If You Had A Birthday At This Chain, You Probably Remember Getting A Big Sombrero

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If you only went to restaurants on your birthday for the first 18 years of your life, then you might have grown up in the working-class Midwest. If your coming-of-age years happened to fall during the 1980s or early '90s, then chances are you spent birthdays at Chi-Chi's. The family-dining chain introduced countless Americans to Tex-Mex food, bringing south-of-the-border flavors to the suburbs. Although perhaps even more than the cuisine, patrons of this formerly abundant chain likely remember the birthday festivities: Celebrants were gifted a giant sombrero.

A Reddit thread asks foodies for their "favorite 'suburban chain' restaurant" (i.e., "Applebee's, Olive Garden, Chili's, Red Robin, etc.)," and the top comment with over 200 upvotes responds, "It used to be Chi-Chi's." Others jump in to echo the Chi-Chi's praise, recounting fond memories like "I still have dreams about it" and "They gave me a sombrero for my 11th birthday. Like, a pretty nice one. For free." Elsewhere online, a 2022 Facebook post in the somewhat hyper-specific "Flashbacks of Bloomington, MN and Surrounding Area" group celebrates the spicy memory of Chi-Chi's, sharing, "I miss this place. And although it can be embarrassing to have the wait staff sing 'Happy Birthday' in a restaurant, I loved the way they did it at Chi-Chi's with the giant sombrero." The original straw sombreros were made in Mexico and embroidered with the "Chi-Chi's" restaurant name in red thread. You can still find 'em on eBay for upwards of $60 ("Well kept from the 1980s").

The restaurant policy might have varied by individual location. In another thread dedicated to the "old chi chi's restaurant birthday sombrero," other commenters share that during their own Chi-Chi's birthday visits, they were not permitted to take the sombrero home. Either way, fans certainly remember those iconic, 19-inch-diameter sombreros — and for countless foodies who grew up pre-21st-century, birthdays at this chain restaurant were the stuff of legend.

The first-ever Chi-Chi's restaurant opened in Minnesota in 1975, the collaboration between restaurateur Marno McDermott and former Green Bay Packers player Max McGee. The chain is largely responsible for bringing Mexican chain-dining to the Midwest, including a 28-year stint at its flagship Minneapolis location. At its height, Chi-Chi's boasted more than 200 locations across the U.S. — all of which were shuttered by 2004. In the decades since, more than a few fans have grown to miss the chain, leading to (gasp) a long-awaited comeback in 2025.

A fitting homage to the chain's roots, the new location opened in Minnesota by original co-founder Marno's son, Michael McDermott, with plans to expand in the future. In a September 2025 press release, McDermott shared, "Chi-Chi's is back stronger than ever." The revamped menu marries old favorites with new updates, serving up Tex-Mex classics from enchiladas to quesabirria tacos and more — with fried ice cream for dessert.