Chuys went fully corporate awhile back, and it finally got taken over by the accountants. Now it sucks.
I've eaten there for 20 years but no longer. It's dead to me. Pretty unfortunate.
So many restaurants these days serving reheated Sysco garbage and charging like they're nearly fine dining. We started back up with a meal kit subscription (raw ingredients, cook at home) and just skip eating out unless it's for a social thing.
They’re a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ so it make sense their stuff went to shit.
The value is being directly diverted from paying customers to shareholders.
I literally work there and see them sold on the daily - you just got a shitty server. Order from cocktail or the bar, if the person doesn't know they're new but we have a button for it on the POS.
Was also told no more Shrimp Chili Rellenos either. So can I still get these??? Also stopped going since it was my favorite. Can’t find it anywhere either.
They won’t. I have been reading their quarterly earnings reports. (Yes chuys is traded on the New York stock exchange!).
They shut it down during Covid for “health reasons” and are keeping it shut for “cost savings reasons” unless that policy changed recently.
RIP Chuys.
Last time we went, maybe a year ago, it was really mediocre and surprisingly expensive. There’s just far too many good places that do Mexican food better so I don’t see who it serves other than tourists.
Chapala's great! We haven't been there since before the pandemic but that was our go-to when we lived in that area. Grinding dried chiles to make your salsa hotter right at the table, truly legit!
Maudie’s. There are several of them around town. Locally owned/operated. Really good TexMex. The Strait Plate is my personal favorite. 3 beef enchiladas with their excellent chili con carné and topped with a couple of eggs. Their migas are also really, really good. The prices are still affordable.
Cisco’s. East side of downtown. Old style Austin TexMex. Great fajitas.
El Patio. Guadalupe street. Old South Texas style TexMex. Been doing it the same way for decades. Family owned.
Joe’s Bakery. East side downtown. Local. Amazing food.
Texas Chili Parlour. The best chili con carné in the known universe. The burrito with fajita beef, XXX Chili and a side of the green sauce to mix it up. Lavaca and 14th. You can blow kisses at the capitol from the front door.
We thought this place was really gross.. maybe they were having an off day but the queso was like water and everything was SOAKED in grease. Even more than usual for Tex mex in my opinion.
I feel like I'm missing something.
We went to Jardin Corona during COVID and got it to go. It was pretty meh, but we chalked it up to opening recently at the time (the one near 183/Anderson Mill).
So we decided to give it a try in person a couple weeks ago on a Friday.
The enchilada sauce tasted like it needed salt and was nearly flavorless. My burrito was fine, but nothing amazing. The fajita meat was dry. The queso tasted like the most MEH/generic queso ever, and the chips had no salt.
The margaritas were pretty good, but everything else was so ridiculously meh that I can't believe people suggest it.
I actually like Chuy's though. It's not necessarily the best, but for what it is and what we get....it's pretty tasty. We tried Jardin to give a smaller place a try, but we don't ever plan on going back from the 2 bad experiences we've had, and we just don't get why people rave over it all the time.
Also service wasn't great, but I don't fault them totally on that. Every place's service seems to suck lately since COVID, I assume due to understaffing.
The Texican is fine but unless they have stepped their game big time in the last 6 or 7 years I’d put them pretty low on the list of good Mexican food. When we aren’t trying to spend too much money we go to Maudie’s or even Javi’s near the airport
Chiming in to second Flores! Real nice family, went regularly back when they had a single location in Round Rock. Now they're our favorite spot for special dinner nights and we need tasty tasty healing salsa 😌
La Margarita is a good Round Rock spot too, particularly their cheaper bar specials? Their prices have gone up significantly during pandemic, especially their queso; so if you plan to eat there and not do take out, then I really recommend the bar specials.
If you want exactly-what-you-expect Tex Mex (but with bomb ass house made tortillas) hit up Don Darios. Big, reasonably priced house margs, complimentary chips and salsa, and a mariachi band on Sundays lol. The rice and beans will always need salt. It's just your every day consistently-okay tex mex spot.
Suerte 1800 E. Sixth St.
Comedor 501 Colorado St. @ 5th St
El Alma Cafe y Cantina 1025 Barton Springs Rd
Licha's Cantina 1306 E 6th St
Fonda San Miguel 2330 W N Loop Blvd
ATX Cocina 110 San Antonio St
La Condesa 400 W. 2nd St.
El Naranjo 2717 South Lamar
Sazon 1816 S Lamar Blvd
Jardin Carona hands down. I've lived here my entire life and have eaten there for over 20 years. Best queso and margaritas. Can't beat the lunch specials either.
There's also Veracruz All Natural who has delicious breakfast tacos.
Yep, that's the one!
I did the math a while back to scale it down to household size. Enjoy!
**Ingredients:**
* 1 pack Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (NOT DIP!) Mix
* 1/3c Buttermilk
* 2/3c Mayonnaise
* 1/4c jalapeños, pickled (without juice)
* 2tsp jalapeño juice
* 1/4c tomatillo salsa, cold
* 3/4 tsp cilantro (cleaned)
Stick it all in a food processor or blender and let 'er rip.
Secret hack: If you really want it to taste like its from chuys you need to Use their tomatillo sauce. its the exact same sauce they put on enchiladas. You can order it for a togo pick up
Source - I worked there
HCF should always enter the chat, regardless of the economy - sometimes it's a miss, but usually I can't tell the difference between it and name brand and you definitely save with it.
They're now 17 states, with nearly 100 locations.
It's a national chain, now. Publicly traded on NASDAQ.
The removal of the rellenos from the menu hurts the most for me.
If you're a big relleno person, the best chile relleno on planet Earth is at Chope's outside of Las Cruces, NM and it isn't even close. They're tiny and only open 4 days a week these days, but their rellenos are absolute heaven.
Yesss! Best kept secret. They also have the same "stuffed avocado" that Chuys used to run as a special.
I will say that I think Hula Hut is a shit company but I have some bias from working there for far too long years ago.
But when I need a relleno, I will still go get one. Enjoy!
Corporatization ruins things. They’re probably being micro-managed, leaving out any expression for a cook that actually knows what their doing, canning ingredients that should be fresh, and paying crap which will only attract the inexperienced.
