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    Julio's Café

    4.0 (465 reviews)
    ModerateMexican, Tex-Mex
    Closed 8:30 am - 9:00 pm
    Updated over 3 months ago

    Julio's Café Photos

    Business Info

    JULIO'S CAFÉ ATMOSPHERE

    What's the vibe?
    Casual
    Moderate noise
    Outdoor seating
    Happy hour specials

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    Recommended Reviews - Julio's Café

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    Chicken Enchilada
    Wendilyn I.

    This place is run by sisters who are incredibly welcoming and warm. I came here on MLK weekend to meet up with some friends for breakfast. Our group of 5 had two couples and a toddler. You order at the counter and then they bring your food to you. It came out before my toddler got fussy, which was a plus. We had two of their breakfast entries and they were both very good. The sisters raved about their chicken enchilada and their pozole so they let us try some. They were not lying, they were both delicious! They also told us how everything is homemade and their kitchen is so small that they're only able to hold fresh ingredients to make everything from scratch, and, I believe it because everything tasted so good!

    Beverly M.

    Two pleasant sisters from Mexicali acquired Julio's from Estela 2 years ago. They spruced the place up, added some specials of the day (Mondays are mole days) and kept all of Estela's original staff. I've just tried their green chicken pozole and I'm taking some home for dinner. I will be adding some avocado slices and some jalapeño chile to the extras they add themselves: chopped lettuce, radishes, onions, lime juice and tostadas. Yum. As Samuel C pointed out, chicken dishes shine here. We have been coming for (ahem) decades and we always order the same thing: chicken enchiladas in green sauce plates + a cold Shiner bock in an icy mug. Same recipe... same presentation... same reason to come back. Comfort food :) There's a wee bit of free parking in front and a lot more Pay parking in back. Service is good. They still have a rack of Austin Chronicles by the door.

    Chips & salsa - so good
    Young B.

    We were visiting the University of Texas and this was close by with good Yelp reviews. The area was Hyde Park, which was very cute. The lady who greeted was so nice! Since we were first time customers, she gave us free chips & salsa, which was delicious. I loved the thick and crispy chips and the salsa was perfect. I used it for my tacos too. I got the chicken taco plate, which I didn't know came with 2 tacos, and beans and rice. They are soft tacos and have lettuce and tomato on top of the marinated chicken and were yummy. I was very impressed with this little family restaurant. It seems to fill up after we arrived on a Saturday - seemed like the locals were taking advantage of their happy hour prices.

    Chips and Queso, House Margaritas
    Lauren ..

    Quick service, their chips and queso were very delicious, I loved how crunchy and crispy their chips were. I enjoyed my margarita, and my chicken tacos were good, they reminded me of Casa Garcia's tacos. The chicken was very juicy, it could've used a bit more seasoning/flavor but overall I enjoyed my plate. Everything came out very hot and fresh

    Chicken Fajita Taco Plate
    katie

    The staff was so nice!! Great energy. The food was a little underwhelming, especially for the cost.

    Pozole Verde

    My friends and I from out of town came to eat here and from the moment we walked in the service was outstanding. The staff was incredibly attentive and welcoming. They were able to accommodate us as a group of 9 and the food was AMAZING (tasty and good portions). The restaurant is small but it is very well organized. I will most definitely be coming back here next time I'm in town. Thank you so much to Rosario and Claudia, they are the best!

    Carne Guisada
    Takao N.

    Located in Hyde Park area, Julio's Cafe is one of the best Tex-Mex restaurants in town. Casual and cozy atmosphere. Good vibe all around. Food and service are always 5 stars. Carne Guisada was super tender and flavorful along with a fantastic frozen margarita.

    Rotisserie chicken
    Jenn C.

    I've moved in Austin for over 25 years and can't believe I haven't been to Julio's until today. Food was excellent and the new owner Claudia was the nicest lady!!!!! My friend was craving a rotisserie chicken and let me say it was delicious!!! We split that and still had plenty of leftovers. My other friend decided on the carne guisada plate and I couldn't stop eating his food. Soooooo good! I didn't have a Mexican martini but my friend said it was perfect and gave him a good tingle on his first sip! Love this place and can't wait to come back and try some more!

    Claudia and her team were really nice and the food was super yummy. Henry and I tried different plates and our favorites were the green verde chicken enchiladas and the beef fajita chalupa. The chalupa is pretty big!

    Their version of huevos rancheros

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    27 days ago

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    1 month ago

    Very homey and casual spot with some really great food! I was surprised at how good the vegetarian option was too! Loved it!

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    2 years ago

    Cute little place with excellent service. Had a breakfast plate and the food was delicious- especially the tortillas!

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    2 years ago

    Food was great with reasonable prices. Try the pozole if you get a chance. Cashier and service was friendly

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    1 year ago

    Best breakfast tacos around. Sweet and friendly owner and staff. A great little neighborhood place.

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    Moonshine Grill - White chocolate bread pudding

    Moonshine Grill

    4.4(6.4k reviews)
    2.9 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

    Moonshine Grill - Bourbon pour

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    Bourbon pour

    Mama Betty’s - Churros slathered in sticky sauces

    Mama Betty’s

    4.1(375 reviews)
    12.9 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)
    3.6 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)
    3.5 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

    Queso blanco

    El Alma - Mezcal Margarita

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    Mezcal Margarita

    La Piscina - honey chipotle bowl with steak

    La Piscina

    4.3(246 reviews)
    3.0 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

    ATX Cocina - Queso flamado

    ATX Cocina

    4.2(814 reviews)
    3.1 miWarehouse District, Downtown
    $$$

    We celebrated our anniversary at ATX Cocina and had an incredible night. The entire restaurant is…read moregluten-free, which is a huge plus, and the food absolutely delivers -- don't sleep on the Hamachi Crudo. Our server Alexa went above and beyond all evening -- he arranged a champagne toast and a beautiful dessert for us, and at the end of the night the staff surprised us with a personalized anniversary card signed by so many of the team. It was a genuinely sweet touch that we weren't expecting. The food was outstanding across the board, but seriously -- order the Hamachi Crudo. You won't regret it. If you're looking for a spot that nails the food AND makes you feel taken care of, ATX Cocina is it. We'll definitely be back.

    It's actually kind of insane that this place has a 4.2 at the time of writing this review. I…read moreliterally just ate at a Michelin star restaurant in ATX two days ago. This place is better. Flat out. The food is unreal. The hamachi crudo is the best raw seafood dish I've had in any kind of short-term or long-term memory. The carne asada has a masterful balance of just enough smoky flavor and spice. As someone who's been cooking Mexican cuisine for decades, it's very difficult to properly assess how balanced those chiles will turn out. The pork chop was also unreal. We ate every bit off the bone. We live in NYC and eat nothing but great meals. This place is a standout for us in ATX. Can't wait to come back here when we are back in Austin.

    Photos
    ATX Cocina - Dinner for four at ATX Cocina

    Dinner for four at ATX Cocina

    ATX Cocina - The amazing cesar salad with watermelon radishes and parmesan cheese crisps

    The amazing cesar salad with watermelon radishes and parmesan cheese crisps

    ATX Cocina - Ahi poke tostadas were pretty good

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    Ahi poke tostadas were pretty good

    Pueblo Viejo - Taco Plate

    Pueblo Viejo

    4.4(670 reviews)
    4.6 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!

    Julio's Café - mexican - Updated May 2026

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