El Arroyo

Finally visited the iconic El Arroyo after 3 years of living in Austin—and it was worth the try! I tried the chicken & beef fajitas, the Cowboy Burrito, and the real star: their $9 margarita, which I honestly consider one of the best in town. Flavorful, strong, and such a steal. Service could’ve been better, but overall, it’s a yes from me. Classic Austin vibes! And i do recommend taking picture with their famous marquee sign.

We are snobs when it comes to Mexican food but El Arroyo was better than I was expecting! I really wanted to try it because it’s an icon in Austin and I was very surprised that it wasn’t a tourist trap. Chips were delicious. Margaritas were good. Food was legit. Service was great!! Definitely worth the trip!

This place was better than I hoped for. There is lots of indoor and outdoor seating. The service was quick and friendly. The food was so good! The chicken tacos had a wonderful smoked flavor that was a level up from the average. The prices were good as well!

Terrible service! Terrible food! The kitchen is filthy! The so-called party room is right next to a garbage area! Do not host group meals here under any circumstances! It’s a nightmare! The food is overpriced! There’s no service! The staff are kind but inexperienced! The food is cheap in quality but sold at a high price!we have 50people each pay $80！Not worth it.

Great Service! Everyone is super friendly and on point! The little gift shop is super cool and the place is fun. The food is fine. You can't beat $9 margaritas, stick with the basics like enchiladas and tacos, they're fine and are cheap, great fresh Avocados. The fajitas were good. Stay away from the fish tacos, a little too dried out.

It was great to go back to "the ditch" again after a number of years. The sign is famous and my grilled chicken salad was great. They are renovating the patio and the inside is small, so things could get crowded.

As a local, I was not expecting the food to be so fresh or the portions to be so big since this place has become more of a touristy spot, but it was great food, the portions were huge, and it was all so good! Really tasty margs too. Highly recommended spot.

Had such a great experience at El Arroyo. The food was amazing and the service was even better. Everyone was extremely friendly and attentive. My shrimp and beef fajitas were very tender and flavorful. 10/10 would recommend. They even added a strawberry rose to my flan!

My parents came to town and dad wanted to try this place. We went on a Sunday afternoon. Not too busy. Looks like they're adding onto the restaurant as well. The food was marginal at best. Our table had shrimp tacos, taco/enchilada plate, fried stuffed avocado with chicken, and a chicken/rice bowl. My food was very bland. The beans were not fresh. Overall, the food was just so so. Staff were great! Service was quick. No issue there!

Been coming here so long I almost take it for granted. Known across the internet for their meme-like signage, they are also known for kick ass food. The ultimate in Tex-Mex flavo

Loooove El Arroyo! This is a classic spot with spicy salsa, amazing food, and amazing service. They were very fast and accommodating, and the enchiladas were to die for. Chicken is cooked just right!

I met a friend there for a quick bite and an afternoon drink. My friend ordered a beer which came quickly but was not filled up. It looked like someone took a big sip; that's how much was missing. I ordered a ranch water. It tasted okay. It didn't have enough salt on the rim for my liking. We ordered ceviche. It was edible but not great. What really threw me off was the amount of flies. We were sitting inside near the windows by the entrance. They were everywhere. One landed on my shirt and fell in my lap. I smushed him with a napkin and then found another already dead one on the table. :( I saw them flying around other customers as well. Love the sign and all the vibes about the place just not sure I'll be back anytime soon. Maybe when it gets cooler and you can sit outside on the deck. Our waitress was friendly and nice.

I ordered the enchiladas verdes to go. When I got home, I found that my enchiladas were packed dry. Everything was on the side except the queso fresco. I GOT NO QUESO FRESCO! Who serves enchiladas with no cheese???? So I had a smidge of green sauce, a tiny dollop of sour cream and no queso fresco! WTF? But plenty of rice and beans. I guess they are proud of their rice and beans since they expect your meal to primarily be rice and beans. Very disappointing.

We came with a large group of 12 for a brunch before heading back home to Houston. We arrived a little before it opened but they sat us immediately. The food was delicious and large portions especially for the price. It is very reasonable in pricing. Also the salsa is top notch. It looks tomato-y but has a fantastic peppery kick. As most Texans, I always judge a place by its salsa. This place is known primarily for its sign but the food and service most definitely met the mark!

