Chili Mac’s

A small local-​feel chilli focused restaurant. They have really good Taco Salad

Closed.

The lunch specials are pretty hard to beat. After years of passing Chili Mac’s (located just south of the Bway/​Belmont intersection, how can a Lakeview resident *not* have passed my multiple times?), I decided it was time for me to check it out for myself. Even though I am from Louisville, I LOATHE SKYLINE CHILI! There! I said it. Whew. I feel like a weight’s been lifted from my shoulders. Seriously. Watery chili with spaghetti noodles? A mess. A hot mess. Cincinnati, sit down and stop it. Wow. I guess I feel rather strongly about this. Hmm. Moving on. Chili. Seeing as how it was in the name and knowing Cincinnati-​style lurked behind the doors, I kept my distance.
But, the day came when I hadn’t been grocery shopping in weeks, it was cold, I was tired, and I am sure I resembled a Walker as I lurched up and down Broadway. «Hmm. What to get? Chipotle? No. A banh mi that costs more than $ 4 AND has mayo on it? Hay-​ell naw! Should I just buy some wino booze at the ghetto liquor store? Maybe. What’s this? Lunch specials? Pizza? Calzones? Chili Cheese Dogs? I’m in. Sold!» So, that’s how it came to pass that I finally ventured in Chili Mac’s. I ordered 2 decent-​sized slices for less than $ 6 (including tax). I’ll whip my hair back and forth for that. The fellow behind the counter was affable enough and when I mentioned ordering a few pieces of jalapeño corn bread to go with my pizza, he advised me to wait for another time to chow down on that. He could see from my pallid looks that I was ordering-​while-​starving and not in my right mind. Not for nothing, though, the cornbread looked good. A slice of pepperoni and a slice of sausage later, I felt better for the wear and was ready to face the rest of the day.
Lunch specials that taste good and don’t hurt your wallet. Who knew?

I had a 3-​way here the other week and it was AMAZING. Hey you perverts… I was talking about chili… Get your damn minds out of the gutter…
If you are not familiar with the term 3-​way as it relates to chili, it is very simple: spaghetti, chili, and cheese.
Chili is nearly an art form in my opinion. You can go to 100 different places and order chili and most likely it will never taste the same. There are so many unique recipes out there. The chili here was not as chunky as I normally like but it was masterfully seasoned. This totally made up for the lack of chunkage!
The prices here are really not that bad and when you are done, you will be filled up! My 3-​way was so good that I will be back for some more hot, steamy chili action!

I been here a few times and wonder how they stay in business. I’ve never seen more than a couple of people in here when I’ve gone in for dinner, and to be honest, it’s pitiful. I love chili; the stuff they serve at this namesake restaurant is NOT really chili in the sense of the Southwest chili that originated in Texas. How the heck Cincinnati’s name got attached to whatever they throw on a plate here is for Wikipedia to answer; I don’t care. The watery, cheesy, beany, spaghetty mess that 5-​way Cincinnati chili is, equals the same slop they serve in Steak ‘n Shake, but at least Steak ‘n Shake is careful not to over hype this stuff into being the backbone of their restaurant. As for the pizza here, mine was dry, brittle and had few toppings. I’ve had better 3-​hour old pizza at the United Center than in this place.
You’re on your own to enjoy eating here. It’s clean, and the employees are friendly; those are the nicest things I want to write about this dive.

after reading a few reviews from here, i just had to try their chili since I’m a big fan of chili. its a little corner restaurant with a small outdoor patio. the service was average.
i ordered a slice of sausage pizza and regular Cincinnati chili 5 way. The pizza was pretty bad. i think little Cesar pizza taste better then this and we all know little Cesar is bad pizza. the chili looked good but tasted bland for me and it was very watery on the bottom by the spaghetti.
i would not be coming back here since i have already tried their chili which they’re known for and didn’t like it. back on the hunt for good chili!

We ordered a pizza from here as it was one of the few nearby places that would deliver late. Apparently we should have had the Chili!
There isn’t much to say about the pizza other than it tasted like one that you could buy frozen and bake in your oven. It might have actually been, who knows! Plus the pizza wasn’t all to large and it cost around $ 20!

Chili Mac’s was decent, but not as good as I was expecting. I mean I have had more than my fair share of Detroit Coney’s and my brother has had a ton of Cincinnati style Coney’s and is semi adicted to Skyline Chili.
The location is good, except for trying to find parking close by.

