This spot took 30 minutes and started bringing our food one plate at a time we left extremely poor service!

Not much to look at, but feels like I've just taken a trip south of the border. Come on Sunday and listen to some live Mexican music (well karaoke style). Seat yourself anywhere and someone will bring you chips and salsa and take your order. The service is fast and the food is some of the best Mexican I've eaten. The service is good for a family run place. The salsa is spicy and the micheladas are cold and the portions are huge. I really like their thick housemade corn tortillas. The al pastor, barbacoa and other typical taco filing is better than typical, but not anything that I would rave about. It's the cabrito plate and birria that is clearly the standout for this place. The caldo de birria is rich and spicy without too much heat. You must get this dish! The cabrito is marinated in the same type if spices and tastes very good also. The caldo de res was full of chunky vegetables in a light, rich broth and is very comforting. Borrego de Oro serves hearty peasant food. If you want a more refined Mexican cuisine this is not your kind of place. There are bones and gristle and things that a fancy person would look down on. For me, a cheap cut of meat stewed for hours with complex spices gives me pleasure. read more

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We always seem to get take-away from BO. Not sure why that is, but it always works out for us. After we ordered our dinner, the very nice server asked us if we would like a couple of beers, chips and salsa while we waited. What a great suggestion and we went for it. The timing was perfect since we finished our beers when our order came out. I really liked their chips, had a nice corn taste and crunch to them and the salsa was decent. The dinner was great. I usually get the Lamb Stew or Shredded Lamb plate. Tonight the Lamb plate. The Suzmeister the usual green chile pork plate. I will have to admit that the Green Chile Pork Plate is probably one of the best pork dishes I have had. It's got a great spice to it.. and full of rich flavor. You just want to eat more and more of it and sweating you way through it all. The Lamb was great as usual and very tasty to make taco's with. I like to add a little hot sauce to it to add some spice, but it's fine just on it's own. It's usually fairly empty when we hit them up, but every time are there this little dive does not fail us. read more

Ambiance was vintage. Very authentic. Indigenous patronage and servers. Enchiladas very hot, fresh, and flavorful. Rice and beans perfectly served. Good salsa dona. Will come back again. read more

when I walked in we struggled to get a table because all the tables were dirty and no one bothered to clean them. Then the service was very bad and they would practically ignore us. read more

Don't judge this book by it's cover. In fact, for most people who Know where to find Great Mexican food its often going to in small family run businesses like this one!! We've come multiple times for lunch and not once have had a complaint worth mentioning. They're chips & salsa are the da Bomb! Chips are bubbly crunchy and the salsa is just the right level of Hot while still tasty. I've tried a large majority of the menu by now, but Highly Recommend the following dishes: Beef Fajita Tacos plate - Outstanding! Beef fajitas are cooked to perfection..moist, melt in your mouth, well seasoned, served with grilled onions & bell peppers. The plate is also complete with rice, beans, & salad. Extra tortillas on request. Menudo - Great flavor. Not too much hominy, huge bowl served with corn tortillas & freshly chopped onions. Barbacoa Tacos: Greasy, yes. Tasty, Hell yes. Moist, greasy but not dreached with grease, yes there is a difference, and covered with fresh cilantro & chopped onions. The Taco itself is a big one, not necessarily huge but Two can be a whole meal in itself. Service is Always Excellent! Waiters are always friendly and helpful with the menu. Prices are Cheap! Great lunch specials too!! read more

The Food Is So Amazing Have Tried About Everything On The Menu ! As Im Writing This Im On My Way (: ! The Enchiladas & Tortilla Soup & Menudo AMAZING ! Try The Chile Con Queso As An Appetizer As You Wait For Your Food read more

Went based on fellow Yelpers, and this did not disappoint...The only thing didn't meet our expectations was the Queso...Half way thru the pricey, yet small portion...the cheese would no longer stick to the chips..The Salsa, was Amazing...spicy kick that I just couldn't get enough of..Chips fresh and crisp...Wife went with the stand Beef Enchiladas, double rice...She went with the lunch special (only 2 Chiladas)...More then enough food..they were fat and flavorful...Beef does have a different taste then most, but its good...Always nice to find something a little different...Me...I was HUNGRY...so I went with the Combo plate...Beef Enchiladas(2), Tamale(1), Rice..Beans, crunchy Taco with a Guac salad...Everything was really good...Tamale was fresh and light...Beans were the BomB...Rice, fluffly.....Guac salad... was just ok....Not very fresh..Im a guac snob..working for HEB (produce) I process 90+ Avacados in to fresh guac daily..BUT All around a good meal...Still gets 4 stars.. read more

