Can’t wait for Cinco de Mayo? Then you must try Chuy’s in Wesley Chap
This fun restaurant specializes in Tex Mex cuisine, made fresh daily, that is served in a fun and colorful setting. Elvis Presley is its patron saint, and Happy Hour comes with a complimentary nacho bar served out of the trunk of a classic car, complete with tailfins.
“Nothing in our restaurant is frozen except for French fries and Push-Up Pops,” said John Bassett, bar manager. “Everything is fresh — the lime juice, the sugar water we use for margaritas, the chicken and beef in our fajitas that we marinate for 24 hours. We cut fresh salad and produce every day. We roast our tomatoes for the ranchero sauce. We use our own tomatillos for the tomatillo sauce. We make all of our sauces fresh every single day. Everything is fresh.”
Chuy’s especially prides itself on the freshness of its tortillas.
“We hand roll every tortilla we serve,” said Bassett. “We make the masa dough every day for our fresh flour tortillas, and shape them on a comal, which is a heated surface, right in front of our guests.”
Happy Hour is a not-to-be-missed experience at Chuy’s, with its unique signature nacho bar set up in the trunk of a 1957 Chrysler Imperial.
“We have the back end of a car, with the trunk lid up, filled with queso, ground beef, refried beans, chips and salsa,” said Bassett. “The nacho bar is included with the Happy Hour, which is weekdays from 4 to 7.”
Chuy’s does everything with style, including its decor. Hanging above the nacho bar car in the Chihuahua Lounge is a school of wooden fish, hand-carved by a family in Mexico that supplies the fish for every Chuy’s franchise.
“Another thing that Chuy’s does is hangs pictures of our guests’ dogs on our walls,” Bassett said. “If you bring in a framed picture of your dog, we’ll give you a free appetizer, and we’ll hang up your dog’s picture for everyone to see!”
Fans of Elvis Presley also delight in Chuy’s. Not only does Chuy’s maintain a small shrine of Presley that is adorned with candles and beads, the restaurant also keeps The King’s memory alive in its menu and calendar of events.
“Elvis was brought to us by our guests,” Basset said. “The first restaurant had an Elvis picture, and our guests just kept bringing in memorabilia. We also celebrate his birthday every year. Last year if you arrived in your best Elvis or Priscilla Presley costume, you ate for free. And, on our menu, we have an Elvis Memorial Combo that’s one of the most popular items.”
Each Chuy’s restaurant has its own charity, and the Wesley Chapel location sponsors Healing Horses in Odessa, which pairs abused and neglected horses with special-needs and at-risk children. It also is collecting donations for St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital.
“We put a lot of love into our food,” Bassett said. “We want to make sure you come get the best margaritas and Tex Mex food in the city, right here.”
Published 4/17/19
