Chuy’s Tex-Mex in Nashville, Tennessee

Dining Outside the Home: Chuy’s Tex-Mex in Nashville, Tennessee. Where can you go and literally dish up drool-worthy nachos from the trunk of a full-loaded Nacho Car? Say again? You heard me. It’s the trunk of an Elvis-era classic car with a spread of tortilla chips, spicy salsa, creamy jalapeño, cheesy queso, and taco meat. And here’s the kicker: it’s FREE during Happy Hour Monday through Friday at Chuy’s. The restaurant decor is pure Elvis from velvet paintings, neon signs, shiny hubcaps, and nostalgic music. The menu boasts of Mexican favorites and then some of Elvis’s as well. After your fill of food and drink, there’s nothing left to say except, “Thank you, thank you very much”, in that ever familiar Elvis southern drawl.

Elvis is Alive and Well

“We’re going through the gates!”  People flock to Graceland year-round in Memphis, Tennessee. Some men appear wearing blue suede shoes while others comb their slick black hair into the legendary upswept pompadour.  An Elvis-wanna-be directs his attention to a crowd exiting a tour bus, smiling that sexy half smirk that causes women to swoon.  His sultry wink is cast from hooded baby blues, and you find yourself wondering, “Is The King of Rock and Roll still alive?”.  Inside the modest home, framed gold records and platinum albums hang in hallways proving this was a man who sold more than any other artist in history.  If you look closely, a vulnerable side is visible in the life of this immortal rock star.  Just when you begin to wonder if it is all an illusion, another slender, handsome stranger approaches wearing a blue silk scarf draped around his neck.  The mob goes crazy snapping photos with their cell phones.  He stops for moment when a young blonde beauty calls out the cherished name of “Elvis”.   He strums his guitar and swivels his hips to a rhythm and blues tune hypnotically causing her to feel giddy and lightheaded before turning on his heels to disappear.  “Thank you, thank you very much.”  

Every August thousands of fans descend to this remote area of Memphis and stand in line for hours waiting to pay tribute to the ghost who wanders around Graceland.  Passing the gravesite in a candlelight vigil the sound of a pin drop can be heard. Glancing about, some devoted fans are sniffling shamelessly while others openly dab a tear.  It seems no matter the age, everyone is touched with a special memory of the King.  At the end of the day, Elvis has left the building. The experience is timeless.