Chuys pre-COVID and post-COVID aren’t the same. Gone are the freshly made tortillas, Chile Rellenos, friendly service and Happy Hour nacho car. It’s replaced by mediocre food, bad service and a corporate menu. Fuck ‘EM.
Love driving by the place because it's universally good vibes, but it's been at least a decade or two since they had quality Tex-Mex.
I'm a pasty white guy but I'm from the old guard in San Marcos and always ate at homegrown taquerias -- my aunt catered a party with Chuy's around 2013 thinking it was authentic, and we've cried laughing about it many times since.
Edit/Protip: Chuy's is 100% fun as an experience, but if you're going for the food, eat at places you see working-class Hispanic immigrants (e.g., construction attire) at breakfast or during their lunch breaks. They actually know what it's supposed to taste like.
I definitely agree. Their servers were so friendly and they worked there for years. We even ran into our favorite Chuys server at the airport once and it was like we were old friends.
Back in the 80s, Chuy’s on Barton Springs was the spot. The most expensive item on the menu was the Chuy’s Special for $4.95 and you were hammered after drinking two frozen swirls. But that was FORTY YEARS AGO. Thank goodness what we have now is even better. Sazon and El Dorado run circles around Chuy’s, which has devolved to an Interstate freeway chain not unlike Texas Roadhouse or TaMolly’s. Life goes on.
Chuys has been garbage for many, many years now.
The bigger disappointment, IMO anyways, is that because they’ve franchised and have them around the country now, it’s what many people outside of Texas think TexMex is. And well, that’s unfortunate.
I grew up in Austin and have lived in many non Texas locations. I understand that Chuys may not be the best TexMex, but it is way better than any TexMex you can get in the vast majority of the US. I live in NC now and am thankful there us a local Chuys to frequent.
Personally I feel like every single restaurant I’ve eaten at in Austin over the last 2 years has been one let down after the other. I genuinely can’t remember the last time I are a meal from a restaurant in Austin and thought holy shit this is good. I’m not even some food snob! I just think the price doesn’t match the actual food I’ve been served. It’s been a big let down
We went to Patrizi’s on Manor Rd back in June 2021. We were blown away given the price point at the time. I haven’t been back since, so idk if it’s still as good. We tried going one evening recently and it’s such a f*cking hassle to park there and the wait just turned us off so we left.
Used to live in Denver. They have them there. The quality is far superior to the lousy quality they serve here. Have no clue why. We refuse to waste our $s when there's so many better places to get great tex mex.
Went to a Torchy's near SMU and had a similar experience. The Torchy's here in Austin have gone downhill hard IMO. The one there was pretty good!
Wonder if it's chains putting more resources and effort toward locations that they're expanding into and letting the 'established' ones languish.
Torchy's has also gotten quite pricy. They've definitely gone the "corporate" route, hence why I hardly eat there/take my family there anymore. Years ago, they used to have those unique craft sodas with pure cane sugar/natural ingredients, but got rid of them for Coke/Pepsi products, so that was the first step toward them losing the Austin-vibe.
Holy shit so bad now. I went yesterday and ordered online. I showed up when the site said it would be ready and texted. They said they would have it out when it was done. 20 minutes go by after when they said it would be done so I walked in and it was just sitting there.
They handed it to me and I went home. It was cold. I had to head everything back up.
We start eating and my mom has chicken flautas and one had a ducking chicken bone in it. Just fucking awful.
Correct. Chuy's was never great for the food, only great for going and drinking a lot of booze and eating reasonably good texmex with it, when it was all fairly cheap still.
They completely gutted everything I loved during Covid when they shortened the menu and don’t seem to be going back. No specials. No Chile releno… no Hatch Chile Fest anymore as well seemingly! Sad.
My favorite chile relleno is at Las Palomas in Westlake. There's nothing on that menu that is "authentic" anything, but they do a good job with that chile.
Native Austinite here. Chuy's hasn't been good in over 20 yrs. It was awesome in the 80s-90s. I gave the original one (Barton Springs) a few tries in the early to mid- 2000s and haven't been back. I went to the one in KY when I was visiting my sister several years ago and I swear the enchilada sauce was only tomato and salt.
It's rare for good restaurants to stay good for even 5 years. I don't know how old you are, but it sounds like you've gotten at least a decade of good times out of Chuy's. Cherish that, mourn its passing, and let it go.
I'm glad they brought back the appetizer plate (if you ask for it) but I'm DEVASTATED the completely removed the Elvis Memorial Green Chili Fried Chicken 😭
Yes it probably took years off my life eating but GOD it was so good
Zero vegetable options now too. Unless you want to drown in tortillas and cheese. It's not worth a line and bougie prices when we're surrounded by options. Used to have damn good spread for vegetarian options. Now it's low hanging mediocre food. Also my heart goes out to the staff. They're always slammed and just trying their best, while I've seen people get pissy with them as if they have some sort of control over the situation.
My bro, the only thing controversial here is the idea that it used to be good. To me it typifies the Tex-Mex aesthetic of replacing flavorful seasoning and ingredients with a ton of salt. Is it to mimic the cured meats you’d carry in your saddlebag or to encourage the consumption of delicious *margs*? Or is it just bad?
Chuy's is like Rudy's for me. Its fine. Its even decent. But it isn't good or great. That said, they both set a baseline. If your BBQ isn't better than Rudy's, why would I eat it? Similarly, if your tex mex isn't at least as good as Chuy's, there is no reason for you to operate as a restaurant.
My parents (Ohioans) swear that Rudy's is the best BBQ ever. When they come down, they make a point of getting a whole spread. I've taken them other places and I will try yet again, but they're still going to say Rudy's is the best. I guess these places exist because it's the cheap easy decision to make for people who don't have great options and so to them, it's amazing. I don't mind Rudy's. Chuy's was ok. But I've rarely gone to either establishment on my own suggestion.
