Wow! Wow! We don't make it south of the river often, but this was worth the trek! Absolutely phenomenal meal. We enjoyed the ribs and the special pozole, and really enjoyed both. We also had the fundido, which was good - but I wish we had tried ceviche. Restaurant is modern but comfortable, and even though it was pretty full - we felt like we could chat and enjoy each other. It was bustling but not noisy. The service was also great, the server was helpful in making selections and very attentive. We had to leave for a show and didn't get to try dessert; we will be back to try those! read more

Lovely ambiance, friendly service, and very good food. There were 8 of us and we ordered several dishes. I liked their traditional mole quite a bit. The mole sauce in the duck mole was good, but the duck itself was a bit chewy. The pumpkin seed mole was a bit of a disappointment. The short rib was excellent as was the shank. The desserts were very good. Overall, a very nice restaurant. read more

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Husband and I came here for a date night to celebrate V-Day! We've never been but heard great things and we love Mexican food (we're still reminiscing about our Mexico trip last year). The spot is smaller than I expected and quite intimate. I liked the interior and the interesting ceiling. Always love unique designs! We had to try the James beard award winning dish-mole negro de Oaxaca so we ordered that with our choice of protein, duck. This was $38 and was the most expensive dish on the menu. Also got green enchiladas and one taco of the month, Al pastor. While waiting for our food, they brought out complimentary bread. The bread was great! I really like the butter. There's some flavor there that I can't figure out but it's not typical butter. I'm not sure about the chili sauce with the bread...not a fan. The Al pastor came out first and we had a great first impression! This was probably the best al pastor I've ever had in Austin and was comparable to tacos we've had in Mexico. My husband and I were nodding our heads and devouring it delightfully. SO. GOOD. it was so good I wish we had just gotten more of these. Now this is where El Naranjo loses a star. Because the mole is award-winning, I expected to be wowed but that was not the case. the portion was so small and the duck tasted mediocre. There were only two tortillas, which is kinda stingy. I'm gonna be sticking to my Chinese roots of roasted duck or Peking duck because those are marinated so well and worth my money. Other cuisines just don't have perfect duck like that. It was an entree intended for one person but I wasn't full at all. I tried my husband's enchilada plate and this was pretty good! Though it kinda looks deconstructed and it's one glop of green sauce and cheese. I think the tortillas are lost in the sauce. There is a lot of cheese so it fills you up but I'm not complaining because I LOVE cheese. For dessert, we got flan! It was pretty and delicious! Overall, it was a good experience but overpriced. read more

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Food was delicious! My favorites were the starters. We got the empanadas, sopecitos, guacamole and ceviche and all of them were super tasty. Great place to grab a drink & share appetizers! Service was fast & friendly. Ambiance was bright & fun! read more

El Naranjo South Lamar - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Wonderful interior Mexican food. The flavors are authentic and the attention to detail with every plate is noticeable. Everything is made from scratch with locally sourced ingredients. Our favorites were the Tuna tostadas, Chicken enchiladas, and the Sopes sampler. Service was outstanding. read more

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Second time here. Service is great, but the food was pricing and lacking flavor in my opinion. For $80, we had two dishes and bread service. The bread service is complimentary and I loved the salsa matcha with butter. Normally, we would get the mole negra for dinner, but wanted to try something different this time. We ordered the summer mole special and the chamorro al pibil. The pork didn't come off the bone that well, but the sauce was great. The summer mole was plain in my opinion, but I loved the grilled veggies. Overall, I though it was lacking flavor in the food. Service was great, even at the bar. read more

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What a find. Party of 7. Atmosphere was upscale with a neighborhood restaurant vibe. Ample parking. Service was excellent. Food was incredible. The polvo y papas app was one of the best things I have eaten in a long time. Cocktails were delicious. Entrees had large portions and were excellent, wish we hadn't filled up on entrees. Everything we had was unique and delicious-enchiladas, ceviche, short ribs, it was all great. read more

I've been to a lot of Mexican restaurants over the years, but I have to say that their Chicken Enchiladas are the best I've ever had.

