Asadas Grill

Duck enchiladas with mole sauce were awesome! Chips and salsa were homemade and delicious. Tacos…read moregreat and yummy margaritas. We had a wonderful server too. Ambiance very laid back but cute.

That rush hour traffic in Austin is lethal. If it starts raining too, oh buddy, what a nightmare…read more Eventually you'll make it to your destination and if it's half as good as El Alma, it'll be a sigh of relief. I've driven by El Alma many times being in the Austin area, but I never went until last Thursday, and after surviving a brief monsoon, I was glad to get a few drinks and eat some good TexMex with my large party just before a wedding. The best way to describe El Alma is that it is TexMex that is Austinified. Everything feels a little more unique and special than your classic TexMex options. I started off with a Mezcal Margarita that put a little hair on my chest and got me going. My group ordered two of their Nachitos, which were these nice nachos. For my main entrée, I got 3 Al Pastor tacos on corn with a side of their rice and beans. Their pastor was served with pineapples, onions, and cilantro with limes on the side. They were great and I immediately crushed them all. I thought their rice and beans were pretty good as well and a step above the typical TexMex rice and beans. The server was pretty attentive throughout our whole visit, and I honestly have no complaints about what they had to offer. Pricing on the meal and drinks was pretty standard for Austin, and I didn't think anything really took me out of the experience. On top of that, for being in Barton Springs, there is quite a bit of parking. I would love to come back at some point in the future and hang out on their rooftop bar because that seems like a lot of fun. Shoutout to El Alma for being a TexMex oasis saving me from the MoPac traffic. RIYL: TexMex, but better than your average

Busy on a Tuesday

Queso blanco

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Mezcal Margarita

Taqueria De Diez

4.7(518 reviews)

10.4 mi•Downtown

(4.5 stars) The best way to describe this joint is as a taco…read morereverse speakeasy. Go down an alleyway, enter a bar, and pass through a door with a tacos sign, and you'll find a bustling taqueria that slings some of the best tacos in town. Tortillas are homemade, and pastor is cooked on a trompo. Don't feel like a taco? You can also snag a quesadilla or tostada-like volcanes. There are several salsa options, and drinks include Mexican Cokes and horchata, among others. We ended up getting two tacos (pastor and carne asada), a nopales quesadilla, and an order of chips and guac. At $5 to $6 a taco, this wasn't cheap despite the no-frills surroundings, but it was well worth it. Everything looked and tasted fresh and smelled amazing. D/10 is known for its pastor, and it's easy to see why. Served in strips rather than chunks, it boasts a crisp edge and a nice bit of pineapple flavor. However, the asada, the salsa crema, and even the chips are all stellar here. While seating may be hard to come by, on food alone, Taqueria de Diez is a solid ten.

I ordered the steak burrito and it was promptly delivered after ordering even though the restaurant…read morewas very busy. It was huge and worth the price. There's a bar connected with the restaurant as well if you want shots. There's plenty of room for seating and standing while you eat.

Go between the alley

Adobada (Pastor) Volcan and Carne Asada Taco

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The outside of the building in an alley.

Las Perlas

4.5(135 reviews)

10.1 mi•Downtown

This is such a fun casual spot to get the night started. The bartenders here have the best vibe and…read morewe loved the back patio!

Solid taco spot / bar!!!…read more Was visiting Austin Downtown with some coworkers and we were craving Mexican food, but also wanted to get a drink. This place had the best of both worlds!! I had the guava margarita - refreshing and yum - as well as the quesadilla (brisket) and chicken taco. Both were devoured. delicious. no notes. I would say the only thing that is keeping my rating in the 4.5 range is the smaller menu, some things were sold out, and got a little bad vibe from one of the workers when picking up my food. Other than that, food was solid. Outdoor area was nice. Would come back again!

Behind the bar

Queso - Guava Marg - Chips & Salsa - Chicken Quesadilla

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Paloma

Suerte

4.3(1.4k reviews)

10.2 mi•East Austin

had the Agua chiles , the quesadilla, the sweet potato's and there tacos !! Highly recommend…read moregetting a couple of plates ! The food was great and the service was as well. I would highly recommended a visit! The fish was fresh , the drinks were good and the desert was amazing !

