Polvo’s

We had lunch here yesterday and it was so good and so much we could not eat anything the rest of the day. Yum!!!

This place is awesome! Delicious margaritas filled to tippy top of glass with a generous amount of tequila. Queso was extraordinary. Toppings were yummy. Best taco meat ever. Chips were served hot. Rosa salsa was the best. Chicken fajita enchiladas were amazing. My husband had carna guidasa enchiladas and loved them. Needless to say this is now my go to Mexican restaurant. I’m so stuffed!

I really wanted to like this place. The one down south has always been good. There are so many things wrong with this place and it’s not the food.
Let’s start with atmosphere. The restaurant was completely empty which should have been a sign. We sat at two super crappy tables that wabbled if you just looked at them, under a ceiling with tiles crumbling from above and music that sounded like it came from an AM station because of the static. In the middle of our very long wait for our food, the staff decided to crank the music so loud we couldn’t hear each other talk.
The food wasn’t bad, but I ordered a too shelf margarita to start. Ten minutes later I see our server walking back into the restaurant with a jug of, I kid you not, Sunny D from the gas station next door. I watched her walk to the bar and shake it into my drink. Really?!? Usually the Grand Mainer you pay for takes care of the orange splash.
Everything took forever. I realized why when we got the bill. There were 5 of us and a baby who was sleeping the whole time. They decided that qualified for the party of 6 or more automatic gratuity. Even though the service was horrible, I felt bad about no one being in there, so I was planning on tipping well (not deserved by any means). i was ready to leave already so wasn’t going to get into it. But it was a sneaky, crappy way of doing business and they definitely didn’t earn it.
The food was ok, but with the bad service, the unpleasant atmosphere and the shady way of doing business, I would avoid this place like plague.

4 stars for the food but 2 stars for service and management. We just walked out of north location utterly frustrated. We were 2 adults and a child. The bill turned up with a surprising «20%» gratuity. The staff refused to take it off. Manager refused to show up inspite of us requesting to talk to him. The service was slow. But they ultimately reverted the charges when we pointed the menu where it was written an 18% gratuity will be added to party of 5 or more.
I usually tip well. But i don’t appreciate being forced to do so. Frustrating!
Love the south location though!

PICK-​UP ORDERS beware… they TIP THEMSELVES on YOUR bill! I phoned in an order for 1 appetizer and 1 entrée and was told when I entered the door, my bill was nearly $ 30. When I asked why so expensive, I was told they added a tip already. I asked for the actual bill, yes they added a tip, a big fat 20% tip.
Isn’t a tip of 20% for when you:
1. sit down and they serve you repeatedly at a table
2. have 6+ people
3. place a huge catering order
4. request delivery?
I have no problem tipping out of my own generosity or desire to do so, but adding it to my bill for pickup for 1 person!!!

I’d give this place ½ star if I could. I only ended up here because the restaurant I originally wanted to go to was closed. My wife ordered horchata and they didn’t have it. Then, she ordered Sprite. It took unusually long to come and when asked, the server told us that they had to go by more. WTF? The service or lack there of was pretty terrible. Our server was constantly checking herself out in the mirror and chewing and blowing bubbles with her gum. The food… eh…let’s just say I left this place hungrier than when I arrived. I definitely won’t be back and wouldn’t recommend this place to anyone.

The fajitas were the best I’ve had and I’ve had a lot. The service was a bit slow for lunchtime, but the food was amazing. Great lunch specials!

Service was terrible but the tacos delicious!!!
We went this week to celebrate a friend’s birthday. The food was great, I ordered fish tacos and they were big and delicious. The waitress was very nice but the management of the kitchen/​bar/​food was terrible. My fiancé had his dish when we were done with our dinner. The kitchen was lacking several ingredients and we were noticed abut it an hour later? Who’s fault was it? We don’t know but they need some work on those issues or people won’t come back!!!

To be honest I am not a huge fan of the south location and the north location hasn’t really garnered rave reviews, either.
The service is very slow at this location (even when there are not many customers) and the strip-​mall vibe is definitely a downfall.
The redeeming quality is that I can get a pitcher of margaritas within walking distance of my house; saving grace.

I came to this restaurant because I was craving two things: fajitas and margaritas (my weakness for Mexican food)! This place was known to offer a great pitcher of margaritas, so I figured we had found a winner.
Unfortunately, this place has much needed room for improvement. To start, our initial experience walking in was pretty awkward. The young male whom greeted us when we arrived was very nice, but incredibly awkward and was shy and timid about telling us we could sit wherever we wanted. Eventually we chose a table next to the bar (for obvious reasons) which was a bad tactical error on our part. The only other group in the restaurant was a group of loud cackling women drinking margaritas which impacted our dining experience, but I don’t hold that against the restaurant.
The ambiance and décor needs serious work. Chipped paint on the walls, bad lighting, awkward selection of colors that clashed and were not easy on the eye are just a few of the improvements that come to mind. Our server was very sweet, but the kitchen took a while to get our food out to us. Considering it was not busy and the only one other table was not even ordering food, I was surprised the kitchen took 25+ minutes to bring our food out.
The food was decent. Not good or bad, just decent. My fajitas were salty and my friend and partner both were not crazy about their dishes either. The big redeemer for this place was we loved the pitcher of margaritas: it was perfect for sharing with a small group. Not the greatest place, but I would come back here again. It definitely is better suited for when you’re in the mood for chips, salsas, and margaritas. After experiencing it once, I see the loud group of cackling women had the right idea.