I was pleasantly surprised by this place! The food was pretty good, I've had better queso elsewhere though. The service was great, our waiter was very friendly and attentive. It was great sitting outside on the patio on a pretty day. The inside gift area has some great options.

The parking, or lack thereof, kept me away for ages, but now I think it's more a feature than a flaw. Those margaritas are STRONG; you should plan on getting an Uber anyway. It's a whole vibe, of course, with the casual patio space, tables inside, and bar, so there's room for groups and dates and singles alike. Super kind people here too, which really makes all the difference when there's no lack of Tex-Mex options. Make sure you don't leave on an empty stomach. The guac and chips are my pick, and I love how onion-heavy that dip is. Maybe not great if you want to be kissed later that night, but for me, that's a bonus.

Have to put this down as a big disappointment. I was so looking forward to eating here, especially after following their famous funny road sign on the internet for years. Im going to have to agree with a previous Yelper who said "just take a picture of the sign, and eat somewhere else"! Sad! To be perfectly honest, we did not have any problems with the food. My Burrito was actually really good! My wife's taco salad was above average and our margaritas were okay. My problem is with the facility and the staff. It was a late meal, and maybe the staff was more interested in cleaning up and closing, but I felt we were more of an annoyance than a customer. Obviously we had never been here before, so we didn't know if we were to seat ourselves or wait to be seated. After waiting a while, we sat down at a table and asked some employee who was walking around if we needed to order at the counter or from our table. He sent our waitress, who honestly must have been pretty new, because she couldn't answer or didn't understand most of our questions. Had to ask for water multiple times.... Needed it because the salsa was kind of spicy and it was pretty freaking hot out! While we were eating (by now we were the only customers left in the place), the music that was playing started changing channels (like every 5-10 seconds). At first we thought it was kind of funny. But it soon got REALLY annoying! This was going on for at least 5 minutes, so I asked our waitress "what's up with the music"? She said "I don't know", and walked away! If there was a problem, I can't imagine why they wouldn't just unplug it of turn it off? Felt like I was a prisoner being toured! Although the place has kind of a cool roadside truck stop feel to, it leaves no excuse for my biggest let down of the evening..... the bathrooms! The men's was not great, broken urinals and kind of dungy. And this was after they cleaned it for closing! My wife said the women's was even worse. Out of the three stalls, one was out of order and another didn't have a toilet seat! Wow, the free marketing that this place gets from it's hilarious legendary road sign is amazing. Too bad the restaurant and its staff don't seem to care that they have what most business would kill for. Tourist that seek them out. Maybe they made their money already and are on cruise control. Hate when I bookmark a place to visit and it lets me down.

I really wanted to like this place but unfortunately I really did not :/ I am never one to leave a bad review but the food here was really not great. I got the enchiladas Del Mar which has a blue crab filling and shrimp with a creamy sauce. I am not a picky eater by any means but the enchiladas had an overwhelmingly bad fishy taste and the beans and rice were nothing special. The only thing I really thought was great was their chips and salsa. The service was alright but the parking situation is less than ideal. Their restaurant is very cute with colorful outdoor seating!

Food was great, service was fast, what is better when visiting for ACL. Cold beer, and food was great. Can get crowded, so prepare for that.

You're probably here for the sign aren't you? No worries, same. My advice? Take a picture with the sign, and keep walking. Though El Arroyo hasn't been the worst Tex-Mex I've had, it certainly fits in that realm. Not sure how you can mess up on a basic, but ordering The Trio (Queso, guacamole and salsa), all were subpar.

Great Service Good Food a nice Austin Classic love their Queso and the signs always Spot On!

Since my move to Austin, I've wanted to try out the iconic El Arroyo restaurant on 5th Street. We visited on a mid-week evening and sat in the outdoor area as it was reasonably cool with the fans helping to move air. The menu is small but sufficient for the venue, mostly focused on beer and cocktails. We enjoyed our frozen margaritas that had a very healthy pour of tequila-I got buzzed pretty well after just two and had to slow down. The drinks were well balanced between sweet and tang with a very smooth consistency. We also ordered appetizers. The chips with queso were ok; I liked the queso but the chips were nothing special, could have been store-bought from the appearance. The chicken quesadillas were so-so, plentiful filling but not hot when served and the sour cream and guac portions were a bit chintzy. Service was fine. I think I'd come back here for a drink but probably on my way to another ATX bar or restaurant, but the experience here was just okay.

