Chuy's neon - Austin, Texas - Neon Signs on Waymarking.com

It all began in an old abandoned barbecue joint on Barton Springs ROad. There was seating for about sixty, a dirt parking lot, a women's restroom the size of a broom closet & a men's room that was, uh, outside. Founders Mike Young & John Zapp decided to turn the location into a Mexican food restaurant. They spent all tidier money on getting the restaurant opened, and they had only $20.00 left to spend on decor.Fortunately they didn't let that stop them.

The decor was simple. Mike headed out the door with his $20 & guaranteed John he'd be back with something. As he puts it, "You can't fake cheap." It didn't take long for him to spot a vendor selling velvet paintings on the side of the road. He bouhjt two, Stevie Wonder and Elvis. Walls were done, the floors were next. "We could never decide on a floor tile color," says Mike, "so we chose a bunch of colors & laid them out to look like we planned it that way." Soon after, the doors opened & their plan to serve fresh, tasty, affordably priced Mexican food became a reality. The Chuy's menu was specifically to offer a taste of home, featuring family recipes from South Texas, New Mexico and Mexican border towns. Menu favorites include Burritos As Big As Yo' Face, Stuffed Chile Rellanos and margaritas made with fresh-squeezed lime juice.