Review Matt's El Rancho - Austin

I had Matt’s El Rancho for the first time recommended by a couple coworkers. I preferred the half lb sizzling fajitas which was pretty good. Surprisingly the chicken was better than the beef fajitas where in my experience it’s typically the opposite. Most of my coworkers ordered the enchiladas which all of them didn’t like compared to the fajita people. Mexican food I’m Austin has been a miss for me for the most part (outside of tacos) but so for getting this dish in particular I would say order it if you come here. For everything else, it was just ok. An honorable mention to the martinis that you can pour the clear shaker in was neat.

We dined-in on a Sunday morning. They don't let you reserve a table ahead but it was a quick 10 min wait. The server was very sweet and responsive. Food was fresh and high quality. They have clearly marked Vegetarian options but they don't have a lot of options. Vegetable Chilli Relleno could have been better (I had high hopes). It was sweetish rather than savoy and was more cheesy than it should have been. Burnt orange margarita was sweeter than expected and quite diluted alcohol wise. Great fajitas and burritos though.

I can not believe I have lived here since 1994 and did not know about this amazing GEM! The food was just beyond delicious, dare I say better than mom's... Do yourself a favor. Go eat here. Located on S. Lamar, where there's so much to do and see, the crowd was diverse, and everywhere you looked, there was a smile. This is now our new favorite place to enduldge our homemade Mexican food!

This TEX-MEX classic done well a couple of vegan choices and my flexitarian partner assures me the nachos with chicken Al carbon are excellent. Vegan fajitas really good grilled veg. The ambience is good I stopped and helped sing Happy Birthday to a grandmother the parking easy

Terrific experience. Menu has an abundance of tempting choices. Food was lovingly prepared by a kitchen of craftspeople, delivered by top notch servers and runners. The ambiance, to me, felt nostalgic reminding me a bit of the fancier Mexican restaurants growing up in Texas ~ 50 years ago, yet diners were casual and comfortably dressed largely, with a spattering of trendy fashionistas/os scattered around the various dining areas.

The best seat in the house is on the patio - it is next to the fish pond in the far back right hand side. A perfect table for one or two. The view is outstanding and it is perfectly in the path of the misting fan. Matt’s has been an Austin Tex-Mex icon for over 70 years. The Bob Armstrong Dip is exactly the yellow / orange color and cheeses buttery flavor Tex-Max queso should be. I had “the Bob”, the guacamole salad (a house staple), and the “Mexican style”smothered Texas Red Fish. Make sure to ask for Josh B as your server. He is a delight. They have a dedicated parking lot that is always packed. They have paid valet as well.

Delicious food, as always! It had been a while since I last ate here, but I was as pleased to discover that the food and ambience was as good as ever. The guacamole was flavorful and creamy, perfect texture. The chips were crispy and stood up to the salsa and guacamole. The brisket taco accompanied by charro beans made for a hearty and satisfying lunch. Staff were helpful and friendly and attentive. Ample parking in the lot. Great atmosphere!

Best steak fajitas I ever had. Went for lunch. Very reasonable. I also had a cup of tortilla soup which on a chilly rainy day was perfect. I really enjoyed Matt’s.

Came during prime dinner time at 6 PM and they got us in right away! We sat outside, but it was shaded, and the sun was starting to set behind the trees. They also had mist fans on the tables that were not under the shade. We ordered queso and a margarita so were good to go. The servers were very attentive and made multiple stops back at the table to refill waters and chips. Food came out hot and even better than expected. We will definitely be going back soon!

Not only the best Mexican restaurant in Austin, probably the best restaurant in Austin!! I've been going for 30 years and every single time everything is just right. The service, the atmosphere, the drinks, and the food. Always on point. A 70 plus year old Austin institution, and a must go for locals and visitors alike.

We had a party of 7 and were seated after a 30 minute wait on a Saturday night...pretty good! The food was fresh and tasty, drinks were fabulous, and service top notch. Great place to visit. Only criticism was the restaurant was warm and a but loud.

Fun and very popular texmex eatery in Austin. The food was good, the service was fast and attentive. Very popular place and much larger than I expected.

What can I say, this place might just live up the the hype. For the most part! First let me say this place is busy! The parking lot is huge and people even park up on the grass to get in. Don’t let that intimidate you! They also don’t take reservations, so yeah you might be waiting to be seated at peak hours. We got lucky and got a table right away. The complimentary chips and salsa was a nice touch but underwhelming. The chips were irregular shaped, really hard and thick, while the salsa was sparse and lacking substance. Just didn’t work. For drinks I got a ranch water and it was pretty good, not too sweet and definitely not too strong. For food we got the the combo fajitas and and boy did they deliver! The onions and roasted peppers on the sizzling skillet was such a nice combination of flavor it really elevates the fajitas. The beef was pretty tender overall, and the chicken was a little dry but had nice flavor that really worked since there was so much juiced outside from the onions etc. Not to mention the sour crème, guacamole, and pico they have on a plate were delicious. (They should be more generous with these fixings for a 1lb order) the rice and beans were great although we weren’t given any options for beans- just refried. They were really good tho! The fajitas come with only a few tortillas which only lasts about 5 minutes. Meanwhile our server was distracted and not paying attention to us. By the time we flagged him down and he put the order in, the food was just sitting there. This is an example of poor service. I’ve always wanted to come here and I’m glad I did, it was really great and was had such a good time. Might be back, but probably not!

