Chuy's... Draft Beer served at 40-degrees
“Hey buddy! Someone is shouting at you!” I felt the tap on my shoulder as I sat at a table in the middle of Chuy’s Restaurant at 3100 East Speedway. Heidi, Hunter and I had met Tony, Brooke and their three children along with Allison and her two daughters for a Friday night dine out to kick off the Labor Day weekend.
On this particular night, Chuy’s was very noisy. Take a typical Friday night happy hour and add a third grade class at recess and the resulting fun, excitement and noise level were all peaking near capacity for the little restaurant.
With helium balloons, crayons and activity pages for the kids, and samples of flavored Finlandia vodka being offered to the adults by two young ladies in form fitting yellow sun dresses, there was a peculiar mix of customers in Chuy’s. Our kids, Hunter, Ashley, Laura and Ryan, dined on chicken strips and french fries while coloring the kid’s menu / activity page. At a table next to ours a group of office mates celebrated happy hour with self served chips and salsa and copious amounts of cocktails in all shapes, colors and sizes. College coeds, primped and coiffed, drank margaritas on what would be the start of a fun filled three day party just two weeks into the new semester.
There is no wait staff at Chuy's. Customers must order food and drink from a station in the middle of the bar. Heidi stepped up to the bar to order our meal and brought me a Dos XX lager.
The beer was served in a 12 oz plastic cup which brought back memories of wilder days and unsanctioned parties in the boondocks and backyard keggers where the delivery of the beverage was predicated on the cheapest way possible with minimum breakage. Half a slice of a tired and lonely lime floated in the middle of the headless brew which registered 40-degrees. The plastic cup provided little insulation as the submerged thermometer crept up to 42-degrees within a few minutes.
The Dos XX was light and tasty and went well with the burrito I ordered which included frijoles, beef and cheese wrapped in a large flour tortilla served in a plastic basket with small side cups of rice, quacamole and sour cream. Allison and Heidi ordered specialty nachos, topped with beef, quacamole and frijoles, while Brooke and Tony enjoyed their chicken dinners which included a barbecued leg and thigh along with a dinner salad.
Tony is an expert father. He is unflappable and stoically consistent with his three children. I marvelled at how he could entertain and balance his one year old son Zachery in one hand while eating a chicken dinner with the other, all the while politely keeping up with my balmy banter.
There are numerous incarnations of Chuy’s in Tucson including locations at 4185 West Ina, 7585 South Houghton Road, 6453 North Oracle Road, 1825 West Valencia Road, 7101 E 22nd Street, 4490 North 1st Avenue, 6310 East Tanque Verde Road and 8995 Catalina Highway.
The decor at the Speedway location was daft and loud. With a seaside, or maybe even an undersea, motif reminiscent of the bars in Baja California it was packed with Mexican maritime items all screaming for attention.
“Hey buddy! Someone is shouting at you!” As I turned to see who was tapping on my shoulder I noticed my brother-in-law Rodger waiving at me from several tables away. He was with his wife Bonnie enjoying happy hour with some friends. They were drinking cold beer, eating some great food, celebrating with friends and no doubt adding to the excitement and noise level at Chuy's.