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TacoQuest2016: The TACOnnoisseurs go to El Borrego d'Oro ( trumpet fanfare plays in background ) Hey there everyone, welcome back to our little public service project. Jazzone and I love the truckerias as much as the next pair of taco junkies but summer is coming soon along with air-conditioning so we decided to prepare by eating indoors this time and then tell y'all all about it. We went to this place knowing that we had to try our regular favorites but I was also looking forward to goat or lamb tacos. We were not disappointed at all. The barbacoa was well seasoned with great texture and not too greasy. The pastor was chunky and a little spicy and one of the best we've tried but definitely a multi napkin mess. The birria taco, which our waitress says they make with lamb, was fantastic. It's stewed with tomatoes, chilies and other good stuff and it comes out tender, juicy and delicious. The tortillas both flour and corn were good, they did their jobs admirably but really didn't add much else. Our tacos came with the traditional onion and cilantro and the salsas both had great flavor with a nice little kick. This is another one of those places that we've driven past for years and we're both glad that we finally stopped. The tacos here were not small and the Bang vs Buck measure is favorable so Jazz and I are happy to give them a B+ as one of the best we've had so far. They're priced just above a $ so a $+ seems to fit them.  I realised after leaving in a taco stupor that I had forgotten to check on the vegetarian options so I'll have to go back soon and give an update. Fortunately, El Borrego d'Oro is just south of downtown near 71 on S. Congress, so it's easy for me and hopefully for y'all to get to. This place is definitely with the trip. #TacoQuest2016, #TheTACOnnoisseurs, #bestfoodaustin, #truckeria, #austintacos, #tacotuesday, #tacos, #Texmonthly, #Elborregodoro, @Caruso4510, @Jazzone, read more

El Borrego De Oro - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

This place has the traditional cult following in Austin. Even food critics rave about this place. I've now dined for breakfast and for lunch with mixed results. Todays breakfast was good but was flawed in many ways. My mom ordered the migas and I ordered huevos rancheros. The plates that were delivered were identical except my moms migas had cheese. My plate had no hint of ranchero sauce. The eggs were overcooked on both dishes and my mom commented the corn tortilla strips in her migas were burned. The eggs showed signs of browning on almost every bite. Our previous lunch favored well with the shrimp cocktail and the lamb stew. The shrimp dish was a total bargain for $7. The ceviche tostada was the only disappointment being it was basically canned tuna with the traditional onion, jalapeno, cilantro mixture. The corn tortillas were a smash hit on both visits. The chips and salsa was B+ material. The former tenants to occupy the location was a Chinese restaurant. The interior still shows the signs of the old place with strange glass and gold chandeliers. Overall, I'll stick with three stars even if I think its closer to 2ish. read more

Tasty food, good portions. It's a nice spot, chips are very fresh I could not stop to ask for refill lol read more

El Borrego De Oro - Chicken breast with chipotle sauce on the side - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

We tried this place because it was down the street and we hoped my friend would have a new regular spot. I had been eating my normal choices (tacos or enchiladas) a lot for the past couple of weeks so I went with a sort of boring choice - beef fajita quesadillas. What a lovely surprise! The beef was great and they were honestly the best quesadillas I have ever had. I ate half the quesadilla again the next day and it was still amazing. You need to have REALLY fresh food for it to be that delicious 15 hours later. Kudos! My friend had two chalupas which was insane because one was enough for one person. They were both really good although they needed salsa, which they provided. Chips and salsa were great, as they should be. The big shocker? The house margaritas on the rocks were 5.50 and great! Fresh lime juice, no sour mix -- it's what I would expect but my friend from Austin was really excited about them. I would absolutely go back. Oh, and service was very good :) read more

