The food, ambiance, and service are top notch. This is the kind of place that FORCES you to slooooow 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. read more

First time ordering, Sunday morning Uber eats order. Was looking for a pork chop breakfast for my man 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. read more

See all

For a Sunday breakfast, the potatoes were burnt and soggy and the beans were cold. I ordered a migas rancheras. I did not know they were going to top it off with Velvetta type cheese. It was busy in the morning. Our server did not provide the best attention. We had to ask for coffee refills from another server. Not sure, we would come back. For the cost, there are are other restaurants that provide better customer service and better food. We also did not like that upon placing our order, the server just went and grabbed our menu without even saying "compermiso" o "puedo tomar el menu". read more

Hit the spot. Was looking for some old-school, non hipster Mexican food and El Secreto did not disappoint. We got the enchilada combo (1 beef, 1 chicken, 1 cheese) + the suadero mini tacos. Green salsa was a favorite. read more

The chicken enchiladas were amazing. The mole was spot on and very well priced. Service was outstanding. read more

See all

After a long day traveling to Austin, we popped in here with our local family...it was probably 8pm. Service was quick and they checked with us multiple times to make sure we had everything we needed. The menu is extensive with lots of options to customize and we ordered multiple dishes, but the Barbacoa and Asada were outstanding. Add Queso, sour cream, and some Modelos and we were very happy. The quality of the food was impressive and it was obvious the staff cared more than the usual suspects to ensure we had a great meal. read more

The BEST hole in a wall for home cooked Mexican food, especially when craving your favorite dishes you grew up with back home.

Great little local Mexican food where you can reach just a few minutes away from the Austin airport. Came just after arriving to Austin to get a meal and a few beers. The restaurant was chill as had great air conditioning with most of the patrons being local blue collar workers, definitely not a Austin hipster place. The staff were friendly and they have a large menu. My wife had the chicken mole and I had some green chili enchiladas where we drank a few Victoria Beer's that were crispy cold. read more

El Secreto De Abuela - Green enchiladas - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

The food was very well prepared and delicious. The service was absolutely on point! We will be back.

Place has great authentic soup and dish selections, do yourself a favor and order the tortilla soup, it's good for the soul.

This spot is amazing! Always incredible food, the tortilla soup is a must have, and just never have had a miss on the many times I've gone. Such a great cozy spot! read more

Long before any other tex-mex restaurants are even awake, Secreto de la Abuela is cranking out delicious food. The fajitas nachos are my favorite thing right now. Great coffee too. read more

I come here for the Fillet a la Plancha. Best grilled fish in Austin. Love this place! read more

El Secreto De Abuela - Daily specials - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

This place was a little hole in the wall with delicious food. The beans were very flavorful

Loved the vibe, the service, and the food! Non-pretentious Tex-Mex and homemade corn tortillas. read more

El Secreto De Abuela - The artist, El Federico! - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

It's been a long time since I went to this place, staff is great. Food is awesome. Parking lot so much. But it's Austin so what can I expect? read more

After a long wait I finally tried El Secreto De Abuela. I drive by this place all the time on my drive to and from the airport. Had a nice lazy Sunday today so popped in. Got the enchiladas de mole for $12.99 and it was a pretty nice sized portion. Didn't 100% blow me away, but I did ignore the waitress's suggestion of her favorite dish. Was still plenty good, and service was super quick. I'll go back and try more of their menu at some point for sure. read more

El Secreto De Abuela - Enchiladas de mole - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

El Secreto is a very well kept secret! This is our go to Mexican spot on the east side! It's the only place we've found with authentic chili con carne sauce, which is fire, and deserves to be smothered on everything. We've had at least 6-8 different things in the menu and with the exception of the queso, would order them all again!! The queso is too velveeta-ish for our taste, and doesn't stand up to others in the area so we just avoid it, but otherwise we love el secreto! We've ordered delivery a few times and had our order cancelled so o recommend going in person or calling for to go, but they sometimes don't answer the phone. This place gets super busy, especially during the lunch rush! The parking lot full of dirty work trucks outside should be a testament to their food! read more