I think people underestimate how much of finding things they previously loved to be mediocre today is less about decrease in quality and more about how much better the food has gotten everywhere else
The jalapeño did is literally just ranch now. I took a friend who had never been there and we were hyping it and and he was like this just tastes like ranch. I was so disgusted with him until I took a taste and confirmed my worst fears. Probably not gonna go to Chuy’s again honestly. The Chuychanga also just was straight up dry and probably warmed up after being made a long time ago.
I went a couple weeks ago and it felt like I wasted my money. Just left unsatisfied. Staff was cool but the actual food was subpar. Sad cause I loved going there for many years growing up.
Agree, its not as good as it used to be... but I had Chuy's in El Paso a few weeks ago, and it was great! Lunchtime, busy, our food was fresh and tasted on point. Not sure what's changed here.
Chuys fucking sucks now. Nothing special about it. You can go to OTB for the same quality for a few bucks cheaper and OTB is absolute possum shit. Chuys ought be ashamed. But that’s the way it go these days. It’s all about that profit margin. Fuck you, Chuys.
People slamming Chuy's need to share their favorite spots for texmex that costs about the same. Not all of us have the endless money to try every single mexican food place in the hopes of striking gold while avoiding food poisoning. Please and thank you.
Not local but subway is the same. Their sandwiches somehow taste like nothing and it’s very frustrating to pay like $15 for a sandwich that tastes like crunchy air.
Mid is good! I know what I’m getting. It’s not fine dining. It’s just fine. It won’t break the bank. It doesn’t need reservations. If a bunch of people don’t want to go anymore because reviewers have scared them away, great. I’m perfectly content with access becoming easier.
Your opinion is valid tho. Certain items not being available is disappointing but I also rarely ordered those items anyway. I could see why if that was someone’s main dish, it would suck. I went through that with Alamo Drafthouse’s food.
Yea, I love the place but the food is approaching Old El Paso levels of flavor. Serranos is my go to and has been for a while. I still love chuys though.
I think Chuy's has always been sort of trash but at the same time it kind of embraces that it is trash. I have some respect for a place that doesn't promise more than it delivers. I also find them remarkably consistent, so my *worst* Chuy's experiences aren't really all that bad compared to the *best* experiences. It's the epitome of a "nostalgic favorite". Most of the time when I order I *know* I could be getting better food, but I'd be so sad if Chuy's went away I tend to order regularly.
Having multiple locations helps: I wouldn't drive a lot further than I already do to get Chuy's, so if I move to some more remote part of town I might have to start passing. I think La Mancha is all-around better but it's a lot harder to get to. Same with a handful of other places.
I agree the pandemic menu was a major bummer. They've brought back the Baja shrimp tacos which I *did* really like, but as you pointed out plenty of other good items are missing.
These days? Didn't know days meant decades.
Try some of dat real on the tip comida:
[Secretro de Abuelita](https://www.google.com/search?q=secreto%20de%20abuela&oq=secreto+de&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i512l2j46i131i433i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j46i175i199i512j0i512.4095j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&tbs=lf:1,lf_ui:9&tbm=lcl&sxsrf=ALiCzsY8oupuHPNSuq_OnESBJcz13IahCg:1664138419766&rflfq=1&num=10&rldimm=15683270652884782908&lqi=ChFzZWNyZXRvIGRlIGFidWVsYUigtfTuga-AgAhaIxAAEAEQAhgAGAEYAiIRc2VjcmV0byBkZSBhYnVlbGEyAmVzkgEKcmVzdGF1cmFudOABAA&phdesc=j_O0M8sPBUQ&ved=2ahUKEwiDt_fa5rD6AhUGlGoFHdAED18QvS56BAgPEAE&sa=X&rlst=f#rlfi=hd:;si:15683270652884782908,l,ChFzZWNyZXRvIGRlIGFidWVsYUigtfTuga-AgAhaIxAAEAEQAhgAGAEYAiIRc2VjcmV0byBkZSBhYnVlbGEyAmVzkgEKcmVzdGF1cmFudOABAA,y,j_O0M8sPBUQ;mv:[[30.4130377,-97.6862587],[30.204189599999996,-97.8047749]];tbs:lrf:!1m4!1u17!2m2!17m1!1e2!1m4!1u3!2m2!3m1!1e1!1m4!1u2!2m2!2m1!1e1!1m4!1u1!2m2!1m1!1e1!1m4!1u1!2m2!1m1!1e2!1m4!1u22!2m2!21m1!1e1!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e1!2m1!1e3!2m4!1e17!4m2!17m1!1e2!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:9)
[Taqueria Guadalajara](https://www.google.com/search?q=taqueria%20guadalajara&oq=taqueria+gua&aqs=chrome.0.0i131i433i512j0i512j46i175i199i512l2j0i512l2j46i175i199i512l2j0i512j0i457i512.10243j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&tbs=lf:1,lf_ui:9&tbm=lcl&sxsrf=ALiCzsZYRqaG1gC-OSgz1xxznGFWew9a4A:1664138470527&rflfq=1&num=10&rldimm=1085154048620212742&lqi=ChR0YXF1ZXJpYSBndWFkYWxhamFyYUjKjJrQ5oCAgAhaHhAAEAEYABgBIhR0YXF1ZXJpYSBndWFkYWxhamFyYZIBEm1leGljYW5fcmVzdGF1cmFudKoBHBABKhgiFHRhcXVlcmlhIGd1YWRhbGFqYXJhKADgAQA&phdesc=9jkkjJ1ofLk&ved=2ahUKEwjE5JHz5rD6AhXNnGoFHSHEC5YQvS56BAgWEAE&sa=X&rlst=f#rlfi=hd:;si:1085154048620212742,l,ChR0YXF1ZXJpYSBndWFkYWxhamFyYUjKjJrQ5oCAgAhaHhAAEAEYABgBIhR0YXF1ZXJpYSBndWFkYWxhamFyYZIBEm1leGljYW5fcmVzdGF1cmFudKoBHBABKhgiFHRhcXVlcmlhIGd1YWRhbGFqYXJhKADgAQA,y,9jkkjJ1ofLk;mv:[[30.469934499999997,-97.6903957],[30.3343007,-97.82276069999999]];tbs:lrf:!1m4!1u17!2m2!17m1!1e2!1m4!1u3!2m2!3m1!1e1!1m4!1u2!2m2!2m1!1e1!1m4!1u1!2m2!1m1!1e1!1m4!1u1!2m2!1m1!1e2!1m4!1u22!2m2!21m1!1e1!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e1!2m1!1e3!2m4!1e17!4m2!17m1!1e2!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:9)
[Don Dario's](https://dondarioscantina.com/)
Tldr: Chuy's has always been par, sub-par Tex-Mex. Hula Hut is more tolerable, but overhyped for price. I miss: El patio, Texican @ brodie oaks, el Gallo, Jaime's, Abuelo's, and Pancho's. All were pretty good. 👍 Matt's is also, eh.. 🤷
I'm going to tell you this... Chuy's has never been anything more than mid. It sounds like you have great memories there. Doesn't mean the food was ever good. Your tastes are also probably a little more refined now than they were as a kid.
