These fans grew up going to Chi-Chi’s. Here’s what they want from the new one.

Don’t mess with the chimichanga, sizzle plates or fried ice cream.

Those are among the pieces of advice Chi-Chi’s fans have for the local chain making a comeback after 20 years. With the first Chi-Chi’s 2.0 set to roll out Monday in St. Louis Park, and plans to add more locations, fans responded to the Minnesota Star Tribune’s call for nostalgic Chi-Chi’s fans.

They shared fond memories of the jovial atmosphere and concept that introduced many diners to Tex-Mex fare for the first time. Fans also gave their two cents on what it will take for customers like them to dine there on repeat, as the restaurant ushers the brand into a modern era.

As a kid, Marcus Parkansky went to Chi-Chi’s with his parents nearly every Friday night. The Milwaukee transplant, now a Twin Cities resident, said he plans to check out the new St. Louis Park location with family and friends shortly after it debuts.

“I was super excited when I heard it was coming back because I have a lot of memories there,” he said. “It’s going to be a blast from the past, while being something new and different, and hopefully that should be moderate.”

Parkansky said one of his family’s regular dishes was the taco salad, in which the restaurant made its own tortilla bowls, and it will be one of his first orders.

Rachael Crew would dine at the Richfield location, the very first Chi-Chi’s when the concept debuted in the mid-1970s, with her family on occasion.

Crew said as long as they bring back the fajita sizzle plate and fried ice cream, “which was the pinnacle of the whole experience,” whenever her family went for special occasions such as birthdays, she’ll be one happy customer. Lucky for her, those items have been spotted on the new Chi-Chi’s menu posted online.

For Kelly Wilen, the Chi-Chi’s in Richfield was the place where she, her brother and parents would frequent on Friday nights. As a vegetarian, she’s glad to see more such options on this new menu than what was available previously.

“I would always order the Mexican pizza,” she said. “So that’s one of the things I did, was look at the new menu to see if there’s more options and it seems it’s more inclusive of vegetarians and appeals to a wider range. And that the fried ice cream is coming back, which, who doesn’t love?”

Fans know that Chi-Chi’s has to evolve — from the menu to the vibe — to stay relevant and survive among all the stiff competition that has emerged. And they’re wishing them well as the restaurant finds that balancing act.

For Crew, she hopes the bold, bright decor that was synonymous with Chi-Chi’s will be part of the tradition, although cast in a new light.