I went here on a date with my husband. I ordered Caldo de Pollo and to my surprise is was so good…read more This is the second time i taste a good caldo de pollo in Austin (you know like homemade). The flavor was so good, the chips tasted like the ones my grandmother used to make. They were so good. Honestly, I'm not sure if I should be glad they charge for them... otherwise, I'd probably keep eating them nonstop. We went straight to sit but you can order at the register. Everyone was so welcoming there

I had never been to Julio's before and really enjoyed the food. We split chicken tacos and the rice…read moreand beans reminded me of my Mom's! It took a while for our margaritas to come out but other than that, it was a great experience - I'd come back!

I've been going to this Maudie's location on South Lamar for years, and at this point I know…read moreexactly what it is and what it isn't. I always think it's important to set expectations. If you're looking for a polished, design-forward Tex-Mex spot with a modern vibe, this isn't that. The interior is older and a little worn in. The patio gets the job done, but it's sitting right on Lamar, so expect traffic noise. It's loud, it's casual, and it feels comfortable being exactly what it is. What it does offer is consistency and ease. We can walk in at pretty much any time, including weekends, and get a table without thinking too hard about it. Service is fast in a way that feels intentional but it's not rushed. Orders come out quickly, things are rarely missed, and the staff is consistently friendly without overdoing it. Food-wise, it's a mix of dependable staples and a few personal go-tos. The chips and salsa are solid, the mango frozen margaritas are reliably good, and I always come back to Pete's tacos and the enchiladas perfecto. The fajitas are fine, but not THE reason to come here if that's your thing. The real value for us is how usable the place is with kids. We can come straight from school pickup, get seated immediately, hand a kid a crayon, and have food on the table fast. There's no pressure to linger, no pressure to dress up, and no sense that you need to "match" the space. You can just show up. It's also one of those places that feels very Austin in an older, less curated way. TVs are on, games are playing, and the crowd tends to skew more local and low-key. No one is staging photos or trying to turn dinner into content. It's not the best Tex-Mex in town and it's not trying to be. It's the place you go when you want something predictable, relaxed, and quick-n-easy without having to think about it too much.

I came in for a margarita to kill some time before going to Alamo to watch a movie…read more I got my drink directly at the bar but couldn't stay there long because the smell of the kitchen was so overwhelming. It smelled so unclean, like old decomposed oils and food and cleaning solutions. It was bad. My margarita was also not good, I think I got the Gills one, 2nd down on the options for Margs. It was mostly ice and just didn't taste good at all. I waited to use the restroom and a staff member left the restroom before I entered. It was dirty inside and the whole sink was covered in water and there was dust on most of the surfaces. To me, it just seems like the employees probably hate working there if they don't take a moment to tidy up the restroom of the place they are employed. It just seems like an old run down restaurant with stale air, old furnishings, gross carpets and unhappy employees.

As a Mexican myself, I don't hand out compliments lightly when it comes to Mexican food. I grew up…read moreknowing what homemade cooking should taste like, and this restaurant absolutely delivers. From the moment you walk in, you can tell it's a true family-owned restaurant. The mother and daughter genuinely care about every customer, and that warmth shows in both their hospitality and the food they serve. What impressed me the most is that nearly everything is made from scratch. The salsas have that fresh, homemade flavor you rarely find anymore, and the meats are cooked fresh and sautéed to order instead of tasting like they've been sitting around. Every bite tastes like someone actually took the time to prepare it with care. You can tell they take pride in preserving authentic Mexican cooking rather than cutting corners with prepackaged ingredients. It's the kind of place that reminds me of eating at a family member's home instead of a commercial restaurant. If you're looking for authentic Mexican food made with fresh ingredients, homemade recipes, and served by people who genuinely care about their customers, I highly recommend giving this family-owned restaurant a try. Supporting local businesses like this helps keep real homemade Mexican cooking alive, and they absolutely deserve the recognition.

We had to improvise for a meal plan one night while on our trip to Austin. The place we wanted to…read morego to was simply filled up and the wait was quite lengthy. So we spotted Tamale House East nearby and at first we were a little bit concerned with the overall Yelp averaged score but we decided to proceed anyway and have a meal here. And I am very glad we did! We got some chips and salsa and it was very good! In addition to that I got the Texas Sized Tamale Plate. The tamale was good! There were a few different sauces to pick from and I went with the Tex-Mex Chili for my sauce on top of the tamale. In addition to that I got rice and beans to go along with the plate and those were enjoyable as well. Of course I had to get a margarita and that was nice and refreshing on the warmer day we were experiencing in Austin. No complaints really. The atmosphere is nice and the decor is attractive. I saw some reviews about the service being a bit slow and it sort of was so probably if you anticipate getting into a time crunch best manage your time where you can just kick back and enjoy the food and drink rather adding that stressor on.

The food, ambiance, and service are top notch. This is the kind of place that FORCES you to…read moreslooooow down and enjoy the food. The plates come out quickly but the taste will stop you in your tracks. This is somewhere I stopped in randomly one day, and since then I've been back at least twice a month. It is so good, you won't believe it until you eat here. Their green sauce will stun you, and I've never been able to find anything close to this level of taste in Austin.

First time ordering, Sunday morning Uber eats order. Was looking for a pork chop breakfast for my…read moreman and this location popped up. I ordered the abuelita breakfast which is a pork chop (single) breakfast that comes with eggs potatoes and refried beans. I ordered an additional side of pork chop because one is not going to cut it for him. I also ordered the kids breakfast which was an egg, potatoes and refried beans. Both meals came with one tortilla. You can tell the food is cooked to order and house made. The red salsa was mild but good flavor. I was just a little shocked when the pork chop meal came smothered in a red sauce. It wasn't listed in the description, If it was I would have asked for it on the side. Because that man does not like The pork chops smothered. Goodness. Anywho, The food was good quality and we may order again. The menu is full of yummy choices.

