gus Castillo
Old school Burbank vibe and some really good Chili.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ultimate Chili Dog, Lemon Pie, Hot Dog, Chili Cheese Fries
Angella
Cute old-town atmosphere. They prepare the dish right in front of you, behind the bar.
I went with Build Your Bowl. Beef chili with spaghetti and all the toppings. It was delecious and lives up to the name! The chili dog was also very good. The server was so friendly and had a smile on her face the whole time. Small parking lot in the back.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Jonathan M.
Great food and better company. Owners were awesome. Ran into a regular who has been coming for 15 years. So many more things I want to try.
Cheryl H.
The first time eating here, the food was good. The second time the food was terrible. BOTH times it was MISERABLY hot inside of the restaurant. We were told that the air conditioning unit was STOLEN the first time that we were there. When we retuned 2 months later, there still was not air conditioning! It was really hot inside the restaurant, even with the back door open. Even with air conditioning we won't be returning. The food just isn't consistently good enough
Jeff C.
this place has been on my yelp list for quite some time and because i was in the neighborhood today, i was finally able to make the trip. as you walk in, you are taken back in time to how old mom n pop diners would look. one U shaped counter with an osland counter where you get to watch the server or cook load the chili for your order. three different levels of spice and i went with mild for the chili cheese fries and medium for the spaghetti. medium has some kick. now compared to chili bowls from sit down diners or chili from fast food joints like wendys or wienerschnitzel, the chili at chili johns hits you differently. the house music on this day was a mixtape of punk and 80s and i am quite ok with that. the server was nice and prompt with my order. i would like to come back again but towards the evening so i can see the neon lights. the locals of burbank are lucky to have this greasy spoon in their city. ps. a guy walked in after me and ordered a bowl which he showed a picture of to the server. said the pic was some homestyle chili bowl known throughout missouri. he left and was happy chili johns was able to mimic that recipe which he mentioned reminded him of home.
KaiserWilhelmIV ..
All you grease crying people understand this: just order the chili extra dry. The tallow or oil imparts flavor, just like when mcdonalds used to cook frys in lard, but not anymore thanks to lame ass vegans who ruined it for the rest of us..stop freaking complaining about this or that. This is a dive restaurant. It just makes and sells chili. It's not the Waldorf Astoria!
Cute little old diner with some of the best chili around. Don't like chili?They also have a yummy hot dog ?
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 4
Service: 5
Best Chili I have eaten, ever. Seating is rather basic, not fancy. Go to Chili John's for the chili. CW
Loved being there. The owners daughter was great server. She gave out free oranges too. Food great. Saw it in a movie weeks later. Great food good price great service. What more can u ask for?
Overly salty chili. They use beef fat instead of tomatoes. This chili is a heart attsattackck waiting to happen and is overly expensive for what it is. Don't waste your time.
Hands down, the best chili! The countertop service is so nostalgic, and the service was great. Lemon pie is out of this world delicious. A cool and classic spot.
Step into 1946 here, where the owners care, and the food is handmade and delicious. Not the fastest food, but when did that become a priority, anyway? Thoughts like this pop into your head as you ponder the menu and soak in the horseshoe-bar ambience. Then, the food arrives and you are in heaven.Kid-friendliness: Great for kids. Fun to sit at the "bar," and plenty of options like hot dogs, fries, etc. and the pies and shakes....
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
I drove by with the family on a Friday night and the place look empty as we looked in the window. I told my kids this is a Burbank staple and we should support small business and try it. I have been here many years ago and it was really good. Upon walking in there was no staff at all or customers. After a few minutes we heard a dog bark near the kitchen area, a guy walks out and his vibe was not welcoming at all. He was a "rocker" type of guy and he did not say hi or how can I help you. He could have asked us if we had any questions on the menu. The guy looked annoyed that we were there I immediately lost my appetite based on his vibe. With nobody else in the restaurant, it felt very uncomfortable. I wanted to walk out, but my wife really wanted to order something so we got it to go. The chili was not bad but the level of unwelcoming behavior made me have a bad taste in my mouth. My daughters were not impressed with his vibe. He should have been happy that he had 4 customers. Maybe the guy (maybe he was the owner) was having a bad day and wasn't in the mood to deal with people and I can forgive him for that. The reality is this was a Friday night. This place should have been packed! This is a Burbank staple. Are they Marketing this place? Maybe run a special where kids can get a free bowl of chili and get people into the place. Or maybe the staff is not great a customer service and thats why its empty on a Friday night @ 6PM. Bottom line, connect with your customers and they will always come back.
This was my first time eating at Chili John's. I'm not really a chili person so I ordered a regular cheeseburger. However the people I dined with ordered Chili and they loved it. I noticed that the portions were big. Also do not come here without getting a Dr Pepper! It was so good my whole party ordered one to go. My burger was good and the bun was perfectly cooked. This is a historic family owned restaurant. I really enjoyed hearing about the restaurant's history from the owner. He was extremely nice and personable so thank you for sharing this gem! He knows ALOT and can answer just about any question about the restaurant. If you're in the area check it out! It's important that we support small businesses and keep places like this open!
Old school Burbank vibe and some really good Chili.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ultimate Chili Dog, Lemon Pie, Hot Dog, Chili Cheese Fries
Cute old-town atmosphere. They prepare the dish right in front of you, behind the bar.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Hot Dog, Chili Cheese Fries
Restaurantji Recommends
I went with Build Your Bowl. Beef chili with spaghetti and all the toppings. It was delecious and lives up to the name! The chili dog was also very good. The server was so friendly and had a smile on her face the whole time. Small parking lot in the back.
Food: 5
Service: 5
Great food and better company. Owners were awesome. Ran into a regular who has been coming for 15 years. So many more things I want to try.
The first time eating here, the food was good. The second time the food was terrible. BOTH times it was MISERABLY hot inside of the restaurant. We were told that the air conditioning unit was STOLEN the first time that we were there. When we retuned 2 months later, there still was not air conditioning! It was really hot inside the restaurant, even with the back door open. Even with air conditioning we won't be returning. The food just isn't consistently good enough
this place has been on my yelp list for quite some time and because i was in the neighborhood today, i was finally able to make the trip. as you walk in, you are taken back in time to how old mom n pop diners would look. one U shaped counter with an osland counter where you get to watch the server or cook load the chili for your order. three different levels of spice and i went with mild for the chili cheese fries and medium for the spaghetti. medium has some kick. now compared to chili bowls from sit down diners or chili from fast food joints like wendys or wienerschnitzel, the chili at chili johns hits you differently. the house music on this day was a mixtape of punk and 80s and i am quite ok with that. the server was nice and prompt with my order. i would like to come back again but towards the evening so i can see the neon lights. the locals of burbank are lucky to have this greasy spoon in their city. ps. a guy walked in after me and ordered a bowl which he showed a picture of to the server. said the pic was some homestyle chili bowl known throughout missouri. he left and was happy chili johns was able to mimic that recipe which he mentioned reminded him of home.
All you grease crying people understand this: just order the chili extra dry. The tallow or oil imparts flavor, just like when mcdonalds used to cook frys in lard, but not anymore thanks to lame ass vegans who ruined it for the rest of us..stop freaking complaining about this or that. This is a dive restaurant. It just makes and sells chili. It's not the Waldorf Astoria!