Went to watch the UT game Saturday at Polvos. Hadn’t been to their new Barton Creek location, it’s the building at the edge of the mall parking lot that used to be Abuelo’s.
Chatted with a manager about how things have been going since they opened a few months ago. They said a lot reviews people left were critical of the pricing, so they lowered some prices and are now the lowest of the three locations. I haven’t seen what the prices were before but this weekend’s menu did not strike me as high compared to similar restaurants. I don’t know if they’re talking about Yelp reviews, Google, or internal customer feedback but nice of them to be responsive.
Had drinks, the salsa bar and split the Taco Exocito ($16) with a friend. It’s an open face taco with a lot of meat, sauce and peppers on top. You can order multiple sauces on it. We got Chipotle and Mole, I really like the Mole. And the small spinach & fruit salad on the side is a nice healthier touch. Plate was big enough that I’m glad we shared instead of each ordering one.
My Michelada was $7.99 and came ridiculously dressed but it lasted me through the whole 1st half of the UT game so that’s cheaper than my usual cocktails order.
They’ve got $7 happy hour margaritas and a few other things 2pm-6pm on Tue-Fri.
by BarStar787
14 Comments
That’s the Taco *Exotico, not Exocito.
The exotic fish taco with Cartuja sauce is my go-to
FTR, that Exotico used to be on the menu for $3. Basically when they opened up the downtown polvos, they jacked up all the prices across the board. They also took some reasonably priced favorites, like the Taco Exotico, and made it 5X what it used to be.
Puntas de Filetes for the win…
Have been living in ATX for 20 years and visited the original Polvos ~once/month for the first 12 years. We moved a bit further away, and our visits became more infrequently but despite mild price changes, we still had a good time.
Went about a 3 months ago and the price for the beer fajitas has more than doubled. The entire menu looked so ridiculously overpriced that I made a mental note not to come back. The whole appeal of Polvos was delicious affordable TexMex plus ridiculously stiff Rita’s but if it’s on par with finer dining then what’s the damn point??
Looked up their menu once, saw the prices were like 30+ per entree. Said nope, didn’t look like the type of place to be able to demand those prices.
This is good to know, and I will check it out next time.
Love polvos. They grabbed my heart with salsa bar and tortillas. Last visit wife and I both made double takes on prices. Understandably everything has gone up but damn they took full advantage.
Huh, I might have to check that location out, I’ve only ever been to the S 1st one and I like it alright well enough but I’m more prone to go to Habanero cuz those specials!!!
Awful looking cocktail.
We went one Saturday a couple of months ago and it was empty. We sat down and they gave us water and the menus. Almost every dish was $20-$35. Needless to say, we got right up and left before they brought the chips and salsa. Don’t know if they were free at this location, but I wasn’t about to wait and find out.
Fajitas Al Guajillo is my favorite plate in town but it’s pushing $35 now. That’s hard to justify for a single plate of Mexican food.
I’ve been going to Polvos for 20 years and the last time i looked their fajitas were nearing $30. That’s completely ridiculous.
Fajitas Al Guajillo
$32.00
That’s just completely insane.
I used internet archive to look at their earliest menu which is 2010 and that same dish is:
Fajita al Guajillo – $10.99
OH REALLY. My friend and I went there a few months ago and had a bit of sticker shock. Maybe now we can try again. Also! Tip: don’t order a virgin margarita. Aack!
Started going to Polvos in 2007. A plate of fajitas was around $10. Frozen margs we’re $5. Beers were three. It was not only the best deal, but the best place in town. They put so much love into dishes like Fajitas Al Guajillo.
Something changed around the pandemic. Went back in 2021 and not only was the menu 2-3x more expensive, quality had gone downhill. The worst part was the Fajitas Al Guijillo, our favorite plate on the menu, came out under salted. How do you under salt fajitas? The quality of the skirt seemed a notch below what we were used to, too. Could have been post pandemic supply chain issues, sure. But for $32? Service was also bad. Haven’t returned since.
I hate to say it, but I prefer going to Maudis now. Is it better? Of course not. But the service is better, the margaritas are always cold, the chips are free, and a plate of fajitas is about $12. If I want to spend $32 for a plate of food I’m making a reservation at El Naranjo or Fonda San Miguel.
I really hope Polvos gets its act together because I used to love this place so much.