Are you kidding me? How did I not notice it about this place before now!?! Coming in, you feel right at home as soon as you pass through the doors. We grabbed a bunch of stools at the bar (it's the only seating... no tables). The awesome gentleman working took our orders one by one. It's not fast, but you get your order right! I had the chili medium (it's a meat volume measurement, not heat), with spaghetti, cheese and sour cream. It was epically delicious!!! One bowl was filling, I WISH I would have had room for more! It was flavorful and cooked beautifully. Probably the best 5 way chili I've ever had! Awesome food, awesome service! read more

Real Chili Restaurant - Chili with spaghetti - American Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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I went to Marquette and was curious how 20 years treated my drunk chili spot: it got a veggie option! As a now vegetarian, I was excited to try and not at all disappointed (and not sick after! No alcohol needed!) We were greeted and taken care of right away on a Sunday afternoon: the gentleman working the counter was extremely nice and we chatted football for a bit. The chili was awesome: I had to ask if it was really veggie bc I was not planning on a sick stomach, and it tasted so so so much like a beefy meaty chili. Was definitely veggie, and delicious! Spicy, coated the noodles (definitely a Midwest thing) and perfect toppings. You sit at the counter and everything was clean and a beautiful memory of a meal I enjoyed so often at school. It feels literally the same, only the vegetarian I've become can eat it! Def get it fully loaded: beans and all the toppings read more

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Omg omg back to my youth and my college days !!! This has been around 90 years !!! Me and were talking about chili arrested reminiscing about the old days the good days!!!! They came up and the memories !!!! We went OMG OMG GID US GOD PEOPLE !!! Just like the old days !!!! I've out of college 40 ??? However they were still PERFECTION !!!! I actually cried how time has gotton away from us !!!! If it broken don't fix it !!!! We took it to go !!!! Omg omg Phenomenal still OMG OMG IM SO BLESSED TO HAVE KNOWN HISTORICAL LEGACY RESTURANT !!!! We live and adore all YES ALL THE FOOD !!!! Great job !!!! read more

Oh yea this is good! Wanted something warm and simple to eat and found this place for a frito pie! Chili is fantastic meaty and has great spice and flavor. Heck they even give you a bowl of oyster crackers, Dang! This place is definitely going on my favorites list. Great service, good food, and great conversation. read more

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Order: n//a Pros: Its close to the university and walkable. Cons: the dude in the center serving was rude. He asked me what I wanted to eat and I stated, "I dont have a menu." Thereafter, he just points to the board which has the menu apparently and proceeds to walk away. I ended up walking out because of that experience. read more

After several years of multi-digit inflation, I've realized that Real Chili is possibly the best late-night eats value! My previous review from almost 10 years ago lists a price for a "double to-go" as $13.28. Today that would cost you $16.50. This is about 5% lower than the 30% inflation rate over the same time frame. I've grown a little older and a lot wiser since then. I've realized that it's time for an update! When was the last time you went to George Webb's? We stopped going because: A. The food sucks, and B. It's not a great value anymore either. Although Taco Bell is still cheaper, the last time I ate it (which will indeed be the last time I EVER eat Taco Bell), I was laid out for two whole days from the food poisoning. Therefore, I contend that Real Chili is the king of MKE late night eats!!! That is assuming you love Cincinnati-style chili. I happen to LOVE it! :) This location has not changed a bit. Still great service, still drunk Marquette kids. I know what I'm getting into , but it's on my way home from downtown.. read more

Ignore the haters. This is solid Wisconsin-style chili. If you don't know what that means, come in with a loving heart, an open mind, and an acceptance of noodles and crackers. (Don't expect Cincinnati-style chili, either. While there are visual similarities, the flavor profile is very different.) Recommend starting with a medium-spiced bowl without the toppings. Don't get hung up on spice level: from what I can gather the spice is just a reflection of how much chili sauce / oil you're getting. The flavor is the same regardless. Disclaimer: Came sober mid-day. Was not confronted by any airborne crackers. Also, did not sample non-chili items at a restaurant named "Real Chili." read more

