What ever happened to Chi-Chi's restaurants? Once a major sit-down chain comprising more than 200 chains, it's a once-popular restaurant that filed for bankruptcy. Chi-Chi's helped to popularize Mexican-inspired and Tex-Mex cuisine across the United States. Positively huge in the 1970s and 1980s, it closed down in 2004 and exists now as a line of salsas, tortilla chips, and Mexican seasoning blends. Food conglomerate Hormel owns the Chi-Chi's trademark, and in 2024, it set in motion plans for a revival. Michael McDermott, son of Chi-Chi's co-founder Marno McDermott, is heading up the charge to bring back the once mighty chain.

If that comeback winds up happening, it's probably likely that the new Chi-Chi's will revive a lot of its classic menu items, mostly familiar and crowd-pleasing dishes like tacos, burritos, and enchiladas. But hopefully Chi-Chi's 2.0 will decide to leave off of the menu some of the other items it sold over the years, culinary abominations and curious concoctions that were a bit too ambitious or just downright gross. Here are the dishes that we hope a revived Chi-Chi's doesn't resurrect.