It's like Where's Waldo...kidding. I have followed Don Mario to three different B&M locations over the years, each a little bigger and nicer in my opinion. When they took over their current location (used to be a divish bar) in 2022, they really transformed the place into something special. Arguably one of the best patios in the Lake Travis area. Lots of choices of types of seating from standard tables and chairs to comfy sofas. Complete with a fire pit, full bar with TVs, lots of fans, QR code orfering and checkout an option...super chill, spacious, and inviting environment (especially since it's located directly off of busy 620). The inside is really large, including an oversized bar area seating. Offers a very nice dining option (or just for drinks), but if the weather's nice you'll "catch me outside." Don Mario has always offered traditional Mexican cuisine. If you're looking for boring Tex-Mex, you might be a little bit disappointed (albeit they do offer quesadillas, fajitas, flautas+ but kicked up a notch). Some of my personal favorites are the Mexican street tacos (seven different proteins to choose from), ceviche, albondigas, cóctel de camarones, and more; great chips and salsa. Another favorite is off menu, but it's just a basic refried bean and cheese burrito. Magically flavorful and they are not shy with the cheese, which is a very good thing in my book. A great inexpensive and indulgent option to get in protein for the day. Always receive very friendly and prompt service from both wait staff and kitchen. They're always amenable to any special requests, including creating off menu items as previously mentioned. If you're in the mood, they do serve some pretty tasty house frozen FRESH fruit margaritas (strawberry, pineapple, cucumber, or mango). They have a limited happy hour available Monday through Friday from 3-7pm. Save a buck is a buck is a buck. ;) Overall, sí por favor. :D ¡Salud! read more

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Okay, so I figured, a divey Mexican restaurant in Austin, Texas. What could be better? Well, I ordered their upscale margarita. Yuk! Sour and bitter tasting. The manager even agreed. Oh well, it's only THE SIGNATURE DRINK OF EVERY MEXICAN RESTAURANT IN TEXAS! But really, we went out for dinner, not drinks. So, we got the shrimp enchiladas. Oh wait , what kind of enchiladas would you like? Let me order directly from the menu. "Enchiladas Camerones" Oh, you mean the shrimp enchiladas? Well, they were very good. So were the black beans and rice. I would order them again. You think we're done? Uh-uh.. Then came the mariachis!! The place is noisy as it is with a hard floor and large open space. Add 6 guys blasting brass, strings and Spanish at the top of their lungs and you'll get the jist. 165 dB would have been welcome. My water glass was spurting out the top. My hearing aids were feeding back. It almost felt like my last Rolling Stones concert in row 13. But, in all seriousity, everyone around me didn't seem to mind the noise, the music and the inability to communicate with anyone farther than 6" from you without having to yell. Having only been to a couple of Mexican restaurants in this area, I don't know if this is the standard or the exception. Stay tuned. read more

Last night we ate on the patio, the service, drinks and appetizers were great. However, our entrees were subpar. Now we've eaten there many times, but I needed to express our disappointment to the chicken mole enchiladas and the chile rellenos. The chicken in my enchiladas was ice cold and the chile relleno was cold & soggy. It's like our entrees were pre cooked and frozen then heated up in a microwave. I mentioned this to the waitress, Leydi, but she just shrugged. Did something happen to the quality over the last three months this?? I know you can do better if you continue to charge the prices you need to charge read more

Margaritas were great. We ordered our food at 11:45 and every other person around us that sat down at the same time had gotten their food. But, 30 minutes later we still didnt have our food and told the waitress we had somewhere to be and needed to get it to go and she said okay. 15 minutes later still nothing. The waitress was seeming to avoid us. Finally we told the management what was going on and he apologized and gave us a refund so that was nice. Just wish communication was better and we got our food in the time everyone around us got theirs. read more

Got my food as takeout so maybe it's different dine in but the burrito chicken tinga is terrible. the tortilla was wet and soggy I could barely hold it. Dripped the whole time. They give you 10 add ons and it's laughable how little they put in (I chose cheese, lettuce, beans, rice, pico, onion, chicken tinga). Queso has zero spice, taste like butter, and the chips are different (puffy like pop corners almost). my friend got the grilled chicken quesadilla. Thought she ordered a kids it was small and had barely any chicken. She enjoyed the chicken at least. Least the margs are good because I needed one to get through the meal. read more

Don Mario Mexican Restaurant - Chicken tinga burrito. (What a sloppy sad mess) - Mexican Near Me - Lakeway, Texas

