I had not been to El Mercado in years and it is still very good. The one item that was a bit disappointing were the chips. They just tasted a bit...stale. We sat outside on the patio, which had a nice atmosphere. The service was good and our waiter checked on us regularly. We will def be back again to try this neighborhood spot. read more

Great food, incredibly fast kitchen, great wait staff. This place is Old Austin. The ambience is excellent!

Food is not that good, good service, ambiance was okay we did go around 3pm pretty empty on a Sunday. Idk if it's the oil they use, but the after taste of the brisket enchiladas was not good. The rice and beans were normal. We also ordered the burrito and found it so weird that the rice was outside of the burrito. read more

I hate leaving a negative review because El Mercado has been a part of my life for as long as I can remember. As a kid, I called it "the bird restaurant," and later I brought my own kids there when they were little. We've always had a soft spot for it. A few years ago, we started going less often because the prices seemed to keep climbing. After taking a break for a year or two, we decided to give it another try. Unfortunately, the experience left us feeling more frustrated than ever. It felt like we were being charged extra for everything. The kids' drinks were rung up at adult prices, we were charged for multiple chips and salsa orders even though we didn't eat any salsa, tortillas were expensive, and three small slices of avocado cost around $4. When the bill arrived, it was over $140 for three adult meals and two kids' meals, plus a few extras, and that was before tip. I understand that restaurant costs have gone up, and I don't mind paying more when it's justified. But we eat Mexican food regularly around Austin, and similar meals elsewhere are often close to half the price. I actually thought our bill had to be wrong, so I reviewed the itemized receipt afterward. Seeing all the individual upcharges only reinforced how nickel-and-dimed the whole experience felt. I truly wanted to enjoy coming back, but based on this visit, we won't be returning. That's disappointing to say, given how many memories we have there, but the value simply isn't there for us anymore. read more

I've been dining here for thirty years. always dependable. Greg runs a tight shift on a super tight ship. I've owned restaurants, so I know what it takes. Their standards are high. It's CLEAN, and the new menu just shines! If you're local, come on back! if you're a visitor to Austin, this should be your first and last stop for GO-TO TexMex, or for that matter TO GO TexMex. NO DISAPPOINTMENTS! read more

It's standard Tex-Mex. It's essentially all the same food rolled in different ways. Service was okay. Food was okay. Drinks were okay.

Great service wonderful local never a bad meal would always return. Enchiladas and fajitas. Great drinks and service.

El Mercado's Tex-Mex food is the best! Always friendly weight staff and the food is very very good. Although it can't be noisy, the ambience is bright and fun. read more

I recently ate at El Mercado. I was visiting Austin and am not familiar with the Mexican restaurants in the area El Mercado was a happy surprise! First, the chips are light, crunchy and not too salty. The hot sauce was hit the spot - not too spicy but spicy enough! Then I asked for something that was not listed on the menu, and they made it for me. Lastly, the waitress was friendly, attentive and was very familiar with the menu. a delightful experience! I will be back! read more

I had a good dinner at El Mercado, I enjoyed sitting on the patio and I hear it's dog friendly. The restaurant is bright and cheerfully decorated. Service is friendly and quick. The food is basic Tex Mex cooking. It came out hot!! The brisket is Smokey and tender, my husband enjoyed it. I had a basic crispy taco and one cheese enchilada. No complaints! I really liked the fresh salsa, it had a nice kick. read more

I went to el Mercado for the second time and enjoyed my experience. The fish tacos are good and I loved the sauce that was sent with them. It was very tasty! I also got a Paloma to drink that was refreshing. The ambiance both times I've went has been pretty mellow because I've only went for lunch/early dinner. I've never been in the evening when it might be busier. read more

El Mercado has been in the Austen restaurant scene for a very long time. The service is consistently top-notch, and takes very good care of you throughout the dining experience. The Tex-Mex food itself is very middle of road. They have taken a couple of the unique food items off the menu, and what remains is common Tex Mex. The salsa is freshly made, and has a wonderful flavor and it varies from day today because of the freshness of the ingredients. Nothing special about the ambience... Average food... Great service... Average margaritas, and cold beer... Not a bad combination. read more

El Mercado Restaurant - 1/2 order pastor nachos - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great service, good food and the best Mexican martini's around. Was there with three other people and we all raved about all of the above. Looking forward to next trip...soon! read more

El Mercado (North) is our version of Cheers--a place where everyone knows your name and treats you like family. The staff go above and beyond to make each visit special, and the experience is consistently excellent. My husband and I have spent countless meals here, whether celebrating good times or consoling ourselves with generous bowls of queso. The food is tasty, generously portioned, and reasonably priced. There's rarely a wait, and it's an ideal spot for gathering with a big group. read more

Love the people who work here and love the food. Beef fajitas can be a bit chewy sometimes but other than that it's all good.

