I, a Food Editor, Tasted and Ranked 3 New Items at Chili’s (Including the Honey Chipotle Mozz)

• What Is It: blanco tequila, Cointreau, Monin Blackberry, strawberry purée and fresh sour mix
• Price: $6

I loved how festive this LTO drink was, down to the Santa ’stache on the straw. The strawberry purée tasted like real fruit, but I found myself wishing the margarita was a bit tarter. I’m not sure that it needed blackberry syrup in addition to the fruit purée (but I guess without it, it’d just be a strawberry margarita).

• What Is It: peanut butter and chocolate chip filling in chocolate crust, topped with ganache, peanut butter cups and white chocolate drizzle
• Price: $9.29

Warning: This dessert is not for the faint of heart stomach. It’s super rich and heavy, especially after eating a full meal, so I’d advise sharing it. The peanut butter filling was silky, sweet and salty, and the chocolate chips inside offered color and texture. My favorite part was the crisp, chocolate wafer-like crust, which was buttery and slightly gritty in the best way. I also loved the Reese’s on top for their intense saltiness but thought the pie could have done without the ganache (although it did look nice).

• What Is It: fried, breaded mozzarella cheese tossed in honey chipotle sauce, served with house-made ranch
• Price: $13.49

Full disclosure: I’m not a mozzarella stick person. Is there anything wrong with fried cheese? No. But am I ordering it over nachos, wings, potato skins or other essential apps? Also, no. However, these were exceptional. Firstly, they’re *slabs*—not sticks. Not only did the mild, creamy cheese taste like real-deal mozz (rather than milky nothingness), but the thick crust stayed crunchy under the peppery, sticky, slightly smoky glaze. It had enough heat to offer balance but was still mild and sweet enough for my spice-averse friend to enjoy. I also appreciated that the cheese maintained a nice pull quality, rather than turning molten and liquidy. I get the hype, TikTok.