3 stars seems low for as great as the food is... but damn are they getting expensive recently. I used to live nearby on Great Hills Trail and my wife and I would come here for an easy $20 dinner. Now each person is $20... for LUNCH. Manuels - your food is good. Your service is pretty good. Your prices suck. read more

My parents are in town. Now, before you go feeling sorry for me, know this; they are laid-back and mainly want to visit to play golf. Sure, my mother must comment on how overplucked my eyebrows are every once in awhile...but overall, they're easy guests. They arrived last night and immediately requested we go to Manuel's. They've been once before and my mom loved the chile relleno en nogada (pork, raisins, almonds with a walnut cream brandy sauce). My dad wanted another michelada (and another, and another!). They also loved the queso--which is real queso, by the way. They are from Tennessee. They don't eat much queso there. It doesn't go well with squirrel... ;-) read more

The bf and I tried Manuel's for the first time today, hungry for lunch and in the area for a Barnes & Noble run. An AT&T employee had informed us the week before that it was supposed to be "the best Mexican food in town", so while we didn't expect it to live up to *those* expectations necessarily, we thought it was worth a try. Our first impression of the place was positive, though the prices were somewhat higher than we had expected. After a delicious, incredibly inexpensive meal at Jardin Corona's the week before, though, we were probably a bit biased. The hostess cheerfully honored our request for a booth (we were initially steered towards a table) and our waiter greeted us promptly. It took several minutes for him to return with our drinks (water), however, and many more for us to get chips & salsa on the table. I think Manuel's suffers from relying on the regular waitstaff to dole out chips, unlike most places that leave it to runners or other staff. They also committed the great sin of Mexican places: letting our chips & salsa go empty. We didn't get more until after our entrees had arrived. Boo. The chips & salsa were good, though. The chips were on the thick side, which I'm not usually keen on, but tasty nonetheless. The salsa was a bit different -- it seems as though they don't cook theirs as long as many places, so it had some of the flavor of raw tomato to it. Not bad, just different. For entrees, we got the Enchiladas Bandera w/ chicken and the Lomo de Puerco w/ pineapple salsa. Both came with Mexican rice and black beans, both of which were quite tasty. The enchiladas (2 of them) were a little on the small side, but well-stuffed with shredded chicken. All three sauces (drizzed horizontally across the enchiladas) were good, but the adobada was particularly good if you like the smoky flavor of ancho chiles. The lomo de puerco was FANTASTIC. Tender cuts of pork tenderloin, with a tasty pineapple sauce that complemented the pork without overpowering it. The guacamole that came on the side was quite tasty as well. I'm not entirely convinced that it was quite worth twenty bucks, but it was delicious. All in all, I was happy with Manuel's and certainly will return, though I might reserve it for semi-special occasions. One star off for the price, one more for the slow-ish service. read more

I really enjoy this place. I like their Skinny Pepino drink. I can gulp like 1091093 of those if I could. It's a bit overpriced, but sometimes it's just worth it. I like their Crab Nachos and their bean and cheese flautas are def. one of my favorites. Their queso is super, super good!!!! Service is reliable and atmosphere is very nice. read more

With so many other options in Austin, and even in the neighborhood, I'm not sure why you'd even bother with this place. Maybe they have good HH prices, but we went for lunch and drinks... and let me just say, super blah. The tortilla soup - boring, and not at all what I expected. The other stuffs we ate - not memorable. The service was TERRIBLE. There was no one else around, and we still couldn't get our waitress to give us the time of day. It's been a while since I had this experience, so I can't go into as much detail as I would like - I wanted to give myself some time to cool off. Well, it's been a lot of time, and there is still very little chance that you'll get me back in there... unless you're buying. :) read more

I stopped by Manuels for a drink and dinner and ate at the bar. The bartender was attentive and friendly, but a well gin and tonic set me back $10, ouch. I ordered the black bean flautas and it arrived cold and way way too salty. The atmosphere was good and the patio seemed like a nice spot, but the drink prices alone would keep me from coming back. read more