Best meal of the Austin trip: upscale tacos and housemade masa in a welcoming space…read more Food: 5 Service: 4.5 Atmosphere: 5 Cost to worth it rating: 3 Opentableable: yes Return worthiness: yes Highlights: - Waitress Kelly was wonderful and so professional. She noticed I was ordering dairy items on side and asked about if pesto in guacamole was ok. So astute and kind of her. Also on my friends second drink remembered she didn't want salt or her rim without even asking - Everything tasted so fresh and high quality - Brisket tacos: packed with flavor--maybe it was the wagyu meat or the black magic oil. Freshly made corn tortillas were awesome. Usually corn ones and pretty throwaway meh, but these added to the greatness of the tacos. 5 stars - Duck flautas: crispy covered in mild mole. Loved the mashed potato addition inside for some mellowness and texture. 5 stars - Guacamole: so fresh and that dollop of pesto on top was lovely. Served with crispy masa dippers were impressive almost a 8x11 page size. It was fun to crack off into pieces, but hard to stop eating it. 5 stars - Sweet potato: friend loved these long charred wedges. 4.5 stars - Cocktails were stellar. I got the Don Dario which was a play on a marg and delightful - $12 of a few drinks during lucky hour (Mon-Fri 5-6pm, Sat-Sun 3-5pm) - High energy vibes in a clean, open, tan colored space - Had their bottle water on the table in a champagne bottle which speaks to my heart Midlights: - In East Austin so have to Uber if you are staying more central - Tacos come in orders of 4. Wish it was less so we could've tried more variety. Lowlights - No food discounts for lucky hour - Didn't have time to try the choco taco which looked amaze - Large gap of time between items first few items coming out and the rest

Cool vibe

Tlayuda de Hongos

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Tlayuda de Hongos (mushrooms)

La Popular Austin

4.2(597 reviews)

15.5 mi

Great queso, steak tacos, and margs. Love the happy hour. Isabella was a great bar tender!read more

Manuel was really nice and served us very graciously. He checked in on us through out our dining…read moreexperience.

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Eldorado Cafe

4.5(1.1k reviews)

5.0 mi

There are some restaurants that need a review, and then there are restaurants like El Dorado, where…read morethe city has already rendered its verdict. At this point, El Dorado is an Austin favorite. People don't really debate whether it's good. They debate whether the wait is worth it, which is a very different conversation. So rather than adding another voice to the pile of praise, it seems more useful to talk about what people should actually expect when they go. First, yes, there may be a wait. This place is popular, and popular restaurants attract crowds. That's not a criticism; it's simply the reality. But it's also worth noting that many of the legendary wait times come from showing up exactly when everyone else does. If you can sneak in before or after the prime lunch and dinner rushes, the experience becomes much more manageable. Once you're seated, do yourself a favor and order the white queso. Better yet, if you're with family or friends, just get the sampler. It turns the beginning of the meal into an event rather than a formality. The white queso is every bit as good as people claim, but what surprised me even more was how seriously El Dorado takes its salsa. Most restaurants treat salsa as a free opening act before the main performance. Here, it feels like something carefully considered. Several varieties stood out, and more than one made me wonder why so many places settle for mediocre salsa when it can clearly be this good. As for the food itself, it's important to know what kind of restaurant you're walking into. If your idea of Austin Tex-Mex is fresh, light, bright, and vaguely health-conscious, you may need to adjust your expectations. El Dorado leans toward the heartier side of the spectrum. These are rich, deeply flavored dishes that feel rooted in tradition rather than trends. The portions are generous, the flavors are bold, and the meal has a certain gravitational pull to it. This is not food that politely taps you on the shoulder. It gives you a warm hug and then insists you have another bite. What impressed me most, oddly enough, were the beans and rice. Normally, they're supporting characters that exist simply because tradition demands they be present. At El Dorado, they seem to receive the same attention as everything else on the plate. It's a small detail, but great restaurants often reveal themselves through small details. The service deserves just as much praise as the food. During our visit, we interacted with several different staff members, and every one of them was friendly, attentive, and genuinely pleasant. There was none of the rushed indifference that sometimes sneaks into busy restaurants. Even better, management was actively moving through the dining room, checking on guests, talking with tables, and making sure people were enjoying themselves. It's the kind of thing that doesn't always get noticed when it's done well, but it absolutely contributes to why places like this develop loyal followings. The atmosphere itself is cheerful and comfortable. It's colorful without being flashy, lively without being chaotic. Nobody is going to leave talking about the interior design, but that's perfectly fine. The room accomplishes what it needs to accomplish: it feels welcoming and relaxed, allowing the food and the people to be the stars. As for negatives, there really aren't many. If you're looking for an elevated dining experience with dramatic plating, moody lighting, and a server who explains every ingredient as though introducing characters in a novel, this probably isn't your place. El Dorado seems far more interested in feeding people well than impressing them with presentation. And honestly, that's probably part of the reason Austin loves it so much. Go when you can avoid the biggest crowds. Order the queso. Explore the salsas. Don't overlook the beans and rice. Show up hungry. The food is hearty, the people are kind, and the restaurant knows exactly what it is. In a city where so many places are trying to become something, there's something refreshing about a place that already has.

