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    El Mercado Restaurant

    3.5 (263 reviews)
    ModerateTex-Mex
    Open 11:00 am - 8:30 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Order El Mercado Restaurant Takeout or Delivery

    El Mercado Restaurant Photos

    Business Info

    EL MERCADO RESTAURANT ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Good for groups

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    Recommended Reviews - El Mercado Restaurant

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    Reviews With Photos

    1/2 order pastor nachos
    John B.

    El Mercado has been in the Austen restaurant scene for a very long time. The service is consistently top-notch, and takes very good care of you throughout the dining experience. The Tex-Mex food itself is very middle of road. They have taken a couple of the unique food items off the menu, and what remains is common Tex Mex. The salsa is freshly made, and has a wonderful flavor and it varies from day today because of the freshness of the ingredients. Nothing special about the ambience... Average food... Great service... Average margaritas, and cold beer... Not a bad combination.

    Fresca Plate Dinner vegetarian

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    19 days ago

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    26 days ago

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    2 days ago

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    18 days ago

    Great service wonderful local never a bad meal would always return. Enchiladas and fajitas. Great drinks and service.

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    7 months ago

    It's standard Tex-Mex. It's essentially all the same food rolled in different ways. Service was okay. Food was okay. Drinks were okay.

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    4 months ago

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    3 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

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    4 months ago

    Love the people who work here and love the food. Beef fajitas can be a bit chewy sometimes but other than that it's all good.

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    2 years ago

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    11 months ago

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    5 months ago

    Go if you're over the age of 60. Large drinks have maybe half a shot and the service is mediocre.

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    2 months ago

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    6 months ago

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    1 year ago

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    1 year ago

    Always accomodates ADA wheelchair customers! They go above and beyond. Good is legit and authentic YUM!

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    3 years ago

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    6 months ago

    Great Tex-Mex food and bar service. We often get food to go and the service is super quick and convenient!

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    3 years ago

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    Alex S.

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    1 year ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    4 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    6 years ago

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    5 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    7 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    3 years ago

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    Alex S.

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    6 years ago

    This place is great for an inexpensive lunch special. There are in choices to select from for $8.75. The food was delicious.

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    4 years ago

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    Page 1 of 7

    Ask the Community - El Mercado Restaurant

    Do they allow dogs on the patio?

    They do. When you arrive there is a gate on the right that allows you to enter the patio without going through the restaurant. I suggest having someone go in and ask for a table and let them know you have a dog. Otherwise they may not know you are… Read more

    Don’t See Your Question? Ask Away!

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    Moonshine Grill - White chocolate bread pudding

    Moonshine Grill

    4.4(6.4k reviews)
    6.0 miDowntown
    $$

    Came here with a large 25 person group all from out of town and it exceeded expectations. Our…read morewaitress McKenna was super sweet and gave great recommendations. Since we ordered basically one of everything - here are our recommendations. Appetizers GET THIS: 1. Corn dog shrimp (think shrimp tempura) - light, flavorful, crunchy YUM 2. Cathead biscuits NOT THAT: 1. Street corn queso dip not a favorite for our table. The cheese tasted thick and plastic like... Velveeta vibes... not much flavor Meals GET THIS: 1. Hangar Steak 2. Creole shrimp & grits 3. Chicken fried steak Not that: 1. Horseradish crusted salmon - I didn't try it but the two people who ordered at our table were disappointed and wished they would've gotten one of the above Desserts GET THIS: 1. Bread pudding was delicious! Not overly sweet & the added white chocolate gives it that dazzle dazzle 2. Chocolate Espresso Brownie - perfection NOT THAT: 1. Banana cream pudding. This was a no for the table because it was over the top sweet (I think because of the added butterscotch) 2. Peanut Butter Mousse Pie super super thick & sweet. Didn't taste much other than PB - it was like eating a giant spoonful of it and trying to swallow.

    We had a group here for dinner and were excited to try it, due to reviews. The ambience is lively,…read moreloud, and buzzy. Looked super fun. Service was good, no issues there. Friendly staff overall. The food fell flat for almost all of us. The salads were fresh and good. However, the ribs were below average. Cornbread was stale and not tasty. Biscuits tasted more like firm bread and not at all flaky/soft. That seemed weird to all of us. Chicken fried steak was soggy and not crispy. Drinks were ok. Not quite sure why the food was subpar, but there were 10 of us who all agreed we wouldn't return for food. There is a swanky little cozy speakeasy in the basement that may be good? We didn't try that.