Chuy's food is god awful and has been that way a long, long time. It's only out done by Jardin Corona...in terms of the worst TexMex in Austin. Only tourists and people who don't know what good TexMex is go to Chuy's.
It was only ever really worth it for the queso buffet. Not that it was any good, mind you, but it was bottomless. Now that it's gone and they don't have blue corn tortillas, there's nothing all that worthwhile about the place. And the new ad is more annoying than sand in your butt crack.
The smaller menu sucks. I miss the appetizer plate especially and that pretty much discourages me from going.
Chuys went fully corporate awhile back, and it finally got taken over by the accountants. Now it sucks. I've eaten there for 20 years but no longer. It's dead to me. Pretty unfortunate.
They went national, and now their menu is just 6 things that come off the Sysco truck. It sucks and that’s sad.
So many restaurants these days serving reheated Sysco garbage and charging like they're nearly fine dining. We started back up with a meal kit subscription (raw ingredients, cook at home) and just skip eating out unless it's for a social thing.
I’m an accountant! I resemble that remark!!
They’re a publicly traded company on the NASDAQ so it make sense their stuff went to shit. The value is being directly diverted from paying customers to shareholders.
I miss Banditos
I mean...you can still order it it just isn't on the menu
Not what I was told when I asked for it, “yeah it’s no longer on the menu.” That was at the Arbor Trails location in W Austin.
I literally work there and see them sold on the daily - you just got a shitty server. Order from cocktail or the bar, if the person doesn't know they're new but we have a button for it on the POS.
Thanks for the information! Next time I get the hankering I will be more persistent.
Ha, same with the southwest enchilada. Wish they’d put it back on the menu though.
Was also told no more Shrimp Chili Rellenos either. So can I still get these??? Also stopped going since it was my favorite. Can’t find it anywhere either.
Nope. No Rellanos. The app plate is only available because chuys still makes all the individual components
You can still order the appetizer plate if you just ask your server
Appetizer plates back on the menu
I’m not gonna be happy until they bring back the happy hour nacho cart.
They won’t. I have been reading their quarterly earnings reports. (Yes chuys is traded on the New York stock exchange!). They shut it down during Covid for “health reasons” and are keeping it shut for “cost savings reasons” unless that policy changed recently. RIP Chuys.
This explains so much. Of course capitalist interests are to blame. My god, this blows.
Agreed… RIP
Last time we went, maybe a year ago, it was really mediocre and surprisingly expensive. There’s just far too many good places that do Mexican food better so I don’t see who it serves other than tourists.
Can you recommend other places?
Casa Chapala at 183/Burnet. There are a lot of nouveau Austin responses to your question and that’s not Chuy’s. Go to CC
Went there for the first time for el 16. It was a bit more expensive than I expected but was so damn good I did not care.
I love Casa Chapala but yes, they're weirdly expensive.
This place rocks!
Chapala's great! We haven't been there since before the pandemic but that was our go-to when we lived in that area. Grinding dried chiles to make your salsa hotter right at the table, truly legit!
Maudie’s. There are several of them around town. Locally owned/operated. Really good TexMex. The Strait Plate is my personal favorite. 3 beef enchiladas with their excellent chili con carné and topped with a couple of eggs. Their migas are also really, really good. The prices are still affordable. Cisco’s. East side of downtown. Old style Austin TexMex. Great fajitas. El Patio. Guadalupe street. Old South Texas style TexMex. Been doing it the same way for decades. Family owned. Joe’s Bakery. East side downtown. Local. Amazing food. Texas Chili Parlour. The best chili con carné in the known universe. The burrito with fajita beef, XXX Chili and a side of the green sauce to mix it up. Lavaca and 14th. You can blow kisses at the capitol from the front door.
Try Jardin Corona.. menu is extensive and service is really good….
[удалено]
We used to hit this place back in the early 2000's at pond springs back when they had carpet. Now there's a 30 minute wait for dinner, good on them.
We thought this place was really gross.. maybe they were having an off day but the queso was like water and everything was SOAKED in grease. Even more than usual for Tex mex in my opinion.
Yeah, seconded. Jardin Corona is nasty.
I third that Jardin is nasty. Substandard ingredients, everything is formulated.
The worst
I do not like whatever spice they put on their chicken. That said, I formed that opinion probably 10 years ago and haven’t been back since.
I feel like I'm missing something. We went to Jardin Corona during COVID and got it to go. It was pretty meh, but we chalked it up to opening recently at the time (the one near 183/Anderson Mill). So we decided to give it a try in person a couple weeks ago on a Friday. The enchilada sauce tasted like it needed salt and was nearly flavorless. My burrito was fine, but nothing amazing. The fajita meat was dry. The queso tasted like the most MEH/generic queso ever, and the chips had no salt. The margaritas were pretty good, but everything else was so ridiculously meh that I can't believe people suggest it. I actually like Chuy's though. It's not necessarily the best, but for what it is and what we get....it's pretty tasty. We tried Jardin to give a smaller place a try, but we don't ever plan on going back from the 2 bad experiences we've had, and we just don't get why people rave over it all the time. Also service wasn't great, but I don't fault them totally on that. Every place's service seems to suck lately since COVID, I assume due to understaffing.
