As many of you who follow me on social media might know, I absolutely love good food. And you know what’s better than good food? Good food paired with a great experience. I’m all about the experience y’all! So whether you’re an Austin native or you’re visiting this beautiful city, below are my go-to’s when it comes to trendy ( Instagram worthy) authentic Mexican food.
Narrowing it down was quite difficult because the Mexican culinary scene in Austin is diverse and competitive. Being that I grew up visiting Mexico often and was raised on home cooked meals, I’m pretty familiar with authentic Mexican food and although I have nothing against Tex-Mex ( I could eat chips & queso with every meal) we’re going to focus on the authentic stuff today.
If you’re ever stuck on IH-35 traffic in the heart of downtown chances are you’ve seen or heard the music coming from the little white house on the corner of East 7th street and IH-35. This gem opened its doors less than 2 years ago and in a matter of months became an Austin favorite. My first visit was a few months after they opened after seeing an Instagram post of a cocktail served in a pineapple, their delicious piña para la niña. I ordered their sopecitos de tinga and the salsa sampler and haven’t looked back since! Since then, they’ve expanded their food and drink menus with items like their micheladas preparadas which is basically a Mexican bloody mary on steroids and they’ve added an amazing happy hour menu. No joke, I’m there at least a few times a month ordering their aguachiles or sopecitios. Remember how I mentioned the experience factor? On weekends they take brunch to another level with their live DJ’s, Wednesdays they have a Mariachi band in the evenings to pair perfectly with their tequila drinks (lol) and you can find their full event schedule on their Facebook page. I highly encourage reservations for weekends because the word is out so you can experience long wait times during prime time, but you can kill some time taking pictures at their many vivid murals around the restaurant or at their outside patio bar while you enjoy the beautiful Austin skyline anytime of the day!
Located in the oh so hipster, East sixth street, in a transformed old wooden home (if you’ve ever been to Austin you’ll notice this is a recurring theme), this charming restaurant will suck you right in with its inviting front patio, trees wrapped in lights and outside furniture that doesn’t match but blends with the style so well! I came across this restaurant a few years ago and fell in love instantly! It reminds me of my grandma’s house in Mexico with the small Virgen de Guadalupe veladoras on each table and the black & white photos on the walls. The building itself is pretty small, but they’ve done a great job of getting creative with their front and back patios to add way more seating (fans and shade are in place so don’t you fret). Make sure to refer to their website for hours since they are mostly open only for dinner, but also have weekend brunch. I recommend the sopes de tinga or the Enchiladas Potosinas & their signature drink La Lupita, a delicious watermelon tequila fusion or if you’re the “go big or go home” type get their pitcher of Palomas! I do have to warn you, their chips and salsa are on the spicier side so just be prepared to order several Lupitas ;).
Also on the East side but much more modernized, Suerte offers a sleek look and romantic ambiance perfect for a date night or a girls night! Their menu combines the best of traditional Mexican dishes with modern culinary methods creating dishes like their tamal topped with crispy quinoa or a beet mousse. They make all of their masa in-house allowing them to create items like their red chile tortillas. Their dishes have modern Mexican grandma all over them and I love it! During my last visit I had the Nada Paloma which is the perfect blend of tequila, mezcal & grapefruit, the beet tostada and the heirloom bean tamal. I was in the middle of very interesting girl talk when I ordered so I didn’t realize both of my dishes were beet based lol but they were both so delicious! Their chic decor and delicious creative menu are some of the reasons I continue to visit Suerte. I strongly recommend making a reservation and as you decide what to order get a little out of your comfort zone I promise, you will not be disappointed.
Ciao Bonita 