In my top three Mexican in Austin. The cochinita pibil is my favorite. The carnitas and al pastor are also good. My friend always gets the Alambres de Res, which is what is pictured on their website and I have had some of it and it is very good. I just usually prefer pork dishes. Their salsa also ranks very high in my opinion as well as their soups and queso. The inside decor is pretty dingy but the food out ways that, plus you can always eat on their patio which is very nice. The service has always been great. I haven't had a bad meal here and I will continue to frequent Sazon. read more

Sazon is in my neighborhood so I thought I'd try it. Had the alambres, chilequeso (huge!), and a couple of frozen margaritas. The chilequeso appetizer could have fed four, easily. Pretty good but be aware of an immediate cheese overdose if you try to finish this dish alone. The rice that came with the alambre was studded with bacon (everything is better with bacon...) and DELISH. The alambre - a shish kabob of beef tenderloin and veggies - was OK, beef was kind of overly charred. The guac with the alambre was probably 'imported' from Sysco or another purveyor; it had that overly smooth processed flava. The chips and salsa rocked hard as did the margaritas. All in all, great menu but average execution. The person mopping the floor (it was 8:30 pm on a Saturday..) didn't add much to the ambiance of the place. I'll be back due to a lingering curiousity about some of the other stuff on the menu (pumpkin seed enchiladas, cochinita pibil, etc.). read more

Great start to a bachelor party weekend! We ate here here at the recommendation of a friend. Wait was not very long to be sat. I had the fajitas which I found to be very flavorful and savory with the right amount of "doneness". There was a live band on the patio where we sat. The drinks were also very good and came out in a timely fashion. Staff was very helpful, friendly and present for needs but not hovering. The owner puts a lot of pride into this place. It shows in the upper keep and efficiency of the restaurant. I do plan on going back next time I go back to Austin. read more

First off, the best thing about Sazon, hands down, is their happy hour, which runs every weekday from 3pm to 7pm. This features 1/2 off a selection of appetizers and $4.25 margaritas, along with some beer specials. The margaritas here are some of my favourite in Austin. They aren't too sweet, they don't taste like boxed or bottled mix, and even during happy hour they're quite strong. The frozen ones really shine; on-the-rocks is good but not as good. All of the appetizers we have tried have been excellent: choriqueso, sopecitos, guac, and salsa. The salsa and chips arrive at your table free, and the sopecitos, which are little corncakes topped with chorizo and what you might call "taco fixings," are amazing. The choriqueso is a meal in itself, even for two. In my experience, the service here is excellent. The waitstaff are quick and attentive, and they don't judge if you're only there for drinks or snacks. The outdoor deck in front of the restaurant, despite being right on South Lamar, is where we always sit. The inside of the restaurant isn't super appealing, especially when it isn't crowded. Parking can be a pain here. They have sharply angled spots on one side of the building, and I imagine that during busy dinner hours, you have to seek parking elsewhere on South Lamar. So, dinner. Unfortunately, the entrees we've tried here did not blow us away. The mole enchiladas were decent, as were the tacos al pastor and the enchiladas de pipian. Bottom line: I love this place for happy hour, but I wouldn't recommend it for a full meal, especially since entrees aren't any cheaper than most other Austin sit-downs offering the same dishes. read more

I soooo wanted to love Sazon! I was all prepared for it to be one of my favorite places...but it just wasn't all that. We went on a Friday night well after the rush..and yet the servers were disorganized and kept bringing the wrong food and drinks to the wrong tables. One actually dropped a tray of waters all over a guy at the table next to us!...They were all very friendly though and who knows what kind of night they had... Their salsa was not flavorful in the least and their from the bag chips were a truly bad idea. However, their charro beans and refried blackbeans were the absolute best ever!!! The drinks were over priced and watery....I actually experienced the worst tasting Mojito ever! I'm giving them 2 stars for the good atmosphere, the friendly staff and the beans....I can't give them more than that because I have no intention of going back for a second try. read more

