El Chilito

Dear El Chilto,
Please stop over-​cooking the eggs and burning the bacon and I’ll keep coming back.

Man this place is top notch! Got a puffy taco and called it a wrap (figuratively… bc then it wouldn’t be a taco anymore?)
It’s great, deff worth a stop… This will become a new ATX trip staple for me
Life’s always better after a puff or two…
;-)

Meh. Ok tacos and TERRIBLE Horchata. Try Tysons instead.

All I have to say is Barbacoa taco and the Vaquero is all you need to get and thank me later. This to me is the best tacos in the Austin Area hands down, check my reviews I don’t do it at places that aren’t below 4 stars. Please believe this is 4 star plus. Stick to the game plan above

I’ve been several times. The food is reliably good. Not great, but good, interesting tacos. The salsa is delicious.
But EVERY time I visit, I have to deal with the surly hipsters that work there. It’s that typical, «I’m annoyed that I have to speak to you» attitude.

My boyfriend and I came here and got both meat filled and vegetarian tacos plus queso. Very below par food especially in comparison to all the tacos and queso ATX has to offer. Wouldn’t recommend

The best place to stop if you’re in a hurry or in no hurry at all. There’s a reason El Chilito’s have been popping up all over town… in my opinion it’s the fish tacos, shrimp tacos, and homemade tortillas. In my liver’s opinion it’s the Dos XX and Lone Star on tap, and the sangria over ice.
Everything is fresh. Everything I’ve had here is delicious and affordable.

Since moving to Austin a few months ago, my partner and I have been on a mission to find the perfect breakfast taco. We were driving by El Chilito and on a whim decided to stop and try it out. We had a couple different breakfast and veggie tacos and the black bean soup. I had the pineapple fresca and she had watermelon mixed with lime. Everything was fresh and flavorful and my partner really loved the salsa, while I favored the pico.
The staff was very nice and service was quick. They even have a covered seating area with space heaters, which was nice for us, since it was a cold night when we visited.
We will be back to try some of the other items!

Great carne asada plate. Reminds me of the valley food (Rio Grande Valley), which is saying a lot. Great tacos!

I like the look and feel of this place. I enjoy eating outside, I like the umbrella-​topped picnic tables and the walk-​up ordering. I did not like their black beans. They weren’t done very well (not cooked long enough, a bit hard) IMHO. I ordered the migas burrito and forgot to specify what kind of beans I wanted, so they picked black beans for me. Ugh. I feel like refried beans would have been so much better, and maybe if I went back and got the burrito with refried beans instead, it would change my star rating for the place, but the black beans were just so bad that I don’t even want to bother. Everything else about the burrito was fine: the migas were good and the potatoes were nicely fried.

I had the vegetarian taco, a topo, queso, and an agua fresca before heading out of town.
The picnic tables are great – so nice to sit outside, even though it’s on a bit of a busy street.
The taco was delish – so many veggies that mine were falling out, but it was fresh and yummy.
The queso was spicy and good – white with veggies you could see. So many chips we didn’t need them all which was awesome – I feel like it’s usually the other way around.
The agua fresca was a little sweet (we had pineapple and watermelon) for me, but i think that’s just the name of the game with that style of drink. They also had beer, which was cool.

I stopped on the way into work one morning, trying to find local breakfast tacos near the office. I noticed about a dozen tortillas laid out on the griddle after I placed my order. Then I noticed no one watching them. After about the 4^th person placed an order, someone came from the back and flipped the (now hard) tortillas. I ordered a simple taco, eggs and beans, and the person making the taco dumped about ¾ a CUP of refried beans onto the taco. No. Just no. It wasn’t good. And I’m not a fan of roasted salsa. Frankly, it tasted as recycled as it looked. It’s off the list.

This place could be so much better. The food does taste good. 3 times now that I’ve been here and ordered sour cream on my burrito there wasn’t sour cream. Then I have to go back and ask for it while my burrito gets cold. The burritos are pretty good size but they don’t use big enough tortillas. When you open up the foil they come in the Burrito already has its grease, salsa etc all over the tortilla. Then you try to eat it and it falls over the place and makes a mess. Good place to eat. Could be a lot better.

