Chuy's

This place absolutely rules.For Mexican, it is a tad expensive. However, it is a must if you are a homesick Texan or are new to the town. The queso compuesto is awesome. Great fajitas, too. Not as good as the sherry fajitas you can get in Mexico, but pretty good. Atmosphere is great, and the bar is a great place to hang out and socialize before dinner. Hour long waits are the norm here.Dog's rating: three and a half paws (out of five)
 
Chuy's is an Austin landmark. To me, Chuy's defines "Tex-Mex" (as opposed to "Mexican" food). There are 3 locations, and they definitely aren't the same. The food and ambiance at the (original) Barton Springs road site are definitely superior to the other two. They have a number of great Tex-Mex plates (I love the Chuychanga, and the Steak Burrito -- ask them to make it with chicken fajita meat), but I keep coming back to the "Chuy's Special". I try to eat there at least once a week. Whenever I'm gone from Austin for a week or more, I'm always anxious to get my "Chuy's fix"!
 
Fortunately for me, Chuy's also has two locations in Houston. I frequent the one near River Oaks and the food there is on par with that at the original on Barton Springs. On a Friday or Saturday night the wait is just as long too. Now if we could just get a Shady Grove in Houston.As a side note, one of the coolest things about Chuy's is their annual celebration of the green chile pepper, The Hatch Green Chile Festival. Its a september event and they have all sorts of specials that incorporate the little green devils from Hatch, New Mexico. I recommend without reservation any dish that they serve that has Hatch green chiles in it.------------------
FKA Karl Spackler
 
Chuy's is good, but not spectacular, IMO. More hype than substance. There are a dozen or more better Mex places around town that you don't have to wait 2 hours for a plate of overpriced, mediocre, cold Mexican food......
 
Setting: odd, and incongruous, but charming in its own Austin sort of way. Parking can be tricky, but no big deal, really.Food: Fajitas at Chuys are excellent, the burritos and enchiladas are good, and the salsa is especially hot and spicy. The Ritas are impressive, and overall the food is above average but not one of those places anyone really craves all the time.Service: Good service, they keep your water and tea filled up, and they make sure you always have plenty of chips and salsa. The food arrives relatively quickly, and the wait-people are generally nice.In general, Chuys is not THE place to go when in Austin and craving Mexican food. It is just a fun place to go every now and then.------------------
"For me to poop on."
- Triumph, the Insult Comic Dog.
 
Chuy's is quite simply the BEST TEX-MEX RESTAURANT IN THE COUNTRY. No doubt about it. I live in Illinois for 2 years after school, and nearly had to be hospitalized for Chuychanga withdrawal. They also have the best fresh salsa in the south.My choice:Chuychanga w/ double beans (no rice), deluxe tomatillo sauce and an extra bowl of sauce on the side. Don't forget - eat the fresh salsa, not the ketchup sauce.
 
Prepare for the mother of all waits to get into the Barton Springs or Research Blvd locations on Evenings & Weekends in particular. I suggest trying the North Lamar location. The setting is not quite as scenic, but the food is just as good.My personal fave is the Chuy's Special enchiladas. The verde sauce with the blue tortillas just goes together like peanut butter & jelly ... only better.
 
Some of you have to keep in mind, this is not a typical Tex-Mex place, but what I would call a "gringo" establishment. That said, the original Chuy's is an Austin classic and the food, if not out of this world, is damn good Tex-Mex.
 
Another shrine of Texas culture. As said above: a bit pricey, but good; crowded, but fun. There are better places & places not so busy -- so why do we end up @ Chuy's all the time??Getting off topic, but how is it possible that the owners of Chuy's haven't expanded outside of Texas??I'm originally from DC & can assure you that a Chuy's would make beaucoup $$ in that location. Somebody with many $$ should run with this idea -- especially if Bush wins the election & drags half of Austin with him.FYI, there area couple of 'Austin Grill' restaurants in DC -- complete with Amy's Ice Cream and Shiners. Not bad, but also not Chuy's...
 
I made my first ever visit to Chuy's last Saturday (the new one in Round Rock). They told us there would be a wait of at least an hour so we waited in the bar (which seems larger than the dining area). There, the fun began. My wife ordered a margarita (she is 52 years old) and was asked for ID. I ordered a margarita and was also asked for an ID (I'm 54), my 45 year old sister was refused a margarita because she didn't have her ID with her. I asked the waitress if "she was kidding". She sharply informed me she was just doing her job. My original assumption was that due to the Bush girls' problem they were simply checking ID's for everyone. As I sat there for over an hour I began watching other customers as they ordered drinks. NO ONE was asked for an ID. Patrons entered and ordered drinks that were CLEARLY years younger than our party and they were served without question. Once we were seated in the dining area I mentioned the experience to our waitress and she was appalled. She called the manager and asked me to share the story with him. While he was polite, he offered no compensation or real concern for that matter. It will be a long time (as in never) that I waste my time nor spend my money at a Chuy's.
 
A couple years ago, I was told my ID looked fake by a Chuy's waitress. Since I was sitting there with my parents, I couldn't believe it.

Amazed at the stupidity, I suddenly felt less hungry. My parents ate. I sat and talked to them.

When I got to the parking lot, my 4 day old truck had been hit and run. Worse, there was a footprint above the dent where the SOB had gotten out and kicked my truck after hitting it. All told, I think it was close to $3,000 damage.

My check for the insurance hadn't even cleared my bank yet.

The two events are not related, but I've only been back once in the three years since, and I don't feel guilty about it.
 
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