My friends and I went again this weekend and ventured to try the lighter fare on the menu. One friend ordered the veggie poblano pepper and she said is was delicious. It was stuffed with corn and cheese. I sampled her re-fried beans and definitely tried sneaking more off her plate; they were flavorful and creamy. I ordered the gazpacho soup, Mexican style with mango and avocado chopped up on top. The mango and avocado would have been better as main ingredients rather than garnish. It tasted great and had a nice texture. However, it was room temperature. After dumping 1/2 cup of ice into it, the temperature cooled down, but I couldn't finish it before the ice melted. Great idea but poor execution. Our server was as attentive to us as when we first arrived at the fairly empty restaurant to when it was packed. How attentive? Well, we saw his back a lot. From far away. Other problems arose from that, like not getting drinks in under the happy hour end time and a missed order for our table. Overall, things got done, just not as well as they could've. read more

I have been consistently impressed with the delicious, authentic,and affordable interior Mexican food available at Sazon! Also, their drinks are yummy and strong and the service is friendly! This is a new favorite for us! read more

Service was slow but we were not in a hurry anyway. Margaritas were very good food was good also. I loved the atmosphere. I love to people watch and this was perfect. It was a lazy Mother's Day. We enjoyed or brunch. Will go again. read more

I'm not sure why this place is never crowded, because it's rather good food. Every time I've gone, I've gotten impressive Mexican cuisine. I'm a particular fan of the chile relleno and their pastor tacos with pineapple. I also like their margaritas! They're very well priced and always strong. And it all comes at an extremely reasonable price. The only not-great thing I've gotten from them were some chicken flautas where the chicken was too dry. This place is close to my apartment and never has a wait, so I'll be back again and again. read more

A group of us headed over to Sazon last night for some Mexican food. There were going to be six of us so I called ahead to see if I could put my name on the list. The man who answered said they'd hold a table for us! Imagine my luck. I had been to Sazon once before and had ordered the enchiladas with a tomatillo sauce, which was really delicious. This time I ordered the Pollo Chipotle. The chicken was really tender and delicious, but I didn't really like the bed of onions that they came on. Pros: -Good beans, all around -Even better queso -Strong drinks -Nice outdoor seating that even allows dogs Cons: -Service can get shoddy if there's a crowd -My dish this time around wasn't as good as the last time. Now I know to stick to the ole standby... -Sitting inside would kind of stink, though I never have had to DEFINITELY worth a visit, especially if you live South. read more

Stop number one on our bicycle marg crawl. (It may may not be important but at this time we did not know we had just embarked on an epic crawl). After a brutal uphill just after the bridge we both were sweating and miserable and couldn't wait to dive into some frozens. Large patio, quick and friendly service, drinks delivered in a jiffy. The marg itself tasted like something homemade you'd whip up in your blender (that's a good thing) but the strawberry syrupy stuff was way to sweet and not even cold. Erik got the Sangria swirl which was better, but can't hold a candle to Zocalos. Margs not good enough to make a special trip out, but solid enough to go with what I hear is great food. Bathroom was frightening. There were two toilets, both kinda gross, in one room. Huh? Reminded me of this documentary I saw once on jockeys and how some stable locker rooms have a separate toilet just for puking in. Sad. I had that same tragic feeling when I was forced to use this restroom. Sazon got back in my good graces when I walked out to leave and two guys - one with guitar - were sitting at the bar playing La Bamba. this appeared to be impromptu as there is no stage for live music that I could see? Kinda fun. read more

Thank you, Sazon, for realizing that the last thing Austin needs is another Chuy's/Z-tejas/mediocre cheez-covered Tex Mex. Their menu is one of the more interesting interior Mexican menus I've seen on this side of the Rio Grande. I really enjoyed the corn chowder type soup that I had as well as pupusa-type thingies, but I was bummed that they ran out of the huitlacoche appetizer (my original order), so I didn't get to try it. The BF also got some excellent cochinita pibil, which I got to sample. Our waiter was nice enough, but my only complaint was that he didn't let me know about the (lack of) availability of part of my order - the huitlacoche - until he'd already brought out the other part of my order. It really was not a big deal, but I would have liked the option to change my whole order. We sat on the patio, which was lovely for a late spring night before the weather got too icky. I look forward to trying more menu items and brunch when I come back! read more

I simply love coming to Sazon for lunch. It is never too busy or loud and the food so far has always pleased my crowd. Sazon is a departure from the greasy, cheesy typical Tex Mex and that's fine by me. So far I have tried the following: Chile en Nogada- a traditional food served at weddings and simply DIVINE. It's a roasted poblano stuffed with a delectable assortment of tender shredded pork, raisins, plantains, cinnamon, apples and peaches all covered in a cool almond walnut cream sauce. Tikin Xic- a traditional Yucatan dish of achiote marinated redfish wrapped in a banana leaf and served with fried plantains, rice and marinated pickled onion relish. The fish is very flavorful and the achiote has a subtle, not overpowering earthy, smoky flavor. Relleno de Elote- A great vegetarian dish of roasted poblano stuffed with sweet corn and feta and smothered with a rich tomato sauce. It was very flavorful but the least favorite of the other dishes I've tried. Perhaps because I've come at a slower time I've never experienced less than great service. Our waiters have always been very attentive and filled with good suggestions from the menu. Sazon is a great departure from typical Tex Mex and is situated in an unassuming atmosphere that is perfect for a little getaway in the middle of the day. read more

Best things I've ever eaten: Chile En Nogado - Poblano stuffed with pork, raisins, walnuts, etc with an amazing spiced cream sauce. Queso Gringo - Amazing white cheese queso that is flavorful and doesn't taste like plastic nacho cheese. Best I've had in Austin. They also have deliciously strong margaritas. The mango margarita is my favorite. A good balance of sweet and salty. Once I came with a vegan and a person on the gaps diet (no carbs or sugar of any kind) and they both found food that satisfied them. It's never crowded and they have a great outdoor patio. The service is really friendly and they have bottomless chips. The street noise is a bit obnoxious as they're on S. Lamar, but for food this good, I'd eat anywhere. read more

The food is good. The place, is in a shambles. No maintenance here. And even more importantly, it was filthy. From the dirty table and menus, to the door. Seriously in need of some deep cleaning and repairs. The place was nearly empty when I went, and they weren't overly friendly. I wouldn't recommend. read more

The hubby and I went here for lunch on Wednesday. We were the ONLY people in the entire restaurant at 1pm. The hubby thought the place was closed, but I saw the neon OPEN sign flashing. We went inside the dimly lit room and were promptly seated at a table for 4. It was a bit uncomfortable being the ONLY people in an entire restaurant. I decided to try Sazon based on the recommendation of my girl friend that is a chef. She told me I had to try the Pipian Verde, so there we were. Our server was nice and placed a large basket of chips and salsa in front of us. The hubby liked the salsa. I thought it was okay, as I prefer fresh salsa over cooked salsa. However, I still consumed mass quantities of it. Tortilla chips.... I can't stop eating them. Luckily three more people walked in at this point and sat near us. I ordered the Chicken Pipian Verde as my friend recommended. My hubby ordered the Cochinita Pibil. My chicken was tasty and the pipian sauce was interesting. It wasn't my favorite, but I still ate it all up. The chicken was moist and tender. My hubby's pork dish was flavorful and served with a pickled onion salad and yummy plantains. The food was fresh and felt "light" compared to the heavy Tex Mex we usually eat. I must admit that I was hungry again only a couple hours later, but I tend to eat a lot. Both of us enjoyed our meal, but I doubt we will return anytime soon. P.S.-I just read my friend Dan A.'s review on this place and it sparked my memory that I have been here before and was the one to tell him about the very strange toilet set up in the ladies room. That is not a good sign that I ate a full meal here on someones birthday and did not remember it at all. I do remember the desserts being lackluster. Glad the hubby and I did not order any. read more

Interior Mex, a bit off the wall, a bit Spendy...completely, uniquely worth it. This was my second trip, first time to make it past queso and ritas. So, I'm really bummed to say that the queso blanco was not the home run I remembered. This one was completely uneventful- no spices, no chunks of goodness. Same on the chip, could have been store bought. But, I digress. The mean itself? Amazing. There are only a few veggie options, but each are unique and flavorful. I had a stuffed calabasa squash. Veggies were sauteed perfectly! Bright sweet corn, zesty and crunch poblanos, etc. Most flavorful black beans I've had in Austin!!!! Not sold on the margs as others, they are itsy-bitsy and go down like water when its hot. Service? Meh...typical stoner with little knowledge of the cuisine. However,we'll definitely go back for the food alone. read more

My rating is really more of a 2.5...but, I guess the leaning would be more of a 2. Service...inattentive until tip time. Food was okay ~ the salsa had a really nice flavor, but was sort of watery. Atmosphere...okay Price...it was reasonable, but running to the edge of pricey for the quality. I won't be going back. read more

We'd been wanting to try this place for awhile, ever since I heard they had white queso. But usually its way too far of a drive from where we are. However, Saturday we had planned a day out on the town and though it was still a tiny bit of a drive from where we were, it wasn't the 20 mile trek it would have been from home. I have to say their white queso did not disappoint. Ok, well it did just a tiny bit because it didn't taste like the white queso I'm used to in Georgia, but really it was just as good. The salsa was excellent too. We ended up not getting anything else to eat because I'm pregnant and even pickier with my food than normal and I couldn't find anything on the menu that I really felt like eating. We will be back when I'm no longer pregnant and not as picky about food. If you go, you must try their queso!! read more

I am honestly surprised this place isn't constantly packed. The food here is so much better than Gueros or Polvos, yet on a Saturday night, those places are insanely packed and this one is easy to get into and get your food. I've always enjoyed my meals here, they are consistently tasty. I love the Caldo, being a huge soup fan, and it's made with chicken, so it's even better. the wait staff is friendly and attentive and the margaritas are very good. read more

I don't know how this place only has 3.5 stars. The food is AMAZING! The only reason I don't give it 5 stars is because it's a bit run down and parking can be annoying. I don't know though, it's rugged ambience kind of adds to it's charm. It's really delicious and a nice change when I'm craving Mexican food but have already had Tex-mex 5 times that week. read more

If you take a look at my other reviews you will find I am on a quest to find authentic interior Mexican food. I was born in Mexico and lived there until about 12 years ago. Lately there are a couple places in Austin where you can get pretty awesome authentic Mexican food. This is one of them. First, the salsas are quite awesome. I tried all three: red, green and orange - all three were really good. It's no surprise Sazon has won a number of Austin Salsa contests. Then we tried the sopesitos and the soups were delicious. In fact, I could eat soup and seopes for a meal. A pretty yummy meal. All the food here passed the basic authenticity test: limes not lemons, white cheese not orange, no cummin and soft corn tortillas not crunchy hard taco shells. Speaking of which, Sazon serves hand made corn tortillas, which is always a plus. My wife had the carnitas Michoacan .They were delicious: joicy, soft pulled pork with the right flavors, just like my mother made them back home. I went for the tacos al pastor, which were suprisingly yummy. Very authentic. As good as the best in AUstin (gueros and Maudies Milagro). My friends had the gringas pastor (quesadilla with pastor meat) which were delicous. The white rice and the beans were quite good too. On the down side, the mole was not my faorite, but then again, there are dozens of mole recipes. There were easily four or five meals we wanted to try, so we will definitely be back. I took one star out just because the place looks a bit dark. Let's say It's not the most enjoyable location. Abuelo's has the opposite problem: a beautiful restaurant and bad food. The food was soo good it really deserves 4.5 stars. Reasonable price & friendly staff complete the picture for a really good value. If you like authentic Mexican, Sazon should be on your list. read more

Creepy weirdo waiter? Check. BLAND food? Double Check. If you've ever experienced delicious, flavorful Latin food, then don't come here. It's a waste of your money for extremely bland food. read more

I went to Sazón when it first opened, years ago. It was pretty good. Went back recently with a Groupon/Living Social/something coupon; it was pretty horrible. Not sure what happened to the service... it was lackluster and passive aggressive when we decided to move tables on the patio due to cigar smoke. We ordered the queso to start with (plus drinks, which took 10-15 minutes to come out) and it was just OK. I had Enchilada de Pipian and my boyfriend had Arracheras o Pollo al Carbon with beef and chicken. My enchiladas were subpar, cold, and bland. The Arracheras's seasoning was off; it tasted almost like food from Panda Express. Perhaps we ordered the wrong menu items, but even the lesser popular choices should not taste like this. Do wish this place could go back to how it was years ago... Needless to say, with so many other delicious places to eat in Austin we will not be going back. read more

I can't believe I haven't written a review for this place yet. It's one of our favorite Mexican restaurants near us. You can't go wrong if you get anything with their Pipil (?)sauce. It's the green pumpkin seed sauce I believe. Choriqueso is delicious and they also serve nachos off menu. read more

I've seen this place through about a hundred name changes. Location is good, food has always been decent dive Tex Mex. No more! New ownership, new takes on interior Mexican. Really, really a well kept secret. The snapper is as good as any in the Yucatan. Really. Fried plaintains were ok, but all sauces were amazing. Amazing feel, the best margarhitas in town. A must go for any foodie. read more

We been regulars at sazon since my 10 year old girl was 1. I lost weight gain it back, have a boy , and many more things have happen in our lives and sazon has always been part of our lifes. Proud to say Hi to Margarito every time I go there, by myself or with my family. One word to describe me after sazon. Pipian-holic (pork) read more

In the last year, Sazon has started to feel a lot like a favorite pair of jeans. And yes, this is a good thing. If you've read my other reviews, you know I loves me some Mexican food. And since I live in Austin, my standards are high. Here's my judging criteria: Quality of the Margaritas Yum factor of the Queso Overall food tastiness Chill-factor of the restaurant Sazon scores pretty high marks for all of them. Let's start at the top. Margaritas There are 3 places in town I'll drink Margaritas: Sazon, Curra's and Gueros. There might be others that are worthy, but I doubt it. My fave at Sazon is the Huachinango (Spanish for Red Snapper). It's got tequila, an orange liquor, fresh lime juice and a splash of cranberry. A couple of these and you don't care if the service is slow, you're in for the long haul (see requirement #4 for a good Mexican food restaurant). Queso Sazon is not Tex-Mex and their queso reflects that. It's not your standard-fare orange cheese-like substance. Not that there is anything wrong with the standard-fare, it's just that's not what Sazon delivers. Their queso is a creamier, sharpy cheesy goodness. Not sure what's in it but it goes well with the Huachinangos (see above). Overall Food Tastiness They hit this one out of the ballpark over and over again. My faves include the camarones, the tacos al pastor and the to-die-for Chile en Nogada. Chill Factor What can I say? I love this place. It's a little dive-like in decor, but the chairs are comfy, the patio always breezy and the folks that work there are just plain good, nice peeps. read more

How to describe the awesomeness that is Sazon? Interior dishes I've never encountered anywhere else in Texas?" Good quality at moderate prices? The way the emphasis on the food is dialed way up, and the pretense is dialed way down? The atmosphere, with concrete flooring and spare decor, dominated by a bar that seems likely the focus of activity sometime in the building's past, is not what this place is about. Nor is it really about the service, which is friendly, efficient and usually knowledgeable, though not fawning. It really does seem to be all about the food, in a very good way. I've been to Sazon probably a half-dozen times now. Though overdue to try some other things around A-town, there are still vast stretches of the menu here I find myself eager to explore. So far... Cochinita Pibil: Magic pork. I think I got a rush of endorphins just thinking about it. Puerco en Pipian: When the pumpkin mole hits the carnitas, there's more synergy than I could have imagined. I'd had each before, separately. Put them together and WOW. Really, I can't imagine going wrong with any dish featuring either the ligher, pumpkin mole or the darker version - both are superb. Surprises abound - even the lunch-menu Tacos al Pastor - an item I'd think was "just along for the ride" - made me ask myself where I'd had better. There are a few chinks in the armor of deliciousness, however. Call me fussy, but pomegranate in the otherwise wonderful Chile en Nogado presented me with a lot of seeds to almost break a tooth on. I also might be a bit hesitant to recommend or fully explore the seafood offerings. On my first visit, a friend was not wowed by the crab in his Relleno de Jaiba, and I was a tad disappointed with the redfish offered in the Tikin Xic. These dishes really are asking for super-fresh, high-quality seafood, and at the prices Sazon's charging, that's just not a realistic expectation. So it goes. I haven't made my way to dessert... yet. One more thing to look forward to - my expectations are high! read more

I came here about two weeks ago with some friends of mine and a buddy in town from Washington! We came here at about 7 PM on...a Sunday? I'm not sure but it wasn't very crowded. We walked through the inner dining area and it was DEAD. No one was seated and it was very empty. I was a bit worried but when we went out to the patio we saw that this was where the party was at so that was comforting. Drink orders were taken promptly and then menu analyzing commenced. They specialize in Mole, which is a chocolate based sauce for most people but there's also a milder pumpkin seed one as well, called Pipian. There's usually 20+ ingredients in mole so it's quite a specialty and pretty hard to find. With the waiters recommendation, I got the pork that was roasted with pipian sauce and my boyfriend got the Al Pastor. I loved what I got. The pork was very...carnitas like in the unctuous and grease crisped way. It broke apart easily, was deliciously tender, and my mouth is totally watering right now. The sauce was flavorful and nutty. Not very pronounced but just a good blend of flavors. It came with a metric f***-ton of food though. Rice, that wasn't really seasoned (meh), refried black beans (totally made up for the rice), and the usual pico de gallo/salad plate decoration. I was stuffed when we left and the price, for what I got, was fine. I think it was around $14. I am detracting a star for the bummer rice. Rice, especially Mexican style shouldn't be bland! I am Vietnamese and I eat bland rice but the difference is that we usually combo them up with some tasty and saucy side dishes. I suppose the beans on the side made for a nice foil. The corn tortillas, though fresh, were screaming hot out of the foil. Not bad but it makes it difficult to wrap my food in delight if I'm burning me fingers off! read more

I went here for a birthday party last night. Seems like half the groups in the restaurant were celebrating birthdays. I'm not sure why this place is such a popular birthday choice, but the drinks really are good. I ordered a chicken dish and split meals with a friend who got fish. We tried a number of other meals as well. The food overall was quite good. Dessert was another story! The chocolate souffle cake covered in flan sounded too good to pass up. Then they brought a piece of tres leches for the birthday girl. Most of my friends favored drinking and eating dinner over eating dessert. I'm not complaining... more for me. Only the desserts were not nearly good enough to ever order again. The most memorable part of the evening apparently was the unusual setup in the women's room, featuring two toilets with no partitions of any sort. Don't figure. read more

Definitely did not live up to the hype. It's not terrible, but the margaritas are and the seating on the patio is incredibly uncomfortable. I may have just ordered the wrong thing, but so did my boyfriend. The enchiladas suizas (the staff's suggestion) looked like dog food, although tasted "ok" and I can't even remember what I ordered because it wan't memorable. read more

First of all, it's a bit more expensive but the food is really good, so I guess it works out. The caldo xochitl is worth every penny. I'm certain this stuff can cure cancer, read more

Takeout was awful. Tiny portions and not good. Basically served me a half a cup of soup. The guacamole was basically enough for 4 chips. Very disappointing. read more

Sazon sure has a lot of fans. This restaurant is getting more popular and the lot is full....yes, very much like Polvo's. I love that it is not just Mexican food. The menu is very unique with selections from the Yucatan. They have an extensive beer selection and margaritas too. There was live music and a patio. I would definitely return to try some other picks on the menu. read more

Y. U. M. Went here for lunch today based on the recommendation by Jaye J. Excellent food! I had the bean and cheese flautas. So delicious! I left with that good kind of full. Not the "I-ate-too-much-greasy-food-and-must-take-a-nap" kind of full. I even ate my side of rice! I rarely do that at Mexican restaurants. My only critique is that there was only one waiter working the whole restaurant. Don't get me wrong, he was great! And very enthusiastic about the food. I just felt bad that he was running the whole show, and that I didn't make it back to work on time. Oh well. I will definitely be back again! read more

My brother who was visiting from out-of-state heard of Sazon and their Conchinita Pibil, so I had to take him there. The location is ok, and the patio is nice, although kind of loud since it South Lamar runs right by. My brother ordered the dish he had heard about, but was underwhelmed. The portions were small, and the taste was just ok. I ordered the Tikin Xic, which was a snapper fillet served wrapped in a big leaf, with a spicy sauce and onions. It was delicious. There are lots of other dishes on the menu I'd love to try, but I think the portions could be larger. I did try a Michelada for the first time, and it was pretty good. The waitress didn't think I'd like it, but was friendly and surprised that I didn't die from the spiciness of it. Still, I would only be able to drink one of those before moving on to a normal Negra Modelo. read more

Sazon is no plain ole' cheese enchilada. The menu choices are inventive and far from your typical tex-mex. The Camarones chac mool with marinated shrimp and garlic rice is delicious, while the Tikin Xic is a traditional Mexican dish served with fried plantains and pickled onions. There is also a great vegetarian dish, Calabazitas Rellenas, which is Mexican squash stuffed with roasted corn and feta. It's nice to see something vegetarian other than a plain cheese quesadilla. The drink prices are slightly on the high side, and I accidentally ordered a $10 margarita without looking at the prices, so be sure to check out a drink menu. On Tuesdays, Tecate is only $2, which is great. The decor is nothing special, but come here for the food and when you are in the mood for something new. read more

Conclusion: Meh food, bad ambiance, looks dirty. Would not go here again. I actually have been here before at lunchtime about 1.5 years ago. I had a very favorable impression then, thought it was an undiscovered gem with extremely reasonable prices and delicious foods. Under the same impression of cheap Mexican food, I insisted that we eat here for dinner. 1.5 years later, it was definitely busier, had almost a full deck of customers, cold margaritas and seemed promising although I did notice one red flag. This very reasonably-priced hidden gem, now bustling with customers, had a special entree listed on their chalkboard for $15.99. WHAT? Mexican food? Basically, the entire menu sports appetizers and entrees with the majority in the $10-15 range, which is more expensive than its competitors in the same South Austin region. Beyond that, the interior and decor leave much to be desired, so I assumed perhaps the food would make up for it. Not so. The quality of the ingredients really were lacking as well. In sum, you walk up thinking that you will get reasonably priced Mexican food in South Austin or at least get what you pay for, and you leave feeling unsatisfied and taken advantage of. I'm headed back to El Chile. read more

I'm floored by so many positive, glowing reviews for a place that was so sub-standard, that I found it unpalatable. Worst guacamole I've ever tried to eat in my life! Had a grainy pulpy texture, and tasted of some unknown chemical. Stale chips, watered down drippy salsa. I ordered spinach and feta enchiladas... the feta turned out to be tasteless, bland white cheese of some kind that was certainly not feta... the spinach was completely unseasoned (not even salt) and had not been properly wrung out... so it was full of water... The person I went with ordered the Chili Rellenos... the chili was overcooked and soggy... and the filling was bland and lacked proper seasoning. the rice and refried beans were ok. Authentic Interior Mexican food this is not. read more