Why 4 stars? Because this might be our favorite place to eat at Kalahari. --- --- --- I have no idea how we managed to not come here during our previous two visits to the resort. My wife's favorite cuisine is Mexican and we've stayed multiple nights each time. I'm going to chalk it up to the fact that maybe we attempted to come before but there was a long wait. Either way, I'm happy we finally got to check it out. My wife and I ordered fajitas for two and it was a massive amount of food. Like, we didn't come close to finishing all of it, and I am basically a human garbage disposal when it comes to food. And honestly, these fajitas were above average, even compared to the real (non waterpark) world restaurants we enjoy. So don't come here and think you're going to get a big drop off in quality just because you're at a resort. They weren't wildly amazing, and I wish the tortillas were bigger, but we both really enjoyed them. Any future Kalahari trips will definitely include visits to Cinco Ninos. read more

Cinco Ninos - Mixed fajitas for 2 - Mexican Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

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We recently stayed at Kalahari and chose to celebrate my son's birthday at the Mexican restaurant inside the resort because it was convenient and easily accessible. The food was good, but unfortunately, the service fell far below expectations. When we were seated, our server took quite a while to acknowledge us. When he finally approached the table, he simply placed water down and walked away without introducing himself or providing any greeting. We were waiting for two additional guests to arrive, but even after they joined us, our server still did not return for approximately 20 minutes. Throughout the meal, he never proactively checked on us. Every time we needed something, we had to call him over ourselves. We had brought a birthday cake with us and placed it on the table. The server even moved the cake to make room for the water but never mentioned storing it, birthday accommodations, or any related options. Thankfully, a manager later stopped by to check on us. After I mentioned the cake, he immediately offered to store it in the refrigerator until we were ready for dessert, which was greatly appreciated. When it was time for the birthday celebration, I had to ask for the cake to be brought back to the table. While the server did return it and provided plates, there was no candle, no birthday acknowledgment, no utensils, and no offer to help cut or serve the cake. I understand the restaurant's policy may prevent guests from using their knives, but I believe offering to slice and serve the cake would have been the appropriate level of service, especially in a resort restaurant where prices are higher and guests expect a more elevated experience. Fortunately, I had purchased disposable utensils earlier that day and was able to use a plastic knife to cut and serve the cake myself, along with plastic spoons for our guests. Given how frequently our server disappeared, waiting for assistance would have delayed the celebration even further. What made the experience more disappointing was that the restaurant was relatively empty during our visit. The slow service did not appear to be the result of being understaffed or overwhelmed. I'm not sure whether it was a lack of training or experience, but the overall service was very subpar. The food was enjoyable, and the manager who assisted us was helpful and attentive. However, the service from our server significantly impacted what should have been a special birthday celebration. For the prices charged at a resort restaurant, I expected a much higher level of hospitality and attentiveness. read more

Just decided on a whim to take a drive from Georgetown to check out taco Tuesday at Kalahari Resort. Initial impressions of the resort were good. Free valet parking, but make sure to get your valet ticket validated! The facility is beautiful! Lots of fun photo ops too! We were seated in the bar area with a basket of chips & a menu. The menu was different than what was posted online, but we were still able to get the tacos we wanted at the HH. Our waiter was excellent, and took care of everything we needed. He even let us sit at a table rather than at the bar. The restaurant is huge, and includes an outdoor patio that overlooks the waterpark area. I had a Carne Asada taco and a chicken taco. They were very tasty and filling! After dinner we walked around a bit and checked out the shops. It was a fun evening! read more

Cinco Ninos - Chips & salsa! - Mexican Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

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Good Mexican food at Kalahari resort. So if you're staying here & craving Mexican food, this is a good choice. With all the fantastic Mexican places in the Austin area, I probably wouldn't go back. But that doesn't take away from the fact that I enjoyed my visit here. Our service was fantastic. Food was good, but I wouldn't call it great. Very pricey for the quality. Drinks were very good. My friends liked their shrimp tacos & nachos. My burrito was good. read more

