Dooooownhill. We've been to Polvo's several times over the years and always thought that it was an Austin institution that still deserved its spot in the Tex-Mex canon. After last night, that is no longer the case. We came here with a cousin and a friend and service was SLOW AF even though the restaurant was dead. It took FOREVER for someone even to take the order! Margaritas are cloying and made with the fake stuff, but the salsa bar is awesome and we love that you can get yourself some complimentary escabeche. The guac was deconstructed and bland as hell. One of us got the salad and it was SO RANDOM: strawberries, blueberries, pecans, shredded lettuce, massive tomatoes, cubes, carrots, and no dressing. Just HUH? The chicken soup had a flavorful broth but the chicken was in massive pieces and covered in fat--also massive potatoes and whole cloves of garlic. So much potential, alas! The Polvos combo a la plancha was tasty, we will say that, but the $35 price tag was laughable. Our daughter ended up eating so many chips and soup that her quesadilla went uneaten and ended up going home with the friend. Anyway, the bill was astronomical for where you were and what you got. We always thought that this would be a great place for that "authentic" Austin Tex-Mex experience, but we're donezo. Adios, Polvo's, it was nice while it lasted. read more

This was a great meal. Chicken and beef enchiladas with mole sauce. The mole was spicy but delicious. I had a coconut margarita as well... very tasty. The chips were fresh and warm and just the right enough of salt. Perfect crisp. read more

We recently came here for a late night meal. The dish we tried was pretty good but the restaurant did not feel welcoming at all. The options for food after 10 PM in this area are fairly limited but we found this place online. We showed up at 10:25 and were rather curtly told that they close at 11:00 (the hours on Yelp are wrong). I don't think that showing up 35 minutes before closing is that unreasonable. After being given a table we got water and chips but nobody came to give us a menu. Eventually we flagged down a waiter who just had us scan a QR code to get the menu on our phones because apparently printed menus aren't a thing anymore? When our food finally arrived (we split an order of their Nachos de Luja) it was actually very good but the whole experience surrounding it didn't feel very pleasant. Prices are also very high compared to other Mexican places in this area. read more

I chose Polvo's to meet my out-of-town cousins on a Friday evening. I thought it would be a quieter alternative to Matt's El Rancho, which is always such a zoo. Boy, was I ever wrong! I had never eaten inside -- and I'd never been there when there was music! Even without the music (and there was ALWAYS music, even when the band took a break), the sound level was sky-high. We could barely hear each other, even employing lip-reading at the same time. There were times when I just gave up. My cousin even came over and told me something in my ear, and I just had to smile and nod. It was THAT loud. The food was fine. The Service was fine. But the experience was really awful, and I won't make that mistake again. It was embarrassing for me, since I chose the place. Anyone know a good Mexican restaurant with an Austin vibe (not fancy) where you can have a conversation in a normal voice and hear one another on a Friday night? Asking for myself! read more

My favorite!! Always consistently tasty food! Service always friendly! Puntas de Filete, chicken soup, shrimp cocktail, fajitas, enchiladas, menudo! The pineapple water is delicious! And this place holds Austin's unique spirit! It brings me back to growing up and eating these staples! The location is always funky and fun! read more

This review comes after a second visit after a number of years. The first was pretty much forgotten. It wasn't until I saw the well of salsas that I remember being there at all. The second time was for a reunion with an old friend. He always ranted and raved about this place when he checked in on Facebook. Ceviche this and margaritas that. After wading through a pool of waiting hipsters (in the parking lot) and writing our name down on a list, we decided to get some margaritas. After finishing one and a half of them, we were finally were seated. I was anxious and could only hope it was worth the hour long wait. Pros: The salsas at the salsa podium were great. A little too watery (in texture), but the flavors were really spot on. Spot on, you say? My mother makes salsas similar to the ones they offered and for a few moments I was brought back to her kitchen. Nice. Given how hectic and busy the place was, the service was surprisingly attentive and polite. Meh: We ordered a large ceviche as an appetizer. The flavors were okay, but it smelled a bit too fishy for a civiche. The fish was also just a plain white fish. I'd guess a tilapia or a mojarra. It was nothing to write home about. Cons: I ordered the chile relleno with beef fajita. I normally opt for chicken or cheese, but I wanted to see how they prepared their fajitas and also their chiles. The sauce on the relleno was ok. The relleno itself was also ok. The beef fajita on the other hand... its seasoning wasn't so great. I tasted like it had maggi on it (a soy sauce substitute). Final Thoughts: In the end, I only finished about a third of my relleno. I was not really excited or inspired by the food. They have menudo and other traditional soups on the menu and that is usually a good sign when advertising authentic "Interior Mexican Cuisine." Maybe I came on an off day? Maybe I actually don't have any idea what interior Mexican cuisine really is? I'm afraid I'll never know as I'm unlikely to return for another visit. read more

