For a lot less money than La Fonda San Miguel you get an authentic Mexican breakfast / lunch buffet. Quality is good, price is decent, and variety is great. Recommended. read more

We found this place and it took us by SURPRISE! You must stop by and try it. The staff is friendly, outgoing, and standby to serve you. The brunch is full of delicious options and the full bar will not disappoint! We are thankful we found this place and will definitely make it a stop when visiting Austin! read more

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Where to begin. It's 9:42 and we just got home from happy hour. Not by choice but because it took them that long to serve our drinks and food and take care of the screw-up on our bill. We came for happy hour because their Instagram said $3 house margaritas until 7:30. We got here at 6:45 with plans for a quick bite. They were way understaffed so anything we asked for took forever, and we waited a long time in between visits from the wait staff for anything. We would have spent a lot more money if we actually had someone to take our orders as we wanted them. Once the bill came they charged us $3.50 for drinks until 7, then $5.50 for drinks after 7pm even though it said otherwise on their Instagram. When we brought it up to our server we were there for at least 20-30 more minutes waiting for it to be resolved. I guess they are trying to draw in people with their bogus posts then hope they don't notice. Shady business here. It's a shame. It was my favorite brunch place before this. The food is amazing, but I don't have time to waste waiting on it. I had read some shady reviews before this and now I understand why. Apparently they don't give their managers the power to offer discounts (or correct their own mistakes) so we had to wait for the owner to call the manager back. I have never been so close to walking out of a restaurant. I would never do that simply because I know they bill often gets left with the server. She didn't deserve that, but the owners need to get their shit together. read more

We've been coming here for almost 8 years now and it's absolutely fantastic. Incredible real fresh food and always friendly staff. The owners are fantastic hard working people and work hard every day to earn your business with yummy dishes and drinks! This has got to be the best hidden secret in 78704 and all of Austin. read more

El Mesón makes fantastic mole poblano. I'm not sure if you'll find better mole in Austin. And mole is no small feat. It takes time, attention and over a dozen ingredientes cooked separately and carefully stewed into what's probably the crown jewel of Mexican cuisine (yet somehow largely unknown and under-appreciated here in the Norte). But here's the surprising thing. El Mesón's mole is tucked away in the menu alongside the dozens of other superb dishes, drawing zero extra attention to itself. Which in a way is emblematic of El Mesón's greatness. It doesn't call out to you from its S. Lamar location with trendy typeface or the any of the dog whistles of other instagram-worthy hotspots around town. It's unfussy, it and doesn't oversell you on any of its offerings. It just puts in front of you a plate the finest carnitas in town, period. Tacos aren't even their main thing, and it has the best carnitas in Austin. Everything I've had there, and I mean everything, is good enough to be the sole reason to go there. If there were another restaurant that was otherwise garbage but had their cochinita pibil, I'd go there. Or their sopes. Or their enchiladas. Or their salads. (Yes, their SALADS. My favorite has greens, dried beets, pumpkin seeds and goat cheese. Incredible.) Or huevos ahogados or homemade tortillas or rajas. And while it's hard to say what's best about El Mesón, if pressed I would point out the chile en nogada as the most unforgettable dish: a chile relleno covered with a white walnut sauce and sprinkled with parsley and pomegranate. (It's a seasonal dish, so call ahead to see if they're serving it.) If you want the absolute best that traditional Mexican cuisine has to offer here in Austin, look no further than El Mesón. read more

Our first time dining here. Superior service, friendly staff. We ate in the restaurant section, not the tapas bar, yet that room was very pleasing and cozy. We started with the four types of goat cheese salad, excellent and generous portion (we split it). The bread and olive oil dip were outstanding (we bought a bottle of that oil). Wine selections were very good. We each had a glass of Albarino to accompany our tapas dishes, which were excellently prepared and plated, very tasty. The service was prompt and courteous. For dessert, we split a Spanish cheese cake with candied fruit in a Pedro Ximénez reduction (see photo). Overall, delicious food and the prices were reasonable for the quality of the cuisine. Most importantly for us, unlike restaurant La Boca nearby, we were not crowded into a small space with a noisy crowd making it hard to hear each other talk. A much more pleasant dining experience here because of this. This will be our come-to place for tapas. Next time we want to try their paella. read more

