Chuy's

Chuy's the Austin-based Tex-Mex giant made it's way into the Chicago area recently with it's new Warrenville location, the first one in Illinois. The chain began over 35 years ago and is known for it's from-scratch menu. I got a little preview before opening and toured the kitchen where tortillas were being made from scratch and handmade small batches of guacamole were being prepared. It was great to see how fresh everything is and know that you're not eating foods that are coming out of a freezer or out of cans that are loaded with preservatives. You can definitely taste the difference, too!

One highlight of Chuy's - aside from their very cool and eclectic decor and awesome t-shirts - is their big selection of handcrafted sauces made daily. I tried every one of them, which ranged from mild to medium to hot with the heat level indicated on the menu. It was hard to pick a favorite, but I really enjoyed the Boom Boom sauce, which fell in the middle on the heat scale and is made with cheese, tomatillos, lime juice, green onion and cilantro and the Creamy Jalapeño sauce.

One of the coolest parts of the tour was the nacho bar that is served out of a vintage car along with the hub cab ceiling that you just have to see in person. Oh, and then there's the Elvis shrine. Sorry....too many cool things going on this place to narrow it down!

There are dozens of Chuy's locations around the county and I'm so happy that they've come to Chicagoland! For more info, visit chuys.com.