A Lake Travis area staple! Still serving up some of the most authentic Mexican and TexMex in central TX. Not much has changed since my first visit many years ago. Still super casual, really great food at reasonable prices, friendly staff and servers. Carne quisada is still HIGHLY recommend. I've pretty much worked my way through the menu, except breakfast, and that's on my to do list. :) Everything hits right. While they are indeed very good, oddly the tamales are not my favorite thing the restaurant offers. Maybe I'm just a weirdo. Merp. I don't know what they do, but their crispy tacos are the yummiest I've ever had. I recently ordered a taco plate for delivery and was skeptical of how it would arrive (soggy, etc?). They packed everything brilliantly. Wrapped the crisp corn shells in foil and put the meat and toppings in separate containers. Easily assembled and just as yummy as in the restaurant. Yay! Or or no! Lol. Some extra lbs coming my way? Too easy! If you've never visited Rosie's, I would only ask what are you waiting for? ;) read more

See all

Updating this review 7 years later: still the best breakfast tacos ever, I still go here every time I'm able to, and I'll continue to until they're gone. read more

I've been going to this restaurant for at least 40 years (and not one dime has been put into remodeling ) but had not been in about 15, since I moved away. So $163.53 for 7 people is not the WORST PART! 1. flavorless food 2. waiter never returned to ask how we were doing... we just had to flag him down! 3. and... it's not like he was busy. There were only three or four tables occupied in the entire restaurant right at lunchtime! 4. waiter ASKED HOW MUCH TIP I wanted to add when he picked up my credit card to go run the tab. I said 20%, caught by surprise 5. Waiter added tip on $30 of to-go food... Tamales and chili con carne. Since when do you tip 20% on To go Food?? 6. Tea was $3.75 a glass...whaaaa??? 7. The pralines were $3.25 each 8. The Willie's Plate (yes, WN has been known to eat there 40 years ago) is now up to $16.40... 9. child's plate is $9.45! Yikes 10. AND THE ONE GOOD THING IS THAT THE TAMALES I TOOK TO HOME TO MY HUSBAND WERE GREAT!!! Praise given where praise is due! BOTTOM LINE: yes, Willie Nelson could afford this but otherwise I can see why there were only three tables occupied at 1 o'clock on Sunday! Also, when I called to ask about the $25 tip the guy had given himself, they hung up on me and didn't bother to call back-- if it was a technical problem. I will not go there again!! read more

Lovely, family owned and run place for breakfast tacos! The owner is very friendly and the service is pretty good. I've only ever been for breakfast tacos so can't speak to much else. Go every time I can! I read more

Rosie's Tamale House - Heart attack or suicide taco. I can't remember what it is called. - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

Be sure to read your receipt carefully. A week after eating at Rosie's I discovered that I was overcharged $750.00. You read that right.Seven Hundred and fifty dollars ! This is no honest mistake. Now, my bank account is overdrawn and reporting fraud on my bank card takes ten days. I called the restaurant and they admitted the "mistake" but after one week, nothing has happened. CAUTION when paying by card. read more

Service was quick and friendly. Food was lacking in flavor and was mediocre at best. My jalapeño poppers were a frozen flash fried Sysco appetizer. Again, the food was not in any way authentic or flavorful. It lacked spice and was just bland. I had the taco plate and my dinner companion had the chicken flautas. A few parties that were there during our dinner seemed to be regulars and an older/retired crowd. Maybe they adjusted the spice and flavor level to the regulars? My best comparison is "Mexican night" at a cafeteria catering to those with who can't tolerate any sort of spice/salt or heat? I grew up in South Texas with a Mexican mom so maybe my expectation of Tex-Mex is a little high. In conclusion, service quick and efficient- food bland and unappealing. read more

the food was delicious and the staff was very friendly :) the service was very quick as well so we barely had to wait for our food ! a lovely place ! read more

Rosie's Tamale House - 1 Sour Cream Chicken Enchilada and Tamale Plate - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Man, I love this place. Been coming here so long, I'm not even sure how many years, but probably about 50. Gimme a #4 plate--taco, enchilada, rice, and beans. Need to stop in again soon. read more

Great Tex-Mex food and a historical/iconic, family-owned restaurant. Fun, laid back atmosphere. I've been a satisfied customer for decades. read more