Chili Mac’s (commonly called 5-​Way Chili) was my savior back when I taught at the Old Town School of Folk Music when both were on Armitage Ave. It was a hearty quick meal for cheap, in between my slots teaching bass.
It wasn’t quite the gourmet chili I remembered. I ordered the Cincinnati style w/​cheese, and onions. A soupy chili with spaghetti noodles, it was okay, with a hint of that Cincy cinammon; but no huge taste revelations.
This place is friendly, relatively clean, and okay for a pop-​in if you’re craving chili or pizza, and in the area, but not much more than that.

Turkey chili? Yummy! Yes please!
Hot dog covered in said chili? Heck yes please!
Fries? Eh, standard frozen fries.
Pizza slice? Wish it were fresher but I liked it none the less.
Pretty great carryout pizza special. $ 9 for a large one topping. $ 12 and some change for 2 toppings. Pizza was decent. Ours was kinda burned but it may have been an off night. I’ll give em another shot simply bc it’s around the corner from my apartment and I dig neighborhood joints.
Blue frozen margarita? Yes! Sadly I haven’t had the full experience as I didnt dine in but if you ask they will gladly give you a small sample in a little shot glass! Score!

It was a cold and blustery day and I had a giant, HUGE, hankering for some Cincinatti Chili (If you are already wondering what Cincy chili is, I will explain later.) I walked into Chili Mac’s and I ordered a 4-​Way with Onions and a Blue Margarita, of course, right? I sat down and watched in amazement as my 4-​Way was being prepared.
Cincy Chili is more a sauce rather than what most of us would consider a Chili. This sauce is a meaty concoction of fine ground beef, tomato paste, apple cider vinegar, worcheshire sauce and a plethora of spices, everything from Chili Powder, Cocoa to Cinnamon.
The chili is made to be ladled on top of spaghetti with toppings. There are many choices for toppings, or Ways. The granddaddy is the 5-​Way, which is chili, thin spaghetti, cheese, beans and onions — the works. There are also 4 other options too. The 4-​Way, 3-​Way, 2-​Way and the 1-​Way, otherwise known as a bowl of chili.
I ordered the 4-​way with chili, spaghetti, cheese and onions. Delicious! With a big meaty bite as first and then a subtle kick of sweet delicious Cincy spices on the finish. I topped the already well topped and seasoned chili with the provided Cholula Hot Sauce and Oyster Crackers for the whole Cincy experience. The infamous Blue Margarita, I got on the rocks, was not so blue because I believe the nice lady behind the bar forgot the Blue Curaçao. But the Margarita was strong and delicious none-​the-​less, blue or not.
Being a connoisseur of Cincy Chili, I think Chili Mac’s does Cincy chili quite well. I talked with the owner/​head cook, Tito, and told him how I loved his chili and how I would back soon to try his other varieties of chili. He thanked me and chatted until there was a big line building at the counter. Thanks Chili Macs for fulfilling my Cincy Chili craving.

GOOD GOD MAN! This place is so amazing! The staff is extremely friendly, everything about this place is delish!
Usually I’m a pretty slow eater, but when something is just knock out delish I eat like I haven’t had anything to eat in a month and that’s how I eat when I’m here. I need to come here more often!

When the weather turns from cold to subzero, every thing you want to eat or drink is to warm you up. Some choose soup, some choose phở, and I choose chili.
Knowing that I had a chili place near by it was my chance to get what I have been craving for in this weather. Faced with a big appetite, I decided to order chili four way which is basically chili on spaghetti with cheese and onions or beans. Sadly, the outcome was beef and spaghetti boiled in salt, oil and pepper flakes and sitting on a pool of brown water. With quality like this presented, I didn’t even bother asking where is the cheese because I worry what might come out…

Fall day, what red blooded woman doesn’t crave a big bowl of meat and cheese laden CHILI?
I walked by here last night, when my chili craving began. Denied! It was closed, too late in the evening. I had to come back today and get my chili!
This chili is pretty standard. Cinncinnati style puzzles me. What, they invented bowls of meat, sauce and cheese? I don’t like the spaghetti, so I leave that out. What I do love — ‘cos I’m from WI — is CHEESE in my chili. And onions. Even the mild spiced chilli is pleasantly warm.
I rarely drink soda, but a nice, frosty Coke hits the spot with a big bowl of this chili. YUM.