Lovely atmosphere, service and charm. Definitely white people mexican but honestly that's a vibe sometimes. Will for sure be back. The Mexican martini was delicious. Many Vegetarian options read more

El Mercado Restaurant - Fresca Plate Dinner vegetarian - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

Go if you're over the age of 60. Large drinks have maybe half a shot and the service is mediocre.

The cheese enchiladas are the best I've ever had. Even ordered extra to take home! The last of the classic local Tex-Mex restaurants in Austin for us old timers. Please patronize them to help with their continued success! read more

This has been one of my favorite places in Austin for Tex/Mex(mexican) I have been coming for over 7 years and it's always so good. Food- I have tried wide range of their offerings from apps to mains. I'm not a bit dessert person (sorry) Over all everything I have ever ordered has been great. Nothing major but the quality and portions are perfect. It feels like as if my grandma or a friend's mom was making dinner. Service- The staff is really really good. Typically when I would go I would have a server named Yvonne she was always so welcoming and it was always impressive that she remembered faces and folks orders. I say that because this place does have alot of loyal customers so to have someone remember so many details is very impressive to me. I have had other staff members as well and all have been great. The owner is also very hands on and when you go I'm sure you will see him around. Such a great feeling to see someone take such pride in what they have built in this city. We love to see it. Ambiance- It's such a great space. Large enough for big parties (call ahead don't be that group) and paired with a great outdoor patio it's perfect. They added some fake greenery to the wall that is nice. I wouldn't be mad if they maybe incorporated some life plants as well. (Totally doesn't effect the great space) Dog owners- I have seen many folks bring dogs as well to seat in the patio space. The only draw back with that I have ever seen there is there was one lady who took her dog (medium sized) and it was baking the whole time they were there and pulled a lot at the owners table to were the dog was basically at o their customers tables begging for food. I'm a dog owner and just don't appreciate the lack of consideration for other guests nothing on the restaurant. So if you bring your dog just be aware of others around you. All in all this is definitely a 9 out of 10 for me. read more

Went on a Sunday for lunch and the place was pretty quiet. There was a large group of us, about 15 or so. The staff was super friendly and quickly got a bunch of tables pulled together. We got a wide range of food and everything was excellent. The beef tacos, cheese enchiladas, taco salad, queso, guac, everything tasted great. The service was excellent. Will be coming back soon! read more

Always accomodates ADA wheelchair customers! They go above and beyond. Good is legit and authentic YUM!

Great Tex-Mex food and bar service. We often get food to go and the service is super quick and convenient!

It's been a while since I've been to this El Mercado location & while it used to be one of my favorite spots, I'm sad to report that it is no longer. I went to El Mercado on Weds. 6/16/2021 for my twins 21st birthday & we should've went elsewhere because the service was poor & the food was even worse. It was about 11:30am & my daughter wanted to order coffee but according to our waitress, they weren't serving coffee that day...seriously, no coffee on a Weds. morning...okay (insert eye roll) . The cook that day also must've been having a bad day because each of our plates were so bland w/ no taste at all. My 14 yr old son, who usually swallows food w/out chewing 1st didn't even finishing eating all his food & had we taken that food home, he would have had leftovers for the 1st time everrrrr. Our visit that day was disappointing for sure since we were there to celebrate our twins 21st & needless to say, I won't be returning to El Mercado any time soon. ~Rebecca out read more

For many years, I had heard that the best cheese enchiladas in Austin were at Dart Bowl, and I did enjoy them. However, hands down, the cheese enchiladas with chopped onions at El Mercado are the best I have eaten anywhere! I have gotten the charro beans with my enchiladas which are fantastic, and the rice, with a hint of cumen, is wonderful! They also make a darn good margarita. The service was attentive, pleasant, and helpful. The venue is dull and old, but clean. read more

trying to call and place and order and they let picking up and hanging up on me, and I'm sure they took the phone off the hook to refuse calls. read more

Enjoyed a wonderful lunch here! Staff was friendly and welcoming. Restaurant is a cool place with an authentic Austin feel. Look forward to trying some other dishes here! read more