Real Chili Restaurant - The chili, artfully arranged with a few Jackson Pollock-style flourishes. - American Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

This was a long time bookmark and since we found our original lunch choice closed and realized that we were parked in front of the place we stopped for lunch. We looked at the menu and thought that the chili cheese nachos with onions sounded really good. The great sounding nachos looked pretty crappy with a 7/11 or a gas station look which surprised us. The chili looked a little light and the nachos had so many chips with nothing on them, at least layer it a couple times so you don't have so many chips with no toppings. The chips were like horrible gas station quality and super salty but they were fresh and crisp. The chili was like a weird meat paste with no beans and slight greasy which I don't mind. Overall this was not a very good nacho and we should have picked a chili dish from the menu. read more

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Chili was good. Ambiance (50s diner) was cool. Service was quick. Only down side it's a bit pricey, but I'd go again.

Chili was great. Been going to this location since 1978. We live in Texas now so we visit when we come back for Packer games. I'll say that things have changed. The portion size has definitely decreased over the last few years while price has increased near 20% and it appears the recipe has changed as well. In the pic below, the top pic was from 2024 and the bottom is from 2021. The color of the chili is now near black. Just observations. read more

Real Chili Restaurant - American Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I am not a chile aficionado. A few times a decade I allow my intestines to do the Samba. Friends wanted to meet at this Real Chile located in the middle of the Marquette campus. I'll do anything for friends since I have none in Seattle, where I currently live. I was in Milwaukee for a short vacation. My spaghetti Chile tasted good, and it was filling. The proprietor, cook and server, all one gentleman, was friendly and accommodating. I try to frequent minority owned businesses, especially in Milwaukee. Real Chile was real good. read more

A unique experience. An acquired taste that once acquired is almost addictive. Really enjoy it. Couldn't give 5 stars only because the price has really gotten up there over time. It's a bit much for chili. read more

I'm not going to lie...I like Real Chili. It's a perfect mix of greasy, spicy, starchy goodness that fills you up and/or cures your hangover. I have a soft spot for this particular location, having eaten many a bowl here with my late father while "attending" Marquette...more like attending keggers regularly and getting bad grades. But I digress... I prefer a medium with both spaghetti and beans and an add on of cheese. Hubs skips the beans (no jokes, please!) and pairs his with an Orange Fanta for some reason. But that's the kind of place Real Chili is - you're already making a questionable nutritional decision by eating here, so they don't judge you. One quibble - the take out price is kind of a screw job vs eating in. I guess all things considered, it's cheap either way. It's a Milwaukee institution! read more

A true Diners, Drive-ins & Dives type place if ever there was one. Real Chili is a no thrills old style diner located in downtown Milwaukee with this particular location being in the heart of the Marquette University campus. There is only one reason to come here and that's because your craving some chili. The chili comes in 3 choices of kick and I agree with others that have said there's not much difference between the mild and mid level of spice. There is some grease intermixed with the meat but hello, you are at a chili place. You're not here because you're looking for health food, you're looking for Real Chili. Not an every day destination but will definitely satisfy that chili craving. I've never been here for a bar time stop but imagine Real Chili would really satisfy during those late night hours. read more

Real Chili Restaurant - American Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

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It's a Marquette bar: the food is better at the location by wells and Jefferson. They will not give you the time of day here unless you look like an underage Marquette student. Go across the street to the convenience store, if you are hungry. Just my own experiences and this is my Ted Talk. read more

I will defend this place with my life, the best food and anyone who says different can catch a different kind of marquette special

I'm not usually a fan of chili, but they were open and I was hungry. I tried the medium 1 and 1/2 plain with beans. It was just OK. I mean good for chili, but remember I'm not a huge fan. I went back a few weeks later and tried a mild 1 and 1/2 with "everything" (sour cream, cheese, onions, and jalapenos) and beans. Better. Better enough I went back a few weeks later. Then I tried a mild single with "everything" and found my go to dish. Medium and mild differ only in the amount of seasoned meat they add. Getting the mild with everything changes the overall seasoning profile such that it's not "too" chili for me. Adding the included oyster crackers halfway through finishing rounds it off nicely. I may not go terribly often, but I will definitely keep going now that I've found my go to dish. read more

Real Chili is so real. The service was hella amazing. I love the ambiance! The next day real chili shits are worth it.

