Going down faster than the USS Arizona... I can no longer suggest out of town people eat at Polvos on S 1st. The last 4 times I've been here (since New Years) have been progressively worse. Like Devo Albums bad progressive. That bad. Was there with a group of 6 Wednesday and the service left 'bad' and is now firmly into 'Drug Front' quality. We call ahead, ask if we can bring cake and ice cream for our friends birthday. They say sure I bring the stuff. The guy says he can put the ice cream in the back. I assume he meant in a freeze... nope. On a shelf. He put GODDAMN ice cream on a shelf. So yeah, that happened. After we sat the 'server' got our drink orders... then disappeared... for 15 minutes... Then our drinks come. 2 were wrong, but whatever? Right. Maybe he knew better than we did. Finally we order food, food comes out quickly. That was good. I like the food. Puerco Adobado was damn good.... Then some random Hipster trash start smoking on the porch, it's clearly labeled no smoking. I mention this to the 'server'. He says "Yeah, anywhere 15 feet away from the door is fine". But the sign, I say. He just shrugs and walks off... Never again. Whenever you guys get priced out of S. First it will be a good thing. You don't care about customers anymore, just the money they bring. And your tequila selection sucks too. read more

First time here and I love the place. Great vibe and friendly service greeted me, and then the cocktail, salsa, and the clincher: excellent authentic Cocktail de Cameron. I'll be back! read more

Polvos South - Authentic Cocktail de Cameron! Excellent - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Three and a half stars??? Is that a joke. This place is amazing. Started with the ceviche (so fresh and Limey) then queso (great as well, with mix ins like beef and cilantro). The fajitas are fabulous - guanajillo (has peppers, peanuts, raisins,) is heavenly. The fish fajita as well - lemon and garlic flavors. It was an amazing meal! Plus, it was on plastic tables and fold up chairs outside which was a perfect setting. Service top notch too. Go here!!!!!! read more

Polvos South - Ceviche and queso - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Pretty good Tex-Mex. Was there with a friend and both of our entrees where huge...each was enough for two meals, for sure. Flavorful and nice presentation. I am fairly certain they use Jose Cuervo in the margs, which by the way is NOT tequila. They also splash Everclear in them, so be warned... The service was excellent.... read more

One of my fave Restaurants. Especially when hungover. Try the Chicharron plate, green enchiladas or puerco adabado read more

Polvos South - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

WARNING TO ALL MEXICANS, WHO'VE EATEN REAL AUTHENTIC MEXICAN FOODS ALL THEIR LIVES: DO NOT STOP HERE! Visiting Austin from Houston and came by here for some lunch because of all the good reviews, I don't know WHAAAT THE HECK is up with THAT! Straight lies. The food is SOOO GREASY! All of it. They have a "salsa" bar, so they give you chips but you have to pay to use this gross ass salsa bar... The chips are s#!ty too to top that. I WARN Y'ALL! GROSSEST OF THE GROSSEST. Don't believe me? Go get screwed for ya' money. Take yourself a buttload of tums, your poor heart will need them. read more

For years and years I faithfully went to this place for the fajitas and salsa. I love this place on a good night, but it seems like it has gone downhill. Recently two of us experienced some stomach problems after eating there. The interior needs a good deep cleaning, too! read more

This place was pretty good! Pros: good food, patio seating, friendly staff, strong margs Cons: the inside is dark, i wasn't a big fan of the chips read more

I love Polvos. My favorite go-to delicious food, happy place in Austin. Their fajitas are great, and so are their frozen margaritas and Mexican martinis. Order fish fajitas or cerveza fajitas with a pitcher of frozen margaritas and you won't be disappointed- you'll love it, too! read more

Live a little. This is by far one of the best Mexican restaurants I've been coming to for years. Great place to meet up friends and just have a great cackle. Hell do it with a margarita on ur hands!!!! read more

Too close to my apartment. It's so delicious. Make sure u wear stretch pants. lol

Great atmosphere and great food! Portions are almost shareable and the margaritas alone are worth the trip. All our meals got to the table perfectly timed as our waiter was very attentive. A great place for groups and family's as this restaurant has both in door and out door seating. read more

Polvos South - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

The salsa bar was incredible!! The enchaladas were made from REAL cheese, not that nasty American or Velveeta. Service was excellent and the music not no loud. Will be going back! read more

It was aight! We had some quesadillas and some drinks. But how you could mess up a quesadilla right. So it was fine. The atmosphere outside was chill and fun. Nothing out of this world. read more

If it wasn't for the food being delicious then this would've gotten 1 Star. Let's start with the drinks. We ordered a margarita picture which is $33 absolutely NO ALCOHOL. We pretty much paid for juice and ice. The service was mediocre. I'm not sure if our sever was having a hard time understanding but he got upset with us and didn't come back. We had a party of 6 and he put everything on one check. We asked him kindly to split the checks 3 ways. He told us to split our own checks by initialing what each of us was paying for. Then he didn't like the way we split it so he did it over. Then messed up 4 times. He said he's not used to people asking to split the checks. We asked to take off the gratuity so we can put in our own tips his response was "if you don't wanna tip then don't tip" which wasn't the case. Overall the experience wasn't great. read more

Right up front, the service sucks and they'll try to tack on a 15% gratuity automatically. I think this is due to the service suckage being so bad that they force you to tip. This makes as much sense as cutting off an arm to treat a fever. So, the food here is consistently great, which is why I keep coming back. In fact, Polvo's is ruining me on Mexican cuisine because the food is sooooo good. For linner yesterday (that would be a 4 pm post-hangover lunch / dinner) I had the Fajitas al Agu(something) which had walnuts, some bananas, and a huge mound of meat cooked to perfection. A few weeks ago I had some mad scientist breakfast dish with plntains, chipolte sauce, and scrambled eggs that was surprisingly dielicious. Polvo's is the kind of place to take a group of friends, order two or three pitchers of margaritas and spend a few hours shooting the breeze and languidly eating some great food. And the alcahol will dull the crapiness of the service, which is a twofer. read more

Best Carne Guisada Plate on this side of the Colorado River! Margaritas are great too! Only thing that lacks are the sub-par tortilla chips that seem to plague South 1st St. & the parking is slim to none. read more

Polvo's is our favorite restaurant in Austin. We get their fish fajitas every time. I would never get fish fajitas anywhere else. The sauce on these things is amazing. Salsa is amazing. And you could people watch all day so you don't mind the wait for a table. read more

AS OVERPRICED AS IT IS INAUTHENTIC!! Thank goodness it was a cool day because I don't think that they have air conditioning. First of all. My wife ordered the "tortilla soup". I used air quotes because it was really chicken soup with fried strips of tortilla dropped in it. The food was descent, but nothing really set it apart from any other taqueria where you can get the same food for LESS THAN HALF THE PRICE! They get two stars because the service was great, the portion was large, and the food was good at best. My jaw did drop when we got a $70 bill for four people at a taqueria. read more

If you like sweet/cheap house margaritas out of a machine this place might be for you. If however you are a douchey Mexican Martini connoisseur like myself, you will most assuredly be disappointed. Their top-shelf Mexican Martini is essentially their cheap sweet-and-sour mix margarita from a 50 gallon jug poured into a shaker with a shot of your premium tequila of choice added on top; i'm not making this up, the waiter told me this after I complained about how terrible it was. The food is unremarkable; it filled my belly, thats all I remember. read more

A good Mexican restaurant has a certain jankyness to it; like the plastic folding chairs and tables at Polvos, the lady selling crappy jewelry at the entrance and the lack of sex appeal throughout the venue. That's why I love it! I haven't had a bad plate yet and most have been quite remarkable. I have really been digging the fish tacos lately. Have them bring a side of Mole to drip on there...really good. read more

Uh, this place is amazing, i mean just the salsa bar alone is worth the visit but top that with some mexican martinis and fajitas and....well you got something special. Ive been there for breakfast as well and def. worthy of many repeat visits, especially if you live in South Austin!!! The place is always packed be it morning, noon, or nite but def. worth the wait. The only fault i could find on there menu is the chicken tortilla soup, although homemade it just wasn't what I was expecting. Other than that this place is Good Eats!! read more

Had early dinner yesterday evening inside instead of patio. I had the Poblano Pepper stuffed with grated chicken and my guest had shrimp enchilada's (w/o any sauce but grated white cheese) Both meals ($10.99) were tasty and plentyful. Mine was just a bit on the salty side but the flavor and overstuffed pepper compensated for that. Just keep drinking water. The chips were free but any self serve hot sauce added $1.75 to your meal :( The atomoshere was nice. The music was just also a bit loud but not so much that you couldn't hear your conversation. I think the music on the patio was a bit louder. Overall the restaurant had an average feel. It didnt have a very clean feel as the walls and decor looked old, dirty and just unkept. I felt that the tables and chairs were a bit tacky as it felt more like a rec center with the folding table and chairs then it did a restaurant. The business could use a fresh coat of paint and some some heavy cleaning of windows and floors, (including the restrooms). Altogether, its an okay place for happy hour and quick bite. If you have questions about how the kitchen looks, then take a look around the resturant and I am sure that you will find your answer. Overall the food was average and the plates were plenty, just don't think the price equated to the food. For the exerior, the bushes at the entrance off of 1st street need to be cut down about a foot as they are too high to see down first street if you are trying to leave. Also who ever designed the front door needs to flip the entrance as there is a concrete step that may trip you when walking out. Parking is sparce and tight for a car bigger than a Kia Rio or Toytota Yaris. Parking in the street is an option. read more

One word: CHILAQUILES!!! I come here often and the dish I always try at a Mexican restaurant is the Chilaquiles. Hands down, Polvo's has the best out of every place I have ever tried. From West Coast to East Coast, nobody has a dish this tasty. Get the eggs over easy and you can ask for red salsa or green salsa and can choose your meat. I like to mix it up, and I have never been disappointed. Not to mention, salsa bar is fantastic. My favorite is the black salsa and the Escabeche. Found out that the black salsa has the same ingredients as the red salsa, but the ingredients are burned. It is honestly delicious and has a smoky flavor which really makes it unique. Only downside to Polvo's, it is about twice as expensive as most traditional mexican joints in the area that serve Chilaquiles, but its a little more upscale in terms of plate size and ingredients. They also charge for the salsa bar, but again, 4 different salsas and you can get as much as you want. It's a get-it-yourself salsa bar. Enjoy! read more

The "love it" of this restaurant outweighs the "hate it." Ups: Awesome dark brown salsa Equally awesome ceviche All of the food I've ever had here is good The staff is very friendly and attentive Good location (except parking) Downs: The music is so loud outside that it is hard to hold a conversation (even after moving to a table farther away from the speakers.) Concerning the ceviche: We ordered a large plate and there wasn't very much on it. We then, immediately after, ordered another and there was plenty. The inconsistency was a turn-off. Ordered a rocks margarita with tres generaciones tequila and gran marnier and it just was not as good at it should have been. I don't know where they went wrong, but it was lacking. Almost no parking (not much they can do about that), you'll have to park in front of someone's house. I always feel bad about that, but that is my only option. Polvo's has its ups and downs, but I'll always go back for the brown salsa, the ceviche, and the food. read more

Polvos was pretty good! The food was pretty standard - we all got enchiladas and enjoyed them. You do have to pay for salsa (unlimited for $1.99), and our name got crossed off the waiting list even though they never sought us out so it took us a while to get seated. Server wasn't super attentive and it was sort of loud. We probably wont't go here again but it was good! read more

Come here for the margaritas, not for the food. My rating is an average of 4 stars based on the margaritas and two stars for the medicore Tex-Mex. Well, maybe I would give the ceviche 3-4 stars. Order that if you need food - it's huge and they do a good job on it. Polvos is in a great neighborhood, rumor has it they make their margaritas with Everclear (consider yourself forewarned), and they have a large outdoor seating area. Happy hour specials make it even easier to enjoy their reputable margaritas. From personal experience, let me tell you to just order single margs during HH - don't be lured into getting a pitcher - the price doesn't work out the same. It gets busy very quickly, so go early. I just noticed on another review that they are now charging for the salsa bar - that's "new", and a bit disappointing, but they have to pay rent, I suppose. read more

Great food and friendly service love the Trash Can plate also Migas are very good and don't forget the Salsa bar I liked all of it. Will be back very soon! read more

Polvos South - Salsa bar - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Gosh, I love all the sauce options at this place! From the three types of salsas at the salsa bar to literally more than 10 types of enchilada sauces, the selection is great. Not to mention that their homemade escabeche is so tasty, too! I've been coming here for years and I usually get the enchiladas with poblana or tomatillo sauce. OR the Chile Relleno with the pecan cream sauce is incredible as well. Everything is so flavorful every time. P.S. They have strong margaritas! read more

Sorry we were hungry, and didn't think about yelp until the food was gone. That being said Polvos is the place to go for that empty plate experience.... It was pollo ranchero, and it was good. We arrived too a lively crowded cafe, that did not deter the trip to homemade salsa bar to compliment the authentic homemade chips. We ordered the Pollo Ranchero Fajitas yummy and large enough portion for two. Went and snagged some homemade fresh flour tortillas and it was on. Good food, great value, excellent service, clean surroundings.... My new favorite places to eat in Austin read more

Polvos South - Remenants of Pollo Ranchero - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Excellent fajita salads!! Not your ordinary fajita salad. More exquisite with fruits and nuts and peppers and dried chilies In a great sauce! Excellent service! Came on a Monday night to avoid the crowds. Ok read more

Hands down the best Mexican food I've ever had. The price point is great for the portion size and quality. Plusssss the drink I had was amazing, (I forget the name of it though) and was well and buzzed by the time I left. Can't wait to come back! read more

The atmosphere and the margaritas are great. The food is okay didn't like the way fajita tasted, and the last time I tried the fish and it was alright! read more

See all

"Polvos" must be the Spanish word for "Taco Bell cooked in butter" because that's the trash I got here and it made me feel like gagging myself. They also snuck a commission tip on the bill with no warning and left another line for a tip on top of that. Trash x10. read more

This restaurant has always impressed me with the price vs. food quality. The atmosphere is an 8 on the 10 scale. I tested their chips for tensile strength and this is what I found. A large Polvos tortilla chip can support a beer bottle, lime wedge, ball of ten foil and a butter knife with little to no breakage. Do not try to exceed these tolerances by any means. Once again, 5 stars. The tortilla chip tensile strength won me over! read more

Fun and colorful ambiance, friendly staff, food is fresh. Love the fresh tortillas. The margaritas were good but not amazing. The salsa bar was a bit underwhelming and the guacamole needed salt. The other food we ordered had good flavor and overall good value. read more

I saw "35 things to do in Austin before you die" and Polvos' margaritas were recommended. My wife and I decided to give it a try and we were not disappointed. One pitcher of frozen margarita and chips and salsa (from the salsa bar - $1.99) plus good conversation and an excellent server (who's name escapes me....John?) led to a very enjoyable evening. The decor of the place was delightfully tacky and fun. I cannot tell about the food yet but I will be trying the breakfast Saturday. If you like a good margarita, give Polvos a try!!! read more

Absolutely great food and service. Enchiladas are amazing, must try with mole or poblano sauces. Guacamole was awesome as was the queso. Too early for the margaritas for me but will dedicating try frozen pitcher looked amazing. Rice and beans cooked to perfection. If you want great food, great service and great atmosphere this is the place to go. read more

Based on my son's recommendation, we went here for a Sunday lunch. He is usually right on the money with his recommendations, but I was sick for two days after eating here. It was packed, so I know it's popular and it was possibly an anomaly, but there are so many other great Mexican choices in Austin, I think I'll get my Tex-Mex fix elsewhere. read more

It is always a 5 star when it comes to food but today was the first day that they didn't play Latin music! It was so disappointing to see the manager would not change the music! All the play was TikTok music! Get your food to go and party at home! In the last 11 years we have been coming here this the first time we had to sit through TikTok music at Polvos and it's always a vibe!! Bad Bunny is always a king here! Just serve potato salad with raisins! read more