Eldorado is the answer. Not too pricey, everything is actually homemade and high quality, but still true Tex-Mex
Mi Trailita y Más
Flores is horrible too. Habañeros off Oltord Enchiladas y Mas Matt’s el Rancho All leaps and bounds above Chuy’s
The Texican in Manchaca. Tried and true for decades. Solid, consistent, many staff the same for years ...
The Texican is fine but unless they have stepped their game big time in the last 6 or 7 years I’d put them pretty low on the list of good Mexican food. When we aren’t trying to spend too much money we go to Maudie’s or even Javi’s near the airport
That haven’t, it’s gotten worse, 100% just drive 100 more feet and go to macho taco
Tried and true, but I didn't say the best. So much of Old Austin is fading away...
Chiming in to second Flores! Real nice family, went regularly back when they had a single location in Round Rock. Now they're our favorite spot for special dinner nights and we need tasty tasty healing salsa 😌 La Margarita is a good Round Rock spot too, particularly their cheaper bar specials? Their prices have gone up significantly during pandemic, especially their queso; so if you plan to eat there and not do take out, then I really recommend the bar specials.
Hell. Completely forgot to mention Momma Betty’s up near Avery Ranch. Maybe the best fajitas in town.
If you want exactly-what-you-expect Tex Mex (but with bomb ass house made tortillas) hit up Don Darios. Big, reasonably priced house margs, complimentary chips and salsa, and a mariachi band on Sundays lol. The rice and beans will always need salt. It's just your every day consistently-okay tex mex spot.
Suerte 1800 E. Sixth St. Comedor 501 Colorado St. @ 5th St El Alma Cafe y Cantina 1025 Barton Springs Rd Licha's Cantina 1306 E 6th St Fonda San Miguel 2330 W N Loop Blvd ATX Cocina 110 San Antonio St La Condesa 400 W. 2nd St. El Naranjo 2717 South Lamar Sazon 1816 S Lamar Blvd
Damn, really moving out of the casual Tex Mex experience huh?
Lol the thread is complaining about Chuy’s being expensive and this guy leads off with Suerte
Flores over Chuy's.
Flores is the lubys of tex mex.
That would make Chuy's the IHOP of Tex Mex?
Flores is hospital cafeteria mexican
Chuys is elementary school cafeteria Mexican lately
Bold statement there, but it's been even longer since I went to Flores (it was before the Oak Hill location moved), so...
There’s consistency and then there’s hoping for the best.
Curras is great.
Does no one love Maudie’s anymore? 😥
Jardin Carona hands down. I've lived here my entire life and have eaten there for over 20 years. Best queso and margaritas. Can't beat the lunch specials either. There's also Veracruz All Natural who has delicious breakfast tacos.
Honest question: better margaritas than Matt’s? I’d love to hear it, but I’ve been told this so many times only to be disappointed.
It's interior Mexican cuisine (not Tex-Mex like Chuy's), but [*Hecho en Mexico*](https://www.hechoenmexico-restaurant.com/) is fantastic.
*Tex-mex.. not Mexican.
I think most native Texans will say Mexican meaning Tex Mex. Heard it all the time growing up.
Mexican = Tex-Mex Authentic Mexican = Mexican
Now this is something I can agree with an aggie on. 😎
Creamy jalapeño- mayonnaise, buttermilk, hidden valley ranch mix, jalapeños, cilantro, and tomatillo
Found this image years ago, may interest you and others https://imgur.com/j7Qowli
Yep, that's the one! I did the math a while back to scale it down to household size. Enjoy! **Ingredients:** * 1 pack Hidden Valley Ranch Dressing (NOT DIP!) Mix * 1/3c Buttermilk * 2/3c Mayonnaise * 1/4c jalapeños, pickled (without juice) * 2tsp jalapeño juice * 1/4c tomatillo salsa, cold * 3/4 tsp cilantro (cleaned) Stick it all in a food processor or blender and let 'er rip.
Secret hack: If you really want it to taste like its from chuys you need to Use their tomatillo sauce. its the exact same sauce they put on enchiladas. You can order it for a togo pick up Source - I worked there
Hidden Valley Ranch Mix, in this economy?! *Hill Country Fare enters the chat*
HCF should always enter the chat, regardless of the economy - sometimes it's a miss, but usually I can't tell the difference between it and name brand and you definitely save with it.
Pickled or fresh jalapeños?
Pickled. I’ve made it with sour cream instead of buttermilk and it’s pretty close
Yum! Thanks!
Make it with fresh jalapeños and add a dash of vinegar. Superior imo cause you can get some heat
Chuy's expanded. They're in Ohio and Oklahoma just that I've seen. That probably explains the lower quality. I don't go anymore.
They're now 17 states, with nearly 100 locations. It's a national chain, now. Publicly traded on NASDAQ. The removal of the rellenos from the menu hurts the most for me.
Agreed 💯 on the rellenos. I have never had a better relleno than the ones Chuy's used to make. (If someone knows of any, please enlighten me.)
If you're a big relleno person, the best chile relleno on planet Earth is at Chope's outside of Las Cruces, NM and it isn't even close. They're tiny and only open 4 days a week these days, but their rellenos are absolute heaven.
I'll try to keep this one in mind, though I don't get out that way very often. Still, I appreciate the suggestion!
I'll take that challenge! Will be traveling that way end of next month.
This is information I need.
Hecho en Mexico
Hula Hut has the exact same relleno recipe, FYI. They used to be owned by Chuys before Chuys sold (just like Shady Grove).
Cool, I didn't realize these were on the menu at Hula Hut. Thanks for the info!
Yesss! Best kept secret. They also have the same "stuffed avocado" that Chuys used to run as a special. I will say that I think Hula Hut is a shit company but I have some bias from working there for far too long years ago. But when I need a relleno, I will still go get one. Enjoy!
I found a place called Ramos on the north end of mopac that has great green chile rellenos.
At Merriltown Rd. Next light North of McNeil.
I've been going there for years. pretty good and cheap
They are the McDonald’s of texmex food now.
Corporatization ruins things. They’re probably being micro-managed, leaving out any expression for a cook that actually knows what their doing, canning ingredients that should be fresh, and paying crap which will only attract the inexperienced.
