The only reason I keep coming back here is because my father loves this place, although I really can't figure out why. I have been here 3 times in the last 2 months for dinner, all horrible. Slowest servers I have seen in my life. The food is NEVER the same! Absolutely horrible, every single time! I'm done! read more

This is right next to the Arbor 8 movie theater, and we were famished after the movie so we decided to try Manuel's. Plus: Mole is very good and our waiter was attentive and helpful. Upscale ambience is not bad. Minus: Salsa is really unexceptional, as in store brand from a jar. Front of house, from hostesses to bartenders, seem unhappy, and the bar staff were much more interested in flirting with each other than in interacting with customers. As other reviewers have noted, the prices are high for standard, though nicely presented, Mexican food. We will return to Arbor 8 for their great movies, but not to Manuel's. For a restaurant that really is what Manuel's seems to be aiming for, try Verde's next to Flix in Round Rock. read more

Manuel's has been one of our trustworthy, "go to" dining establishments for almost thirty years, first the downtown location (the original), and then, Manuel's Arboretum, which is close to home. But, the prices have begun to approach the almost stratospheric, for what is received. I mean, a plate of nachos, a small bowl of guacamole, ceviche, two martinis and two glasses of wine for $85.00? Basically, three appetizers and four drinks, at happy hour, for that amount, plus tip? Maybe I'm just growing out of touch with what it costs to dine in Austin these days. Three stars for pricing, only - the rest was borderline wonderful! read more

I went with a work group of about 16 people. Drinks were excellent, ambiance was very nice. Service was attentive and helpful. We asked for an assortment of appetizers and they were all very nice. Quesedillas, seafood nachos, ceviche, melted cheese (yum), guacamole...all went fast. They were smart..a nice assortment of standbys along with some more adventurous stuff. Pleased the group. As for entrees, they have a list of traditional food and also some gourmet entrees. I went the traditional route of enchiladas rancheras and they were fine. Pork filling was plentiful and the sauce was flavorful. Some of my colleagues had seafood entrees and chile rellenos....all pronounced them very good. Prices were standard. My enchiladas were $14...the seafood entrees were in the low $20's. Not a bad choice in a bad economy. We all went the flan route for dessert and it was sublime. My only gripe the whole evening was the coffee. It was so weak....I asked for cafe con leche and they brought me good old american dishwater coffee. My other complaint? I'm in Austin in January and it's supposed to be warm. It's 35 degrees, rainy and COLD. Ugh. It was definitely a good choice for a large group. We were at the Renaissance Hotel so we walked (icicle moment) so if you are at the hotel, it's not a bad choice and probably a better option than hotel food. read more

stopped for lunch with the work crew. I'm a fan. The food was yum.

The mix of healthy salads and fruit plates along with interior Mexican food like mole sauce, cheese and chorizo make this place awesome. Most of the food is great, and on Jazz Sunday brunch this place gets 5 stars! Why not 5 stars? A few times the beef and chicken came out overcooked and dry. read more

Food was fairly good - service was pretty crummy. Rude waiter.

This place is a little more upscale and can be pricey, but the food is outstanding. I don't eat chicken anymore, but when I did, I found theirs to be the most tender and flavorful on Earth. They have a number of options with Portobello mushrooms, including fajitas which are amazing. You can get a fajita dinner for two for $24, so there are certainly options other than the $17 a plate dishes. They have a unique spin on all of their options, including pomegranate seeds in their guacamole. I would highly recommend sitting on the patio if it is a nice night. It is so romantic and cozy out there. This is a great place for a date or a special dinner. read more

I've been going to Manuel's for a few years and always got great food and service. The ingredients are good quality and have yet to taste a bad dish. The coconut flan is a must-have at the end of each meal...creamy but not too heavy. Delicious! read more

I went to Manuels to meet up with some friends. It was much nicer inside that I anticipated. The service was good. The problem with Manuels is the price is too high for the quality and quantity of food that you receive. Their house margarita is is mostly ice and just tastes like water. I had the chicken flautas, which tasted good, but again - far too expensive for the quantity. If you want to have some good quality Mexican food, this is not the place for you. If you like paying too much for average food that's plated well - go for it. read more

If there is any flaw with Manuel's it's that the wait staff is sometimes spread to thin. Don't get me wrong, the waiters and waitresses are all great. Always polite and friendly, they give great recommendations and always make me feel welcome. It's just the delay between them visiting the table can be a little long when the place is busy. As for the food it's great. The selection is typical tex-mex, but it's across the board better than a typical tex-mex restaurant. Definitely worth checking out if you're craving some enchiladas. read more

