There are so many similarities between the Applebee’s and Chili’s restaurants, located not far apart from each other but on opposite sides of Route 9 in Hadley, that I suspected they were owned by the same parent company.

They both have multiple glossy, color menus; red-lettered signs; and sort of standardized kitsch décor on the walls. My 15-year-old son Elliot and I got into the routine of going to Applebee’s lured by the sports on television and the chicken quesadilla grande for Elliot.

But I wondered, what was over there at Chili’s? (Chilis.com.) My kids said they had gone there once, but argued about how many years ago it had been. (It wasn’t with me.) So on a recent evening, we found the entrance (sort of tricky to find on the road that leads to Stop & Shop) and decided to give it a try.

The first thing we noticed that no one paid attention to us when we got inside. At Applebee’s, they must have a policy that someone must be at the door to greet patrons at all times and there is unfailingly a pleasant welcome when you walk in.

I was threatening to leave Chili’s (with no back-up plan at hand) when we were finally seated. (I could count seven televisions that I could see from our table, but none were in my direct line of vision. I think my son could watch however. Applebee's also has an epic number of televisions.)

The biggest contrast between Applebee’s and Chili’s is the emphasis on flavor. “Welcome to Bolder” read one special menu. “4 new bold flavors’’ the Web site states. However, I was assured that the items I asked questions about were not too spicy.

Both Applebee’s and Chili’s are offering the exact same special. For $20, you get an appetizer and two entrees. Only a few of the appetizers are included. I should do a cost analysis to see which restaurant is offering the better deal in terms of dollars and cents, but I’m not much of a mathematician.

I told my daughter, Olivia, 13, that she had to pick something from the menu that fit into the special and that we were getting the tostada chips and fire-grilled corn guacamole (which I hoped was a healthier choice that the cheese fries or the fried cheese. There was some grumbling about the addition to corn (which as a vegetable is reviled in my home), but we all like guacamole.

With it, I ordered the chicken fajitas and Livvy got a bacon burger. Elliot opted for one of the “Big Mouth Burgers” known as the Shiner Bock (a sauce brand name) BBQ burger. The name Big Mouth reminded me that Chili’s is not the ideal place for someone counting calories and I remember the now-gone burger joint in downtown called Fatso’s.)

The guacamole was disappointing, with little taste of the avocado remaining and the corn making it too sweet for even me. The guacamole served with the fajitas was only slightly better because it lacked the corn. Livvy liked the chips because they are really thin, easier to eat than thicker chips which can hurt your gums.

Reading about both Applebee’s and Chili’s on the internet, I learned that both restaurants rely on frozen food which is reheated. That’s how you can get the same quality standard at every Chili’s or Applebee’s in the United States. So I should have set my expectations accordingly.

Livvy pronounced the bacon burger “too greasy,’’ although I think greasiness is just part of any bacon burger experience. However, she loved the French fires she said were “fluffy and plump with perfect amount of salt and pepper.’’

Elliot didn’t say much about his burger except that it barbecue sauce was a little sweet and that it was tall. I liked my fajitas, which arrived sizzling hot (just as they do at Applebee’s and most other chain restaurants I’ve been to.) I jammed the warm tortillas with chicken, sautéed onions and peppers, cheese, sour cream and guacamole and was reasonably pleased. (I think I wanted beans.)

In the end, I’d rate the service at Applebee’s to be superior to Chili’s but the food was about the same. I like how the manager at Applebee’s often checks in to make sure you liked your meal.