Lots of chains claim fresh, but Chuy’s delivers on that promise, especially as it celebrates its annual Green Chile Festival from Aug. 19 to Sept. 8.
If you’ve been to the Tex-Mex food spot (two in our area, 104 Oxmoor Court in Louisville, and location at 1440 Veterans Parkway Court in Clarksville), you know it for well-made grub served in ample portions and an eclectic atmosphere. And you also may have enjoyed the ample pickled green chiles garnishing many Chuy’s dishes—they are fab!
Chuy’s makes a big deal out of its chiles each year when it celebrates their harvest in Hatch, N.M. That’s where about 1 million pounds of them are grown for Chuy’s, and each year they celebrate the ripening of all spicy green goodness with a special menu at each restaurant.
“Green Chile Festival is a huge part of the culture at Chuy’s. It’s our opportunity to showcase the one-of-a-kind flavor of the green chile, and the only time of the year we introduce new menu items,” said Frank Biller, vice president of operations for Chuy’s, which is based in Austin, Texas.
So for the next three weeks, each Chuy’s will serve a special menu of seven green chile-inspired dishes, including New Mexican Rolls, Hatch Valley Chicken Enchiladas and Tacos al Pastor. (And by the way, these aren’t super-spicy chiles, so don’t fear the burn!)
To complement special menu, Chuy’s will feature a new Southern Niño frozen margarita made with Southern Comfort Cherry, and the Forbidden Rita, a margarita made with Angry Orchard Hard Cider and served on the rocks. We’re already licking our chops over New Mexican Martini, made with green chile-infused tequila to be featured during the festival.
Expect all the usual noisy hubbub, such as giveaways of commemorative buttons and green chile-themed travel postcards, and if you like Chuy’s-wear—don’t miss the fish!—then bring a little extra dough for the limited edition Green Chile Festival T-shirt.
Might as well have a little social media fun, too, and take a picture in front of a unique “road side attraction” at each Chuy’s or a snap of your favorite Green Chile Festival food item and posting it to Instagram with #CHUYSGREENCHILEFEST.
Why? That gives you a chance to win a year’s worth of Chuy’s grub. We’ll play along!
