Tub’s Fine Chili

I love chili, and saw this place on D-​cubed. They insisted I try all the chilis, and I’m glad they did. They do taste very different. I settled on one and got it over cornbread. For a side, I went with the thick chips.
The chili was good, especially over the cornbread, though I find the serving size (medium) a little skimpy and paying for every topping seemed different. (The owner is an accountant or an engineer) Whatever. The chili was 4-​star. The chips were 1 or 2 star — awful. They were cold. Some where cold and soggy and limp. Others were cold and hard and desiccated.
The service was very friendly and helpful. No problem parking, but the place is small. And there’s no place to wash your hands (it appeared that way, I didn’t ask).

Man!!! Vegan options. Something for everyone. This chili was the bomb! Perfectly seasoned. Didn’t have to add any seasonings. It was tender and just right! And I love how this establishment has the highly efficient self-​checkout kiosk! The staff is very friendly as well. And I noticed that Food Network host, Guy Fieri has enjoyed this place as well. He was right!

Holy cow is that good chili. I got the Chuck Wagon Grind in a Cornbread Bowl w/​onions, cheese, cilantro, and sour cream. Absolutely amazing flavor! And the staff is friendly and helpful. I highly recommend it.

Just go eat here already! Don’t even waste your time reading reviews. Ordering is extra easy thanks to two kiosk stations and the food is stupid good! Employees are friendly, helpful, and there is absolutely no way you’d regret dining here.

I had such high hopes for Tubs! I love chili, and the service was incredibly friendly. The woman behind the counter walked me through their confusing menu, allowed me to try some samples, and was really my sherpa through the whole purchasing experience.
Ultimately I got the Campfire Triple-​B (beans and bacon) and the Chuck Wagon Grind (no beans). I got the chuck in their cornbread bowl, and the Campfire in the Buffalo Honchos (which are pretty much thicker fries).
A couple problems: 1) while the campfire was a little smokier, neither chilis were very flavorful and neither really tasted that much different from the other. 2) The cornbread to chili ratio was way off where you had way more cornbread with every bite. 3) The Honchos ended up overpowering the taste of the chili.
Next time, maybe get the chili by itself and other stuff on the side? Also, I want to go back and try their ice cream sandwiches.

My search for the best Turkey Chili has ended!!! I can’t believe how close this place is to us and we never tried it before! Great flavor and not too salty. Excellent, friendly service too. My chili was so good, I had to come back for more to last me over the holiday! This spot is a must for chili lovers!

Holy tastebuds! Speaking of #BestofLA this local joint in #CulverCity is such a hit that even @guyfieri had to stop by! Rancher Rick and Boss Mama are serving up a variety of chili @tubschili to tickle the fancy of any chili connoisseur. You can get your chili multiple ways — in a bowl, on bread, over a baked potato, in a cornbread bowl or over a hot dog… add on the cheese, cilantro, onions and more! There’s cornbread pups with smoky sausage inside and their house made chili oils. One trip is not enough! Get your #GunSlinger card and come back for more! I got mine! #chili #dinersdriveinsanddives @dinersdriveinsanddives #bestchili #rancherrick #dinelocal

I love this place. Nestled in a little strip mall near Culver City High School. The parking is a little limited and depending on the time of the day is non-​existent. They do share the strip mall with a convenience store and a comic book store. I was happy to have Rancer Rick serve my chili today.
You can order by using the touch screens or directly at the bar. There are three steps to ordering. First you select your chili. Many good choices to select from: Turkey Drive, Steak Town, Chuck Wagon Grind, Campfire Triple-​B, Poncho Verde, Cattleman’s Pass (veggie), Pistol Pete (vegan) and they usual have some special chilis. Second you pick the container «tub»: bread bowl, brown rice, baked potato, greens, pasta or cornbread cup. Finally you select your toppings: onions, tomatoes, cliantro, cucumbers, corn chips, corn nuts, jalapenos, oyster crackers, cheese or sour cream. They also have other things to eat: hot dogs, hush puppies, tacos, cowboy pizzas, dingos, buffalo chips and ice cream.
I ordered a large (12 oz.) Turkey Drive in a bread bowl with red & green onions, corn chips and corn nuts. Very lean roasted ground turkey with red kidney beans. Not too spicy but you can add the T-​N-​T habanero chili oil. Bread bowl is my favorite tub for the chili. When you finish the chili you can eat the bread bowl like a taco.

