This one is tough, because I know the issue here is me. The location: great The service: fantastic The homemade flour tortillas: top-notch. Their homemade escabeche is also great along with their two salsas. The issue for me is the same issue I have with "classical" Tex-Mex: Too much cumin. Cumin overkill. The picadillo? It's the predominant flavor. The refried beans? It's all you taste. The rice? Different texture, same taste. I understand now why so many people who are only familiar with Tex-Mex rave about Polvo's. The great stuff I mentioned at the beginning of the review and the familiarity of the flavor profile make it an easy and safe recommendation. This is a rare instance where I can understand why so many rave about it but also accept that it's not for me. If/when global warming causes a cumin shortage, I'll make a beeline for this place. Until then, I'll tag along when friends and/or out-of-town relatives want to get back to Polvo's. read more

The beef fajita tacos were 8/10. The ceviche was 7/10 and fresh. Our server handled the group of 12 efficiently and with kindness. We sat outside, and the weather was nice. Lastly, the music was good. Will visit again! read more

Polvos South - Beef fajita street tacos. - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I completely enjoyed everything about this restaurant. From the amazing Southside vibe to the eclectic shack construction. Everything is fresh, made on site and seasoned to perfection. They bring you the best chips in town and then you head into make your selection at the salsa bar. Of course the liquor bar is going to distract you on the way and you're going to grab a margarita. I went with the street tacos, ground beef and steak. Yes it says six but you can do it because they are small. The simple tacos feature the hot double corn tortilla, seasoned meats a little bit of lettuce and cheese. Delicious. Then you're going to get another margarita. Here's where it's going to get a little tricky. They have two small bathrooms and on a busy night you are going to wait. So guys don't get up and go with the last second like normal. But it is a good chance to talk to other people who are just as happy with you because they had two Margaritas. read more

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Worst service ever waited almost 2 hrs about ready to leave. Server did not even come check on us at all we had to call for her.

I use to come here in my younger days, about 10/15 years ago. Loved the fajitas and pitchers of margaritas! Went last night and they dod not disappoint!! Better than i remembered! We ordered the Nachos Lujo Protein Pastor and beef fajitas. Held the pinas and requested the pastor with a light crisp and oooooooeeeeeeeeemmmmmmmmmggggggggggzzzaaaa!! We woke up still thinking of our meal! Buen provecho! Nachos de Lujo Tortilla chips with refried beans and Monterey Jack cheese, decorated with cabbage, jalapeños, guacamole, and sour cream. Add pastor, ground beef, beef or chicken fa... $14.00 read more

Always awesome always dependable. The margaritas are great and discounted at happy hour. Food is solid Austin Tex Mex...I really wish they had a bar.. but the salsa bar helps.. Favorite here are the enchiladas, melted cheesy goodness that won't disappoint. Been coming here for years and it's always a decent option. read more

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

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Ambiance was pretty chill on a Saturday afternoon, the servers are very friendly. Tried their ceviche and mole enchiladas, for the price it was not as good as I was expecting. The mole sauce didn't taste home made it tasted store bought from a can and their tortillas were stale. The ceviche was alright, half of the dish it was served in was a salad, not ceviche. The drinks were strong. Overall, very overpriced will probably not be back. read more

Polvos South - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

My cousin said it was the best queso in Austin. Got off the plane, stopped here for a bite. He wasn't kidding, it was some darned tasty queso. Assembly at the table by yourself, add as much of the ingredients as you like. Next up, mains: Steak Fajitas - All plates served with rice, beans and tortillas. Warning: fajitas are served on 500° skillets. Beef cooked with Polvo's special spices on a bed of grilled onions and peppers, served with guacamole and sour cream. - Bursting with Polvos flavor, great char. Exotic Taco - A flour or corn tortilla stuffed with your favorite meat or vegetable on a bed of rice and bean. Topped with your favorite sauce (fish or shrimp) - it's like a plate dumped with everything in the kitchen. Super tasty. Super messy. Chile Relleno al Nogal - Chile poblano peppers stuffed with cheese, vegetables, pastor, shredded chicken or ground beef. Topped with cartuja sauce and Monterey jack cheese. - This CARTUJA sauce is key folks! It made the dish amazing. Lots of parking. Live music on the patio. Coming back on my next visit to Austin. read more

