Botanitas

Why would I review a restaurant after it has gone to the grave and been replaced by some taqueria # 87? Because Evita’s Botanitas was the best Mexican restaurant in South Austin, and they still cater! If you have an event or party, please call them up:
Best mole in Austin! Friendliest family service around!

Perhaps I went on an off night. :-(I checked this place out last night based on the many glowing reviews on Unilocal and I was pretty disappointed with my experience.
The outside and interior of the place looked pretty run down. It looked like your standard run of the mill Tex Mex hole in the wall. However, this alone does not detract from my review because I’ve dined at several hole in the wall type places in and out of the country that were absolutely excellent.
Once inside, we were warmly greeted by the owner’s daughter before she ushered us to our table and graced us with the tower of salsa. The presentation was visually pleasing. The salsas were pretty tasty, but nothing out of this world. Yet the chips were terribly stale.
I kindly requested for our waitress to switch out our chips for a fresh basket. Yet once our queso arrived, we were pretty unhappy with the Kraft catastrophe. With so many excellent Tex Mex places with drool worthy queso in Austin, I was put off by the goopy, heavily processed mess we were given. We tried to save the thing by combining some of the salsa into it. But sadly there was no saving the cheese. :-(
The fajitas were on the cusp of decent and just plain blah. I was pleased that they were piping hot once they came out. But in comparison to the regular Tex mex fare served around Austin, the beef was dry, bland– just tasteless.
The prices are also a little high for what you get.
I feel a bit bad after writing all of this because at the end of our meal, the owner’s daughter candidly disclosed to us that the restaurant is closing next month. It turns out that her father has cancer. Yet they are still taking catering orders.
Yet despite the general friendliness, if I’m craving queso and fajitas, I’m definitely going elsewhere.

I was in Austin recently and searched for a place to eat on this fine website called Unilocal.We were looking for hard tacos and came upon Evita’s Botanitas and the menu looked pretty great. So we GPS’d ourselves there and found ourselves in a small strip mall, nothing fancy. And the food did not disappoint!
First of all, the salsa they give you is above and beyond. They bring a two-​tiered production with a basket of fresh tortilla chips and 5 or 6 different salsas, all of which were delicious and not at all ‘omg my mouth, it’s on fire’
I ordered a house margarita (rocks with salt please!) which was ass kicking in a good way. For my dinner I ordered the vegetarian quesadillas, which I admit were served to me in a unfamilliar way. Maybe I was just Dumb White Girl but when they brought my food I thought they brought soft tacos instead of a quesadilla. Granted, I’d ordered the corn tortillas rather than flour, and it looked like a plate with several soft tacos. And oh man, were those some seriously delicious quesadillas! I don’t care what they looked like, they tasted like heaven.
Our waitress was really friendly and I would highly recommend eating here. I will make it a point to come back the next time I’m in town.

Evita’s is about good food. Evita’s does not offer the high-​end atmosphere that I think most people who gave a low rating are used to. Personally, I think the «flea market» items are charming and give you a sense of the REAL culture of the region the food is from. If you want Fonda San Miguel then go to Fonda and enjoy their great food and the high-​end environment. If you go to Evita’s expect EQUALLY GREAT food in a very casual environment… kind of like eating in your best friend’s mother’s kitchen when you were a kid.
Since my last review I’ve had the Tamal Plate, Milanesa Laredo, Pollo en Mole Puebla Style, Big Whole Mojarra, and a quite a few of the mixed plates. My opinion of the food is that EVERYTHING IS VERY, VERY GOOD. A few times however, the «tower of salsas» was replaced with two salsas, one red and one green… while those salsas were both good I was a tad sad to miss out on the tower. The MOLE here is awesome!!!
If you want to try some of the best interior Mexican food in Austin you better get down to Evita’s because word on the street is that the restaurant is up for sale due to an illness; I hope for the best for this family’s sick loved-​one.