In the neighborhood and quickly scanned reviews on Unilocal app mobile. Good thin crust pizza and strong margaritas were the consensus. Orders placed at the counter unless you don’t mind waiting a very long time for someone (?) to eventually visit your table. Still not sure what the process is, but they were able to serve us our food fairly quickly.
Thin crust «Meaty Mac», a pie composed of all their meats. Sauce is tasty, not sweet like most pizza sauces and wasn’t changed by baking with the meats. I hate when some pizza restaurants use salty meats which change the flavor of the entire pie. Not paper thin, but thin with a soft crunch. Don’t allow the pie to sit too long with many toppings, otherwise it can get soggy. Though still, tasty.
Enjoyed a few strong margaritas; the salt rimmed glasses however tasted of a low quality table salt. That night they offered $ 2.50 domestics. Nice to see nightly booze specials and food specials on some nights for carry-​out or dine in! No need to call ahead. It’s a small eatery with a couple booths or a few tables and chairs. When sitting at the booth, I swear I could smell pee pee. Beer garden available on the side street, restaurant is conveniently on a corner.

Chili Mac’s is a locally owned, family style restaurant. It is in a fairly convenient location on Broadway with a very small amount of outdoor seating.
One of the first things you notice is that the seating areas don’t appear to be well kept. You can usually find a few adequately clean tables to sit at but they definitely need to work on this more. In addition the inside is very warm on hot days which makes sitting inside a bit annoying sometimes. I recommend takeout or sitting outside.
The pizza was a big disappointment for me. Something about the taste just doesn’t seem right. The ingredients look to be good quality so maybe its just the way they cook it. It’s an average taste overall. Not awful but not amazing either.
The Hot dogs are a typical hot dog. I would say they taste a bit better than the average hot dogs you get from the grocery store. That’s a nice plus but with Flub A Dub Chub’s in the area it’s hard to compete in the Grilled food space.
The chili is some of the better chili I have had in Chicago. I agree with the Ohio reviewers here though. They cannot touch Cincinnati chili but they come close.
The margarita’s are where it’s at. Have one with your meal and you will be satisfied with the overall taste of things. ;)
I have had good and bad experiences with the staff here. I think it really depends on who is working at the time. The majority of them are junior high/​high school age which is usually fine but not always (pay attention to your customers and not your cell phone please).
Is it worth it? If you live in the area and need some quick takeout or want to grab a fast lunch. I’d say put this place on your list… but not anywhere near the top. I wouldn’t bother making a special trip if you are outside of walking distance.

I’d heard amazing things about this place, so I was excited to go there with my +1. Unfortunately, we both had a disappointing experience.
Although there were only two other diners when we arrived, it took a minute or so before the staff noticed us and took our order. My +1 got the cincinatti chili, and I got the turkey. We both thought the noodles were overcooked and way too wet, and that the chili was sort of bland and unexciting. I definitely ordered the wrong thing: so much for attempting «healthy» in a chili joint. I’m not sure I would have done better with the cincinatti, however. I tasted it and agreed that it was pretty bland. The mound of cheese (that never melted) didn’t improve matters.
Maybe this was a fluke, and if we return we’ll have a better experience. I’m not too sure we’ll go back to find out.

I grew up in Cincinnati, and when I first moved to Chicago, this was the only place you could easily get Cincinnati Chili. People who live in southwest Ohio get these weird cravings for it when they leave home, and I was no exception, I needed to find Chili and fast to relieve my craving.
Unfortunately, this place just didn’t cut it. The Chili was of extremely low quality, and was overpriced for the quality. I also found it strange that they sold Mexican beer, though I guess it fits more into the theme of Chili in general instead of Cincy Chili only. The whole place just wasn’t worth it.
Try Cinners if you want the real thing.

What I thought was a bar, ended up being a hole-​in-​the-​wall diner-​esque joint. I heard about their Cincinnati Chili, which brought back memories of the two times in my life I had been to Skyline Chili in Ohio. While the Chili wasn’t exactly up to par, they do mix your choice of Chili (Original «Cinci”/Turkey/Veggie/Texas-style) with speghetti, cheese, oaster crackers, onions and beans.
I wish I would have seen the Chili Boat when I walked in… too bad my eyes were watery from a blistering cold winter day. The chili boat is a potato topped with all the goodies (all «5-​ways» as Macs boasts) and Frito chips. Next time I’ll ride the boat through chili heaven, just as I used to do in my childhood days. I enjoyed my boyfriend’s chili burger as well. I’ll be back when my water salivates for a spicy fill. Oh and unless you’re me thinking it is a bar, it actually does have a small yet full bar inside.

This place is the best to meet friends, always get a seat outside and have a margarita or two. These are the real reason to come here. They are super strong, super big and and super tasty.
The food is just OK, and will add the to the indegestion you get from the margs, but the drinks and sidewalk seats can’t be beat, and you can always get a seat outside.