Chili's resturant

Do you all have a Chili's restaurant you've patronized in your area, if so you'll know where I'm coming from if not you missing out a some pretty good food for the most part. Not just good food, but good Margarita's and Beer and a lot of rustic tile and decor to look at.
I've ate at Chili's more times that I can count, many a lunch at Chili's with co-workers and clients alike. Chili's has always been a favorite of a lot of business lunches and friends getting together for a quick bite to eat during a busy day, as well as meeting with old friends.

As most of you know my younger brother has been visiting and we've had a few lunches out at different places where he might now have dined while in Iowa, and today Chili's was one of those stops. We neither were all that hungry, but a bite thirsty so we ordered off the appetizer side of the menu and had a couple of draft beers to accompany our choices. I'm a sucker for Chili's classic nacho's which really aren't anything like your typical nacho's but cleaner and easier to eat in my opinion, so that's what I ordered. Dave just had the Queso dip and chips and it came with salsa. Now like I said it had been a while, but not that long since my last visit with the boys and I was indeed surprised that chips and salsa was no longer complimentary! Our waitress claimed to have worked there for 3 years and also claimed they had charged for them ($2.99) for at least that long....................bull puckie! Maybe me and the boys had a great waiter or waitress last time in and just gave use the chips and salsa, but I'm here to tell you we did not get charged. The waitress also added that it was due to the current recession per Chili's nationally, wow it's even hit the chips in the Mexican restaurants.

Now like I said we also had a couple of draft beers and while we were waiting for our apps we drank a draft to get started. Now as the appetizers came out my glass was just getting empty and a fresh one was needed, but as I took that last swallow I noticed the condensation dripping on my shirt. Wait a minute, how could that be since Chili's had those nice coasters to sit your drinks on, usually quite a few on each table...........................where was mine? I took a quick glance at a couple of tables around me and the same, no coasters! I asked the waitress "what gives, no coasters" to which she replied "same thing, the recession! I said you mean to tell me a Chili's trade mark has been discontinued due to the recession.............yes she said, then she said let me get you some extra napkins to set your drinks on. In what seemed like an eternity she appeared with a stack of napkins you could wipe a horse with, I mean the cost of this stack of napkins would have bought me 3 coasters.

If your like me and lot of folks I know you've swiped a coaster or two in your past trips to Chili's (their usually neat) and if your like me you'll grab a few of them and stick them in the glove box so you can take then into Chili's on your next visit.

What can I say, it's been a slow week for me and the current events and this is what I came up with. Don't tell me you all haven't been there or in some similar situation in the past. And besides as you can see the "recession" hurts in more ways than you can imagine!