What was once a small restaurant in Texas starting in April of 1982, has now grown into a 95-location franchise with locations in almost every midwest and southern state from Virginia to, of course, Texas.
Not only have their locations grown, but also their popularity, as some of the most well known actors have eaten at their locations such as Jim Parson, known for his role in “The Big Bang Theory” as Sheldon Cooper and narrating in the spin off, “Young Sheldon.” Parson has said that one of his favorite places to eat in Huston, Texas was Chuy’s. Parson’s go to order is the cheese enchiladas with chopped onions on top.
Fortunately for the Eastside of Indianapolis, and surrounding areas, a new location of Chuy’s has opened on E Southport Road right off Interstate 465. This new local location has everything a Tex-Mex food fan could imagine. There was an all around aroma of chillies and homemade queso throughout the restaurant.
Each room has its own specific theme, such as dogs or the beach. In the bar area, there were almost 100 different pictures of dogs of all ages and breeds displayed for the customers to enjoy. And in one of the main dining rooms, there were life-sized palm trees in between the booths and tables. Along with traditional inside dining, there is also a large porch located outside the bar area for dining that is decorated with string lights and numerous colorful accent pieces.
After visiting the Southport location with some family to review the restaurant, thoroughly impressed is an understatement. The staff had mastered the knowledge of the menu and their to accomodate to customer requests. The menu was easy to read and informative about ingredients in case of an allergy or specific diet one may have. While studying the menu I saw that there were vegetarian options but unfortunately they are not able to accommodate vegan because of possible cross contamination and certain ingredients they use in many of their spices and sauces.
The food was well seasoned and still hot when brought to the table. Our waitress was on top of her tables, balancing customers' needs and running food and drinks. Even though the prices were a little higher than expected, the portions matched exactly. One could easily make two meals from one, as I and both of my parents did. As a person who absolutely and completely despises refried beans and usually refuses to eat them almost every time they are served, a favorite were Chuy’s refried beans that were served with my tacos as a side. They were creamy with a slight kick in the end, and one could even taste the spices used in the mixture to give the beans a nice balance to where they weren’t too spicy.
There was visual evidence of active and consistent cleaning and sanitizing throughout the building with employees constantly wiping and spraying surfaces as customers came and went.