We drove 7 hours to get a “Chuychanga.” For all Chuy’s fans you know exactly what I’m talking about. A restaurant that in my friends words was the "best tex mex”, and after convincing this first timer to road trip to Denver we were off.
Walking into a Chuy’s you could tell it already had a very distinct culture. There were retro records lining the walls, a dog photo hall of fame, one of the ceilings even was covered in car rims.
The first thing they brought out to us was warm chips and we asked for a platter of all their famous sauces. My friend couldn’t help from commenting that everything they made was from scratch daily. From creamy Jalapeño to yummy Tamatillo there were upwards of 10 sauces, you have to ask to try them all they are pretty amazing!
While chatting to our Denver-native waiter we ended up mentioning we had driven across a couple of states to get a taste of their food. We decided to order a Taco Salad, Chuychanga, and Burrito. Pretty basic right?
While we waited we got some soft, warm tortillas they were hands down the best I had ever had. I have a sweet spot for carbs.
We were surprised when the manager of the restaurant pulled up a chair to our table and asked us about our road trip out. My friend couldn’t help but tell him that Chuy’s was one of his favorite restaurants and a 7 hour drive was well worth it. The manager thanked us for coming all this way to pay their restaurant a visit and not only offered to take care of the dinner bill, but invited us back the next day for lunch.
When I took my first bite of a Chuy’s platter I was kind of blown away. A mix of fresh and comfort it was pretty amazing to say the least. I topped the Chuychanga with mounds of guac, pico, and lettuce. The soft fried tortilla, perfectly seasoned chicken, and gooey cheese all came together so nicely. Even though I was stuffed with chips and tortillas I couldn’t stop eating it was the best chimichanga I had even had. My friend got a loaded burrito and the bite of it I tasted just screamed flavor, filling, and lots and lots of meat.
I loved the taco salad, it was different than most I had. It was loaded yet, light and not heavy. The guac and chicken really made it, not to mention the deep fried tortilla shell.
Our lovely waiters were super attentive and really personable. We definitely felt like we got the specialty treatment, the staff felt like friends by the end. They even shook our hands when we finally left the restaurant.
I definitely saved the best for last though! Hands down after being just astounded at how amazing the food really was, the really star of the show was the Tres Leches cake. Moist beyond belief, soaked in milk, with a caramel drizzle a few strawberries, and a pool of thick sweet milk at the bottom this cake was to die for. We both looked at each other after our first bite and promised ourselves that we needed to recreate the recipe, so stay tuned.
Needless to say Chuy’s was well worth a super fun road trip. The spoon crew would definitely say it's the best tex mex we've ever had! We loved it!
6595 W 104th Ave, Westminster, CO 80020