Chuy’s opened in Huntsville this week and we were all soooo excited! We knew there may be a little bit of a wait, so we got to the restaurant around 10:50 AM, 10 minutes before they opened. There was already a bit of a line, but we were able to get our names on the list quickly. We ended up having to wait about half an hour, but there was seating in the shade and it was a nice day, so we didn’t mind. The wait staff was very polite and welcoming and even got us drinks while we waited! We sat on the patio and the environment was very fun and laid back.
Appetizer
Chips and Queso with Beef
The chips were great; really thin, light, and crispy. The queso was alright, though most of us agreed that we prefer white queso, not yellow. The sauce that was far above the queso or salsa, though, was the creamy jalapeno sauce. DEFINITELY ask for that. It’s free with your meal and is a sort of jalapeno ranch sauce, but it’s literally great on EVERYTHING you can order at Chuy’s.
I had only been to Chuy’s two or three times before in Birmingham and I was pretty excited when I heard we were getting on on Huntsville! I love the environment in these restaurants; it is very laid back and all of the decorations are bright and colorful, lending to a fun atmosphere. The music is also great! Not too loud, and a fun, current selection. Our wait time was pretty long, but I attributed that to this being their first week opened and it was the start of the weekend. We were prepared to wait and enjoyed talking to each other and hanging out in the fun atmosphere.
WHAT SHE ATE:
Chuychanga with Mexican Rice and Refried Beans
A fried flour tortilla filled with fresh, oven-roasted chicken, cheese, cilantro & green chiles, garnished with sour cream & your choice of sauce.
I was so excited to eat, I dove right in before I remembered to take a picture (see my half-eaten Chuychanga in the photo!) I don’t really care for the refried beans at Chuy’s, but everything else I tasted was great. The creamy jalapeno sauce is one of the main reasons I eat at Chuy’s. It is so delicious and adds the perfect touch to anything I ordered. My Chuychanga had a thick, crispy shell and all of the chicken and veggies inside were seasoned well and tasted delicious (especially with the jalapeno sauce on them!)
I have been to Chuy’s before in Tallahassee, FL and totally loved it. The decor is super lively and fun and I’m always down for a margarita. Today, we arrived during an incredibly packed opening. In total, it was a two-hour restaurant experience.
WHAT SHE ATE:
Chicken Fajitas
Grilled with onions and peppers. Served with handmade flour tortillas, lettuce, guacamole, sour cream, cheese, pico de gallo, Mexican rice & refried beans.
While I did not love the wait, my chicken fajita’s came out perfectly! They were sizzling nicely and paired with sides of sour cream, guacamole, tomatoes, peppers, etc. Check it out for a festive lunch or dinner option!
I’m not usually a huge fan of eating anything but breakfast at Mexican restaurants. It’s not good for anything but to send you into a siesta for the rest of the day. I’m not even a really a big fan of Mexican chips but when they are sitting in front for like an hour or so you just can’t help yourself.
WHAT HE ATE:
#3 Taco & Enchilada
Seasoned ground sirloin crispy taco, cheese Tex-Mex enchilada
It a pretty long time to get our food, so I only ate my little enchilada. I got the verde sauce. It was brief, but it was actually pretty good. Decent service. Pretty slow. 4.5 for the food and 3 for blah, average service.
Chuy’s just opened their Huntsvegas location about a week ago so, of course, we decided to try it. The building looks very new and clean, and all the staff seemed to be doing a good job. Granted, since it had only been open about a week, our waitress made a few minor mistakes with our order and the service wasn’t as smooth as it could be. A person, whom I assume was the manager/owner, did check on us a couple times during our visit to make sure everything was taken care of, which I liked. The wait took forever. If there’s one thing I don’t want to do at a restaurant, it’s waiting an eternity for ehhhhh food. I would say the wait to be seated and the wait to get our food took a little over an hour. I would give the experience a 3/5.
WHAT HE ATE:
Mini Crispy Tacos
Three crispy tacos with beef & cheese. Served with rice and beans.
If you’re local to Huntsvegas and you wanted Mexican food, where would you think of? Well, probably Chuy’s because it just opened. But prior to Chuy’s, almost everyone would say Rosie’s/little Rosie’s with the occasional Taco Mama. Both amazing options, top notch, first class, so, in my opinion, Chuy’s has to be better than both of those to get my business. It was not. I ordered three mini crispy tacos with a side of Mexican rice. Everything was fresh and tasted fine. The food at Chuy’s isn’t terrible it’s just not anywhere close to Little Rosie’s or even Taco Mama, in my opinion. Who knows, maybe Chuy’s will improve their wait time and service issues over time, but their food will most likely never change so I must say adios, mi amada Chuy’s. I’d have to give Chuy’s dos mini crispy tacos out of cinco.
I’ve been to Chuy’s a few times before at the Birmingham location, and never found it to be too special. I always got a meme-y hipster vibe from it. The wait staff was super nice today, but the food took a long time to come out – probably 45 minutes. Honestly not worth lining up outside and waiting for.
WHAT HE ATE:
Cheese Enchiladas with Mexican Rice and Refried Beans
I chose cheese as my enchilada option, and it came with 2 tiny flour tortillas filled with some random type of cheese. They really didn’t have any flavor to them. Maybe this is because I selected cheese instead of steak or chicken. The sauce I selected came on the side. I can go to Phil Sandoval’s and order cheese enchiladas that are twice the size and taste twice as good for the same price. There was a generous helping of refried beans, which I didn’t touch, because let’s be honest… who likes refried beans. The rice was alright, nothing too crazy. You could probably just boil a bag of instant rice at home and it would taste the same, which for me isn’t a bad thing, but there isn’t much going on in the flavor department. The best part about the visit was probably the Creamy Jalapeno Sauce, which I had to resort to, to fill me up. Who know’s, maybe Chuy’s is good, but they definitely can’t compete with Little Rosie’s or Phil Sandoval’s.
Today the crew got a to-go order for me; I chose a soft taco with chicken. The Boss relayed to me that she said one taco, but we ended up with two, a meal, and we were charged for the extra. The restaurant only just opened, so all of the Chuy’s crew is getting use to the environment and everything on the menu. I was not bothered, but people should know that when they go there.
WHAT SHE ATE:
To Go Order: Soft Taco with Fajita Chicken
As far as the taco, it was delicious. The tortilla was very tasty, and soft as opposed to rubbery, which was a refreshing change of pace for me. The salsa was pretty spicy to me, but also very tasty. The rice was good, but I’m not sure about the refried beans. Now, I am not a daily connoisseur of refried beans but I’ve had better. When tasting the beans amongst all of the tasty items it seemed a little under par. But it all still tasted great. So, as far as a to-go order, and from the other reviews, it was great and everybody should enjoy Chuy’s and welcome them to Huntsville.
Give them a visit!
Chuy's
935 Bob Wallace Ave SW
Huntsville, AL 35801
