I've been going to this Maudie's location on South Lamar for years, and at this point I know…read moreexactly what it is and what it isn't. I always think it's important to set expectations. If you're looking for a polished, design-forward Tex-Mex spot with a modern vibe, this isn't that. The interior is older and a little worn in. The patio gets the job done, but it's sitting right on Lamar, so expect traffic noise. It's loud, it's casual, and it feels comfortable being exactly what it is. What it does offer is consistency and ease. We can walk in at pretty much any time, including weekends, and get a table without thinking too hard about it. Service is fast in a way that feels intentional but it's not rushed. Orders come out quickly, things are rarely missed, and the staff is consistently friendly without overdoing it. Food-wise, it's a mix of dependable staples and a few personal go-tos. The chips and salsa are solid, the mango frozen margaritas are reliably good, and I always come back to Pete's tacos and the enchiladas perfecto. The fajitas are fine, but not THE reason to come here if that's your thing. The real value for us is how usable the place is with kids. We can come straight from school pickup, get seated immediately, hand a kid a crayon, and have food on the table fast. There's no pressure to linger, no pressure to dress up, and no sense that you need to "match" the space. You can just show up. It's also one of those places that feels very Austin in an older, less curated way. TVs are on, games are playing, and the crowd tends to skew more local and low-key. No one is staging photos or trying to turn dinner into content. It's not the best Tex-Mex in town and it's not trying to be. It's the place you go when you want something predictable, relaxed, and quick-n-easy without having to think about it too much.

I came in for a margarita to kill some time before going to Alamo to watch a movie…read more I got my drink directly at the bar but couldn't stay there long because the smell of the kitchen was so overwhelming. It smelled so unclean, like old decomposed oils and food and cleaning solutions. It was bad. My margarita was also not good, I think I got the Gills one, 2nd down on the options for Margs. It was mostly ice and just didn't taste good at all. I waited to use the restroom and a staff member left the restroom before I entered. It was dirty inside and the whole sink was covered in water and there was dust on most of the surfaces. To me, it just seems like the employees probably hate working there if they don't take a moment to tidy up the restroom of the place they are employed. It just seems like an old run down restaurant with stale air, old furnishings, gross carpets and unhappy employees.

very chill place, super nice staff! they have my favorite imported Mexican beer(Victoria) and it…read morewas awesome! Will definitely be back:)

Well, I won't be able to stop giving this place five stars because it's my favorite restaurant in…read moreAustin. This last experience was special because they decorated for Valentine's Day and had a photo op which was super cute. Maria was our server and she was super sweet -- speaking both Spanish and English. I tried my spanglish this time around and didn't do so hot but she absolutely took care of us. My friend was here for her first time and this is all she can talk about now. We dined around 2:30am and it was alive and pumping. No drunks or people loitering. It was a wonderful atmosphere. We ordered the fajita dinner special and it was perfect as always. The green sauce (my mouth is watering) is still the best in Texas. They had a new habanero sauce that was very good but butt burning for sure! Man, I love those bagged chips so much -- they're super light and crispy. Also Maria set us up with a bunch of incredible limes. A BUNCH! We ate them all. One thing my friend pointed out was that her charro beans were fatty as they had every cut of pork in them. I didn't like them at all. My refried beans were okay and my rice was edible. That's never the star of the show though! Go for the green sauce and the pastor tacos, the breakfast parrillada, choriqueso, and the fajitas. Thank me later!

Been a hot minute since we've been to Taco Flats, but we came again this past week to meet up with…read morefriends who are obsessed with this place to watch some World Cup action. Honestly, we had a great time, and even though it's more like 3.5 stars, we're rounding up because we had such great service. There are good beers on tap, and one of us was a fan of the spicy margarita. The chips here are SO good. Love a chili-dusted chip! We ordered the trio of dips for the table, and while the salsa was spicy and fresh, the guac actually tasted like some of the avocado had turned a bit. The queso is delish! And while we appreciate that the dips come in to-go containers, which makes things easy, we don't love hot dips being served in plastic. Come on now, that's a bit of an own goal... For tacos, we scored with the chilango shrimp, which was tasty with a good balance of ingredients, but were bummed out by the birria taco, which was dry as a board without the consommé and had tough meat. Our daughter had a really impressive cheese quesadilla though--with a bunch of toasted cheese on its outskirts that made it extra fun and crispy. We especially want to shout out the amazing service we got. Our waitress was so sweet and fun, and was attentive without being overbearing. She seemed like she was handling a lot of the floor well. Also, the bartender was beyond gracious to our daughter who was being fussy about dessert options. All in all, a great hang with good enough food. We hope to be able to come back in another (almost) ten years :)

Came here for dinner and drinks and had such a great experience. The location is really cute, and…read morewe got the perfect outdoor seating (so nostalgic if you remember this as the old Zoclo spot!). We started with drinks, I tried the skinny marg which wasn't my personal favorite, but the spicy frozen margarita was so good and definitely the move. Our waitress was also super friendly, funny, and gave great recommendations. We ordered the dip trio to start and WOW it was fire. The chips were perfectly seasoned, the salsa had a slight sweetness that I loved, the guac tasted super fresh, and the queso with chorizo on top was goated. For tacos, I got the pollo asado (added grilled onions) and the chilango grilled shrimp taco, both were so flavorful. They also brought out extra salsas which made it even more fun to mix and match. Everyone else at the table loved their tacos too. Everything came out quickly, prices were super reasonable, and the whole experience was so nice. I'll definitely be back for both drinks and food!

