AgBQ-00 said:

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I don't get the Chuy's hate. Lots of stuff there to like

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1. the prices
2. the wait time
3. the food (other than chips and whatever dip you like)

Chuy's is like the Carrabba's of Tex-Mex. It's pretty good for a mega chain, better than places like Olive Garden and On the Border. I think they're losing money though, as they are starting to close some of their restaurants around the country. My father in law, who lives in Kansas City, was disappointed that the KC location closed.

Went to a mex place in ABQ and their salsa was awesome. Terrible food entrees though.

The Kenney Store version is better.

It should've been Elvis BoomBoom Chicken instead of Elvis Green Chile Chicken. Elvis Chicken with BoomBoom is the only thing worth getting at Chuy's (well, their chips are pretty good).

DatTallArchitect said:

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AggieOO said:

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AgBQ-00 said:

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meh...stupid barometer for a restaurant. But to each their own.

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call it stupid, but its very accurate.

If you like chuy's salsa, then you'll probably like their crappy food too. still works.

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I don't like their salsa, but I love their steak burrito with the hatch sauce

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Been years since I was in a Chuy's but they used to have a green chile fried chicken dish with the hatch sauce and it was great. Not sure if they still make that though.

I'm not a huge fan of the pico but when you dip your chip in the pico and then the liquid crack, damn thats good.
Been eating at chuys since my brother dropped out of unt and headed to austin for the music scene in the early 90s. The deluxe chicken enchiladas have always been spot on. The chuychanga w/ queso is greatness. Southwestern enchiladas are still good even without the blue corn tortillas (RIP).

I love their Salsa Fresca. It's my favorite thing at Chuy's.

Every couple years or so I give them another shot and it's always disappointing. Their ranch dip is tasty, though.

Aggie Therapist said:

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As a Mexican, I agree with your test.

Test one: test their red house salsa
Test two: test their salsa verde
Test three: Combination plate/and or fajitas
Test 3: House margarita,
Test 4: Top Shelf Margarita

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i am on board with this test. and your test two for me is not just salsa verde, but verde enchiladas. I'd also love to see some good mezcal and sotol at the bar if I'm drinking.

doubt i need to tell you this, but another way to fairly accurately determine how good/bad a mexican place is, is their tortillas. I'm not saying they have to make them in-house, but that's a huge bonus. But if they are roughly the equivalent of some old el paso BS, walk out.

yes, i'll admit, i'm a mexican/tex-mex snob. but...i also prefer a place where the tables and chairs don't match, and at least half the people don't speak two words of english. Upscale mexican (not referring to chuys, for clarification) can be good, but i'll take a dive 9 times out of ten over fancy stuff.

fav13andac1)c said:

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If you don't like pico, I understand, but then again, I can't understand how someone wouldn't like pico when they like salsa.

At any rate, it doesn't claim to be a salsa and goes by salsa fresca (aka PICO DE GALLO) according to their website. So, not fair to say it's a terrible salsa and is basically just pico, when that is exactly what it IS.

Bottom line is it's delicious.

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then i'll concede. didn't realize it was supposed to be pico. Never been on their website. Maybe it says on their menu too, but haven't stepped foot in a chuys in years.

That said, when I go to a mexican place, I want chips and salsa, not chips and pico. Yes, they are the basically the same ingredients, but there's obviously a difference between pico and salsa.

I agree with everything you said!

Even if we have the same standards, our taste preferences will probably be different. As a round rock guy with 2 kids and one on the way, I don't venture to the good stuff in Austin. Some great trucks down there. So here is my current stomping grounds.

1. Santiago's. Only complaint is the chips. Their nacho chips are fresh but their chips and salsa chips are generic. But their house margs and salsa is banging. I can walk to this location on 620.

2. Camino Real in North Austin. This is your hole in the wall spot in a shopping center but the food and serving size is AMAZING. They use the iconic yellow cheese that melts in your mouth but still in shreds on the plate. Please try this place.

3. Mesa Rosa. Food is subpar and I don't like it. But they have a giant playground in the back and my wife and I can enjoy an adult convo while kids tire themselves out.

I'm open to more spots if you have them!

Home made or nada!
(In reality i pretty much like anything anyone calls salsa or pico.)

AggieOO said:

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fav13andac1)c said:

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If you don't like pico, I understand, but then again, I can't understand how someone wouldn't like pico when they like salsa.

At any rate, it doesn't claim to be a salsa and goes by salsa fresca (aka PICO DE GALLO) according to their website. So, not fair to say it's a terrible salsa and is basically just pico, when that is exactly what it IS.

Bottom line is it's delicious.

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then i'll concede. didn't realize it was supposed to be pico. Never been on their website. Maybe it says on their menu too, but haven't stepped foot in a chuys in years.

That said, when I go to a mexican place, I want chips and salsa, not chips and pico. Yes, they are the basically the same ingredients, but there's obviously a difference between pico and salsa.

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I can certainly understand that when you walk into a Mexican restaurant, there is an expectation for what type of salsa you receive, and that Chuy's does that part differently. I can also understand not knowing how they classify their own salsa, as it isn't heavily advertised to my knowledge, and again, there's an inherent expectation. I respect your opinion and taste buds, and wish you the best.

If salsa is hot sauce, then what do you call hot sauce?