15 of the Absolute Best Bowls of Chili You'll Find in the U.S. (2024)

Parked near the Alamo, this food truck was inspired by San Antonio’s 19th-century “chili queens” — street food pioneers described in Texas histories and by authors such as Stephen Crane and O. Henry. Today, visual artist and cook Ana Fernandez serves a barely modified version of a chili recipe she found in the Institute of Texan Cultures' archives. The mixture of ground chuck and beef brisket is spiced with a blend of fresh and dried peppers. The food truck's menu includes corn bread, tamales and a luxe brisket burger. instituteofchili.com

L.A.’s star chefs Karen and Quinn Hatfield transformed a former 1950s print shop into this vintage-inspired restaurant and bakery. They give their chili a healthy spin, with ground turkey, kidney beans, and kale for extra color and texture. They season it with a mix of freshly ground guajillo, ancho, and chipotle chiles for heat and depth of flavor. thesycamorekitchen.com

Leave it to an artisan butcher to create a chili that doesn’t need beans. Meat savant Nate Anda rubs beef and pork shoulder with a signature blend of smoked paprika, chipotle, brown sugar, coffee, and coriander, then marinates it overnight. He renders bacon fat to brown the meat, creating a caramelized, subtly smoky foundation. It takes an additional six hours of stove-top simmering to produce a batch. redapronbutchery.com

Since 1958, locals, celebrities, and presidents (including Obama) have made the pilgrimage to this landmark for the namesake chili, whether served in a bowl or spooned over one of Ben’s famous half-smokes. The original version comes with ground beef, the vegetarian variety includes shredded cheese and chopped white onions. benschilibowl.com

What started as a food truck flaunting the slogan “Go green or go home” has grown into a dedicated green chili restaurant. RMCB’s pork and vegetarian green chilies are available in mellow, medium or hot — spiked with hot Hatch green chiles, jalapeños, and secret seasonings. Thanks to implementing a long list of eco-initiatives, the restaurant is also now certified green. rockymountainchilibowl.com

Sure, this East Dallas bar serves 12 American craft beers on draught (plus 60 others in bottles) and more than 10 kinds of excellent burgers. But the unsung hero of the menu may be the Texas-style chili — no beans — made with grass-fed beef and topped with cheddar, sour cream, and scallions. Order a bowl on its own, try it on waffle fries, or on an all-beef hot dog. goodfrienddallas.com

This hotel in the Great Smoky Mountains is known for its elevated farm-to-table Foothills Cuisine. Its cold-season chili is no exception. During the fall and winter, chef Josh Feathers serves a complex chili made with short ribs, smoked paprika, ground cumin, cayenne pepper, and coffee, sweetened with local sorghum and served over Carolina Gold rice. blackberryfarm.com

Mexicue — outstanding among Manhattan’s many fusion food trucks — blends Mexican flavors with barbecue in dishes like burnt–end brisket chili, topped with lime crema and pickled jalapeños. It’s sold only as a side, but add some tortilla chips for dipping and this chili has all the components you need for a one-dish meal. mexicue.com

Michael Schlow opened this Back Bay restaurant in 2011, inspired by his travels to Spain, Mexico, and South America. For his turkey and black bean chili, he starts by sautéing the base ingredients in incredibly rich bone marrow instead of oil, adding sweetness and minerality as well as depth. He braises the turkey thighs in vegetable stock enriched with achiote paste, tossing in fresh green jalapeños for spice. The chili is served with imaginative toppings such as tangy Manchego cheese, fresh lime juice, and micro cilantro, with a crispy tostada on the side. ticoboston.com

Owners Devin and Marybeth Mills traded New York City for the Catskills, opening Peekamoose Restaurant after working in Manhattan restaurants like Gramercy Tavern and Le Bernardin. Set in a restored country farmhouse, this restaurant features venison chili garnished with pickled Honeycrisp apples. It gets a light smokiness from smoked jalapeño peppers and a subtle sweetness from roasted butternut and Delicata squash. peekamooserestaurant.com

"Big Bad Chef" John Currence (Twitter handle, @bigbadchef) house-cures and house-smokes all of the meats for this breakfast and lunch spot in his Big Bad Smokehouse. He seasons beef with coffee, cocoa powder, and cinnamon to create one big bad chili. You can order it in a bowl; or on eggs, burgers, or on a split and griddle-fried hot dog with jalapeño peppers, wrapped in a sweet waffle. citygroceryonline.com

Oren Bass and Zachary Schwartz are Slow Food USA members who met as students at Johnson & Wales culinary school. They founded this mobile kitchen to offer casual farm-to-table cooking. Their Texas-style bean-free chili comes in regular or “fire.” Both options combine ground beef and Florida-sourced short ribs, local beer, and a secret hot sauce recipe. Get it as a Frito pie (ladled over Fritos and served in the bag, sprinkled with cheddar and chips) or topping their Jersey Style chili-cheese dog, grilled with house-made cheese. slowfoodtruck.com

It takes chef Steve Sicinski takes two days to create the perfect après-ski bowl at the luxury Topnotch Resort. He starts by marinating meat overnight in a paste of guajillo, ancho, jalapeño, cascabel, and chipotle chiles, along with garlic, onions, cilantro, and cumin seeds. Then he simmers it for eight hours. Before serving, Sicinski layers in refried beans, Fritos and Vermont cheddar, and garnishes the chili with cilantro and a squeeze of lime. topnotchresort.com

This Tribeca institution is known for its slow-food takes on diner classics. It has served its vegetarian chili for more than two decades. The recipe is said to come from a regular customer, a vegetarian, who got it in California in the 1960s. It starts with a foundation of roasted vegetables: zucchini, yellow squash, eggplant, onions, carrots, plus poblano and jalapeño chiles. It’s topped with tortilla chips, sour cream, and cheddar from Millport Dairy in Lancaster County, Pennsylvania. bubbys.com

What began in the 1950s as a place to buy firewood has developed into one of the most sought-after barbecue joints in the Midwest. For its storied burnt-end chili, Woodyard stews three types of beans (black, red, and kidney) with paprika and cayenne, and stir in crisp-tender burnt ends from barbecued beef briskets. Order it by the cup or bowl; just leave room for brisket, ribs, and pulled pork. woodyardbbq.com