We put our name in and they told us the wait time was an hour. We were willing to wait because apparently this place is famous in Austin. Came back an hour and a half later because our group still hadn't been called. They then told us the wait time was going to be another hour and half. Lied about the wait time and wasted an hour and a half of our time. read more

Came here on a busy sunday brunch. We were promptly seated for a group of 8. The servers were kind and friendly. They were quick to get us what we needed and we never felt rushed. The inside was massive but didn't feel overwhellming. There was ample space for multiple large groups of people. The food was above average. I wouldnt say it was in my top 5 of Mexican-American food, but overall it was good. If you have a large party, looking for quick seating and enjoy good quality Mexican food, this place is a good option. read more

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Tried the Chili Relleno the other night, OMG - it was fantastic!!! Don't know why I have never tried it before. Delicious!! Chips were great, salsa great and margarita fantastic!! read more

People either love Matt's El Rancho or they hate it. I'm with the latter half. I've been to Matt's El Rancho a few times and I really tried hard to give it a chance. It's one of those "Austin favorites" that you want to like, but like dating, you just can't force it. Every time I've been, the food and service are pretty mediocre. I've had the Matt's Special, which comes with two enchiladas, a taco, and the fixings (rice, queso, and beans). The flavors were pretty mid and lacked authenticity. The highlight here is definitely Matt's Knockout Martini ($20), which comes with its own shaker and two servings-- an amazing deal especially in this economy! NOTE: Not dog friendly! read more

Matt's El Rancho I really want to say something nice about Matt's but in full honesty, I have never been so disappointed :(. I'll start with the good - the service is amazing! The waitress we had was so kind. The queso that was recommended was also very good. The table side salad was also very good. Now, the entrees me and my friend had were actually bad. The flavor did not exist - the rice was mushy and the beans were bland. The "taco" that came with the Matt's Soecial was bad - lettuce was gross and again, no flavor. The enchiladas were also flavorless . I love the atmosphere and the spectacle of it all, but the product is very poor. read more

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An Austin staple! This place is delicious. One of the first things I noticed was how people in the restaurant knew each other - & didn't plan to see each other, same with staff! There is such a sense of community at this restaurant & it's beautiful to see. Our server was kind & food came out hot & fast. I see why this place is so talked about & we definitely will be back!! read more

Matt's El Rancho - Queso Flameado - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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For it being really cold outside, and there not being many restaurants open this was a great choice. Food was great, service was amazing, and vibes were good. Definitely recommend coming here! read more

Matt's El Rancho boasts about having the most restaurant seating in the city of Austin-- a claim that, as we were led to our seat on the patio, had some real merit. This place gives UT's Royal Texas Memorial Stadium a run for its money when it comes to seating, with about 12 different rooms each with 20+ tables each. On the same vein of cool things, our server was also nice, and everything came out fairly fast. That's where the good ends. My brother ordered the $42 sizzling fajitas (a luxury he could only afford because his girlfriend said she was paying) while I got the enchiladas and his girlfriend the flautas. Both dishes were good, but not great. The $42 fajitas however, much to the horror of our table, came out cold and unsizzling. Even the server seemed embarrassed to give them to us. There was a moment of awkwardness as we all stared at the cold fajitas before my brother made the acute observation to our server that they weren't, in fact, sizzling. Server mumbles something and brings them back in the kitchen, after which they came back a few minutes later hot and sizzling (a microwave may or not have been involved). Considering the price we found the quality of the food pretty lackluster, and I doubt we'll be going again. That said, it was nice to try it, if only to say we've been. read more

Matt's El Rancho - Patrick with his sizzling fajitas! - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

When in Texas, we do TexMex! This a massive restaurant where reservations are recommended on weekends, especially at night. We asked the locals for a suggestion and Matt's El Rancho was at the top of their list. We started with queso and guacamole for the complimentary basket of tortilla chips. I ordered the taco salad with ground beef. I love that it came with a petite scoop of guacamole atop. This is a traditional taco salad as you can see from my picture...just the way I like it! We visited as a party of four, but this place struck me as a great spot for large groups or families. It's loud, but not in an obnoxious way...just happy, hungry people gathering over great food. Valet parking is offered or you can self-park in the lot behind the restaurant. read more

Matt's El Rancho - Taco Salad - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

