Gate-side at Terminal T, Chili’s opens daily at 6 a.m.
This Chili’s sits past security in Terminal T at Bill & Hillary Clinton National Airport, running from 6 a.m. to 9 p.m. It’s a full casual-dining setup, not just a quick grab-and-go counter, so budget real sit-down time if your layover is under 45 minutes. You’ll find the usual chain menu: burgers, fajitas, salads, and Tex-Mex standards, plus a beer and cocktail list that matches what you’d see at a typical Chili’s in town.
Prices land in standard airport-chain territory: expect burgers in the $14–$18 range and appetizers that can hit $10–$15 once you add tax. Portions track with the brand’s norm, so one entrée is usually enough for a main meal between flights. Service pace can slow at peak times around the 6–8 a.m. breakfast push and again from 5–7 p.m. dinner rush, so factor that in if you’re sitting near a late-evening departure.
Since Chili’s is the primary sit-down option in Terminal T, it fills up before the 7–8 a.m. bank of departures and again before the 5–6 p.m. bank. Bar seating often turns over faster than tables, so solo travelers can sometimes be in and out within 30–40 minutes, even when the host stand quotes longer waits. If your boarding pass shows anything under a 60-minute window, grab a bar stool or skip to something closer to your gate.
Tip: Walk straight here after clearing security in Terminal T, put in your order as you sit, and set a 20-minute alarm as a hard cutoff to pay and head back to your gate.