Chuy’s

Bad experience. Bad food. Bad service. Burnt chips. Consistently bad. Find a better Mexican restaurant. There’s are few in the same neighborhood.

One of my all time favorites! Delicious and fresh Tex-​Mex food! Really fun colorful environment! We’ve always found a seat near the bar when waiting for a table. Never really have to wait too long during prime time. You MUST get the Creamy Jalepeno sauce for your chips (and to drizzle over everything else) Never been disappointed with anything here. Great for big families!

First time here — very good portions and fresh. Reasonably priced. Wine is a 9 oz pour as it should be.
Very attentive waitstaff until the end of service — she disappeared and we wanted a 2^nd glass of wine — poof she was gone only to reappear from the front room near the entrance as we went to cash out again because she never came back.
Needless to say we did have a second glass of wine.
Most likely will try this place again.

Had horrible service this Monday! Of course, the staff blamed everyone else and was not accountable for their actions. Then found a sticker in our food– and they did not comp it! To make matters worse, u got very very sick after leaving– will def not be back. Thumbs down

Good chips, good salsa, good margaritas. It’s your standard tex mex restaurant… kind of like On the Border, etc. The service was fast. They give you plenty of food. Everything was reasonably priced. Nothing really stood out as fabulous, though.

Great service and food as always!
Took about 10 minutes to be seated on Saturday evening which is pretty good. Fajitas were hot and tender — sever did everything possible to make us feel welcome.
Check was very reasonable for a full service sit meal

Not recommended.
If you love Tex-​Mex food you’ll hate this place.
We’re back in the DC metro area for a few weeks to visit friends and family. We lived here off and on for almost 30 years before living abroad.
For years, the standards for Tex-​Mex food in this area were Uncle Julio’s Rio Grande Café and Guapo’s — in that order. Both chains are at several sites in Northern Virginia and Washington DC.
Our kids took us to this place raving about it in advance. Their judgment is usually pretty good. But they were wrong in this case. It appears they like this place because of the informal dining atmosphere and draw of the place to families with young children. And I don’t understand the latter: both Uncle Julio’s and Guapo’s readily accommodate young children with no problem.
The food here is truly tasteless. And it’s priced as high as Guapo’s and Uncle Julio’s. Why go?
Want good Tex-​Mex in the DC metro area? Go to Uncle Julio’s or Guapo’s. Uncle Julio’s has sites in Ballston (Arlington), Fairfax, and Reston Virginia. I seem to recall that might be a site as well in Bethesda. Guapo’s has sites in Washington DC and Northern Virginia.
Apologies in advance for typos — I’m writing this review on a smartphone.
Visited July 2015

Omg they deliver to our home and I don’t have to drive to ShortPump!!! God love chuys!!!

I went there with my family & i can only say it’s HORRIBLE, it’s AWFUL!
If you think this is good. Then you are wrong. You’re taste buds are lying to you! Don’t be fooled. Stay AWAY!

Omg we love Chuy’s. We have been to the one in Austin, Tx. I never could figure out what the big deal was about TexMex until I ate at Chuy’swe both started out with a Ma’s Rita since it’s Saturday. Chips are lite, warm and if u can try all three salsa’s all have a different heat level but fabulous! Then we both ordered fav Chile Rellieno’s. Mine with cheese and boom boom sauce, chile rice, and charro beans (whole). Bf had his with chicken n cheese same sides. The chiles are soo fresh that they are have that nice crunch when u eat them. To die for really. So I don’t know about all the weird reviews… Dummies. It’s TexMex not Mexican. So if u are looking for something different try it.

