Chuy's

Style: Mexican
My Rating: 5/5

Website: http://www.chuys.com/#/menu


Likes: Two meals worth of food, CAKE, neon signs and pink walls, CAKE, good recommendations from the server, CAKE, visible prayers, CAKE

Dislikes: Mandatory valet parking. Really?

We pulled up to the parking lot at Chuy’s (pronounced Chewy’s) and were flagged down by a bunch of adolescent boys. If we wanted to park outside of the restaurant, we had to participate in complimentary valet parking. It wasn’t a huge inconvenience, but we had no singles to tip the teenagers. If you decide to check out this place, and you definitely should, bring teen tip money!

We sat down at a table in a restaurant that was packed at 4:00 on a Saturday afternoon. That sheer amount of people is always a good sign at such an off time. There were lots of families, some younger couples, and a mish mosh of others. We were greeted by a friendly server who brought us a couple of cervezas. As I sipped a Negra Modelo, I noticed a sign that said Hecha a Mano, meaning handmade, since every food item is made by hand at this restaurant. They also have bright pink walls, fake palm trees, and great oldies music to listen to. 

One thing that took us by surprise was that the silverware was wrapped in a paper packet that guaranteed their sterilization. The next weirdest thing, was that the back of the paper packet had prayers on them for Protestant, Catholic, and Jewish religions. Although I am not institutionally religious, I admire that there are different prayers of thanks that were presented.

Next we snacked on homemade tortilla chips. They were extraordinarily thin and were paired with fresh salsa made with limes and cilantro. These chips were the best I had ever had and the taste of the salsa made me want to drink… a lot. I had visions of sitting on a back porch with the salsa and a beer in some hot summer heat with just one bite.

Our entrees greeted us on very large plates overflowing with sauces and aromas. Brad ordered the Elvis Presley Memorial Combo, which came complete with a Beef Tex-Mex enchilada, cheese Ranchero enchilada, chicken Tomatillo enchilada, seasoned ground sirloin crispy taco & homemade tostada chips dipped in chile con queso. I snuck a bite of the cheese ranchero enchilada, which was a mouthful of elastic cheese that laced my mouth with flavor and grease. The chicken tomatillo enchilada was also a bite of Mexican goodness, with a tangy verde sauce that cleansed the palette from previous bites. 

I ordered the Comida Deluxe Combination, because I wanted to try a bit of everything. I am just saying that on an empty stomach, I could not finish this entire meal. It came with Cheese Tex-Mex enchiladas, chicken flautas, a seasoned ground sirloin crispy taco, guacamole & homemade tostada chips dipped in chile con queso. The chicken flautas were smaller than I was used to seeing and at first I was unimpressed. Then I crunched through the crispy shell and tasted a smoky chipotle sauce that was to die for. Plus, those tostada chips with the chile con queso were my favorite thing on my dinner plate. I could eat a whole meal of these. The queso was slightly spicy, but had a salty, smoky chipotle taste that oozed over the crisp tostada.

The best part of this whole meal came last. We decided to grab a dessert because it was our first time there. We thought we would split some churros, but they did not have them. Our server recommended the Tres Leches cake, so we ordered it. I think my eyes must have doubled in size when this came out. It was a huge square portion of cake, with a caramel topping and some strawberries. It had been soaked in sweet milk, which trickled to the bottom. The entire cake laid on a bed of vanilla cream, which tasted as though it came directly from the bean and the cow that morning. Upon one time, my mouth was greeted by a symphony of moist cake, thick vanilla cream, and a crisp and sweet strawberry slice. It was absolutely breathtaking. 

By the time we went to check out, were stunned that we had two large entrees, a dessert, and two beers for under $35. When we walked out around 5 pm, this place was packed. We could barely make it to the door. However, if I had the chance to be stuck here with Tres Leches cake, I would have no qualms about not being able to get home.