El Borrego De Oro - so much food (good for two probably) - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Solid place! Not very assuming location, but service was good, food was good, and atmosphere was average. Was seated immediately and got chips & salsa very quickly. This is where the food review starts: the salsa was spicy and the chips were crunchy - exactly the way I liked it. I ordered the lamb soup (birria consumé). It was very rich and the lamb was very tender. Atmosphere wasn't spectacular (I.e. it's not really instagrammable), but hey, if the food and service is good, what else do you want? read more

My friends and I were craving Mexican food, and I'm glad I found El Borrego De Oro because I love supporting local, family owned establishments. The service was just a little spotty, but nothing terribly bad. Since there were only two servers working on a busy night, everything was delayed. As we walked in, we were told to seat ourselves anywhere we wanted. We sat at the table for a good ten minutes before anyone gave us menus. When we were ready to order, we looked around the restaurant and our server was nowhere to be seen. We tried to get the attention of someone else but she was too busy. We then sat another 15 minutes before we were able to place our orders. Be careful, the salsa is very spicy, so you might wanna adjust your chip to salsa ratio. I got queso with ground beef and guacamole for my table, and everyone said it was good. I ordered the sour cream chicken enchilada plate, and I have nothing bad to say. The chicken was tender, the sauce was flavorful, and the rice+beans were delicious. Aside from all that waiting, everything was wonderful! I would come back again for sure. read more

Migas with chorizo was really good! Also a live mariachi band!! Great salsa and chips. Verde sauce has good flavor. Classic, authentic, delicious read more

El Borrego De Oro - YUM - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Authentic Mexican food from Michoacan, MEXICO. If you like gamey,, full flavours from deep into Mexico try this family run place. They make their own corn tortillas! A funky mural newly in place on their doors, this new business is just coming into it's own. Get there before the masses find this little gem. There's alot of meat on the menu including Goat & Lamb (Cabrito & Borrego), the spirit of the place is very low-key, but the waitstaff are cuties. read more

El Borrego De Oro - Borrego de Oro - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Went here at the recommendation of a friend ... I am not typically in the part of town. He said if you want don't mind a little mexican dive kind of place ... to come here. It was good ... loved the salsa ... spicy like I like it. Am on a health kick so I had the tilapia ... it was tasty ... my friend got the tour of italy ... what is that called again ... when you get three different items ... taco ... enchilada and something else ... that looked tasty ... it was in the middle of the afternoon so we were one of the few people there. the chef or owner was out and about (short mexican guy) ... he was very friendly and even checked on us once. anywho ... it is a safe bet ... give them a shot ... can't really think of anything negative read more

El Borrego De Oro - Tilapia - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Had a great lunch here. The service was friendly and efficient. The entire staff took time to make sure we had everything we needed, but were not obtrusive. The food was really good. I had the crunchy taco and cheese enchilada combo. That's my favorite combo wherever I go, so I always get it when I'm trying new places. It's my way to compare apples to apples, or enchiladas to enchiladas, if you will. El Borrego's enchiladas came through with flying colors. They use real cheese, not the American cheese version we often find around here (that is so not my style). The crunchy taco had a generous helping of moist, tasty ground beef. My hubs had the Caldo de Res. He enjoyed it immensely and was very happy it came with homemade corn tortillas. It's a bit of a hole in the wall kind of place. In other words, nearly perfect! read more

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Listen, I feel ridiculous rating this place without even trying their food. But hear me out. I keep hearing about there tortilla soup, and how amazing it is. I live right near here too, and pass it daily. So I finally decided to stop by. You can definitely tell it's a "whole in the wall" kinda spot. But most of those are my favorite places! Right when I parked, the building was surrounded by rat trap, but I literally thought nothing of it because those are everywhere and great preventative measures. However, I opened the door to the entrance and was immediately greeted by a massive rat, just hanging out in the front lobby. I've never turned around and ran to my vehicle quicker. Call me dramatic but that's a NO for me.... read more

This is an awesome place. It's located in a very busy street with not much parking. We went for lunch. Chips & salsa: Really good. Light and not greasy. Salsa is legit spicy which is a welcome change from other places that serve bland salsa. Cheese enchilada and chicken taco combo: Both were outstanding. What was surprising was that none of the food was salty, just very flavorful. I could have licked the plate. Chicken enchilada combo: Green sauce was addicting. Once again not salty and the chicken was very tender. Even the refried beans and rice were really good. Overall, very tasty food with very friendly and attentive service. One of the best Mexican food I've had in a while. read more

Quick and yummy food and SUPER affordable. Will be coming back for more cheese enchiladas!

