After two months of disappointment on social media, Chili’s is bringing back its popular appetizer, Skillet Queso.
In October, the restaurant chain replaced its longtime cheese appetizer with a new recipe, to the dismay of some customers and fans.
However, Chili’s confirmed to USA TODAY that its original queso will be back starting next week. Chili’s first teased the move on social media in late October, just weeks after introducing a new Southwest Queso to replace Skillet Beef and White Queso on the menu.
If you’ve missed Skillet Queso and are eagerly awaiting its return, here’s what you need to know about its arrival.
When will chili skillet queso be back?
Two social media posts by Chili’s designate Tuesday, Dec. 9, as the first day Skillet Queso will return to the menu, the chain confirmed to USA TODAY.
The first post, on Oct. 27, hinted at a possible return for the cheese dish with the words, “We tried to make it a skillet, but you love skillet” over a photo of the popular skillet beef queso.
A second post, which included the words, “You know what they say: If you love something, let it go. And get it back in 63 days,” alerted fans that Queso was set to officially return next week.
What did Chili’s replace the queso in the skillet?
The restaurant debuted its Southwest Queso in October, featuring a blend of American and cheddar cheeses, green chili peppers, sweet onions and lime notes.
“The new queso brings a smooth texture and southwestern flavor, making it the perfect pairing with Chili’s iconic tortilla chips,” Chili’s said.
The chain confirmed that Southwest Queso will remain on the menu after Skillet Beef Queso returns, but White Skillet Queso will not return to restaurants.
Social media reacts to the return of Skillet Queso
People initially took to social media to express their disappointment with the removal of Skillet Queso from the menu, including comments from X user @jga41agher, who wrote, “I just learned that @Chilis has removed Skillet Queso and I am completely outraged. What happened to this country that I love?”
The announcement made Chile’s comment section even happier. Many of the comments thanked Chili’s for bringing the dish back, including: “My prayers were answered,” “Dreams come true,” and “I cried tears of joy.”
This story has been updated to add new information.
Contributor: Melina Khan, USA TODAY
Kate Perez covers national trends and breaking news for USA TODAY. You can reach her at kperez@usatodayco.com or on Twitter @katecperez_.
