Chuy's Tex Mex food is an Austin, Texas landmark. Not knowing this at the time, we just wanted to eat some great tasting Mexican style food.

Like other incredible social eateries in Austin, Chuy's goes bonkers with strange decor and huge colorful icons out in front to draw in the customers. The one we went to had a giant fish outside. The interior continued with fish decorations in every nook and cranny. Some Chuys locations have Elvis shrines. My favorite Chuys has a weird bubble wall and hubcaps on the ceiling.

The instant you are seated at Chuy's, you will be served some very fresh, hot, thin and tasty tortilla chips along with one or two salsas for dipping. These salsas can be refilled at their awesome salsa bar located in the trunk of a car parked along a wall somewhere. You may have to wade through a crowd to get there, but they have every concoction needed for tortilla chip dipping including melted cheese with chilies. This last bit is known as Chili con Queso. A Texas tradition.

What's on the Menu?

Aside from the usual food found at any Mexican restaurant like tacos, enchiladas, burritos, fajitas and combo plates; Chuy's does a few specialty items that will rock your tongue.

• Chile Relleños - The first thing I ordered and still my favorite. They come in cheese, ground sirloin and cheese, chicken and cheese or shrimp and cheese. You can get their signature sauces to top the relleño to match your taste preference.
• The Chuychanga - If you are really, really, really hungry, this behemoth will load you up! It is probably the biggest burrito in the world!
• Chicken Flautas - handmade corn tortillas and chicken, rolled and fried, served with red chipotle sauce, guacamole and sour cream. Never frozen or pre-made. These are the best flautas in Austin.
• Elvis Green Chile Fried Chicken - If Elvis is still alive, I'm sure you will spot him at one of the Chuy's establishments eating this or the Elvis combo plate. It's a chicken breast breaded with potato chips and fried. Then they smother it in green chile sauce and cheddar cheese. Served with green chile rice and refried beans. Eat this, it is to die for.

Chuy's serves fresh salsas and specialty sauces throughout their locations. But to visit one Chuy's is not to say you have visited them all. The food is only as good as the cooks can make it and occasionally they hire a mediocre chef or the chef is having a bad day or something.

Most of the time the food is spectacular, but there is the occasional day where it's either me or the food seems to be over cooked. Not hard to do in the heat of a Texas summer.

The decor is always fun. The wait staff is always young and energetic. You will never have a really bad meal at Chuy's. You will find your favorite, and you will order that every time. It's usually a good bet.

Chuy's North Austin, Bubble wall

Chuy's hubcap ceiling decor

Good food cheap! Sign up for Chuy's email fun.

Follow Chuy's on Facebook. Sign up for their email list and get coupons, special notices and event invitations.

Chuy's has tons of merchandise like T-shirts, koozies and whatnot. Some of their shirts are legendary. MTV used to feature Chuy's merchandise.

The Chuy's franchise is growing, and you may be able to locate one of these fine restaurants near you. Check their home page.

Chuys is continuing to expand. You can now find Chuy's restaurants in other states as well as all over Austin. A new Chuys is going to open soon in my neck of the woods - Cedar Park, Texas. Oh, I am so excited to be able to go eat Tex-mex at the drop of a sombrero now!