Unilocal never steers me wrong. We were looking for some good Mexican in Austin, and we found it. This place looks pretty run-​down when you enter, but don’t let that alarm you. They are putting the effort into the FOOD. The tower of salsa was amazing, but pretty much ruined our mouths with the level of spice. Boyfriend choked on the first bite. I think he might have gotten the spiciest one on the first try. I really liked the bean salsa, the salsa verde, and the chunky red salsa. Beware the non-​chunky dark red salsa, as I believe that one was the tongue scalding culprit. Still, we kept eating the salsas. They were that good!
I had the carne guisada, which was fantastic. The stewed meat was extremely tender, and the sauce packed with a smoky flavor. I chose the cilantro lime rice, which balanced well with the flavor of the sauce. Boyfriend ordered lamb chops with an enchilada. This was also tasty, but I much preferred mine.
The girl serving us was very friendly and prompt. My only beef is that we ordered frozen margaritas and were automatically given top shelf (which we didn’t realize until paying). The margaritas were delicious, so I couldn’t really complain. However, I think that is a little shady.
I recommend Evita’s when you are looking for substance and don’t give a crap about style. This is solid food served in large portions. I had enough to take home and eat for breakfast. Next time I will try the mole enchiladas. Yum!

Guess I should have stuck with the al pastor plate — I’m a bit disappointed in my return visit to Evita’s. I decided to try the carne asada on this trip. Major weirdness in what came out of the kitchen: little bits of steak drowned in a red sauce with uncooked onions on top.
Unlike any carne asada I’ve ever experienced — and not in a good way. I am used to sliced beef that’s been roasted, often served with grilled onions. The avocado enchilada that came with my meal was interesting but the chiles overwhelmed the dish.
Hate to downgrade Evita’s but it is losing a star. I’ll be back to try other items on their menu but I’d DEFINITELY suggest steering clear of the carne asada!

This one built to a climax.
My fiancé and I pulled into the parking lot. A little sketchier than I’m typically comfortable with, but I did grow up in suburbia, so I ignored my sissiness and decided to brave walking into the front door.
The lone waitress in the joint promptly greeted us and told us to pick a table. There were many to choose from as there was only one table currently occupied.
Hmmm… why is this place deserted?
I ordered the Al Pastor Taco Plato and my fiancé ordered the taco salad. By the time we walked to the front counter to pay our bill, the place was packed, both of our stomachs were equally stuffed with comida muy deliciosa. Place is close to where we live and we will definitely go back. Food is fantastic, service was great, atmosphere so-​so.

I can still taste the Chicken Mole. Boy, that’s some good eating. Authentic South Austin mostly interior Mexican food and it’s damn good. The chips and salsa tower to the flan and everything in between was yummy.
Due to illness, the business is for sale. So if anyone out there can run a true blue Mexican restaurant that cares what is on the plates that leave the kitchen-​please have them continue the tradition.

There is something inherently poetic about Evita’s Botanitas lodging itself immediately next door to DK Sushi: though the two restaurants serve vastly different fare, you can’t help but walk away from either with the sense that you’ve witnessed some sort of goofy semi-​tragic ballet. Where DK and his band of sushi pranksters have their much ballyhooed way with that restaurant’s given specialties, Evita’s is entirely its own animal, awkward and beautiful at once, like memories of the better parts of your teenage years or a good road trip.
And in a sense, that’s what Botanitas is… a bit of a road trip, culinary and otherwise. We sat, naturally, next to the massive display of knick-​knacks from south of the border (most of which appear to be for sale). Looming Don Quixote peered downward as the tower of salsa arrived, the oft-​noted Lazy Susan of salsa choices that the dessert lover seemed to find most appealing. Come to think of it, Susan wasn’t that lazy this day… that thing was brimming. For dinner I decided on the carne asada, which came with an enchilada on the side, rice and both flour and corn tortillas.
Even among the modest (in terms of numbers) crowd, there was talk of the family illness that has these guys in the news lately, and we were only too happy to contribute a little something to the kitty in exchange for a solid meal. And our experience? As much as you can stare endlessly into your boracho beans… that part was all gravy.