Just had me the most delicious bowl of chili. I had a bowl of the Oktoberfeast and it did not disappoint. It was perfectly portioned and has just enough of a kick to it. I am a big guy and wasn’t too hungry and filled up with a medium, but I would grab the large next time. One of the workers came by with some buffalo chips (seasoned fried thinly sliced potatoes) and we were hooked instantly. The people here are extremely friendly, especially the boss lady. You can order your meal on the order kiosks and pay for it there too! Added bonus if you ask me! Overall a great experience and delicious food. We will definitely be back for more!

Absolutely amazing chili. Good choices and styles
The people are very friendly
Took the whole family here and they loved it as well. Highly recommend it if you love chili like I do! :)

If you don’t like chili, then you probably won’t like Tubs (haha).
As others have noted, very friendly staff. Lots of different combinations to try. They even have an Octoberfest inspired chili with bratwurst as the protein this month only. Definitely get the corn nuts on the chili as it adds a nice texture. It’s also great that they offer vegetarian/​vegan options.

Great food. Great service. Come here, and you won’t regret it.
I came here with a friend around 12 on a Friday. There were a few people in here, but it wasn’t crowded. We were greeted by a big, tall fellow (who I’m assuming is the owner) with a moustache in a hat who explained the menu to us after we told him that it was our first time here. He was very friendly and joked around a lot. He also came by often to see if we needed more things, such as a drink refill.
I got a small Pistol Pete chili with cheese, cilantro, jalapeños, and the bread bowl on the side. We also got hush puppies, buffalo chips (which he let us try beforehand), and cookies to share.
The chili is extremely customization to your own taste, with tons of toppings and spicy oils to choose from. They offer 8 kinds of chili (7 of which is permanent and one is seasonal/​monthly). Two of the chilis are vegan. I personally really enjoyed my chili, however it was a little too watery.
The buffalo chips were like your standard circular potato fries covered in a buffalo sauce powder. The hush puppies had a cookie-​like exterior and muffin-​like interior. Both the fries and the hush puppies came with doing sauces, which I did not use.
The cookies were a little too fudgy for my liking. If you like fudgy brownies, you might like these.

Love this place! The chili is so good and they have a huge selection. The campfire triple b in a cornbread cup was amazing. Will definitely come back to try more.