Food was good, drinks too. Service was just horrible. We waited 10-15 minutes to have our drink order taken. He came by to take our food order and 4 out of 6 of us were ready-we asked him to give us 2 minutes-he gave us a generous 25 minutes before coming back!! I asked for a tall glass for my beer instead of the well drink glass he brought; and he completely forgot about it-I like my IPAs poured, thank you very much. I don't know if he was inattentive or just slammed, but our experience was not good-will not be returning for sure. The place was not slammed at 6:30 on a Thursday, but I guess they may have short-staffed... read more

Take out chicken mole came in a take out cup...yeah a cup with shredded chicken and mole interspersed with cheese. It did not look appetizing, and what's worse was it tasted disgusting. Chicken tasted gritty (Ew!) and the sauce did not taste like the mole I remember from other restaurants in Austin, El Paso...Who makes mole with shredded chicken anyways? read more

Great place for business entertaining or drinks after work! I had the chicken fajitas and it was excellent! The guacamole was unique with pomegranate arils! Loved it. I will definitely be returning when I'm in Austin again. read more

Manuels has always been a place me and my family have gone to for great Mexican food for years. The service is great, the ambience is great, the location is perfect and I've never been disappointed. I highly recommend! read more

Great Midas at brunch. Eggs were very tasty and perfectly cooked. Walton is great server too.

Food & service is always great. One of my favorite restaurants in Austin. When I travel back to town it is always one of the places we stop for lunch or dinner. read more

A little pricey and can get crazy crowded and loud. This said, I crave the food and the patio is lovely.

When it is good it is very good. When it is bad it is very bad. I have eaten there a few times and ordered the same thing (chile Relleno en Nogada) on two occasions. The first time I ordered that dish it was very good then I ordered it again and it was dry and burnt tasting. Perhaps they have two different chefs? I will go back only because the first time I went there the food was so good - it was a Friday or Saturday night. The next several times I was there were during a weekday late afternoon/early evening and during the day on a Friday. The wait staff have a tendency to disappear when you want to order another drink or get your check to leave. I only gave it 4 stars because of my first experience there and I am hoping I will have a repeat of that good food in a future visit. In addition, they have ceviche. The black beans are always very good. We enjoy their iced tea. I just found out via facebook that it is "Zhi tea-organic black." read more

Beautiful restaurant and pretty good salsa, though too formal and a little too expensive for Mexican food. For my money, I'd rather have Trudy's. read more

Great atmosphere. First time I had a pepper soup - good but filling.

We went there for Sunday brunch as part of a group. Our meals were delicious - we enjoyed the ceviche, cactus salad, and mole enchiladas. Our waiter tried his best, but as the first meals were delivered, it became obvious that the kitchen was over-burdened - our group's meals (about 20) were delivered over a period of about 15 minutes. Sadly things got worse as we saw less and less of our waiter to refill drinks etc. Overall, okay; but in this town, there are many better places! read more

Ooops! This is not the Tex-Mex you're looking for. While they had great chips and a promising happy hour with 50% off appetizers, the just-okay margaritas and bland but pricey food leaves a lot to be desired. We won't be back. read more

Manuel's is a constant in Austin. You can always depend on their good food, friendly service and reasonable prices.

Bathroom is small and had 2 air freshners going and made the place smell odd, beef fajitas are great

Sloooooowwww service on a Sunday. Great Sunday Brunch Band, but don't come here hungry--you'll wait 45 minutes for someone to take your order. Stick to the downtown location if decent service is something you expect from a restaurant. read more

Delicious! My husband brought me here for my birthday. Yes, it's a bit pricey but the food quality was good! So were the margaritas!!

Manuels on Great Hills was incredible. I haven't been in a few years and was very impressed by the design changes and overall ambiance of the restaurant. The food was great and the service was stellar. I'll definitely be back to check out their margaritas! read more

We frequent Manuel's at least once a week! My boys love the chicken quesadillas, the chile con queso, and guacamole. My husband and I have probably tried almost everything on the menu and love it all. One of my recent faves is the Shrimp Alambres, skewered shrimp kabobs with delicious huac, rice and black beans. The beef enchilada banderas are another one of my favorites too. read more

Hands down one of the best restaurants in Austin! The food is excellent, the margaritas are awesome, and the service is always outstanding. Have you tried the carne asada? what about the beef tacos or the fajitas? if not...DO IT !!! I totally love this place :) read more

I'm giving four stars because my food was excellent. We were a large group and they do not do separate checks. Are you kidding me? So the check process was a fiasco. I was over charged. I will still be back to try again, but NOT with a group! read more

Love their queso!! I can go in happy hour and get that half price, get a side of chicken and you have a really good filling cheap meal! YUM Love the white cheese queso, did i say love their queso??? read more

