Chuy’s

Service — 2 Stars
Food — 2 Stars
Austin Vibe — 4 Stars
How can a place with a good Austin-​like vibe rate an overall 2 star, you ask? Because despite everything else, a restaurant ought to be mostly about the food. If you’ve read my reviews you know I like fun décor, and this place has it in abundance. So I was ready for some good food and good fun. I had a good time thanks to the company, but good food? Not so much.
At this restaurant you can pick your sauce to go over your enchilada’s and burritos. We all picked the Tex-​Mex sauce and the four of us all agreed the sauce tasted bitter. So it wasn’t just my taste buds!
Speaking of my old taste buds, they were totally underwhelmed by the Queso we ordered as an appetizer. It also had a slightly bitter undertaste, as well. Half of it was still in the bowl when we left, very unusual for us. I will agree that the chips were good, although I personally thought the salsa was watery.
I think the problem is that they used too much chili powder, which can add bitterness without any extra heat. We didn’t try the other sauces so we offer no opinion about them.
I’ve eaten at the Austin location several times in the past, which is hugely popular. I recall I liked the atmosphere more than the food there as well.
The service was only adequate. My wife told the server she wanted to split a plate with her mother, and asked for a double order of Charro beans instead of rice and beans. The server just dropped off an extra plate with a large bowl of the beans. No extra small bowl for the extra beans. So she had to try to get the beans onto the extra plate without making a total mess. You try it and let me know how you make out. Not all restaurants will split the order in the kitchen for you, even though its a lot easier for their customers. This was one that didn’t.

The thing I miss the most about Texas is Chuy’s. There just ain’t nothing like it in California. Whenever I come back to to visit, I would always request a visit to Chuy’s. The closest one to my family’s house was way far away in Dallas. Now Chuy’s is just down the street from the house. 100% guaranteed everytime I visit home I will go to Chuy’s.
They have the best chips and salsa anywhere I’ve ever eaten Mexican food. The chips are just the perfect, thin, crisp consistency. They also have the best chile relleno anywhere. For a Saturday lunch, we had to wait about 30 mins for a table.

Chuy’s is a small Austin chain that has been around for 25 years, and is just now being discovered, slowly expanding across Texas, and eventually, the world. This location, in the Arlington Highlands, is just as good as the original on Barton Springs Road in Austin. A quirky atmosphere and charming staff compliment the indulgent, feel-​good tex-​mex food. Chuy’s seems to take pride in the freshness of their ingredients, providing for amazing food every time, and even though this location is fairly new, many customers are regulars (like myself) who come in multiple times a week. With reasonable prices and a strong word-​of-​mouth, there are often long waits, but ask the people outside and they will tell you that it’s more than worth it. All-​in-​all, Chuy’s is a little slice of Austin, offering by far the best dining experience in Arlington. I can’t recommend enough (obviously)!
P. S. Great vegetarian options.