What a cool place! Please don't sell out to a private equity vampire! The menu is great. Staff really hustles. Food is first-rate. Be sure to check out the merch and get one of those little books to commemorate your visit.

Around since 1975, solid place for good Tex Mex and margaritas! Casual, colorful atmosphere with indoor and outdoor seating. The service was good and fast too. I love that they regularly change their outside sign too

Came here with colleagues on a work trip based on a recommendation. The service, food and ambiance were all just ok. Nothing special. Margaritas were also very syrupy and didn't feel authentic. Definitely explore options for Tex-Mex while visiting Austin.

Missing the old menu... we come to Austin 2 or three times a year and almost always stop by to see the sign in person and enjoy some decent texmex. I was surprised by the ample parking available on a Saturday at noon and it should have been a red flag.... Then when we walked in and there were only two tables seated that was our next red flag. The new menu was very limited for the prices and I was alarmed by the number of items listed with bbq chicken... I had the ground beef chili relleno and it was a 3 out of 10 the beef was flavorless and the shredded cheese looked like it was sprinkled on at the last second and wasn't even melted. The rice and beans seemed to be store bought which was surprising since their black beans used to be really good. My mom had the Cancun avocado and she said it was ok, mostly steamed spinach ontop of some hastily chopped avocado... The dinning room seems to have been taken over by the giftshop even blocked the windows that used to look out onto the now empty deck.... The waitress was decent not as attentive as if expect with only three tables and two servers but she was nice and kept our glasses full so we left a decent tip. But we will be checking the menu out next time before stopping in again.... Anyone know where the old chef went to?

This is the original el arroyo. If you are new to Texas el arroyo is known best for its witty and funny marquee sign. They have several locations throughout Texas that serve good food along with a great atmosphere. Me and my brother went to try it and honestly, it was average at best. The waiter initially heard our order wrong but got it right the second time. We had to flag him down a couple of times for a refill on our drinks. The décor was cute and the AC was on full blast, which is a welcome sign after being out in the hot Texas sun. The food needed salt but it was good, average at best. I think my brother got the platter and he said he liked it, i got something else and like i said it was average at best. Oh, parking can be tricky, i had to circle the block once to find a spot to park. I been to one of their locations in Arlington, Tx and that location had its food be more flavorful than this location. This place is good for Tex-Mex and drinks after work with friends vibes. The chips and salsa are free (as they should lol) and the chips have a good crunch and saltiness to them. I probably would not go back out to eat here but would be back to take a picture with their marquee sign.

This place was shown to us by our neighbors and it was a fun little visit on a Friday night! Since South by Southwest was going on, the place had ample parking and seating which was apparently unusual for a Friday night. We ordered the chili queso and tomatillo salsa to start. The chips tasted fresh and both dips were really enjoyable. I would definitely order them again. I got a mango margarita with vodka and it was not to my liking but I also got their fish tacos and they were tasty! They put the sauce on the side and I am so glad they did because it was spicy! Everyone else loved their food and I cannot wait to come back here with another set of friends to show them this deliciousness!

Weekend breakfast was delicious!! Service was great Food was fantastic. Reasonably priced and very good

I can't believe how far I went out of my way to eat dinner at El Arroyo. I've been seeing this place because of their super hilarious message board and so I knew I had to visit. But wow, I went out of my way! The Tex Mex as pretty good. I started off with the complimentary chips and salsa. A couple of warm chips with salt were great and the salsa wasn't too wet so that I wasn't dropping it all over myself. I had a "Skinny Margarita" with only a single shot. I still have to drive later and two shots of tequila would not be wise. It was tasty with a great tart flavor and of course, the salted rim. As the ice cubes slowly melted, I ended up with a completely empty glass. Yum. For main course, I chose the Steak Ranchero. I delicious lime-marinated steak with their ranchero sauce and this is where my keto diet went bye-bye. I did eat the rice and beans because they were just so good. Rice was firm but fresh and the beans had a great rich flavor. Dang it! Great service in a not-too-busy restaurant with good food. I would definitely recommend El Arroyo! [Review 17395 overall - 410 in Texas - 913 of 2022.]