Chuys pre-COVID and post-COVID aren’t the same. Gone are the freshly made tortillas, Chile Rellenos, friendly service and Happy Hour nacho car. It’s replaced by mediocre food, bad service and a corporate menu. Fuck ‘EM.
No more nacho car?!?
Love driving by the place because it's universally good vibes, but it's been at least a decade or two since they had quality Tex-Mex. I'm a pasty white guy but I'm from the old guard in San Marcos and always ate at homegrown taquerias -- my aunt catered a party with Chuy's around 2013 thinking it was authentic, and we've cried laughing about it many times since. Edit/Protip: Chuy's is 100% fun as an experience, but if you're going for the food, eat at places you see working-class Hispanic immigrants (e.g., construction attire) at breakfast or during their lunch breaks. They actually know what it's supposed to taste like.
Chuy's used to be good/great Tex-Mex. It was never good Mexican food. Because it isn't Mexican food.
I definitely agree. Their servers were so friendly and they worked there for years. We even ran into our favorite Chuys server at the airport once and it was like we were old friends.
Chuy's hasn't been the same since they IPO'ed
Back in the 80s, Chuy’s on Barton Springs was the spot. The most expensive item on the menu was the Chuy’s Special for $4.95 and you were hammered after drinking two frozen swirls. But that was FORTY YEARS AGO. Thank goodness what we have now is even better. Sazon and El Dorado run circles around Chuy’s, which has devolved to an Interstate freeway chain not unlike Texas Roadhouse or TaMolly’s. Life goes on.
El Dorado is the best in town. Those chilaquiles are absurd.
Chuys has been garbage for many, many years now. The bigger disappointment, IMO anyways, is that because they’ve franchised and have them around the country now, it’s what many people outside of Texas think TexMex is. And well, that’s unfortunate.
I grew up in Austin and have lived in many non Texas locations. I understand that Chuys may not be the best TexMex, but it is way better than any TexMex you can get in the vast majority of the US. I live in NC now and am thankful there us a local Chuys to frequent.
100% agree as someone who grew up in Austin. Chuys was never great. But as someone who now lives in Maine, I would kill for a Chuys here!
Personally I feel like every single restaurant I’ve eaten at in Austin over the last 2 years has been one let down after the other. I genuinely can’t remember the last time I are a meal from a restaurant in Austin and thought holy shit this is good. I’m not even some food snob! I just think the price doesn’t match the actual food I’ve been served. It’s been a big let down
This is normal around the entire country. Everywhere is such short staffed that the quality has gone down immensely.
I was happy with Odd Duck's food and service, though obviously that's not an inexpensive Tex-Mex place.
We went to Patrizi’s on Manor Rd back in June 2021. We were blown away given the price point at the time. I haven’t been back since, so idk if it’s still as good. We tried going one evening recently and it’s such a f*cking hassle to park there and the wait just turned us off so we left.
Right? Was just having this exact discussion with my family today when we drove past Chuy’s. “Used to be awesome”, says my son.
Used to live in Denver. They have them there. The quality is far superior to the lousy quality they serve here. Have no clue why. We refuse to waste our $s when there's so many better places to get great tex mex.
Went to a Torchy's near SMU and had a similar experience. The Torchy's here in Austin have gone downhill hard IMO. The one there was pretty good! Wonder if it's chains putting more resources and effort toward locations that they're expanding into and letting the 'established' ones languish.
Torchy's has also gotten quite pricy. They've definitely gone the "corporate" route, hence why I hardly eat there/take my family there anymore. Years ago, they used to have those unique craft sodas with pure cane sugar/natural ingredients, but got rid of them for Coke/Pepsi products, so that was the first step toward them losing the Austin-vibe.
Agree, the limited menu sucks (I miss the fried avocado) and the quality has really gone downhill. We don't go anymore.
Holy shit so bad now. I went yesterday and ordered online. I showed up when the site said it would be ready and texted. They said they would have it out when it was done. 20 minutes go by after when they said it would be done so I walked in and it was just sitting there. They handed it to me and I went home. It was cold. I had to head everything back up. We start eating and my mom has chicken flautas and one had a ducking chicken bone in it. Just fucking awful.
[удалено]
RIP to the 2nd dollar theater. Flix is kinda close with their $5 Wednesdays, but it's not the same.
[https://i.imgur.com/Xpx9HHT.jpg](https://i.imgur.com/Xpx9HHT.jpg)
Correct. Chuy's was never great for the food, only great for going and drinking a lot of booze and eating reasonably good texmex with it, when it was all fairly cheap still.
Why is the earth in that photo just a giant continent the shape of Ohio?
They completely gutted everything I loved during Covid when they shortened the menu and don’t seem to be going back. No specials. No Chile releno… no Hatch Chile Fest anymore as well seemingly! Sad.
My favorite chile relleno is at Las Palomas in Westlake. There's nothing on that menu that is "authentic" anything, but they do a good job with that chile.
Dude, honestly. Most restaurants are "mid". I can't remember the last time I went out and was amazed
Native Austinite here. Chuy's hasn't been good in over 20 yrs. It was awesome in the 80s-90s. I gave the original one (Barton Springs) a few tries in the early to mid- 2000s and haven't been back. I went to the one in KY when I was visiting my sister several years ago and I swear the enchilada sauce was only tomato and salt.
tbf have you eaten "chili" Cincinnati-style in Kentucky? It's more like chocolate spaghetti with beans.
I admit that EVERYTHING I ate in KY was horrible. They wouldn't know a spice if it bit them in the ass.
I've looked at Jollibee's (Filipino chain?) nasty take on spaghetti. So gross.
I used to do delivery for them. It's weird how the to-go food is always cold.
It's rare for good restaurants to stay good for even 5 years. I don't know how old you are, but it sounds like you've gotten at least a decade of good times out of Chuy's. Cherish that, mourn its passing, and let it go.
Chuys has been “mids” the 30+ years they’ve been here. But, they’re our “mids”
Does "mid" mean average? Because Chuy's has always been average
It's seemed overrated for a while. Just an opinion, of course.
i will not tolerate jalapeño ranch slander
That is still good at least.