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The strong positive is that some of the dishes were very flavorful. I recommend the birria tacos w/shredded beef that comes with a dipping sauce. The kids meals, altho pricey ($15 for steak quesadilla) was well made and high quality. The waitress, Elizabeth was friendly. The negatives: they forgot to add steak to my child's order. He had to wait 30-40 min for it to get fixed. Ontop of that, everyone's plate came out before his even tho we ordered his first. My aunt's shrimp tacos had about 80% tomatoes which she doesn't like and 2 shrimp on each one. I told her my fave restaurant puts 5-6 shrimp and chunks of avocado on theirs. When we told the manager the two situations he said he would look into the delayed fix but never came back out. He told my aunt it was company policy for the shrimp order and couldn't fix it. However, the food service director who oversees the restaurants rectified the situation. He generously gave my aunt more shrimp and apologized for the delayed fix. read more

Decent Tex Mex food here! They have a lovely decor inside and service is great! Our group shared some chips and dips. I shared the Mahi Mahi Entree since I wasn't feeling anything too heavy and a steak quesadilla. Quesadilla was perfect and cheesy. The Mahi Mahi had Alot of cabbage topping, but I liked it paired with the fish. Oh and the churro and sopapilla desserts were great. Just be sure to eat them while fresh and warm. read more

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My family and I have been to Kalahari many times and we finally decided to give this place a try. Never again. Server was super sweet and gave us great service and the place was clean and good great atmosphere but the food was garbage. Maybe it was late in the day or something but I mean this to the fullest extent, Taco Bell or Taco Cabana would have been better options. We had queso as an appetizer and should have ran for the exit at that point. It was warm milk with a side of Pico de gallo. Zero flavor, like I lost my sense of taste during covid kind of flavor. We stayed because the kids were starving so they ate the chips and salsa. We ordered the beef fajitas, what came out was soggy small chopped up beef chunks swimming in oily onions and bell peppers. It was terrible. It looked like the inside of a cheap gas station Philly Cheesteak. I know meat, I grill A LOT. I honestly can't tell you what cut of meat the fajitas were but it damn sure wasn't skirt steak. Maybe highly processed minced chuck, it was bad. I really wish I would have taken pictures. My wife had a taco salad with salty beef that had some weird dressing on it with a few beans and corn at the bottom of some lettuce. That was probably the best thing. The kids chicken quesadilla was stuffed with dried out marinated chicken thighs soaked in grease (how the hell do you dry out chicken thighs) that didn't even smell appealing and tasted worst then they smelled. I'm not here to complain, this may be my first food review I've ever done. I don't send stuff back or cry to managers, I just don't go back to places I don't like. I guess enough people like this place to keep it in business. Or maybe it was an off night. I did see much better looking fajitas on yelp pictures and they may be going downhill or shrinkflating, who knows. I post this to warn other people to lower your expectations if you plan on coming here. Like really low. I wish I would have saved my hundred and something dollars and gone to Taco Bell for some crunchy taco supremes or some fajitas and queso from taco cabana, both would have run circles around this place read more

Service was good. Super nice waiter. Business was nice and clean with fun ambiance. Food was not good at all. Dry, no flavor and definitely over priced but it's the Kalahari so expected with the price. Drinks were ok. There were 5 of us and nobody could eat half of the food. Just not good. They made it look good though. Definitely eating somewhere else next time here. read more

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This was a nice restaurant at the resort. They have a nice happy hour before 7pm. The food and service were good! The food came out rather quickly and it was a nice proportion. read more

Cinco Ninos - Classic margaritas - Mexican Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

There where green stuff in my burrito but everything was great I think the place turned out pretty well I like it read more

This restaurant is inside the Kalahari in Round Rock Texas. It is designed in an elementary fashion. It is not designed authentically Mexican at all. It is a very clean restaurant. Reservations are recommended, as this is the inside a resort atmosphere that is very busy. We opted to sit at the bar because no reservations are required to sit at the bar. My husband got fajitas, rice and beans and a strawberry margarita. I got 2 chicken tacos and an iced tea. All of the meat provided at this restaurant is marinated and contains processed sugar. Kaylee, my server, was nice enough to go talk to the kitchen and they had one piece of chicken that had not been marinated and she had them make tacos for me out of that one piece of chicken. That was exceptional service. The food is pricey. My tacos were four dollars each. A small bowl of guacamole was $11. My husband's fajitas were $29. The food was fine; not great . This would be a good place to take children. It is designed with pictures on the wall that children would appreciate. It is spacious and simple. read more