We shared the queso flameado on their patio and were very happy with it. It came with side dips of guacamole, pico, and sour cream.

Military discount! We wouldn't have known about this place if it weren't for the signs videos on YouTube. I had the El Arroyo special, that's a lot of food! It was good. My wife had the Stuffed Avocado and liked it, I tried a bit and it was good, but kinda "girly" to me

Food: 5/5 We ordered the El Arroyo Special, Chicken Enchiladas, Queso, and Margaritas. Everything was fantastic Tex Mex for the price - you really can't beat it! Service: 3/5 We never had to wait to have our drinks refilled, but we had to wait with food on the table for about 10 minutes before we received silverware. Environment: 4/5 Great location to start the night off at, but the restaurant could have been cleaner.

I've loved El Arroyo since 1976. Watched it grow from counter service a d a few tables to outdoor deck and expanded dining with service when others discovered it. We used to love the quirky sayings on their shirts and breakfast tacos sold from the parking lot. So we were so saddened to see what it's become: blank walls and with no business, and NO BBQ TACOS (ok, technically on the menu, but the dark meat just tasted bland without their familiar, light BBQ sauce. Maybe it's time for the current owners to sell, but it feels like they're just waiting to sell off the great location for development. If so, it'll be another iconic Austin location lost.

really great fajitas. Got the mix of chicken beef and shrimp! great service. I'll come back again. thanks for the extra Togo drink for my trip!! yum!!

Not the El Arroyo of the old days. Food was never exceptional but the offering vs the cost at this point is sad to see. Service wasn't bad but it wasn't good either. Feels like they're keeping it open to keep the real estate for the sign rather than to run a restaurant. They could probably clear out the entire interior in a single day and it looks like they're preparing for that day to come.

Fun sign. Marginally ok-ish food. Disgusting bathrooms that ruin appetites. Just appreciate the sign, and then go eat elsewhere.

One of my favorite lunch/HH spots. Service is always good. It's fun and quirky. And who doesn't love the sign? Margs are go to. Food is average TEX-MEX with a few exceptional items (try the stuffed avocado or the ditch bowl - you won't regret it!).

Just like the other review said. " just take a picture of the sign and eat somewhere else", beyond disappointing with the food and menu.

$5 margaritas were great. Food I would not recommend, unless you need a togo option. I love the convenience of togo margs. The place is small inside and not very clean. Lots of merch for sale. Speedy service from our server.

Some friends wanted to come to El Arroyo as they'd enjoyed the funny signage sayings. I had never been either. So we gave it a try. The parking is a bit of a challenge but that's to be expected being downtown. They do have a small parking lot but that can easily be filled with any bit of customers. Our waiter while friendly was a space cadet. There were 5 of us and I was skipped in bringing any water. I literally asked him 5X until I finally asked my friend for his since he had a lemonade and I was so thirsty. We were all ready to order and I asked him for the ceviche. He told me he'd have to check to see if they had any left. Drinks were brought and he still hadn't brought me any water and the drinks Arne t listed on the menu. So you have to guess. Everyone was wanting a refill on their drinks and yet I still hadn't even been given a water. My friends food arrived and not mine. So I asked about when my ceviche was coming. He said he forgot to ask if there was anymore. By the time he came back with an answer, everyone was nearly done with their food. He asked so do you want to order that? OMG! Yes dude, like 45 minutes ago. About 5 minutes later he came back to refill whatever drinks my friends had and finally brought a water for me. I haven't had such bad service and neglect in a very long time. My friend paid the tab, otherwise he wouldn't have been getting a tip from me and I'm a good tipper because I understand being in the service industry is hard. The ceviche was bad and had a hint of mold coming from something. There was no time for me to send anything back and be brought something else. I've been to many a Mexican restaurant and travelled all over South America, central and Mexico and had lots of ceviche. This was the worst interpretation of the famous dish. Even H-E-B does a better job. I've never seen it served on chips and worry no citrus juice. What a disappointment to come here to such a famously known restaurant and have everything be a huge letdown. Two of my friends had some baked avocado thing that they found weird but not bad enough to send back. My other friend had crunchy tacos that were runny and falling apart. This place needs to step it up and not just rely on clever signs to stay in business.