Came here for brunch with a girlfriend spontaneously and was able to get seated right away which I loved especially on a Sunday. Our server walked us through the menu and we started with a cafe de olla and a concha that was highly recommended and it definitely hit the spot. The coffee was so delicious with all the spices and dipping the concha in it? Heavenly! We then got the tacos dorados with chicken and goat cheese and the enmoladas. Both were so flavorful and filling especially the enmoladas. I highly recommend this restaurant for brunch and I will be back for dinner. read more

El Naranjo South Lamar - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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What an incredible treat! Joe and I started with El Narango Martini's and the ladies with Margarita Clasicas. Our server was Midori and she was fantastic throughout the evening. We loved the environment including a personal visit from the owner, Chef Iliana De La Vega. We started with Empanadas de Huitlacoche y Queso and Queso Oaxaca Fundido. C had the Mole Huitlacoche and R had the A La Diablo with Shrimp. I had the Mole Coloradito with shrimp and Joe the Costillas De Res a Los Dos Chilies. It was an extraordinary evening of incredible flavors. We also shared an incredible chocolate dessert wrapped in grape leaf with vanilla ice cream, espresso and tawny port wines. Give the wonderful fine food restaurants we eat at, this is off the charts. read more

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Came here for dinner on a Friday evening and had no wait time. They were less than half full for my entire time there, so I wouldn't expect to run into substantial wait times even at their busier I'd had my eye on here for a while after reading about their duck mole, and it did not disappoint! The duck was amazingly rich, cooked in a way that reminded me of a rare-medium rare steak with a nice sear to give the outer portion the lightest crunch. The mole was yummy, possible my palette isn't adept enough to distinguish, but it didn't taste super unique by any means The staff and servers were all friendly and attentive. I liked the setup of the restaurant as well. It's definitely on the pricier side and with the relatively short menu I don't see it become a frequent repeat spot for me, but very glad I tried it and would recommend read more

El Naranjo South Lamar - Mole Negro de Oaxaca - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

We got reservations earlier in the week for a ladies night out. The host and wait staff were great. The food was delicious! We were especially blown away by the queso fundido and the vegetable enchilada. Incredible! Will go back for those two dishes! read more

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So we walked in and couldnt check in without our full party being there. The hostess was very nice. We striked up a conversation as he was from Ecuador and spoke to us in spanish. We met my friend for a birthday dinner. We started off with guacamole with chips and the queso fundido. The queso was so good but probably not the healthiest thing. We all ordered prickly pear margs. Our husbands tried the chicken mole and the wives tried the chicken enchiladas. Everyone enjoyed our green enchiladas and had some to take home for later. They also brought us some bread with this yummy butter that is made in house and this spicy jam like to eat with the rolls. They were so good. I will return for special occasions here because everything seemed to be made in house and nothing already premade. read more

El Naranjo South Lamar - Inside at the bar - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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We had a really nice night out with some friends at El Naranjo. Our waiter was so kind, helpful, and attentive. He had really great vegan suggestions and I ended up trying the mole verde. It was so fresh and tasty - and a huge portion!! They also were able to make the Tamarindo virgin which was great. Highly recommend the guacamole! It is pricy - $125 for my husband and I but it's really good! read more

El Naranjo South Lamar - Virgin Tamarindo - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Great service as they checked up on us without annoying us to flip a table/ refilled drinks and chips quickly too and very friendly and knew the authentic spices being used. Decent decor Food get the guac as it's different and the tostadas for sure, they are small so order more. Empanadas were good but would've rather had extra tostadas. Steak was so good as it was buttered on a plate with mashed potatoes and hit the spot Chicken mole was a special but would've rather recommend the specials read more

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Incredible menu and Quality of food by Anna and Ileana! The filet was amazing !! The Enchiladas Suizas are addictive as well as the Ceviche of the day. Service is always top notch! read more