Excelente restaurante. This is my first visit and caldo de res is excellent. Just the way my mother use to make it. A big plus is the home made corn tortillas. Ah, and then the salsa. So good! read more

Alright this definitely a great place that is literally a hole in a wall place. Not just by just looking at the restaurant from the outside and judging it. To go eat or not to go eat there is the question of many. I feel bad for the non-Yelpers who don't know about the reviews of this place. I for one never even knew about this place and it's close by my job and we always go across the street to Thunder Cloud subs. We had a vendor take us over here for lunch. He said another group of employees from our organization took him here and he loved it. That he wanted to try it us too this time. I was game especially after he told me it a hole in the wall kind of place. He bragged about the salsa. Me being Hispanic I was like it just salsa white boy chill. LoL! Let it told it was great salsa. Not too spicy and not too mild but just right. I will say they have some awesome homemade corn tortillas. First Mexican that didn't make homemade flour tortillas. Because normally that is what most restaurants make. I love their corn tortillas. Now for the ultimate critic. Their menu do was delicious and just right on with the meat and harmony! I will have to come here next time we have some maintenance at work. The rest of the group got their spicy pork meal and that look delicious too! The corn chips with their salsa were great. Not too greasy either. The facility was very clean. The staff was friendly, respectful, and enjoyable. Drinks were kept full and so we're the chips and salsa. read more

Really comfortable interior and friendly waitresses. Their salsa is nice and spicy... a tad bit on the runny side, but its all good. Their dinner platters will fill you up, literally just big ass plates of hot tasty food. I'll be back =). read more

El Borrego De Oro - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Lamb, lamb and more lamb. Birria! Why is it so hard to pronounce? This place has great lamb. One of the few places that serves it. That and cabrito. I used to eat here when it was at First and Oltorf. Maybe 20 years ago? Regardless, the lamb is just as good, and so is the red salsa. They also have great corn tortillas and a really good al Pastor. It's not the dry kind that I love, but it has a really nicely spiced sauce that stands on its own. read more

El Borrego De Oro - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Don't be afraid of what the building looks like from the outside, as you will surely miss one of the better breakfast in town. Service was outstanding and the food was delicious on top of that. I ordered the migas plate and there was plenty on that plate. I am definitely going back and trying out some lunch combo's as well. read more

Ordered the cheese enchiladas to-go, as advertised for 7.99 with a tea. Well, the total came out to $9.20.... Y'all, that's not a lunch special ! Apparently the price went up . But didn't update the menu. And the to-go order doesn't come with the tea. Would've been nice to have been given that information when I called. I would've overlooked all that and given more stars had the cheese enchiladas been terrific , but all I could muster up was " meh". read more

El Borrego De Oro - 2 cheese enchiladas , rice and beans. To-go order - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Our waitress needed some training in customer service. In the middle of taking our order she walked away to help another customer and did not return back until we called her 15 minutes later. The food had no flavor at all. Would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. read more

The Food: I ordered a Combo #1 with beef enchilada, pork tamale, crispy beef taco, rice, and beans. I also ordered a cup of tortilla soup. No cheese on anything by request. The sauce on the enchilada and tamale reminded me of skillet queso from Chili's but not as good. The sauce obscured what I ultimately realized was the tamale but looked like a rolled taco. The tamale had a strong, not entirely pleasant flavor. The beef enchilada had no flavor of its own without the chili sauce. The crispy beef taco was the same: just meat in a shell. And not very good meat at that. The beans tasted burned but the rice was pretty darned good. After a few bites of each, I pushed my plate away. The tortilla soup is the reason this review is not 2 stars. The soup was full-flavored and rich with generous portions of shredded chicken and avocado. The Service: The server brought me salsa but no chips and didn't ask if I wanted them. I asked for a cup of tortilla soup first but got a bowl of it with the rest of the meal. read more