Yep, only 2 stars. Atmosphere - Very clean, modern furnishings, lighting on the dim side. Basically upscale Mexican dinning, but no music playing which we found odd. The place just had a sterile vibe. It's the kind of place grandparents visiting from Delaware would go to eat lunch. Food - It's on the pricey side so our expectations were heightened, but unfortunately not met. No crispy tacos...WTF?! Yeah they don't serve crispy tacos. Is that even legal in Texas?!! Only flour or corn soft tacos, but they did have a generous amount of beef and chicken in the tacos that had good flavor. From there it was downhill. Rice was flavorless. Salsa had a heat factor of 0, and little flavor beyond a ketchup like taste as did the Campechana we ordered. Chips were on the weak side, but acceptable. We requested some flour tortillas with our meal and were charged .50 per tortilla which are free at every other Mexican restaurant on the planet. Tortillas get 2 stars. They were thin, no powder on the outside and did not taste like they had been made in house or even in the last 48 hours. As a Mexican restaurant you can't strike out on tortillas and salsa and get more than a 2 star rating. Service - Our wait person seemed oddly very formal. Upon delivering food and drinks this person asked each of us...."May I serve you this (fill in plate name or drink)"? We were like WTF?!? Who says that? Well, yeah I ordered it so I'm pretty freaking sure I want it. It created a stuffy, awkward vibe that we didn't care for. Other Points - There were about 9-10 other tables of dinners and none appeared to be of Mexican descent which is a BIG red flag at a Mexican restaurant in Texas. The little water canal outside near the entrance looked dirty like it hadn't been cleaned in at least a few weeks and the water was a light brown yuck color. Sorry Jennifer from CA we tried out your restaurant, but it didn't cut it for us. Pay half the price and eat better at Taco Cabana. read more

This place is pretty fancy and you need a refined taste to enjoy it, looking past it's few mistakes( no sweet tea, and a small bone in my enchilada) it was quite enjoyable read more

My mister and I just went here tonight for the first time. We had been given a gift card so we gave it a go. If this were the only mex in a town, it would be fine. However the competition in Austin is serious, and I'm afraid Manuel's chow just can't compete. The mushroom/veg/cheese app was the best thing we had, and i'm not sure if that was just because I was ravenous when we got there. The queso is a dish of real cheese. Definitely not used to that. I think we eat too much yellowy queso (maudie's, bob armstrong, etc) that now i've come to prefer it. So we didn't eat it. Shrimp fajitas had great flavor but the shrimp was overcooked. The service was great, but the competition and Manuel's prices will probably keep us away, unless i get another gift cert or something. read more

Went here a couple of times during my stay in Austin, TX. Atmosphere was nice. Service was great. Food was good - Fajitas. And the band we saw play there was a real treat - Cerronato. read more

Mediocre Happy Hour experience, Ordered Ceviche, scallops and seafood app platter, It all tasted like it came out of a can. Service was poor. This place is extremely overrated. read more

Hmmm. Why do the staff all seem so annoyed? They're not rude, they're just not happy to see you. But the flan and pomegranate cosmopolitan keep me coming back. Also the outdoor seating is lovely. Only 3 stars because of attitude. We also visited La Sombra in the same week. Very friendly and delicious. read more

Usually great service. The food is a different type of mexican than most are used to. The house margaritas taste like 95% sweet and sour.

I've been here about 5 times now and have yet to experience the bad service others are describing. The interior of Manuel's is pretty. There's a very nice outdoor courtyard area, bright colors in the interior, high ceilings, nice tile accents... it's a pleasant place to be. The food sort of reminds me of the kind of interior food that Fonda San Miguel serves. I prefer Fonda, but I think Manuel's is still quite good. It is overpriced for sure - but I'll continue to go there because I am rather addicted to a couple of dishes and I enjoy the atmosphere for a night out and for a long pleasant Sunday brunch. The details... I've been for lunch, dinner and brunch on Sunday. Dinner was good. Brunch was fantastic. Lunch was okay. BTW I like a good amount of heat/spice in my food and they will oblige here and will also provide jalapenos pickled or fresh. My favorite dishes: Chile Relleno del Mar - poblano pepper stuffed with seafood Mole Enchiladas with pork Flautas de papa - brunch Sope con Huevo Estrellada - brunch Good dishes: Any enchiladas with the verde sauce - the sauce is good and has a nice kick Ceviche - This is basically sushi, not traditional ceviche, but it's good Chile con queso with chorizo Avoid: fajitas... this is not the place... interestingly enough that's the only dish i've ever had at Fonda San Miguel that I found disappointing as well... read more