El Mesón - Spanish cheese cake dessert - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great spot for interior Mexican food! I had driven by this place on South Lamar several times and never thought twice about it. On my quest to find great interior Mexican food in Austin, I decided to give El Meson a try and I'm very happy I did. I ordered takeout for the whole family (including my husband, our two children, and my mom). The adults loved the guacamole - chunky, fresh, and flavorful, with a kick whenever you get a piece of jalapeño. We also tried the salsa trio. I'm not sure what is was called, but one of the salsas was a little thicker and a lighter red and that was our favorite - smoky and flavorful. For my entree, I ordered the Enchiladas de Mole Verde with vegetables and I loved it. The vegetables tasted so fresh (not like frozen you come across in some restaurants) and the mole was unlike anything I'd had before. Normally I'm not a big fan of traditional (brown) moles, but I'm a big fan of green mole now. As for the rest of the family, they enjoyed the chicken fajitas and the rice and charro beans. Overall, a solid meal for the whole family and we'll be back for more (especially the green mole)! read more

We have had a lovely experience here every time we've been. The staff is gracious, the authentic interior Mexican food is incredible, and the restaurant feels homey. El Mesón is one of our favorite restaurants in Austin! read more

We hadn't been to El Meson in a while, but had a meeting down the street & had to stop in for lunch. Absolutely delicious, as usual. Fresh, homemade chips. Fresh, homemade tortillas. Amazing salsas Guacamole is perfect, and served so you can add as much pico, cilantro, etc as you like. Can't wait to go back for brunch soon! read more

The food here is outstanding. Everything is very fresh and authentic. There are menu items you normally don't see at most Mexican restaurants. The salsa was crazy good. I will be coming back almost immediately. read more

We live in the hood and have been coming here for years. The food is flavorful and spicy. Love the escabeche and other salsas. My fav entrees are the moles, red and green. The green enchiladas have that tomatillo tanginess and the enchiladas suizas have that tang plus a touch of cream. Moderate pricing for this part of Austin. Parking can be challenging and the indoor area can be noisy. There is some outdoor seating which is pleasant when the weather cooperates. The staff is friendly and helpful and the margaritas are stout and tangy, they use real limes. read more

El Meson is delicious!! Everyone that works there has always been so kind and the food and drinks are consistently good. There's also plenty of vegetarian options and even some vegan. I ordered to go today and just like always it was amazing. They also gave me so much salsa! let's be real skimping on the salsa can ruin the meal. On top of the salsa treat they gave me a complimentary desert with a thank you not on it. go get yourself some Mexican(not tex-mex) food!! read more

You like Mexican food? Want to eat real authentic Mexican food and be all you can eat? This is the place for you. Their brunch buffet is so good! I can tell the owners are there early in the morning working making sure the food is superb. Everything on their menu was great to me. read more

Food is great but the aggressive towing is a bit over the top. Had to run out and rescue my car because the towing guy did not see me go into the restaurant. This was 12 mins into a cocktail. Yikes. read more

Curbside was a breeze and my dinner is so delicious! Be sure to try quest fundido with their house made chips and tortillas is the best I've ever had! Another favorite is the chilorio del Norte so tender and full of flavor. Every thing made with love and topped off with frozen marg! PERFECTION!! read more

El Mesón has become one of my top spots for brunch in ATX. They feature authentic, scratch-made interior-Mexican cuisine. Their AYCE buffet offers a wide variety of savory and sweet. Highlights include mole, cochinita pibil, barbacoa, ceviche, paella, and flan. Be sure to try the pozole blanco: a soup featuring hominy and shredded pork. Also, don't pass up the duck in poblano sauce with your selection of handmade-in-house tortillas (corn and flour). They also offer made-to-order items such as the standard eggs, pancakes, and French toast plus the extraordinary Panbazo Poblano: a small bolio roll filled with potato and chorizo garnished with lettuce, cotija cheese, crema fresca, and avocado salsa. I recommend sharing that with a friend so as to not fill yourself up for the many succulent buffet offerings. Remember to save room for dessert. My favorite may be the fresas en crema: seasonal berries in a sweet creme sauce kissed with cinnamon. The flan is smooth and creamy, exactly how I like my flan. The service has always been attentive but not invasive. I always had a clean spot waiting for me when I would make additional trips to the buffet. If you do want to keep something on your table between trips, be sure to kindly ask your server. This place is a must on your brunch short list! read more