This place is old school Tex Mex, flavorful, generous portions, and great service. I've had the…read moretaco plate, tampiqeuno and chimichanga, all are excellent. It's worth going to get an authentic Tex Mex experience.

* 4.5 stars * Hidden…read moregem. Must come. Traditional Mexican eatery with authentic plates. Got the barbacoa plate and beef enchiladas to be safe since this was our first time. Portions were generous too. Service was attentive. Verde salsa is just the way I like it. Slight cons: TV showing smackdown was a little too loud to enjoy dinner. Fees for using credit card. Parking is plentiful. Will be back.

I went here on a date with my husband. I ordered Caldo de Pollo and to my surprise is was so good…read more This is the second time i taste a good caldo de pollo in Austin (you know like homemade). The flavor was so good, the chips tasted like the ones my grandmother used to make. They were so good. Honestly, I'm not sure if I should be glad they charge for them... otherwise, I'd probably keep eating them nonstop. We went straight to sit but you can order at the register. Everyone was so welcoming there

Service is amazing! The owners are very kind and generous offering samples of their pozole,…read moreceviche, and margaritas! Friday fish tacos are YUMMY!

Holy shit... INCREDIBLE! 10/10! Best chicken tamale i have ever had in my life. The owner and chef…read moreis incredibly kind. Stopped by our table to check in on how the meal was. Also the margarita was BOMB! ‍

We had to improvise for a meal plan one night while on our trip to Austin. The place we wanted to…read morego to was simply filled up and the wait was quite lengthy. So we spotted Tamale House East nearby and at first we were a little bit concerned with the overall Yelp averaged score but we decided to proceed anyway and have a meal here. And I am very glad we did! We got some chips and salsa and it was very good! In addition to that I got the Texas Sized Tamale Plate. The tamale was good! There were a few different sauces to pick from and I went with the Tex-Mex Chili for my sauce on top of the tamale. In addition to that I got rice and beans to go along with the plate and those were enjoyable as well. Of course I had to get a margarita and that was nice and refreshing on the warmer day we were experiencing in Austin. No complaints really. The atmosphere is nice and the decor is attractive. I saw some reviews about the service being a bit slow and it sort of was so probably if you anticipate getting into a time crunch best manage your time where you can just kick back and enjoy the food and drink rather adding that stressor on.

Muy buena comida y barata también! Compré las flautas de beef y salieron perfectas. Las meseras…read moreestán muy amables. saludos.

I still love this place! What a classic location with a new paint job. Everyone is so friendly and…read moreinviting with the yummy Mexican food. I had the flautas and my friend had the pancho villa plate that has a crispy taco as well as enchiladas. Everything was delicious and the servings were large!

Came here for the first time on Saturday at 5pm for an early dinner. They have two outdoor seating…read moreareas in the front and back- we sat in back with a cute view of the pool that belongs to the very aesthetic apartment building. I also appreciate that there are dedicated spots in the garage manned by a real person for parking. Happy hours runs EVERY DAY- including saturday! SCORE! That's 50% off all appetizers and drinks are marked down like 30%. We got the guacamole, which was good. I wish it came with more chips and also they didnt tell us to mix it, so allll the tomatoes and onions were in a layer on the bottom and we were halfway through before we realized. I would not pay the full price for the portion but for $8 it was good. For dinner by boyfriend got tacos, he loved them, and rice and black beans were so so fresh. I got the aguachiles and the nachos (both $8 on HH) and they were DELICIOUS. The shrimp especially was so tasty and everything just tasted so so fresh. Plus, the presentation was stunning on every plate. So colorful and laid out to be visually appealing. Our server was delightful. I will absolutely be back for HH to try every appetizer! Over all, 3 drinks, a dinner, and 3 appetizers ran us just under $90 with tax and tip. I will take it!

Really enjoyed my meal here! I had the chicken enchiladas with salsa verde and a handful of…read moreappetizers, and everything was really good. Their menu can feel a little overwhelming--there's a LOT offered, so many creative and elaborate dishes. But it's all delicious, and I can definitely appreciate what they're doing. Definitely get a fresh-squeezed juice! Wow those were refreshing. Service was excellent, too. Overall, a really good experience and I'd happily come back if I'm in the area. This area has a small parking garage too! So that was nice knowing I didn't have to fight for street parking (though that is available too, if the garage is ever full).