First timer and loved this place for the food! Came here for dinner with friends...they had been before and loved it. Chips and salsa arrived at the table a few minutes after we were seated; salsa is a little spicy but tasted great. My friends both ordered the tacos al carbon...not street taco size; 2 large flour tortillas stuffed with meat and all the additional toppings are served on the side. They both said the meat is seasoned very well. I ordered the shrimp enchiladas with refried black beans and OMG they were were delicious. Things to be mindful of: -No online reservations or sign up in advance to get in line (45 min estimated wait time) -Plan to wait to be seated; you can order drinks from the bar and sit in the lobby -it is very loud on the inside so plan to speak loudly with your guests -Service is pretty fast and everyone who stopped by our table was very friendly Definitely a must go to in Austin! read more

Matt's El Rancho - The Cactus Pryor - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Craved for some Tex-Mex and overall was a great experience! The restaurant is very spacious with plenty of parking. We waited a short period as we had a large party and they would only seat you when everyone is present. The atmosphere was welcoming with friendly staff that made us feel right at home. We started with the Bob Armstrong queso dip, which had taco meat and avacados mixed in. It was delicious and liked by the whole table. For the main dish, I opted for the Asadero Tacos, which is advertised by Texas Monthly as "one of the 120 Tacos you must eat before you die!" It was a healthy portion of tenderloin beef and asadero cheese topped with grilled vegetables. It was delicious and glad to have tried it. I'll definitely be back to try more items from the menu. If you're craving some solid Tex-Mex while in Austin, this place is definitely worth a visit! Enjoy! read more

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Food was okay. There's a lot of seating inside and outdoors on the patio. The service really ruined it for me. My waitress was friendly but the hostess team seemed like they did not want to be at work and irritated. My drink was strong so that's a plus. read more

Matt's El Rancho - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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As far as Tex mex goes, this is pretty damn good. I'm a huge fan of steak tampiquena, and they do it a little different here but no complaints, definitely very tasty! The queso, u gotta try it!! Drinks were great!! Lovely outdoor patio, perfect for a nice late lunch or early dinner. Our waiter was great, there when we needed him, but gave us time when we needed it. read more

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We went Saturday evening and it was extremely crowded and overstimulating. We did get seated surprisingly quick (2 people) and food came quick as well. The service was 10/10. The queso was sooo and the portion was huge. The Tex Mex burrito was basically a big enchilada. Enchiladas were good but overall preferred the Tex mex burrito. read more

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Great ambiance and food! We enjoyed the Bob Armstrong dip, and tacos. Plan to return for the red snapper meal. Service was efficient sec friendly. read more

It's been years since we've been to Austin and it's changed dramatically. Most of the local spots we used to visit were closed. Soooooooo, we found an old school Mexican restaurant that's been around since the 50's. Super cool old sign out front. And unfortunately that was the best part besides a good server. The food, super dated and you can tell they just pump it out to the masses. The margaritas, which they say are famous" are served in a shitty old small milk glass and hardly anything special. It's a giant restaurant packed with a mixed crowd. But the feeling of the place was a combo of tons of loud large families and tons of college age kids trying to get drunk. Our waiter at the bar was fantastic. That was the only plus. The place was dirty as well. Huge pass. Sorry. read more

got recommended matt's before even moving to austin. the foot is always great as well as the service. we enjoy sitting outside by the pond every time we go there. the queso is one of our favorites around town, really can't go wrong with it. they have a b lunch special for $12 and the foot long enchilada is my go to. the staff is always nice and over all make the experience even better. read more

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They add stuff to your tab and think you won't notice!!! Found something on our tab and called the next day, manager didn't even say sorry. Apparently this is a common occurrence!!!! read more

Great Tex-Mex! If you are in Austin and looking for some Tex-Mex dining, this is a great spot. It was a little busy on Sunday, but definitely worth the wait! The servings are pretty big, so come with an appetite! read more

Matt's El Rancho - Outside sign - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Living in Austin we came to what the hype was all about. Starting with the salsa and chips the salsa gave us the illusion that the food would be delicious since it actually had a kick to it. I ordered the deluxe dinner and John ordered the fish. First they brought out the first plate mine was two tostadas one with cheese and one with ground beef it was mid. We also ordered the cheese when we walked in we saw a sign that read best cheese so we were excited. Unfortunately you could tell it was just nothing more than valveeta. Our main plates came in my tamal enchilada rice and beans was hotter than a car in the Texas heat. So hot my Left overs were still warm later that night. I found myself eating the most bland rice that takes the second spot after tequerio mucho's bland rice. The enchilada was just okay and the tamale was very bready. The fish was a 6/20 according to my friend. The margaritas were okay but for 12$ a marg I was expecting a bigger cup. My part of the total was $40 with tip. Overall the service and ambiance was excellent the patio area is very nice and the service was quick from the moment we got there. Of course I would never go back but glad I tried it. read more

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As always the food was scrumptious served hot and it popping lots of happy chatter the place was clean and as always the service was on point read more

Matt's El Rancho - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

There was hair in my food and the manager was not a nice person. Made me pay for food with hair in it. Would not tell me the managers name and very disrespectful. If I could leave negative stars I would. DO NOT COME HERE, BUNCH OF TOOLS!!! read more

Matt's El Rancho - Bullshit - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Matt's El Rancho came up a few times in my research of the best places to eat in Austin. My boyfriend and I stopped by on a Wednesday evening around 6ish and there was no wait for a table. I was impressed by how big the space was (recommend sitting outside.) Chips and salsa were quickly brought to our table and I was surprised that the salsa had good spice. We then shared a tortilla soup which was just okay. For entrees, we ordered the pecan smoked brisket flautas and the Matt's special. Again, they were just alright not terrible not great. The best part of the meal was probably the frozen prickly pear margarita. If I go back to Austin I would be interested in trying other Tex-Mex locations over Matt's. read more

Matt's El Rancho - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Twenty-three years in ATX and I've never visited Matt's, my loss. We visited on a Sunday Funday with two of our special amigos and were very impressed with their food, drink, and service. Others have mentioned that their dining experience was hit or miss. I am happy to report we experienced a hit! Matt's has a great history/story; you should access their website before visiting to read how Matt's came to be. Do not be alarmed by the vast expanse of the restaurant with multiple rooms and a large patio just chill out (dining inside) and just enjoy your cocktails and TexMex. We kicked off the activities with Matt's Knockout Martini with Milagro reposado tequila, Contreau, & fresh lime juice. This was a very good Mexican martini and dare I say as good if not better than Trudy's. Of course, we ordered their famous Bob Armstrong queso dip. Bob Armstrong? The story is on their website. You could order the large version and it's a meal, but we did not want to spoil our appetite Oh, the chips, the chips, handmade wide and sturdy enough to not break apart when you are dipping. Their salsa will put some quick in your step as it is spicy but not overly hot. Plus one ordered the Asadero tacos. You can easily split this entree as it arrives with two large beef tenderloin tacos with onion, peppers, and to-die-for grilled asadero cheese. My green chicken enchiladas were also two large enchiladas with verde sauce and sour cream. I added their spicy salsa to kick it up a bit. Four diners and four cleaned plates equals four happy diners! Even though they were busy (I'm pretty sure they are almost always busy) service was prompt friendly, and professional. We never lacked for attention and our water glasses and chips were replenished right on time! They offered desert but our bellies were full. Pro tip: They do not accept Amex CC and they do not split checks. read more

This review has been a long time coming, but I forgot to make it. The food is an attempt to be a bit more upscale for a higher price. This is fine in theory, but you need to best cheaper places and they don't. Their margaritas are extremely sour and don't have enough sugar to balance the sweetness. If you really like very sour margaritas, they're great. I disagree. Their queso comes in a large, very flat dish. This results in queso that cools to quickly and starts to congeal. There is a reason that almost no one does this in restaurants unless it is queso flambeado, which uses different cheeses and sits in a heated skillet. If these were my only issues, it's probably 3 starts, but their seating policies are absurd for a Mexican food joint. We had a large party that was missing just a single couple that was stuck in traffic on I-35 due to a wreck. There was a long wait and we let them know that they were running late, and they said we couldn't be seated until they arrived. That's fine and standard. What they didn't tell us, and what make no sense, is that after we waited for an hour and our friends made it, they put us at the bottom of a 1+ hour waitlist. They arrive ahead of the actual estimated wait time too. We talked to the manager and they didn't care and their attitude made that clear. Not only were we not informed of this terrible, silly policy ahead of time, it's a ridiculous policy. It isn't typical. It costs them nothing to change it. And would have cost the manager nothing to fix the misunderstanding and bump us to our correct wait time. I'll never return to this overhyped, poorly managed restaurant with mediocre, overpriced food and terrible wait policies. I don't know why they are so popular outside of nostalgia of locals. read more

Dropped my daughter and her friends downtown at Miracle on 5th and Matt's was on the top of my list for a solo dinner. Got a table in the bar to watch some basketball, had to skip the margaritas as I was the DD. Fantastic steak with excellent service! read more

The famous Matt's El Rancho! A renowned Tex-Mex spot, and for good reason! The restaurant has been around for over 70 years, and despite a huge setting with multiple dining rooms, a bar area, and outside patio... you can expect a wait (no reservations take either). The production of this place is worth a visit in itself. Perfect for an outing with friends! The service at Matt's was fantastic. My waiter was not overbearing, but ensured I never had an empty glass or plate. Very helpful in aiding me to discern the menu. Food came out quicker than I could eat, which is never a bad thing! I ordered the Matt's Especial with their own sparkling water. To be honest, the food itself was kind of bland, not a lot of flavor on its own (though I think that's just what Tex-mex is). The highlight of the meal is the Bob's Dip. Their famous queso with a scoop of guacamole and a scoop of ground beef. I was skeptical of such a simple recipe, and the appearance of it was rather lackluster... the taste? PHENOMENAL! read more

Matt's El Rancho - Sparking Water - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

I'll admit that my expectations didn't start high, due to the nature of this being a local favorite that is nearing "fast food" type quality. The Bob Armstrong dip was underwhelming, yet we ate it. We also ordered the gulf shrimp fajitas to share, and while there wasn't a whole show of them sizzling on the cast iron en route to our table they were satisfying, and the brisket fajitas were just okay. I was impressed by the ranch water using Desert Door Sotol (local)! Service is fast-paced. A small wait of 15 min on a Wednesday night, sat down, put in our order, got our food and endless resupply of chips in a snap, and were out of there in no time. read more

Matt's El Rancho - Bob Armstrong Dip - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Visited El Rancho while in town for a few days. The place packed for a weekday. We had 45min wait which ended up being 15min which was great. Our waiter was great, attentive and busy since we had a party of 14. The atmosphere was lively and full of laughter. I ordered the queso as an app and the grilled salmon with rice n beans. The cook the salmon was great but it needed a little more flavor. Aside from that I enjoyed my meal. The chicken tortilla soup was also tasty with big slices of avocado. My margarita was small but guess I should have ordered the one with the shaker. Either way this is good place to visit for some tex mex grub. read more

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All the food was amazing. We sat in the back patio an it was so relaxing. Get there early because it gets really busy after 5. Even with the rush, our server was amazing and we were very well taken care of. Can't recommend it enough! read more

Old Austinites beware! This is NOT the Matts El Rancho that us Texans knew and loved. I had not been here for years and wow has it changed. This is strictly a commercial business, only interested in pushing people in and out as quickly as possible. Sadly all the tourists (and Californians) keep it full so there is no reason for this restaurant to change. There is NO CUSTOMER SERVICE. It was the worst dining experience I have EVER had. Our table was 7 ladies trying to celebrate a birthday. We were told No separate checks, NO free birthday cake for the birthday girl, No greetings to us, there were No smiles, basically it was NO FUN, and it felt like NO NO NO to everything. The whole staff at this place was horrible. No one was friendly and welcoming at all. And forget about the waiter, he was not at all attentive to our table. No water refills until we waved him down every time we needed it -which was difficult. This place is absolutely the worst! They basically DON'T CARE. None of us will ever return to this horrible place! Save your time and money and go to a restaurant that actually appreciates its customers. Matt's El Rancho makes it very clear that they don't need you or your business and that you need to move on because there are plenty of other idiots who want to be treated like dirt. read more

Pro tip: If you're planning on visiting on the weekend, go at 4pm to beat the dinner rush! This place doesn't take reservations, won't seat you until everyone in your party is present and gets wall to wall packed during the dinner rush! This was our first time visiting this restaurant but our friends that we were visiting with have come many times over the last few years. They have always raved about the food and drinks but forewarned us about how busy it gets! For drinks, we got the burnt orange margarita, a mojito and the martinis. All were delicious but the martinis are TO DIE FOR!!! They are very strong so if you're a light weight, one of those is enough! We had other dinner plans so we only came to do appetizers and drinks. We got the Bob Armstrong dip and it is as amazing as expected. It holds true to the legends of being an amazing dip. We will definitely be returning the next time we're in Austin! read more

This is a shockingly busy place for it being around as long as it has! I came here for a lunch date, and the place has an odd balance of both casual and slightly nice? They have a big private lot that was very full even on a random weekday at lunch time so that was interesting. We ate on the outdoor patio; it was warm out there and there were some flies but otherwise the vibes are good! They have lots of inside seating too. The food was made fairly quickly, and definitely fresh. It was good, but tbh I prefer genuine Mexican food over Tex-mex these days, and what we had was DEFINITELY Tex-mex. So it was good, but it didn't blow my mind. Service was great, though. Overall solid 4/5 stars :) read more

Matt's El Rancho - A couple lunch special plates - the taco in the left upper screen is actually VERY large. The enchilada plate also BIG, and very hot! - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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SO SO SO YUMMY!!!! The queso was the best part. Our waitress was lovely and I enjoyed talking to the staff. It eas incredibly chaotic and they need more places for people to sit and wait. Other than that, I loved my time. read more

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This restaurant is liiive! We came on a Friday around 5:45 which is right before happy hour ended but we seated quickly as we opted to sit outside. It was great evening , sat right in front of the misting fan. The inside is huge but there is plentiful outdoor seating and we sat next to the koi pond Best thing in my opinion we're the fajitas but we the Asador tacos were pretty much I'm my opinion fajita tacos (still tasty tho) Drinks, service , food ... 10/10 for sure ! ‍ read more

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Good food. Good margaritas. Do not go here if you have a large group, as they do not take reservations. We had a group of twelve and had to wait an hour and 15 minutes for a table. Ridiculous. When I called and found out they didn't take reservations, I asked what a good time to come in would be as to avoid a wait. We went at that suggested time and still had to wait for seventy-five minutes. Never again. read more

The chips and salsa and their queso dip with the brisket were good but I can't say the same for the main dishes we received. The flour tortillas seemed like they were store bought quality and there wasn't really much to add into my tacos csrbon. I ended up eating the meat (which was delicious) solo read more

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3.5 stars but ok. We waited about 45 minutes. Once we got a table we ordered right away. We had tix to a concert next door. We shared a queso and the deluxe plate. Not bad Just your typical Tex-Mex restaurant. This restaurant is huge but prepare for a wait. It's a Sunday evening yet it was busy! The waitress was great and food arrived quickly. I hope to visit again soon and try the fajitas and a margarita. I will update my review then. read more

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I had such a great time while we waited for our table. The vibe is so amazing and people are super nice understanding that everyone needs to have a table and it will happen in time. Just be prepared to wait and go to the bar and get some margaritas. My food was amazing but I didn't take pictures cause a sister was so hungry. I had great service from my waiter. He moved quickly and had a smile the whole time. I want to go back but it will be before sunset lol. read more

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This restaurant is the best Tex-Mex restaurant I have enjoyed in almost six years of searching in Austin! It is pricy, as we paid $130 for the two of us, plus tip. The atmosphere is wonderful, and the restaurant operates within an Austin Historical Building. The service is impeccable! Water, huge chips and wonderful spicy salsa are replenished automatically. They read minds; the moment you are thinking you want more of something, staff appear to fill your unspoken request. This restaurant is busy, but we were able to score table in a couple of minutes. The food menu is so good that it is hard to choose. I would not recommend their salads and soups, as they are very expensive and are plain. My guacamole salad was three strips of avocado on a bed of shredded lettuce. I ordered a couple of margaritas. They were small and not worth the $15 and $29 paid for them. Our entrees were sizzling fajitas, one beef and one shrimp. The beef was great, but for some reason, the shrimp are served with tails on. This presents the diner with a huge amount of work to remove the tails before building fajitas. The menu says you get flour tortillas with dinner, but they will bring corn tortillas for you. The overall fajitas were very tasty and filling. The one odd practice the restaurant follows is putting all of your side fixings on a side plate, with the fixings on a large lettuce lear. This make it very hard to get the fajita fixings off the plate. There was no room for dessert, but many wonderful memories of this restaurant. We will return frequently. read more