El Mesón - Brunch goodness - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

When you make reservations for a group of 15, and at the end of a disastrous dinner they tell you "we are not good at groups..." Then why did you take our reservation??? Long story short, it took about 2h45mins to get plates of cold food in otherwise empty restaurant. The worst red sangria I've ever tasted. The worst chicken enchiladas. We had to go get our chips and drinks and glasses ourselves. They did not have enough plates to serve our food, it was sad. Go to Taco Bell if you desperately want Mexican - you will get bette food and better service. read more

A relatively undiscovered gem, our go to for excellent Mexican food in a chill setting with great margaritas. It is a family restaurant and the service is mostly great with an occasional wayward nephew. Highly recommend the mole, the choriqueso, enchiladas rancheras and oh my oh my the Sunday brunch! read more

Amazing interior mexican food, great service and very friendly and kind owners! I recommend and or the meat dishes and the queso. Very yummy with their homemade chips. read more

I had lunch at El Meson today. It was walking distance from where I was having my car windows tinted. I ordered the chicken enchiladas with mole poblano sauce. It came with black beans and rice. The food was very good and reasonably priced. I received a glass of water at the table. When I asked if they served anything besides water (that was non alcoholic), I was told they had iced tea, but no sodas. I was disappointed, because I always enjoy an iced cold Coke with my lunch. Am I weird, no? I just like a Coke with my meal. My choice, my $. But, don't take this as an overall negative review, since the food was excellent. I did speak with another waiter (manager?) who apologized and offered me a hand made lemonade type drink to go. He said they will carry sodas in the future but are having an issue with their Coke product supplier. read more

I was really happy when this place opened on south lamar. The other location is not convenient for us at all. We love interior mexican food and there are not a ton of places to get it around here, most of the places are tex-mex. we are able to eat really healthy here, starting with the fresh guac (we love their guac). another fav of mine is the beef fajitas. they are cooked well and i generally get it on a salad. don't worry though, if you wanna get your fatty fat kid on and eat unhealthy you can do that here too! try the mango rita w the spicy rim, it's muy bueno! the reason for only four stars is bc the service here definitely lacks... just know it going in and be ok w it. read more

Went in as a last stop before we drive 5 hours back home, they had a buffet which was not so great. & I ordered scrambled eggs & got some bacon & was charged a whole buffet. It was 5 of us & the tab was $200!!! I do not recommend this place, Service sucked!! & people looked at you so ugly for no reason. Definitely not worth paying for. Never will come back. read more

I went here for happy hour and was very underwhelmed by the experience. I had some fish tacos which were dry and lacked flavor overall. The server was nice and provided good service so that was a plus. With the overwhelming amount of amazing Happy Hour spots, I wouldn't come back here unfortunately. read more

We went for brunch last week and at first site it looked delicious. However, once I got up to the buffet items a lot looked like it had been sitting out for too long. We picked through what was available and it was just "eh". I tried talking to the manager or owner but he seemed confused by what I was saying. The deserts looked really good but once we were ready for some they had been picked over and nothing fresh was being brought out... we left a little hungry and totally disappointed. read more

The location is great, the parking is ample, the venue is cute, and the food is delicious. We've been a few times, evidently at slower times in the evening, as we have never had a problem getting a table. While the food is good and flavorful, the only downside is the service can be hit or miss, and the margaritas, while delicious, sometimes taste like the tequila was replaced by additional margarita mix. The chorizo queso fundido is fantastic, the chips are thick and crunchy, and the mole is delectable. I haven't had a bad dish here, but it is just missing that whatever "je ne sais quoi" is in Spanish. And, given all the options in Austin, this place just doesn't make my Top 10 Mexican Restaurants list that I would refer people to here in town. Sorry this review was so serious. read more