Everytime we have been here, the food is absolutely fantastic. The portions are always massive and the chips and salsa are my favorite ever in all of Austin. They have unlimited chips and self-serve salsa (red, green, and vegetables as well). I've brought people from out of town here and they've enjoyed it as well. I have tried the Goliath Burrito ($17), which is basically two meals. Every dish comes with rice, beans, guac. I have also tried the Steak Polvos ($45) - they don't have prices listed on their menu so I didn't know the price. The steak was perfectly cooked, had great seasoning and a crispy crust. Their enchiladas are always very saucey and good. Again, it comes with so much food, there is always leftovers. Parking - small lot but have never had issues finding a spot. read more

These owners from Mexico just got GREEDY. First they started ripping people off by sneakily adding chips and salsa to your bill. Then, they high jacked the prices. Almost $30 for chicken. Really? read more

OMG Polvo's just might be my new favorite restaurant! This was some of the tastiest Mexican food I've had in a really, really long time. Despite this restaurant being an Austin staple, I had never had the chance to visit - until last week. They offer the usual dishes (queso, quesadillas, fajitas, etc.), and the presentation, the serving amounts, the flavors - all out of this world. I also tried the piña colada which was so tasty, but also very filling. No one in my party finished their food, which was perfect cause we all had a snack for later. My only (small) complaint is that we had to pay for the salsa (delicious btw) lol. All the employees were friendly and attentive. Music was bumpin'. Oh I'll definitely be back! Yum. read more

Polvos South - Quesadillas Compuestas - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Average food and SLOW service is the best way to describe this place. The food was decent don't get me wrong, but nothing to write home about. The prices were a little high but they make up for it with the large portions. There's a self serve salsa bar too. Our waiter took 24 mins to take our order...it was not packed either. We eventually had to end up waving him down. I would come back, but don't try coming here if you are in a rush. The best part was the margaritas. Inside is cute, super casual. Pros: drinks, large portions Cons: slow service read more

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

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It was decent. My friend took me here as a quick lunch stop. The weather was not great and was a little rainey so they had parking in the tiny lot in front of the place so we got lucky. But Imma keep it 100 and say if this place didn't have parking available, the food isn't so amazing that I'd look for a spot nearby and walk. BUT finding parking in Austin is my biggest turn-off and that was not an issue today! we sat outside under a covered patio and the weather was cool. There were no bugs and there was plenty of room. I did go inside to use the restroom and I wish I would've taken a picture. It's an older place but super colorful the bathrooms were clean and the self serve salsa was not only delicious but in my opinion convenient. now that I live in Austin have had many different kinds of refried beans and these are probably the second best I've had. Normally rice and beans on the plate is some thing I skip because it's a side that isn't that exciting but the rice was cooked in flavored perfectly, and I ate quite a bit of it. The only reason I didn't eat it all was because of how big the serving sizes are here. My favorite thing I had was the red snapper tacos. It was really amazing how well they seasoned the red snapper honestly, I would've had it on its own without a taco because it was just that good. I would say that was the star of my first time eating here. I was also impressed with the salsas. All of them were equally delicious. I didn't try the pickled vegetables, but that was my favorite and the things she was looking forward to most someone who has visited this restaurant in the past. I would definitely eat here again. It was a great experience. The service was excellent. Everybody was super nice, as long as there's parking, they might see me again. If you like fish tacos, especially because typically they are not done right this place was superb. read more

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A couple of years ago, a friend suggested that I check out Polvos and then yesterday another wanted to check out Polvos so I went and had a culinary experience. As we traversed the parking lot and approached the entrance, our server Carlos N. came out to genuinely greeted us, asking if we preferred to be seated outside or inside, we opted to be seated inside. First order on this glorious day was Top Shelf Margaritas with a generous splashing of Grand Marnier that accompanied the chips and delicious salsa whilst waiting for the main course. The lite afternoon snack consisted of the Ribeye Fajitas served with rice, beans and tortillas and I do declare that my discerning palate was totally satisfied. I must add that in lieu of dessert, Top Shelf Margaritas were ordered for digestive purposes only. I will definitely be back to tried some of the delectable delights that I eyeballed on the menu. read more

