Stopped by for a quick lunch while visiting Austin and was very impressed with the enchiladas that were suggested by my lovely server, Marina. Margaritas were very very tasty, food came out fast and service did not skip a beat! Thank you Marina for the kind and compassionate service and for welcoming me to Austin! read more

El Alma South - Flaquita Margarita and chips and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

I have always loved the original El Alma on Barton Springs and this is no exception. While this location is very different decor wise, the hustle, bustle and vibe are the same. While we have not dined in, we did order food and drinks to go: jalapeño crab queso dip, shrimp and crab rellenos, crispy barbacoa relleno, as well as the flaquita margarita. Every dish was delicious, but the queso was incredible and we munched on that for a couple of days. All dishes were packaged well for travel and by the time I got home, the food was still warm. We will definitely be back soon but to dine in because I want to try the tres leches! read more

El Alma South - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Still pretty new to the neighborhood and getting its legs. First visit we were up at the bar noshing on Tequila and appys. We blazed through Chicken, Poblano, Mushroom Quesadilla's in a minute. Queso Blanco and Ceviche followed with all the chips. Queso is such a ubiquitous order when eating Mexican and we really enjoyed Alma's take. Ceviche was chock full of fishy num, nums and lime freshness. The Quesadilla's were pricey, but that was totally fine with us since we had add-ons. Nice fresh flour torts, lightly fried and stuffed full of cheese. I am happy Alma doesn't try to make their own chips in house.. or do they? Anyway, they were light a crispy and easy to snarf through baskets. Since we were HH'ing, we didn't dive into the mains this time around. We enjoyed their margarita's. Personally, I was drinking the Barton Springs version, which was light and clean. Hadn't heard of Carabeuna Blanco tequila before, glad to be introduced. Only pet peeve is the additional 3% Wellness charge on all tabs. I get that this is to benefit their employees. Why not just add 3% to all the prices on the menu? Maybe it's a corporate tax deduction benefit by directing this to a health insurance premium? I dunno, it feels clumsy to me. We'll be back read more

El Alma South - Anniversary of when I proposed... - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Really enjoyed my Sunday lunch here. Very spacious. I had the crispy barbacoa relleno on the server's recommendation. It was crispy, delicious and rested on delicious red sauce. The black beans were flavorful and clearly cooked in lard as it should be. They even have a mock tail for those of us who don't indulge - I had the jalapeño mojito paired perfectly with my food. Spicy red and green salsa that will clear your sinuses. Do mind the 3% wellness charge, that was my first time seeing that and I adjusted my tip accordingly. It's pretty pricey, my relleno and drink were $40 with tip but hey as a once in a while splurge, I'm in. Nice to have some different Mexican cuisine to go with the tex mex in the area. read more

See all

I've dined at the original location on several occasions so naturally I decided to give this spot a try. We walked in with no reservations on a Saturday night and were promptly seated (party of 3). The service was great, and the food was consistent (compared to the original location) and delicious. I had the crispy shrimp and roasted duck tacos - superb! Paired my meal with the usual fav - frozen mangorita, and left some room for dessert (we decided to share). The ambiance/décor is minimal, clean and classic. This location will easily become a local favorite - definitely worth the visit, I do recommend! read more

El Alma South - Tres Leches Cake - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Big fan of El Alma. Want to like El Alma South. Came for brunch. Not the original. Cocktails are good. Service is passable. Food just isn't the same. Nor is the ambiance. Kinda bland. It's tough to replicate an original. We'll give it another try for lunch or dinner to see if they can work out the kinks. read more

El Alma South - Chilaquiles Rojos - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

I love the other El Alma location, so I was excited to hear they were opening down south. The four stars are all for their food. The Barbacoa Flautas were hands down the best thing we ordered. It was delicious. The ceviche was also very good. The quesadilla was definitely outshined by the other food, but that was expected. The margaritas are also very good. We visited on a Friday evening at happy hour time and we knew it was going to get busy so we visited early. We found two seats at the bar since it's still full menu service there without a wait. The only reason I took off a star was due to the pretty bad service. Hoping they work this out since they are still new. One bartender would check in and say he'd be right with us and then completely forget about us. Another bartender there was cranking out drinks for servers. Who I am assuming is the bar manager finally stepped in to help because it was needed. The vibe is very lively and kinda loud, which I enjoy. It's a fun spot to kick off your night out. read more

El Alma South - Flautas de barbacoa - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

I wanted to like this place. I read a lot of good reviews but I was disappointed. The service was great. The margaritas were great. The food was just ok. The queso, tacos, and enchiladas were ok but lackluster. I was expecting something to stand out. The best part of the meal were the elote and the plantains. When a place trys to make Tex-Mex fancier, I expect more. read more

