Chuy’s will open a Lafayette location in just a few weeks in the Ambassador Town Center anchored by Costco.
The Daily Advertiser had the opportunity to sneak a peek at the Austin-based Tex Mex restaurant’s offerings during a special preview event Thursday evening.
In addition to offering a taste of the restaurant through a nacho bar, tres leches cake and margaritas, the Chuy’s Redfish Rally served as a fundraiser for Healing House, a local nonprofit for grieving children.
The building that will house Chuy’s is still under construction, so this party happened in a heated tent across from the new development. While at the event, I learned a few things you’ll want to know before dining at the popular restaurant franchise.
Consider these your insider tips.1. Bring a picture of your pup.
No, really. Bring in a framed photo of your dog, and it’ll be hung in Chuy’s bar for all to admire. Plus, you’ll score a free appetizer. The initial round of pup photos for the Lafayette Dog Wall will be shot and framed (for free!) after the Krewe des Chiens Parade Saturday at Parc Sans Souci. Tell ya mom and dem.2. Happy Hour is a must.
This is about so much more than drink specials. It’s about the complimentary build-your-own nacho bar set up in the trunk of a car. Happy hour happens from 4 to 7 p.m. Monday through Friday. So don’t miss the happy hour. Unless you’re trying to avoid carbs. Or cheese. Or, you know, nachos.3. Try these off-menu insider eats.
Act like you’re an Austin native and order the Chuy gooey as your appetizer or a side of creamy jalapeno ranch. The Chuy gooey is a layered Mexican dip that has refried beans, ground sirloin, queso, guacamole, sour cream, pico de gallo, lettuce and jalapeños. And the creamy jalapeno ranch is exactly what you’re picturing. Although popular among Chuy’s regulars, you won’t find the dip or sauce on the menu.4. Get creative with your order.
Don’t want the Chuy gooey or the creamy jalapeno ranch or any of the combination plates on the menu? No worries. You don’t have to stick to the basic combos when ordering. Mixing and matching is encouraged, and you won’t be charged extra for it.5. Fresh is the name of the game.
The only items in the restaurant’s freezer — french fries and ice cream — are for kids. The margarita base begins each day with limes squeezed in house. The salsa is made every hour from fresh, not canned, tomatoes. Each flour, corn and blue corn tortilla served at the restaurant is hand-rolled.6. Get saucy.
Chuy’s offers several signature sauces. You’ll find the familiar offerings such as ranchero and tomatillo. You’ll also find options like boom-boom — a moderately spicy cheese sauce with green chiles, tomatillos, green onions, cilantro and lime juice — and deluxe tomatillo — a creamy version of the tomatillo sauce with sour cream, cilantro, and other herbs and spices. Check out the Hatch green chile sauce if you like it hot. This dark green sauce is made with beef stock, roasted New Mexican green chiles and caramelized onions.7. Expect the unexpected.
The official mascot for Chuy’s is a redfish. Why? Just for fun. The restaurant is known for its quirks — you’ll find an Elvis shrine at every restaurant — but each Chuy’s location is a little different. The team likes to say “If you’ve seen one Chuy’s, you’ve seen one Chuy’s” since no two are quite alike. The Lafayette location could have some specialty offerings that no other Chuy’s has using crawfish. But that’s in the top secret menu development stage for now.