I was a frequent diner at Chuy’s in Fairfax, VA but recently moved to Charlottesville. When I found out that there was a Chuy’s in Richmond, I was ecstatic! We made a trip to Short Pump before Christmas and stopped for dinner at Chuy’s very hungry and thirsty after shopping all day. The hostess was friendly and we were seated promptly, after that it went downhill.
We did not have a server come by for about 30 minutes after seating. When he finally came by, he asked if we knew what our drink order would be. He returned with our drinks a few minutes later and said he’d be back to take our dinner order. Another 10 minutes went by and we finally placed our food order. The food came out from a food runner shortly after and by that time we were due for more drinks (mind you, it was a water and 2 sodas). The runner said our server would be by soon. We finished our meal with no drinks left and he came by and said «I haven’t been by in awhile have I?»… We laughed it off but were honestly a bit irritated by that point. We got our refills and paid our checks and left.
I was very disappointed in the service at this Chuy’s. I probably would not return to this location. Oh well.

There is just nothing that I like about the food at Chuy’s! I first went around the time they opened and have been several times throughout the years when I have found myself surrounded by fans of this place and have been willing to give it a shot. I do not get the hype, as I find the food to be terrible.
To me, it is really difficult to screw up Mexican food this badly. I have never finished a meal here and always leave feeling as if I spent way too much money on a sub par meal. Don’t waste your time here, it won’t satisfy your desire for Mexican.

Average Mexican food!
The chips (when hot) were fabulous and I enjoyed the salsa and white sauce. When I walked in, I wasn’t expecting it to look like it did. I was expecting more of an Applebees or Ruby Tuesday vibe, but when we came in it was more of a… South of the Boarder vibe? There were fake palm trees, Christmas lights, photos on the walls, and all types of colorful-​ness.
The staff was very nice and attentive. My lunch meeting spanned a little over 2 hours and we never felt rushed. I ordered the chicken fajitas. They came piping hot with all your typical fajita supplies. Sour cream, lettuce, pico de gallo, tortillas, and rice and beans. I gotta say that this meal was just ok (& expensive for a lunch meal! I paid $ 20 for that!). I didn’t really like the rice and beans. They weren’t hot enough, the rice was kind of… dry? And it didn’t really have any flavor. The tortillas were also a bit… different? Definitely not my favorite.
I don’t think I would be back at Chuy’s. There is far better Mexican cuisine in the city!

I’ve been hearing a lot about Chuy’s, so when my friend suggested we meet here the other night, I was excited!
First thing I noticed was this was not a typical Mexican restaurant. The layout was different and even the staff. However, everyone was very polite and welcoming.
The food — Started us out with chips and salsa. The salsa definitely had a kick to it! Which I personally liked, but I’m not sure that would be for everyone! For dinner, I ordered the special that night (Tuesday), which was 2 chicken enchiladas with green salsa and rice and refried beans. Delicious! Second visit I ordered a hard taco (beef) and cheese enchilada, rice and refried beans. While I don’t think there was anything incredibly different from some of the other Mexican places I go to, except for maybe a little more spice, I enjoyed it. There was also some happy hour chips and sauces, etc. but we never made it over to that area either time.
The service was prompt and friendly both times as well. The restaurant is clean and spacious. Not much parking in front of the restaurant, but there’s a free parking deck right beside it!
Overall, I like the food and will be returning!

Great food! I had three chicken tacos and the pomegranate margarita. It was so delicious, a little pricey though. Great atmosphere as well, pretty decorations. Seems like a good place for families and happy hour haha.

Meh. The food is authentic American Mexican, if that’s even a thing.
The interior was cheap and chincy, the wait staff was dressed casually, and was warm
It was just meh.
There was nothing awful about the place, but it just want for me and that’s not their fault. So four stars.

I went to Chuy’s for lunch with my sister. The restaurant was busy around prime lunch hours. A server brings chips and salsa to your table. The chips are thin and fried to a nice crisp. I thought Chuy’s salsa was good but not great. I ordered an Elvis Presley Memorial Combo (Beef Tex-​Mex enchilada, cheese Ranchero enchilada, chicken Tomatillo enchilada, a seasoned ground sirloin with homemade tostada chips dipped in chile con queso). Most meals come with beans and rice as well. The enchiladas are good. I’m not a big fan of beans but Chuy’s refried beans are tasty. My chile con queso was good as well. Our waiter was friendly and attentive. Parking can be a hassle but it’s a deck across from the restaurant. I give Chuy’s a 3.5 rating.

