Chili Willi's, the cult-favorite Tex-Mex joint that once packed the house in Huntington, West Virginia, is firing up the grills again in Cornelius on Friday, this time with a full-on nostalgia play and a fresh Lake Norman polish. The reboot takes over the former Waterman Fish Bar space on Bailey Road and leans into the bright colors and playful plates longtime fans remember. Owners say the new spot will stick to the chili-heavy hits and a strong lineup of scratch margaritas, with a roomy patio slated to open later this month.
Local restaurateur Rob Duckworth, the name behind Duckworth’s Grill & Taphouse and Link & Pin, bought the recipe rights and teamed up with Chili Willi’s founder Ron Smith to revive the brand at Lake Norman, according to the Charlotte Observer. Duckworth has called the comeback a personal passion project and has been quietly remaking the former seafood spot for months ahead of Friday’s debut. As the opening neared, the team teased a winking “Re-established in 2026” message on social media.
Smith spent more than a year in Charlotte working with Duckworth’s corporate chef, James Dibella, to rebuild the menu and train the staff, the team told Axios. “If you do something, you want to make sure it succeeds,” Smith said. The updated menu leans into original favorites such as pork carnitas tacos, pollo flautas and chicken fajitas, alongside chimichangas, a coffee-rubbed hanger steak, wood-grilled salmon and other entrees. On the drinks side, the bar program zeroes in on scratch-made margaritas built with fresh lime and agave.
A Huntington original, now reborn
Chili Willi’s first opened in Huntington in 1983 and grew into a hometown staple known for its award-winning chili before closing in 2011 amid financial troubles, according to The Clio roundup of local reporting. In Cornelius, the team kept visual callbacks to the original spot, from neon touches to brightly colored plates, while updating the kitchen and layout for a modern Lake Norman crowd.
When to go
The restaurant seats about 106 guests inside, and the team expects the patio, which is set to open later this month, to add roughly 110 more seats, per Axios. Chili Willi’s opens daily at 11 a.m.; it closes at 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday and at 11 p.m. on Fridays and Saturdays. You will find it at 9615 Bailey Road in Cornelius.
For menus, reservations and updates on that patio launch, the team has been sharing details on social media. The restaurant’s Instagram was among the first places they teased the reopening, according to the Charlotte Observer. Diners can expect familiar Tex-Mex comfort, anchored by a lively margarita program tuned to Lake Norman tastes.