    Photos
    Moonshine Grill
    Moonshine Grill - Garlic appetizer

    Garlic appetizer

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    Bourbon pour

    Mama Betty’s - Churros slathered in sticky sauces

    Mama Betty’s

    4.1(375 reviews)
    9.7 mi
    $$

    Listen as a self proclaimed Texmex/ Mexican food ambassador I wanted to be critical of this place…read moreand cannot say one bad thing about it other than it's always packed. We absolutely recommend coming here and getting fajitas or enchiladas or Barbacoa quesadillas maybe all of the above if you bring enough people because it's all delicious! The restaurant itself is very well kept and clean. It does get a little bit loud, but that's only because it's always packed to the doors. Mama Betty's has a really fun outdoor patio space and always has great music playing. It's an awesome establishment to bring families kids Little League teams, office meetings whatever you want you won't disappoint anybody you bring. No matter who we have gotten as far as the wait staff they have all been extremely friendly, kind and helpful when it came to choosing something on the menu--everybody here has a wonderful and warm personality. They really have put together a home run of a restaurant and I hope that they stay around for a long time. Last, but not least the drinks are outstanding, and everything is very competitively and fairly priced. If you haven't tried it and are worried about it being packed come during the weekday at lunch.

    Went on Sunday after Easter service because we were craving something a friend brought us during a…read morerecent meal train but felt it a bit lacking. First, the menu needs a rewrite for content and clarity. For example, buying fajitas doesn't list guacamole and based on size, single, for two and family you get more sides of rice or beans. There's no definition of how much actual meat you get and our server couldn't provide that information beyond a rough estimate. Second, the fajitas we got of family size and for two portions for 7 were not consistently cooked. We asked for medium rare and got about 25% at that with the ones in the center at a more well done. Again, the multiple tiny sides were more obnoxious than anything as it's legit beans and rice unless you want to upcharge. The cilantro lime rice tastes like nothing so skip that and go for abuelita rice which has a hint of flavor. Overall, the butter/gravy that go on the fajitas is the real winner but again a menu where you overbuy and misunderstand (that doesn't even list extras like guacamole or a simple small queso) was beyond frustrating. I would stick to them for one to possibly get a better cook.

    Photos
    Mama Betty’s - Not so Private event space

    Not so Private event space

    Mama Betty’s - Chilli relleno and blood orange margarita (Notice the rice looks orange red, it wasn't it was normal Spanish rice color)

    Chilli relleno and blood orange margarita (Notice the rice looks orange red, it wasn't it was normal Spanish rice color)

    Mama Betty’s - Mexican martinis

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    Mexican martinis

    Chuy's - QUESO - Blend of melted cheese, Green Chile & Ranchero Sauces. Add seasoned ground beef, guacamole & pico de gallo.

    Chuy's

    3.9(1.4k reviews)
    6.2 mi78704 (South Austin)
    $$

    AMAZING!!! Last time my bf and I came to this Chuy's, we…read morewere super overstimulated and vowed to never go again, but after visiting a few other locations around Austin and coming back here- I can confidently say that they by far make the best rice and enchiladas! Their rice is so fluffy and fresh and their enchiladas always come out steaming- never skimping out on the sauce also. For the first time we also finally made it to the weekday happy hour from 3-6 PM and got the $5 "chips 'n' dips" deal with a new queso; the boom-boom queso and it was amazing!! Such a great deal considering the plain queso alone during regular hours is nearing $10...

    Chuy's is my favorite Mexican food spot in Austin! I love the Barton springs location near South…read morecongress as it's cute and homey. When you come here, ALWAYS order the queso - it's the best!! I ordered the chicken flautas for my main dish when we visited and they were amazing. I usually order the boom boom enchiladas but the crunch these had was delicious. We did had to ask our server to turn the fan down, at one point they had it on full blast for some reason, but other than that they brought us a bunch of chips during our meal and were very attentive. If you're in Austin, check out this spot!

    Photos
    Chuy's - GUACAMOLE - Fresh avocados & Salsa Fresca, all mashed up.

    GUACAMOLE - Fresh avocados & Salsa Fresca, all mashed up.

    Chuy's - PANCHOS - Tostada chips, refried beans, cheese and your choice of fajita chicken, fajita beef or seasoned ground beef.

    PANCHOS - Tostada chips, refried beans, cheese and your choice of fajita chicken, fajita beef or seasoned ground beef.

    Chuy's - QUESADILLAS  - Flour tortillas stuffed with cheese, green chiles & onion. Served with guacamole, sour cream & tomatoes.

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    QUESADILLAS - Flour tortillas stuffed with cheese, green chiles & onion. Served with guacamole, sour cream & tomatoes.

    El Alma - Chips salsa and queso

    El Alma

    4.1(1.4k reviews)
    6.4 miBouldin Creek, 78704 (South Austin)
    $$

    Duck enchiladas with mole sauce were awesome! Chips and salsa were homemade and delicious. Tacos…read moregreat and yummy margaritas. We had a wonderful server too. Ambiance very laid back but cute.