A bit too salty for my taste. My daughter seems to like it though. Service was fast and the staff was friendl.

Have been coming to this place for decades. A Milwaukee institution. No menus; order the chili from the board. Same great experience every time. read more

It's great chili and I'd like it on my deathbed. If I eat it before though, I'll be on my deathbed

Brooo the food is so ass. It's like drunk person, last resort, kind of food. And everyone's throws crackers, bc that's what you didn't at real chili.unless u catch the dumb bitch who works there while she's mad, then you'll get yelled at. And if you stop when she asks you to stop? Doesn't matter! She'll yell at you more!!! and maybe kick you out.... So I gotta eat ur shit chili in silence without throwing crackers??? Mmmmm yea don't bother stopping here, workers stay pressed... read more

I just can't get enough. I absolutely LOVE Real Chili. I get that craving, and before I know it I'm belly up to the old school diner counter plowing through a large bowl with noodles, beans, cheese, sour cream, onions, and oyster crackers. Try it sober, try it drunk. Just try it! A Milwaukee Tradition! read more

Some people have grandma's kitchen, where the smells of freshly cooked Thanksgiving dinner bring them right back into their happy place. Or of your own kitchen when you were a child and your parents were cooking a family meal after a hard day at school. For me, it's the smell of Real Chili. There's not many places where the smell of things not only make your stomach hungry, but they also take you back in time. That's how magical the aroma of Real Chili is -- I instantly return to 2011-2012 when I would stumble there after bar close from Caffrey's or Murphy's. We'd go in there after a night of, now, fond memories, order chili, throw oyster crackers around and then stumble back to my friend's girlfriends who lived only a few blocks down. I'm reminiscing. But that's the beauty of this place for me. Now whenever I return, I think about all those great times we had. It's an amazing thing when you give nostalgia a flavor, and I'm glad I was able to do it with Real Chili. Anyway -- Real Chili is meat, beans, noodles, onions, cheese and sour cream. No embellishment, no added crazy condiments because, really, it's not needed. You can taste the spice and delicacy of the meat with every bite, whether you get mild, medium or hot. It's all great. Vegetarian? No sweat (unless you order the hottest, it's hot!). They have sub meat (soy based I believe, but I could be wrong) and it's great as well! I've ordered it a few times just to get a feel and I enjoy it and would recommend! read more

I actually don't even want to give this place any star. I went to this restaurant for the first time and let me tell you, this place is such a rip off! I ordered (all to-go) mild chili with cheese and noodles, medium chili on noodles, chili dog, and a turkey sub and I was disappointed by the quality and quantity of the food. For $7 I got a bowl full of mushy noodles with less than a ladleful of greasy chilies, the heat in mild and medium was "almost" at the same level, meat tasted like frozen, low-quality, cheap ground beef. Turkey+cheese sub was.......ummmm......pathetic! Inside the mushy sub bread were a few of thin--very thin slices of turkey, tomatoes and onion (I ordered "no onion"). The cheese was alright. My suggestion if you crave for subs would be "go to Jimmy John's or Subways" you pay pretty much the same price (or pay a bit more) but you will get wayyyyyyyyyyy better subs! The only thing I found decent was chili dog. The size was decent, hot dog was okay, the poppy seed bun was soft. The chili was quite "alright" (because of the seasoning, the meat--meh). I won't eat here again nor recommend this place to anyone. read more