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Chips. Salsa. Mexican martini PITCHER! It's happy hour, y'all! House made tortillas and chips. Salsa bar is awesome. Cocktails are stiff. Service is spot on (the staff actually enjoys being here). Food is pretty standard although the ceviche was a little too limey today. It can get loud (really loud) when it's busy (was that us?). read more

Best fish and shredded chicken tacos I've ever had on my most recent visit. Polvo's is usually very good but this was...I don't have the words for it. read more

Prices have gone up in the past few years for this atmosphere and ambience. Half lights out on the patio and all the cleaning products out in full view in the restroom. read more

Polvos South - Half lights out - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Wonderful spot for happy hour! Our server was on top of everything and getting our food out so it's hot and fresh. Margaritas were good but they salsa bar was even better. I think they charge extra for the salsa bar too so be mindful of that (I give a lil side eye to Mexican food restaurants who charge for chips and salsa) but overall was good. We all agreed we'd return again! read more

This place was great. They were able to accommodate gluten-free and the breakfast tacos I got were great because they did the bacon well. The people were nice too and I had a cool vibe. read more

This was THE best Mexican restaurant I've ever had. I had steak & shrimp fajitas and added mushrooms and cheese, amazing! The guacamole was fresh. The chips were great. The horchata was perfect. But the star of the show was the brown salsa! I have never had that kind of salsa but it was amazing. I could not stop eating it and here I am weeks later, still thinking about it. Everytime I visit Austin I will be going here. I would suggest this restaurant to anyone looking for authentic Mexican food. The service was also great, our server was attentive and made sure we had everything we needed. read more

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

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I love a good dive, but wow, this was just not good. For the exorbitant prices they charge and the nickel & diming ($3.50 for salsa you have to get up and get yourself from a "salsa bar" when any other tex-mex place offers it for free), the service and the vibe should be great. The fajitas were eh - but they should be fantastic for $30+, a chicken breast meal for $30! and charging $7 for a single chicken taco and $8 for shrimp is crazy when there are far better places to eat that charge less for the same. Oh, and my husband who LOVES margaritas only had one because he said they weren't worth the price or the calories. The queso came with a sad teaspoon of greasy chopped meat slapped on the plate with a teaspoon of brownish guacamole. The service was half-hearted and most of the chairs in the dining room are plastic folding chairs, which would be forgivable if everything else were better. Go to Matt's if you want great food that's on the pricier side, to Sazon on S Lamar for great food at a dive with friendly service - or support Flavia's food truck on S Lamar, who charges $5 for two excellent tacos. read more

Delicious food, friendly staff, obsessed with the music and vibes! Outdoor and indoor seating available. Salsa bar absolutely slaps! Briggs always takes good care of me. read more

Polvos South - Polvos Green House Salad - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

I don't wanna love Polvos! They've gotten a little stuck up with their fancy new locations, fancy menus, furniture and fixtures. They even have fancy new prices! Fajitas Guajillo, our favorite were $20 not long ago and now they're $34!!! But you know what? They're totally fricking worth it 98% of the time! I've gotten a batch that wasn't primo but it's rare. So I'll stop pouting and start going back cause they are the best damn fajitas in the planet. My picture doesn't do them justice but at least I caught a shot before they were gone! Cheers! read more

Polvos South - Fajitas guajillo! - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