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I must have driven by this place 10,282 times without having gone in. Boy, am I dumb. * * * This is a very nifty Mexican restaurant. I was here during a workday ... so I couldn't drink. This is too bad because they have a very extensive collection of tequilas. Working one's way through Don Mario's large collection of tequilas would seem to be an absolutely excellent use of time. * * * I do EAT on workdays. I ate very well at Don Mario's. A distinctive dish that you can't get at most other Austin-area Mexican restaurants is an Alhambra. This is "dinner in a skillet" with all the good stuff sauteed together and served to you in the hot cast iron pan. They melt massive amounts of good Mexican cheese to make the dish work. Massive amounts of melted Mexican cheese with all sorts of stuff underneath is a good thing. These come in a wide variety of flavors - each flavor representing five or so main ingredients that get all tossed in together. I got a Vegetariano with the option of bistec tossed in on top. Bistec is a vegetable if it is served in a dish called "Vegetariano". (This is actually true. I looked it up in the Samuel C. book "Excuses to Justify Eating Whatever You Want". Chocolate and ice cream count as vegetables as well.) Don Mario's bistec is a very authentic bistec. It is made from the same tough shoe leather thin beefsteaks that everyday Mexican restaurants serve you when you order a steak. That beef will exercise your jaw - but it is totally tasty. I was completely happy to have a decent tasting piece of beef in return for a free chewing workout. The vegetables and the cheese were knock your socks off good. Overall, I would be happy to order that alhambre over and over again. * * * Food quality dipped slightly when I turned from the main dish to the sides. Tortillas, rice and beans were all meh. I have gotten used to mediocre dry rice in Mexican restaurants. Mediocre tortillas and beans were a disappointment. * * * Still, a good bar and fine main dishes are going to generate significant interest from Samuel C. My interest was further piqued by the view and the television programs. Don Mario is behind a major set of pylons that carry electricity from the LCRA transmission facilities on Lake Travis to the various places that need a lot of power. It is also a parking lot for the many construction projects in the area. There is also the traffic on 620. I find this kind of scenery fascinating. I can totally watch this stuff while I eat. Give me a drink or three and I can watch it all day. The scenery gets a thumbs up from me - although my scenery tastes might not be the same as yours. * * * The television programming is also worthy of note. There are screens everywhere. Don't take your beloved to Don Mario's to offer her a wedding ring and a marriage proposal. Her attention may be divided between the Spurs game and the Toluca game. A few of the screens however are not Sports TV. They are an all Lakeway Channel that does nothing but show ads for Lakeway businesses. If your beloved doesn't like sports, she may be watching to see where she can have her dog groomed or who she should hire to have her windows replaced. You can learn a lot about Lakeway by watching Lakeway TV. * * * Good food, good drink, a good view and good TV. What's not to like? Besides the rice? Still, for a good Alhambra, I am willing to make lots of compromises on the side dishes. read more

Came here with the fam one Sunday night for dinner. We all had beers, which were good, served cold and timely. The food - my brother and I ordered the steak fajitas to share. They did not come out sizzling as one would expect, the meat was tepid. They were busy, so we just dealt with it. Also, gotta love to go beers! read more

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Good patio ambiance and outdoor seating. All metal chairs not cushioned so it's okay in terms of comfort. Food we didn't get apps but salsa was mild and not as flavorful as other salsas. Main we got chicken and looked like it was just grilled and not seasoned at all. Service was a little slower but at least waiter told us and was nice about it read more

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Sooo good!! The birria tacos were meaty and flavorful. I loved the trio of hot sauces it came with, especially the verde sauce. The queso and salsa were great. Salsa is fresh. Service is friendly and checked in on us. It's a nice big space, welcoming. Plenty of parking. read more

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Ordered to go. Tried the street tacos and my wife ordered the sopas. Both were really good and came with some excellent salsa/hot sauce. Warm chips and salsa included in the bag and they were great. read more

Food was extremely good. The service was great and the margaritas were excellent the quesadillas was a great choice .

I'm sort of surprised I haven't reviewed Don Mario's yet. We've been eating here literally for years! It's our favorite local "Mexico City" Mexican food. Our favorites include: Mole enchiladas, Carne Guisada, and the Albondigas. But nearly everything is good. The wait staff is friendly and you know you eat here too often when they know our "usual margarita" order. Finally, we almost always eat outside on their patio, which is covered, heated, cooling fans, and dog friendly. Give it a try! read more

Tasted like ballpark chips and cheese. Red enchiladas tasted like spaghettios. Debated leaving after the queso came out and wish I had.

This place is reaaallllllyyy good. I have loved everything I've ordered. Don Mario's serves authentic Mexican food, specifically the tacos. They are AMAZING. I especially love their barbacoa and al pastor tacos. Always tender and perfectly cooked. The salsas you get with the tacos are delicious too, I could drink the green avocado salsa it's that good. I make the 20 minute drive just for those barbacoa tacos alone. The chips could be better and service is hit or miss based on my experience, so that explains the 4 stars. BUT I still highly recommend this place because I'm obsessed with their tacos. Best Mexican food in Lakeway in my opinion, as someone who eats Mexican food a lot. read more

Lots of parking! Every time I drive by it's full of cars. There is paved parking, gravel parking and I've seen cars parked in the grass area. They have seating outside, and it's covered. Lots of space outside from what I could see. I walked up to the hostess desk, and they sat me right away. I sat down and an order of complimentary chips and salsa came to me right away. The salsa is warm, which was wonderful. And the chips were perfectly salted. The waiter took my food and drink order. I decided on the beef enchiladas. The beef enchiladas came 2, topped with cheese and lettuce and tomato on the side. Also came with Mexican rice and black beans. The black beans were mashed, not bean shaped. Sort of like refried beans. Not sure if that is how they serve black beans. They were good. I was expecting actual bean shaped and solid beans. The whole meal was delicious. I loved everything. Enchiladas were big. I only ate one. And took the second one home for lunch for the next day. Service was great. Good was great, price was moderate. A lot of food, good value. Totally will come back again. Happy that I gave them a try. read more

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Very good Mexican food. The warm salsa and chips are outstanding. The Mexico City bistec and Al pastor tacos were very tasty. Service was quick and friendly. read more

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Food is bomb and reasonably priced. Would eat once a week if I lived here. Great family environment

I really can't understand the negative reviews. This is one of my favorite places that I have visited and the food is authentic Mexican food. The amount of care they put into their food really shows. Even their drinks are amazing! They muddle fresh fruit into their margs and not one thing I've had there is sub par. I also loved the mariachi band they had playing. What a fun place! read more

Don Mario Mexican Restaurant - Flautas - Mexican Near Me - Lakeway, Texas

As I was looking for Don Mario I didn't know that they moved so when I returned I figured maybe I can just follow Directions on the new Don Mario's restaurant. First I was seated in the very back where they have a TV which I didn't mind and that's what I wanted was privacy also the chips were amazing with salsa I loved it. I also enjoyed the enchiladas which was fantastic I will be coming back often because of the fact that I am now available to enjoy more different dishes on their menu. I highly recommend the enchiladas with the white sauce. I was very impressed with how attentive the waitress was. The ambiance I figured is so so it wasn't as nice as the first restaurant to be honest but this time there was more of a closed off without views of any kind. So maybe I was a little disappointed in the restaurant layout. You have to ask for also if you want corn tortillas or flour tortillas and they do charge you for them. Several restaurants do and several restaurants don't depend on which restaurant ... I don't mind that at all. The location is off 620 that can be very busy but overall there's plenty of parking they have mariachi's that come and saying that is awesome I had to leave before they came out but I saw them walking in so I know that they always have mariachi's on Friday and weekends. Enjoy 'happy yelping!' read more

Eric is super personable amd always makes sure I'm taken care of 10/10 highly recommended read more

Enjoyed our dinner on a busy Tuesday evening. My first Gordita's not my last - they were yummy!

The food was about average and not particularly memorable to me. Mushroom gorditas were well seasoned but a little soggy and the mole carnitas enchiladas were good if light on the mole sauce. The sauce is good but you don't taste the chocolate. The carnitas was juicy and tender and probably the star of the meal. The tortilla chips that are complimentary at the beginning are also rather good! The beans and rice were fairly bland. Frozen margarita with jalapeño actually ended up not fully blended with big chunks of jalapeños and you can see how the mango just sat at the bottom of the drink. Service was attentive and pretty quick during lunch time and the patio is super awesome to hang out on when the weather is good. There's also a good amount of room indoors. Parking wise there's ample parking. There's a busy turn off the road (not at a light) if you're approaching from the wrong side of the highway, so keep your eyes peeled so you don't miss the turn. It's also super close to OG Agave if you want to see some stupendous cacti and succulents. read more

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The loaded queso and birria tacos here are incredible! The restaurant is really large and the bar area seats a lot of people so this is our go to when we have relatives in town and the food is delicious. read more

