Marimbas Guatemalan Bakery & Restaurant

What a treat! The food tastes as good as it looks, and it's great to dine with a group where everyone can sample and share. My sister and I were very full sharing 4 items from the a la carte menu. And then I had to go home with an assortment of their baked goods.

This is the first place Austin I felt like I could have been sitting in a quaint restaurant in Antigua. Very authentic and delicious. I’ve traveled Guatemala and believe me this is good as it gets here in Austin.

This is one of those pictures says it all types of spots. So colorful, friendly, made with love. Authentic, flavorful and soo delicious! The decor is beautiful and brings a smile when you walk in. The best part though is the amazing food!! Highly recommend trying this spot out!

The best Guatemalan food in town! Its so authentic. ARROZ en leche was delicious! People were super welcoming . You can also buy some bread and pastries to go!

Incredible food; friendly and cultured staff. In an industry flooded with overpriced underwhelm, Marimbas is a true gem. So good I had to eat for two (chuchitos x2 and Caldo de Gallina; I’m so stuffed and had to loosen my belt before leaving).

Best Guatemalan food i have had in Austin so far variety of food and enjoyed everything we ordered the cafe de olla was on point another real hard item to find in Austin glad we found this place the waiter that helped us was so nice and very grateful we came to eat here

This Guatemalan restaurant serves authentic Guatemalan dishes and pastries. Service was welcoming, friendly and food came out relatively fast. The cooks and staff were so nice and they do a great job on the presentation. My favorites were the taquitos, tostadas, and pollo frito. The interior is beautifully decorated.

This place was wonderful. Everything I ordered, which was a lot, was perfection. It transported me to another place, another city, another culture. I will be returning!

This restaurant is beautifully decorated! I was really impressed by the lovely portraits and the colorful Guatemalan barriletes (kites). The setup is pretty casual -- menu flyers are by the entrance, and you order and pay at the counter. They use disposable tableware, and the trash bin is also near the entrance, so it's a self-serve kind of experience. The food is great! I tried quite a few dishes--chile relleno (stuffed pepper), pepian (chicken in pumpkin seed sauce), patitas de puerco envueltas (pork feet), dobladas (potato and chicken with pickled cabbage), Guatemalan taquitos, tostadas, and enchiladas. Everything was delicious! Some of the dishes were a bit on the starchy side, so the second time I went, I tried to order with a bit more balance. Their enchiladas are different from the Mexican style I'm used to--they're made with ground beef and cooked red cabbage, topped with half a boiled egg and shredded cheese, all served on a fried tortilla with a piece of lettuce underneath. The pork feet dish also came covered with a fried egg. The first time, I didn't notice any wheat flour in the egg, but on my second visit, the texture seemed crunchier, so it might have had some added flour. If you're sensitive to gluten, it's worth checking with your server just to be safe. We also tried their horchata and atol de elote (a sweet rice-corn drink). Both were very good, though a little on the sweeter side, so we ended up sharing to keep the sugar in check. Service was great--there was at least one bilingual server who spoke both English and Spanish, which made things really easy.

This is one of those pictures says it all types of spots. So colorful, friendly, made with love. Authentic, flavorful and soo delicious! The decor is beautiful and brings a smile when you walk in. The best part though is the amazing food!! Highly recommend trying this spot out!

I loved this place. The food was delicious, and it has a very friendly, cozy vibe. We started with breads, the "pan de Pueblo." For the price it was an easy choice, and they were really yummy. I had the Enchilada Chapina which was fantastic, along with some pancakes and Mamá Tencha. All very good. I'm looking forward to going back.

The ambiance was nice and inviting but unfortunately the food was not what it could of been. I ordered the "Churrasquito con Longaniza" the black beans, rice and guacamole were tasty but the skirt steak was sinewy, flavorless and inedible. The sausage link was bland tasting, but edible. At the front counter I ordered my beverage Agua Fresca made from ginger and hibiscus (delicious), and paid. The server served our food and he seemed pleasant.