El Dorado Cafe appears to be a beloved Austin staple as evidenced by the fact that everytime I've…read morementioned it in front of my friends, they yell "EL DORADO CAFE?! THAT PLACE IS THE BEST". Located off Mopac and Anderson in North Central Austin, this beloved tex-mex restaurant is situated in a relatively aged shopping strip less than half a mile from the highway. Parking is ample and available so there should be no issues with access getting to the restaurant. Although easy to get to, it's a whole different story getting into the restaurant. First and foremost, they are closed on Sundays and Mondays. Secondly, they are so popular that you should almost always expect a wait. The pro move here is to book a reservation, but if you don't have one - anticipate waiting anywhere between 30 - 90 minutes in order to get in. Once in, you have the option to pick from a variety of tex-mex cuisine, including some local house specials such as the "crunchwrap supreme" which has an interesting backlore related to Taco Bell. Free chips and salsa (choose up to two salsas to try) land as soon as you arrive. El Dorado is known for its vegan tex-mex offerings so those with more particular diets will certainly be able to find something that works. The salsas are tasty. The serving portions are large. The flavors are good - there's really not too much to complain about once you're in and seated.

Dart Bowl Enchiladas

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Cocktails

Arriba Abajo

4.3(307 reviews)

10.3 mi•Downtown

Galilea was our server tonight!! She did great, service and food was amazing! Celebrated our…read morefriends birthday and made it so special !!! Coming back next time I'm in town :) music was great and vibes were absolutely amazing.

Stattin was a great server! He was very accommodating. The food was great. The ambience was…read moreunmatched!

Private Dining Area

Wagyu Barbacoa Taquitos.

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Spicy Margaritas & Large Format Cocktails by the Patio Fireplace

Licha's Cantina

4.1(844 reviews)

10.2 mi•East Austin

Another fun place in Austin! Great Mexican food, great and…read morefast service and the mood here was so cozy and inviting- we really enjoyed our food here. So we were thinking of tacos or Mexican food and my daughter suggested this spot as she had come here with some friends and really enjoyed their sopecitos. I had never had a sopecito! What is that! So we had to try... We were lucky to arrive at the right time (9 pm!) where we got their last table!! Make reservations or something because this is another one of those places that fills up! So- we were taken care of immediately: chips and some very hot salsas were set on the table while we chose. They menu is in QR code format, but we asked and got paper menus as well. Well I got the chicken sopecitos , my daughter got the pork ones and my partner got the meat tacos. Everything was delicious, the food arrived promptly, the portion size was perfect and bountiful and everything was super enjoyable. I really enjoyed trying some New Mexican favorites. Next time I will try some other delicacies since I always get tacos tacos burritos or quesadillas: time for some new items on the menu! Enjoy!

Could have been much better. Many of their dishes are very…read moresweet, instead of savory. Salsa was the best thing. Music was so loud in the back room areas that you could not even have a conversation with others at your table. When I asked to have the music turned down, I was ignored. Dishes were on the pricer side. We won't be back.

10.6 mi•Warehouse District, Downtown

Inside view

Cochinita Pibil

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Side seating area

ATX Cocina

4.2(816 reviews)

Genuinely such a treat to come across this spot while in Austin. My group had reserved a section…read morefor a happy hour and I was beyond pleased with the food and cocktails. Their happy hour selections were great, and the cocktails were craft fully made. The food - full of flavor and diverse creations to truly keep you fueled and filled (in a healthy way).

We celebrated our anniversary at ATX Cocina and had an incredible night. The entire restaurant is…read moregluten-free, which is a huge plus, and the food absolutely delivers -- don't sleep on the Hamachi Crudo. Our server Alexa went above and beyond all evening -- he arranged a champagne toast and a beautiful dessert for us, and at the end of the night the staff surprised us with a personalized anniversary card signed by so many of the team. It was a genuinely sweet touch that we weren't expecting. The food was outstanding across the board, but seriously -- order the Hamachi Crudo. You won't regret it. If you're looking for a spot that nails the food AND makes you feel taken care of, ATX Cocina is it. We'll definitely be back.

6.8 mi•Rosedale, Allandale

Dinner for four at ATX Cocina

The amazing cesar salad with watermelon radishes and parmesan cheese crisps

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Ahi poke tostadas were pretty good

Fonda San Miguel

4.1(1.4k reviews)

We had the best server! Could only get a5:45 reservation so we wanted to ease in to dinner, and our…read moreserver made it happen. We had a drink, delicious prickly pear margarita! He brought warm chips and salsa...he gave great recommendations and we ordered a second drink... We told him when we wanted the food and it arrived soon after, and could not have been more delicious! Duck special with green mole, and chicken enchiladas suizas. So delicious all around! Love the decor. Beautiful light fixtures, warm Mexican vibe throughout...

First time visit. Food was amazing. Atmosphere a bit loud,…read morebut understandable. Had to ask for utensils after we got our chips & salsa. Server was good but had to serve over 15 tables with like 50 people. He did good.