A Popular Mexican Restaurant Chain Named Quirkiest In Missouri

My mouth dropped open from amazement when I saw the latest blog focused on Missouri from the tourism website Only In Your State. They are highlighting a chain Mexican restaurant and saying "It's one of the quirkiest places you'll ever go."  Quirky, yes. Whether it's actually one of the quirkiest places you'll ever go is up to debate, as is just how good the food is.

I'm talking about Chuy's Restaurant at 209 W. 46th Terrace, in Kansas City. Is it quirky? Yes. However, it's not even as quirky as I first thought. The exterior picture of their building on the Only In Your State site makes it seem like a classic quirky piece of architecture. Yet doing my own google maps sleuthing I found the building isn't even as quirky as the picture. It seems the restaurant is just one part of a retail development at 46th Terrace and Mill Creek Parkway near Country Club Plaza.

When it comes to quirkiness, Only In Your State highlights Chuy's wall of old-school cameras, a wall with pictures of their customer's pooches, and the shiny hubcaps on the ceiling. I've experienced some of Chuy's whimsical decor before. Like at their location in Lubbock, Texas.

Only In Your State is pretty good at highlighting unique places you don't want to miss, yet, in this case, I think the website swung and missed.

I mean, walk into El Tapitio here in Sedalia, and if you look at the back wall you see a mural of Sedalia. Outside the restaurant, they commemorate the fact that the land the restaurant sits on is what used to be part of the original location of the Sedalia Country Club. That's the kind of quirkiness I'm looking for. I don't think many Mexican restaurants in Missouri, or throughout America can claim that quirk. The food's really good too.

My point isn't that Chuy's is a bad place to go. Or if you find yourself hankering for Tex-Mex while hanging out around Country Club Plaza that you should stay away. I've had Chuy's a couple of times. The food's good and the decor is generally kitschy. Yet, you're going to be served up a similar quirky decor if you visit their Kansas City location, their location in Nashville, or anywhere else.

For my money, if you want quirky and Chuys, go to the original in Austin. It's in an old abandoned Texas Barbeque joint on Barton Springs Road. That's where I bet you'll experience Chuy's real quirkiness.

As for Mexican Food near Country Club Plaza in Kansas City, Chuy's is rated very well by Yelp users. However, there are a few other places in the Top 10 that I might want to check out first. You can see the list here.