El Flaco Cafe

This is just middle of the road Tex-​Mex. Nothing will blow you away but you also won’t be disappointed. The service on the day we went was pretty mediocre not just for us but the tables around us. Yet again it wasn’t bad enough to not return but the lack of attention was noticeable. If you are just looking for somewhere you haven’t been before it is good but its not a place I could see myself being a regular to.

Love this place. 5 tacos for $ 11! And they are good tacos. The people are friendly and the food is good quality. Don’t tell too many people about it though, because then some annoying hipster crowd will take over and there won’t be any space for the rest of us.

Food is amazing. They let me and my party bring in our own beer as well. One of the hidden spots for legit Mexican food.

+Great for breakfast
+Get the migas plate — heart healthy and comes w potatoes
+ pretty good coffee
+ excellent service an fresh food.

the deluxe meal can feed 1000 small oompaloompas

Not that the food is not delicious and fresh but it doesn’t stand out compared to other Mexican restaurants around time.
A lot of the food is pretty bland and plain. Granted a lot of it is actually homemade especially there tortillas but there is nothing about it that makes it stand out at all.
It is very conveniently located for us folks that work off of Soco and its usually not to packed but its a-​ok. I will go again for the convenience of the place.

Great home made tortillas (corn and flour). The cheese enchiladas also rock the casa. Service outstanding.

This is a hidden gem. Mexican food and health conscious. What more could you want. They make food that isn’t laden with grease.
I always get breakfast tacos here! I love it, I leave feeling so much better than when I eat at other grease laden places.

This is the one of the only places in Austin I’ve found so far making their own corn tortillas to order and with masa flour (gluten free — made of corn). That makes them super chewy and delicious. The salsa is also perfect — not too tomato-​y or spicy but spicy enough. Best breakfast tacos in town, hands down. We can’t go back to anything else now. They are only open for breakfast & lunch FYI.

Expensive. Bland. Small portions for the price.
Salsa was ok.

Good ol’ fashion Tex-​Mex at a good ol’ fashion price.
— Breakfast tacos are big and delicious.
— Chorizo y huevo is not overly greasy. It has a good flavor without being a drippy, fatty mess.
— Chicken and Beef fajitas are a must have item. Tender and flavorful with tons of fresh grilled peppers and onions.
–Quick and courteous service.
No 5 Stars because the place needs a face lift. It’s a bit shabby. Obviously not shabby enough to keep me away, I eat here weekly.

I grew up on San Antonio Tex-​mex and sometimes it is hard to find a restaurant that can nail every Tex-​mex dish here in Austin. This one is the closest I have found. It is only open for breakfast and lunch, but that is a good thing because that will limit my high calorie intake to two meals a day! Breakfast can be a little pricy, but i will gladly pay a little extra for the homemade corn tortillas they serve with the huevos rancheros. They also serve gorditas during lunch, which is hard to find in this city. All the other Tex-​mex staples are there too. Can’t miss in my opinion.

hungover? in need of some delicious breakfast tacos… which they serve ALL DAY! i stumbled upon this place looking on Unilocal for some tacos. Flacos had great reviews so i decided to check it out. it was worth it!
The HUEVOS RANCHEROS are delicioso :) I would definitely come back! They are only open until 3pm though… So lunch and breakfast only

The Best Carne Guisada In Town.

Oh my god. Thank you so much for being so close to my apt complex for us to stumble over to in the morning baring hangovers for your food to cure. The service is wonderful, they are so freaking nice! I have only had breakfast tacos but they are amazing. And they give you so much salsa! Yay! I cannot even explain how much I have come to adore this place. I will have to go in there for lunch sometime in a normal state of mind to try some of the dishes out, because I am sure to be wowed. Will update when I do :)
The only thing that sucks about this place is they close at 3. Very unfortunate as my cravings for it come at all times, like now while writing this review and its 7 :(

