This Olive Garden Sister Restaurant Has Been Serving Up Tex-Mex Since 1982

You probably think of Olive Garden as a standalone concept, but in reality it's part of a handful of brands owned by its parent company, Darden Restaurants. Olive Garden easily has the strongest brand recognition, but one of its many sibling restaurants is of a totally different genre: Tex-Mex. And that would be a chain called Chuy's. 

If you don't have one near you, that's because Chuy's only exists in 15 states. It was founded in Austin, Texas in 1982, and the menu features Tex-Mex staples like queso dip, enchiladas, fajitas, and handmade tortillas as well as nine made-from-scratch sauces. There's even an homage to Elvis Presley on its menu in the form of The King's Memorial Combo, which features three different types of enchiladas. 

Chuy's certainly has its own visual personality. Whereas every Olive Garden tends to have a uniform look, Chuy's has varying design aesthetics. The brand deliberately chooses to make each location look unique by adding different visual touches to the space. And if you're not terribly familiar with Tex-Mex cuisine, it has a fusion style all its own (here are 11 Tex-Mex dishes to try if you need a quick intro).

You're likely wondering one big question: Is the food any good? According to Chuy's original hometown locals in Austin, this is a somewhat debated subject. In one Reddit thread, a user asked why Austinites are seemingly obsessed with the place, saying, "People outside of Austin like it, but it seems like way more people in Austin love it than any of the other places I've lived ... I'm not hating on the people that like it, but am I genuinely missing out on a great meal there?"

Another Redditor responded, "I've never told or been told it's like the greatest tex-mex ever. It's perfectly fine and a fun, easy place to get a marg and enchiladas (boom boom with a fried egg, to be precise)." Many people were in general agreement, with one saying, "It's cheap, decent, and consistent. That's it. I don't particularly like it either. Would I eat there if I was invited there? Sure. I think that's all, it's a crowd pleaser."

It's not hard to understand why Chuy's fits in with Olive Garden. Olive Garden is also a crowd-pleaser, yet it's not often people are ecstatic about it. Chuy's seems to fit the Tex-Mex bill without swerving too far out of its lane. So, thinking of Chuy's as the Olive Garden of Tex-Mex might be the best way to approach it if you're ever considering it for a night out.