I had never heard of this place until the moment I was scrambling to find a last minute dinner spot. We took a risk going here as they do not list vegan options. But their mole sauce lists vegetable based so we took a chance! Went in and sat at the bar. We were greeted by Carlos, he took care of us and was so friendly! The place was popping and a bit loud, but all good. We started with the Guacamole (one of the best I've ever had) & Prickly Pear Mocktails. I got the Enchiladas (tomatillo sauce) with Chicken & they were so good! Creamy & cheesy. My Vegan BF got the one of the Mole dishes with mushroom. Parking is good! There's a garage around the corner & free retail parking available. Can't wait to come back here and try more. We even met the Chef, who was very nice and asked if we needed anything else. read more

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This has been on our list to try when visiting our son and his husband and we were finally able to make it happen. This is a place that if we lived in the area, hubby and I would definitely stop by and enjoy a dinner or happy hour at the bar on a regular basis. That being said, our service for the 4 of us, was still good, but we felt like we missed a little bit of the vibe that the bartenders were able to create. Our meals were fantastic. I actually had the Tostada de Atun from the happy hour menu and it was amazing! I would definitely order it again. Everyone loved their choices for dinner as well as their drinks and the only thing we probably would not order again was the cheesecake (it just did not match the quality of the rest of our meal). read more

We drive by here all the time and decided we'd try it out for a Birthday dinner. Made reservations well in advance, which seems necessary. The interior is nice and modern but not over the top. The service and staff are all very friendly and knowledgeable about the menu. We each loved our drinks, regular and tamarind margaritas. They were strong but also tasted great. I liked the queso fundido (esp the salsa), as well as my mole, though the chicken itself was fairly bland. I was not a huge fan of the halibut. Maybe it was the portion size but it just lacked something for me. I really liked the flan at the end though. I could go just for that and maybe the queso fundido happily. Overall it was a good experience with some tasty dishes/drinks, but some misses, too. read more

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Ok experience, nothing memorable or mind-blowing. We had their renowned mole (negro version) and it was fine. Our server strangely removed my appetizer plate while I was eating a piece of their complementary bread, half in the plate and half in my hand. Then removed my date's plate while I was still eating, which is a differentiating point of high service. One does not remove plates until all parties are done eating. Our drinks hadn't arrived when our entrees came. Upon inquiry they were brought over promptly, which makes me think they were sitting at the bar. They were tasty $16 margs though! The $30+ moles (depending on choice of protein) eh. read more

El Naranjo South Lamar - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

My family ate here for dinner last night. It's been on my list and my mom's for a while, and it's always awesome to support a local JBF award winner ('22). We have been to Mexico 3 times and can appreciate the cuisine there. We got the tostadas and ceviche to share. The kitchen surprised us with a bread course with a macha sauce and butter spread that was heavenly (citrusy with some spice, as our server described). All the starters were 10/10. The flavors blended perfectly and the fish was fresh. My mom got one of the moles, I got the enchiladas, and my dad ordered the pork ribs as his main. I got to try some of the mole (including the masa plantain cake) and pork, and both were good. My enchiladas were also very refreshing and not too greasy. Everything filled us up, but I wish we could have had room for dessert because I know it would have been amazing as well. They accidentally gave us the brunch menu first, but the food on there sounded delicious too. I especially am interested in trying the conchas next time! Atmosphere: Sounds like they renovated recently, and it is a cute space. There are photographs on the walls representing Oaxacan people/culture. The bar adjacent to the dining room has ample seating. My mom said the bathroom was clean as well. Service: We were the only customer when we arrived at the start of dinner service at 5pm, so our server took care of us very well. Chef Iliana de la Vega even stopped by our table and asked for our comments, and we delivered that by finishing every single plate. Compliments to the chef, literally! read more

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Wonderful little spot! Don't be alarmed when the GPS takes you to an apartment complex. First floor garage is for retail. We had ceviche and queso fundido with chorizo--wonderfully good. Our server was incredible. She was super helpful navigating the menu and recommending foods to try. Sadly I have an allergy that excluded me from most, but that did not stop me from having an incredible dinner! They made sure to create a safe plate full of flavors! Ask your server for recommendations and listen, it will not disappoint! read more