Been a hot minute since we've been to Taco Flats, but we came again this past week to meet up with…read morefriends who are obsessed with this place to watch some World Cup action. Honestly, we had a great time, and even though it's more like 3.5 stars, we're rounding up because we had such great service. There are good beers on tap, and one of us was a fan of the spicy margarita. The chips here are SO good. Love a chili-dusted chip! We ordered the trio of dips for the table, and while the salsa was spicy and fresh, the guac actually tasted like some of the avocado had turned a bit. The queso is delish! And while we appreciate that the dips come in to-go containers, which makes things easy, we don't love hot dips being served in plastic. Come on now, that's a bit of an own goal... For tacos, we scored with the chilango shrimp, which was tasty with a good balance of ingredients, but were bummed out by the birria taco, which was dry as a board without the consommé and had tough meat. Our daughter had a really impressive cheese quesadilla though--with a bunch of toasted cheese on its outskirts that made it extra fun and crispy. We especially want to shout out the amazing service we got. Our waitress was so sweet and fun, and was attentive without being overbearing. She seemed like she was handling a lot of the floor well. Also, the bartender was beyond gracious to our daughter who was being fussy about dessert options. All in all, a great hang with good enough food. We hope to be able to come back in another (almost) ten years :)

Came here for dinner and drinks and had such a great experience. The location is really cute, and…read morewe got the perfect outdoor seating (so nostalgic if you remember this as the old Zoclo spot!). We started with drinks, I tried the skinny marg which wasn't my personal favorite, but the spicy frozen margarita was so good and definitely the move. Our waitress was also super friendly, funny, and gave great recommendations. We ordered the dip trio to start and WOW it was fire. The chips were perfectly seasoned, the salsa had a slight sweetness that I loved, the guac tasted super fresh, and the queso with chorizo on top was goated. For tacos, I got the pollo asado (added grilled onions) and the chilango grilled shrimp taco, both were so flavorful. They also brought out extra salsas which made it even more fun to mix and match. Everyone else at the table loved their tacos too. Everything came out quickly, prices were super reasonable, and the whole experience was so nice. I'll definitely be back for both drinks and food!

I've been in Austin for a year and recently moved nearby. And looking here, wow some mixed reviews!…read moreI even had a couple locals recommend against this place. But it looked so much like some of my favorite spots in San Jose, I finally "risked" it for taco Tuesday. And my conclusion, forget the haters! My tacos were just over $2 and were delicioso. I got a carnitas, al pastor, and Chipotle chicken. I can't even pick a favorite. So good. Just know what youre getting into. It's way more Mex than Tex - in everything - salsa, music, atmosphere, service, etc. If you like that, you'll love it. The range of food options is a bit insane and I expect there are things that won't hit some expectations, but also things that are fire. The price range is impressive too, super cheap to pricey. I def plan to try some of the other options, especially breakfast, served all day. Fwiw, I didnt expect great service, but my server was awesome. Ultimately, if you align expectations - its a fantastic local, family owned spot.

Very overpriced for what you get. The menu was not clear at all, and I thought I was ordering a…read moremeal that was around $14. When I got the bill, I found out the plate alone was $24. It was a very simple meal--meat, rice, and nopales--and with one horchata, my total came to about $34. Honestly, the food did not justify that price at all. $34 for one person for such a basic meal is ridiculous. If you're going to charge those kinds of prices, they should be clearly displayed on the menu and the food should match the price. Definitely not worth what I paid.

Drinks were okay and definitely well priced during hh. The chips and salsa were just okay, the…read morechips themselves were good though Got two tacos, one was queso something and one was the fish taco. Would order the fish taco one again,but the queso taco was too greasy to even finish. Service was prompt and friendly. Might go back, might not.

Stopped in for lunch as this was right around the corner from a job. It's nice dining area with a…read morebar. I wound up ordering two tacos: the Don Ramon and a Gringa. Don't use corn for the Gringa. It needs a flour tortilla for the melted cheese to work well. That was my mistake. They were kinda expensive, and I should have ordered one. I couldn't finish the second. I love that they packaged their green salsa. I would order either taco again. Probably just one though, unless I'm starving!

La Mancha is an OG favorite! I love their summer margarita special...watermelon. Great tequila…read moreselection! My go-to is the crispy beef tacos with black beans. Sooooo good. They may have the best chips in town. I said what I said There is a great patio for outdoor dining and lots of TVs for UT game day watching. If you have room for dessert, the sopapillas are my favorite. They come with whipped cream & fresh strawberries. Yum. Great service, friendly staff and they always get even my special order correct.

Tried out La Mancha with the fam (party of 7) on our last visit to Austin. Minimal wait, 10-15min…read moremaybe. We ordered an appetizer but unfortunately it kept be forgotten after multiple asks. We finally got it after our entrees were set down. The waiter did rectify it and took it off our bill. My chicken caldo had good flavor and lots of vegetables. A few of larger chunks of squash/zucchini were slightly undercooked, but not a big deal. It's also served with a cup of rice, decent could have used a little more flavor/seasoning. But that's a me thing when you get homemade rice on the reg. Everyone else seemed to like their food. Sopapillas were good but could have used more honey. Decent food, mid service. Good for groups. Lively atmosphere. Would maybe go back, but there are so many options in Austin to get TexMex.