WOW EVERYDAY I AM THANKFUL BUT SOME DAYS IM EXTRA, one being the day I tried the enchiladas here. GAWDDDD it was so good, filling, and for only $15!!!!!!!!!!!!! SIGN ME UP anyways the queso was also so bomb it came with a different textured chip which made it even more delicious. Service was so fast the minute I ordered it was out the next. Granted I went during like 2pm on like a Tuesday and that this is a newer location. The ambiance is so much more family oriented. The one downtown is just always so busy by people who just wanna be with friends and drink. This restaurant though has way more space and is so nice with all the windows. read more

See all

My husband and I decided to go for breakfast at El Alma South. We drove up, parked and walked in. The parking lot is big and I noticed that there is outdoor seating. When we walked in we were greeted by a friendly hostess who took us to our table. The restaurant is bright and open with lots of natural light from all of the windows. There are plenty of places to sit. I also noticed a bar with seating around it. After being seated we were greeted by a friendly waitress who brought us some menus and gave us time to look over them. After a while she brought us some water and asked if we wanted anything else to drink. We politely declined and placed our order. My husband and I chose to start with some chips and salsa. The chips were light and crispy. The salsa was good. The green salsa tasted like it had avacado in it and it was addicting. The red sauce was very flavorful. For my main dish I ordered two Cherrywood breakfast tacos on flour tortillas. They come with egg, potato, bacon, avacado, and jack cheese. The tacos were delicious and the perfect size for breakfast. When I looked at them I thought that they wouldn't fill me up but they were loaded with the yummy ingredients and were very filling. My husband ordered the huevos con bisquet plate. It comes with eggs, bacon, a biscuit, salsa and a choice of spicy potatoes or fruit. My husband chose the potatoes. I tried the potatoes and you could taste the spice but it wasn't overly spicy which I liked. I also tried the biscuit. It was light and fluffy. The dish also came with two different flavored butters that were very tasty and a good addition to the try on the biscuit. My husband and I decided to finish out our meals by sharing an empanada. It's a puff pastry with pineapple. The empanada had a croissant like texture that was filled with a pineapple jam. It was sweet but not overly sweet and the perfect finish to our breakfast meal. Overall it was a great place to try breakfast. The service was good, the food was tasty, and the atmosphere was bright. It was a pleasant experience. read more

See all

We visited El Alma's new south location on a busy Thursday evening and were seated immediately, even though we did not have a reservation. We started with their complimentary chips and salsas which were on the spicier side, especially the red salsa, but also delicious. We ordered the flautas de barbacoa, enchiladas verdes, and the sopa azteca. The flautas were perfectly crispy with tender barbacoa, the enchiladas verdes had a tangy and slightly sweet sauce, and the beans had an excellent texture. We liked the added pepitas for a nice crunch and the corn and pea medley in their rice. I'm a sucker for El Alma's soups, so I ordered a large sopa azteca for my entree. It hits every time. Remember to save room for dessert, their espresso tres leches cake is both beautiful and delicious. We really enjoyed visiting this new location - it seems so spacious on the inside with trendy decor and a very large parking lot which was a nice change from their o.g. location. We only experienced one negative - it is rather loud inside and could use some soundproofing. The last thing I will say - their specials only are available at their Barton Springs location so if you are excited to try a limited time item, I'd visit their other location. read more

See all

Delicious food and the service was phenomenal. Our waitress took good care of us and everything was a satisfactory. read more

See all

I came here for a late lunch with a friend the other day and we both really enjoyed this restaurant! The interior design is light and bright and very cute. The food was also great, I would definitely be interested in coming back for their happy hour. I got the chicken enchiladas with the chipotle crema sauce which was so good! The refried black beans were also great! The service was also pretty fast. I would definitely come back here :) read more

El Alma South - Chicken enchiladas with chipotle sauce - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

I was so excited to order the CASAER SALAD with grilled chicken but the portions are a bit disappointing, had to doctor it up a bit to make it a healthier portion and there was not enough dressing... Food in general is pretty good here. Suggestion: Raise your price and add more lettuce and chicken, most people who order a salad with chicken are substituting this as there MAIN meal, not and extra, if you want to save money on this dish make this a larger basic caesar with an option to add chicken like the ensalada grande and save yourself the negative reviews. read more

El Alma South - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

One of my favorite places to grab quick bite or sit down for longer dinner. Food is fresh and flavorful and unique (not the same cookie cutter menus of other Mexican restaurants). Staff usually pretty good (except for couple of the bartenders that can't handle it when it's busy). read more