Great food! Ordered for pick up had two soft tacos and a dozen pork tamales. Tacos were delicious and everything came all separated. Which was great, meat was in a bowl, tortillas were wrapped in foil, lettuce, cheese and tomato's were in a to go box. Kept everything fresh and non soggy! Will definitely be back and try more! read more

I ABSOLUTELY LOVE THIS PLACE! I live 45 minutes away from Rosie's, but still, every Sunday after church, our whole family used to make the 45-minute commute to eat at Rosie's after church. As we have grow our family doesn't do this as much bur still when I drive down hwy 71 or just get in the mood for Mexican food, I'll not hesitate to make the 45 minute drive to go to Rosie's and get some Soft Tacos with Rice and Beans.. and you can't forget the Hot Sauce, which I'm convinced is the best anywhere.. The atmosphere is perfect, the waiters are super friendly.. And who knows who you might run into here... Willie Nelson, perhaps?? Maybe!!! A little hack: put some butter on your chip and dip it into the Hot Sauce and then into the Queso.. heaven in your mouth.. But I absolutely recommend this place.. read more

Look if your looking for the best cheese enchilada around here this is your spot ! Be sure to get them with onions and side of sour cream! I've been coming here since I was a kid in the 80's back when Rosie use to be there but she's got the cameras on at home and she's watchin'! Some people like to give Rosies are hard time but you go here to eat! Nothings changed since the 80s that's what we love about it ! The tortilla soup is delicious & the crispy tacos & street tacos & don't forget about the Willie Plate! It's BYOB ! We love it he vibes and the food and the staff! I'm telling you the tortilla soup saves the day! Rice and breaks original Rosies style & of course the chips & salsa good ! This place is the original blue print of real local 512 food & vibes ! read more

See all

Love the fajitas here. Marinade is something else, highly recommended! It's a place that has a different feel to it, like you walk into a Willie Nelson song or something. You won't find another place like it. read more

Cinco de Mayo 2023 is in full effect and every Mexican place is packed. We tried to get into La Popular at 5pm but they put us on a 2 hour waitlist. After being unable to procure drinks at the bar, we decided to go somewhere else. We decided on Rosie's Tamale House. We couldn't deal with another long wait because our friends had young children. So with 2 young kids in tow we made our way to the opposite end of the spectrum of the Mexican Restaurant experience. We traded the flashy neons for gothic stanchions against wood paneling. We optioned for the crushed velvet portraits of conquistadors over flat screen tv's. We passed on the packed buzz of a brand new scene to revisit the old staple. A photo wall, two claw machines & a bubble gum dispenser greeted us where a rock garden in an industrial planter would have been at the previous location. Mexicans don't celebrate Cinco de Mayo. It's just some drummed up holiday to get us to consume. So in this spirit, we bought a 12 pack of Pacifico, a bottle of Dolce Vita, and plopped down at a family owned Tex Mex joint and ordered the basics. Every single bit of it was exactly what we wanted and needed. You see, Tex-Mex is part American, just like this holiday. So it made perfect sense that we were all guided here to Rosie's; the absolute right place at the right time. There was no fanfare, no marketing, not even a "special" to commemorate the Battle of Puebla. It was the same refried beans, Mexican rice, queso, guacamole, salsa and sizzling fajitas whose flavor has stayed the same for decades. We ate our fill and won some prizes at the claw machine. We took photos, shared conversations and shots of tequila (cause true Tex Mex joints are BYOB). Best part was we were home and settled long before we got the text message alert that our table at La Popular was ready. read more

Rosie's Tamale House - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

JAN 07, 2021 was looking for a place for early morning breakfast with a friend, and Rosie's Tamale was open. The doors open at 6am There is plenty of seating and "Fox" happily met us to take care of our breakfast get together. They have a dedicated breakfast menu. First off the coffee was decent, typical diner style , but not your $5 cup of joe from the named joints. Was not bitter and hit the spot. I ordered two breakfast tacos one being Egg and Chorizo and the other Egg and Bacon. First off, I just needed one Taco. Two definitely filled me up. The Chorizo and Egg was salty. I know the sausage is normally salty, but this was a little too much. The egg and bacon was perfect . The hot sauce (red) was good. Just enough bite, and good flavor. Would I go back again, yes, it is perfect for those early morning breakfast needs, a place to sit down., And based on the amount of to go orders , it seems to have a decent working man's following. Plenty of seating Good distancing Servers do wear a mask Food was good, but the Chorizo was overly salty read more

See all

Food was great as always. Visit every time I come into town. Tea costs $2.00 now which used to be free. Chips and salsa are $2.00 now which used to be free. My favorite waiters Joe and Juan were not working. Credit card machine was down. Good thing I had cash on hand. read more

See all

In the area, so I stopped to pick up a dozen tamales. I can only hope they are good, because the older gentleman behind the counter is a grumpy ass. If this is the way he treats all customers, I wonder why they have any business. Life is too short to be such an ass to people! Update, the tamales were disgusting. Not sure what happened to what used to be the best! But these get a zero on a 1-10 scale! read more

Pricing has definitely gone up and I recommend bringing drinks (it's BYOB) because their water is not delicious. Been coming here for years to get fajitas and cheese enchiladas. Servers are usually on top of it, and Vincent is always so friendly at the front! If they have them the pralines are SOOO good! read more

Rosie's Tamale House - If you don't like Rosie's, honestly, you're wrong. - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Perfect and classic Tex-Mex place with the bomb tamales. Fast and efficient service, hot plates with large amounts of great food. Did I mention the tamales? DELICIOUS. read more

Best tamales in Austin. It has that unpretentious attitude as soon as you walk in. All the tables seat 4. It's a large area just perfect for a party. The staff are nice. read more

This is my 2nd review and sadly, Rosie's loses 1 star for their new policy of charging 2.00 for chips and salsa!!!! When we saw the sign on the door, we almost left... and we are HUGE Rosie fans!! It's just not right!!! Raise every menu item by a buck if you have to... but charging for chips and salsa is a real turn off and not what we expected from our favorite Mexican restaurant read more

Hot food Good service everything was good and fast service considering there were around fifty persons having a good time drinks were served as fast as you drank them refills were great. Food needless to say hot and delicious. X-mas decorations were outstanding. read more

A classic dive Mexican restaurant off Hwy 71. The best Tex Mex in Austin! The enchiladas, tamales, and crispy beef tacos are legendary. The salsa is amazing and I order a quart with chips to go sometimes. Outstanding friendly service. Be careful leaving the parking lot to get on Hwy 71. read more

The best tamales this side of the border; it's not the classiest of joints but if you notice one trend in the one star reviews it's that none of them mention TAMALES. All you need is salt and you're set, the prices for a dozen increase a bit much on the weekends but they are more than worth it. read more

Me and my wife have visited this place several time. It's a Austin area institution. It is not pretentious and nothing fancy. They don't don't do a lot but what they do, do they do it well. We enjoy the enchiladas. Stop in and give it a try. read more

I'm giving it 2 stars but honestly I'm doing that so you read this. 1st. I called in ahead to order. The man who answers is the same man who "greeted" me, if you can say that. Someone called him "grumpy" and an "ass." I'm sure this man was the same person. He told me when I called that he could not take a phone order. Ok. BUT when I get there the customer after me tells him he called in an order and was there to pick up and no, the customer was not food delivery. He was just a regular customer. So I guess depending on how this man "feels" he takes phone orders and sometimes he doesn't. Well enough of the below one star rating for customer service. The restaurant is a "tamale" house? I honestly have never had worse tamales than this. Grocers do better. 1. Masa is greasy and flavorless 2. Color of the tamale is brown..literally and running in grease. 3. Pork is mush and so greasy. It is not shredded pork roast..you cannot tell it's meat and cannot taste the flavor. It's got to be very low quality pork. Hot dog quality. Horrible. These are the absolute worst tamales I've ever had. Central Market, if you can believe it, does better. These are not your mom's tamales for certain. read more

See all

Best Mexican good in Bee Cave! My in-laws stopped by to pick up some food to go. They were welcomed in and Rosie's son offered them multiple samples to see what they would like. The food was excellent and we can't wait to go back. We are already planning on returning on Saturday for the breakfast tacos and fajitas on Saturday night. This is now our go to Mexican restaurant. I had the burritos compuestas. Flavor was great. Just the right amount of spice. Ate the food so fast that I forgot to take a picture. read more

Hole in the wall with pretty consistently good breakfast tacos! Other breakfast food is ok.

First time here while visiting Lake Travis. We were staying at the Lakeway Resort and Spa and were in the mood for some Mexican breakfast so we found this little spot a few minutes away. My husband enjoyed his huevos rancheros. I on the other hand found my barbacoa plate to be on the bland and cooler side. Barbacoa is typically served hot with onions and cilantro on the side. Instead It was served with a side of mashed potato, lettuce, tomato, avocado, shredded cheese and slightly warm beans. Service was ok. I believe due to COVID there was only one person waiting tables. The older man who waited on us seemed rude at first but as we sat there and heard him talk to other customers we realized that was the way he joked around but for a newbie to the restaurant as ourselves you would think he was rude. We did feel rushed from the moment we walked in to the moment we paid. Overall food is average, felt more like Tex mex rather than authentic Mexican food. read more

Rosie's Tamale House - Barbacoa plate - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Consistently good TexMex. Service is always good and we've been enjoying it for over 30 years!

Wonderful family owned neighborhood tex-mex joint! It's BYOB too!!! Inexpensive for a big ole plate of traditional tex mex. My husband always gets enchiladas or the willie plate bc how can you resist getting that? It's one of Willie Nelson's go to places! I always like to get tamales, I mean it's in the name, sooo you know they are good! Salsa is dang good, but be aware it is pretty hot and varies daily, as it's homemade. Again, this place is BYOB and they may or may not have a free margarita offering on Wednesdays and Saturdays. Cheers! read more

Always a favorite. This is a quick place to get some home cooked food. Extremely casual. Try the Willie's Plate.

Awesome hidden gem! And the best place to stop and refuel after a hike at Reimer Ranch Park!

TV dinner Mexican food is gourmet compared to this "food" and the depressing wood paneling is like a 70's game room. Nightmarish caricatures of Willie Nelson in a bygone era. Willie ate here, the Willie plate. Before there were any restaurants out here and the parents and owners ran it. They are long gone and you can tell. read more

It's too late.... there are no pictures of food because It All Disappeared... Coffee, biscuit and gravy, and two breakfast tacos (chorizo n cheese & egg n sausage)... GONE. It's not that I was alone, so no one came and stole my servings. But they literally vaporized. I'll be back... maybe next time there will be images... maybe. Prices- inexpensive, Portions- good, Taste- excellent read more

Not what it Used to be or maybe never any good School cafeteria serves better Mexican food Better yet Mexicans should protest this place. read more

Rosie's is one of those Austin institutions you always hear about. I dined here for the second time today with a friend. My first impression on the place is Elk's lodge meets 1971. The Rosie's wall of fame has some interesting tidbits and some cool shots of celebrity visits over the years. Thankfully, you don't need that flashy interior when you serve good food. The chips and salsa gets high marks as the chips were piping hot and crispy. The salsa is mild; but has enough spice that your not disappointed. My numero uno was tasty. I opted for the ranchero instead of the chili con carne on the main plate. The tamale was above average with a smooth flavor. The rice didn't live up to my expectations and thus the 3 star rating. What is it with me and spanish rice lately? I can't seem to find a place that gets my seal of approval. I used to love the beef fajita, egg, and cheese served at the to-go Rosie's across the street (now closed). I'm gonna go back and try it again to see if the fajita meat is as good as I remember. Like Vidor said, Trust old Rosie's! read more

Food tasted great, was hot, and had excellent carry out service. I even had questions on what kind of sauce I wanted on my enchiladas and the man taking my order was very helpful. If "authentic" to you is raisins and almond moles, nah...this ain't your place. However, if you don't have your nose in the air and you really like great cheese enchiladas, chips, salsa, refried beans, rice and tacos....this is it. BTW... the family pictures posted all over the walls looked pretty "Authentic". read more

I ordered to-go for our family. It was delicious, packaged well and the staff was very kind. I'm a fan of their beef fajitas, crispy beef taco plate and tamales! (We had to order extra for a snack tomorrow.) I hope you enjoy as much as we did. read more

True and authentic Tex-Mex. Been around forever and still the best. They don't sell alcoholic beverages so bring your own. They don't mind. Prices are great for what you get. read more