Cinco Ninos - Tacos were four dollars each. - Mexican Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

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Such a disappointment. We have been to all other restaurants here, as we are locals, and this was awful! We sit at the bar and the guy at the bar absolutely seems like he hates his job! Whatever you do, don't order taco salad...just a bunch of lettuce in a taco shell bowl that's cold. Paid $12 extra to add shrimp to the bowl that already should have included ground beef...there was no ground beef. Additionally, very little beans, onions, tomatoes and cheese. Drinks were good, however. read more

We were a group of 4 for Friday night dinner. It's January so probably explains the small amount of people for dinner. We had a friendly server who gave us plenty of time to make our choices. We had queso con carne which was unusually tasty as an app. Definitely freshly made and the chips were very crispy too. Entrees included my carnitas burrito which may have been the most flavorful burrito I've ever had! Others had enchiladas and the fish dinner. The only reason this wasn't a 5 star experience was the fact I had to ask for a spoon twice! First for the queso and the second for my charros. We got one but not the second . Restaurants don't need to scrimp on silverware especially when the dinner for four was $130+. We will return since the quality was outstanding. Definitely a repeater! Hopefully they'll take the hint. Cheers read more

Cinco Ninos - Carnitas Burrito - Mexican Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

This was surprisingly, really good. Kalahari restaurants tend to be all over the place, so you don't know what to expect. I will be fair, I kept getting mixed reviews from my friends. Some raved. Some said it was mediocre food at best. I came in with low expectations, because of the random inconsistency among friends who have visited this place. First, you do need a reservation. You want a reservation. Otherwise you either will not get in or have a 2 - 3 hour wait. Previous times I've come, this happened to me. My husband was very smart for this Kalahari trip and made a reservation the day we checked in. The entry also gives this false illusion that it's a tiny restaurant. It's a huge restaurant. However, it's very long, rather than wide, which gives that false impression. Service was semi slow, not fast, but not so slow you needed to complain. The waiter did warn us ahead of time, which may be why I was more patient. I kinda like getting this kinda information upfront. They do have a nice tequila selection, however I was not here for fun, but for a work conference so I drank the agua de jamaica, which was a lovely hibiscus drink. Everyone can do a decent taco, so instead I went for the chile relleno. The menu was a little confusing, because it listed things, and I wasn't sure if those were filling options or everything on top. The chile relleno is not a large chile, but they did build good flavor with the picadillo and cheese sauce on top. Maybe the chile could have been burned a minute or two longer to get that smokey flavor, but otherwise it was nice. Beans were great, rice was okay, however my husband liked it enough to continue stealing from it. I think to prevent a mixed experience, do the reservation, try something other than tacos, if you're not on a work trip be adventurous and do a tequila flight, otherwise go for the horchata or jamaica. read more

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After a long day at the waterpark, the adults took a break from the kids and explored the resort. We decided we needed dessert, and found a table at Cinco Ninos, about an hour before closing. The hostess, or waitress Kristie, and everyone else that helped with water or food was super nice and friendly. Kristie was apologetic for any delays on our food, and made sure to give us updates on it when working her tables in our seating area. We ordered an app, a side salad, and dessert. These three items were delicious! I loved the tangy vinaigrette on the salad, and the chimichurri sauce on the queso was amazing! The Tres leches was actually a big portion, and we couldn't finish it. The next time we go to the Kalahari, we'll be dining here! read more

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Announcement--------------review siiiiiiiixxxxxx-hun-it------ 600! I came to this location towards the end of last year with a friend to celebrate a birthday. We ordered a variety of menu items to include house-made guacamole, mixed grill fajitas and a special order of salsa and guacamole. Mixed Grill- The chicken on this menu item was chewy and lacked the flavor of the other two meats. However, the shrimp while small in size did have adequate amounts of spices which provided a mesquite pepper taste. Guacamole- The guacamole was okay but wasn't anything memorable. The food was overall okay but not nearly worth the price point that the establishment demands (I paid approximately $70 for the menu items before the drinks). If one is visiting the area and doesn't care to leave the resort, this may be the best bet. However, if one does have a car (rental or otherwise), it may be wiser to venture down the road to Torchy's or the like and get more bang for your buck and enjoy better quality food. read more

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Decent food and good service but the pricing is crazy since its in Kalahari!! Overall, other than the prices I couldn't complain.