El Borrego De Oro - Combo #1 beef enchilada, pork tamale, crispy beef taco. No cheese by request. - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Service was good but Food was bland and Tex mex style not Mexican. if you are looking for authentic mexican cuisine this is not the place. restaurant was dirty- menus had stains and not been wiped off. taco cabañas tortillas are better than this place. food is ok but not 5stars. read more

Met my aunt and cousin for lunch here. The place is small but very home feeling. Food was good, I had the Carne Guisada which was good. Great service and they are very friendly. Not a lot of parking space so you may struggle with that. But a good place if you are in the area and want a nice lunch. read more

Fresh salsa. More spicy than usual, and I love it! Menudo is very authentic, the beef tripe is very tender. About $12 per person for a simple meal. read more

El Borrego De Oro - Menudo small$7.5, Ceviche tostadas $3.95, michelada $7, Mexican martini $7.5 - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Visiting here from California. Decided to stop here before heading out to the airport. The service was horrible, they seemed to be bothered when we asked for condiments. read more

From the moment i walked in i loved it. Small cozy and extremely approachable and friendly. The queso is like what you expect it to be - amazingly creamy - loaded menu but combo #3 is where its at! Best service ive had in a long time. Overall awesome! read more

El Borrego De Oro - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

I've been twice with two different experiences. The first time it was super delicious. Obsessed with the green salsa (it's spicy as hell be warned) the nargs were good and my shrimp dish was amaze. But the second time the margaritas were terrible. Maybe it was a fluke but my friend had to send her regular Marg back and ask for it to be remade it was that bad. Tasted super watered down. I'll have to retry and hope the first experience is more the norm! read more

Highly recommend the queso flameado. Fajita taco was okay. Beans and rice okay. Pretty basic. Definitely steer clear of the margaritas. Not good--think a tiny bit of tequila watered down with some dish water. I asked for extra lime and after squeezing about 4 in there along with some of my husband's lime soda, it was slightly more tolerable. Husband liked the barbacoa. The al-pastor was weird. Tasted like carnitas that they put some sort of red sauce on. When we went there there were only two waiters working the whole restaurant, so service was reaaaaaally slow and we were never brought the check. Helped ourself to a to-go box. Then After waiting a while more we decided to go up and stand by the cash register in the hopes that someone would come over and take our money so we could go. There was another patron waiting as well and eventually after waiting a bit longer we were able to tell the cashier what we'd ordered and skedaddled. I would put 2 stars but because my husband liked his tacos I went with 3. read more

The best menduno soup in town! A must! The staffs are super friendly. You will not be disappointed read more

El Borrego De Oro - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

I love this place. It's authentic and modest. It reminds me of a place that my family ate at all through my childhood. It's friendly and homey. I like to get the enchiladas but the soup is amazing and I love the fajitas too. read more

So on Friday, 6/9/17 the office decided to pick up Mexican food from this establishment. Things didn't go well from the initial order. Their website lists a number of lunch specials, entrée and tea for 7.99. Okay, not too bad except that it isn't 7.99. First we were quoted, over the phone, 8.59 then that was changed to 8.99. Okay, something is rotten on South Congress, what, you don't bother to keep your website up to date? And what's with changing even your "new price". But we decided to go ahead, that was a mistake. I had the beef enchiladas They looked pretty good but what is up with Austin's Mexican food? Haven't you guys here heard of chile? I mean Mexican food is not supposed to be bland. Is this some sort of millennial/high tech thing? Really, it's a trend all over Austin, you do realize that there are more spices than salt, pepper, mustard, and ketchup right? lf so you couldn't prove that by El Borrego. Bland, bland, bland, just fried ground beef inside two tasteless tortillas with a tasteless sauce on it. I mean Taco Bell would have been embarrassed to serve this. And it came with rice and refried beans. At least they said that they were refried beans. These things were gray, watery and tasteless. Maybe they were remodeling their kitchen and some sort of gray spackle fell into the plate because these things were horrible. My advice to Austinites, if you want true Mexican food make a run to the border or at the very least run away from this place. read more

Too expensive,paid 70 dollars for a meal of 2 Not worth it, plus there's not refunds the menu online is wrong about prices it's like 5 dollars more than the price they claim read more