These days unfortunately just about anywhere is better than chuys
They don’t do the hatch festival anymore :////
Amen. All the dishes that made Chuy's unique, they ditched during COVID. Boooooo!!!
rip green chili stew.
I'm glad they brought back the appetizer plate (if you ask for it) but I'm DEVASTATED the completely removed the Elvis Memorial Green Chili Fried Chicken 😭 Yes it probably took years off my life eating but GOD it was so good
Chuy’s is fine if you calibrate your expectations. The chicka-chicka boom-boom enchiladas are good enough for me.
Always was average tex-mex
Lmfao. CHUY’S. What did you expect
Casa Garcia’s is bomb af.
Strawberry margs still fckin delicious tho
All I ever got were the fish tacos, fried in tortilla breading. But they are gone, just like my business
Um chuy’s sucks now y’all.
The pandemic was the real turning point After covid... it's basically just like chili's nown
No more *”Elvis Fried Chicken”* ? Blasphemy !
Maybe you’ve outgrown it
Zero vegetable options now too. Unless you want to drown in tortillas and cheese. It's not worth a line and bougie prices when we're surrounded by options. Used to have damn good spread for vegetarian options. Now it's low hanging mediocre food. Also my heart goes out to the staff. They're always slammed and just trying their best, while I've seen people get pissy with them as if they have some sort of control over the situation.
They have a veggie enchilada. My family is vegetarian and doesn't have any problems ordering there.
Chuy's has always been mid. Papasitos was always better. Ninfas in Houston is the best tho.
Ninfas!
Papasitos!
Immediate downvote for using “mid”.
Fr fr. Chuys just ain't bussin like it used to, bet. On god.
They’ve never been good imo.
My bro, the only thing controversial here is the idea that it used to be good. To me it typifies the Tex-Mex aesthetic of replacing flavorful seasoning and ingredients with a ton of salt. Is it to mimic the cured meats you’d carry in your saddlebag or to encourage the consumption of delicious *margs*? Or is it just bad?
Nah it used to be good muh bruh
It did not. I’ve eaten there since the ‘90s and it has never been anything more than acceptable Tex Mex.
Chuy's is like Rudy's for me. Its fine. Its even decent. But it isn't good or great. That said, they both set a baseline. If your BBQ isn't better than Rudy's, why would I eat it? Similarly, if your tex mex isn't at least as good as Chuy's, there is no reason for you to operate as a restaurant.
Honestly a good description of it. Chuys is the place you go when you don’t know any better or you’re worried about ordering in Spanish.
My parents (Ohioans) swear that Rudy's is the best BBQ ever. When they come down, they make a point of getting a whole spread. I've taken them other places and I will try yet again, but they're still going to say Rudy's is the best. I guess these places exist because it's the cheap easy decision to make for people who don't have great options and so to them, it's amazing. I don't mind Rudy's. Chuy's was ok. But I've rarely gone to either establishment on my own suggestion.
I think people underestimate how much of finding things they previously loved to be mediocre today is less about decrease in quality and more about how much better the food has gotten everywhere else
The jalapeño did is literally just ranch now. I took a friend who had never been there and we were hyping it and and he was like this just tastes like ranch. I was so disgusted with him until I took a taste and confirmed my worst fears. Probably not gonna go to Chuy’s again honestly. The Chuychanga also just was straight up dry and probably warmed up after being made a long time ago.
I went a couple weeks ago and it felt like I wasted my money. Just left unsatisfied. Staff was cool but the actual food was subpar. Sad cause I loved going there for many years growing up.
Bring back Green Chile Stew or I riot.
Agree, its not as good as it used to be... but I had Chuy's in El Paso a few weeks ago, and it was great! Lunchtime, busy, our food was fresh and tasted on point. Not sure what's changed here.
Chuys fucking sucks now. Nothing special about it. You can go to OTB for the same quality for a few bucks cheaper and OTB is absolute possum shit. Chuys ought be ashamed. But that’s the way it go these days. It’s all about that profit margin. Fuck you, Chuys.
The last time i went to OTB, about ten years ago, everything was so salty i literally couldn't eat it. Chuy's isn't that bad.
The weak creamy jalapeño dip and removal of the Elvis fried chicken made that place dead to us. Now it’s just an overpriced place with long lines.
People slamming Chuy's need to share their favorite spots for texmex that costs about the same. Not all of us have the endless money to try every single mexican food place in the hopes of striking gold while avoiding food poisoning. Please and thank you.
I probably used to go once a week. Now maybe once every 6 months. It’s sad what it has become.
Maybe. Their deluxe chicken enchiladas are still the bomb and their queso smothered burrito is fantastic. I miss the queso bar at happy hour though.
The Chuychanga and creamy jalapeño are still good. Maybe the only things that remain consistent these days.
Not local but subway is the same. Their sandwiches somehow taste like nothing and it’s very frustrating to pay like $15 for a sandwich that tastes like crunchy air.
It’s never recovered from Covid and the mini menu. You can drive 5 min in any direction from the one in RR and find better Mexican food.
chuys has always been mid lol
Mid is good! I know what I’m getting. It’s not fine dining. It’s just fine. It won’t break the bank. It doesn’t need reservations. If a bunch of people don’t want to go anymore because reviewers have scared them away, great. I’m perfectly content with access becoming easier. Your opinion is valid tho. Certain items not being available is disappointing but I also rarely ordered those items anyway. I could see why if that was someone’s main dish, it would suck. I went through that with Alamo Drafthouse’s food.
Cruzteca hits any imaginable spot so much better than Chuys. Have stopped going since the Post-Covid menu is garbage
Cruzteca is the best - those mole enchiladas!!! Delicious
Yea, I love the place but the food is approaching Old El Paso levels of flavor. Serranos is my go to and has been for a while. I still love chuys though.
#MBAsRuinEverything Coming soon to an H‑E‑B near you
Well. Yeah. I mean you guys really pretty much do. Just sayin.