We heard about this place through my mom scrolling through facebook and once we seen what items they had on the menu, we went the next day to try it out. when you walk in you can scan for the menu or look at the one they might have in the basket. Once you know what you're ordering, you go up to the left and order at the register. We got the following food items: Guatemalan Tamales Chuchito Pepian Caldo de Res Hilachas Rellenitos de platano to go Everything was delicious. The pepian, caldo & hilachas came with rice and fresh homemade tortillas. When you run out of tortillas you just ask for more for the table. They have these Guatemalan cookies (Champurradas) that are of the perfect sweetness that you can even have with your coffee. Yum! I wanted to try the melon smoothie but they didn't have it that day. I will hopefully try it next time. It's a small restaurant and the place was packed on a Sunday but we didn't have to wait much to get an available table cleaned up so we can sit. There is some seating outside as well. My one issue I had was that the chicken in the pepian was a bit tough. I expect the chicken to fall off the bone in a stew like dish. The family that runs the place are a sweet caring bunch. They're always on alert to make sure you have everything you need and want at your table. I recommend this place and is certified authentic Guatemalan. How do I know ? because my hubby and his side of family is Guatemalan and they cook those yummy dishes, so I have high expectations for certain dishes in particular.

Kind of a "love at first sight" restaurant. Definitely small, but bigger than hole in the wall. Its well decorated and the vibe gives you a small escape from the USA as soon as you walk in. They even serve food out of cute terracotta pots allowing you to really feel like you are out of the country. The family running the place are so warm and inviting. They make you feel at home and check on you often as they bring out your food. I have only tried two items so far, but I am sure to pop in often and run through the menu. I started with the Churrasquitos, which is marinated steak, rice ane beans. It was incredible! Then I tried the Atol Blanco, a corn based drink. It was wonderfully dense and homey, but I'm not sure it will appease the typical American palette.

Newly opened hidden gem that everyone in Austin should at least pay a visit to try their food! First of all, the vibe was great because they had a good amount of food and bakery items on display, including the clay pots that were used to create the food. Second, the staff was very friendly and courteous and one could easily tell that this is a small family owned business. Finally, food was bomb and cheap. All around amazing experience. I came here to meet a friend who I met online and we were meeting in person for the very first time, and she was a foodie and ethnically Salvadorian, so I trusted her judgment, and she praised everything that we had. To me, the chuchitos was my favorite, as it contained a good amount of chicken and the tomato sauce provided it with an additional type of flavor. The tostadas were amazing well because all the fresh ingredients they had, ranging from fresh cheese to guacamole to tomato sauce to refried beans, really gave the tostadas layers of flavor to enjoy. Both items were under $10 and that was just amazing to see. I enjoyed the tamales as well, although the masa tasted a bit different from what I usually had. It was denser and less likely to separate. Finally, the churrasquitos was pretty good as well, although the beef was pretty hard to chew. The combination was hard to go wrong with, so it was a solid dish, but I would stick to the à la carte items I have ordered instead in the future. Oh, and the tortillas reminded me of pupusas. Overall, just very economical, good authentic food, and one could buy some bakery items to take home to enjoy as well. I sincerely wish this establishment thrives as time goes on!

We had lunch on a weekday and really enjoyed it. It was quite when we got there at noon, but filled up later. The restaurant has so much personality with framed family photos on the wall, colorful kites and plants. The food was so good! We got several small plates, which I recommend so you can try as many dishes as possible. They also had some interesting drinks (atol). I'd come back with a larger group to share more items. There were so many other things on the menu to try. They also had samples of pan and cookies, which were such a sweet treat. You can pick some up for breakfast the next day to enjoy with café de olla. It's a family-owned business with so much personality and they're happy to share pieces of their culture with you. The open kitchen is also a welcoming feature.

Amazing authentic Guatemalan dishes made fresh. Super clean with excellent service. Highly recommend!

