6 Of The Best Chilis To Keep You Warm This Winter

When it’s freezing out, few things are a good enough reason to leave your comfy bed. Chili is one of them. Warm and cozy, chili is the original comfort food. And the original cooking contest subject. Known to start disagreements between the best of friends, good chili is something everyone has an opinion about, and everyone thinks theirs is the best. Many restaurants serve it, all calling theirs the most perfect house-made bowl you’ll ever have, but here are a few that can say that with certainty.

Fill up with a heaping, hearty helping (Austin, Texas)

Controversial as this might be, our list of the best chilis starts in Texas—beans or not. Throw a rock anywhere in the Lone Star State, and you’ll hit a bar that serves a bean-free bowl, but the 24 Diner serves it up entree style. No-Bean Chili is made with both brisket and chuck roast for a huge bowl of meaty goodness, including the required side of cornbread.

Follow in the footsteps of a commander in chief (Washington, D.C.)

Like we always say—if it’s good enough for a president, it’s good enough for us. Ben’s Famous Chili, considered one of the best chili restaurants in the land and, with four locations in the D.C. metro area, counts former President Obama as one of its many fans. The house-made Chili Con Carne comes with chunks of ground beef, green peppers and onions, and—get this—they will ship it to you from their online store. May as well have them throw in a T-shirt too.

Tackle a tasty treat Southwest-style (Portland, Oregon)

When you want to class it up a bit and spin a little New Mexico into the mix, you absolutely must go to…Oregon? Yes, in Portland there’s a bit of everything delicious, and the best chili is no exception. Pepper Box offers New Mexico red or green chili with your choice of their homemade chorizo or carne adovada. Served Southwest-style atop pinto beans with a tortilla on the side, this budget-friendly bowl is the perfect rainy day comfort food.

Try a new morning tradition (Oxford, Mississippi)

Chili, as it happens, also makes an excellent breakfast. Or at least a “hangover’s worst enemy,” as they serve it at Big Bad Breakfast. Items from both the breakfast and lunch menus are served all day. Order the Pylon and you will find a split, griddle-fried hot dog with chili, slaw, cheddar, mustard, chopped pickles, jalapenos and crackers on a waffle laid before you on a plate. It’s unknown if this feast comes with antacids. Too much? Understood. Instead, go with The Awesome—anything you want on the menu stuffed into an omelet, including chili. And probably gravy or shrimp too, but maybe don’t take it that far.

Munch away in Music City (Nashville, Tennessee)

Paradise Park Trailer Resort may sound like an RV camp in Florida, but it’s a semi-famous, self-proclaimed dive bar in Nashville. While perhaps most famed for their $6 pitchers of beer, you’ll find those will go nicely with their homemade chili served either on its own or topped on dogs and burgers. Perhaps you’ll enjoy it at the table next to the toilet that acts as art in the dining room. Or maybe you’re not into that. Either way, no list of great chili is complete without Paradise Park.

Branch out with some unique pairings (Greeley, Colorado)

Do you like your chili on a hot dog? Perhaps with a donut on the side? (Because apparently that’s a thing…a good thing.) Reds Dogs & Donuts, approximately 45 minutes from Fort Collins, Colorado, has married their potato doughnuts to everything else on the menu, and this union works. Their fresh, handmade Spudnuts will be the perfect side dish for your Red Chili Dog with cheddar and Jack cheeses. Or take yourself on the full carb roller coaster and add a side of their famous Chili Cheese Fries—we’re not here to judge.

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