Chili 4-Way
What I Got: Regular Chili 4-Way; spaghetti topped with chili, white onions and shredded cheddar cheese. $5.39
Cincinnati chili is a breed of chili unto itself. According to Wikipedia (if it’s on Wikipedia, it has to be true!), Cincinnati chili is “characterized by the use of unusual ingredients such as cinnamon, cloves, or chocolate.” Those aren’t exactly ingredients that you’d find in regular chilis and their chili does not taste like anything you are going to have anywhere else. Because of this regional pre-disposition to this flavor, there are several competing chains in the midwest that offer this style. Skyline Chili is one of those and much like White Castle, I’ve found that their food taste can create some polarizing opinions as well. I’ve got friends that absolutely love the place and I’ve got others that wouldn’t get within miles of a Skyline Chili even if their life depended on it.
Now, I’m not a hardened food critic and I don’t have a super-refined palate, but I believe that the major ingredient in Skyline Chili is cinnamon as their chili is very sweet. In addition to the cinnamon, Skyline chili is very runny and not chunky at all. It’s almost like a marinara sauce. Regardless it is a unique taste and if you like sweet foods, you are probably going to like their unique flavor of chili.
When you order it in one of the various Skyline ways, you get it on top of spaghetti noodles and can have it with either onions, beans, cheese or a combination of all three. I prefer mine with cheese and onions.
Would I Buy It Again? Yes, I would. While Skyline can get a little pricey and can also get very messy, I certainly appreciate the sweet taste of the chili from time to time. It’s not something that you eat regularly, but it is a nice occasional treat.
FYI, Skyline Chili is also available at the supermarket (at least in the Midwest) in canned and frozen varieties as well as through the internet, so if you don’t have an actual location nearby, you can always try the next best thing and make it yourself.
-IndianapolisEater
WIBIA
indianapoliseater
EatHSE
16 Comments
11/03/2009 at 8:18 am
I usually order the 4-way with beans rather than onions, because, really, Chili Must Have Beans. Otherwise it’s just meat sauce.
What can I say, I wasn’t born in the Midwest.
11/03/2009 at 8:45 am
Beans in chili are a no-no for me. Real chili experts (like the ones in Texas) will tell you that beans in chili is sacrilege.
11/03/2009 at 9:00 am
But that is for the “real” Chili experts in Texas – we have our own experts here on the east coast and it isn’t chili without the beans – without the beans it is basically a meat sauce.
Although on a chili dog I like your Texas type chili.
Just full of contradictions today! Hey!
Oh and I don’t like sweet chili – just spicy baby!
11/03/2009 at 12:54 pm
Another vote for beanless.
11/03/2009 at 8:30 am
I agree with Joanna..beans are a must for me!
11/03/2009 at 8:39 am
How does this compare to Steak ‘N Shake’s chili? It looks almost identical, with the spaghetti, cheese, onions, etc.
11/03/2009 at 8:45 am
It’s somewhat related, but not all that similar. Steak ‘N Shake’s chili is heartier and not as sweet.
11/03/2009 at 9:17 am
I loooooooooooove Skyline! Mmmm…might be what’s for dinner.
11/03/2009 at 9:31 am
That looks amazing. I feel like making chili now.
11/03/2009 at 9:37 am
Not a fan of Skyline (too sweet) and not a fan of chili without beans.
11/04/2009 at 11:03 am
I prefer my chili with beans too.
11/03/2009 at 9:52 am
I like Skyline…If you want it spicier they have hot sauce avail. The coney dogs there are pretty good. I also like Cinci’s Gold Star Chili which I’ve also found in Marsh.
11/03/2009 at 11:01 am
We do have a coney dog review saved up too, so we’ll get to that one. I wouldn’t make a trip to Skyline without getting one of those!
11/04/2009 at 1:11 pm
I tell indiapoliseater this all the time, but it is not chili, it is spaghetti. I think it tastes good, but please stop calling it chili.
11/06/2009 at 9:28 am
This sounds a lot like my grandma’s chili. It’s sweet and runny (and sometimes spicy) all at the same time. And I’m in Wisconsin. Most people around here say to keep the beans out of the chili and keep the spaghetti in it. And of course you have to have whole tomatoes in it, and sour cream and cheese on top.
11/06/2009 at 9:30 am
I forgot to mention that this isn’t my idea of chili, but it’s what my grandma (and many other people around here)’s recipe consists of.