Opening date set for new Chuy’s restaurant in Parker County west of Fort Worth

A new Hudson Oaks location of Chuy’s restaurants will open Aug. 27, the fifth Fort Worth-area location for a company that has grown from a tiny Austin hole-in-the-wall to a $600 million green-chile success.

Chuy’s is also planning locations in Burleson, Mansfield and far southwest Fort Worth, a company supervisor said last week.

The locations in Fort Worth So7 and Arlington Highlands are already the most popular Chuy’s in North Texas, according to the chain’s Robert Davis.

The new Hudson Oaks location is at 2701 Interstate 20 East. That’s next door to new corporate cousin Cheddar’s. Cheddar’s is owned by Chuy’s soon-to-be-owner, Florida-based Darden Restaurants.

A corporate chain Tex-Mex restaurant opening usually isn’t a big deal.

Unless it’s a Chuy’s.

In 42 years, Chuy’s has developed a faithful following for its eight distinctive scratch sauces from mild tomatillo to hot New Mexico green chile, for its fresh tortillas and for its salsa fresca and creamy jalapeno dip.

In recent months, Chuy’s has started bringing back old favorite menu items such as chiles rellenos, Davis said. The “Elvis Presley” green-chile fried chicken will come back in winter, he said.

The company now has more than 100 restaurants from Maryland to Colorado.

The orignal Austin Chuy’s was also known as a margarita hangout on Barton Springs Road.

The current restaurants are more family-driven, but still offer margaritas with squeezed limes and a house-made sweetener, not bar syrup.

The top order might be the “chicka-chicka-Boom-Boom” chicken enchiladas with mild green chile queso, Davis said, or an “Elvis Presley” combination plate with beef, chicken and cheese enchiladas and a crispy taco.

Texans tend to order more green chile steak burritos and also chicken flautas, he said.

There’s also the “Chuy Gooey,” an off-menu dip with a layer of refried beans topped with queso, lettuce, pico, beef, sour cream, guacamole and jalapenos. The “Boom-Boom Pow” tops the beans with mild green chile queso, minus the beef.

Chuy’s is one of the more efficient restaurants at online ordering, and 28%-35% of the business is now takeout, to-go or catering, Davis said.

The restaurant will open for lunch and dinner daily; chuys.com .