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    El Jacalito

    3.5 (95 reviews)
    InexpensiveTex-Mex, Bars
    Closed 8:00 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

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    Business Info

    EL JACALITO ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Live music
    Moderate noise
    Good for kids

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    Recommended Reviews - El Jacalito

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    Guisado salsa verde with charro beans.
    Amber A.

    Great food, great service. The waitresses learn your eggs and tortilla preference fast. I usually so breakfast here. Tonight I had dinner, the guisado salsa verde. Never had it before - tender pork chunks in a very spicy green sauce. I love heat, so this has that good burn. Next time I'll be a little less adventurous, but I love trying new things. Big portions for a good price and close to my apartment. Love this place!

    Shrimp cocktail
    Nick G.

    I recently asked my sister-in-law, "where can I get the best Menudo in Austin? " She immediately replied " El Jacalito on Oltorf! It was my father's favorite Menudo place! " I finished a little early this afternoon, so I thought I would give it a try, and I was not disappointed, it's my favorite kind, the Menudo is extremely spicy & flavorful with lots of tripe. And of course it came with the perfect onions, jalapeño and lime garnish. Of course I had to try the shrimp cocktail, which was also excellent, and huge lol! The chips and hot sauce were lovely. Finally , the Mexican martini, for me a little too sweet and mild to qualify as a Mexican martini, but it was actually absolutely delicious and I would definitely order it again. I am definitely returning back here again, next time I want to try the enchiladas or the fajita platter.

    Queso

    This place used to be good and decently priced. Now it's 10 dollars for a small queso that tastes like plastic. Gross!

    Caldo de res (beef soup)
    Perla R.

    Beef soup 8/10 -hits the spot. I miss my mom's caldo de res so much and not going to say this was on the same scale, but it's good and I enjoyed it very much. Generous chunk of meat. I suggest adding lime and some of the table salsa de bring out to the table for your chips. Trust. Menudo 2/10. Unless you ask for a bucket of limes to set off the strong flavor of menudo, I would say maybe don't. Pastor taco 2/10 Service was excellent, staff was friendly/ welcoming and restaurant was clean.

    Combo meal with one crispy taco, guacamole salad, one enchilada, one tamale, rice and beans. The fresh onions were a server's suggestion.
    Gladys R.

    Food was perfectly served, both hot and delicious. Service was above and beyond with good suggestions. The house margarita was tart and strong. All in all a great meal and very reasonably priced.

    carne guisado and eggs breakfast. perfect hangover food.
    Jerry R.

    Andale... what can i say? ummmm...that this is the best northern mexi food place in Austin? well, yeah, it is. i started going here when I was a student at UT and for a few months i lived in the awful apt complex/compound right behind it. someone stole my 80's izod windbreaker and a pair of perfectly worked in 501's from the laundry room, i was soooo mad... back to El Jacalito---the food is delicious, homecooked food. like eating at my grandma's house. love the guisado and love that they open at an ungodly hour so i was able to get something to eat waking up at a california hour. the eggs were cooked perfectly (over-medium) and the tortillas were mouth watering goodness. i am usually not a food mixer, but the guisado, egg, and bean in a tortilla was a little symphony in my boca. and the waitress was nice and quick. everytime i ordered something or she asked how my meal was she replied with an "Andale". so nice!

    Michael C.

    So a friend of mine and I have decided to start searching for the best tacos in Austin. We call it Tacoquest2016 and it will only be about the tacos, not anything else in the restaurant. Your feedback is welcome. Today we went to El Jacalito, mostly because its in our neighborhood. The tortillas, both corn and flour were good but not great. The barbacoa was average size and not too greasy with good texture and mildly seasoned. Their pastor was a bit salty, dry and sparse. Salsa is important to the meal and their green was thick and spicy but the red was thin and very mild. Neither of us was disappointed but we aren't planning a return trip for the tacos either. El Jacalito gets a C+. #tacoquest2016

    Cheese Quesadilla.

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    16 years ago

    don't care what anybody says this food is great! prices are great too! and i luv their attentiveness.

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    Ani’s Day & Night

    Ani’s Day & Night

    4.4
    (125 reviews)
    2.3 mi
    $$

    Very artistic, cozy vibes. Tried their spinach kolache and latte…read more Kolache was a good size with creamy filling. Latte was not bad. Initially confused where the restroom was but it's around the corner of the cash register/front area. They also have seating outside and complimentary water station.

    Saw this coffee spot on Yelp and was drawn in by the fact that they make several of their own house…read moresyrups. They offer both coffee and cocktails (which I'm guessing is where the "day and night" name comes from lol). They're also located near a few other food trucks that are right outside which looked interesting, but were closed when I visited. I loved that they make their syrups in-house and there were so many good options that it made choosing a bit difficult. The barista was super helpful and even suggested mixing two syrups, which I thought was a really cool option to try. I ended up getting a latte with burnt sugar and vanilla syrup. The first sip was great, but as I kept drinking it, it tasted a bit more milky than expected which was honestly my fault. I asked for something not too sweet, so we went with just one pump of each syrup in a bigger 16oz iced drink. Next time, I'd probably stick with the standard three pumps and go with a smaller size so the flavors come through more. Overall, a really solid spot and I'd definitely come back to try some more flavors.

    Photos
    Tables | ig: @joyyeats
    Tables | ig: @joyyeats
    Exterior of the coffee shop.
    Exterior of the coffee shop.
    Nyam's Food Truck is UNREAL.

