If this place could get a zero it would but that's not possible, so... you get a one. Let's start by the name of this place calling themselves a "Mexican Restaurant " there was nothing Mexican about it. The menu sucks they don't know what "Tacos" should look like they gave me a side of tostadas with meat on top of it... everything about the plate I got looked microwavable no type of flavor or seasoning don't recommend and won't ever go back. read more

El Patio - Enchilada - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

Old school great Tex Mex! Loved the chips loved the salsa love the queso. I had a comb meal and it all tasted great.

This place is great. No frills - just good ol' fashion Tex-Mex and margaritas. It's a classic college restaurant, with the food and drinks being inexpensive. Our server was the nicest guy. This place might get overlooked if you aren't a student, but it's definitely worth stopping in and having an enchilada. read more

El Patio - Chicken quesadilla, side of rice, and chips and salsa. The small-size margarita in the background. - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

Best chips and quesadillas and service (Bruce). Loved it. Entire group raved about it. Couldn't finish it all due to our love of the chips!

Jesus Christ, the quesadillas were made with Velveeta. Why would you do that to a quesadilla?? Possibly the most disappointing Mexican food in Austin. Tasted like cheese weez and tortillas. Atmosphere was nice though and staff was friendly and helpful. Good chips and salsa. read more

El Patio is far from the best Tex Mex to be found in Austin, in my estimation. So, why does it get five stars? Because it is an icon, a museum/time machine, and just plain charming as heck. Tex Mex has evolved a lot since I fell in love with it as a kid, and it has mostly changed for the better. To me, having a reference point I can literally sink my teeth into, that goes back far before my time, is nothing short of priceless. If one truly loves Tex Mex, I should think the value in understanding and being able to access its past in a real and direct way would be seen as an appealing opportunity. In operation (almost) continuously since 1954, you get a profound sense of history when you walk in. Pick up the menu and you are whisked back to a time when things like fajitas, flautas, or quesadillas had yet to become Tex Mex staples. The food, for better or worse, tastes like the Tex Mex of yore. If you're looking for a dish here that is compatible with more contemporary Tex Mex expectations, try the "open face" crispy tacos (be sure to opt in for the optional cheese). Though you might wonder why they don't call them tostadas, you will get all of the crave-worthy flavor of a crispy taco. Marvel in the fact that a taco recipe from the 1950s tastes fully up-to-date. Compare that to the cheese enchiladas, rice, and beans, where the flavors are familiar but the presentation and nuance is decidedly retro. I look forward to the end of the pandemic, when I can once again enjoy the vibe of a place that's been family owned for generations, where my waitperson has likely been serving the same tables for decades, and which has pralines available at the cash register, as all such places did when I first came to know the joys of Tex Mex cuisine in the 1970s. ¡Viva El Patio! read more

Hi, all, a quick update here on El Patio. We have been eating here for decades, and always enjoyed the good food, great folks who run it and quirky atmosphere. Today I was disappointed, tho:( To begin, the chips and salsa were top notch-best in the city, in my opinion! If you go there and eat chips and salsa only, you will be happy! The iced tea was with very little ice and no lemon/lime:( We ordered a crispy taco and the enchilada with rice and beans. The taco was perfect! Deliciously crisp flat shell, savory meat, crunchy lettuce/tomato on top. This is what you should order!!! There is nowhere in the city that does one better. The enchilada was made with a chewy tortilla-did not like. The chili gravy was too thick- did not like. The cheese was low quality-runny like- did not like. The rice was hard and chewy-did not like. There is so much wonderful Tex-Mex in Austin, this is a challenge to return to, and I love this place. Please do better. PS- the waiter was a sweet kid that did a great job waiting our table! read more

The #1 dinner is the pinnacle of Tex-Mex dining. My 1st time eating here was in 1986 and I still go back on the rare occasions I'm in Austin. The #1 is that good. Two full plates of food. The cold plate consists of an open face taco, large queso covered chip & guacamole salad. Fresh and delicious served on large crispy homemade chips. It is my unrivaled favorite. For the hot plate I order cheese enchiladas smothered in carne sauce with onions, rice & beans. Excellent! (Except the rice needs lots of salsa.) If your looking for fancy cuisine you should probably look somewhere else. El Patio is good honest Tex-Mex. Mr. & Mrs. Joseph set and maintained a high standard of fresh, quality food. The Joseph Siblings lived and maintained that standard. After many years out of state I was happy to return and find the Joseph tradition alive and well under the new owners. Well done folks! (Except for the rice, y'all need to look into that.) P.S. End your meal on a high note, order some sherbet. It's totally worth it and only one dollar. P.P.S. No saltine crackers with butter & salsa as a gratis appetizer was a bit off putting. However the chips they serve now are crisp, puffy and tasty. The salsa is slightly spicy and solid. Always has been, apparently always will be. Well done folks! read more