    That rush hour traffic in Austin is lethal. If it starts raining too, oh buddy, what a nightmare…read more Eventually you'll make it to your destination and if it's half as good as El Alma, it'll be a sigh of relief. I've driven by El Alma many times being in the Austin area, but I never went until last Thursday, and after surviving a brief monsoon, I was glad to get a few drinks and eat some good TexMex with my large party just before a wedding. The best way to describe El Alma is that it is TexMex that is Austinified. Everything feels a little more unique and special than your classic TexMex options. I started off with a Mezcal Margarita that put a little hair on my chest and got me going. My group ordered two of their Nachitos, which were these nice nachos. For my main entrée, I got 3 Al Pastor tacos on corn with a side of their rice and beans. Their pastor was served with pineapples, onions, and cilantro with limes on the side. They were great and I immediately crushed them all. I thought their rice and beans were pretty good as well and a step above the typical TexMex rice and beans. The server was pretty attentive throughout our whole visit, and I honestly have no complaints about what they had to offer. Pricing on the meal and drinks was pretty standard for Austin, and I didn't think anything really took me out of the experience. On top of that, for being in Barton Springs, there is quite a bit of parking. I would love to come back at some point in the future and hang out on their rooftop bar because that seems like a lot of fun. Shoutout to El Alma for being a TexMex oasis saving me from the MoPac traffic. RIYL: TexMex, but better than your average

    Photos
    El Alma - Busy on a Tuesday

    Busy on a Tuesday

    El Alma - Queso blanco

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    La Piscina - honey chipotle bowl with steak

    La Piscina

    4.3(246 reviews)
    5.9 miWarehouse District, Downtown
    $$$

    Highly recommend this place. The food was delicious and they do not use seed oils. The steak…read morefajitas were the best we have ever eaten anywhere and generous enough to split. The guacamole was mostly just avocado but they put pickled veggies with it and it will light you up! Our server was super sweet and did a good job and the place was slammed. It was SXSW weekend so all of the extra crazies were in town. The churros do not get cooked inside. They were wet and gummy. We mentioned to the manager and she was very apologetic and replaced them immediately. They were still raw inside but they were already removed from our ticket. The house margaritas were very good! Like I said, it was a crazy, busy weekend so the DJ had the tunes bumping really loudly. Not sure if it's always this way but with concrete ceilings and floors it was loud. Hard to hear server and each other. I'd still go back for the food.

    Real rating is 3.5. Over all food and drinks were great. But there was a random dog running around…read morethe pool area that no one seemed to have control over. Kind of irritating when you're trying to relax. A cabana is the way to go but the seating for the couch slides all over the place. Service was great for how busy they were! Update- apparently the dog's owner is a resident of The Proper.....still not okay to be doing this....but grateful for the waitstaff for trying to manage such rude people

    Photos
    La Piscina
    La Piscina - Lobster Quesadilla, Steak and Chicken Fajitas

    Lobster Quesadilla, Steak and Chicken Fajitas

    La Piscina - View from the rooftop

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    View from the rooftop

    Pueblo Viejo - Taco Plate

    Pueblo Viejo

    4.4(670 reviews)
    7.8 miOltorf/East Riverside
    $

    Tucked away in a building across from Popeye's, this charming little restaurant doesn't have a wide…read morevariety to choose from--but what they offer is pretty special and definitely worth a visit. I ordered 2 steak tacos and horchata, both very delicious. The horchata is milky and sweet but not crazy sweet, and topped off with cinnamon. The steak tacos came out pretty hot, fresh from the grill. I got them on corn tortillas and I'm glad I did: idk if they make them in house but somebody in some house is making these because they definitely aren't store bought, and if they are I want to know where! I tried the orange habanero and creamy serrano salsas. The habanero was spicy off the bat, while the serrano had more of a lingering burn. Both paired well with the steak. They have a little bar, too, though I did not imbibe this time. Seems like they have a decent selection of agave spirits, and even Campari behind the bar (iykyk). Give them a shot, and thank the ladies in the kitchen.

    I personally don't eat breakfast tacos usually, but the breakfast tacos here are delicious. Out on…read morea whim, happen to drive by and saw this place. Decided to come in and the cashier greeted us and was really nice and patient because of questions with the menu. The Taco Bueno is what I had ordered and requested no potato. Sat down and after a few seconds, chips & salsa was delivered. Then after a few minutes, the food came. Quick service for sure and the food, AMAZING. Anyone reading this, try this place out and if u like it, come back! Cuz we are for sure =D

    Photos
    Pueblo Viejo - Dining Pueblo Viejo ~ Riverside

    Dining Pueblo Viejo ~ Riverside

    Pueblo Viejo - Lime pudding

    Lime pudding

    Pueblo Viejo - Delicious pineapple cucumber agua fresca!

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    Delicious pineapple cucumber agua fresca!

    El Mercado Restaurant - tex-mex - Updated May 2026

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