DALLAS, Jan 26, 2010 /PRNewswire via COMTEX/ -- With television networks dedicated to all things food, specialty grocery stores selling the freshest produce and meats, and hundreds of dining options on every corner, today's diners are smarter and expect the best. Consumers want dishes prepared daily with care, expertise and quality ingredients. Chili's(R) Grill & Bar is rising to those elevated expectations with the launch of a new menu, introducing 25 new items and revised recipes of guest favorites.

More than 100 blogs are dedicated to barbequing, and a little less than half focus solely on perfecting barbeque ribs - with topics ranging from smoking procedures to sauces. It's no secret consumers crave them, and it's no secret that Chili's has been serving up the best Baby Back Ribs for nearly 25 years. Now, those ribs are even better than ever. Slow-smoked in-house over pecan wood chips for a sweet, smoky flavor, Chili's new ribs are then triple-basted with savory BBQ sauces until they're fall-off-the-bone tender.

Ribs aren't the only category on Chili's menu where consumers will find elevated recipes and ingredients. Handcrafted sandwiches like the new BBQ Pulled Pork sandwich are kicking up the flavor profile. Fresh-cut spicy cole slaw, caramelized onions and Gouda top pulled pork, served on the guest's choice of a sesame seed or wheat bun. Perfecting the sandwich is Chili's own sweet and tangy Shiner Bock(R) BBQ sauce made from Shiner Bock(R) beer. Brewed in Shiner, Texas since 1909, Shiner Bock is a famous Texas native like Chili's.

"We're taking the time to make it like our guests would at home - so they don't have to - by making handcrafted dishes featuring excellent ingredients," said Wyman Roberts, president of Chili's Grill & Bar. "Our bold flavors reach new heights with revised recipes, and more than 75 percent of the menu has been transformed giving our guests new options."

Taking a fresh look on salads, Chili's is bringing back a guest favorite with a twist. The new Caribbean Salad features fresh pineapple and mandarin oranges, dried cherries and cilantro on a bed of crisp lettuce. These craveable flavors are hand-tossed together and topped with honey-lime dressing.

Chili's Bottomless Express(TM) Lunch speaks to guests looking for more variety at lunch as well as great value. Served with freshly made chips and house-made salsa; guests can pair the house salad with one of Chili's delicious soups - all bottomless - for only $6.49. Start with Chili's house salad - now featuring hand-chopped lettuce topped with freshly cut tomatoes, red onions, cucumbers and fire-roasted corn, grilled for a smoky kick. Then pick from any of Chili's hearty soups, like the new Chicken & Green Chile Soup, loaded with chicken smoked in-house, green chiles, tomatoes and rice and accented with cilantro and avocado slices.

Chili's Grill & Bar is the flagship brand of Dallas-based Brinker International, Inc. (NYSE: EAT), a recognized leader in casual dining. Chili's offers a fun, energetic atmosphere and a distinct, fresh mix of grilled American favorites at more than 1,500 locations in 29 countries and two territories. Other Brinker brands include Maggiano's Little Italy(R) and On The Border Mexican Grill & Cantina(R). Brinker also holds a minority investment in Romano's Macaroni Grill(R). For more information, please visit http://www.chilis.com/.

Stacey Sullivan
Media Relations
(800) 775-7290

SOURCE Chili's Grill & Bar