I ordered via Uber Eats. That's on me. I'm sick. It was an option. ANYWAY, I made the mistake of trusting the reviews. I ordered menudo and caldo de res. One was terrible. One was mediocre. Neither was enjoyable enough to eat. The menudo doesn't use honeycomb tripe and the pieces were so small, they were barely distinguishable from the hominy. I did like one thing about it - they add two small chiles de arbol, which is fire. It's my favorite chile; it's very hot but also very flavorful. Other than that, the broth wasn't red enough, nor did it have any spice - or flavor, for that matter. Super disappointing. The caldo de res was okay. The broth was bland. The cabbage was twiggy. The meat was too fatty (some fat is essential for flavor and no grandma would ever make caldo de res with lean cuts of meat. It's chuck all the way. But this wasn't chuck. It was dry (!) and overcooked. There were two giant pieces of carrot taking up most of the cup it came in and the potato had dissolved into a weird gritty sediment at the bottom. There was a decent piece of sweet corn but I'm not gonna lie - I'll eat corn no matter what but I can't say it was good; it was overcooked but I enjoyed it, anyway. I like corn. What can I say? ANYWAY ... it was a disappointing experience and I won't be ordering from here again. I can't speak to the quality of their other dishes because I don't think I'll be trying them after today's soup debacle. To others who shared positive reviews, I'm not begrudging their experience at all. I'm glad people support a place they like. read more

I drove by this place last week and decided since there were many cars that it was worth a try. I also read some reviews so was excited to find a truly authentic mexican restaurant. I am originally from San Antonio so as you move on north on the highway the Mexican food seems to change is taste. The place is good. It is what one may call a hole in the wall, but worth the stop. It has a wide selection of food. A good size menu. There was lots of customers at about 1:PM. The waitresses were quick to take our orders and get the food to us. Chips are tasty. Sauce accompanying it was mild. Our food was so so. First it wasn't that warm. And it didn't have a rich flavor, but was edible. Lots of the guys around us who came in ordered a cerviche that looked very good. I also had an extra tortillas with our meal - that was an additional cost. For my enchiladas I requested they sprinkle some onions on them - that was an additional cost. As I said, the food is ok, but I won't be returning. It just did not do anything for us. read more

I'm so glad I finally stopped at this place, which I've been looking at as I drive past for years. I hesitated because it's a bit dive-y looking, and I wondered if it would be friendly to non-Spanish speakers. This morning, hunger, and the sign advertising cheap breakfast tacos finally convinced me to check it out, and it's a gem. Inside is clean and comfortable. I had a cup of decent coffee and the three breakfast tacos for six bucks. And the corn tortillas, perhaps made in-house?, are larger than I'm used to, and delicious. The egg and bacon were both just right and perfectly cooked, with good salsa alongside. The service was quick, friendly, and easily bilingual. And the rest of the menu looked very tempting. I'll be back. read more

See all

Absolutely Delicious!!! Best Lunch plate in South Austin!! Their Green salsa is off the Charts!! Carne asada 5 star Billy read more

The name of this modest restaurant translates to Grandmother's Secret. Actually, this is not a secret but a well known Mexican restaurant and considering how many choices there are in Austin, El Secreto de Abuela is worth unveiling for is authenticity. The locals know it and a very pleasant surprise for both my grand daughters and me on our first visit. The Machaca con Huevo was reminiscent of my own grandma's machaca. And she was from Cananea, Sonora, Mexico. The Green Chilaquiles took me back to my days in Mexico City where Green Chile and Tomatillo sauce has been mastered. So there. One final word, although they have superlative aguas frescas, como orchata y jamaica, Mexican food goes better with beer. BTW, the service was outstanding not only for the promptness but also for the friendliness. Say no more. Go find out what the secret is!. read more

I've had a terrible craving for mole. I happened to need to drop someone off at the airport right around lunchtime and this place showed up in my search. The place is the farthest from elegant it can be. Menu is extensive, prices are good, service quick and pleasant. The chicken mole enchiladas were decent. The mole was good, but I wish there was a bit more mole and a lot less melted cheese. Next time I'm by the airport I will order them that way. read more