Still only four stars– the waitress got our order mixed up, brought us the wrong drinks, brought the wrong food to our table… I swear, it was like a foodie version of candid camera!
However, the reason for four stars: we brought our friends from out of town and you guessed it, almost everyone ordered tacos al pastor. I got the chicken enchiladas con mole again, and this time GOT the drunken beans. And I have to say, I think that’s my new favorite taste combo at a Mexican restaurant anywhere these days– the lime rice and drunken beans tossed together, oh so good…
Still love the flavors at Evita’s, and can’t wait to go back and down some more beans-​n-​rice, yum…

I went to Botanitas after my neighbor suggested it (we live within 3 miles of the restaurant.). He said the Chicken Mole was awesome, so that’s what I tried. I was not disappointed! The salsa tower came with 7 different salsas and thick and not greasy tortilla chips. The corn tortillas were fabulous, thin, not too dense with the slight sweetness of sweet corn.
My husband order El Pastor Tacos and thought them a bit bland, but agreed that my dish, the corn tortillas, and salsa were amazing.
The strip mall that they are located in is a little on the ‘meh’ side, but Botanitas proves to be a diamond in the rough.

First off, I wanted to try a new Mexican restaurant and searched Unilocal to help me locate a good place to try. Based on the reviews, I drove 45 minutes from Cedar Park/​Round Rock to eat dinner here.
Although you were given the tower of salsas, each type of salsa was just OK. The flavor of the salsas were very one dimensional and did not taste fresh and the chips were hard.
My family and I order a variety of dishes. I had the beef fajitas. The beef used was a low quality cut and was overcooked and extremely dry. It didn’t taste like beef at all. The shrimp diablo, tamales, and enchiladas were just OK. The standout was the cilantro rice-​which was cooked perfectly.
I can see why one would come here for a cheap, quick meal, but it is definitely not a place that deserves 4 or 5 stars. For the type and quality of food, one can go to any local Mom and Pop shop. It was definitely not worth the drive. I could have gotten the same food at Camino Real or Jardin Corona in N. Austin and Cedar Park.
Also Unilocalers, please help me understand why this place is considered «Mexican» and not Tex-​Mex?

Put your worries to rest. Evita’s isn’t going anywhere. The owner, who was recently diagnosed with cancer, has a wonderful family that is helping him out with running the location during this difficult time.
The food is still fantastic and the nick-​knacks are as tacky as ever. My love for Evita’s has grown even more so than I ever thought possible.
XOXO

The tower of salsa was definitely a plus. I love trying different kinds of salsa, but usually feel like a schmuck when bringing 5+ kinds of salsa back from the salsa bar at other restaurants. At Evita Botanitas, they already know I’m a schmuck, and bring them to me! Bonus!
The interior of this place does not leave you wanting for things to marvel at or talk about. And everything is for sale! How I wanted a matching set of male/​female bikini crotch coffee mugs. I think I know what the family is getting this year for Christmas!!!
The beer was served with a frosty glass and a lime, which is always appreciated. My husband ordered a spicy michelada, and boy was it spicy. And not in the hot-​spicy sense. It just had a LOT of flavor. Almost too much.
Three of us ordered the mole enchiladas. You fine reviewers did not lead us astray. They were heavenly. The accompanying black beans were just OK. They didn’t have a whole lot of flavor. The cliantro-​lime rice was also a little dry, but I just mixed in some mole sauce, and it was good. It is a bit of a hike for us to get there, so I don’t think Evita’s will become a part of our regular dining rotation, but it was worth the trip this time.

I truly enjoyed the lazy susan ‘o salsa — entertaining as it was tasty.
The queso was a beautiful dream wrapped around a blowtorch.
My chipotle and smoked chicken enchiladas were the inspiration for my best-​selling novels, «Chipotle and me — a love story.» and «How Chipotle got its groove back.»
The margaritas had the knockout punch of a professional boxer with anger management issues.
…so why in the name of all that is good and holy do you feel the need to put all that goofy shit all over the place? Who the hell buys a badly painted mug shaped like a woman wearing a thong? (ass only) Do you get alot of truckers in there or something? And how long has some of that stuff been there??? What, no one wanted the velvet picture of an aztec warrior smoking a joint with a rastafarian?! The HELL you say!
It may be time to tip it all into the bin, if you know what I’m sayin’. You do have a dumpster, right?
The food stands on its own… why you gotta make it all weird.

