Matt's El Rancho

Frommer's Review

Opened in downtown in 1952, this old landmark restaurant has a large, faithful body of customers. Owner Matt Martinez later moved his restaurant to south Austin in 1986, and now his son, Matt, Jr., runs the show. The restaurant does a huge business with customers seeking dependable old-school Tex-Mex dishes such as enchiladas in chili gravy, flautas, or fajitas. The chiles rellenos and shrimp Mexicana (smothered with peppers, onions, tomato, ranchero sauce, and Jack cheese) are perennial favorites. Or you can go for different combinations of these by picking one of the numbered dinner plates like the #1, which is very popular. (If you have a big appetite, go for the deluxe.)

Although the place can seat almost 500, you might still have to wait for an hour on weekend nights, especially if there's a university event in town. You can lounge out on the terrace sipping a fresh lime margarita to pass the time. The restaurant gets a mixed crowd -- mostly families, long-time Austinites, not a lot of students. For those like me, who keep irregular eating times, the solution is simple: go on off hours. Anytime between 2 and 6pm usually works.

Note: This information was accurate when it was published, but can change without notice. Please be sure to confirm all rates and details directly with the companies in question before planning your trip.

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