The shrimp Diablo was amazing and the service was great. My son ordered the street tacos and my husband had the red snapper. I highly recommend this restaurant. read more

We hadn't been here in the past couple years and decided to visit it as it used to be one of our favorite places to eat lunch in Austin. I understand that there's inflation everywhere right now, but the prices for Mexican food at this location was a bit too much. Had this been a fancy place I can understand but this is almost like a little hole in the wall when it comes to restaurants south of downtown. My plate of enchiladas, I'll albeit it was okay, should not have costed $16 nor a kids enchilada plate for my kiddo for $9. Our beans lacked any kind of seasoning or consistency and I couldn't make sure if my other kiddos bean and cheese tortilla was store-bought or made fresh. All in all it was just a meh lunch and nothing to rave about---not to be harsh, but I've eaten better at taco cabana recently. To boot, the bill was over $40 for two bean and cheese tacos, a child's enchilada, and a an adult enchilada plate when I asked for a two child enchilada entrées. I understand that this is Austin but... read more

Polvos South - Cheese Enchilada - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

I hate to do this because I've always loved the downtown location, but the south location might be one of the worst restaurants I've ever been to. Nobody ever gave us a menu and there was no QR code to scan, so we just used the menu on their website. The waiter took our drink order and told us there is a salsa bar inside and we can get as much salsa as we want. The salsa was mediocre at best. We ordered a margarita pitcher which tasted like water for $40. Our food was terrible. I ordered misha's with chorizo and it was 99% stale tortilla chips. When we got the check, they charged us $3.59 for the salsa bar, and $2 more than what the menu on their website said for everything. We had to pay about $10 more in total for awful food. We sat outside on a shitty plastic folding table and chairs, and the music was way too loud. I don't usually mind loud music, but it was not enjoyable at all. Again, love the downtown location, but this one is night and day. I will never be back to this location. read more

We haven't been here for some time. The food is still good. However, they are now charging $3.50 for the salsa bar. It used to be complimentary with a meal. I had to seek out the salt and pepper shakers because they were not on the table... or on any other table. Trying to get sweetener for tea was a chore too. Needless to say, we will not go back. read more

Great Austin staple. Incredibly casual but great Tex Mex and margs. I always get the cerveza fajitas and they never disappoint. The beef is tender, lots of flavor and the homemade flour tortillas are perfection. To drink I generally either go for a spicy Mexican martini (served in a shaker) which comes with approximately 2 drinks or the house margarita. Both are fresh and strong! The loss in star is due to the service. It's an understaffed establishment, so service is not great. Expect to have to flag your waiter down for just about everything and don't come here if you're in a rush! read more

Aside from taco trucks, Polvos is the only Tex Mex place in Austin I truly enjoy. Good food, fresh made tortillas, huge portions, MARGARITA PITCHERS,...what else do you need? read more

Polvos South - Bean flautas - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

honestly both food and service was great both times i've gone. My friends and I loved it and the margarita as didn't disappoint. Would highly recommend! read more

Ate brunch here today. Terrible ambiance, food, and PRICES! The prices aren't even on the hard copy for the menu! My migas were $11 and didn't come with cheese. It was all tortilla strips and maybe one scrambled egg. Will never go back. I can't understand anyone who would pay those prices for such poor quality of food. read more