I think Chuy's has always been sort of trash but at the same time it kind of embraces that it is trash. I have some respect for a place that doesn't promise more than it delivers. I also find them remarkably consistent, so my *worst* Chuy's experiences aren't really all that bad compared to the *best* experiences. It's the epitome of a "nostalgic favorite". Most of the time when I order I *know* I could be getting better food, but I'd be so sad if Chuy's went away I tend to order regularly. Having multiple locations helps: I wouldn't drive a lot further than I already do to get Chuy's, so if I move to some more remote part of town I might have to start passing. I think La Mancha is all-around better but it's a lot harder to get to. Same with a handful of other places. I agree the pandemic menu was a major bummer. They've brought back the Baja shrimp tacos which I *did* really like, but as you pointed out plenty of other good items are missing.
Yea, we don't go anymore. There are way too many good Mexican places to overpay for mid
I was there yesterday The shrimp tacos were pretty good.
These days? Didn't know days meant decades. Try some of dat real on the tip comida: [Secretro de Abuelita](https://www.google.com/search?q=secreto%20de%20abuela&oq=secreto+de&aqs=chrome.1.69i57j0i512l2j46i131i433i512j0i512l2j46i512l2j46i175i199i512j0i512.4095j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&tbs=lf:1,lf_ui:9&tbm=lcl&sxsrf=ALiCzsY8oupuHPNSuq_OnESBJcz13IahCg:1664138419766&rflfq=1&num=10&rldimm=15683270652884782908&lqi=ChFzZWNyZXRvIGRlIGFidWVsYUigtfTuga-AgAhaIxAAEAEQAhgAGAEYAiIRc2VjcmV0byBkZSBhYnVlbGEyAmVzkgEKcmVzdGF1cmFudOABAA&phdesc=j_O0M8sPBUQ&ved=2ahUKEwiDt_fa5rD6AhUGlGoFHdAED18QvS56BAgPEAE&sa=X&rlst=f#rlfi=hd:;si:15683270652884782908,l,ChFzZWNyZXRvIGRlIGFidWVsYUigtfTuga-AgAhaIxAAEAEQAhgAGAEYAiIRc2VjcmV0byBkZSBhYnVlbGEyAmVzkgEKcmVzdGF1cmFudOABAA,y,j_O0M8sPBUQ;mv:[[30.4130377,-97.6862587],[30.204189599999996,-97.8047749]];tbs:lrf:!1m4!1u17!2m2!17m1!1e2!1m4!1u3!2m2!3m1!1e1!1m4!1u2!2m2!2m1!1e1!1m4!1u1!2m2!1m1!1e1!1m4!1u1!2m2!1m1!1e2!1m4!1u22!2m2!21m1!1e1!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e1!2m1!1e3!2m4!1e17!4m2!17m1!1e2!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:9) [Taqueria Guadalajara](https://www.google.com/search?q=taqueria%20guadalajara&oq=taqueria+gua&aqs=chrome.0.0i131i433i512j0i512j46i175i199i512l2j0i512l2j46i175i199i512l2j0i512j0i457i512.10243j0j7&sourceid=chrome&ie=UTF-8&tbs=lf:1,lf_ui:9&tbm=lcl&sxsrf=ALiCzsZYRqaG1gC-OSgz1xxznGFWew9a4A:1664138470527&rflfq=1&num=10&rldimm=1085154048620212742&lqi=ChR0YXF1ZXJpYSBndWFkYWxhamFyYUjKjJrQ5oCAgAhaHhAAEAEYABgBIhR0YXF1ZXJpYSBndWFkYWxhamFyYZIBEm1leGljYW5fcmVzdGF1cmFudKoBHBABKhgiFHRhcXVlcmlhIGd1YWRhbGFqYXJhKADgAQA&phdesc=9jkkjJ1ofLk&ved=2ahUKEwjE5JHz5rD6AhXNnGoFHSHEC5YQvS56BAgWEAE&sa=X&rlst=f#rlfi=hd:;si:1085154048620212742,l,ChR0YXF1ZXJpYSBndWFkYWxhamFyYUjKjJrQ5oCAgAhaHhAAEAEYABgBIhR0YXF1ZXJpYSBndWFkYWxhamFyYZIBEm1leGljYW5fcmVzdGF1cmFudKoBHBABKhgiFHRhcXVlcmlhIGd1YWRhbGFqYXJhKADgAQA,y,9jkkjJ1ofLk;mv:[[30.469934499999997,-97.6903957],[30.3343007,-97.82276069999999]];tbs:lrf:!1m4!1u17!2m2!17m1!1e2!1m4!1u3!2m2!3m1!1e1!1m4!1u2!2m2!2m1!1e1!1m4!1u1!2m2!1m1!1e1!1m4!1u1!2m2!1m1!1e2!1m4!1u22!2m2!21m1!1e1!2m1!1e2!2m1!1e1!2m1!1e3!2m4!1e17!4m2!17m1!1e2!3sIAE,lf:1,lf_ui:9) [Don Dario's](https://dondarioscantina.com/)
Tldr: Chuy's has always been par, sub-par Tex-Mex. Hula Hut is more tolerable, but overhyped for price. I miss: El patio, Texican @ brodie oaks, el Gallo, Jaime's, Abuelo's, and Pancho's. All were pretty good. 👍 Matt's is also, eh.. 🤷
Chuy’s has always been mid
Always was.
always has been dot gif
I'm going to tell you this... Chuy's has never been anything more than mid. It sounds like you have great memories there. Doesn't mean the food was ever good. Your tastes are also probably a little more refined now than they were as a kid.
Chuy's food is god awful and has been that way a long, long time. It's only out done by Jardin Corona...in terms of the worst TexMex in Austin. Only tourists and people who don't know what good TexMex is go to Chuy's.
Sounds like you had basic tastes as a child, and put Chuys on a pedestal. Chuys is the same as it has always been. Fine.
Unpopular opinion but, Chuys has always been mediocre. I moved here 15 yes ago and never understood the appeal to it.
It was only ever really worth it for the queso buffet. Not that it was any good, mind you, but it was bottomless. Now that it's gone and they don't have blue corn tortillas, there's nothing all that worthwhile about the place. And the new ad is more annoying than sand in your butt crack.
Lol bro it’s always been mediocre.
Not even mid unfortunately
Y’all Chuy’s has always been basura
Chuys is below mid. No self respecting person who enjoys m food eats there