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Santa Rita Tex-Mex Cantina

3.4 (440 reviews)
Open 11:00 am - 9:00 pm
Updated a few days ago

Order Santa Rita Tex-Mex Cantina Takeout or Delivery

Services - Santa Rita Tex-Mex Cantina

Catering

Santa Rita Tex-Mex Cantina Photos

Business Info

SANTA RITA TEX-MEX CANTINA ATMOSPHERE

What's the vibe?
Casual
Moderate noise
Dogs allowed
Good for groups

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Recommended Reviews - Santa Rita Tex-Mex Cantina

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Reviews With Photos

Cameron B.

Reliable quality Tex Mex, great hospitality, and delicious margs. Can usually find a seat right away and ambiance is great. Family friendly! Victor is an awesome waiter and the manager Demoan is super cool too

Runny queso and cold chalupa
Alicia A.

Runny queso, cold chalupa and zombie bartender/waiter that was more interested in checking his phone than checking on customers. This place is run down and employees worn out. Crisp chips were the only thing good. Literally saw a customer walking around with empty chip bowl looking for someone to refill! Wasn't greeted, wasn't checked on. Took 10 minutes for him to notice I was done and wanted my check. Manager sitting at bar working with blinders on. Been coming here for over 20 years. Gets worse every time. Guess I finally have learned my lesson. If you are staving to death and a painful introvert, this place will do.

Entrance
Paul D.

It has been a while since I dined at Santa Rita Cantina and again had another great experience. It has a great Mexican atmosphere and different dining areas from bar, indoor and patio setting. I ordered the Santa Rita Pescado where was described exactly what the menu stated as a wild caught filet of grilled Gulf Drum with avocado and pico de gallo laid on a bed of grilled vegetables with a side of ranchero sauce. it was really good with nice flavor, fulfilling and healthy to eat. There was plenty of parking and felt very relaxing from the nice staff.

To-go nachos

I have enjoyed Santa Rita so much in the past. This week, I got to-go nachos and shrimp tacos. Unfortunately, the nachos were disgusting and almost inedible. They were soggy and had no true toppings. The chicken on it was hard.

SR Grilled Chicken - Solid! Delicious
Brenda R.

What a hidden gem! This was my first time trying flautas that were prepared this way. I was a bit skeptical, but so glad I went for it. The sauce beneath them was flavorful and had the right amount of spice. The guacamole was very fresh. The hubs got chicken tinga, and pastor tacos and they did not disappoint. The proteins were tender and full of flavor. Let's not forget the beans and rice because they were also delicious.

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2 months ago

I go to Santa Rita regularly and have great service. Sami has been great each time she has served us.

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2 months ago

I always get the queso and chicken quesadillas! They accommodate large groups and have super fast service. Ari was the best server!

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2 months ago

We had the best time with ari! This was an absolutely fun dinner and she was the most amazing server!

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4 months ago

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20 days ago

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14 days ago

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2 months ago

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19 days ago

I wish I could give zero stars!! this place is gross!! Very mid and I found a roach in my salad!! Don't come waste your time here!

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11 months ago

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13 days ago

Don't support this business. The management is horrendous. The food is not great either.

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15 days ago

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18 days ago

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2 months ago

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2 months ago

Sami is always so sweet and attentive. Love having her as my server when I come in. She is the best!

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18 days ago

Food was ICE cold. Service was not friendly. It did come quick though, probably since they didn't cook it long enough to warm up

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11 months ago

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2 years ago

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2 months ago

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3 months ago

Ari is the best! We'll definitely be back for our tuesday girls lunch!! She was so sweet and personable.

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3 months ago

Best HH in the neighborhood!! Aria is the best server she always remembers what we like and its on top of it .

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3 months ago

We come for the margs and Damone! fast service good food and great drinks. Solid happy hour.

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3 months ago

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3 months ago

Aria was wonderful waitress and very accommodating and on top of it. Food was great as always. wish the Hpy Hr. was till 6:30 wink wink.

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3 months ago

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3 months ago

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3 months ago

Ari is so awesome! Thanks for showing our family a lovely time :) Those margs are dangerous! We'll be back soon for more.

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4 months ago

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4 months ago

The food is good. But the service... IS GREATTT!!! Shoutout to Damone, made our experience timeless. Such a fun waiter. Good jokes.

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4 months ago

Ari was great. Food was great! Tortilla soup especially. Tostada as well. We will be back

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4 months ago

Great food, service, and ambience! Best go to spot for enchiladas and queso! The location is convenient and one Austin's staples!

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4 months ago

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3 months ago

Ari was exceptionally attentive! detail oriented, amazing, great suggestions from the menu and just a joy. thank you Ari!

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3 months ago

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3 months ago

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3 months ago

Poor quality and service and very overpriced. Easy reservations for large groups but not worth it.

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3 months ago

Ari was great. super nice and quick with the food and drinks. really calm and patient.

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3 months ago

I loved Ari!!! she's super sweet, very efficient in her work. loved her! very good evening at Santa Rita

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3 months ago

Our service was impeccable. Ari was a very attentive and friendly waiter. Love this place and the food!!

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3 months ago

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3 months ago

Ari was great!! Lovely experience :) Food was great too, always a great bang for your buck!

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Page 1 of 11

Ask the Community - Santa Rita Tex-Mex Cantina

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I'm so glad we found this spot because WOW... it was amazing! We were going crazy trying to find a…read moregood brunch spot and oddly enough couldn't find one, but honestly I'm grateful because it led us here! We walked from our hotel and were greeted with so much warmth right away. We were seated instantly and had the sweetest server, Sarah, who was incredibly helpful and attentive the entire time! They started us off with popcorn which was such a fun first lol. We ordered the Brussels sprouts appetizer and they were absolutely delicious! My husband got the chicken & waffles with a side of eggs & bacon, and I ordered the chicken fried steak from the lunch menu. Both plates were AMAZING... seriously some of the best food we've had! Then they brought out cornbread and omg... SO good. This place became such a staple of our trip and we already can't wait to come back. There's just something special about finding a cute restaurant with incredible food and even better service. Definitely one of those places that leaves you wanting more!

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.

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Mama Betty’s - Churros slathered in sticky sauces

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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.

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

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

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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!

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

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El Alma - Chips salsa and queso

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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

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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

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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

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Pueblo Viejo - Dining Pueblo Viejo ~ Riverside

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Santa Rita Tex-Mex Cantina - tex-mex - Updated May 2026

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