This isn't my first time and yet every time I am reminded that the flavors at this restaurant are truly special. We started our brunch with their delicious cafe de olla and pan dulce. We followed that with their amazing, creamy, lemony guac. I then had my usual eggs Benedict and my wife had mole dish with chicken. Both delicious. Waiter was super knowledgeable about the food and service is generally great. The rope design they have in the room is very unique. See picture. read more

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The food was very good. I had the mushroom mole. Everyone else enjoyed their meals, too. Great presentation and service. I cannot understand why they don't offer iced tea. I don't care for sodas. I would suggest you make reservations since this place fills up fast. read more

Every accolade they've received is well deserved. Everything is expertly executed and the flavors elicited that "Ratatouille" reaction from me, instantly transporting me to childhood. The love and passion the Chef has for Mexican cuisine is apparent in every detail of the dining experience and, for me, this is THE premier Mexican food restaurant in Austin. read more

The food here is really good. I had the Enfrijoladas con Queso, and the ceviche and we split guacamole. All the flavors were excellent except my Enfrijoladas were oversalted -- what a shame. Our servers were nice but distracted, and here's an example: There were six of us and we all ordered cocktails and juices but it really bothered me that at the end of the meal we all had empty water glasses and I actually left the restaurant thirsty. And finally as we were walking out, we said thank-you to the host. He also was distracted, kind of waved but did not look up from his phone. So this place could be great *IF* the service picks up a little and if they go easier on the salt. Even though I liked the food, the lackluster service felt out of sync with how nice this place could be. read more

I came here for brunch and got the chilaquiles and peach bubbles. While I did enjoy my drink, my entree felt like it was lacking. It might have been an off day so I'd be willing to go back at a different time for dinner since they usually have good reviews. The decor of the restaurant was great as well the service. read more

El Naranjo South Lamar - Chilaquiles Verdes - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Favorite happy hour in austin! You have to get the octopus appetizer. It's super tender & the flavors are amazing... just spicy enough. The cocktails are always on point & well balanced. Other highlights are definitely the refried beans, the service is super attentive & dont miss the taco of the month...always great! read more

My friend recommended this place to me and I'm so glad she did because idk if I would have found it, mainly because it's in South Austin. All the employees were incredibly kind and had an infectious rapport with regulars, it was really cool to see! I had the rancheros and got both salsas. The green salsa was absolutely fantastic, and the red was okay. But overall, a great dish. My friend got the chilaquiles (usually my go to) and had pollo added. She's also a weirdo and doesn't like eggs on hers, yes you can judge her. But either way, it was still great. The tortilla chips were really really good and didn't get too soggy with the salsas, so it still had a crispiness in each bite. But the real start of the show is something not on the menu...the concha. It was the absolute best concha I've had. It had the perfect amount of sweetness and the bread inside was so airy and fluffy. I personally would go back just for the concha, and I highly recommend asking for it right away because they sell out. A bit pricey of a place, but worth checking out! read more

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Exemplary service, delicious unique food and phenomenal drinks. Server was very invested in our experience and loved telling the stories of origin for our drinks and food read more

Food was soo good. Drink strong and so good I got tipsy fast. We had group together, the guy was friendly, explained about menu. Brought us appetizers. Nacho and guamcole and chesse melt good!! read more

El Naranjo South Lamar - MARGARITA CLÁSICA - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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**BEST eggs Benedict I have ever had. ** The restaurant was beyond beautiful, so perfectly designed and comfy. Service was good but could have been better. I think a different waiter would have made the experience a true five stars. I asked for recommendations and the server simply said "just look over the menu, you'll find something you like." - I've never had anyone just tell me to look over the menu. I had something in mind but maybe something he said could influence me in a different direction. Anyway, besides the server my experience was amazing. Delicious food and beautifully presented. Parking is limited but we were lucky and were able to get a spot front and center. read more