El Secreto De Abuela - the outside of a restaurant - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great food and great service the breakfast taco are great and the be have great deals I say it's a must try it yourself great location

What a surprising find. I do not live in this part of town but find myself there every now and then because of businesses I work with are over there. I was at one business recently and asked where to go for a good texmex lunch. This place was recommended. You get 2 different kinds of salsa with the chips they give you. The green is HOT, the way I like it. The red is very tasty but also very mild. I've been there a couple times and I am a beef lover. First time there I got the carne asada. Second time I went for a beef fajita burrito. My daughter was with me on my 2nd trip and she got a fajita chicken quesadilla. Everything is amazing. The prices and service is also on point. I will definitely be back anytime I'm in this part of Austin. read more

Food was okay, but overpriced since they give you small portions of toppings and the amount of food you actually get. The service was whatever they didn't seem to care about anything and want to get things over with, overall I wouldn't recommend the food is to low quality for its price.. read more

I have to say this place is good... The staff is nice and the food was awesome. Note, when you go in you just seat yourself. This was my first time in and I wasn't sure if someone had to seat me or if I could seat myself. Maybe I am old fashioned but I like it when I walk into a restaurant and someone greets me. I am a big breakfast guy and this place hit the spot. I am from Austin and I grew up in East Austin so I like to support places like this. Next time I go in I am trying the breakfast burrito. read more

El Secreto De Abuela - Chorizo Miga plate with a taco on the side and a coffee. - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Good service and good selection. The lunches are reasonably priced. Good comfort food. No alcohol license (yet).

We got the abuelita plate, huevos a la Mexicana and the queso compuesto. While it did need a little salt added the flavor was solid. I wasn't crazy about the chips (that type aren't my favorite) and red salsa but the green was delicioso. Corn tortillas were better than the flour but I'm also a flour snob so take that as you will. Will be back again to try out more plates read more

Uber Eats picked up the wrong order. No recourse for that "little" mistake - I just got to keep Alanna's beef burrito instead of my two fajita orders and quesadilla. Since I'm hungry and still waiting on fajitas from somewhere else, I'll at least mention that Alanna's beef burrito was not particularly good. The ingredients seemed fine, but nothing was seasoned and everything was bland. Salsas were bland. Tomato salsa was bland and watery. Chips were greasy and undercooked. Received a clump of uncooked quartered tortillas that didn't break up and cook in the fryer, which was about half the chip portion. Maybe this was Alanna's first time trying this place, too, in which case, I'm sorry that you received five pounds of flavorless food that you'll not want to eat but feel guilty throwing away. You didn't miss anything on the beef burrito. read more

Charming family-run tex-mex cafe with early hours and delicious food. read more

See all

Food is a bit expensive its decent Mexican food. They are always nice when i pick up and the service isn't bad. The vibe is just like it would be at any other family restaurant. Its always full so maybe im just being a bit biased. read more

Ordered the combo enchiladas, every single one was so good. Sauce was great, with tons of cheese on top! Refried beans were good, rice was decent. Beef: Very well seasoned, with some potato chunks I believe? Chicken: Tasty! Seasoned nicely as well. Cheese: SO cheesy. Yum. It's a pretty decent sized portion, I had to force myself to finish it, and I enjoyed every bite. Tex-mex in Austin can be pretty hit or miss - these were a hit for me. read more

Finally stopped by this little gem on my way to work and now it's my new go-to for breakfast tacos! They have a taco special, 3 tacos (no cheese, can add for extra) for $3.75 plus tax. This is fantastic because I had recently spent $9 on 3 breakfast tacos at another restaurant! The flour tortillas are soft and fluffy and the tacos are packed! I really like their verde salsa, it's a medium hot with a creamy consistency. I also have called in my order everytime and they have it ready within 10 minutes each time. They offer both Spanish and English when ordering over the phone and they have really great customer service always friendly and welcoming when I stop by in the morning! I will definitely continue stopping by to pick up delicious breakfast tacos! read more