Manuel's - Black bean and queso blanco flautas. - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I have been warming up to Manuel's after a couple of good visits. The service has been very good and the food (Pescado a la Parrilla and the Sopa de Tres Chiles) was excellent. I like to use OpenTable to make a quick reservation here. I can do it from my iphone app and It really saves on the wait on the weekends. There are lots of cheap places to eat good old greasy TexMex Mexican food in Austin, but Manuel's isn't one of them. Be prepared to enjoy a bit more imaginative meal and to pay quite a bit more for it. read more

I didn't truly understand texmex until my recent trip to Austin. The mole here is to die for. I could have eaten here 100x. This is a sit down establishment and pricier than your average Austin taco (ie nothing will cost a few bucks) but the extra cash is well worth it, and in the end, will be cheaper and better tasting than you would spend in NYC. Can't recommend this place enough. read more

Manuel's - Holy mole - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Manuel's has a very nice ambiance immediately when you enter. There is the choice for indoor and outdoor seating, however being Austin in the summer it means it's hot at night and lots of bugs, so outdoor may be more ideal for spring time or for locals. The first time I was here, I was surprised how hot the table salsa was. I liked it! The second time, not as hot. Still tasty. The Chips are very tasty, they almost have the constancy of sun chips and I believe they are made with canola oil because they have a very distinct flavor. The first time I was here I had the fajitas which were very good and flavorful. The second time I had the Tortilla soup, which was just ok and a bit salty. Also their lack of vegetarian options is a little bit disappointing. So these are the reasons that keep it from being a 5 star in my opinion. However, the margaritas were very good. Not too sugary, but still sweet and strong. read more

Wow...what a disappointment. Let me preface that I'm from a border town of Texas...so I know a little bit about Mexican food. We went on a Wednesday about 12:30pm for lunch. Hardly anybody was there. Had a group of 6 and it took more than 30 mins to get our food! Unacceptable - Strike 1. While we waited, we had a basket of chips that tasted like they were out of a bag - not warm like you get at other places - Strike 2. The salsa was weak - a light tomatoey salsa with hardly anything in it. I tend to like onions and cilantro in my salsa. So that was strike 3. The meal finally came out and I had a basic beef enchilada. I'll admit, the beef was tasty, but it was cold - strike 4. Rice was lukewarm and the only hot thing was the beans that just came out of a pot. The restaurant looked nice on the inside, but the food is definitely is going to keep me away. Try Chuys's or Mesa Rosa or hole the wall type Mexican restaurants. You'll have better tasking food and faster service. read more

I love this place!!! I went on a Thursday, and there was a great Cuban band playing on the patio. I even hired them for my wedding! I always have the shredded beef flautas with verde sauce. They are the best. You can't get shredded beef flautas at many other mexican restaurants, if any. I also like to order the Pomegranate Cosmopolitan; it is so good! Their happy hour is pretty good too. This is definitely one of my go-to places! read more

My friends and I love meeting at Manuel's for after work dinner and drinks! The food is delicious, the staff and service is always timely, attentive and friendly! We usually prefer to sit outside on the beautiful patio, but seeing all the COVID-19 protocols they put into place to keep both their employees and customers safe.. we don't mind sitting inside as well! Definitely a place to check out! (: read more

Various circumstances (the lateness of the hour, extreme hunger after a day of hiking, an intense craving for a margarita, recommendation by co-workers) led to my choice to dine at Manuel's. I regret this decision. We walked into a half-empty restaurant and were seated promptly in one of the more populated sections. There were plenty of servers milling about the kitchen area, yet we sat there for many minutes waiting for someone to come over. My husband finally flagged down the manager who promptly sent someone over. To the server's credit, she was very apologetic and seemed pleasant enough. But it was still an irritation. The lone highlight of the evening turned out to be the Guacamole appetizer. Studded with pomegranate seeds, it also had two tortilla strips sticking straight up that made it look like something right out of Dr. Suess. Flavor-wise, it wasn't the best I've ever had but it passed my patented Guacamole Test™. However, the chips tasted stale. I would've even accepted Tostitos™ at this point. My entrée was the Chicken Tostadas. They were as average as average can be. I don't even remember what he had. Obviously it wasn't that memorable. My margarita gave me an Insta-Headache™. I realize that there's always that potential when you are ordering a non-top-shelf frozen, but there are plenty of places that can deliver the frozen goods sans headache. When the cheap margarita at Wahoo's™ scores higher on my Margarita Scale™ than your pricey house margarita, chances are slim that I'll make a return visit. When the bill came it made me sad. Because for the same price (or less) we could've gotten a much better meal at various establishments around time. Austin is blessed with some fine restaurants that are doing interesting things with Tex-Mex/Mex-Mex cuisine. This is not one of them. read more

