Chili's Restaurant: Are you Wild or Mild? {Review & Giveaway}

{This giveaway is now closed. Congratulations, Megan!}

Lately I've noticed that the majority of times that my husband suggests that we head out to eat at a restaurant that I shrug him off and either cook something at home or tell him to pick up take-out instead. With two children who may or may not sit still and be well-behaved, it's just hard to find a place that will have food that we all enjoy as well as an atmosphere that is family-friendly.

Fortunately, there's Chili's. Priding themselves on great food and the same genuine service that they began with back in 1975, this is one restaurant that we know can be depended on for a good meal, a casual environment and everyone leaving full and happy.

As well as the burgers, fajitas, ribs and more that Chili's is known for, they have recently added a great new promotion that is making it even easier for everyone to have exactly the tastes that they prefer, whether sizzling or not.

These new menu items, dubbed Wild or Mild, give you the opportunity to take the original recipe and ramp up the spices... or cool down the flavors, whichever you prefer.

So, looking to keep your quesadillas classic and delicious? Then stick with the Bacon Ranch Chicken Quesadillas. But if you're more in the mood for something hot with a kick, then try the new Jalapeno Chicken Quesadillas instead and give your mouth something to talk about! Chili's has definitely found a way to not only give you choices but to customize them just right for your taste buds.

After browsing... and browsing some more... my husband and I narrowed down the kids' meals and then turned to our own. Some of the new menu items like Blazin' Big Mouth Bites or Sweet Maple BBQ Chicken Crispers had caught our attention, but we couldn't pass up the variety and savings found with the $20 Dinner For Two section. An appetizer and two full-size entrees for $20? Sounds good to me!

Since we knew the girls were going to take over the appetizer, we went with the classic Tostada Chips and Salsa to start us off. Our friendly server appeared with the basket almost immediately and there were little (and big) hands digging in right away.
The chips were addicting! Light and airy and extremely crispy... I had to be sure to move the basket further away on the table because otherwise I wouldn't have had room for dinner.

And when I saw the size of my dinner, I realized that there was still no way that I was going to be able to fit it in!

The Quesadilla Explosion Salad made me wish I hadn't eaten so many chips, it really did. The combination of the cheese, tomatoes, corn relish, cilantro and tortillas strips went just right with the sweet and creamy citrus-balsamic dressing. Yum! This salad also comes with grilled chicken (that I had put on a separate plate to give to Little Sister B) and four pieces of cheese quesadillas. So, so, so good!

At the same time that I was digging into my salad, my husband was chowing down on his Half-Rack Baby Back Ribs with Homestyle Fries and Big Sister E and Little Sister B were enjoying a Grilled Cheese Sandwich. With all of our mouths full of flavor, everyone was quite happy about their selections.

After getting a good laugh when our server asked if we had saved room for dessert, we packed up (I got to take home half of my salad and enjoy it again the next day - extra yum!) and headed out, cheerful about the experience. The girls enjoyed the food, the kids' menu activities and the fun of being out to eat where no one minded if they talked too loud or dropped french fries on the floor.

My husband and I left pleased that we all were not only full but that we had been treated so nicely from the moment we walked in the door. Friendly staff, tasty food and happy kids? Definitely a successful restaurant trip!

But the fun of Chili's extends past what you can find within their doors. Right now the Wild or Mild menu has turned into a really fun contest called Shout Out To Eat Out - Wild or Mild with daily prizes as well as a grand prize at the end of April.

A fun and interactive promotion, all you have to do to participate is upload a head shot of yourself and turn it into a wild or mild avatar with clothes and accessories for the world to see. The ones that people have come up with are pretty funny!

Each day one winner be will randomly drawn to receive a $20 Chili's gift card and, as the public can vote on their favorite creation, at the end of the contest on April 30, 2011, the Wild avatar with the most votes will win a Vacation Prize Package for four to Las Vegas and the Mild avatar with the most votes will win a Vacation Prize Package for Four to Walt Disney World in Orlando, Florida.

So (if you are over 18 and live in the U.S.) head over to Shout Out To Eat Out - Wild or Mild today and start making yourself wild or mild today! And, thanks to the generosity of Chili's, one person will be a little more excited about this fun and tasty new menu as well, because...

One lucky person will win a $20 gift card to Chili's Restaurant!

To enter to win: Tell me what makes you or your family Wild or Mild. There's no wrong answer, be creative!

Extra Entries (available after the mandatory entry above is completed; please leave a separate comment for each entry in order for them to be counted).

1 Extra Entry (per method) if you follow Chili's on Twitter and/or Like them on Facebook.
1 Extra Entry (per giveaway entered) - Enter any (or all) of the giveaways running on Thanks, Mail Carrier for the duration of this giveaway.
1 Extra Entry if you follow me on Twitter and tweet about this giveaway by copying and pasting the tweet below and leaving me the link. Tweet daily for an extra entry every day!

WIN a $20 gift card to Chili's to check out the delicious new Wild or Mild menu! #thxmailcarrier http://bit.ly/faO1Eq #win #giveaway

2 Extra Entries (per follow method) if you follow me publicly with Google Friend Connect, subscribe to my RSS feed, subscribe to Thanks, Mail Carrier by email or become a fan on Facebook.
3 Extra Entries if you put my cute button up on your blog. Please leave an address where it can be found.
3 Extra Entries if you blog about this giveaway linking back to this post. Please leave an address where it can be found.

Giveaway will end on March 11th at 11:59pm CST. Do me the favor of leaving an email address or making absolutely sure it is visible in your profile, I have to have a way to contact the winner. The winner will be chosen by random.org and announced here as well as emailed and will have 48 hours to contact me or respond to notification or a new winner will be chosen. This giveaway is open to residents of the U.S. and Canada only.

A big thank you to Chili's for providing a $20 gift card for me as well as for one lucky giveaway winner. The opinions shared are my own and honest and if you really need to see more, click here to see how I roll.