Big fan of the original. Came for HH before catching a movie. Nice drink specials. The ceviche and barbacoa flautas are pretty good. Service is nice. Just seems crowded and busy compared to the cozy location on Barton Springs. read more

El Alma South - Rice & cheese relleno - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

I'm so glad a south location opened. It has much better parking and the inside is much more spacious than the original one. The El Dorado Margaritas and espresso martinis are always tasty. I haven't had anything I didn't like here. The red sauce that comes with the chips is a bit too spicy for me which is a bummer because the flavor itself is good but the green one is perfect. I like their guacamole, chicken quesadillas, several of the taco options and their queso. For the month of December they have a tasty cocktail called the Horchata Holidaze with Anejo tequila, Bailey's Churro, Licor 43 and horchata. Not too sweet and not too milky. It was a nice holiday dessert drink! It is a bit noisy in there, maybe one day they'll figure out a way to fix the acoustics. Service is fast and friendly and it's super clean. Prices are a bit steep so keep that in mind. The noise level and prices are enough to take off a star but I still recommend it! read more

See all

Our experience was 5 star for a late night dinner. We showed around 9pm as their kitchen closes at 10pm and we greeted with a smile. It wasn't packed, plenty of tables available and we were seated immediately. Despite being so late in the evening, I thought the food was still fresh and delicious. We ordered the queso fondido, chicken enchiladas with a choice mole verde. I love that we can choose an enchilada sauces. To top it off, the tortilla are house made so it was extra delicious and really happy we tried this spot out. read more

El Alma South - Enchilada de pollo - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

My server Marina was so welcoming and attentive from the moment I sat down! I ended up getting what she recommended for drinks and food, her picks were perfect for me and the food came out within 5 minutes!! Delicious Al pastor tacos and mangorita. Will definitely be back! read more

We were already fans of the original location but this one is even better because there's a lot more seating. The hostesses were friendly. Service was excellent. The food was delicious - oh that corn chowder soup was heavenly. I liked my vegetarian gluten-free options. This place was a wonderful throwback to what dining out used to feel like - great service, simple decor, excellent food, unique offerings, reasonable prices. I am very pleased! read more

The food was good but just a little too much hipster vibe for me. The single tacos were really good.

Delicious flavorful food! Everything about El Alma's was totally worth it. The vibes inside were real casual. I came here for a bday dinner and our party had a reservation and was quickly seated. It does get busy in the evening so make sure to plan ahead. Everyone in my group enjoyed their meal, my friend that got the salad was disappointed in such a small serving but oh well. We ended our meal with tres leches cake and 10/10 delicious. I would definitely return here for happy hour! read more

El Alma South - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

My daughter took me to El Alma for Mother's Day. Her tacos were both very good! My bowl really did not have much flavor. After salt, it was better, but the salsa was way too hot for me to add. I'm sure that would add flavor! The service was good and I really enjoyed the atmosphere. I would definitely go back for the tacos. read more

El Alma South - El Mejicano Bowl - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Have been a patron of the original on Barton Spring's for many years, so when they opened up closer to my new abode in south ATX I was elated. Right now I say it a 3.5 stars but hoping and believe that they will fix opening pains and be up to a 4/5 very soon. Food wise still awesome and service needs some work, I'll be a return guest regardless. read more

El Alma South - Enchilada Placeras - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

The old Hyde Park Bar and Grill south location has been remodeled and reborn as the south location of El Alma, upscale TexMex cuisine. We checked it out on a Wednesday night and the place was packed (we made reservations and highly recommended that). So it's been discovered. The menus are separated by breakfast, lunch and dinner offerings and include creative takes on traditional dishes, with some traditional and some modern elements. Dishes have chef-prepared presentation and creative flavors. Our party enjoyed several dishes from the dinner menu, including beef, chicken with mole, seafood and the spinach stuffed chile relleno, and tacos, which can be purchased a la carte. Happy hour runs until 6pm weekdays, and gives a $3 discount on their bar and appetizer menus. The restaurant looks completely different inside; they've stripped out all the booths and replaced them with a plethora of four-top tables, which has the unfortunate effect of amplifying sound, so it was very difficult to carry on a conversation at our table without some lip-reading skills. That made the dining experience a little stressful. Perhaps some sound baffles on the ceiling would help dampen that acoustic effect? Our server Gabriel was friendly, attentive and efficient, and the kitchen was able to turn out dishes quickly. Prices run about even with Austin's more upscale restaurants. read more