Excellent food and service. Get the guac. Skip the salsa bar. I had the guacamole, a quesadilla, and a couple of house margaritas. The atmosphere was friendly and laid-back. I ate outside on the patio and it was very relaxing. The staff was attentive, but not pushy. Great Mexican food in south Austin. (Frequent traveler exploring his new home) read more

Each food item. Yes! Each margarita flavor (pitchers). Yesss! Each salsa mix. Yes yes! The first time I was here I had the burrito and each one of the salsas from the salsa bar. My favorite was the one that was smokey while the original homemade mix was the perfect fix. Chips were perfect crispness while the margaritas with salted rims added to the tastiness. I'd recommend the restaurant to anyone wanting authenticity with great service. Only reason for this not being a 5* review was the seating arrangements. Tables/chairs were a little crammed in the building while the large plates barely fit on a four-top when everyone had their food. Altogether an amazing place to eat and a go-to! read more

Polvos South - Burrito C* - saving you all from my misspelling lol - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Always liked the place, went here to eat every few months, but they raised the prices dramatically since the last time I was here. Can't afford it anymore. read more

This place is really bad. I don't think I have time to list all the reasons but I'll try... Still using QR code menus No alcohol prices on menus You have to get YOUR OWN SALSA, lol. They bring a basket of chips and leave you wonder WTF to do. Staff members have no personality Loud ass hip hop music. I love hip hop more than your mom loves deyock but it's just too loud. Margaritas were tiny and the worst ever. We bailed after tasting the drinks and eating a handful of chips and salsa. It was awkward... read more

It's been a really long time since we've been to Polvos and decided to swing by.... We sat down ordered drinks and we're immediately shocked at the prices! Yes, it's Austin but OMG those prices are insane. Our waiter was nice but whispered so it was difficult to understand what he was asking. The "salsa bar" is a joke. If you wanted anything you had to scrape what little was left from every option, which isn't much to begin with. Super disappointing. We sucked down our drinks and didn't order any food because we are not going to pay those prices. 1 soda and an iced tea cost me $10, not to mention the iced tea was brought to us with no ice in it. We hopped in the car and drove 2 minutes down the road to Vaqueros for better service, great prices and delicious food. Wouldn't recommend polvos! read more

This is a great place for Mexican food, I had Chicken Enchiladas, street tacos, queso and chip, and a jalapeño margaritas. Our waiter was good, this place has indoor and outdoor seating! read more

I would echo the "downhill" sentiment. WTH happened here? I got a top shelf margarita pretty sure it had fake orange juice in it. No one is here and the waiters and host staff are wearing masks outside. Real head scratching with respect to what could be going on with the management of this place. Don't keep Austin this weird. read more

Polvos South - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Was visiting from Houston and found this restaurant through TikTok. So glad we stopped by, food was 10/10. Coffee could be better though, other than that everything was delicious!! read more

Polvos South - Chilaquiles - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Not a huge fan of how they make their breakfast tacos. Asked for bacon, egg, bean and cheese. They were excited to load it full of beans, though i have to dissect it to find the small bacon bits they put in. read more

Polvos South - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

It took me forever to try this place and I'm so glad I did. We were wanting to try a different place on 1st but there wasn't parking near it. Oh well. We tried the ceviche, there was WAY too much lime in it and also, it wasn't fresh lime juice either. I was very disappointed. Oh well. I don't really like the salsa bar but I guess it gives the option to try different types and see which you like best. On to my favorite entree, the fish or shrimp fajitas. Oh how I love this dish. It comes with grill vegetables under the fish OR shrimp (you can do half/half also) in this amazing sauce. It's so good. We got one fish and one shrimp to share and it was a lot of food for the 3 of us. It's so good. Also, you get your tortilllas inside, freshly made. I will be back. :) read more

If you can, sit outside. The patio is great for dinner. The waitstaff here is fantastic and the food is the same as I remember it many years ago. I recommend the entomadas if you're in the mood for something different. read more