First time here, but won't be the last. We found ourselves on that side of town, coming home from COTA and had to try it out. I almost did 4 stars because of the cantaloupe margarita...it was actually a misunderstanding on our part. We were thinking cantaloupe like the fruit, and it was basically a midori flavored margarita. No need to dock a star over a miscommunication. And it WAS still tasty, just not what we were expecting. The prices seemed a bit steep, but the portions are HUGE and everything is super fresh and soooo good. The frozen sangria was really good (and...strong!) I love the salsa bar! You help yourself (they do charge for the salsa bar) and they also have pickled peppers and carrots too (I love pickled carrots). There was no wait to get a table, but service was a little slow. It was a cold and rainy Sunday, maybe they were understaffed? No big deal. The beef fajitas were perfectly seasoned and tender. The shrimp fajitas were fantastic and had an amazing blend of veggies on the plate. And the "make your own enchiladas" option is fun. You decide the filling and the sauce topping. We did one cheese enchilada withcarne guisada sauce and one poblano pepper enchilada with tomatillo sauce...divine. Everything was great. They also have NA beer which was great since one of our party doesn't drink. Overall great experience. Highly recommend checking them out. read more

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Great and prompt service! Delicious food - street tacos are our favorite - fish and fajita chicken! Shrimp is also very good. . We come here every time we are in Austin! Our favorite! read more

My wife and I eat lunch out on a daily basis and have come to Polvos several times in the past and have had enjoyable meals; however, today was a disaster! We ordered tamales; however, this time they were dry and tasteless. Additionally, the server was one of the worst that we have ever encountered. We were last here in December with our family and enjoyed the tamales so much that our daughter purchased more to take back home to Dallas. Five months later and what a difference. Disgusting service and disappointing food. I doubt that we will be returning to Polvos in the near future, if at all! read more

We have eaten here a few times, and have always enjoyed it! Their chips & guacamole is absolutely delicious, so I definitely recommend getting that as an appetizer. Their entrees are solid as well, and service has always been good too. Overall, I am a fan of Polvos and we will be back at some point for sure! read more

First timer and I love this place. My friend and I hit this place up for a patio sip after kayaking on Town Lake (it will always be Town Lake to me)! The drinks were perfect, fresh tasting and had a thick tajin rim! The fajitas Al guajillo were so tender, flavorful, and had plenty enough to share. The service was friendly and attentive and the patio was shaded. All made for a terrific lunch treat. A little disappointed that they charge for the salsa bar and the tables outside were warped, causing drinks to slide around, which was a little annoying, but it's Austin, it's hot, tables warp. What are you gonna do? read more

Polvos South - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

I have been coming here for years. It's down the street from where I live and I've always enjoyed the food to price value. Just a nice place to sit outside, and have a meal. I don't know what happened, but the prices have doubled. $50 for fajitas for two?! Three tortillas? I was flabbergasted when our party of three got 2 entrees and 2 drinks and spent well over $100. The food was good, but not that good. Better off going to a small taqueria. I don't know what's happened, maybe they have to pass on their legal fees to the customer, but sadly we will never go there again. Maybe we are just being priced out of the area, maybe their clientele has shifted. read more

Polvos South - $50 chicken fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

One of my favorite spots in town. The food here is delicious and portioned big. Their homemade floor tortillas are delicious. The authentic Mexican flavor is very present in all of their plates. Great spot to grab a few drinks, with some friends. A couple times I've been, our server completely forgot about our table. But just our luck we were pair with the same server twice. Other times I've been the service and food has been amazing. This is a must-try if you're looking for a place to have dinner in Austin. read more

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Didn't even have our reservation on their books even though we called 3 days before. Proceeded to have slow service and rude servers.

Spending a long weekend in Bolden Burroughs of ATX. Friends suggested indoor patio seating(maybe November) I had vegan option rice and beans. Rest of the table had mole' fajitas, nachos all generous portions, tasty happy campers Margaritas even the virgin ones were flavorful. The interior is Tex Amex kitch . The service fast friendly. A first choice in an area rife with them read more

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This is one of our favorite places in austin. So happy to report that not much has changed in flavor and quality of food since before the pandemic. Quality and food is still just as wonderful as it was before. I will say this isn't the greatest spot for beverages, they don't really make margaritas the way I feel they should be at a Mexican restaurant. And the frozen ones have lower quality tequila. Their Mexican martinis also are pre-batched and not my favorite. Martinis really aren't something that should be pre-batched. I wish they did them better. I will say the one disappointing thing to see is the charge for the salsa bar even when purchasing meals and drinks in the past this used to be complimentary, same goes for the tortillas. Service is pretty average here but that's also not why you go. We love the food here, it's always so delicious no matter what we have. A must try if you have not been. read more