Yee-​haw! Tub’s Fine Chili is dishing up some delicious chili in a TINY place at Overland and Braddock in Culver City. They have been in business for 6 years, and I hope that they last for 60 — it is that good!
With 16 barstools inside and 4 chairs outside, the seating is limited. But the place is adorable — half of the barstools are wooden saddle stools and the other half are black metal «rope» stools. They have a flat screen tv airing old Westerns and there is country music playing. You can order and pay at one of the two iPad kiosks or order at the counter and pay at the register. Credit cards accepted. Prepare for no restrooms and no tot appropriate seating (including no highchairs).
The primary menu item is a Tub O Chili. $ 5.79 for a 9 oz medium (about 3 ladlefulls) was perfect for these two cowboys who were splitting three bowls. We ordered the Campfire TripleB with onions on top ($ 0.29 extra for the topping). Yum-​o! The mild chili was perfectly spiced and loaded with beef and black beans with a little chopped bacon. I added a little of the habanero oil for some desired heat, and it was perfect. We also ordered the Poncho Verde with onions on top. This chili was exactly like Chile Verde at a Mexican restaurant — the tomatillo and green chili base had diced cubes of pork with hominy. I liked this chili but I would not call it chili — it was chile verde. Enjoyable but not what I would come for. Our final chili was the Pistol Pete which we had over a bed of chopped romaine ($ 1.29 for base) with chopped onion on top. I could not believe how delicious this chili was. With the flavor of Chinese 5 spice powder, this chili had chopped peppers, tomatoes, chopped sweet potatoes and black beans. I really expected to be this a sweet chili, and it was not. With a gentle heat, it was a savory bowl with amazing flavors. This was my absolute fave (the Campfire TripleB being a close second). It was also awesome over the chopped romaine. My perfect bowl would be romaine with one scoop of Campfire TripleB and two scoops of Pistol Pete and chopped onions on top and a little habanero oil.
We also ordered the hushpups ($ 3.29). YUMMY! 11 pieces of deep fried cornbread that are about 2″ long by 1″ wide and ½″ thick are crunchy on the outside and crumbly on the inside. Dip them in the honey marmalade butter, and the bite is perfection. Gluttonous perfection. We also ordered the little joes for the little one. $ 3.29 for 5 squares of the cornbread wrapped around a bit of smoked link and deep fried. This is served with a little BBQ sauce and spicy brown mustard dipper. Honestly, I could have skipped these. The smoked link was a little tough, but you cannot beat that fried cornbread and the hubs didn’t mind the links, so it was okay. We also ordered a side of the Coleminer’s Slaw — $ 3.29 for a cereal sized bowl of chopped cabbage in a tangy and creamy dressing. Pretty standard but tasty, especially if you add a dollop of BBQ sauce on top.
There is a soda fountain, but we opted for water, which the staff generously refilled over and over from the fountain behind the counter. The staff here is amazing — you can try the chili, they patiently explain all to you, they come out to check on you and chat with you, etc. They go way above and beyond what you expect from order at counter and take to table.
I am so glad that I finally made the trip to Tub’s. As a chili cook myself, I generally skip these sorts of places because I make it well at home and am dubious of the claims that some make regarding chili. Well, Tub’s met my high expectations and more. I’ll be back for my perfect bowl and some more of those hushpups. Woof! Woof!

Coming from Cerritos, where Asian cuisine dominates the make-​up of restaurants in the city (and its surrounding areas), there really aren’t any places specializing in chili. Here, there are 8 different chilis to choose from! What brought me here was Diners, Drive-​Ins, and Dives on Food Network. Shout out to Guy Fieri!
Love the atmosphere. We were greeted by a lady (whom I believe is the owner) as soon as we walked in, and she helped us out as we figured out what to order. She offered a very thorough run-​through of the menu and some of her recommendations. Even after ordering, she really made sure my family and I were enjoying our meal.
You have the option of ordering up front from the cashier, or using their two order kiosks (if you are paying with card).
The menu is chock-​full of things that look like they’ll give you a heart attack. I decided to play it safe for my first visit and ordered off the «Build Your Own Chili Tub» menu. It’s basically like Chipotle for chili bowls! But if you’re feeling adventurous and want to experiment, there are items like the Cowboy Pizza (chili on pizza), Frito Pie, Cowhand Casserole, and more!
BUILD-​YOUR-​OWN CHILI TUB
Portions are deceiving… I was initially disappointed with my medium chili tub because it looked tiny, but I was SO full once I finished it. I love how you can choose what toppings to get; I got sour cream, cheese, onions, and jalapenos.
BUFFALO HONCHOS
These are sooo good. Basically an upgraded, more flavorful version of chili cheese fries. Ask for a sample of the honchos (potatoes); they will be more than happy to let you try them.
HUSHPUPS
«Flashfried cornbread nuggets served with honey marmalade butter.» Their cornbread is different from what I’m used to. They’re not sweet and fluffy, like the cornbread from Roscoe’s Chicken and Waffles. Still yummy nonetheless, and they have a little crunch to them!
Only downside… the place is TINY. No more than 15 seats. At peak lunchtimes and dinner times, plan to take your food home! If you get the chance to dine-​in, good for you! It’s a wonderful dining experience because you’ll get to chat with the owners and staff.
Overall, the food was delicious. No wonder they were featured on Diners, Drive-​Ins, and Dives! I’d really like to come back to try their other chilis. If it weren’t such a traffic-​jammed drive from home, I would definitely be a frequent visitor!