Went here for dinner and had some of the worst service I've ever experienced. We got there before 6pm on a night when the restaurant was over half empty. It took a long time to get our drinks, a longer time to gets chips and salsa, and over half an hour to get guacamole. We waited another long stretch for our food to come out and then were told they had messed up our order. When the order came out for the second time, it was wrong again. When it came out a third time, it was still wrong, but I resigned to eat it since we had been waiting an hour and a half at this point for our food. The food was fine, but not good, when we finally got to eat. There were no apologies for the wait or the wrong orders. There was no offer to take anything off our bill. We will not be back. read more

OH MY!! This is my second time here. I can't believe I've missed out on this place. The food is fantastic! The margaritas are out of this world fresh, fresh, fresh lime juice. The owner is super nice!! Super is the word of the day. But very applicable. We had the guacamole sampler, chorizo, and taquitos al pastor. Obviously house made fresh with quality ingredients. CN say enough good things. Run here fast!! Support them. They are a local Homegrown business. Almost a unicorn here in the austin market. read more

If I could rate this place a -5 I would. HORRIBLE service. I would expect EXCEPTIONAL customer service from a restaurant in this part of town but I was absolutely wrong. The waiter THREW the basket of chips on the table, took 20 minutes to bring me an iced tea, and to top it off, charged my party(party of 5) over $20 in tip for service that wasn't good AT ALL (gratuity policy wasn't stated on the menu or doors). When brought to the managers attention, she claimed there was nothing she could do. DONT COME HERE, IT'S SERIOUSLY A WASTE OF TIME. read more

Sweet lord this brunch will change you. If you're bold enough to come here on Sunday between 10 and 2:30, expect to see straight-up the best interior mexican food I've ever seen on a buffet. There's a section full of main dishes: lengua, pork chile verde, chicken mole, cochinita pibil, carne asada, beef rib, just to highlight the meat. They've got posole with all the fixings, great rice/beans, ceviche, salads, migas, bacon, chilaquiles, a variety of salsas and a dessert table featuring the best pumpkin pie I've had in a while. Oh, let's not forget the eggs, pancakes, french toast, in-house corn + flour tortillas and more made-to-order. It's a pretty incredible, and the price ($20 base) is pretty damn high. But every once in a blue moon, if things are looking good or they need to look better, treat yourself to some El Meson. I'll definitely be back for this and dinner, once I've saved up a bit more. read more

Awsome food excellent service. Their Sunday brunch is the best. Highly recommendable.

Loved our experience here! Very friendly staff and the food was great. Comfortable/welcoming feel, could've stayed for hours.

So bummed today. I used to love this place but man it has gone DOWN HILL big time!! Came today for Sunday brunch at 1:40 (brunch lasts until 2:30). Normally the buffet is filled with delicious fresh authentic Mexican dishes. Went up for my first plate and the buffet was pretty picked over. What wasn't an empty pan had the appearance that it had been sitting for a while. I filled my plate with what still looked good assuming fresh food would be brought out soon. Everything I had in my plate ended up being dry and flavorless. When I went up to get more food nothing had been replaced. Just got a few pieces of fruit from the near empty fruit bowls and sat back down. It became obvious that nothing would be refilled with 30 min left on their advertised brunch lasting until 2:30. Ok then let's just get some dessert and get out of here... As I'm approaching the dessert table I see a lady grab almost every piece of cake and take it to a table in later found out is a bunch of managers. I ask my waitress if more will be brought out since everything that looked good was just taken. Her answer... With just 30 min left we won't be bringing out any more dessert. Awesome, full price brunch for less than half the options available and no dessert. NEVER again El Mazon!! Your service is the worst. There's too many great restaurants in town to deal with this terrible service and now mediocre food!! read more

Can't say enough about this restaurant, the owners are AMAZING and the brunch is the best I have ever seen, good job guys, see you as soon as possible! read more

Parking is a nightmare. It's not clearly specified which buildings are allowed to park where and they tow you in under 15 minutes.