Came here a few weeks ago with my mom to watch a music group perform. We sat in the bar area. Our bartender was Triston who was attentive to us and helpful in our food selection. We had chicken taquitos and the queso blanco. They were both very good. We will definitely be back for more! read more

The good: - free chips and salsa: I ate sooooo much. The salsa was delicious. Mild spice level. - fried fish tacos (red snapper apparently): very flavorful - the jalapeño crema isn't too spicy, was mild. - husband liked the shrimp tacos - friends liked the shrimp fajitas The not so good: - kids' meal burger was dry - beef fajitas: meat was overcooked The restaurant temperature is kept chilly, so it's a good idea to bring a jacket! read more

This restaurant is FUN! Love the bright colors, decor, and all the fun quotes. Staff was excellent of course. We really loved our waitress Amy, she was incredible. We got all the meals she recommended and we 10000% would eat it all again. Super flavorful and reasonably priced. I would like to say though, this is TEX MEX. Not traditional Mexican so if that's what you're looking for, this isn't the place. The queso with the chimmichuri was great! We loved the addition of the chimmichuri, it elevated it without overpowering it. The salsa was also good, more of like a deep smokey type salsa. I don't think the salsa they offer is one that would appease the masses, but my family liked it. The 2 tables around us though did not. Both taco dishes were great. The barbacoa was cooked beautifully and the green sauce they served with it was a spicy compliment to the dish. Fajitas were just okay, that's why I didn't give the 5th star. I really feel like I got ripped off on the chicken. Those 3 little pieces was unacceptable to me but I didn't complain, the shrimp was good and made up for it. Finished with the tres leches cake and the tequila flight. The cake was WOW. I can't believe I'm gonna say this but it was probably the best tres leches cake I've ever had which shocked me. I'd eat here again but maybe skip the fajitas. read more

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This is restaurant inside Kalahari with a colorful atmosphere, unique (and comfortable) seating areas, and indoor/outdoor tables. We arrived around 3pm on a Sunday and waited about 10 minutes for a table for two. Chips and salsa were complimentary. Food we ordered: -Cinco Ninos Queso ($9), huge portion -Carnitas Burrito ($17), also huge portion and loved how incredibly soft the meat was, comes with rice and beans -Pastor Tacos ($12) Overall, enjoyed our time here (not just because the seats were incredibly comfortable), a little pricey but that is expected for a restaurant located inside a resort. Portions were very large, we took about half the food home as leftovers. Note, if you want bottled water, they charge $8 (it's Voss). read more

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We came in during our stay at the resort, and this is a beautiful establishment, from the paintings on the walls to the beautiful setup of the bar. The overall ambiance is warm and playful. Outstanding service from the waiter from start to finish. I could not have asked for better services. Now the food this restaurant gives you plenty. We were stuffed! My spicy margarita was so good. I will, without a doubt, return--delicious food. I do recommend it. read more

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Very relaxed vibe. Food was great. I had their horchata (which I am not a fan of) and it was delish. Service was about the same in any restaurant. Serving sizes were great read more

We got fajitas to go. They were great giving a kids menu and water to entertain the two year old. The chicken was a bit dry and there was no guacamole but you could tell everything was made fresh. read more

My husband and I took our 3 teenage boys out for a nice dinner after a long day at the water park. We ordered the taco party platter for only 75 dollars. It was enough for the entire family. We even had a few leftovers. The complimentary chips and salsa were also delicious. read more

Cinco Ninos - Taco party platter. - Mexican Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

Service was slow and the food was cold never come back to this restaurant this was in kalahari Austin tx bad restaurant read more