Group lunch for work and my table tried most everything on our set menu.. Our table gave a unanimous "MEH." I tried the Pechuga de Pollo with the Budin de Chocolat. We also had the salad and chips. The chips were bland. The dip was good with a nice kick. The pollo was bland. I could have used some hot sauce or something on the chicken. There was a lot on top of the chicken but nothing worked that well. The Budin was also just like cake, simple store bought cake that didn't do anything for me. I did manage to have a beer there and that was probably the best part of the meal. The service was good though. They were very helpful and friendly despite the large group. I'm cheap and glad I didn't have to pay for that. read more

Baby A's for rich people (translation: boring food, mainly about the alcohol and atmosphere, a place you just go because it's convenient and promises some kind of "experience"). "Do you have mezcal?" "What's mezcal?" Food generally bland. Soup not good. Indifferent service. The server was clearly going through the motions. Although someone did refill water promptly. Manager Dustin did a great job. He was active and engaged on the dining room floor. He asked us how the meal was and I answered that it was just ok. He inquired further and when he realized we weren't happy with the meal he offered dessert on the house. We declined and he comped us part of the meal. Most managers would have heard my middling review of the food and played it off. read more

Every so often, the wife and I decide we're hungry and don't want to cook, so we get in the car and take off for parts unknown to find food. We drive around town disagreeing over what we should have until we're both dying of starvation, then we pull into the nearest place that doesn't look like it has rats bigger than our children. This is how we ended up at Manuel's. The first thing that hit us were the ridiculously high prices. I'm not totally averse to expensive restaurants, but I expect Mexican food to be generally reasonably priced. When "Mexican" and "high prices" are said about the same place, it's usually some sort of "fusion" place that caters to rich people who wouldn't be caught dead anywhere that serves actual authentic Mexican fare for fear of excessive mixing with the riff-raff. This definitely struck me as one of those places. The food here is adequate, with very little heat, and the service is shamefully bad for such an expensive place. If you're going to charge me high prices, your waiters should be prompt, knowledgeable, and friendly. The guy we had was chronically slow, he knew nothing about the food other than what was printed on the menu, and his nose was up in the air so high I'm amazed it didn't get frostbite. If you want Mexican food, there are far better places in Austin to get it. read more

Decent place, it's not going to rock your world, but it's pretty harmless. No complaints. Pro tip: Yelp likes to throw "Dog Friendly" at joints like this, call ahead. Manuel's definitely isn't. Well, they were friendly to my dog, but they still tossed him on his ass. read more

Valentines dinner @ Manuels tonight was ok...A little overpriced but decent food. Good Queso , We had seafood dishes ..the bill came to $80 for two people with no mixed drinks. Nice inside and a outside patio to enjoy...Try it for yourself ! read more

Just one thing to say, really. LOVE THEIR SOUP! The tortilla soup with tres chiles, that is. Honestly, was one of the most satisfying meals I've had in a while. Beautiful restaurant, elegantly prepared plates. Wish I had some right now. read more

Tex Mex is generally not a venue that I care indulge in. This morning I was invited at last minute to join in a brunch with my flat mate and his friend, whom was joined by his elderly father in a wheel chair. If you have read my reviews, you know that menu knowledge is one of the most important things to me. When I asked my server for her suggestion between two items on the menu, she steered me in a very enjoyable direction. I had a brunch of beef tenderloin, fresh farm eggs and breakfast potatoes. What I did not know, was that my meal also came with a nice side plate of fresh fruit. I was so busy trying to wake up and also enjoying my food that I forgot what my companions had ordered. Two had some type of breakfast scrambles with beans, and another a quesadilla which looked VERY thick. Everyone said they enjoyed their brunch. Though our server was very knowledgeable, the service was not completely warm. Meaning, she was friendly enough, just did not go out to make the experience memorable. The only real flaw that I have to offer in this experience was the hostess. Clearly, she was bothered when I asked for the location of the restroom. While facing her, I asked which direction the restroom was. The curt reply was a scuffy, 'to the right' My question was, her right or mine? If looks could kill?! I found the restroom on my own. Our party was already seated, which was a good thing. If it had been up to this employee to lead the first impression, I would have left. read more

We have stopped in the bar for happy hour on a couple Friday nights. Not overly busy which was for a Friday night. The only thing better than the tortilla soup presentation is the soup itself. The house margaritas (frozen or on the rocks) are terrible. Neither tasted as if there's any alcohol in them. After drinking a few, all I felt was the need to use the restroom. Disappointing. Probably won't be coming back. read more

I'm done with Manuel's. Although I used to greatly enjoy a trip to this restaurant, the quality of their service has plummeted over the last year or two to the point that I just can't justify patronizing them anymore. Three experiences that have turned me off to the place: Went there last December with some friends to have a post-movie drink. We chose to sit at a table, rather than in the bar, and when we told our server that we were just there for a drink, the server let us know (not so much in words, but in attitude), that he was put off by that and sort of left our table in a huff. Did he think that merely serving drinks was beneath him? Was he upset that he wouldn't be getting as hefty a tip as he expected? Our group had no idea what the guy's deal was, but it definitely soured our experience. Went back in January for a birthday dinner with family members. Although the restaurant was in no way crowded, our server was rarely around, and after we placed our orders, it was nearly an HOUR before our meals arrived. And no one had ordered anything particularly time-consuming to prepare--just the normal chile rellenos, enchiladas, etc. An hour wait for so-so food in a sparsely-filled restaurant? Methinks not. Lastly, I went there last night to enjoy a happy hour with a largish (20 or so) group of friends. When I asked for my check, the server nearly YELLED at me that he couldn't separate checks. I think he realized he was sort of yelling at me, and he toned it down and said that he'd make "one last exception" for me, and he indicated that he was somewhat overwhelmed by how large our group was. I'm sure he's a nice enough guy, but his behavior is just another example of the dramatic loss of professionalism by the wait staff at Manuel's. To top it all off, I checked my banking records this morning to see that he, or someone at Manuel's, swiped my debit card not only for my bill, but also for that of someone else. So now I have to call my bank, and Manuel's, and try to have that incorrect charge removed. So much for "happy" hour. Manuel's IS a beautiful restaurant, inside and out. But the mediocre food at great-food prices, and the sub-par service have lost them yet another customer. Adios, Manuel's! read more

great food and ambiance!!!loved this place and when I am back in Austin I will be back !!!

Went to Manuel's for the first time last night. Place was packed. Only question I have is this: WHY??? I know it's interior Mexican, not Tex-Mex, but that's no reason to pay $15-$20 for mediocre entrees. Chips tasted like store bought, offset by a tasty salsa. Wife ordered mole mushroom enchiladas (and we've had all kinds of it) and reported it meh at best. Bland white rice and tepid black beans added little. The same for my plate, so memorable I can't even remember what it was called - some sort of pork tenderloin at $22. Margaritas were pricey, not, terribly generous, and lacked both taste and kick. Service was decent but the restaurant was LOUD - everyone was yelling to try and be heard. The building itself is nice but nothing special. Certainly, people of the Arboretum area, there is some other Mexican food joint where you can satisfy your taste buds and not walk out of the place with a $60+ bill for two people. For that kind of cash I expect good food, service, drinks, and environs ... Manuel's only delivered on one of those four. We won't be going back. read more

Ate dinner here tonight with the parents and brother. My brother and I split the fajitas. While it was good food, it definitely was not worth the price tag. Furthermore the service stunk. I had to wait almost 10 minutes between running out of my drink to the waitress finally come over to take my order for another and then another 10 minutes to finally bring it. That was just one of the complaints about the service. Like I said above, the food was good but not worth the price tag. What is up with Mexican Restuarants and bad service? read more

Absolutely love this place! I've been coming here for years, and Savannah has by far been the best server. Her recommendation of red sangria was delicious and I'll be coming back for more! Keep hiring servers like Savannah!!! read more

Busy northwest austin establishment. This place features cool libations and southwestern cuisine. Can be quite busy here on the weekends especially due to its proximity to an "art" cine-plex showing indie films. read more

I haven't been to Manuel's in a long time. I remember loving the food and their flan. This time, we only went for drinks. I love the decor in Manuels. They have really pretty tile on the bar, these cute bird lanterns above the tables, and they have really nice restrooms. We loved their 310 margarita, it's basically a Mexican Martini. The prickly pear margarita was a little sweeter than I remember, so I probably wouldn't order that again. The drinks were strong, we were feeling no pain when we left. I'm looking forward to coming back to Manuel's and trying the menu again. read more

A friend's birthday brought me and four other to Manuel's recently. We sat outside on the patio around 9 p.m. on a beautiful Friday night. I didn't have any chips/salsa but my first taste of the Pomegranate Martini (or was it a Margarita?) was delish. I debated on what to get and the server (Trey) brought me a sample of their Mole sauce. WOW. I had the Mole enchiladas with chicken and nearly ate the entire ENORMOUS plate. It was about a $17 entree, but seriously well done. And the service was outstanding; I made sure to mention to the host as I was leaving. He gave my friend free Flan for her birthday :) Minus one star because they were out of Kettle One (and that's how I like my dirty martinis!), and I heard their other "specialty" cocktails are VERY sugary. read more

I really like the food here, and the ambiance and service are not too shabby either. On a recent visit I tried the chile relleno en nogada, which is kind of my go-to dish for any place purporting to serve Interior Mexican. This one was notable for its cubed meat rather than ground), which is how I remember they do their tacos as well. The meat was very tasty (although there were a few pretty fatty bits I had to dispose of), and the overall flavor of the dish was excellent. It wasn't as sweet and creamy as the versions I've had elsewhere, but the pomegranate seeds sprinkled over the top were a nice touch. There were some nice nutty and fruity bits in the dish, and it went nicely with the refried black beans on which it rested. Also came with rice, which was fine. Also a nice touch was the dish of fresh fruit which came on the side, and complemented the dish very nicely. I also really enjoyed the chips and salsa. The salsa was an odd orange color, which made it look like it might be one of those hot (in temperature) salsas, but it wasn't. It was nice and cold and tasty, although pretty thin (so hard to get a big scoop onto a chip). Also of note - the iced tea was really tasty. Iced tea can often be bland, but this one was really nice. read more

I've sampled several items on their menu over the last year, and I have loved it all. I usually have had their food delivered and it's been my favorite of all the places that have delivered to me. I always get the nachos (with guacamole) and it never disappoints. I almost always order the Sopa de Tortilla, because it's crazy good. Every entree I've had has been delicious. For dessert, the Budin de Chocolate is YUMMY. I'd skip the Postre de Coco, but that was based on the one time I had it. Just didn't do what the Budin did. Which was plenty. read more

I liked the food, the drinks were good. But I can't say that "I'm a fan", because the prices were so high and portions were so small. +Delicious & unique drinks +Grilled flautas were cool -Margarita served in a tiny glass -Very thin tortilla chips that were too weak to scoop guacamole -small portions This place was pretty busy for a week night, and good for them. I don't think I would be a frequent customer. read more

This place just doesn't quite make the cut for the amount you have to pay. Our service was good, and my service has always been excellent here. The manager even stopped by and gave us some samples of Mango Daiquiris as we sat down. Score! I love a place that boozes you up before you even get started! The margaritas are tasty, and not too sweet and sour-y. They're a little small, but not small like Guero's rita's. And not as bitter. The decor is lovely, and the patio looks like a great place to hang out when it's not 110 degrees outside. We also enjoyed the live trio of musicians who were playing for Sunday brunch. The guacamole has lovely flavor. The salsa is ok, but I'd prefer more heat. I love me some flautas. And I love them when they're grilled, rather than fried. Theirs are served with rice and guacamole, and I decided to go for the black bean and cheese flautas with red and green sauces, thanks to my oh-so-lovely waitress. There wasn't much to the plate, though. And, for $10, I'd kind of expect more to this dish. Like, more than 2 flautas, some rice and a scoop of guac. I might be back, and i'd like to take a shot at their molé enchiladas. But I just can't see myself paying $17 for enchiladas. Long story short, decent food, but a bit overpriced for what you get. read more