Good neighborhood place. I’ve been here twice. Will definitely be going here again.
They have a salsa bar which is nice. With both good quality and selection.
The food is a little bit toned down compared to the normal Tex Mex flair. A bit less in the spice department. Some liberal application of cabbage here and there. They make it work though, and I’ve not been disappointed with any of the food I’ve ordered.
I have come in when it was slow. So the service was attentive and polite, and hit that happy medium where they checked up on me, but weren’t invasive. So I’ve no complaints there.
Their Michelada needs a bit of work though. I had my hopes up. But this is one to skip over.
All and all though, one of those famous Mexican restaurants round the corner that knocks it out of the park.

1^st time I ever tried this place was in downtown Austin and it was good but very overcrowded & 55 minutes away from where I live so we thought this location being 20 minutes away would be a better fit. The service is no where compared to the original locatio
n and instead of music playing I had a kid behind me playing some game. I think it was bring your kid to work day cause there was about 4 kids running around and only my girlfriend and I eating. We had our orders taken 3 times cause they kept forgetting it. Food was not as good as their original location but it killed the craving

You have to try the fish ceviche. It’s amazing and such a big portion for 2 (small order). We also have the Pastor fajitas and the burrito with shrimp. Everything was amazing and full of flavor!!! I will definitely be coming back for more. Oh, and the coconut margarita? Heaven!

I’m sitting here as I write this and we’ve been here for 45min, arriving at 130pm, there might be 3 tables of patrons and still no food. It took 20 min for them to take our order. Pretty bad service. Hope the food makes up for it. Forget swinging by for a quick lunch…
Ok, the food came out not long after I started writing, so maybe less than 50 min for lunch on a sunday. Impressive burrito. Fiancé said the flautas were amongst the best she’s had… so I guess 3 stars seems appropriate. Work on the service and this is a good joint, if not on the pricey side. Peace.

My guy and I went here for the first time today. He had been to the one down south, and said it was very good. We live up north, so this one was much more convenient. As other reviewers have mentioned, it’s in an odd place. There were two parking spots open right in front of the door, which we thought was odd. He even asked me if it was open. The «Open» sign in the doorway was lit, but that was the only indication that it was open.
There was one family sitting in the bar area, but I had a feeling that they might have been related to the owners. Other than them, we were the only people in the whole place. Just before we left, a woman came in by herself. I found it odd that there weren’t more patrons.
I ordered a margarita on the rocks, no salt. When the waitress brought it, there were a few ice cubes in it, but the drink was room temperature. I need my margaritas nice and cold! I asked for a cup of ice, and after several minutes, the drink was chilled. Still, when I order a margarita, I expect it to be served cold.
As for the food, it was really good! We both ordered the Gigantic Burrito, and he got a beef and cheese enchilada, a la carte. There was so much food that we both asked for to-​go boxes. We were very pleased with the food.
Our waitress was very nice, and gave good service. Considering that we were basically the only people there, I think she should’ve come around to check on us a little often, but that’s a very small complaint.

Here again…“Nachos Ninos”…for kids but I like it too!
Owner and Servers great too…

The food is good but the service is subpar. Make sure you ask for your ticket at the same time you order– otherwise you will be waiting a long time.
Drinks are good and the chips and salsa are above average

Oh boy where do I start. I was here earlier. Didn’t get greeted. Table was dirty. The guy waitress was annoyed to even seat us. I love the south location but tried this location because it was closer and no traffic. Will never go here again. We didn’t even order, we just left.
I’m shocked the waitress didn’t say anything to us at all.

Charro beans 5stars
Tortillas 5stars
Salsa bar 5stars
Mex Martini 4 stars
Fajita al Qualjillo 5 stars
Chips 2.75 stars
Service tonight 5 stars
Small business is difficult. Being in a not so trendy location and Relying on the neighborhood traffic is tough. Have patience when you visit (which I don’t usually have) as Polvos is trying to add some spice to the hood …

This is easily the Twilight Zone version of Polvo’s.
Things to consider:
— This location is in «No Man’s Land» north of 183.
— It’s in a nondescript shopping center in the middle of nowhere off of Well’s Branch
— It’s not listed on the Polvo’s website
— It’s the same menu as Polvo’s off of south 1^st.
Driving in on a dark Winter Sunday afternoon, I was convinced this place would be closed. It just felt… odd. We were told by a friend that it existed, and that it was «the same» as the south location but was as dead as a door nail anytime he’d visited. But it seemed strange that a successful restaurant, one that we’d gone to several times, would sustain a location that — from what I’ve read — seemed to do very little business.
It’s baffling.
Stepping inside, there was one other couple in the entire restaurant. Everyone was nice, and having the place essentially to ourselves was, too — especially when you have a baby in tow and there is no way to be certain he’s not going to lose his mind at any moment… much less what the 4-​year-​old might do.
The food was identical. The ceviche, despite what we feared might befall the slow location, was fresh and tasty — exactly what we expect from Polvo’s. Everything we ordered was a satisfying carbon-​copy of it’s more productive southern sister.
But the odd feeling remains… and so do the questions… how do they sustain this location? Are they profitable? How are they able to keep the consistency intact?
Whatever the reason this place exists, I hope they don’t disappear. Whatever dark magic sustains them better keep at it… because I’ll be damned if I lose out on my only chances of getting Mexican food that doesn’t taste canned or microwaved in North Austin.
…just ignore the Twilight Zone theme playing in your head when you walk in and you’ll be fine.