See all

I've always wanted to check out El Alma and so when they opened this location, it's closer to where i live and more spacious with ample parking. Their happy hour prices are decent. Drinks end up being $10 with $3 off as well as $3 off their appetizers (5-6PM). I tried rellenos for the first time and was pleasantly surprised by how delicious it was! It's a pepper stuffed with sweet potato or duck or a few other options. I also got to try the duck enchilada which i will get next time because the mole was so good! Their rice is coated in oil or butter that makes it even tastier. The skinny marg was perfect and i had a taste of their avocado marg which was so yummy. ceviche was on point! Lots of yummy flavors. I could do without with the plantanas though (I prefer them sweeter?) Our server was awesome. The space is bright and you're space far enough from other tables. There's a nice bar too. read more

See all

The food was pretty good. Personally, I don't go out much for Mexican food because that's what I've always grown up eating with my family. With that being said, my family and I make Northern Mexican food so it was a cool change of pace. I had Shrimp Enchiladas with Smoked Tomatillo Sauce, white rice and cabbage chayote. Everything was very good aside from the white rice. It's a personal preference but I could not do the rice as I thought it was just missing something (I always have my arroz red). Servers were super nice, and the inside is beautiful. Overall a pretty good experience. read more

Yes El Amla's downtown location has a certain charm about it with a roof top eating area and unique indoor vibe but honey parking is a beast and that's why El Alma is the best. I can go here all the time. There's plenty of room to sit, it accommodates even more folks at this location and parking galore. Plus if you wanted to stroll the plaza after dinner there's plenty of shopping. The service was top notch as you'd expect and the food was just as quick and delicious. This is my favorite location because of its accessibility and the food and service is just as great as the original! read more

See all

Had lunch today. Good fish and shrimp tacos. They have duck tacos which I did not order but sounded like those around me ordered. Salsa and chips were good and plentiful. Great location. Patio faces shopping parking lot but it's roomy. read more

We had a reservation for 15 there recently. The second table was still eating and they apologized for having us stand around for a good 20 minutes before they finished and they got the tables together. Waiter was very nice but a little too funny and had too many tables. Had to ask for chips and salsa a few times as well as a few other things. The food was actually pretty good but the atmosphere was very loud. Add the very slow service and it wasn't an experience I'd want to do again very soon. read more

Attentive service. Unique dishes featuring duck. Good selection of unique margaritas. We enjoyed the outdoor patio.

Met my girls here for Mothers Day. Had a lovely meal with two lovely ladies! Fresh ingredients combined in just the right way.

Love the ambiance and particularly the private dining space in the back corner. Food was flavorful and huge variety. We went around noon on a Sunday. Recommend making reservations. Loved everything I ate. Service was a bit off. Waitress was not attentive. Otherwise highly recommend. read more

El Alma South - Chip's and Guacamole - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

If you are looking for a restaurant that has good food and drinks on a Sunday afternoon at a fair price El Alma in South Austin is your place. read more

My partner and I live half a mile from the Barton Springs location but decided to spice it up and check out this location instead, especially since Barton usually has a wait. I'm so happy we went! I'll start with the food and service: both were great. I had the flaquita (I believe it's a spicy watermelon margarita), which was incredibly refreshing and tasted a lot like juice. I highly recommend it for those who don't want to actually taste the alcohol in their drink. He got the shrimp rellano and I got my usual enchiladas. I've had the enchiladas countless times at the Barton location, but somehow they tasted even better here? I thought it was in my head, but my partner agreed that the food was slightly better at the South location. The only negative I can name is that it is missing the charm and eclecticism of Barton Springs. It just feels more like a corporate chain, which isn't a bad thing, but I wish they had kept the same vibes for this location. Other than that, AMAZING and will be back. read more

Delicious. Great chef mixes of authentic mexican food with elegant gourmet touches. Definitely i will be back.

This is our favorite Mexican restaurant in Austin. The sauces are delicious and the wine is very good.

The Restaraunt was terrific! We enjoyed it so much we went back the next day. The duck entree is the very best. The drinks are great. The service was very welcoming and professional. A great evening for a reasonable price. read more

I love their food and atmosphere. The staff are always kind and welcoming and they have multiple locations to choose from.

Drinks are soooo good and the HH prices are solid!!! My only complaint is the salad. I shouldn't have to work and cut up the dang lettuce in order to eat my salad. I hate when restaurants do this. Also, serving a salad on a plate is problematic in itself. It would've been great if it had been previously chopped and mixed in the kitchen. This was the avocado Caesar salad with chicken. read more

El Alma South - Avocado Caesar salad - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas