I couldn't wait to write this review! I was in the area running errands and found myself craving Tex-Mex, but not from one of the usual mainstream spots. I'm glad I decided to stop here. From the moment I walked in, I was greeted warmly and seated right away. The chips and salsa were absolutely delicious and set the tone for the meal. I ordered the Ceviche Tostada ($4.99), Carne Asada ($14.75), a Chicken Fajita Taco with lettuce and tomato ($3.99), a Beef Fajita Taco with lettuce and tomato ($3.99), and a Dr.Pepper ($1.85). The food was affordable, and the portions were generous. My favorites, in order, were the Ceviche Tostada, Carne Asada, Chicken Fajita Taco, and then the Beef Fajita Taco. The beef fajita was a little oily, not overly fatty, though, as it was mostly lean meat, but it did lack a bit of flavor. Thankfully, the salsa verde fixed that right up. What really stood out was the service. The team work amongst the staff was top tier! I was checked on frequently to make sure everything was good, and I was given a warm goodbye when I left. The atmosphere was welcoming, and the place filled up quickly with locals, which is always a great sign. Overall, this was a great experience, and I'd definitely recommend giving this place a try! read more

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Apparently they charge $4.89 per cup of water. We bought 6 entree plates of food and 3 beverages and asked for 6 cups of water. They charged us over $25 for just the cups of water. read more

This place serves tasty tacos with homemade soft tortillas. Their chips and salsa after 11am is free and salsa is amazing. I love the Barbacoa tacos. The server was kind and attentive and price was reasonable. The place could have been a little cleaner though. read more

Taqueria Arandas - Barbacoa Tacos on the right - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Been coming here for 30 years and always leave super satisfied. The Chicken Tostada is our go to but the Alambres is crazy good. We love the friendly staff and easy parking. read more

It's really more a three and a half star than anything. Fine, but not great. Got Carne gusada on flour and shredded chicken on flour. The Gusada was better than it looked, since it looked like bologna chunks, instead of beef. Tasted OK, only moderately tender. It's amp on it for me. The chicken was better. Seasoned well. Substantial portion. $3.50 for each and two was a meal. Where it really fell short were the floor tortillas. Thickness was fine, but they didn't try to warm or crisp them up at all. Bland. Will try again for breakfast. read more

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When traveling Texas, I'm sure you've heard me say before there are two things one always tries to do. 1. Try the local favorite Barbeque joint and 2. The Taqueria with the busiest parking lot. To that end, let me first say a little about what is considered American comfort food. In probably most instances the very term American comfort Brings to mind a specific menu. Visions of Bright Fluorescent Light and Chrome trimmed counters with Hard Formica tops. Let me suggest an addition. Terra cotta tile floors warm booth spaces, friendly Smiles and an aroma that pulls you in from the street. I have long loved and patronized Taqueria Aranda's All-around Houston and whenever possible in Texas at large. The Location in Austin on 1st Street is a rare delight. Pozole that straight up makes life worth living. read more

Love their Caldo De Res!! I like to go Sunday after church and enjoy the Caldo and a Barboacoa taco.

Took my friends to dinner on Wednesday. The chips and salsa are good! They both ordered the enchiladas one beef and one chicken dinner. They both enjoyed their meals. I asked the server about the mole. She said it was good so I ordered the Mole enchiladas. I overheard some discussion from the kitchen and I think they didn't have more or something. My limited Spanish. The dish took more time while my friend's were eating so I guess they had to make some mole. It was not very good! The enchiladas were smaller than my friends and had little meat inside. The sauce was not reminiscent of moles in the past. Disappointed e ordered a carne guidada taco. The meat was tender but the sauce was off. The margaritas were large and good. I had not been to this Taqueria Arandas before but I had enjoyed other locations in the past. read more

Taqueria Arandas - Mole enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Authentic Mexican food for a quick night out to eat. Flavorful beans and carne asada.

My recent obsession! I find myself frequently thinking about the chilaquiles quite often. (Pro tip if you order the red sauce and carne asada) The cozy interior and friendly waitresses remind me of the taquerias on the east side growing up. The prices here reflect that time too. You can order a breakfast that feeds two and a cup of coffee for under $20. And complimentary chips and salsa! The parking is easy, they have a main parking lot as well as a few extra spots to the side of the building. The also take cash, card and ApplePay! read more

Taqueria Arandas - Coffee and salsa - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

I've been coming to this place for years. I enjoyed breakfast on Saturday mornings with my husband. On Saturday mornings you would find men with their guitar or an elderly couple come in, sing some songs and walk around with a tip jar. Never was I harrased to give a tip, that was my choice. Recently some time last year I realized no one was singing in the mornings anymore. I asked why and was told that a certain family that was a regular complained. We'll I too am a regular and was not complaining but I am now. How do you disallow an elderly Mexican couple from performing, to someone playing elevator music? I definitely won't be back and don't recommend this place. If you enjoy the Mexican culture... read more

Food was great authentic mexican food. Customer service was very friendly and food came out super fast. Overall great spot for Mexican food & would recommend to anyone! read more

AUTHENTIC Mexican food, NOT Tex-Mex if that is what you are looking for! I saw a few negative reviews about this joint but I don't know a better spot in the area for truly authentic Mexican food with such a great price. The staff really cares and the food always tastes great and is consistent. No frills but all flavor! GET THE POZOLE AND BEEF FAJITA BURRITOS/TORTAS! read more

Late night Mexican food. The ladies who work here are goated. Open till midnight with table service. The burritos are my favorite and ask for the green salsa~ It's exactly what you would expect, seat yourself and pay at the front. The restaurant was clean and all of the tables were available. Free chips and salsa read more

Being a Tex-Mex connoisseur, lol, I had higher expectations for this place. Went to breakfast and expected normal breakfast tacos but got these tiny little mini tacos and spent way too much. Should've checked the ratings and some reviews, but I'll know next time. Three tacos small tacos, mind you and I mean small almost like street mini tacos, a cup of coffee and $20 later wasn't worth it. We'll definitely try somewhere else for this much. I get breakfast in Austin isn't cheap but this is getting ridiculous. read more

The food quality has changed. I ordered Carne Guisada. The beef was dry. The sauce was barely any. The rice was cold. There was more juice than Charro beans. The food used to be really good. The service was good. Prices are still reasonable. The restaurant is still nice and clean. I used to recommend but not anymore. read more

Taqueria Arandas - Carne Guisada - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

it is so good I haven't even eaten yet but it's already my favorite place in the whole world they gave me pancakes at 7:30 at night. I love this place read more

Love the tacos (breakfast and lunch tacos) and their tomatillo sauce is to die for. Order them for ofice breakfast every so often and are always well recieved. read more

Best menudo I have had away from home. great tasting barbacoa and awesome Lemonade but it cost $4 read more

Taqueria Arandas - UPDATED MENU - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Feels like a neighborhood place to me and it always seems like there are families or small groups of friends here to share a meal. This place isn't huge and has colorfully decorated high back benches and tables along the ways and larger tables in the middle. The food here has been consistently tasty. If you're getting fajitas - don't expect big thick strips of beef or chicken. It's more like marinated chips of meat that are tender with food flavor. I also like the pastor and the guisada. The retried beans are a unusually lighter color but have a sweet savoriness that I really like. Add that with fresh clean crisp lettuce, tomato and avocado slices and it's a good meal. I also like the salsa because it unapologetically has a kick. Service was friendly and courteous. read more

My friends and I came here for a quick bite and it was okay! The servers were nice and it wasn't too busy around 11am. I thought it was weird that the first basket of chips and salsa was free, but they would charge for additional tips. Not a bad idea business wise, but not something you typically come across at a restaurant like this. The food was good, but not super memorable like a few other places I've been to in town. Note: I only ordered breakfast tacos. I did enjoy the live music, he was very talented! read more

Friendly and helpful staff, they always go out of their way to greet the customers and have a small but pretty great menu. Highly recommend the Chiliquilas with eggs and the tacos. read more

Been eating here for 17 years... it's never let me down. Impeccably reliable salsa, lovely women, epic white cheese enchiladas wif green sauce. One of the greatest communal Mexican restaurants of my whole life. read more

This is probably the worst place I have eaten in Austin. My boyfriend and I went around 2pm and were starving so this place really disappointed us. Service was okay and prices are cheap. read more

Didn't leave Austin before stopping by for another local fix. Arandas was pretty good. The prices are reasonable. The salsa is delicious, but the tostada chips were not fresh. I had the torta de pastor and my husband had the gordita. The torta was ok. I've had better in El Paso. Too much bread. The pastor meat was delicious though. I tried the horchata because of a previous review, but I was disappointed. It is made from a powered mix and not authentic. We'll probably come back next time we're in Austin, but to try some other menu items. read more

Taqueria Arandas - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Basic no-frills San Antonio-style Tex-Mex, and their best location. Big portions, low prices, simple tomato-y salsa, I love it. Everything is tasty and well-made and they have great service. When my uncle came to visit and asked for Tex-Mex I gave him a few options and he chose this one and just couldn't get over how good and simple everything was. Ignore the bougie low reviews here and go try out some awesome plain Tex-Mex. read more