Whoa whoa whoa, homemade tortillas. If you hear of this in existence at Flacos Tacos, it is far from just a myth, my friends. Mere seconds after my order for a single breakfast taco was placed, the lady in the kitchen, who I could see through the sliver of the ordering window, slapped a little piece of masa onto a tortilla press.
There is taco justice in the city of Austin, Texas. Furthermore, no sooner than I ordered my taco followed by her flattening out my tortilla did she toss my ingredients which belonged in my taco onto the flat top. The woman behind the ordering counter reminded me of some Willy Wonka style wackiness. Pressed-​to-​order Mexican staple? Gee willikers.
The tacos start at a little over $ 2, but that is honestly for good measure. These goods come out the size of a medium burrito, in no minimal part due to the thickly pressed tortillas; they were almost flatbread-​esque, so as to really impart that corny flavor onto your tastebuds.
Additionally, the creamy beans, soft potatoes, and jalapeño made for an excellent combination of some go-​to breakfast staples. Who can argue with a good ol’ starchy mass of goodness, especially when it rests inside the nest of a fresh as mud tortilla. Unfortunately, the salsa sort of falls flat.
But, but, but… a $ 0.50 tack on of a mound of guac on your taco is definitely a redeeming factor.
Yes, my taco was huge, as you can tell by my full description of what exactly I ate, but it was a good change of pace from your typical «bacon and egg» taquito-​size Austin staple. It was far more than that, and for that, I commend Flacos Tacos, conveniently located on FaSoCo Congress. (Far South Congress; I am coining that term)

Sometimes you gotta help your mom. In trade, she buys you lunch. We cruised down South Congress to find that Hill’s Café was closed. Flipped around and went North to find El Gallo’s parking lot empty as well. My mom had heard good things about El Flaco from a family friend so we gave it a try.
Like most little Tex-​Mex joints around town, the interior screams dive. Honestly, if you have quality south of the border cuisine what your shack looks like doesn’t really matter. The salsa was amazing, chips were passable. I’ve been on a mission to find the best Mole in Central Texas, El Flaco’s version wasn’t that great. I’m guessing its not a big seller as the flavors while blended seemed musty like the ingredients were out of date.
Mom did better with her migas taco with a side of guacamole. For those watching their cholesterol, they offer eggbeaters. She also liked the kick of the serrano peppers added to the migas on our servers recommendation. Charro beans were delicious and the rice decent. Service was pleasant and the tab was minimal.
Overall it was a three star experience. Not much love for the Mole, but the price and the migas taco pleased the one who was picking up the tab.

This place is very good, and very unknown.
The food is just amazing. I go here all the time. The staff is very friendly and very attentive.
They have amazing tacos and their corn tortillas are gluten-​free.
The food is very authentic Tex-​Mex. And it’s very affordable.
Bad part is that it’s only open from 7AM-​3PM.

They got a new salsa that is excellent! The chips could be better I must admit, but all the plates I’ve had there have been superb.
Their fajitas need some work, but I think now that they will be open for dinner hours they are definitely gonna focus on changing that. I love that they serve beer and margaritas now cause there is really nothing like good mexican food and an ice cold beer beer.
The staff is excellent and friendly, and overall I give it 2 big thumbs up.

This is genuine, unapologetic Tex-​Mex.
I wrote an impassioned plea asking where the good, simple Tex-​Mex joints were in Austin, and Javier knew what I was asking for — yellow cheese and chili gravy enchiladas, to start — and recommended El Flaco. Although it’s not perfect, it’s certainly a step in the right direction for those looking for South Texas Tex-​Mex.
So, going through item by item:
Chips and salsa: The chips are store-​bought but at least they’re fried, not oven-​baked. The salsa had a nice flavor to it, but was a little monotone. I think it could have used a little more spice, a little more garlic, a little more lime juice.
Queso: Plasticheese with few veggies, done in true Tex-​Mex (or are we calling it Gringo Mex these days? I can’t keep ‘em straight) style. You want fancy queso, head up the road to Kerbey Lane.
Refried beans: Excellent! There’s actual bacon grease in them, and they stick to the fork! Down with soupy refrieds, up with El Flaco!
Spanish rice: A little old — maybe leftover from lunch — but a nice flavor.
Chalupa: I think the tostada was store-​bought which was a shame, because this could have been a standout on the homemade corn tortillas. However, the good refried beans turned it into something nice.
Cheese enchiladas: Wonderful. Just what I needed, with a nice chili con carne gravy on the top.
Gordita: Another wonderful. The gordita itself had a healthy corn flavor and the picadillo filling was just very well balanced, with the salty working perfectly with the slight sweetness of the corn masa.
Homemade flour and corn tortillas: Both really good. The corn tortillas are home-​style, thick and toothsome. Even though we were full, we couldn’t help but finish the basket.
The service was friendly and professional, with many passes by the table. Tea glasses never got empty. I was also able to make an unauthorized substitution to my platter, which was cool of them to do.
Overall: If you’re looking for San Antonio-​style Tex-​Mex, El Flaco is definitely a step in the right direction. Although there are a couple of healthy choices on the menu, the majority of items are old school carbs and grease. I imagine that the cheese enchiladas here could be an instant hangover cure. Two adults and two children ate (and got stuffed) for $ 42 plus tip.