I paid $17 for a chile relleno that sounded amazing on the menu. When it came out (too quickly for it to have been made fresh), the sauce was cool. It was a lonely little cold pepper on a plate. No garnish. No nothing. It tasted like it was previously frozen and the cook was just dialing it in. read more

Probably never going to come here again. The food was alright but the waiting time is just horrible. Waited forever to get the menus, for the drinks, for the check.. And the place was not even busy at all! read more

It is always difficult to get everything sorted out after expectations are high for a restaurant and the actual experience falls short. For years, hubby and I had enjoyed the Burleson Road El Meson, driving for 30 minutes to enjoy the fresh guacamole, calabacita, fajitas and, really, everything on the modest menu. Here is a run down on the good, the bad and the ugly for this location: THE GOOD: 1) El Meson has a versatile menu with a number of creative appetizers, entrees and desserts. I loved the carnitas. The guacamole is made fresh and served chunky with totopos (thick corn chips). Black beans can be tricky and often have either too much salt or too little. El Meson's are perfect. They make their own delicious corn tortillas. 2) The House Margarita is strong and tasty and many beer options are on the impressive drink menu along with wine and Mexican Martinis. THE BAD: 1) We were sweating like pigs for most of the meal. The air conditioning is either not working at all or barely functioning. Our server told us that the HVAC system needs additional units. I read a review for June, 2010 that mentioned the owners were working on the AC. Come on, people, get it together. 2) It's extremely LOUD. I did not see any soft finishes or acoustical treatments to abate the noise. Soft chair cushions or fiberglass batting would help. You can forget about whispering a sweet little something in your lover's ear. THE UGLY: The queso. I've had queso fundido and this is not queso fundido. It turned into a gloppy difficult to cut brick of cheese. Although thick, Queso fundido stays soft enough to scoop up and put on a tostado but this version resembled a melted foot. I think El Meson has great potential but the owners will need to overhaul the the AC and come up with a better Queso recipe for me to return. read more

Really good authentic (let's be honest... what do I really know about "authentic") interior Mexican food. Home made corn tortilla, great spices and sauces. And Gus, our waiter, was perfect. Very cool and helpful... always around when we needed him but never in our way. And the margaritas are apparently amazing. No mix, just simple fresh ingredients. A great experience. But it's new and they're working out the HVAC situation... so wear shorts in the summer. It's a little warm in there. If I had to sum the place up in three words, I'd quote the great interior Mexican food prophet Jeanie D., "HOME MADE TORTILLAS!!!" read more

Went in the evening and enjoyed sitting outside watching the over sized SUV's navigate the smaller scaled parking area... some hitting parked vehicles and sneaking down the road to another joint... Shares parking with Horseshoe Lounge Had cheese chile relleno(battered/fried) with rice and black beans... All were good, very good for Austin's mediocre standards. I usually leave the beans and rice on my plate at most Mx joints but was a member of the clean plate club here. Split an appetizer as well. Entree, an $8 experience for 11-12 bucks... Smallish poblano, meager portions of beans/rice.. Inside is noisy, so not a great spot to chat when busy. read more

I try to make it about the food, I really do. And I can forgive lousy service (or at least give it three out of five stars) if the food is good and the drinks are strong. But watered down drinks, not tasty food and ABYSMAL service? No freaking way. We went here on Saturday night around 8. Six of us, place wasn't on a wait, we had a reservation and were sat immediately. Or at least, the three of us who were there on time. While we waited a good ten minutes for our other three quests, we didn't see hide nor hair of an employee. They were buzzing around the other tables but avoided us like we were lepers. No chips and salsa, no water, nothing. Once we were finally all there, our server was just, how can I put it: wretchedly awful. She said something about being new and I remember those days, but a six top and a pair of two tops with food runners and people filling your waters for you is easy. We had to ask for EVERYTHING. Chips and salsa. Water. To even freaking order food and drinks, we had to tell her we were ready. Our food came up on the counter and she took five minutes to load it up and a couple dishes were cold by the time they were dropped. The BEST part though: We never had silverware up to that point. The girl dropped our food, asked if we needed anything, I politely said silverware and another drink and she ACKNOWLEDGED me on both. So what did she do? Ran another table's food. Ran to get our drinks. Even had the temerity/stupidity to ask how the food was except oh wait, none of us had tried the damn food! Freaking incredible. Oh and watered down margarita, the chile relleno poblano boasted of ground beef and potatoes and raisins. It had meat. A few raisins. Not even an eyeful of potato. Seriously, the only things I enjoyed were the chips and salsa, my two micheladas and leaving the girl a terrible tip. You could not pay me to go back to this crap hole. read more