Me dieron un pinche pescado crudo, yo creo hasta vivo lo tenia, nomas le echaron la salsa a la diabla y me lo dieron, que horrible que tengo que hacer extra y venir hacer un review porque siempre me gustaba venir aquí. Me quede sin palabras porque la probé Espero ver el cocinero en el infierno conmigo, pinche culero. I just took a bite of a completely raw fuxking fish. I'm speechless for the shiiii they just pulled on me it just makes me mad because I actually loved this place and location, but that cook must be on crack for bathing a raw fish with salsa and having the audacity to serve it to me. I'll be seeing his a$$ in hell with me. read more

So yummy and great price ! Their pozole hits amazing after a long night of drinks! Tacos are 3 for like $4 great price & servers are the sweetest read more

Old school spot. Really good food, good customer service as well. I've been coming here well over 20 years.

I love this restaurant so much! The ladies always have such a positive attitude and coming here always helps me feel like home. Their restaurant is so cozy and the food is such a great price point! A party of 2 can eat for around $25 and I've taken a party of 6 here for about $80 which isn't bad at all - especially considering the food portions! If you want authentic Mexican food this is the place to go! read more

I think we came here about 9-10 times during our month in Austin. It was that good, solid Mexican food and great service! The shrimp dishes are great and so is the caldo de res. The ladies working there are friendly too. This was our go-to spot during our stay! read more

Food was good. Very authentic so authentic they didn't even know what mild salsa was. The salsa was very spicy but delicious, my poor little taste buds couldn't take the heat. Would definitely return read more

Taqueria Arandas - Carne Asada burrito smothered in queso with rice and beans - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Worst food ever ...Small hair in my plate,undercooked shrimps i can say they must have microwave and served and most importantly michelada was the worst.lots of chili I cannot even taste my beer ...avoid going to arandas server did not even serve us water she forgot .poor quality and service. read more

Part of the reason I like this place so much is the power of suggestion - the taqueria is Jalisco style, which is the neighboring state to Aguascalientes where some of my roots are buried. Aside from that, I've never been disappointed by the food. I used to prefer Tapatia on Ben White & Banister, but they are cash only. Arandas, however, takes credit card, even though I often feel foolish putting $2.17 on my credit card for breakfast tacos. Bring change for the jukebox, though! TIP: you don't have to order the breakfast tacos exactly as they list them (e.g. bean and cheese, potato and egg, etc.) I always order a bacon/potato/cheese and a nopalitos/eggs, and they're more than happy to customize my tacos. read more

Taqueria Arandas - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

The food is almost EXACTLY like it is at the other location (stassney) that I go to at least once a week. I thought for sure there would be some differences, but if I had closed my eyes I would have thought I was right back on Stassney. Good service, great food, and this building is really open and nicely decorated. It was a nice change of pace, but I'm glad I didn't have to give up the great taste I love so much! You can't beat this food as far as I'm concerned....amazing salsa, homemade chips, and a pork taco that makes me wish I'd known about them all my life. read more

Some of the best tacos you can get near South Congress, quality is out of this world. I keep ordering more and more tacos

This place is just a few blocks from my house, and I'm determined to find the best Mexican food I can in the area, so me and the girly decided to give them a go. The place is nice, bright and clean. The wait staff, while short on English,are all very friendly! The menu, both in English and Spanish, is uncomplicated and easy to make your mind up with. The food... well, they have outstanding salsa, though the chips were on the stale side. I got the barbacoa and lengua plate, and both were bland. The beans and rice were tasty, so wrapping the meat in a tortilla with the veggies made it much more palatable... but really, unless you are just really not in the mood to look further - try some place else. read more

Pretty darn awesome. Al Pastor seems like the perfect meat, BBQ spicy pork. Had the combo plate with fajita meat and Al Pastor. the fajita beef was a bit chewy and the flour tortillas a bit stale. The Al Pastor made up for all that! The soda fountain is deceptive since when I ordered a coke, I ended up with a can. Fast service. WiFi didn't work when I visited yesterday (locked on but no Internet). Like I said Al Pastor made up for all the rough edges... read more

I had to go all the way to Austin to get the perfect birthday burrito. The horchata was so refreshing in the heat. Our waitress was super nice. Also a good location next to congress st read more

Taqueria Arandas - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great price, food is really good. Can't beat 4.99 for a chorizo and egg plate that comes with potatoes and beans AND tortillas. Service was fast and friendly read more