Went back for dinner last night. AWESOME.
The salsa lazy Susan punched me in the appendix six times, once for each different amazing salsa (Egypt’s got nothin’ on the curious salsa pyramid of S. Austin!!!). Good punch, bad punch?
Good punch.
The Queso, which was real melted cheese on a plate with fresh peppers and onions, scratched my back and told me I was buff.
Good buff.
The guac was fresh and frisky and touched my thigh.
Good touch.
And my flame-​broiled chicken nachos were all that. The chicken was little balls of smokey goodness.
Good goodness.
The service was a little spotty but our waiter person (owner’s daughter?) didn’t seem to mind when we flagger her down.
I wish I lived closer so I could get fat faster.
Good fat.

My kind of family run indie joint. Ok, at times when they are busy things can take a while, but I know I do not have to remind you that it is about the journey.
Tower of salsa, hot chips and a myriad of flavors to get your dip on, your favorite frosty beverage and your taste buds are blowing riffs like the Tower of Power.
I am a true creature of habit, and I have eaten the lamb chops and enchilada combo on several occasions. a couple of chops draped in chile arbol sauce, green cheese enchilada rice, black beans, tortillas. The sauce is wonderfully complex, rice is flavored with lime, laced with cilantro. Roasted jalapeño and onion slice complete the garnish. I have also sampled their shrimp diabla. Bacon wrapped shrimp in chipotle sauce, served up with the same sides. Hot and spicy good!

I would like to start off by saying this place is not Tex Mex (it is Interior Traditional Mexican). It is owned and operated by a local family who will be working there when you stop by. And you should stop by because the food is delicious and a lot cheaper than Fonda San Miguel and you will be supporting a local family.
This place serves the best Mole I have had any where ever. The Mole Chicken Enchiladas are amazing. Instead of the usual pumpkin seeds they use peanuts and sesame seeds to make their mole. They have definitely mastered the combination of chiles, nuts and chocolate.
And their frozen margaritas are Top Nacho!

First of all, I’ve got to say that this is one restaurant here in Austin that knows about refried beans.
I’m on sort of a personal mission to stamp out soupy refrieds, or at least yell loudly about them and stomp my feet in anger. Evita’s required no such stompage from me. Their refrieds are the proper consistency and taste strongly of bacon. Hooray!
It’s sort of a quirky little place, but we find ourselves going there quite often.
Good:
— They give you chips and six different types of salsa. I like the black bean salsa the best.
— The waitress (/​owner?) is always really nice to our kids and brings them little cups of queso to nibble on so that the grownups aren’t the only ones with pre-​dinner noshes.
— The food is generally excellent. Try the mole enchiladas sometime. The tostadas compuestas and al pastor are also yummy.
— The lemonade is made fresh when you order it, and it’s really, really good.
Not-​so-​good:
— The menus are sticky, as in «I need to wash my hands after ordering and before eating.»
— The air conditioning puts up a mighty struggle against the Texas heat and usually loses.
— They’re almost always short-​staffed, so waits for food can take a while.
— Mushrooms on nachos? What?
You can see that, in general, the «good» qualities = food and the «not-​so-​good» qualities = atmosphere. But then again, the atmosphere has its charming points, too. You can tell it’s a family-​run business, and I think almost every time we’ve gone we’ve seen someone from the extended family come in and take a seat. There’s a rack of Mexican knick-​knacks up front if you just have to buy a coffee mug shaped like a chick’s bikini-​clad bottom. There’s a big bar in the middle of the restaurant, so you could definitely counteract the elderly AC with some frozen margs. Heck, just the fact that we go there with some regularity should say something, since we’re very particular about our Mexican food.
So give it a shot!

Fuck yes, homies.
For all the incessant chatter about how Austin is the grand emperor of Mexican delight, it’s easy enough to find decent places but damn tough to find places that really SHINE.
But Evita’s shines, baby. Like the top of Dr. Phil’s illustrious noggin.
For starters, the individual salsa banquet is the bee’s knees. But more significant still is the mole: rich and scrumptious, but SUBTLE and not overpowering. Pour me a stiff glass, cause ounce for ounce, I say it’s better than the mole at Fonda San Miguel. No joke.
Overall, I award Evita’s the coveted 4.6 star rating. And let me finish by saying that this place gives me hope for Austin. Even if we’re not king of Mexican, we’re definitely at least like a Baron or a Viscount.