I have eaten only one single taco here. This review should be read knowing that I left a bar close by and was eye-​hungry. I’ve also been searching for puffy tacos closer to home and so I had to try it.
One was plenty for what I wanted. If it had been larger, I would have hated myself in the morning since I wasn’t that hungry. The chicken inside was spicy (tasty, not a fire pit in my mouth) and tender. I need to come back another time and sit down to enjoy more of the menu.

Eh, I struggled between rating as a 2 or 3 star. It’s more a solid 2.5, but I’ll round up to be nice.
Tacos average around $ 3.50 for standard– Mexican style tacos. I know it usual practice to charge that much around town for a sit-​down place, but I’m not sure these tacos warrant the price tag. On the flip side, you can get amazingly delicious barbaco and picadillo for $ 2 or less from mom & pop joints all over town. So why pay more for less quality tacos?
The tacos aren’t terrible, but they’re not great either, hence the a-​ok rating. The queso was pretty decent and you can grab a beer to go with your tacos, so that’s nice. Overall, living in a city dedicated to tasty tacos, I don’t think I’ll take another chance at El Chilito.

Stopped by w the family for lunch and the food was great! Good selection between meat and veggie tacos and burritos. My kids loved it! It’s a little over priced for tacos but they definitely give you a good
portion of meat. The only thing I didn’t like is the corn tortillas was a little soggy and easily fall apart. I would definitely be back again!

I ate at this establishment 5.27.15. It was the place I passed over for years. I would see crowded lines and never stopped. The main reason for that was… the crowd
I was hungry and I recall thinking man I need something to fill the bill. I saw one person sitting outside and figured now or never. I got to the parking lot but a call from work came in. I remember the cashier starring at my work vehicle like who are you and what are you doing? When I got to the window she actually mentioned it. I apologized for freaking her out. She was cool and told me about the menu.
I was disappointed that the drink machine was down that day. I ended up buying a bottled Mexican soda, it was alright. I ordered a steak burrito with veggies and some sauce which escapes me.
The food was okay, I wasn’t wowed but I wouldn’t call it mediocre. I like cabo bobs better than this place however they would be chosen over chipotle.
The price was a little high but it’s not too bad a place. In a pinch it’ll do.

This is a weekly destination that we’ve been to 50 times and it’s always been good to me and my friends. Keep in mind that seating is outdoors so hot days are going to be hot meals.
Pros:
* Consistent food, especially in the breakfast taco realm
* Salads are very good
Cons
* Not much in the way of variation or specials
* Occasional mistakes with the food (corn instead of flour, black beans instead of refried)
* Mixed experiences with drinks and coffee (some are great, some just ok)
* Service is adequate

I’ve been here over 50 times and it’s always been good to me and my friends. Keep in mind that seating is outdoors so hot days are going to be hot meals.
Pros:
* Very consistent food
* Salads are very good
Cons
* Not much in the way of variation or specials
* Service is just ok
* Mixed experiences with drinks and coffee (some are great, some just ok)

Overpriced, wet tacos. This place has a nice space but mediocre food for the price. I have no clue why it’s so popular. Maybe because all the white transplants feel safer here than at a taco truck.
Pro tip! Walk east a few blocks to Taco-​Mex, aka taco window where you’ll get a tasty taco without being ripped off.

2 stars, and you can search my history… this Old Top doesn’t review like he used to so El Chilito must have made an impression.
Setting: 9:40ish am, Saturday. El Chilito is humming, but not hopping.
The order: I order 3 tacos. It takes 23 minutes to get my 3 tacos.
The taste: Awful. egg and potatoes way over cooked, cobbled together in a rush… made taco shack tacos seem gourmet in comparison.
The reason: Some duche nozel orders AN ENTIRE PARTY TRAY of tacos 3 or 4 people in line ahead of me. This backed everything up. I watched the two cooks try valiantly to finish this huge order holding up the line… by the time the party tray leaves the window the cooks have a list of tickets spitting out of the machine that is longer than they are tall.
Iwatch in horror as they rush to push out every taco they can and my belly suffers for it.
Solution: For my belly, for the neighborhood, FOR AMERICA! can we please not accept giant party tray sized orders at the window?

