Did not inform our party of 30% gratuity added to our tav and wrongly informed us of price per person in a group. was told $45 and it turned out to be $65. totally unacceptable. manager was running away from our table after requesting his presence. do NOT come here in a big group! read more

It's been a few years since I have been here and maybe is was nostalgia before but the place was just not as good as I remember. Straight down the middle, nothing special Mexican food place. The service was ok, nothing bad and nothing great. You get your own salsa at the salsa bar. The chips are nothing special. The frozen margarita was at average. I got the chicken breast with an enchilada. Chicken was over cooked and dry. Enchilada was again...average. I took several colleagues there while in Austin as I am always asked to pick a place to eat. No one was overwhelmed with their food however the choriqueso was a favorite. It's been awhile since I had been but the prices sure seemed to shoot up and the food simply isn't worth it. So many other places to go in Austin that I won't go back. read more

I am a big fan of the coconut margaritas/beef and shrimp fajitas from Polvos. Add in homemade corn/flour tortillas and a salsa bar, sold! Not to mention the staff has always been friendly. Although, I have to say the price for guajillo fajitas is a little steep considering the amount of protein you get is much less than the ancho chiles, onions, raisins and nuts they add onto the skillet. I'd say a 1/3 of the skillet actually has protein, the rest are the ingredients mentioned above. I think $30+ for an order would be fair if you are getting what you pay for but that is not the case at Polvos. read more

Visiting from Dallas. Seemed to be a busy Saturday. Our server was fine, but as mentioned she must have been busy, but still courteous. Food was good. Tacos a little too oily. Took a while to come out I felt. No worries, she restocked the chips and I had great company. I did like that, they had patio seating and the weather was nice and cool. read more

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We are in search of great Tex Mex and found it here. I shared the Fish Huasteco with my friend. It was amazing and so was the accompanying chicken soup. My husband had chicken enchiladas that were delicious and my friend's husband had a beef burrito. We ordered guacamole as a side and it was delicious. We also got a pitcher of margaritas. I will bring out-of-town guest to this restaurant. read more

Polvo's is a classic Tex Mex with a heart-of-Austin vibe! The long and short is... Try it out! My order: - Chips and Salsa - I guess technically I don't order this because it magically appears at the table when you sit down but their chips are perfectly thick and salty and their two salsa provide excellent variety for all spice palates! - House Margarita (on the rocks, no salt) - I LOVE their margaritas and they offer an excellent happy hour so I 10/10 recommend stopping by early in the evening to get the night going! - Enchiladas - I ordered a two enchilada plate this time with cheese enchiladas, one with carne guisada on top (HOLY CRAP WILL ORDER THIS AGAIN!) and the other with salsa verde (also wonderful but not as show stopping). The rice and beans are classic and always worth it! - Beef fajitas - My friend ordered these and MAN did they smell amazing the whole dinner! She said she was very impressed and will crave them! As I always say, there are so many Tex Mex restaurants in Austin that you have to be choosy (or not and eat Mexican food constantly like I do) but Polvos will not let you down! read more

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Been coming here for 20 years. Will never go back. Terrible service, food was sub par. Waitress took our order and that was it. Checked on us once after we were done. Food was cold, rice was burnt. Waited forever for drinks, they didn't clear table of apps. Shitty service read more

I've been coming to Austin 15 years & my first time trying Polvos . Omg why have I wanted so long ?! Absolutely best Mexican I have had here & believe me I have had them all ! More Unique menu for sure . Definitely a must stop in Austin for best margaritas & Tex mex !! read more

Amazing food, amazing drinks, amazing atmosphere. The only down side is it has gotten very expensive, but I don't blame them, I blame the colonizers who have driven up the rents throughout our community. One of the must go spots in town. read more

An all-time favorite of mine, Polvos is the perfect example of classic Austin Tex-Mex. Everything seems to be made fresh and it sure tastes like it. The service is always friendly and speedy and always checking in. Many places have lost their touch of friendliness and welcoming but Polvos sure hasn't. This restaurant feels like home and there's always a positive and comfy vibe when you spend the morning there. Definitely a must-go stop for breakfast in South Austin. read more

The food was good, but overpriced. Everything on their menu was a few dollars more than most other similar restaurants. Additionally, their salsa is not free. This would have been fine. However, it was brought to our table without us requesting it. I knew it would be for a charge, but this could easily trick an unsuspecting customer. It's only a few bucks, but a good business wouldn't need or want to trick their customers. My friends wanted to come here for dinner, so it was worth going to spend time with them, but I would be extremely unlikely to visit or recommend the restaurant on any other occasion. I had the cerveza beef fajitas. They were alright. I would have liked to have an option with bell peppers instead of poblanos but fortunately the poblanos did not overpower the dish. I also added on an order or queso after I forgot that it was $10. That's almost unheard of! I cannot believe their guac is $15 and we certainly didn't splurge on that. A friend got enchiladas that had tons of onions. She likes onions but I could never eat something that oniony! Along with their salsa, they offered escabeche which was the only thing that made paying extra for salsa worth the charge. read more

An Austin classic. Always good. Great drinks, great salsas. I recommend fajitas and the enchiladas.

I actually really liked the food at Polvo's so it was very disappointing that there service wasn't good. We ordered the beef fajitas and the tacos al pastor, both super yummy! The service was the down side. They never came over to fill our waters and brought our food over without silverware. We had to ask twice for silverware and waited over 10 minutes while our food was getting cold. My sister also ordered an enchilada and that didn't come until we got up and asked the manager for it. By that point we were finished and paying the bill. Long story short, I'd stick to take out from Polvo's. read more

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

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The downtown establishment is big, loud with chatter and white walls. I had a chicken flutas which was good yet the rice was a little bland. read more

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Went there for brunch today. Food was great! Ordered the Machacado and Eggs plate. We also ordered the margarita pitcher! $33 but worth it. You get about 7 glasses out of it. Some stuff on the menu is a bit overpriced. read more

Everything was amazing. Food was great and loved the atmosphere. Definitely will recommend to anyone

We were in town for SXSW and had a great experience - chips were fine but the service was great and the food was too! read more

Polvos South - Queso and a taco with enchilada special - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Delicious chile relleno and everyone was so nice. We sat outside and it was easy to get a table!

The food was excellent and the service waitress did a great job in explaining what dish was supposed to be. The interior was very tasteful . I recommend the Polvis at Barton Creek mall area highly . read more

Watch out! Ask for your itemized receipt. GRATUITY was automatically included! That would explain the terrible service. * 4 people / $46 ticket. Typically, gratuity is automatically applied for large parties and/ or higher dollar ticket. read more

The food at this establishment was delicious and as close to "authentic" Mexican you can get in Austin. I ordered the pitcher of margarita and street tacos, which were both delicious. However, what turns me away from this establishment is the price of food. I understand it is Austin, so expect to pay more for everything. $20 for 6 tacos is a decent steal so I decided to order the barbacoa tacos as they come. The meat was tender and flavorful and the salsas were all wonderful. I will be back to Polvo's South! read more

Best breakfast tacos in the game, and you can fight me on that. Rule #1 with any taco, always use homemade tortillas. Polvos, check! Rule #1 with bacon and egg tacos, always mix the bacon with the eggs. Polvos, mega check! Contrary to most taco places in Austin, even places with "taco" in the name, Polvos doesn't break the taco rules. Ever. And for that, I love them. Oh, and I'd be remiss if I didn't mention their stellar salsa bar and magnificent micheladas. Stop by for a taco and a cocktail or 3. You won't regret it. read more

I am honestly blown away that this place has such low star reviews. The only thing I can think of reasoning wise is because they charge you for chips and salsa at your table - HOWEVER - if you taste the salsa you will understand why. I am not a huge salsa person, but my mother and husband are both connoisseurs on the subject so trust me when I tell you, the sh*t is amazing. Mind blowingingly amazing. You can tell by looking at it (as you'll see in my pic) but seriously, if you don't pay the $3 to have it at your table, you're just insane. We had a table of 5 for lunch and all of us were collectively mind-blown. Next - let's talk Margaritas. We opted out of the upgrade in tequila for our spicy margs and I have dreamed about these things for a month. They muddle up jalapeños inside but it's the perfect amount of spice, not too tart, not too strong, serious perfection in a glass. Headed back to get them this weekend And now for the food, y'all I can continue this very long winded review with explanations of each dish and how great it was but honestly you need to try it for yourselves. I got the flautas and they were incredible. Other had carne guisada, street tacos, etc and everything was delicious. There was not a single person that was left unhappy. Everything is authentic and delicious! Don't tell your friends or you'll be waiting every time you go! read more