This place meets all expectations. We came as a pit stop during a long bike ride through the city. It was hot, but they were accommodating and gave us plenty of ice water while we waited for a table. The kitschy fun atmosphere combined with the unusual restaurant design and an element of fun that tied well with their very successful marketing. Seated between some hipsters on one side and longhorn football players on the other we fit in just fine! The food was delicious, we had tacos and queso. The margaritas were so good we had to get a second round. Well worth the stop!

14.00 frozen sweet and sour and coarm(cold/warm) queso... no where to go but up! Need to find another stop and dive after football games at House Park.

So after living in Austin for four years, I finally had the opportunity to stop in at El Arroyo on a chilly Friday afternoon. Parking was easy, and it was pleasantly uncrowded. The patio looked like a great place to hang out, but with it being cool we opted for the bar. It had a nice vibe, sort of like it had once been an old house, and the television sets were tuned to sports. It was nice that such a famous place didn't have a touristy feel to it. The bartenders were quick and friendly enough. The drinks were excellent, but I have to give my biggest praise to the chips & salsa. The tortilla chips were better than average, and the salsa was truly one of the best I've had in Austin: fantastic consistency, amazing flavor and freshness, and just the right hint of smoke (we liked it so much we bought a jar at HEB the next day). The menu looked wonderful, so we will definitely be back to sample some of the selections. It's easy to give this Austin staple five stars.

There is a sort of nostalgia about eating here in support of the almighty (and very well known) sign out front. Aside from getting that gram pict, the restaurant is worth checking out. Its not blow-your-socks off great, but its not bad either. I had the fried shrimp tacos and they were exactly what I hoped they would be. My fiancé and brother-in-law ordered beef fajitas and my sis ordered the al pastor burrito. The fajitas were decent. Sis thought the al pastor was a bit dry inside. It is worth mentioning though that the service was beyond amazing. Despite being a busy Saturday, our server DJ was right on top of everything the whole time.

This post is specifically for those who have loved El Arroyo for the last 25+ years.... ....everything that was charming about the El Arroyo that we knew and loved is dead. Our group of 4 visited on Tuesday before seeing a show, assuming that El Arroyo was the easy-pleasy staple that we often frequented before (and after) Austin SSC wiffle-ball and kickball games. You know the drill: great HH margarita specials (with floaters!), decent-enough queso, cheap tacos, etc. etc. Boy, were we wrong. We were informed there is "no happy hour...but working on it" (WHAT!?!). All-in-all, two frozen margs, one queso, and two mediocre entree's came out to roughly $75. (And I had to flag our server down to close out our check, even though it wasn't busy) It was so disappointing that we even talked about it again the next night. Add that to the list of "Austin: Another One Bites the Dust." (side note: I got a chuckle out of a recent negative review that cited the state of the bathrooms. To me, that was the only glimpse into the "old" El Arroyo that felt strangely comforting/nostalgic.)

The new menu is kind of a flop. The only option for chicken is bbq chicken and while bbq has its time and place, it is not paired well with chicken tortilla soup. We used to LOVE this place, and after yesterdays experience with the new menu, we were saddened. My boyfriend didn't finish his chicken tortilla soup because the bbq chicken flavor was WAY overpowering and he thought it was just not so good. My enchiladas were ok, but again, the smoky flavor dominated. I still have faith that their fish tacos and other favorite items are still good, but please, PLEASE, give more options for chicken. If I want bbq chicken I'll go get bbq. The Mexican martinis however, were awesome as was the service. Please reconsider the chicken situation my beloved El Arroyo.