Prepare yourself for those words you're dad or grandpa used to say for this review. With such classics like "Back in my day I walked to school" or the often quoted "Back when I was a kid a tostada plate was 35 cents". And that's where I'm at after a recent visit to Don Mario on 620. We sat down to friendly service and delicious salsa. GF and I both ordered tostada plates. No fancy fajita options; just stewed chicken. It was served with rice and beans yet no beans on the tostadas themselves. A little skimpy on the avocado slices too. And now my personal back in the day; Acapulco restaurant in Oak Hill and the tostadas were $2.35. Yes, that was some time ago but there seems to be something wrong here. Why are these plates of simple ingredients now $12 a plate? Provided rice was flavorless. Too much competition from nearby and cheaper Mexican joints makes me think this was a one and done visit. Nice place..good food...but I wasn't worth the menu prices. Beverages priced too high as well! Free tea with lunch over at Los Pinos Bee Cave! read more

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Did something change within the last few months? Quality isn't as good and prices are higher.

So we tried a new Mexican restaurant located in Lakeway. It was crowded outside, so we expected it to be fairly good, but it was actually exceptional. I had the chicken flautas which were stuffed with chicken and my wife had the taco place which were also very good. They make their own salsa from scratch, and it comes out, hot along with their Homemade tortilla chips, which are white and fluffy because they use extra hot oil to cook the tortillas in. They have a variety of margaritas, so give them a try. This was very authentic Mexican, and definitely five stars. So if you're in Lakeway, drop in to give them a try, it's right off 620. read more

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Long day at work and decided to get our favorite GORDITAS to go for dinner tonight. My husband and I always get the same Picadillo de Rez filling (yummy ground beef). I had to add each item separately in the cart cause we like different types of beans. Apparently, I ordered one correctly but the other with the wrong filling. I called to complain before realizing I had added the wrong filling. Totally MY MISTAKE. The owner, Mario was SO nice and still offered to make another order for me free of charge (even though it wasn't their fault). He was so kind and worried I wouldn't have enough to eat even though I told him my husband would share his. We decided to take him up on his generous offer and husband is on his way there now. I just want to give this restaurant a proper shout out for their wonderful customer service!! Wish more businesses cared about their customers this much. It was not expected but so very appreciated. So happy to know our favorite Mexican spot is run by really good people. Thank you so much! As you already know, we will keep coming back for the BEST chips and salsa on the planet. Not to mention the best gorditas!!!! read more

I heard the food was good here and being new to town thought I try it out. Worse Queso that I have ever had!. Watered down, just tasteless!! Never again! read more

We were looking for a restaurant around Mansfield dam and we found this place with great review in google. I guess you can't really trust google reviews. We got here around 8:40 and the place was pretty packed. Outdoor seating was 15 mins wait so we sat inside. The interior looks nice and had painting on the walls. The table was ok. The outdoor patio looks nice at night with all the lighting. They have a live mariachi band inside too! We were greeted very nicely from our waiter. The waiter was very nice and serve us complimentary chips and salas. Pro tip: You can ask for their 3 spicy salsa free of charge. We ordered our food but it took 20 mins to get our dishes. We got the spicy beef soup and shrimp taco. The soup was not spicy but very salty. The size of the large was like a small bowl for me. The shrimp in the shrimp taco was way over cook and taste stringy. I was not happy with the food at all. I had to go home and made more food. Would not recommend the food here but everything else is ok/good. read more

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Love that this place exists in Lakeway!!! Excellent flavors, proper Mexican! Steak quesadilla has looooads of meat Tacos are small Mexican street style, exactly as they should be. Really shows off the flavors of the meats. The lengua, barbacoa, and carnitas were soft, juicy, tender. The al pastor was wonderfully crisped at the edges. So good! Chips and salsa: I wasn't super hungry when i went in but I kept eating these. Salsas are not very spicy here, which is the only thing that I would say makes it more obvious that we are sitting in Lakeway. Not that I'm complaining because I personally can't handle a crazy amount of spice. So I really enjoyed the salsa flavors and don't have to worry about runny nose/dying. read more

Don Mario Mexican Restaurant - Steak quesadilla - Mexican Near Me - Lakeway, Texas