Real Chili Restaurant - Meh.....never again! - American Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I ordered from Real Chili yesterday and it was amazing! I had the spicy version with onions, cheese, sour cream and oyster crackers. Yummy! Oh yes, with noodles and beans. I even had enough leftovers for today. I highly recommend that you try Real Chili. You will keep coming back. The employees were very friendly! read more

If you're not drunk, please don't eat this. In all seriousness, the chili has been in the pot for god knows how long. And who puts chili on top of noodles. Anyway, it looks gross, you feel gross in there. The workers are friendly, I guess. Not recommended. At all. read more

I have loved every moment I have spent at this establishment. I always get the Marquette special which comes with all the delicious sides that add to their culinary masterpiece that is the bowl of chili. The staff is great too. I have never been there during the day time but the guy that normally works between the hours of 11pm and 3am is a nice guy. Be careful with throwing the oyster crackers tho Overall definitely try this place. read more

Consistently closes early. Will open for certain guests and not others. Terrible service and workers don't want to stay open

They recently added vegetarian chili. Definitely lower calories but I prefer the regular. Try it 50/50 vegetarian and regular. That was very good. Same price. In response to the reviewers that don't like the chili, you are not accustomed to the real stuff. This is in the vein of Chili John's and Skyline. Not the stuff you get at most places. I've tried them all and this is the best. One bowl isn't enough sometimes a second helping (half price) can be too much. I tried the vegetarian for my second helping. Just right! Also was told there is avocado in it besides the mushrooms. That made me feel better about having the second bowl! read more

I LOVE REAL CHILLI i go there more than any other place i been in milwaukee so if you in milwaukee come and get some of this good old chilli read more

Real Chili Restaurant - I was at home about to gey my chilli - American Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I'm writing this review from the perspective of someone from the Southwest. Chili from Texas to California is nothing like this stuff here. If you're visiting from anywhere in the SW, especially Texas, you will hate this chili wannabe stuff as much as I did. If you're not from the SW however and ground beef mixed with some bland weird tasting sauce on spaghetti with kidney beans is what you're used to calling chili then MAYBE you'll like it. Hard to believe anyone could actually LIKE this though. In summary, just look at the "restaurant"... the food tastes like the restaurant looks - LOW END. Expect bad food and you will not be disappointed. read more

This place is outstanding. Food, services, price. I lived in Cincinnati and loved Skyline with the noodles with chili. I saw they have that here but without beans which I don't like so I checked it out. Incredible! read more

this was the best drunk food I've ever experienced. So dope to find little spaghetti noodles under the Chili, definitely check this out if you are in the city. read more

You have not lived until you've eaten a bowl of this stuff. OK, maybe that's an exaggeration, but it is the single best chili you will ever have in your life. As a young lad of 17 back in the late 80's, I went to visit Marquette as a prospective student. Everybody I talked to told me to try Real Chili, and the students I stayed with took me there after a party. That bowl of chili led me to get a degree in Accounting from Marquette. Yes, this stuff will change your life. This isn't the standard chili most of us from Illinois and Wisconsin think of- this is the Cincinnati-style chili served with spaghetti. You can get mild, medium, or hot. The heat is based on the amount of meat in the bowl, and the amount of extra grease they pour into your bowl. I don't think the hot is hot at all, but most people I know like the medium. You can also get cheese (shredded cheddar), onions, jalapenos, and sour cream to mix in if you want. No alcohol is served at the Marquette location, but the East Side location on Wells has beer. Tip: the "Marquette Special" is a bowl of medium with spaghetti, beans, cheese, and sour cream. It is life-affirming. read more

Just visited real chili for the first time last night and let me just say that it was fantastico! I got the Marquette traditional one or something like that and got some sour cream on the side and I was LOVIN it woo wee! Was that t a s t y! Also the workers were chill too they were like doing maintenance things at the bar area which was weird but didn't affect my visit so ¯\_(ツ)_/¯ aighty read more