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    Nyam's Food Truck is UNREAL.
    Radio/East

    Radio/East

    4.5
    (86 reviews)
    1.9 mi
    $$

    As a big fan of Radio's original location, I've been excited to have a new Radio in SE Austin. True…read moreto form, this location is beautifully done with plenty of outdoor seating and *parking*, both an outdoor and indoor stage, and lush native landscaping throughout. Warning to those visiting around dusk in summer: during my last visit we were eaten alive by mosquitos. Other than that, love Radio. This location has three food trucks including one of my favorites, Shortwave Diner. Their smashburger and Reuben sandwiches with homemade fries are delicious. Radio also offers an amazing happy hour from 4 pm to close every Monday through Thursday. The hibiscus mojito is the perfect summer treat. This location has a great trivia on Tuesday nights too. I recommend it!

    Stoped by here during SXSW 2026 to listen to some bands this past Saturday. They had some fun…read morecoconut water samples that they used to make cocktails at the inside bar. I got one of their dark rum cocktails. They had some yummy food trucks in the back and several of us had items from Wow Poke which was really good. The weather was nice so we could sit outside in the back area in the shade while we ate. Then we wandered around and listened to the bands for a bit. It's a really nice space. I've been there once before for swing dancing one evening. I wish I lived closer to it but I'm sure I'll end up back here eventually for another event!

    Photos
    Crowd shot from backstage at the Spike and the Gimme Gimmes show.
    Crowd shot from backstage at the Spike and the Gimme Gimmes show.
    Front patio
    Front patio
    Exterior

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    Exterior
    CK Kitchen and Bar

    CK Kitchen and Bar

    5.0
    (31 reviews)
    1.8 mi

    The food was excellent. Both the steak and shrimp were cooked perfectly. We started with the Sake…read moreMac and Cheese, then had the Surf and Turf and the Shrimp Symphony, and everything was delicious. The owner even opened a bottle of Sauvignon Blanc so I could enjoy a glass which I really appreciated because it's not offered by the glass. I did try to make a reservation online but ended up calling instead. It was a bit amusing since the restaurant was nearly empty when we arrived, aside from one table and only one other couple came in by the time we finished our meal.

    Once again, I wish I'd taken a picture of what I ordered, ...but when it's really good, I have a…read moretendency to forget. This food was REALLY good. I ordered the Cajun surf and turf (shrimp) on a bed of garlic noodles. Everything was cooked perfectly. The steak was crazy tender and well seasoned, the shrimp had a nice pop, and I could have JUST had a plate of noodles; they were that good. The Cajun sauce complemented everything well. Even the smattering of green beans, which were probably there to add color, were outstanding. The restaurant itself was comfortable ...which is a compliment. The parking was easy. The service was outstanding. The prices were ...lower than they should have been given how delicious the food was. I will definitely recommend CK Kitchen and Bar to my friends. We came here for a birthday dinner, but with Mother's Day and graduation around the corner, I can't think of a better spot. Well done, CK.

    Photos
    CK Kitchen and Bar
    Fun pen topper. lol
    Fun pen topper. lol
    CK Kitchen and Bar

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    Lovebirds

    Lovebirds

    4.3
    (44 reviews)
    1.9 mi

    My friend and I went here last night for a comedy show. The bar has a chill vibe with cool decor…read more It's nestled in a hip area of East Austin. I liked that some of the cocktails were named with love themes like "Lovebird" and "Head Over Heels." I ordered the "Texas Peach" mocktail and it was so refreshing! The bartender here was so great. She was super nice and helpful! For parking, I'm not sure if there is a lot but I was easily able to find street parking in the neighborhood. I'll be back here soon!

    Love birds is a cute little bar. It's divey-looking outside but the inside has a diner/cutesy vibe…read more-- e.g. a bride and her bridesmaids clearly doing a bar crawl bachelorette type thing came in and got a bunch of drinks/took pics while we were there. I came with a friend and she got an espresso martini and I got a fig syrup based cocktail. We both loved our drinks, mine was very unique (I've never had a fig flavored cocktail before!) but it was a little pricey given they aren't big. They're pretty strong though, the bartender does a good job. It was surprisingly busy the night we came and there was only one bartender so we did have to wait about 10 min to order, but that bartender was working hard! They have some seats/high tables inside, and a cute free photo booth that doesn't print the pics but will email them to you. Overall I think this is a cute spot to sit and chat; it's more casual than most bars but it's got a nice/safe ambiance inside.

    Photos
    Something random the bartender made me ;)
    Something random the bartender made me ;)
    Lovebirds
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    Frazier's Long and Low

    Frazier's Long and Low

    4.1
    (117 reviews)
    0.9 mi
    $$

    Frazier's Long and Low is one of those East Austin spots that just feels easy to be at. It's got…read morethat classic dive bar energy, but still feels intentional and well-loved. Parking isn't terrible, which is always a plus for the area, and it's a great place to meet up with friends or just hang for a while. The drinks are affordable, the staff is super friendly, and the food hits the spot. I'm a fan of their hot dogs in particular. It's also a great place to play some pool, which adds to that casual, hangout vibe. They've got a jukebox too, although I'll admit I've been a little scared to touch it... not sure I'm ready to be judged for my music choices. There's a small patio area, but it's pretty compact, so it can fill up quickly. Inside, they've got two gender neutral restrooms covered in stickers and, interestingly, no mirrors. It all adds to the charm in its own way.

    This place rocks -- it has everything you could want in a dive bar, slightly rude employees, pool,…read morecheap food, and more. The frozen margaritas were pretty good. I didn't think it was too sweet or anything. The food was also pretty good. My favorite was the chopped cheese, and the pretzels were good too. I thought the potato wedge fries were just okay and one of them I ate had a weird chemically taste to it. The wings are also pretty decent. I'd definitely come back to get another chopped cheese.

    Photos
    Frazier's
    Frazier's
    Taco Tuesday! 2/$5.
    Taco Tuesday! 2/$5.
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    Coors Banquet on draft!

    El Jacalito - tex-mex - Updated July 2026

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