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Eager to check out the new digs since Don Mario moved across 620. Firstly, service remains consistently good, friendly and knowledgeable. Don Mario has served the community for quite some time classic Mexican cuisine. The place is now very large and can hold large crowds both indoor and outdoors. Their menu is quite large maybe too large. This review is an update. The complimentary chips are fantastic. Not a fan of warm salsa and would like to see fresh salsa. Recommend the Don Mario or the Top Shelf. Both had good portions of tequila and gran gala along with fresh mix. For entrees, I ordered two entrees the enchiladas mole and enchiladas verde. While both enchiladas had plenty of shredded chicken, the mole was skimpy on the mole sauce which if you know, is the prize joy. Recommend asking for more otherwise, was slightly under seasoned. The mole sauce was a good balance of sweet savory. I did not like the sour cream compote on top as it changed the flavor profile of a mole. Have not experienced sour cream with a mole dish. The refried black beans were okay for beans, again, under seasoned and add a slight off oil taste. And was served without cojita cheese which I find ideal. Would like to see higher quality standard off studded rice served. As for the enchiladas verde, this was great and I do recommend. Both enchiladas entrees had a side of bland shredded lettuce and pale red tomatoes. Suggest fresher ingredients even if it is garnish or some make some fresh pico de gallo. Great indoor bar and outdoor patio. Overall, good but recommend higher quality or fresher ingredients when possible. read more

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The best Mexican food in the Lakeway / Bee Cave area. Despite Austin having a lot of good Mexican food, there's not too many good options west of Austin. Don Mario just got a new location with an outdoor patio, too. I got the Huevos Rancheros with barbacoa. Potatoes, eggs, sauce, and barbacoa are all great. The tortillas are decent. The overall meal and price are great. I've had tacos from here too and I think their tacos may be their best items. If you order dinner to go or for delivery, they even include a bag of chips and container of salsa. Couldn't ask for anything more for service. If you've read this far, then check it out! read more

Don Mario Mexican Restaurant - Huevos Rancheros with Barbacoa - Mexican Near Me - Lakeway, Texas

Nothing fancy, just solid Mexican food. The service is nice and fast, quality is consistent, and some nights they have a live mariachi band!

Food is always excellent. We especially love their tortilla chips with steaming hot salsa. So good!

We LOVE Don Mario in Lakeway! This is our go to spot for delicious Mexican food and fantastic service, which is hard to come by in Lakeway. Their new(ish) location boasts a much larger outdoor section and is mostly covered, which is great for taking rambunctious kids. I've never been anything besides pleased with the food! Tacos, tlalpeno, enchiladas, and albondigas are a few of my favorites. The drinks are also great and promptly made and delivered. We've been loving Don Mario since before their move and are pleased that they just seem to be getting better! I'm so thankful there is an authentic Mexican spot in the area with great service, food, drinks, and ambiance :) read more

Don't do it. We tried it for the time today. Waited over 45 minutes for our food. Finally gave up and left. The one star IS NOT applicable.

Update had to move to 3 stars... (left a 5 star review before) the new location is so cute but we've been seated for two hours and only seen the waitress once on our visit. Food was OK, not as good as it was at the old restaurant. Wouldn't recommend coming until they have the kitchen staff and wait staff trained more, really weird experience. Chicken was super dry on the enchiladas and the street tacos I ordered were super oily. Waited 45 minutes just for a coke and 1 beer. Really disappointed in the experience. read more

Don Mario Mexican Restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Lakeway, Texas

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I've been a loyal customer of Don Mario since 2021, often bringing family and friends. Today, a staff member accidentally ran into my table, breaking my glass bottle of pumped breast milk and scattering shards on my diaper bag. The shards cut me and ruined my bag, forcing me to leave without milk for my baby. While I understand accidents happen, the manager's response was inadequate. He offered only an apology and a band-aid, and when I later called the restaurant to express my disappointment, he blamed me for not asking for compensation. Significant property loss occurred. I need to be compensated and it is not appropriate for the customer with glass shards In her hand and no milk for her baby to beg for that. After well over 40 visits, this experience has changed my view of the restaurant. I won't be returning. read more

I can't review the food. I ordered a drink and asked for a menu. A little over 10 minutes later, the same guy that waited on me asked if he could help me. I watched him wait on several other people and make them drinks. The other servers behind the bar were oblivious to the fact that anybody was there either. I am a restaurant and bar owner. The place was less than 20% full and their service was this bad. I'll never know if the food was going to be any good or not. when I stood up to walk out, the guy laughed at me like he didn't care. read more

Everything about Don Mario's is 5 stars! We love the food, the servers are awesome and the decorations are what you want in your eating environment. I highly recommend this as a top notch 5star authentic Mexican restaurant. The best Mexican food around Lakeway TX! read more