Chuy’s was my first experience of proper Tex Mex. Don’t be fooled by the «Mexican» on the sign — it’s truly Tex Mex. There’s enough cheese to make you think you’re in Wisconsin.
After two visits, I still can’t go past the strawberry margarita. Just the right amount of sweet, sour, and frozen goodness.
My first visit I had the Tex Mex enchiladas. I wasn’t totally happy, as the cheese was overly chewy (pun only slightly intended). The second time around I ordered the Wednesday special, which was much better. I can’t remember the name, but it was enchiladas with green chilies and avocado. Everyone at our table ordered it, and no one was disappointed. Make sure you order some queso as well. If you’re in a particularly Tex Mex-​y mood, grab some flour tortillas to dip in it as well. Divine.
It’s by no means fine dining. None of the crockery matches, the tables are formica, and the cutlery comes in a paper cover providing you with the pre-​meal prayer for three religions. The restaurant is filled with more Elvis memorabilia than should exist outside Lilo’s bedroom. But there’s not much in the way of night life in Short Pump, so beggars can’t be choosers. At the end of the day, they do a mean margarita, and they keep them coming, so I see no reason I won’t be going back next time I’m in town.

We’ve been here many, many times since it first opened. The first couple times, it was amazing: the service was great, food was good, and there were always lots of people and great atmosphere. However, I think they’re starting to slip…
We went to Chuy’s Saturday night, which you’d think in Short Pump would be really busy, but it wasn’t. We were seated right away, but a bunch of the servers were standing around chit-​chatting in the front of the restaurant and the gentleman trying to seat us had to tell them «EXCUSE ME» about 3 times before they finally moved. It should have been a sign that all the waitstaff had nothing better to do than stand arond and chat!
First off, they should warn you that the queso is $ 7. I’m sorry, but when the server asked if we wanted queso, I was expecting it to be around $ 3 or $ 4… But nope, it’s SEVEN. ($ 7 bucks for some cheese in a bowl?! Really??)
My boyfriend always gets the steak burrito — and normally he loves it. This time he said there were practically no jalapenos on it and the steak was a little over cooked.
I always get the #6 — which is an Enchilada, Taco, & Chalupa. Again, hardly any jalapenos! Normally there’s a few, which I love, but nope. There was literally 3 jalapenos on my plate. Ugh. Otherwise the food was ok, honestly it wasn’t that hot. Makes me think our server didn’t deliver it until much after it was ready. I ended up taking half of it home, because it just wasnt that appealing.
Our server was nice, but definitely not attentive. We’re not hard to please — I just hate sitting at the table with empty drink cups. We also didn’t have silverware for the first 20 minutes of us sitting at the table, finally I asked for some. And then we didn’t have napkins, again I had to ask. I’m normally not so critical but I feel like part of a server’s job is to anticipate and notice their patron’s needs! It took forever to get her back to our table (despite the mostly empty dining room) and honestly I was really disappointed in her service overall.
I’ll give it another chance, because we’ve always loved this place, and maybe it was an off night because it’s the holiday season. :(

Holy guacamole!
Decided to try the Chuy’s for some Mexican Food this evening as I was shopping in Short Pump anyway.
I was there so early for dinner service, valet parking wasn’t even set up! I immediately noticed the authentic atmosphere of a chain restaurant but I was digging the whole thing.
I was greeted warmly by staff and given my choice of a booth or table. Within a minute I had ice tea and a basket of chips with some serious homemade fresh salsa on my table.
The menu was packed with things I’d like to try but on this visit I went for the fajitas! They were excellent and tasty. I told my server Alyson I wanted to make this a weekly stop for Fajita Night! She was happy to hear that and her service could not have been any better. Great service and great food gets my 5 stars! I’m telling you to check this place out, you’ll be happy!