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What has happened to El Paiio??? It pains me to write this review. My husband and I went for lunch today (Saturday). The salsa and chips were different. The salsa was a lot spicier than usual and the chips were different. The bean and cheese nachos were also different and took forever to come out. And they were semi homemade. Didn't have much in the way of refried beans. The cheese was the runny, pour on kind. Not at all like they used to be. I ordered a #4 with a beef enchilada with chili sauce, rice, beans and a Chili con Queso. The enchilada was a cheese enchilada with cheese sauce. And I guess someone realized it was supposed to be a beef enchilada, so they spooned some ground beef on top of the cheese enchilada and poured on more cheese. No chili sauce at all. The rice was very dry and overcooked. The refried beans were so over cooked they had a crust on top. The chili con Queso was just a tortilla round with poured on runny cheese. And it came out before our nachos. What a mess. My husband got one cheese enchilada, rice and beans. He said his was not nearly as good as usual and he had the same comment about the salsa, chips and nachos. We will go again because I have been going since I was a little girl. I just hope they correct these terrible mistakes. read more

Not impressed at all with new owners plan to keep tradition going because the wait staff MADE El Patio! The atmosphere is blah, the waitstaff is now Keep Austin Weird style which is WRONG on so many levels!!! The food has also changed and I will just chalk my fantastic El Patio experiences a thing of the past!!! Very disappointing as I have been frequenting there since I was a small child and was always my favorite place but no longer!!! read more

I had a very delicious lunch at my first time eating here, despite the reviews. I didn't have to wait long for my food, and when it did everything was fresh and hot. The rice and beans were season, the meat in my taco was moist and also season. The cheese enchiladas had were like I had during my childhood, perfectly melted American cheese and chili sauce. Oh, and have to give a shout out to their salsa, perfectly spicy and flavorful too. This is a 100% classic Tex-Mex restaurant, there's no gimmick here. I must say the reviews doesn't match how the service and the food is. It's very delicious and most of all very Tex-Mex. read more

Recently relocated to ATX. My Uber driver swore this was "the place" to go for authentic Mexican food. Upon arrival, loved the looks of the place. Everything about it felt authentic. Service and food were both a misfire for us on our very first visit. Huge downer because I wanted to love this place. Wife ordered a burrito (Linda's or something) and I ordered bean and cheese nachos. Took approximately 50 minutes to get our food. Server told another table they were out of guacamole. What Mexican restaurant runs out of guacamole? Server never apologized for how long our food was taking until I stood up to ask him to make our order to go. Then the table behind us asked when their food would be arriving - and they ordered before we did. He just told us the kitchen was backed up and nothing he could do about it, yet the place was half empty. Only complaint about the nachos (which I guess is 50% of the equation when you order bean and cheese nachos) is that the cheese tasted like a chunk of Velvetta box cheese. Looked like it too. When it cooled down it was very thick, rubbery like. Not impressed. Not sure if we'll go back or not since it's about 20 mins from where we live. Again, wanted to love it but only barely liked it. read more

Surprised at all the good reviews. Food was less than average, felt like something I could make myself with only a microwave. The tacos were just tostadas with nacho cheese and lettuce. The nachos were basically just a plate of sliced jalapeños with a couple of chips on the side. It took a half hour before we ever were even acknowledged and at least an hour before someone ever even took our order, even though we were literally the only people in the restaurant with staff walking past us numerous times. Ended up being over 2 hours. The staff were nice, but the wait wasn't worth the mediocre food. read more

Ordered a shirt off their website a week ago and paid for priority shipping. They took my money and still have nit shipped the shirt.

Food was ok. The enchiladas were hard like it was setting in fridge and then warmed up. The fajita were overcooked and cut into extra small pieces that you could barely taste with extra onions and bell peppers. The queso was good. The service was horrible. Had to ask the bartender if they were even seating anyone since we walked in and no one even acknowledged us. The waiter took the order and we had to call her several times. She never came to check on table without being called on. When she was called on she was on her phone every time. Ordered a to go order and waited over 45 mins and it still wasn't ready. There were only 3 of us. The other table behind us with 11 people experienced the same thing. It was hot by the windows. They had the blinds open which made it warmer. You could feel the heat next to them. We have been going for years to this place and since it changed management (different family members) it's getting worse and worse. Might be the last time my family goes here. read more

Says family friendly but Thursday night at 8 it was def a college spot. Young hip people surrounded me while I stuffed my face with the most air-y crispy chips I've ever had in my life. Our waiter brought us more fresh salsa IN A PITCHER. That would have been enough, but out came our combo plate - David's special: two enchiladas & two tacos. My mom & I split it and it was still a huge amount of food. It's 100% Tex Mex - and 100% delicious. I'm not from Austin but it's a mighty fine stop to fill up. read more