Super overpriced. Drinks are acceptable, but 20 bucks for a relleno, even though it was decent, is obscene. Never again. read more

Great food, drinks and service. Not your typical TeX-Mex cheesy slop. You can also catch a great movie at the Regal Arbor. My favorite is their Tortilla soup. Wife has loved the flautas for years best in town according to her. We had been patrons of downtown for years. The food is the same. This place more lively and parking is not a problem. 4 stars due to location in parking lot , they hide it well!! did I mention great happy hour. Hats off to both Manuel's! read more

Had my 30th birthday dinner with friends and my sisters here. I made reservations and things were pretty well on task when we arrived. The restaurant is pretty inside and there is a nice patio which would be nice for happy hour. We sat inside. I had 2 margaritas on the rocks which were good. I also got to try a chocolate martini for the first time, strong but yummy too. Our server was pretty attentive and nice. I was so busy talking with everyone and laughing that I kind of got distracted when time to order things so we didn't order right away of our own procrastinating. I ordered the guacamole and ceviche and queso for everyone and each one was yummy. The queso was a big bowl of melted real cheese, no velveeta there...haha. It was meant to be scooped out and put in tortillas, which was just so good. Oh my goodness. I ordered enchiladas verdes with cheese filling. The rice was so so but the enchiladas and black beans were very good. I enjoyed my meal, though I did not eat it all since I had a massive amount of appetizer delights before the main course. My sisters conspired and ordered a piece of cake with a candle and the table sang me happy birthday. I felt very special and loved by my friends. I had a great time and will have happy memories of my 30th birthday celebration. Manuel's was good. No complaints. Maybe I will return to test out that patio and happy hour. read more

The only thing worse than the food is the service. Don't do it, stay away... there's much better Tex Mex anywhere in the city.

I had my first trip to Manuel's (either location) last night. For a Saturday night at 8:30, I was surprised there wasn't a wait. My friend and I were seated immediately. The service was good. Not over-the-top, but we definitely didn't have to wait for anything or ask twice. Their chips and salsa are very mediocre. The chips don't taste fresh and the salsa is too watery. I like to be able to scoop up salsa. With Manuel's, you just dip your chip in it and hope that some of the liquid clings to it until it reaches your mouth. I ordered the pork enchiladas with Bandera salsas, which meant a combination of three sauces: ancho chile, suizas, and verde. The enchiladas were solid, and I liked that they offered pork, rather than the standard beef or chicken options at most Tex-Mex joints. The rice and beans were typical. I had an El Patron margarita, made with Patron tequila and Grand Marnier. It was OK, but not worth the $11 I paid for it. All in all, it was a good dinner. The ambiance of the place is nice, and it was quiet and felt somewhat intimate, as opposed to loud mariachi music like many Mexican restaurants in town. read more

The food and the drinks were acceptable but overpriced. For that price, we expect more. The service was despicable and deplorable. The manager and the owner attempted to violate the federal Americans with Disabilities Act by refusing us service because one of us had a medical alert service animal. The owner and handler of the service animal was clearly wearing medical alert tags. The service animal was in a crate that was clearly marked "Medical Alert Service Animal" and "Service Animal. Access is Required by Law." Owner and Manager completely disregarded the copies of the law - the federal Americans with Disabilities Act - that were offered. Owner and Manager chose to create an altercation in front of all of the patrons in the restaurant, which was mortifying and humiliating. read more

Went for happy hour this week. I'm really surprised the place isn't packed during happy hour. But they run it from 4-6pm so I guess people have to take off from work really early. Chicken mole was great. Oh, love their torillas! Had the fried scallops. Scallops were small and bite size and had some slaw on the side that was great. Chicken quesadillas was probably my favorite on the happy hour app menu. Got the queso and had bell peppers and onions in it that my son didn't like. It was an adult type of queso, I suppose. Overall, great happy hour value and will go back soon. read more