Came here in a Friday night early and was surprised that there were still seats available. We had a party of 7 and they sat two of us before the rest arrived. Parking is a bear!! I went round and round until I found a spot that was probably a spot? Busy intersection and lots of impatient drivers. Our server was outstanding, very friendly and outgoing. The chips were fresh and warm and the salsa was loaded with flavor. Their beer selection was substandard, especially with so many Austin breweries around. Since it was Friday during lent, I had a non meat dish. I ordered the chile rellenos with shrimp. It was fantastic! Great flavor, not a lot of heat and loaded with shrimp. The rice was excellent as well as the beans. Everyone else had good meals as well. We will definitely be back

wow oh wow, what can I say about this place that hasn't been said about the great pyramids, it's gotta be one of the wonders of the world for sure, like I wonder how they got their mex martinis to taste so damn amazing... this is actually the only thing we ordered so can't say much else about it, but damn those martinis were great!!!!!!

Wow. Really trying to like this place. It is were good but the ambience lacking. The manager never spoke to anyone. Extremely uninviting. Probably will never come back.

The food was delicious! I was stoked as I read the very exciting, creative and unique menu. Arrived at 11:15 for an early lunch and from sit down to food delivered to the table was 10 minutes. Did I tell you the food was delicious?

Quite sure I got food poisoning from here. They're clearly more known for their quotable sign posts than their food, except that it's bad. We chose to sit outside, and were sat at a very wobbly table. Our server was nice but not very knowledgeable (like whether they had perfect margaritas, or really any kind of margarita). We were pretty flush with chips and salsa, and they were as much as you'd expect but not worth it given the rest of the experience. I ordered the shrimp enchiladas, and it was the biggest ordering mistake at a restaurant I've ever made. I've never gotten food poisoning from a restaurant before, and at first I thought it was the gluten from the flour tortillas which were irritating my stomach, but after an hour or two, it felt like an Alien was trying to birth out of my belly. Although that would have been a crazy story that I unfortunately wouldn't have been able to live through to tell, it was not pleasant at all, and I spent the night in agony from it, and the next day recovering (which also made me have to cancel my river floating plans! :'( ) Very disappointed and definitely will not go again.

The food is as excellent as their signs! Very relaxed atmosphere with friendly and fast service. The presentation of the food ramped up the appetite. The 5th street Tacos were delicious. Definitely worth the visit.

This is an iconic Austin restaurant for a reason. I got their lunch combo #4 with a Dos Equis dressed. Prices are good especially for the location to downtown. The chicken had a great distinctive bbq flavor, taco was filled, beans were just fine, however the rice could have been cooked a little longer, some was underdone. When entering it was confusing as there was nobody to greet. As a first time eating I wasn't sure if I sat myself. I made my way to the bar and asked what the procedure was. A server came over at that point and took me to a table. I opted to sit outside. The place was clean with indoor and outdoor seating. On the small side so I can see how they can get busy and filled fast. For best experience go at off peak times. Reason for getting full 5 stars. Underdone rice and that it's not clear how toast when entering. I think a sign when entering would benefit here. Overall would return again.

I love El Arroyo. Really. It is good, fast, fun, reasonably priced, and you leave satisfied every time. It's not nouveau anything. There is no fancy pant fusion crap going on here. You are getting the very best Austin Mexican food and it is perfect every single time. I always order the chile relleno and it is perfect every single time. We showed up with 15 people. They didn't flinch. They got us seated, fed, and satisfied in no time! The one and only disappointment is I have been asking for a XXXL tshirt for years and they never have them. Oh well. Otherwise - seriously I cannot recommend El Arroyo high enough. (The picture is my father in law after another great dinner.)

So I've been to this restaurant a few times since it's a block away from work. Everytime I get there, it's like I'm invisible to the waitresses. . It's kind of obvious the reason for that is that I'm hispanic and come in my working clothes, 'cause there's only 4 tables other than mine. I guess they thought I wouldn't tip enough and value good service. There is this guy with a beard who's really diligent and nice, but he's not a waiter. HEADS UP - wear a suit or a taxeedo if you want some service, it will make them believe you'll tip big. Fun fact, I'm writing this review, sitting at my table for 15 minutes and neither of the three waitresses has checked on me. Food is good but, unfortunately, this particular location could really benefit from better service.

This place is iconic for the sign so I'm glad I went, but I probably will not be back. The chips and salsa was just okay. What I ordered: I had the fish tacos. They were normal. The rice that came with it was a little dry. We sat outside and it was a little dirty. Overall it was cool to go, but I will probably not go back.