El Patio - David Special #4 two enchiladas with chili AND 2 ground beef tacos - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Worst food in Texas !!! Quesadillas were made with Kraft cheese slices and it gave me and my traveling companion horrible stomach aches and digestion issues. Only came here Bc it was next to the shops and we didn't have a car, wish we had skipped !!! Overpriced just to feel like garbage ! read more

I went here last Friday night with a friend who's relatively new to Austin and loves Tex-Mex. I was a bit concerned for the "new" El Patio having reopened with different family members owning it. We all know that reboots can change things, even if they say nothing is changing. Ok, two things have changed. One. Different hours. (Now closed Monday and Tuesday, but open until 10 other nights, except until 11 on Friday and Saturday.) Two. The waiters now have handheld devices to take your order - AND handle payment. So, no more waiting at the cash register. Otherwise, it's the exact same as it's always been. Still the same menu of Tex-Mex basics of tacos, enchiladas, and queso. Still the best open face tacos in town. Still amazing chili gravy on the enchiladas. And my dining companion liked her chicken and guacamole enchiladas and enjoyed the frozen margarita as well. I'm glad to see that the only changes were to the management of the restaurant and not the food. read more

Great service, atmosphere, and food. Love the history behind the building as well. The queso, nachos, and cheese enchiladas are to die for!

Disappointed that my food was cold but I didn't complain! The service was not so great, I am Mexican American and our waiter offered the lady behind sherbet but failed to offer us any and he never checked in us after our drinks were empty. I still go there because of the food but service is nothing compared to when the original owners and waitstaff were there!!! read more

Despite website and yelp saying they closed at 10:00 pm on Saturday, we arrived at 8:50 pm after leaving the Longhorn game early. When we walked in the restaurant, the staff tells us they closed at 8:00 and would not seat us. There were still people eating inside and 3 staff members were just hanging out at the register. Apparently they just arbitrarily close whenever they feel like. Don't trust their posted hours. read more

Oh no. Born and raised in Austin, my friend and I were very excited to try this local family owned staple. The service is great. The complimentary chips and salsa were above par so I was eager for the main course. I got the chicken enchiladas with tomatillo sauce, my friend got the cheese enchilada with Chile con carne sauce and we shared the queso. The food was AWFUL. Chicken enchiladas was drenched in oil and no flavor, terrible enchilada tortillas, bland rice, and refried beans that tasted like an instant mix. My friend also disliked her food. Absolutely disgusting. Do yourself a favor and go to a true local staple, Julio's which happens to be down the street. read more

There are a hundred different Mexican places in Austin that are better than this place. I ordered the el patio #3, and when the food came out I was incredibly disappointed. Their "tacos" are actually just tostadas. Their rice was bland and mushy, not to mention they only gave me two spoonfuls at best. The refried beans are just ok (hard to mess that up). Their cheese enchiladas are literally just made with American cheese and nothing else. I'm only giving them 2 stars because their service was pretty good. They refilled the complementary chips and salsa often and our drinks as well. But as far as Mexican food goes, go somewhere else in Austin. read more

I love this place. I've been coming to it since I was a small child. My oldest brother worked there while he was in high school. I am an Uber driver and recommend it as the best Tex-Mex in town. Unfortunately they are pricing the Austin Home Town people right out of going there. I've been a Mexican all my life. I was in the restaurant business most of my life. Pizza and Mexican food are the two least expensive products to make yet their cost to consumers is at the top. Beans and rice. We ate one or both everyday as a child because they are so cheap. Man I love this place but I can't see paying $16 for a plate of food where rice, beans and corn tortillas are most of it. When they were going to close down I said I would visit as much as I could to help save them. I can't do that anymore. There's plenty of Mexican food on my side of town, not as good but less expensive. El Patio has turned into a Special occasion restaurant when the cost is not an issue. read more

Old Austin Tex-Mex. I don't normally order cheese enchiladas, as I'm more of a guisada kind of guy, but this is the only place where I will order them. Absolutely killer! read more

If you want to try a real authentic Austin tex-Mex restaurant, el patio is the place to go. The portions are huge, the tasty margaritas have a kick, and you couldn't ask for a friendlier staff. This is my go-to spot whenever I visit Austin. Hook Em horns! read more

Nice customer service butttttttt this food is equal to or worse than elementary cafeteria food. Beef and chicken fajita seasoned with only lemon juice. You know how fajitas are supposed to sizzle and make everyone around you jealous??? These didn't make a single sound or turn any heads. There's no reason that needed to cost us $40. The onions and bell peppers weren't even grilled correctly. Everything made sense when I realized that this restaurant wasn't owned by Mexicans at all. We simply came in because it was convenient. It's right next to a thrift shop where I was selling my clothes. The only good thing about this experience is that I made my money back for this food next door. Another bad thing is that the food gave me a stomachache right after. Don't come here unless you think salt is too spicy. read more

El Patio - Combo fajitas - wack - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

Myself and some friends went to eat here and 5/6 of us didn't enjoy our meal. Further more, I ordered the Perkin's special full(3) and did not like it after the first bite. So I requested to order something else and the manager told me I had to pay FULL price for the meal I DIDN'T eat as well as pay for the new meal I was requesting. The meat was distasteful, the "queso" wasn't real queso and tasted very artificial, and the meal didn't look fresh at all. If you are a true Mexican food lover DO NOT COME HERE. You WILL be disappointed. The establishment is owned and managed by a white man and it reflects in the quality of the food. read more

Wow! First time there as back again Texan! For those of you that aren't fortunate to get there before they close, I'm sorry. It was fabulous. I have eaten a good amount of Mexican food in my life, this was GREAT! Tacos pakin, go for it! Seems simple, awesome! Was a good wait to get in but very much worth it! You'll feel the love once you enter~~~~ read more

We had over 60 years of living in Austin between us and we had not been to El Patio! It was great! Everything you would want in really good Tex-Mex! I had the enchiladas and my partner had the tacos. Both were packed with cheese and beef and flavor. We will be back for sure!! read more

I will start by saying I downloaded this app for the first time just to leave this review. I do not say this lightly, this is one of the worst restaurants I have been to. Food was tolerable at best. Margaritas were what I would expect from a bucket at a high school party, and our server seemed irritated every time we ordered something. I'm 6'2" and 230 and have never left an empty plate at a restaurant. Did not get halfway through this meal. Host was a pleasure though, good job to him! read more

I was so excited to be back in Austin for some El Patio tacos. Ordered online. Paid 28 bucks. Walked one-mile round trip to pick them up and NO MEAT. I paid 28 bucks for some lettuce, tomato and shredded cheese. CHECK YOUR CARRYOUT BEFORE YOU LEAVE. read more

It's back and is still the classic Austin place I grew up with. Thank you so much for not leaving us. read more

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Well, the food was delicious. But who I will call tattoo face was not very pleasant. She was on her phone more than attentive messed up our order and then continue to be on her phone. Asked me if I was all good. I wasn't all good I needed a water refill. It was obvious I think, she would've probably known if she wasn't staring at her phone the whole time. The other waitresses and waiters were very polite. read more

The name confuses me a bit and the parking situation is a bit of a nightmare but, worth the circling the parking lot or finding a spot on the side streets. We had to wait for a few minutes because they were so busy. My friend has been coming here since she was a kid so it seemed that the servers all knew her. We ordered the queso and each got an order of nachos. The "chips" they serve with the queso are out of this world and I don't know if my queso eating experiences will ever be the same without them. The queso itself was good, not my favorite in Austin but, up there at the top. The nachos are where it's at though. Every chip is piled high with all the goodness they call toppings and who doesn't want more cheese at lunch? I got the beef nachos and the jalapenos and guacamole were to die for. The price is really reasonable and this is one of my new favorite lunch spots! read more

El Patio - Amazing beef nachos - Tex-Mex Near Me - Austin, Texas

If you enjoy eating chips and queso don't go here. Rice was burnt and flavorless like my attitude after eating here. Service was lit tho.

Someone tell them what a taco is. What I got made Taco Bell look authentic. This isn't a Mexican Restaurant.

Not only was there a lack of sanitizing throughout the restaurant, but the staff was also lackadaisical about hygiene. While it used to be a decent place to grab a quick bite, those days are long gone. My food was at best room temperature and lacked seasoning to taste any better than your neighborhood Taco Bell. Sorry folks, but for the price and lack of cleanliness I would have been better off at the local burger joint. read more

We were in Austin for business (several weeks ago) with lunch planned for Franklin BBQ. No food available their, we went to our 2nd choice (Muellers) and they were closed. Went to LA BBQ and they were closed. It just wasn't in the cards for great BBQ today. One of the coworkers said her grandmother used to take her to a nearby Mexican place. Off we went. We went in and were seated immediately in the very crowded little restaurant. The help was really very good and got us chips & salsa quickly. I ordered a combination plate. It was served piping hot, and I enjoyed it. If in the area again, I would eat here again. read more

The enchiladas had no flavor. I was offered the longhorn margaritas thought it was pretty cool so I went ahead and took 1 it wasn't frozen like he said when he offered. No flavor! This place is definitely not the what it was 10 years ago. I was so anxious to go and I was very disappointed. read more