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Long story short: Order the Cerveza Fajitas and a pitcher of Frozen Margs and you're in for a good night! We've been to both locations, and we prefer this one just because it feels more home-y, if that makes any sense lol. Our friends have enjoyed the standard beef fajitas and the fajita salads, but my boy and I will always always always order the cerveza fajitas to share. It's more than enough for two and has a distinct flavor that is to die for. There are no reservations, so you may be in for a wait even during non-peak hours, head's up! read more

Absolutely amazing. I had the Mexican martini which you can only have 1 if your driving. The max you out at 2. I had the chorizo and eggs plate the flower tortillas are to die for. My wife had the enchiladas exotic which was so good. We over ate and we don't regret it read more

Used to be go to restaurant in Austin. I understand inflation is hitting us all. However, I have to find a new spot. Prices having gone up steadily, to the point where a plate of ribeye fajitas is now $70. The service here has never been great, the ambiance is quirky and definitely not upscale. This has all been part of the Polvo's South experience. But I can't reconcile this all with the prices, especially when they aren't listed for some of the items. So long Polvos. Happy to see people have recognized the value of your delicious, unique Mexican food, but you've flown too high. read more

OMG this place doesn't disappoint! Take it from a local. Service is great, staff is friendly and the food is amazing! The ceviche is still my favorite but I had their street tacos this time. So much flavor and the spice options are great. Thank you for another great experience! read more

Polvos South - Beef Fajita Street Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Salsa. Veggies. Flautas. Drinks! Love this place. It's loud and busy always but it's all part of the fun.

Our recent visit on a Sunday afternoon was relaxing and delicious. We were seated on the patio at our request promptly. The carne guisada was plentiful and delicious. My companion had a seafood entree she thoroughly enjoyed. Chips and dip awesome! The day was nice and service on the patio prompt. Thanks for a wonderful day read more

Fantastic food. Place is a little grungy but don't let that stop you from going. Have fewer stars mainly bc it's not in the most convenient location and because of the overall look but the food is the best Tex mex I've ever had! read more

Polvos South - Street Tacos - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Love this place. Food and service always on point. Mole enchiladas and flautas delicious. read more

Polvos South - Chile relleno with chicken. Fantastic. Chicken Mole Enchiladas amazing - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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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

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

It's one of these business that knows why it's there. Food and service. Staff is friendly and understands the restaurants menu. I've been going there for years and they never got my order wrong. My favorite is the breakfast tacos. read more

I've been here once prior and raved about it, love it. But this time the lady who checked us in was horribly rude, and passive aggressive. It was so odd. Then the chips were cold and my menus had shit on it which is just minimal effoRt. I hope the management fixes this ASAP. Food was good, this is whY there are two stars. The cerveza fajotas dint disappoint and the waiter was attentive. Hopefully the other issues get fixed. read more

Polvos South - 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

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

In Austin for a football game and grabbed a bite before heading back to Houston. Found this jewel and glad we stopped by. The parking lot is very small but there is street parking available, if you find a spot. We were seated quickly inside. There is plenty of patio seating but we had a lil one with us and it was chilly out. The service was great but it took a while to get our food after we ordered. I didn't mind because they have a salsa bar but it's 4 bucks per table, if decide to indulge. Not many choices on the salsa bar: spicy, mild and veggies. I ordered the street tacos and they were yummy. The meat was seasoned very well but it was something about the seasoning that was a lil different than what I've had before. Not a bad thing, just different. I would definitely come back again if I am back in Austin. The prices were reasonable and service was wonderful. If you're looking for a new place to try while visiting, give Polvos a chance. Bianca read more

Polvos South - Street tacos-chicken - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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

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