Cinco Ninos - Mexican Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

The restaurant claimed they were fully booked when we came 10 mins before our reservation that is why they cannot seat us right away. From where we seating we can see empty tables though. Then people keep coming but leaving bec they were told its 1.5 hr wait. We realized they are short staffed not fully booked , because even when dining there were still a lot of empty tables. I don't know restaurant lingo but here in Houston, when they say fully book, I mean every table is filled - this place is just half filled. Too bad, there were a lot customers that left with party of 4 and more. Anyway food is Ok , same as most. Our waiter Ufuk is good though - he was hard working, he seem to wait a lot of tables but somehow he managed to be calm and collected and tried his best to give us good service Ambience is just Ok - place looks nice and clean. My recommendation- reserve a table in Kalahari resort restaurant, we did not the first time we came here and its hard to get a table. I learned the 2nd time read more

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Our server Drew was awesome. He was the high point of our meal. The food was the low point. My kids scarfed theirs down but they usually do so who knows if their meals were cooked properly. My wife had the carnitas street tacos and they might as well have been street oil in a pan. There was so much oil coming out of the tacos it was pretty gross. I had the stuffed poblano and the inside was cold. It was cooked but obviously it had been premade and then frozen (which I get in a resort that has to pump out meal after meal) but it was not reheated to a temperature that melted the cheese in the stuffing. I would not eat here again, if you were visiting this resort and wanted Mexican or TexMex, you could Uber to so many other places that were really close and sooooo much better. read more

We had a great dining experience. Our waiter was so friendly and fun! They had coloring sheets and crayons for the littles. We were dining at a later time for dinner, so we were seated fairly quickly. Chips and salsa to start - their salsa was good! Sangrita! - this is pretty unique (I think?) - a drink I've never heard of, a cross between a sangria and a margarita, and it was tasty. They were unfortunately out of all fish, so I ended up with the mushroom and cauliflower tacos which were tasty. Kids meals are insanely pricey for what you get. I have never paid that much for one before! It's not even gourmet food - it's just that the parents get to have good food, while the kids eat the equivalent of frozen chicken strips and fries. Maybe just being in Kalahari is to blame for that but still! At least the adults' food was good. read more

Just delicious! Our server was also the bar tender and was patient and knowledgeable. She made great suggestions for drinks when we asked if we could do something non-alcoholic. The food was hot, fresh, and flavorful! I got shrimp tacos with beans and rice and my friend got the Barbacoa tacos with Street corn. Chips were served hot with salsa that was just awesome. Prices reflect the quality, would definitely visit again. read more

The evening starts with mediocre flavorless salsa. I ordered the braised short ribs. I am 50 years old, and this hands down was the most horrendous meal I have ever had. The broiled meat was gamey(not fresh), fatty, and covered with a sweet bitter, flavorless goop. My date tried a bite, and I could see anger in her face as she tried to swallow the food. I could not eat anything past the first bite ... totally inedible. Our server came back to check on us, and looked at us and acknowledged what "an unusual dish" it is. I was extremely insulted by the server acknowledging how horrible it was and not forewarning us, nor rectifying the situation. The portions were also laughably small. The bill was 80 dollars for the braised ribs, queso, and two tacos. Steer clear of this restaurant! There are amazing Mexican restaurants in Austin for 1/3 the price and a much better atmosphere with incredible cuisine. read more

Cinco Ninos - Braised short ribs - Mexican Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

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This review is solely based on their happy hour! I don't think I would want to pay for their full price menu, but I'd definitely be back for their happy hour. We were sat right away in some fun chairs in the bar area. Happy hour online said it was 5-6 but on their menu it said 4-6, so not totally sure about the time. Their margaritas were $7 and their appetizers were discounted. We ordered elote and barbacoa nachos. The nachos were good, and I can't believe I'm saying this, but I think there was too much cheese because the chips ended up getting soggy. The elote was good, but it does come as one whole corn on the cob. I assumed since it was an appetizer it would come as smaller cobs or kernels, but nope, so only one of us ended up eating it. I really enjoyed my margarita and my friend enjoyed her peach smash. The happy hour prices were decent and the food was pretty good. I could see myself trying this happy hour out again. read more