I love that there are so many options to choose from. I was a huge fan of the Chuck Wagon Grind in a Frito Pie. So, so comforting.
The hushpups were also incredible. Take your favorite part of cornbread (i.e. the crispy, crunch exterior) and make a whole side of that, and that’s what you get here. With the honey whipped butter, it’s perfection.
This is my go-​to spot for fantastic chili!

OMG! Have I really checked in 43+ times (I’ve easily been here at least 200 times) without ever writing a review? And I am such a fan!
Folks, this is where you get your chili on in L.A. They have 6+ different chili’s to chose from. You can get a cowboy casserole, a dingo dog smothered in a chili of your choice, and my favorite, ladled over a bowl of pasta with my favorite fixin’s: fresh cilantro, onions, jalapenos, cheese … and many others.
I also love getting a pulled pork wrap. They make their own pulled pork and it’s tasty! I especially love putting their house-​made mustard on it. The mustard is made with the hot pepper mash left from their making their hot chili oil
But the very best thing about this place is that the owners and people behind the counter are super friendly.
DDD’s paid them a visit and did a littler filming so, stay tuned. Or better yet, get in and try it before the show airs and there will be a line out the door.
I can’t experss enough love for this place. My favorite chili by the way … The Triple B (Bacon, Beans and Beef). SO GOOD!

Finally came here after hearing so much about this place, and their upcoming episode on Diners Drive-​Ins & Dives on the Food Network airing June 27.
I wanted to give it a full 5-​star but I just couldn’t. We met the owner and she was very nice and friendly. It’s good to know that they are locals and we’re definitely in favor of supporting local businesses, but we were disappointed with our experience.
The chili was good, but they are overpriced. They charge you for every little thing you wanted to add on there. Also, it looks like they hiked up the price and reduced the portion on some items.
My husband and I both had the Poncho Verde. The flavor of the meat was good, but neither of us was «wow’d.» Maybe we didn’t try the right chili.
However, what I wasn’t happy about was on their menu on the website, it said that the sides are $ 2.99/each. I decided to add a side order of Lil’ Joe’s (flash fried cornbread nuggets with little smokey link inside). The menu on the website said I would get 7 pcs with my order.
When I got to ordering (at the kiosk, which took us forever to order because there was a long line with people trying to type in their information — not the best idea). I noticed that the price on the ordering kiosk said the side was $ 3.29 instead of $ 2.99. I thought, oh well, that’s not too big of a difference, and still ordered it. But when the food came out, we only got 5 pcs instead of the 7 pcs advertised on the menu, with one missing a link inside.
Before coming here, I told my husband we should check out this place before it airs on Food Network, because then the price will go up. It looks like the price is already going up with the portion reduced riding on the fame. We don’t feel it’s good practice and could make them lose customers.
Parking was relatively easy to find around the residential area. We are sitting on the fence on whether or not we will be back after this experience.

Located in a strip mall (next to a comic book store) along Overland Ave, Tub’s Chili is a Culver City gem. They have a good variety of different chili’s.
super nice service and good, filling chili.
Definitely try out their ice cream cookie sandwich if you save room. It’s good stuff.
It’s definitely worth finding!
Unilocaler tip: check in on Unilocal to get free toppings!
bonus secret: they’re gonna be on Diners, Drive-in’s and Dives soon!

I’m a big fan of chili and this place has some of the best I’ve had, if not the best. The owner and employees were super nice and accommodating as well, and the price/​portions were reasonable. Some of the other reviews complained about portion but I thought it was about on par with what I’ve seen elsewhere in that regard.
I’ll have to go back to try all the different chili they have. They even have super spicy sauces and that’s always fun.
Easy parking too. Nothing bad to say about this place.