Texas Chili Parlor
Tex-Mex restaurant · Arts District
1409 Lavaca St, Austin, TX 78701
Highlights
Tex-Mex & American chili, from mild to XXX hot, in a dive bar.
Tex-Mex & American chili, from mild to XXX hot, in a dive bar.
"Texas Chili Parlor is probably one of the only spots in town where you can sit back with a Mad Dog margarita (that’s as potent as it sounds) and order enchiladas covered with a giant scoop of Texas-style chili. This place has been simultaneously functioning as a dive bar and Tex-Mex go-to since the 1970s, and there are usually a handful of people sitting at the bar that look like they haven’t moved since the restaurant’s inception. Hop in for a quick round of enchiladas if you work Downtown, but you might want to hold off on the margaritas if you’re planning on actually getting any work done after lunch." - nicolai mccrary, adele hazan, raphael brion
"When it comes to restaurants that feel like true Austin institutions, Texas Chili Parlor, which opened a year before chili was proclaimed the official state dish in 1976, still reigns supreme. This venerable and very retro spot’s indoor dining room serves up genuine Texas beef chili (with no beans, of course), but Texas Chili Parlor also offers a vegan chili with beans in the name of open-mindedness. In addition to the classic “bowl of red,” Texas Chili Parlor will provide its chili atop potatoes as part of a tasting sampler, with eggs, or in its most recommended form: on top of cheese enchiladas. Be sure to grab an ice-cold beer or a potent margarita to complete this thoroughly Austin experience." - Taylor Tobin
"Texas Chili Parlor has been around since the ‘70s, in that time evolving into one of Austin’s best dive-bar/Tex-Mex/chili-parlor hybrids. And hiding on that long menu of burgers, hot dogs, and enchiladas are a couple of steaks. They’re a great value all the time—a little over $20 for a ribeye, a salad, and a fully loaded baked potato—but on Mondays, they knock it down to $19. The Deal: Ribeye, salad, and a fully loaded baked potato for $19" - nicolai mccrary
"Simultaneously functioning as a dive bar and Tex-Mex eatery since the 1970s, Texas Chili Parlor is probably one of the only spots in town where you can sit back with a Mad Dog margarita (that’s as potent as it sounds) and order a plate of enchiladas covered with a giant scoop of Texas-style chili. Walking into Texas Chili Parlor feels almost like entering a cave—it’s dimly lit and chilly inside—and there are usually a handful of people sitting at the bar that look like they’ve been there since the restaurant’s inception." - nicolai mccrary, raphael brion
"There’s only one place in Austin that can satisfy the wants of dive-bar enthusiasts, chili lovers, Downtown workers hungry for excellent enchiladas, and concert pregamers. That place is Texas Chili Parlor. It accomplishes this feat by offering cheap drinks, massive plates of food, and a convenient location right next to the Capitol. 20 minutes on foot, 4 minutes by car" - nicolai mccrary