YUM. We stopped here on a whim after leaving another restaurant with terrible service. The host was friendly and seated us quickly. The booths still have the plastic barriers between them- love it! We were able to order quickly and we had chips and salsa on the table immediately. We ordered the beef fajita meal for 2. The meat was seasoned beautifully, it was tender and perfectly cooked. The salsa wasn't spicy but it had great flavor. The portions were great and we had food leftover to take home. We were able to get our check easily and paid quickly. From start to finish the service was flawless. The only downside was we do love when Mexican restaurants have several salsa options and we prefer Coke products over Pepsi. None of that changes the 5 star rating. Highly recommend El Mercado! read more

El Mercado Restaurant - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

This review is for take out, so perhaps others have better luck dining in. My burrito was almost inedible; I assumed the spinach would be sautéed along with the mushrooms (as it typically is) in a veg burrito, but it was uncooked. Super bizarre choice. The "salsa ranchero" tasted like straight up marinara sauce...just not good. I couldn't eat it. There are so many great enchiladas in town, but this ain't it. Servuce was excellent and so kind, but this is not good. read more

El Mercado Restaurant - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

Jordan( owner) and Mark the bartender are great, but same, small cliquish bar crowd got really old. Food is mediocre, but kitchen staff awesome. Advise to get size large margaritas as small are exceptionally small. read more

Portions are generous, can't complain about the Margs, but everything about El Mercado was just OKAY. I ordered the El Plato Bandera, which serves 3 enchiladas with rice, beans, & queso. For Tex-Mex, I would not recommend as everything was edible, but bland. read more

El Mercado Restaurant - El Plato Bandera - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

Drinks were FIRE!! And the best brisket taco! Queso was bomb as well. Definitely one of the best Mexican spots in Austin read more

El Mercado Restaurant - Strawberry Margarita - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I grew up in San Antonio; the worst part of moving to Austin was finding out that the Tex-Mex is Austin-style, not SA. I can't explain the differences, except to say that SA Mexican food is heavier on cumin, cheese, onion and cayenne. El Mercado is as close to SA style as I have found. Crispy tortilla chips, good salsa (included in every order delivered by Favor), menu includes all the favorites, with plenty of vegetarian options. Dos Equis on draft, robust free WiFi. This location has been here for decades, and the patio allows for table service for outdoor dining. Every employee is masked, good service and really fair prices. What took me so long? read more

El Mercado Restaurant - Quesadillas Mushrooms & Spinach Quesadillas (Double layer - enough leftovers for breakfast the next day) - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I ordered ema quesada, chips and a margarita. The salsa had a little too much garlic other than that the food and experience were good. read more

El Mercado Restaurant - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

Just a straight ahead, old school Tex Mex resto with great enchiladas, street tacos and tasty drinks. Take some salsa home for your next round of homemade breakfast tacos. Big shoutout to Gamaliel, one of the best waiters in town. Always friendly and never in a rush, Gamaliel is that rare gentleman who makes his guests feel welcome. read more

I went here for the first time in about 20 years. I recall the place was pretty good and the margaritas excellent. The margaritas tonight were excellent as was the service. The service is prompt and attentive. The brisket tacos were amazing! The nachos are not worth ordering. The toppings were skimpy including the beans snd cheese. And it was a large order- it was small! Didn't even compare to nachos at any other Tex Amex place I've been. Will I'll be back? Absolutely those brisket tacos were amazing! read more

This was my first time checking this place out. Dropped in for a quick lunch with friends. The staff was friendly, and there was no wait. We tried some of their lunch specials which were just okay. It was very typical fast food/quick Mexican restaurant type food. It was not something that I would recommend running out to try because it is just so amazing, but it is a great quick place to drop through if you are looking for lunch. I would go back if in the area and in need of a quick lunch spot. read more

delicious Little Tex Mex restaurant nothing too fancy just straight-up good food to flavors were on point the service was fabulous. The chips and salsa were delicious I had their soup it was a little cool outside it hit the spot delicious broth with vegetables and chicken. read more

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Excellent Tex-Mex, very consistent, and very reasonable. One of my favorites. Get the Mercado combo plate. read more

Manager/owner was not accommodating to our group that arrived at 2:30 pm with only 2 tables occupied in the restaurant. We left to La Mancha that provided excellent service! read more

This place is a gem. Welcoming and unpretentious, we love the waitstaff and the margaritas. Almost equally. I don't get the negative reviews, I assume they are from Californians. read more