This place is exceptional! Had the Smoked Brisket Tacos and they were outstanding! My wife had the Chicken Fajitas and my daughter had the Fish Tacos and they were great as well. This restaurant did not disappoint. Great service and excellent food. Would definitely come back and absolutely recommend Matt’s El Rancho!

Food was great, as well as our server. Atmosphere was fun. We're from the Dallas area and have eaten at Rancho Martinez before. I didn't realize they are related until I saw Bob Armstrong Dip on the menu. Greatness!

I've been to Austin many times and just found this place by word of mouth. They weren't even listed on TripAdvisor. Really good fajitas and great service.

I am from out of state and this was my first return to Matt's in 6 years. Sadly, it wasn't as good as I remembered. The margaritas are too sour and the Bob's queso wasn't as creamy as before. The pepper of my beef chile relleno (without the batter coating) was under blanched and consequently a bit tough, and the ground beef was only so-so. All in all I would say it was rather uninspiring.

Matt's has been our go-to recharge for many years and the food is excellent and services is always top notch! Always feel at home on the patio and can't wait until our next visit! Thanks guys!!

The queso was worth the trip! Being able to have it with shredded chicken was amazing! The gulf shrimp fajitas and fiesta a la mexicana was delicioso!! Elizabeth made it a wonderful experience with great service from start to finish! She knows her stuff!

We celebrated my father-in-law’s birthday on January 24, 2018. There were 6 of us and we waited about 20 minutes - not bad for 7 pm. The drinks were great, all of the food was wonderful. My husband, not easily impressed, thought the beef tacos were the best he’d ever had. Our server was knowledgeable, helpful and fun to talk to. We’ll definitely be back!

Amazing food, amazing service, amazing drinks!!!! Can’t go wrong by going there!!! Hour wait but it went by fast and was worth the wait!!!

So sad. I've been to Matt's several times, but last night may have been the last. Yet another Austin institution that has been corrupted by the growth in this city over the past several years. It makes me sad. The food quality was the same, predictable and delicious. But I had some issues with the staff last night, for the first time EVER. I arrived shortly before 5pm, pulled into the lot and saw a moracle: backup lights from a car getting ready to back out of a space fairly close to the door. Parking is normally a problem at Matt's because the spaces are very narrow and people park like jerks, over the lines, effectively blocking the use of the space next to them (this is of course no fault of the restaurant..but the lack of courtesy is a metaphor for the changes happening all over Austin with the influx of people). I stopped and put on my blinker, waiting for the vehicle to exit the space. As they backed up and pulled past me to exit, a valet came running up from behind my car and promptly blocked the space with a cone. Seriously? I'm not sure what time they start this practice, but I found it EXTREMELY rude. Pulled past, parked, and hiked into the restaurant. I go in to meet my dinner companion and we are promptly seated. My mood is a bit foul. Our waiter (who my dining compa ion sarcastically labelled Mr. Happy, due to his crusty demeanor) promptly takes our drink order, and then we order out food. He disappears when we start looking for drink refills. I'd like to order a cocktail. When he finally returns, it becomes obvious that he is trying to turn the table. Drops the bill early. Checks in to see if he can take my plate yet TWICE (The third time, I let him have it, not because I was necessarily done eating, but because I was tired of him asking) The waiter's demeanor was not welcoming at all. It's not the patron"s problem that the wait staff doesn't appear to like his job. Good thing that I don't much care about cutting my conversation short to vacate a table before I have finished my drink. The only speedy thing the waiter did was run my credit card. It's unfortunate that such a popular Austin icon seems to have become such a profit driven enterprise that their staff is rude to people. I know that valet was just doing his job. Rude. I know that waiter probably has been told to turn the tables as quickly as possible. Rude. Have fun with your new Austin clientele, Matt's. I think they may be the only ones to put up with these changes.

the food is good; the service is good; it's not worth the crowded loud noise, however.... the times I've been there I can't hear my dinner companions due to the echo chamber that is the dining hall. I thought being in the corner would be better; but just an unproductive time of struggling to hear what was going on with a LONG lean table that relegated one to the folks on either side and crunched up against the wall so tight that it required all exit to get to rest rooms. And the bar was wall to wall people.... so if the bar scene and loud noise is fun to you; you'll love this place. As I said, food and service was good. Please hear that part.

The service was awesome ! We went with our 3 kids and had a great time even though it was busy the wait wasn’t bad and it was well worth it ! Our server Veronica was wonderful , actually went due to one of my customers raving about it , can’t wait to go back !

Been wanting to try this place for quite sometime now...was very happy with my entree, Matt's Special. Will have to hit this place up again soon...

The salmon dish was fantastic ! Can’t wait to try the fish 🌮 The queso is thick & fantastic but the chips are too hard / thick. The crenshaw steak 🥩 was the belle of the ball. Mariachi band sang for the baby sooo cute

The food was fantastic as usual, but DO NOT go if you expect to have a conversation AT ALL! I’ve never been to any restaurant that was so loud. Not very enjoyable unfortunately.

Our entire family loves this place! Great margarita's and food!