Chuy's

Chuy's
5935 S. Broadway
Tyler, TX 75703
(903) 509-2489
http://www.chuys.com/



Chuy's is a relatively new Mexican place just off of Broadway north of Grande. Chuy's is a chain restuarant that has branches throughout the South, to include my hometown in Houston. Chuy's does things right. The exterior is festive and leads into a well, but quirky, decorated interior. Like all new restaurants in Tyler, they were absolutely PACKED the first few months they were open, and they continue to stay very busy. They had some serious issues with wait times at first, that are now manageable - but still expect to wait during peak times.

The spread: Chuy's offers your typical Tex-mex fair, albeit with some tongue in cheek humor. They have very good queso, guacamole and nachos as well as a decent tortilla soup and various Tex-mex style salads. The entrees run from the "Big as Yo Face" burritos, various tacos, flautas, enchiladas, fajitas and various combination dinners. They also offer sopapillas and flan for dessert (I think).

The verdict: Like I said in the intro, Chuy's does things right. The queso is just the right texture with a nice kick. The burritos are as big as your face and the entrees are always on point. They do not shy away from using appropriate levels of heat and seasoning. My wife is obsessed with their creamy jalapeno dip, which is complemented well with their fresh salsa. Chuy's makes their own tortillas fresh and it makes a difference. They really do pay attention to details in their cooking and use quality ingredients. One thing that I like is the servers are very accommodating and encourage you to try different items or even try mixing things up by using a different signature sauce (Boom-boom is my favorite.) Also, it is family friendly as it is usually loud enough that a couple of outbursts from the kids aren't too disruptive.

Edible Tyler Roses: 4 out of 5, solid food, good atmosphere.