Does Austin need another Mexican restaurant? As someone who eats b-fast tacos and Chilaquiles on loop I say why not, but if I had my choice how about more central American options!!?? Well my wishes have been answered. Marimbas is the best Guatemalan food I have had since living in Guatemala. It's a beautiful little restaurant with attentive friendly staff. The food is simply delish! Did you think Guatemalan food was just like Mexican? You would be wrong. This is my third time here and EVERYTHING has been top notch and the Pepían is mejor de mí suegra, no la dejo.

Went into this unpretentious shop. Small eatery. Near hotel. But pack with flavours. This gives me a reason to come back to Austin again.

This place is amazing! We stopped in because we thought it was a bakery but it's also a restaurant. It's neighborhood family owned and beautifully decorated with colorful details. The employees are very friendly and very open to explain the staples of Guatemalan cuisine. When we were there, the owner was welcoming patrons and also giving tastes of different baked goods. The owner's mother is the chef and everything looks great and it tastes even better. I'm a big fan of the breads, their texture is soft and they have just the perfect level of sweetness. I also tried the arroz con leche, which I tend to be picky about, drink and enjoyed it (my mom is Colombian and it tasted like hers haha). We also tried the doblada and were impressed with how it was presented/dressed. I'm very pleased that it's not just a bakery and also a restaurant. We will be back!

Amazing food to say the least! Decided to try this place as hubby is Guatemalan and we wanted to find an authentic Guatemalan restaurant. Every bite made us nearly cry. Chile relleno was amazing, the caldo de res was great, and the handmade tortillas were delicious! The horchata and Jamaica were identical to the real deal from the motherland! Everything was perfect from the ambience, food, and service. This is our new SPOT!!

The staff was very friendly and helpful, loved the food and the bakery options. The atmosphere was comfortable and the decor was lovely.

The food was fantastic, and the staff were super friendly and attentive. Highly recommend!

Interesting food. Chili relleno was covered in red sauce and fried green beans done the same way. Good black beans and excellent fresh tortillas. Pastries not too sweet. Nice service.

This place is so warm and welcoming. I've only had breakfast here so far, including pastries and coffee. It's decorated beautifully, and would probably be nice to rent out for a small reception for a post-first communion meal or family gathering. Not sure if that's something they offer, but it's a small business and I get the sense it would be possible. Will be returning for the lunch and dinner menu soon!

Very good food and service Muy buena comida y servicio vengan y prueben la comida Guatemalteca

We just got back from the most epic trip to Guatemala so we were happy to hear about this new restaurant! And it did not disappoint! Dare I say the pepian was better than the ones we had in Antigua? It's true though. The relleno was also super delicious. So happy to have a taste of Guatemala nearby

The place was packed when I went and we had to wait a while but the food was delicious and the servers & service were excellent!

The food was really delicious! Austin food is regularly overhyped, but this spot delivered. Authentic and flavorful. I've been to Guatemala multiple times, and to be honest, the local cuisine is good, but nothing to write home about. Marimbas serves those traditional dishes, but packed with flavor. Highlights were the pepian and the chile relleno! Super friendly staff too. Answered all of our questions about the dishes we weren't familiar with. Highly recommend.

Amazing Food! Great for however hungry you are: a snack, a drink, a full meal. Service was quick and the restaurant was very clean and friendly.

Amazing spot! I had never had Guatemalan food before, but now I like it better than Mexican. Fresh and healthy with many options to try We had caldo gallina, enchiladas, tamales, and choco banano. Friendly, helpful staff

Really delicious spot with a taste of home. The service was great and it was easy to order. They were very nice and had no issues. Highly recommend this spot

Unfortunately this place missed the mark for me. The food was bland and tasteless. The taquitos were so overcooked the filling inside was dry and hard to chew. The tamale was bland and came with Parmesan cheese on the side?? The tostada trio was ok at best with the bean one being the best. The star of everything was the cookie thought. Such a shame as I had high hopes for this place based on the other reviews. The service was amazing though!

A Friendly, fast, and delicious lunch spot that doesn't break the bank? Just say yes.

Great food and great aesthetic. Authentic Guatemalan dishes and snacks. I recommend the dobladas with a side of guacamole.