El Naranjo South Lamar - Gorditas de Chicharrón - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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El Naranjo is aiming for greatness as they celebrate central Mexican cuisine. The James Beard Award for Best Chef: Texas 2022 is a clear sign of that standing they want to achieve. They've largely hit that mark but a restaurant of this caliber needs a more critical critique. From the moment you enter you're caught by the color. The chic Mexican inspired theme is surrounds you but doesn't distract from the sleekness of the overall design. This is a clean and inviting restaurant. All dishes I saw on the way to my table were beautifully plated and smelled wonderful even from a distance. Staff I encountered was nice enough but a little distant. Service felt impersonal but that's never a deal breaker. What is a deal break is the taste. As I said, everything looks and smells great, but the flavor balance was slightly off on everything except the salsas and spread. The empanadas were a fantastic start. The crisp outside texture offset by the soft inside were a welcomed appetizer. The spreads were rich but the bread was forgettable. Based on that strong start I expected more from the mole negro with duck. I'm not sure how the duck is prepared but it was a dry meat island surrounded by mole. The mole would have complimented the duck well, but in this case it became a sort of almost necessary sauce. That was an unfortunate experience because it could have been a great dish. The mole itself was good but maybe a little too earthy. Mole should taste grounded and a little thick, but this was a bit much. IT was just an over all disappointing entree given the start and seeing what the culinary team can do. I would happily return for a meal at El Narajo, but I think I would try something new. To be clear, I enjoyed my meal enough to try it again, but this menu is worth exploring. This could easily be a five star review had I experienced a more exciting main dish. read more

This place was in the list to try. A Beard award winning restaurant located in the bottom of an apartment building on S Lamar. The decor is modern Mexico- chic, niche, and perfect for a romantic evening or a night with a few friends. Sounded perfect! Service was stel! Everyone was attentive and tried to accommodate my allergies. Our waitress was very knowledgeable about the entire menu and made recommendations based on our preferences. We tried the pulpo y papas (octopus and potato) appetizer- the savory oil brought the dish together, but it was a little chewy. The chicharrones were fine- not what you are expecting as they were not crispy and smothered in cheeses, but they were fairly good. However, the short ribs and beef tenderloin were where we failed. It was all SO SALTY! My kidneys hurt after eating. We also had the Mexican martini, which is mezcal based, and the too salty strawberry La Fresas cocktail. And the incredibly good flan with strawberry and toasted amaranth. The amaranth added some texture, but it was unnecessary. This was the star of the night. For the price, you can get much better food, but rarely can you get this service in Austin. The service was why this is a 3star review and why I would possibly go back for another try. I've heard good things about brunch, so maybe that's the time to try again.... read more

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Nice restaurant for dishes from many regions of Mexico, definitely NOT Tex-Mex. We had a reservation for 6 people on a Wednesday at 7pm. The restaurant was busy but we probably could have just walked in and been seated quickly. Our waiter, Midori, was excellent. Very friendly and patiently explained pretty much every dish on the menu. She seemed to really enjoy taking about the food! We ordered a number of dishes, some of which were outstanding and others that were good but not special. - Queso Oaxaca Fundido - nice and gooey but pretty bland. The homemade tortillas were amazing. We got huitlacoche on the side (some weren't sure they'd like it), which improved the flavor. - Ceviche - our most disappointing dish. It's served in large pieces, like sashimi, not diced up as you'd expect. The large pieces weren't as well 'cooked' as we'd have liked, kind of chewy. - Costillas de res - this was highly recommended by our waiter and it was the star of the show. Amazingly tender beef short ribs with deep, rich flavors. It's a huge serving, plenty for two people to share. - Molé Colorado - this was also excellent. It's somewhat similar to molé poblano, what most people think of as molé, but less complex. It was excellent on chicken. -Molé negro with duck breast - this is the dish I wanted to like the most but was a little let down. It was a beautiful sauce, very smooth, but lacked richness to my taste. Maybe this is how it's supposed to be but seemed less complex to me compared to other molé negro I've had. It was very delicate and overwhelmed by the duck breast. I liked it better when I just dipped a tortilla into the molé or ate it with some rice. - Flan - don't remember what flavor it was that night but it was excellent. Fairly firm but rich and creamy. Overall, El Naranjo is a great restaurant for authentic Mexican dishes. The service and presentation are outstanding. Prices are not cheap but appropriate to the quality of the food. We'll definitely return to sample more of the menu. read more

Debating between a 3 or 4 star but a few things lean me to 3. First, the food was great! We tried Oaxacan food in Mexico and were so excited to try this spot. But for a James Beard award winner, we expected out of this world. Ceviche was refreshing, chicken empanadas were tasty, and drinks were fantastic. However, we didn't get the complimentary bread shown on Yelp pictures and when asking for more salsa, received pretty much a single spoonful when we had 4 people. We also weren't able to order the beef ribs unless we waited an hour... there should be an option to select this prior to your reservation. It was my fiancé's birthday so I went up to the waiter to ask in private if he could do anything special. The waiter later comes over to the table and asks if we want any dessert given there's a birthday... surprise fail. Also, it doesn't look like they do anything special for birthdays unless you purchase a dessert and then they'll stick a candle in it. Not a big deal but better service could have made the visit special. All in all, great food and drink but nothing extraordinary in my opinion. read more

El Naranjo South Lamar - Chicken enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Orders Raspberry cocktail, handed peach cocktail with bill to close out. "We don't have raspberry's" why wouldn't you tell that at the time when a person says "can I have the raspberry bubbles cocktail?" SMH. read more

El Naranjo South Lamar - Maybe tell me you don't have raspberry's before handing me a glass with peaches in it and then charging me..... hate peaches. - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

We had a lovely brunch; the house was packed but very quiet. Friendly and professional service. Clean and beautiful dining areas. Everyone was smiling, attentive and polite. I absolutely love the Dorothy in Oaxaca mural inside! The food was amazing. We had an issue with our order, but it was corrected quickly. Thank you to the wonderful staff. I can tell that you make every effort to ensure that your customers are valued and happy. read more

THE BIG: Beautiful restaurant located in South Lamar. The location is in one of the retail spaces inside Cielo Townhouses apartments. Indoor/Outdoor seating available. Reserve ahead! It gets crowded because the chef was a finalist for James Beard Best Chef. THE BLACK AND WHITE: The bae and I came here on a wednesday night, had to reserve ahead of time (like everywhere in Austin). The place was PACKED. We ordered the Empanadas de Huitlacoche to begin with, they were delicious. Nice small bite and you can tell it was fresh. After that, we got complimentary bread service with orange butter and chili oil (7 types of chilis were sacrified to make this delicious oil). For the entrees, we got the Mole with duck breast and the Chamorro. Both were spectacular, not to salty and great combo. The Chamorro slid off the bone and came with fresh corn tortillas. I got a glass of wine and it was skunked, but the staff got me a new glass complimentary when I asked for a new pour. Now that's service! THE FINAL BAMBOO: The damage done here was ~$101 not including tip for 2 entrees, 1 app and 2 glasses of wine. Great night out and definitely will be back to try some more Oaxacan dishes. read more

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So I have to say I was hyping up my first visit to El Naranjo after hearing they were a James Beard award winner so I decided to check them out for Sunday brunch with friends. The first thing you will notice is how vibrant the restaurant is offering an array of colors not to mention a fun mural of Judy Garland dressed in traditional wear. I decided to start with a bloody mary which was good but could have used a kick of spice for me. I ended up getting the verde chicken enchiladas for an entree. The meal was displayed favorably and the flavors were good but not mind blowing to me. The star of brunch was their special Pan dulce which had hints of orange blossom something I've never had before! Overall it was a good experience and the pricing was fair and service was on par but I wasnt blown away like I thought I would be. I'd give them another shot and try their dinner menu but I'll let you make your own judgment about them. read more

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