I would probably rate 2.5 stars. We came here for our Friday night Fajita night and both ordered fajitas, mine was traditional, his was spicy. Both were good but a little pricy for what you got since it was riddled with onions! and pico! yuck. I wish It had pico in the description and that way I could have asked for it without it. Drinks - I ordered a vodka diet, $9 drink! wth, it wasnt even a tall?! for that I could have ordered a craft cocktail! Salsa: you pay separately for salsa if you use their bar. $4 or so I think. really? anything Oltorf and below feels so nickel and dime - now this place too? just like curra's grill. Eh. Music was good. I just wasn't wowed to make me drive across i35 and risk a rock throwing incident to get these overpriced fajitas when I can go down Cesar Chavez and get better fajitas for a cheaper price.. Parking: very small lot, we had to park several blocks down and in a residental neighborhood. Not worth it since it was very dark and not lit. read more

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OMG. This place is absolutel Unbelievably fantastic food. I'm from Houston the capital of Tex-Mex Mexican food. This place is absolutely my favorite. read more

Polvos South - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Look... The food is good. Overpriced? Sure. But it's good. No denying that. Atmosphere is cool too. But tonight marks the third time in a row of which I've ordered and they've lost my order. 3rd TIME IN A ROW. Like what are the odds of that? It means to me it's an operational issue and not pure accident. This has happened ordered at the front register, by phone, and by online. So can't even peg it to one channel. I have to take a break and let this place work out it's kinks. It's a very frustrating experience to wait 30 minutes, have no idea where your order is until you push a few buttons with the staff, and then be told it'll be another 30 minutes. I just want to eat my Mexican food. read more

I was recommended to check out Polvos while I was looking around for quality Tex Mex. the first thing that caught my eye when I walked in was the salsa bar. I was excited since I'm the type of person who eats way too many chips and salsa and then struggles to finish the entrees. The salsa was awesome and well worth the extra $3.50/table. It's a must get when you go here. I ordered a pitcher of margaritas for the table and the burrito compuestas for my meal. The food was above average but not worth the money. $18 for tex mex seems a bit steep for me. If you love Tex Mex then I suggest giving this place a try. Aside from the salsa bar there wasn't much else that stuck out to me. read more

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Great margaritas, the food was good Tex mex. We had enxhilada, taco plate and it was yummy. Friend had the Chile beef so good read more

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Talk about one of the best spots for Mexican food, front their choriqueso to their fajitas. Even their special plates, such like the Chile rellenos or carne guisada. Never disappoint on taste and quality. Great for big groups of people or just take out. I really enjoy everything you guys have to offer, just one thing I wish you can change. Splitting tickets!! When going with big groups, I thinks it's unfair for you guys not to be able to split our ticket cost. Y'all's plates vary in prices and it's a little unfair for someone who had a plate from $15.00 and someone who has a $20+ plate have to pay the same amount of money when paying. Just something I wanted to bring up to y'all's attention. Would've give y'all 5 stars but this really is a bummer sometimes for y'all's customer service. Keep on doing what y'all do and for sure, I'll be back for more (Just not with my friends Lol). read more

Incredibly yummy food! The drinks are too sweet and not incredibly strong. Definitely expensive but really good.

Ok, this is a tricky review for Polvos. I still go there plenty of times. It is good Mexican food. It is certainly true to its South 1st street roots. This place lives up to the 78704 area code. Its local, it is tiny, it is certainly crowded and popular. I like this spot, but I do think it deserves 3 stars and I will certainly explain why. The menu is huge. I mean it is really hard to choose all the great Mexican dishes they have. They open at 7am and serve breakfast all day. Sometimes you just want migas in the evening. The fajitas order is huge. Huge plate, more to feed one person. You can order stuff a-la carte, so if you order two tacos of your choosing, you will for sure be full. Queso is decent but nothing amazing. People certainly come here for the drinks and they make them well. Drink two typical margaritas and you will certainly be a bit tipsy. Now lets explain the salsa bar. It is this island of salsas in the middle of the restaurant. You go up and get the salsas yourself. They have a mild salsa, a regular salsa, then a smoked style salsa. They are ok, but nothing amazing. The chips are very sub par. You get charged a $1.99 for the salsa bar. Next on the layout of the place. Polvos is a tiny spot with a low roof. The tables are very low key where some tables are just fold outs. The chairs are also mostly folding chairs. This place is packed and crowded, so it can be a loud cluster when inside. There is plenty of outdoor seating, but if it is summer time, expect to sweat outside. Waiter service is very average. Nothing amazing about the service. So lets review, Polvos has decent mexican food, very strong drinks, and is certainly always crowded. Its not fancy by any means and certainly has a low key feel. You can come here and eat some decent mexican food but nothing is going to amaze you. I think based on the large amount of Mexican choices in a short 2mi radius, this place deserves a 3 star rating. read more