See all

I love dive bars that serve strong pours and hole-in-the-wall Mexican restaurants that serve up strong traditional Mexican dishes. Nana's secret checks all these boxes. Be aware do not judge a book by it's cover. there is absolutely no curb appeal as you drive up and if the lack of cloth napkins, impeccable service, tables that don't wobble, are your triggers to give a bad review then drive on by. I believe there is a Chilis not too far up the road. This is a venue to get a dose of fine Mexican fare. Full disclosure if it wasn't for one of my favorite Yelpers we would not have ever eaten here. For a latish Sat lunch, the restaurant was pretty busy with workers, families, and a few gringos like me who wanted some "get me straight Mex-food". We started our lunch with Micheladas and their chips and salsas. Their chips are large and thick and a perfect accompaniment to their delicious red and spicy green salsa. Plus 1 ordered the steak poblano plate. This dish was well spiced and came with a healthy topping of peppers and cheese. My skirt steak plate was equally good. The meat was marinated, tender, and cooked perfectly. Our sides of beans and rice were pretty healthy portions and I enjoyed the larger than usual guacamole side as well. Lastly, their corn tortillas are homemade and are killers. Nana's Secret is definitely worth a return when we are next in the area... read more

This place is Tex-Mex at it's worst. They start with a name that screams "this sounds good" but after two tries all across the menu it's just shoddy at best. The Caldo De Pollo was bland and lacking in ingredients other than chicken and chicken broth. The beef and chicken fajitas come in unseasoned slabs for some reason, the chicken was just white people chicken breast cooked on a basic bitch flat iron grill (same goes for the beef) the pork was just chucks of fat with a few strips of meat hanging from them. The Pico De Gallo was sloppy in hunks, like a child made it. Save your dinero and just go to Taco Cabana or Pollo Rico (best chicken, best carne asada, best charro beans, best pica de gallo), both beat this place across the board (anyone who knows Mexican restaurants knows that if they can't get their beans and rice right they can't be trusted to get anything right - I should have taken this into account before a second order but thought "brave of the place to go with a their name" - maybe in Texas we're spoiled with Taco Cabana but also this place just sucks). Further upsetting was no way to sub charro beans for refried, the refried might as well have come out of a can (Goya does some better in a can) but I would bet that their charro beans are like everything else on the menu, bland, lame, and tasteless. This is white people food labeled as Mexican, but even Chipotle at least knows how to make Pica De Gallo. Easy pass. read more

I'm all about hitting up hole in the wall Mexican food spots - that's where you'll find the best food 80% of the time. Unfortunately, El Secreto is not that spot for me. Stopping in for a bite during a brief break in the day to enjoy what looked to be some good food, based on many reviews here, we ordered the beef fajitas, the menudo and a carne guisada taco. While the menudo was overall average - the Tripas were nice and tender, but the spices were obviously just a store bought bottle of Menudo Spice - Abuelitas throughout history are making faces at this. So, overall, it was ok... The carne guisada taco was nothing above ordinary. The fajitas had a mix of "meh" flavored meat, mixed in with what tasted to be very sour, expired meat. I didn't eat. The waitress apologized profusely (it's not her fault at all!) and spoke with the kitchen. The kitchen let her know they seasoned the fajita meat with orange juice and that might be what caused the meat to taste like rotten meat. Mmmmmmk. That would be done for carne asada, from what I've grown up with - not fajitas. Also, orange juice doesnt make meat taste rotten. Maybe they're trying to get the most use out of their meat and using it for both, I don't know. Overall, I was unimpressed with everything from the chips y salsa to the meal, itself. read more

Told my boyfriend "it's the best torta ever!!". We came and he LOVED IT! Now it's one of our favorite restaurants!! Best lemonade and tortas EVERRR!! read more

El Secreto De Abuela - Tortas!!! - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

See all

The Food was really tasty , great vibes, family and friends , then 2 old Mexican guys came in and played the accordion, and guitar , the music just made the experience a lot better for us , breakfast/lunch was great , the service was great , big portion plates , I had the huevos rancheros, 2 pancakes, fajita enchilada plate , taco de chicharon, and an horchata, which me and my wife shared , we're stuffed, and now headed back to SPRING TX read more

El Secreto De Abuela - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas