Rob’s Favorite Tex Mex Places
When I first came to Austin over 30 years ago, I had never heard of Tex Mex. But I was a fast learner, and soon we had become addicted to the unique flavors of true Tex Mex. Your cardiologist may not approve, but I look at this as a guilty pleasure more than worthy of the occasional indulgence.
Here are my favorites, and for those who have not been to some of these restaurants, I strongly suggest you give ’em a try.
Los Pinos
(Two locations on Hudson Bend Blvd. and Bee Caves Rd.)
Margarito Maldanado is a magician in his kitchen. After cooking under Michael Vilim for several years at Mirabelle on Mesa, Margarito learned to combine the essence of Tex Mex with his more classical approach and the result is a place you simply have to try. His Tortilla Soup is amazing as are the Carnitas, the Queso, and the Shrimp Endiablo. In fact, hard to make a wrong choice at either of these two places.
This South Congress favorite used to occupy the space where Curras now resides on East Oltorf. Rob Lippincot and his team have made Guero’s a perrenial favorite. Great corn tortillas and Quesdadillas, terrific Pork Tacos as Pastor, creamy and nuanced queso, and an Austin vibe that totally suits our big, little city.
There are some who don’t get this place (from glancing at some internet user review sites). And that’s too bad for them. Going on it’s 60th birthday. El Patio, without doubt has the best traditional Tex Mex queso in the city. The deep fried and deliciously thick masa tortillas serve as the dipping agent. The bean and cheese nachos are ridiculously good with onions and jalapenos.And the chicken and cheese enchiladas are the absolute bomb. Who said a Lebanese family can’t do vintage Tex Mex? The Josephs are living proof that they can! The menus is limited which seems to offend some internet experts. But I say less is more!
Juan used to be a high school chemistry teacher before he was bitten by the restaurant bug. His handshake, to this day, is enough to make you wince. Now his family runs Juan’s and they are famous for their breakfast tacos. Pick any ingredient: they all work. The Don Juan El Taco Grande combines bacon, egg, tomato and cheese in a rather fiery but very tasty sauce. Terrific breakfast choice as is the Con Queso breakfast where the stars are the queso, frijoles, and carne guisdada. The Migas are also another strong recommendation. He was recently visited by the Travel Channel’s Man vs. Food show (please don’t try this at home). On top of it all, Juan is a genuinely likable guy.
I must say, with the exception of the newish Oatmeal Raisin cookies, I’m not crazy about the baked goods here. Gotta be a gringo cultural disconnect. They all have lots of colors and all, at least to me, taste pretty much the same.
But the food is a much, much different story. The Huevos Rancheros are simply the best in Austin. Served with grilled bacon dusted in flour, eggs over easy, and marvelous frijoles along with corn or flour tortillas, the real secret is the homemade sauce. To die for. If I could I would have Huevos Rancheros at least once a week for breakfast at Joe’s. Rosie is a love and her staff is very hospitable.
Several locations although my preference is the one on South Lamar. They just get it. The enchiladas are smooth and tasty, the queso is marvelosos (although they could do with some stouter tortilla chips for dipping). The nachos have always been among my favorites and the taco salad is another great choice.
This service station/convenience store and companion restaurant to Curras out on Highway 290 W has pretty much the Curras menu but a whole lot more music, ambiance and fun. The breakfast tacos are as good as they come in the city, almost legendary. And the caldo de pollo (chicken soup) is absolutely delightful with strong, irresistible flavors. Dining is outside on picnic tables and there’s even a rooster named Jorge running around. This place has become a regular stop for my family: we just don’t buy gas there cause the prices are astronomical. 🙂
This legendary joint on South Lamar is still going strong. Start with the Bob Armstrong Dip and work your way through some of the tastiest Tex Mex in Austin. I’ve always loved the Flautas and the Shrimp Quesadillas. And the Smoked Duck Enchiladas are a blast along with the Fajita Tacos. And no way we could leave out the Shrimp Avocado Pico.
This is a stretch for the Tex Mex category because it’s El Paso style Tex Mex. But there are just too many delicious dishes to leave this one out. The Cabrito is outrageous and the Shrimp Flautas are exceptionally crisp yet retain an approachability. I also really love the Shrimp Enchiladas with sour cream along with the Stuffed Jalapenos with Jalapeno jelly. Outrageous. The Steak Tampiquena is another taste slam dunk: the citrus marinade is what does it for me.
They should give these guys some kind of an award for staying the course in the brutal Westlake restaurant scene. This is not truly vintage Tex Mex but has enough variation to please everyone. My favorite appetizer, hands down, are the Rajas. These are roasted poblano pepper strips that I simply can’t get enough of.
Then Grilled Chicken Achiote Salad is a chicken breast brushed with achiote sauce and served over mixed green. Tasty dish.
The Banderillas, three chicken stuffed flautas, are another really tasty treat. And the Chile Relleno filled with ground beef and pork will make you come back. Tucked away at the end of the mall at Bee Caves and Walsh Tarlton. Don’t give up. You’ll see it in the back across from the Post Office!
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