For more than 40 years, Chuy's has been a place where you could get pretty good Tex-Mex food and ice-cold margaritas. However, during the 2020s, there has been some talk online about the chain's prices rising while the quality of its food has steadily been dropping. To the latter point, it's found its way to Mashed's list of the most overpriced Mexican chains in the U.S., and customer reviews back it up.

One reviewer on Yelp called Chuy's overpriced and forgettable, pointing out a small cup of queso that cost $8.99. A TripAdvisor user shared similar feelings about the guacamole, which cost $7.99 for just four small scoops. On Reddit, a former fan said lunch for two people might set them back $50, but it used to be that a single diner could eat for $10 or $12.

In terms of quality, it seems Chuy's is a bit of a mixed bag. While it had the top-ranked chips and salsa based on reviews earlier this year, customer opinions on other items weren't as favorable. One Yelp user complained nearly everything on their tacos al carbon plate was dry, while another reviewer said their tortilla soup and taco salad were tasteless. A sentiment among some long-time fans online was that Chuy's was no longer as good as they remembered, indicating a dip in quality.

How did Chuy's become known as bad and overpriced?

A common sentiment on Reddit is that things started to go downhill during the COVID-19 pandemic, when Chuy's cut a lot of customers' favorites from the menu. Others feel the decline started much earlier than that, around the same time the Tex-Mex restaurant started to expand more rapidly. Customers also didn't seem too happy about the company's 2024 acquisition by Darden Restaurants, which counts Olive Garden and the confusingly named Ruth's Chris Steakhouse among its brands. Some people saw it as the death knell for Chuy's.

Since the change in ownership, however, beloved menu items like the chile relleno, the Elvis fried chicken (now called the green chile fried chicken), and the green chile rice have made a comeback. While food quality in chain restaurants will always be location-dependent, the selection has at least seen some improvement.

Inflation has caused some piece jumps, but it doesn't seem to have hit every menu item equally. According to a 1986 Chuy's menu shared on Reddit, the queso appetizer used to go for $1.95. Based on the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics' CPI Inflation Calculator, that amount in January 1986 would be the equivalent of $5.96 in May 2026. That same menu item can cost around $11 today, depending on your location. The Chuychanga, on the other hand, didn't see as big a jump from 1986 — its $4.95 price tag from back then is the equivalent of $15.14 in 2026. In some locations, it goes for around $17 today. Given such inconsistencies, it's unclear why some of Chuy's items are overpriced beyond inflation.