Real Chili Restaurant - American Near Me - Milwaukee, Wisconsin

I saw this place on the Food Network and knew had to stop the next I was in Milwaukee, mostly for the sheer shock I felt at seeing a top chili place here in Wisconsin. I ordered a hot chili with beans and promptly saw my server go to prepare it. She started by filing probably 2/3 of the way with beans. In my head I was thinking that there was no way I was going to eat all of those beans. Then she piled on what I can only describe as a thick, beefy mix on top that simmered to near the edge of the bowl. Now I may be a chili novice, but this was like no other chili I've ever eaten before. I ordered mine with cheese and chopped onions. Crackers are readily provided. It was good. Despite their layering, the beef and beans mixed together well. The beef mixture was spicy, but not overwhelming and left a satisfying zip in my mouth. The onions mixed in nicely, and were a welcomed vegetable to an otherwise meat/bean combo. Overall, the chili was good. After about 5 minutes my bowl was empty. I had eaten all of those beans. Even though i only tried it once, I crave it now. It did not blow me away, but I could definitely see how living near there could promote an unhealthy habit or two. One note, there are three types of chili: mild, medium and hot. All of these designations just refer to the amount of beef mix you get with it. A mild dish means a lot of beans, little beef. A hot dish means a lot of beans and a lot of beef. If you're not a big bean fan, you might just want to order to the hot, as that will give you the best mix of beans and meat, and the spic is not overwhelming. read more

"Real Chili, who art in heaven, hallowed be thy taste." As one enters through the glass encased doors that shield the bubbling pots of truly authentic chili from the elements of the natural world one enters a world of flavor and class unbeknownst to the world at large. I walk the path towards redemption and hope, pray, that i will not be stricken down by our lord before i enter into this womb of eternal flavor. I reach the second gate and my hand stretches forward. With a slight push, i have arrived. "O say can you taste, by the dawns early light. What so proudly we hailed, at the twilights last gleaming." The establishment is encased by warm red walls with crisp black stripes. The coat hooks on the walls truly provide a sense of home for all who enter. The U shaped counters center the patrons on what is truly important; the real, authentic, actual, legitimate, indubitable, tangible chili. The ambience is truly majestic and leaves one feeling more patriotic, more in touch with ones self, more holy. "E=MChili." What is the mark of a fine establishment? The food. The glorious food! In the round vessel in which thine glorious chili is delivered, the noodles fill the bottom with a perfectly circular serving of the finest meats on top. Add in the fix-ins and mix well and thy taste buds will truly be blown away. As the Vatican has enlightened, "A chili full of flavor is a chili full of joy." After the bowl is empty thine stomach aches. Aching not only in digestion but in sadness and desire for yet another bowl. Thusly, the lord has blessed us all with the freedom to purchase another and another and another. Amen read more

I visited Real Chili for the first time this afternoon, and was sold from the moment I sat down at the counter. I was immediately given napkins and a dish of oyster crackers. The guy working the counter was friendly, and gave this RC rookie a quick review of the heat levels of the chili. Service was prompt & friendly (I also noticed he was chatting & joking with the other lunch-time regulars). The chili itself was quite good. It was a Cincinnati style (finely ground beef) chili with my preferred medium heat level. I got both spaghetti & beans, and with sides of onions & cheese. The flavor was good & the sides + the oyster crackers seemed to cut down on the grease level. The one thing I noticed on the menu was that they charge you $.25 more if you order carryout. While the location is on the Marquette campus and is probably geared more towards students, us business folks don't necessarily have the extra 30 minutes to eat. The extra charge for carryout was a little off-putting, but I guess given the tastiness of the place, they can afford to. RC is a winner - try it out! read more

It's good chili. Not great, although they have a huge following. I just don't get it myself. It's carrying a good flavor, but it's just so oily. Heat varies, all dependant upon how much meat you get. The chili is served on its own, with either beans or spaghetti, or with both. I recommend both, with cheese, as it lessens the grease effect. Pricing is fair (especially given the huge portions) as is the service. I tend to like this place more for socializing than the food. And thinking about it now, it really does make for decent bar time food, although. read more