Came here on a groggy hungover morning with no preconception of what to expect, due to my friend’s purpose-​driven (for the sake of surprise) lack of a description, besides «tacos.»
I ordered a Cherrywood, Migas and Vaquero taco each $ 3.50 so very similar to Torchy’s prices and therefore was expecting similar size tacos — which was the case here.
The Cherrywood instantly became my favourite breakfast taco (competing with the Wrangler from Torchy’s). The bacon, avocado and jack cheese find a difficult time not agreeing with each other — mix in some fluffly, slightly overdone scrambled eggs, and bye bye.
I could’ve done without the Migas taco — it wasn’t popping out or anything and close to bland.
The Vaquero was great with super juicy carne asada and jack cheese and I’d definitely put my money on another one.
Loving the outdoor seating with picnic wooden tables sitting next to a brightly sunflower yellow painted wall — it’s completely roofed and shaded. There’s water cups for self-​service on one side and the trash and recycle bins on the opposite side of the order counter.
Can’t wait to update upon trying other kinds of tacos and especially get a cup of Ojo Rojo (horchata with a shot of espresso) — that is literally calling my name.

GREAT breakfast tacos. Fresh ingredients. Good food in general. Must stop by if you’re in the Austin area! Thoroughly impressed!

El Chilito is always a solid choice for breakfast tacos, or for breakfast tacos that you eat at other times of the day. Plenty of veg options, and everything is super fresh-​tasting. Rajas con hongos are NEVER greasy. Their migas taco is not the best in town, but their salsa makes up for it. The nopalito salad is amazing! I always look forward to getting it… and who looks forward to getting a salad?! They had a special breakfast taco for a while which had nopales and eggs. Please bring that back, it was delicious!
On rough mornings, I’ll stop by on my way to work and pick up some tacos and an Ojo Rojo (Horchata + espresso). The people working are friendly, but avoid small talk, which I appreciate.

Very cute, outdoor taco/​Tex-​Mex stand with plenty of tables!
I love that it has plenty of vegetarian options, including breakfast tacos, tacos, burritos, and salads! And that it’s walking distance to a lot of fun Manor bars, including School House Pub and Haymaker!

One of my favorite things about El Chilito is it’s supreme location, smack in the middle of the Cherrywood neighborhood. It’s environment is bright, colorful, trendy, and ideal for foot or bike traffic; it has christmas lights and all the fixings, picnic tables out front and a covered area on the side, and it’s just got a lot going on in terms of style.
Probably the reason I frequent so much is because it’s convenient, being that it’s the closest taco stand to me in Central Austin. Their tacos are tasty, though I can’t say that I can rate them highly for innovativeness. Most tacos are standard and somewhat expected combinations, so it’s missing that uniqueness that brings patrons coming back for that one special thing.
Having said that, I love the puffy taco option, and the variety in the types of queso they offer (mushrooms and rajas combination is a dream). Their house made salsa is one of my favorites (smoky and spicy!) and it’s all around a great spot for breakfast, lunch, or dinner.

DRANK — ojo rojo (horchata w espresso– kinda my new thing)
EAT — Tinga taco on corn (delicious) and Ensalada de casa con pollo asada (house salad with chicken for you whiteys) with vinaigrette. It was good but I’m not sure about paying $ 6 plus $ 3 for chicken is worth it.
SETUP — picnic tables outdoors (bathroom is outside access also), you order at the walk up window and they call your name when it’s ready. Good for a quick bite on a nice day.
Little pricey for what you get, but overall good food. They have a breakfast and lunch/​dinner menu so I’ll probably come back for breakfast but not the $ 9 salad.

For my money, so far El Chilito has THE BEST tacos in Austin. Breakfast tacos are served all day, and the salsa that comes with the tacos and burritos has a signature taste that I can’t quite put my finger on. It’s out of this world, and I haven’t found a place that duplicates it yet.
The salads are also very good, and their homemade ranch is the bomb. It’s a great place to stop in the morning to pick up lunch for later as everything either warms up well or keeps fresh all day.
The service has been consistently friendly, and you have to love sitting on the patio and hanging out with everyone, and their dogs! Check out the bulletin board for things going on in the local community.
The parking is a bit atrocious and the busy intersection certainly doesn’t help matters. I suggest backing in if you can. If you haven’t checked out El Chilito, do! I will continue to search far and wide, continuing my «best tacos in Austin» experiment.