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Horrible service, have took forever to refill chips, all the salsa was not at the salsa bar. Took 30 minutes to take our food order. Sent back drinks because they had a peculiar taste. Was not asked if we wanted anything else. Drinks were served in plastic cups. Super sad bc we've been here a dozen times before. My girlfriend asked for red snapper and took them 20 min to tell her they didn't have red snapper. read more

Homey, half-service joint on South 1st. Big plus that they have their own parking lot right outside, and both indoor and outdoor seating. While the interior doesn't try to impress, this place was full even on a Monday afternoon. On to the food and drinks: you get chips as soon as you're seated, and have self service salsas and pickles. The chips were a bit stale, but the salsas were quite addicting! The aguas Fresca was fresh and tasty. It looked like you were able to get refills on some of the juices. The pina colada was not necessarily bad - it just didn't taste like a pina colada...if that makes sense. They were out of the mixed ceviche but offered the shrimp ceviche instead. It was definitely interesting how the plate was garnished with avocados, blueberries and strawberries. The shrimp itself tasted too "cooked" in the citrus (not enough seafoody tang) which makes me wonder how fresh it was. Overall great service, but the food and drinks were a mixed bag. read more

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Breakfast tacos are underrated and it upset my stomach all day. Bacon tasted like old grease.

OMG. Just finished dining at Polvos new space in south Austin at Barton Creek Mall. Hahahahahahahahahahaha These people wanted $16 for three scoops of guacamole on a plastic diner plate! Supposedly, it was fresh guacamole with Pico de Gallo. Hahahahaha we took a bite and said nuh uh and told the server it was not fresh and there was no jalapeño. It was just tomato and onion. As for the famous salsa bar? I didn't see it nowhere but saw on its online menu it was like 3 bucks. Who knows what that would have looked like? Needless to say, not going back. It took over the Abuelos that was here so if you remember that you know it's a nice space with a killer patio. But this is like Whataburger trying to sell you their food at steak restaurant prices. It just doesn't work. I would be shocked if they are still around one year from now with these prices. The service was ok for a packed night so I don't blame the server, I blame the owners for thinking South Austin is full of suckers. I would prefer to spend my money to dine at Manuel's, Fonda San Miguel, Matt's El Rancho, or even Hecho en Mexico. I got cheese enchiladas and fellow diner got taco and enchilada plate. It was good but nope. Not worth these prices. Did I mention the credit card surcharge signage on the wall? That was a classy touch. Lol read more

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Polvos is a solid texmex spot with a great location. Parking lot could be bigger, but street parking is actually somewhat easy in the area. Their carne asada plate is next level good. Ceviche is my favorite thing on the menu. Love how you can serve yourself salsa as they have a few variations. The real mvp of the show are their Mexican martinis. read more

My husband and I came here on a whim with our toddler. We were pleasantly surprised with the warm complimentary chips and ordered guac ($16) to go with it. Because of Covid there's no menus so you scan a QR code at the table. And since we're all vegan it was easier to ask what we could have and modify it. If you have a dietary restriction they were very accommodating. We ordered 2 veggie fajitas ($22ea) which came with flour tortillas. I'm not uptight about Covid but something a bit off putting is the salsa bar. There's 3 large bowls in the center of the restaurant where you go help yourself. That means a lot of people using the ladle all day. So skip the salsa. The entrees were really good and we were happy. We didn't know the price until we got the bill. The guac wasn't that special and was spoonfuls scooped on a plate. The fajitas didn't even have tofu, just veggies, nothing warranted it being $22. I asked the server and she said they raised prices 3 days ago. We never paid this in NYC and we've had way better. We had a nice time and found the food to be authentic but it didn't impress enough to shock us with a $73 tab + 20% tip. This rubbed us wrong and we already said we'll never come back. read more

Polvos South - 2 vegans, 2 beers and a side of guac - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Pretty decent food here. The portions are pretty huge here which helps justify the pricing. I would say it is pretty standard good food but nothing super unique. I would come here for the atmosphere and decor. read more

Polvos South - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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