First off, I hate giving bad reviews. I'm not one to complain about things, but I think this is worth mentioning to help with improvement on customer satisfaction and service. I came here for dinner with my husband and 2 little ones. Food was good, but just had some issues with service: When we got our order, both my husband and I didn't get what we order for our sides. Hubby ordered black beans and for refried and I ordered cilantro rice and got red rice. Waiter didn't know that kitchen ran out of cilantro rice, so I was stuck with rice I didn't even want. We never got a refill for water. Minor issue, but service could be better with that. My husband asked for a side of salsa verde. He got a small little plastic sauce container and was charged $2.00 for it without even knowing it. At least that could of been free for the inconvenience of not getting our food right. Will I be back, maybe. But probably just get the food to go next time. read more

Seated ok Reservations worked 20 mins from order to margarita arrival....fail Food came out before drink! Juice glass size $10 Crazy Fajita meat was tasteless Tortillas good Salsa like water Didn't taste fresh at all GF's beans and rice cold upon arrival My beans super salty Whoa!! No cheese for fajitas None Waitress friendly So friendly she spent more time talking to security guard Loud very loud Bar area Bar staff standing around so drinks coming slow Really???? So not worth it Don't waste your time Taco cabana is even better read more

I really enjoyed my lunch experience here! Shout out to Marixa, who helped make our experience wonderful. The portions were great, and the chimichurri aioli sauce on my carnitas burrito was delectable. They add a tajin/lime salt seasoning on the chips, which was interesting. And they had a kids menu that would satisfy any picky kid. I'd definitely come here again! Need to come back for dinner. :) read more

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I understand that this is a family resort .... Patience is a must. But, the service at this restaurant outside is not very good. If you are gonna offer picnic table service by the pool, then have just that. We should have to walk repeatedly back and forth to ask and collect our items we purchased. Then when i ask about the order, be told oh hey i have to check to make sure they even received the order.....? I won't go back if i visit Kalihari again. read more

Place was disappointing... think way overpriced Taco Bell. We were hungry, I figured that should have made the food better... nope. I decided to get the Faijita plate with the "Grilled Steak" and "Sautéd Marinaded Shrimp" fajitas. What I received was a small handful of sliced beef, barely enough for one taco, and several pieces of shrimp on some skewers (not sure how you sauté shrimp on a skewer, but whatever)... The shrimp was not great, seasoned ok, tasted farmed and a bit tough. The rice was ok, the refried beans tasted just like the cans of Rosarita you can buy at your local grocery store. That plate was $31... We also ordered the "Full Can" nachos. Sloppy mess of a presentation. Mix the ingredients in a (hopefully) clean tin can then lift up off the plate for a less than dazzling show of soggy Tostitos and gas station nacho cheese mixed with pieces of "steak" and shredded iceberg lettuce plopping all over the place. So appetizing. Service was 2.5/5. Empty glasses sat for a while before being offered refills, when he did take my glass, I didn't get back for 10 minutes when I asked. Place was not packed. We didn't finish the nachos, and the fajita plate was not filling at all. We ended up going upstairs and ordered from Mac's Mac and Cheese to fill up... read more

Miss Teacher "Kristie" greeted us know quickly. She offered her favorite selections of beverages and adult beverages. The apps arrived very quickly and food came out correct. She checked on us often and made sure everything was handled appropriately. 10/10 highly recommend read more

Cinco Ninos - This is the Cadillac Margarita with Tajín. After 2 of them, you should be feeling just fine. - Mexican Near Me - Round Rock, Texas

It is a bit pricy to eat here but the food is really good. The service was amazing our server was Marissa! She was phenomenal and so knowledgeable. I got the short rib tacos and my husband got the chicken torta.... his portion made it well worth it. The chips were really good. They come from el milagro downtown Austin. As well as the tortillas. Would come back again!!! read more

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I'm giving this place two stars rather than one strictly because our waiter was really nice and apologetic and our drinks were alright. This was hands down the worst food I've had in years. I ordered the tamale special and my husband ordered the Al Pastor Torta and we decided to share our dishes. Both came with rice and beans as the sides. Our rice was undercooked and tasted very strongly of some sort of chemical. The refried beans were the consistency of a very watery sauce and had no flavor. The tamales were raw and weren't seasoned at all and the torta was bland and flavorless as well. This might be a good place to pop in and grab a drink if you're at the Kalahari but I won't be eating here again. read more