Left as a satisfied customer yesterday after a regular visit to Guero's. I know this restaurant gets a lot of heat on this sub for being "tourist trap Mexican food," but consider this: Guero's has been in business now for nearly 40 years, continues to be family run, hasn't changed their menu significantly in forever, always has a healthy crowd, and takes pretty good care of their employees, with much of the waitstaff having been there for well over a decade, and recognizing regular customers on a first-name basis. As far as the food goes, it's consistently fresh, delicious, and it comes out fast, even when the place is packed. Sit at the taco bar, and watch them make homemade tortillas, while enjoying lunch or dinner in an historic Austin building, or sit outside and watch live music on any given weekend, while enjoying chips and queso and sipping on a marg. They also have the best chicken al carbon in town, and their turkey tamales are some of my faves during the holidays.
by disgracedcosmonaut1
44 Comments
Reads like a defense of Nickelback
Some of the WORST margaritas I’ve ever had from Gueros…
I think you just like mid food, mate
It’s a great location but the food is terrible
The place is packed because of its location and being an Austin staple… Not because of fucking quality. I’m sure it’s family run which is wonderful but that doesn’t mean that they have good recipes. Plus the whole place is fucking disorganized nothing like eating food and seeing the wash bucket right next to the table. Dirty dishes, broken chair off to the side, broom and mop bucket by the tables, and dusty equipment and decor around the dining room. Just fucked up.
I dread every time friends and family come into town and they want to fucking go there… I’ll eat beforehand so I don’t have to order anything.
It’s the most bland Tex-Mex in the area, second to that is the tamale house (I don’t give a fuck if it’s cool and it’s been here forever and also family run… Every time I’ve gone there’s like no seasoning in any of their food), which I absolutely hate bringing anybody there because it’s a poor representation of Tex-Mex.
And don’t get me started on the abomination that is Chuy’s.
At least Eldorado Cafe has good drinks… Nothing else, they suck too.
… Talking about these places just put me in the salty mood.
I think it was the first Mexican restaurant I ever went to in town back in the 80s when it was on Oltorf. My dad got the first caldo my little white ass had ever seen lol I was like eww bones sticking out. Love that soup now. I think they have such a nice silky queso, they have changed their sauces for the better, I will never complain about homemade tortillas, and even though their meats are kind of dry, they still have pretty good flavor. They were one of the first restaurants in town to offer soyrizo on breakfast tacos much to the delight of my veg family/friends. The refried beans are unforgivably bland though and prices have been too high for long enough that other spots have caught up (Polvos for one).
Unpopular opinion, but I always found the charm in the short strong margaritas because they were so much like the ones my parents made when I was growing up. Great tres leches too-just a touch rummy. They will not sell you a pan of it. I asked once.:)
Something good shouldn’t require the Kari Lake filter.
Unironically Lupe Tortilla dogwalks this place.
Why does this sub allow lame puff pieces? “They even recognize regulars on a first name basis!” I love Güeros for what it is… but a BS fake puff piece on Reddit is lame.
The margaritas taste like they were poured out of the bar mats
every once in a while i’ll eat somewhere and the food is bland (whatevs) but at Guerro’s it’s like their GOAL is to make the food taste like nothing. the air around you has more taste than the food does.
I had a friend visiting who had asked to go. I took him by, we had margs, chips and salsa at the bar and one dry ass tamale. We checked it off his list, he left confused and disappointed. Split the Italian sub and a slice across the street and he went home happy.
I’ve eaten there 3 times and every time i pulled out a very large piece of hair from my food
I love that it’s locally owned and has amazing staff, but as far as good quality it really is tourist trap simply okay Mexican food. That’s OKAY but damn yall have so many more affordable places in Austin that are significantly better. It’s Mexican food for folks who hate spices.
I will say, I had a decent white fish meal there once, that would be my top rec
Güero basically means “white guy” so…
All of SOCO has turned into a tourist trap.
I swing by there every time in in town for queso dip and margs before hitting the garden for live music. Yes, I am a tourist
[deleted]
Love love Guero’s!
Good for them, I haven’t eaten at Matt’s or Guero’s since they moved into their new digs. They were both pretty good if I can rightly recollect.
Gueuros is terrible, everyone knows it lol
I love guerros!
It wasn’t “tourist trap Mexican food” until all the goddamned tourists moved to Austin
Nah
This only seems like a shitpost and is actually a brilliant way of getting people to give their frothing recommendation of favorite places. I am honestly a bit wistful of the times it was seen as more of a necessary place for people i know to visit when in town bc it dragged me there. Have had better, have had worse, always had a good time. They named it honestly, what more can you ask?
“With much of the waitstaff having been there for well over a decade”…. Dude over here polling the entire staff as to how long they’ve worked there.
[deleted]
They actually make a lot of stuff from scratch. They squeeze a ton of fresh limes every day, make their own tortillas, and cook their birria for hours.
I’m the one who said Oasis, and I’ll get down on Gueros anytime I’m close, which is once every 3 years because I’m old and live in North Austin.
Place is meh.
Guero’s would not still be in business if it weren’t for their location.
Ok but there’s world’s better without the a la carte tourists
I hate those chips. I wish Mexican restaurants would revert back to in house chip making. Sysco needs to stop selling this garbage.
Terrible food. Thanks a bunch “Death Proof.” Margarita’s were just as bad. Next time we’ll go out for BBQ outside of Austin instead Butterfly.
I am all in on their chico tacos al pastor with margaritas. No shame.
> always has a healthy crowd
I feel like it’s not the healthiest group of people
Great for a drink and a show …
Worst plate of “food” I’ve got since moving to austin. It is food for people from Minnesota
Good pancakes.
how much you pay for all of that tho?
whats not captured in the photo is how dry, tasteless, and boring everything is.
It’s only a tourist trap because a touristy area cropped up around it.
The lighting in these photos looks great >>>
Matt’s El rancho is 73 years old, El patio is 71. They are afaik the oldest Mexican restaurants in Austin. (Though there are older ones in San Antonio and Dallas). My grandfather was the architect for the Matt’s El Rancho I remember on Congress Ave though that building is no longer there. The oldest restaurants period, in Austin to my knowledge are Green Pastures 1946, Driscoll Hotel 1886, and Scholtz Garden 1865.
You know Guero means Whitey, right.