Polvos South - Inside - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Great food. I had the fajitas with choritos and was not disappointed. Also, the house frozen margarita fit the bill. Speaking of bill, seemed reasonable to me. Will return. read more

Polvos South - Chorizo fajita - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

We are so excited Polvos opened on 360, on the Capital of Texas Hwy. The food and drinks are the best and the restaurant is beautiful. The service is impeccable. I love this place read more

Delicious food! We used to go there every 2 weeks for years but the prices are crazy. Now it is only for special occasions if we pick it. Service was wonderful and the food delicious. read more

Food here is so delicious. Everyone should start every visit here with choriqueso. Food is nice and hot. Everything is fresh. My server Jasmine at the south location was so lovely. Thank you Jasmine I had a great experience read more

Polvos South - Street tacos Al pastor - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

It really hurts me to leave this review because Polvos has been one of my favorite Austin restaurants for 20 years, but recently the service has been so terrible that I felt the need to write this review in hopes that they will try to fix the issues and get back to the way they used to be. Went yesterday with my elderly parents, aunt and wife. Good was good and service was mostly good, except that the waiter misheard my aunt's order for Flautas, and brought her an entirely different order. This is understandable, mistakes happen--everything would have been fine if he took responsibility and fixed the problem. But instead, he said "well this is also a really good dish, you'll like it." After she said she did not like it and would rather have the correct order she originally ordered, he agreed to bring it but it didn't come out until after we were all finished eating and it came in a to-go box. In addition to this, we ordered a single fish taco for my 87-year old father, which never came out while we were eating, and after we reminded him of the missing taco, he said he'd put in the order, but I told him just to cancel because we were done eating. He said he couldn't cancel the order and he eventually sent it in a to-go box after we were all finished eating. I've worked in the service industry so I know that things like this happen and I'm not ever one to make a big deal of it, as long as things are made right some how... so I was pretty surprised to see that we were charged full price for food that we did not receive when we ordered it, that they acknowledged was a mistake. Maybe I'm just old school and believe in accepting responsibility for a mistake and making things right (when I was a server if I made a mistake, I would remove a charge or I would discount for food not received or received extremely late, etc.) I asked if there was anything anyone could do to make things right, even just give us a discount since two of our orders were not delivered and put into to-go boxes after were were finished--they said nothing could be done to fix the issue because only managers were authorized to do this and no managers were working. When I asked about this, they said, nothi read more

I love this place! Great food!! It's a little pricer than normal Tex-Mex, but the vibes are right and it's always delicious. I love taking people from out of town here. read more

Polvo's is a consistently good, inexpensive Tex-mex restaurant. There's typically a short wait here but the Margarita pitchers can definitely help you quickly pass the time. I like how they have plenty of foldable chairs available for you to have a seat while waiting to be called. The server immediately brought chips over and I darted to the salsa bar. They have 3 salsas to choose from and pickled spiced veggies. Unfortunately, I can really only eat the mildest salsa because I'm such a wimp. I ordered the fish fajitas, they were so tasty with lots of veggies underneath the fish- I had to get a box for the other half of my meal since it was so big (can't wait to eat these leftovers tonight) I have to say that the inside gets pretty loud so even though it was hot outside, we opted to sit outside so we didn't have to scream to each other. They do have fans that help. Definitely check out Polvos- grab a chair, margarita pitcher, chips & salsa and you will be happy! read more

Polvos South - Fish fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas