In town for a few days and stopped here for lunch. I had the Cameron Margarita and they were great. You get about 8 big shrimp in a delicious sauce(chipotle). My wife had the beef fajitas and she was also very happy with her meal. Definitely recommend this place. read more

Polvos South - Cameron Margarita - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Polvos, you old, tired, but lovely place. You are like an old friend that isn't as healthy and robust as you used to be but I still get pleasure from visiting you. Your food is warm, familiar, and tasty. Your salsa bar is inviting. The drinks are not too strong but not weak. Your staff is friendly and efficient. You can tell that the building has seen a few brutal Austin summers and rainy Austin seasons (a long time ago) but it continues to work. You cram more tables into a hallway than any restaurant I've ever seen but somehow you make it work. You have lots of blemishes, my old friend, but I'm always happy to stop by and fulfilled when I leave. read more

Went to this restaurant a few years ago with a friend who used to live nearby and every time we've tried to go back it's been way too packed and the wait was ridiculous. Trying to plan a trip back soon though, because I keep dreaming of their enchiladas. That's what I'm writing this review to rave about, by the way: imagine for me if you will, a plate of the most perfect, cheesy enchiladas you can picture. Then imagine pouring queso on top of this plate of enchiladas. Sounds like heaven, right? I didn't even attempt to eat my sides, guys. It was that good. I think I even told my date I loved him for bringing me there- and I'm not a girl to drop the L-bomb casually. Luckily he knows how I get around cheese and didn't take it the wrong way. Also worth a mention is the Choriquezo appetizer- totally unexpected and tasty. Can't remember if it caught my eye on the menu or if my date got it because he knows what I like. If you haven't heard by now, they also have a self serve salsa bar. I'm not majorly involved in my salsa but will likely eat just about anything that's put in front of me, so perhaps I didn't properly appreciate this feature of the restaurant, but apparently it's a huge draw so consider yourself informed. TL;DR version: cheesy enchiladas swimming in cheese is akin to a religious experience. Consider yourself converted. read more

Pitcher O Margarita's.. yup, they got those and haven't seen this in a long while and they go down way to easily. They also serve them at breakfast time on a saturday..yes they do. They also have a funky, weird decor and a salsa bar. A SALSA BAR, which is noice, since you can pile on whatever salsa you want. They are bit laid back and for 9.99 I got the trash can plate egg dish. Perfect with the bloody mary I had on my second trip in. Staff is always friendly, was nice when I asked for a new basket of chips which were a wee bit on the stale side. I like the oldness of this space. It reminds me of the old Salsa De Mexico back in the 80's on Manchaca Road. I feel like I'm in an Puerto Vallarta or somewhere down on the border. I haven't tried lunch or dinner yet, but I would imagine it's pretty decent. read more

Polvos South - Bloody Mary....Check - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

I'm writing this review even before I got a chance to sit down to taste the food. I was working late today to pick up some extra hours and decided to order dinner for my family instead of cooking. I wasn't really hungry so I ordered a beef fajita taco for myself and asked for some salsa to go with it. You know, just enough salsa to go with one fajita taco. When I got there to pay, I was sticker shocked! I was charged $4 for the fajita taco and $3.50 for what they labeled "salsa bar." I explained to the person ringing me up that I had only wanted some salsa to go with my taco. My one taco. (The other plate was enchiladas so that really didn't need any salsa) He told me that the taco does not come with anything else and if I had wanted salsa that I had to pay $3.50 for it. On top of that, they added gratuity for a pick up order. I usually tip anyways, but shouldn't I get a choice or at least a disclaimer mentioned when I placed my order? Needless to say I will not be coming back anytime soon. And this damn taco and "salsa bar" better be good! I added a photo of my $3.50 "salsa bar" read more

Polvos South - $3.50 "salsa bar" and one of them isn't even filled all the way up. - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

We had a great experience at Polvos and felt it deserved a much higher overall review. They definitely took precautions to operate within the guidelines: everyone wore a mask, I saw staff cleaning tables rigorously, and felt safe that the menu was online coupled with plastic utensils. The food was BOMB (we ordered chicken, steak fajitas, queso/guac/chips) and reasonably priced for 4 of us enjoying an early dinner on the patio deck. We also shared frozen house magheritas and they were made to perfection. Kudos to these guys for delivering quality service, food, prices, while going above and beyond to make diners (and staff!) feel as safe as possible. Can't wait to come back for more marghs & fajitas: right on, Polvos! Thank you for a high quality experience while accounting for the environment. read more

Good service and open parking, but the chips and salsa aren't free, and the pescado al horno was bland. The chips and salsa were delicious, don't get me wrong, but I wish they would've asked if I wanted them before putting them on the table and charging me. The caldo de pollo was delicious and tender, and the rice was delicious on it's own! I'd come back to try other options. read more

Dumbest policy ever: diners who are dining on the outside patio must be in possession of a mask. No requirement to wear the mask but you must be in possession of the mask otherwise they will not serve you outside. Very stupid. (A total of zero outside diners were wearing masks. Manager said they wouldn't serve us because we weren't in possession of a mask. ?) I was here personally. I sat down with my family and was asked to leave because I didn't have a mask in my possession, despite the fact that zero of the neighboring diners were wearing masks. read more

Polvo's has been on the cusp of my blacklist for a long time. I've had some horrible experiences there. Bad service and bad food. We gave them another shot. I was caught unprepared to like what I got. The Dona Clara was out of control good. I hadn't heard about a guajillo pepper, but that's what they made the sauce out of. Their salsa bar is nice, but I only liked the standard looking red sauce, and the open bowl of jalapenos. Service was prompt and everything worked out. Well played, Polvo. I've got to repeat that experience at least three more times before you get up to 4 stars. read more

Ok the atmosphere isn't anything to write home about but the good, I love. I'm basing this on two visits. I got different things each time . .. The first time was a while back but I want to say that I got some sort of 'house enchilada', I know that sounds weird, but that's what my memory is telling me. Anyway, if you're there on the weekend, you will probably have to wait to be seated, but I found the food to be completely worth it. It is small so if you have small kids or have to accomodate a baby, don't go. However, it's casual and loud, so if you bring older kids, no one will be bothered by them being kids. read more

Fun tacky decor with pleasingly cheesy tex mex. My favorite was the fish fajita, which provided a welcome reprieve from my nearly all red meat diet during my Austin trip. Note that choriqueso is not the same as queso dip with chorizo in it. Live and learn! Also I don't always like flour tortillas but there's were wonderfully fresh. read more

If you take out, always double check your order. Several times have had missing items. Very frustrating. Seems to be a regular thing.

I recently moved back to Austin and looked forward to visiting a former favorite spot, Polvos. I was with 3 others and we were all highly disappointed with our meals. The place has gone way downhill! Very busy and the staff seemed overwhelmed. Plastic tables, birds flying all over the place and terrible service. my Chile Relleno was so salty that I barely ate half of it and left the rest. The dishes weren't cleared until we were up and leaving. Similar comments from the other folks with me. What happened to Polvos? I won't go back.... read more

Polvos is an Austin staple. This is the best place to start off a night. Margarita Pitchers for $30 will be plenty for a group of three. Great environment and great staff. The food is ok to say the least. However they have recently changed their menu and their new single taco options are incredible. read more

First of all, we waited forty minutes to get a table while others were sat before us. Secondly, we waited ten minutes for a, not so good, margarita and other drinks. Lastly, the food took about forty minutes to be delivered to our table. When our food was delivered, some items were missing. The Quesadillas Compuestas were super salty!!! The Shredded Chicken Enchiladas were fantastic, although a little spicy. I will say this, our waitress did an exceptional job with checking up on us. Kudos to her for a job well done. read more

Polvos South - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Been going here for years, but just had my MIND blown by something I'd never ordered before: their version of the fajita salad. Holy COW, y'all! This was not your run-of-the-mill, throw some crap in a bowl made out of a big corn chip type of salad that most Tex-Mex restaurants offer. It was big (could easily be shared by two), and is described on the menu thusly: Pastor, Chicken, or Beef Fajitas sautéed with Raisins, Pecans, Peanuts, sun dried Peppers and decorated with fresh Lettuce, Tomatoes, Onions, Jalapeños, Avocados and Sour Cream. Served on a bed of crispy Tortilla Chips with Refried Beans. I got the chicken version of this salad (see my photo), and meat was so tender and flavorful, I had one of those eyes-rolling-in-the-back-of-my-head moments with the first bite. Seriously--if you're not in the mood for enchiladas or the more standard fare Polvo's offer, do yourself a favor and order this salad. You won't be sorry. read more

Polvos South - AMAZING and unique take on fajita salad. - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great atmosphere. Great food. Really juicy fajitas and tasty corn tortillas, probably made on site. Delicious margarita with grand marinade. Recommend!!!! read more

Polvos South - Fajitas family style. Great taste. - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Of course I'm going to start off talking about the margaritas. Super strong but they def. Sneak up on you, so pace yourselves. Let's be honest. No one goes to Polvos for the food. Its decent, not the best but after a pitcher of the margarita, who cares. Great place to pregame on a weekend. I've never not had a good time at Polvos. read more

Polvos South - Margs! - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Polvos is our new favorite Mexican Restaurant. Mi amor and I love the great variety of food, music and awesome service. We have ordered migas, flautas and sizzling fajitas and every single dish was very flavorful and colorful. Yum! Yum! Ask for Carlos next time you visit. He helped us choose our entrees and even remembered what we have ordered on our previous visit. He is very sharp and attentive. Overall, Polvos is a good place to visit with friends and family. read more

Polvos South - My Amor's chicken fajitas look so good! I stole one from him - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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You can eat gluten free here if you're careful. I asked about the chips being gluten free and since they order them from somewhere else they had no ingredient list and could not assure me it was indeed gluten free chips, so I skipped those. They have a salsa bar with 3-4 salsas (2 of which are excellent) and I was happy to use that salsa on my gluten free corn tortillas, along with one of the best salads I've ever had at a Mexican place -- Michoacan Guacamole Salad: Small$7.99 - Large $9.99 (Pico de Gallo, blended with diced Avocado and seasoned with fresh Lime Juice. Served with corn or flour Tortillas.) OH. MY. GOD. They seem to have chopped a whole avocado into this, and the flavors are perfectly balanced. This was filling but left me still feeling light afterwards. If you're looking to dine cheap you can grab a generously portioned a-la-carte taco for around $3 and fill up on free chips and salsa like one of my friends did, though he almost had a heart attack afterwards from all the salt in the chips :p My other friend was able to order a vegan version of Potato flautas which she heartily enjoyed along with a Margarita. The biggest drawback was trying to sit outside and enjoy the weather while dodging the cigarette smoke from the next table. The funniest thing was they have the hugest toilet bowl/seat I've ever seen in the women's room. Don't eat here too much or you might end up needing a seat that big. For the rest of us, I personally recommend a cautious hover. That amazing salad will make me suggest this place again the next time I'm with a group that calls for Mexican, but I wouldn't go back for any other reason. read more

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Portions are huge. I got a burrito and it was gigantic. Super tasty too. I got food to go so cannot speak to the sit down service but the staff seemed friendly enough. read more

I LOVE the mole chicken enchiladas here. The others I've tried in Austin are either too sweet or too earthy/bitter, but Polvos mole is rich and well balanced. Their shredded chicken is juicy, and the rice and beans are tasty, so there's not much to say except "yum." I'd suggest coming for lunch or off-peak hours if you don't feel like waiting during the dinner rush though. Also, I don't know if the Polvos in North Austin is affiliated with this one, but it's nowhere near as good, so skip that and go to the one on South 1st. It's worth it :) read more

I am not the one to write bad reviews but last night's dinner at Polvos was the WORST.

EXTREMELY overpriced for average mexican food and drinks. Go to a Mexican restaurant with less hype and better food pricing. Might as well go to a fancy restaurant for the amount of $$ you spend at polvos. It's not worth it. I had an experience before Covid hit. Me and my bf stopped by and it was like we walked into a crowded club/bar on 6th. It was so bad in main entrance way. It got to the point where we couldn't even hear each other or get by to reach the bar. I get it, it's a restaurant, it's not going to be quiet but honestly it almost felt like the people who were seated were having to yell over one another. Now imagine that + music & all of the people in the main entrance standing around, drinking and talking over one another. They should probably make a better entrance way or add on so that it won't sound & look so crazy once you step inside on a busy night. We ended up walking out Bc of that & the wait was also horrendous. read more

Polvo's is the only restaurant I've ever seen that does beer/margarita service as you wait for a table in the parking lot. Bad ass! Our friend who brought us to Polvo's said she had made a reservation with a "friend" who works as a waiter there. We still had to wait about a half hour for our table, so I guess they don't do those kinds of favors? It's a good thing they liquored us up before the wait grew too long, otherwise they'd have a lot of angry patrons on their hands! There were at least 10-20 good-looking, trendy Austinites waiting for tables in the parking lot at any given time for the duration of the evening. Their outdoor patio area is very spacious and a relaxing environment to enjoy your meal, it feels like you're lounging out on someone's veranda in the old South. The guac w/ chips was out of this world! A great appetizer to start the evening. We ordered the Shrimp Fajitas, Pollo al Pastor and the Fajitas al Guajillo. The Guajillo was one of the spiciest dishes I've ever ordered, as the whole contents were laced with jalapeno pepper casings. Overall though it was delicious and full of flavor, as were the Shrimp Fajitas. The Pollo al Pastor was rather bland, served with too much chicken and not enough sides/garnish. Overall this place seems like an Austin staple and was a great place to have dinner for those of us who were new in town. The restaurant was always bustling, with many different crowds represented. A few of their dishes, like the Pollo al Pastor, were less than exciting, but the majority were delightful and a refreshing change from the blah Mexican food we have in Seattle. read more

Polvos South - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great service! I have to say that the portions and the flavors of the food make me want to live in Austin amongst other reasons. They do have an amazing salsa bar! I hope that we could go back soon because I really really want to eat their fajitas again. read more

Marvelous food! Marvelous Mexican martinis! Just give it a try and you will go back. They have great takeout during COVID...and you can get the Mexican Martinis to go too! Yippee!! read more

Beat fajitas we have ever had!! Fantastic prices! Extremely flavorful! Ordered beef fajitas with the cooked peppers and onions, omg they were out of this world. Dog friendly patio. read more

Polvos South - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Attended a UT business fraternity prearranged lunch yesterday and really can't think of anything this place did right. - reservations not ready, forcing large (50 plus) group to wait over 1 hour. - took another hour to set up buffet. - many "self-served" while the staff was MIA. - check was almost double the agreed price per plate, owner wouldn't budge or give any consideration to a totally botched event. - owner called local police, asked for us to be arrested for trespassing. (Austin PD laughed). Settled for agreed upon price. Bottom line, food and service certainly not with the wait, hassle and total waist of our time. read more

Great food ! The interior is clean and cute with a great wait staff . Ceviche is fire but try anything here you will be happy with

Polvos Rawks!! I love the salsa bar and spicy carrots. The fajitas are yummy but I do t like their guacamole. Chips are pretty good too. My husband likes their enchiladas and of course the tequila is amazing!! They allow dogs on the patio but not all of the Patio is covered. Parking can be a pain since there are very few spots and the neighborhood is kinda weird.. but hey, it's austin.. Ride a Bike instead!! read more

I ordered fajitas combo and ended up with something can be called anything but fajitas combos and ordered sodas for my family and I and was charged $3.50 per can so we left disappointed with the dishes we ordered. Only good thing that made me choose 3 stars not one star is the introduction of chips and salsa read more

I really enjoyed my dinner here. I especially liked the salsa bar, which was a fun twist on something every Mexican Restaurant does. The atmosphere is very loud and colorful. I had a mango margarita, which tasted like it had a ton of mango in it. It was excellent. I remember I was jealous of the dish my dad ordered, since it had pork and pineapple and looked fantastic. My family and I really enjoyed our meal. read more

Polvos South - Chile relleno - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

I'm surprised I haven't written about Polvos yet. Polvos means dust in Spanish, but something way dirtier in Dominican slang. I'm not sure which one they were going for, but neither instill a ton of confidence in their food. But, surprisingly they have pretty good Tex-Mex. I've had a bunch of entrees from Polvos. Enchiladas, fajitas and quesadillas. The beef fajitas are pretty legendary. They are a contender for best flavored meat in Austin. The also have a unique salsa bar which annihilates the pesky refill requests that I'm always asking of the servers. You can go up to the bar at any point in your meal and get more salsa. I love it. Definitely check this place out of you haven't been. It's pretty good. read more

Good environment. Amiable Service. Food not exactly to par with price tag. Just my taste buds needed more spices and adequate seasoning. Drinks are good. Overall it's a place to take a one night stand to and make them feel special. read more

Servers do not care about the guest whatsoever. I walked in with a hat and left it on our table. Once I came back 10 minutes later another group was sitting there already, and none of the staff "remembered" a hat being on the table. No one took responsibility. This location is sketchy, do not come here. read more

Came for tacos and margarita pitchers. Food was tasty but I would not call it authentic. The biggest issue was the $33 margarita pitchers with no alcohol content. Service was spotty and had a lot of confusion when it came to splitting the check. Won't go back again. read more

Food is OK. Not disappointed there. But in now way does it meet the expectations of the pricing here. $30 for an order if combo fajitas is well... ridiculous! It's not warranted by service or atmosphere either. Overnight just a bummer experience. read more

This has been a mainstay in my Mexican restaurant album since moving here in '08. Never had a bad meal. Great, stiff margaritas. Staff is always kind and speedy. Killer salsa station. The patio is a sweet bonus feature. And it's blocks from my place. As many times as I've been there, somehow, I've never been let down. Hope I didn't jinx it. read more

Was here a few years ago with the same friends and this time wasn't as good- oddly they did not have refried beans. Not great for a Mexican restaurant! The food was good and the service was good but our waiter came over bit too often to ask if we needed anything. Bit too attentive! Solid flavors in the shrimp dishes and an excellent frozen margarita. Sit outside if it's warm enough! read more