Delhi Chili Review

History


Delhi Chili is a family diner that many on the West Side have gone to get their chili fix for many years. Founded by the Kostopoulos family, Delhi Chili has served its special recipe of chili since 1963.

About the Restaurant


For quest stop #8 we headed west to Delhi Chili. This is one of our most western most stops on the quest, before hand we imagined a long drive since one of the attributes the west side is known for is travel time, however it surprisingly didn't take too long from downtown. We also got to pass a BBQ Drive Thru, we have wanted to try more BBQ places so it was nice to find a new one to visit in the future (coincidentally a couple of days later Wine Me, Dine me reviewed this drive thru).  We didn't do too much exploring in Delhi but two impressions we got of the community is: really hilly and really Catholic.

As stated in the brief history above, Delhi Chili is family run, and you can tell that as soon as you walk in. When we were there an older couple and 20-something year old (maybe grandson?) were working, and there was a decent crowd of families dining. It was clear we were the only ones making our first visit to Delhi Chili. The decor also matches that of a family style diner. There were plants in the windows, curtains and shades that have probably been there since day one, and pictures of various Delhi landmarks. Next to our table was a cabinet of knick knacks and photos. There are booths along the walls, tables in the middle, and a counter by the kitchen. Everything about it screams family diner, and it works very well.

The menu is similar to many of the small family chili parlors we have visited on the quest. Along with chili, you can get burgers, sandwiches and breakfast items (served all day). The menu also features daily specials throughout the week. A menu item that makes Delhi stick out from other parlors is the Hog Way, which is a 5-Way plus eggs, home fries and breakfast meat.





Alison's Review

Generally, I know when I like a coney or not in the first bite or two. The Delhi Chili cheese coneys, however, left me feeling undecided even after I finished the meal. There was nothing to really complain about, but the overall product was less impressive and less remarkable than many of the other coneys we've tasted in the quest.

It was noticeable that Delhi Chili uses a blend of cheeses, as the cheese toping was two-toned. I was hopeful that this would be an outstanding factor in this coney, but the cheese turned out to be pretty mild and similar in taste to the cheese at other parlors. The chili recipe, too, was somewhat bland. It had very little heat level, if any, and had very little sweetness, if any. The onions were average and the mustard was mostly undetectable. The bun was soft and fairly good quality. The dog was nicely grilled though not a very flavorful meat.

This was a tough parlor to rank because they got all the proportions right and none of the ingredients were anything less than average. This was a pretty safe coney.  Delhi Chili should take more of a risk with their recipe. Maybe more heat, maybe more sweetness, or maybe a better attempt at a cheese that significantly stands out from the rest. I give this parlor a 2.5 out of 5 stars.

Clint's Review

For the first time since Empress when the quest began, it was tough to get an initial read on the Delhi Chili coneys. They weren't really sweet like Cincinnati chili is known for, but it really wasn't spicy either. There wasn't a bad taste to them but there also wasn't a great flavor. It is by far the blandest of the chili we have tried thus far.

One thing that did stick out on the coneys was the cheese. Right away I noticed the cheese was two different colors, yellow and orange. The pieces of cheese were fairly short as well, like you would find at the bottom of a shredded cheese bag. The cheese tasted fine, probably a blend of american and cheddar or maybe two different cheddars. The hot dogs had a nice grilled flavor and texture to them, the buns were fine. The chili and cheese was well balanced, not too much or too little of either.

I give Delhi Chili a 2.5 out of 5. Nothing bad about my experience, but its not a place I picture myself returning, at least not for cheese coneys.