Mexican-Italian fusion restaurant debuts in south Springfield

A Mexican-Italian fusion restaurant has started operations on the south side in space left vacant early last year.

Husband and wife Chuy García and Judith Martínez-García are the owners of Show Me Chuy, located at 1410 E. Republic Road. The restaurant in nearly 5,000 square feet takes over the space previously occupied by Archie’s Italian Eatery, which closed in February 2024.

García, who previously cooked Italian food for 24 years at brother Tony García’s Avanzare Italian Restaurant, said April 7 is the official opening day for Show Me Chuy following a soft launch that started March 31.

"It's every chef's dream to get your own restaurant," he said, noting the business currently employs 40.

Martínez-García said the couple invested $500,000 to $700,000 on the venture. She noted Show Me Chuy leases the space from Rob Wilson of Rapid Robert’s Inc.

The menu at Show Me Chuy includes a mix of dishes inspired by the Garcías’ Mexican heritage and the chef's experience in Italian cuisine. Pork chops, pork loins, pasta featuring a poblano cream sauce and red snapper with chipotle are among the dishes, which typically range $20-$30.

"It's Italian food with Chuy's love," said Martínez-García, who also works at Missouri State University as an assistant professor of Spanish, modern and classical languages and provost fellow for faculty development.

The restaurant has a capacity of 228 people, García said. An upstairs area additionally has been converted into a space for private events.

The space now occupied by Show Me Chuy has been utilized throughout the years by the likes of Archie’s Italian Eatery, OssoBuco Italian American Bistro, Frida Mexican Cuisine and Bar and Argentina Steakhouse, according to past reporting.