Matt's El Rancho Reviews

I like the atmosphere and the outdoor seating. I had a taco al carbon and a cheese enchilada - both were very good. Their special dip - Bob’s something - was great. I did not care for the chips they were corn chips and very thick. The salsa was ok.

Went here as a guest to Austin with relatives who live in Austin. I guess it must be popular because we went at 7pm on a Thursday night and couldn't even find a parking spot in the huge parking lot. Had to park across the street at the closed jewelers. Wouldn't have gone there with it being so busy, except we were meeting a group there. Fortunately, we were there for the company and not the food, because the food was just really so very, very average. The chips and queso were good, but that's really not so hard to do, is it? I had the fish tacos and they were dry and boring. Very boring. So boring that I took them home in a box and then ended up throwing half of it away. The sauce was yummy, I'll give it that. The tacos al pastor were just average. The rice was anemic. The margarita was typical of a cheap Mexican restaurant margarita...cheap mix, small amount of bottom shelf tequila and probably no real lime juice. And yeah, we had to split the check ourselves, even though it was just two groups at the table. I guess I expected more for all the hype. Wow.

And that was a long time ago. But if anything the food is better, the bar is huge, the crowd is constant. And it is the go-to for superior Queso. Good old stand-bys like enchiladas and chips and a top-shelf Margarita work any time for me. But on occasion, I venture into interior treats and sauces. Shrimp and garlic. Moles. I think I'll go today, .....

For the amount of wait you have to do it is not worth the bland food ! Waiter out in the patio didn’t want to split out alcohol checks and the bartender didn’t want to ring us up bc she said it was the waiters responsibility and he court split ! This restaurant is very white-mex!

We went around 3 o clock so as to avoid the rush. Had tried usual times and had been very busy with a long wait- a no reservation establishment. No wait at this time and we tried the mixed beef and chicken fajitas, They were very tender and excellent. Also the Bob Armstrong dip of queso, beef, and avocado was my favorite queso I have had. Tres leches was also quite good. One of the best Tex Mex meals I have had!

I went to check this place out for dinner on my stay in austin. I had the 1/2 pound fajitas, and they where very good. I will be back next time I'm in austin.

We went back to Matt's for old time's sake. It was packed but with only 2 of us, we were seated in 5 minutes. The service was excellent. The chips were authentic and the salsa was habenero hot. The chile relleno was cold like it been prepared an hour before and then put on a hot plate, covered with cheese, and put in the broiler for not enough time to melt the cheese. I asked for another plate which came with melted cheese, but the fried batter and chile was still cold. I should have had the tamales.

Authentic Mexican with reasonable prices, excellent service (request Liz), and an upscale experience. Tips: ask to sit by outdoors by the fountain - we had heaters in Jan and I saw fans for summertime. Recommend the “liquid gold” Bob Armstrong dip, the Old Fashioned taco dinner, and the knockout margarita martini (serves two) to split. Highly recommend!

This place is so over rated. It was crowded and loud and the food was super greasy. The only good thing was the Mexican martini.

Best Chile Relleno! Only place I know that tops them with toasted pecans and raisins. Might sound like a strange thing to put on top but it totally works. The margaritas are great too.

This place lived up to its reputation. Good food and plenty of it. All our dishes were hot and abundant. Definitely worth the stop. My only complaint is their quirkiness about not splitting tickets.

We dined here on a Saturday night and the crowd was very energetic and loud. The ambience was upbeat with a lively group to say the least. Due to the noise factor, our sizeable party dined outside on the patio where we could talk easily. The patio was quite nice and spacious. The bartender did well with our drinks. Their authentic food was very good and enjoyed by all.

We had high hopes because of how busy it was, but ended up being disappointed. It wasn't bad, just wasn't the great we were expecting. And the prices seemed a tad high for what we got. Our server was really friendly, but a little bit slow compared to the other servers we witnessed. Margaritas were good though.

Always a fun place, good food great drinks. You never know what celebrity you’ll meet. Last time it was Dennis Quaid. Last year it was Serena Williams. This place has so much Austin history-a great family

We enjoyed the margarita martini, which was a delicious and generous serving. We also ordered the Chile con queso which was highly overrated and basically melted Velveeta. Very little flavor, nothing special like chorizo, peppers, onions or even Rotel tomatoes. The tacos asaderos were delicious, bursting with flavor, worth going back for but not the enchiladas verdes which were flavorless. It was not worth the hype or the wait.

So Matt’s is my happy place and I’m a little disappointed that I’ve never reviewed it before now as I’ve been coming here once a week for 10 years. Truly. Everything is good. All the time. The margaritas (mine = skinny on the rocks en fuego, husbands = skinny frozen) are heavenly. The pecan smoked chicken anything is incredible. The asadero tacos are what dreams are made of. I NEVER EVER EVER go and miss the Bob Armstrong dip. Oh the good old days when Bob used to say hello... I digress. Rest In Peace dear Friend. Matt’s is legendary. Do yourself a favor and go. If you’re there on a Friday, you’ll see me by the koi pond, skinny en fuego in hand.

I’ve been coming here since I was a kid, now I’m taking my wife and son here. I can’t wait to go back for the usual!

Don’t be misled by thinking it’s your typical Tex Mex. the food is phenomenal. The asadero tacos were excellent, the Matt special was delicious. Salsa was fresh, spicy, outstanding with fresh homemade chips. Even the house maragaritas we delicious. Outside patio perfect for social distancing. Excellent.

If you’re going to Matt’s after a University of Texas football game be prepared for a wait. There is a back parking lot that is to the far left side of the restaurants.

We went here for a pre wedding event and it was terrific. The place was packed on a Wednesday evening. A little limited on the gluten free options but the cheese sauce and chips would make a meal on its own. Mariachi band was a fun addition for our group!

We went Dec 26th at around 6pm and because We 20 of Us We had to wait 45mins to get a Long Table and also the Restaurant was Hopping Busy. We got seated and Our Drinks and Appetizers and Ordered Our Food. Most Ordered the Enchilada Dinner, No.1 Dinner each comes with Ice Tea and Dessert. Nephew got Chicken Fajitas and Quesadillas. We loved the Tortilla Chips. Salsa the Bob's Dip and Guacamole and Sopaillas. Everything was very Good.

A name like "Matt's El Rancho" sounds like an Anglo tourist trap - but that's not the case. This independent restaurant has been in Austin since the early 1950s, and Matt Martinez got his start selling tamales by the Statehouse. This is authentic and delicious Tex-Mex food -- tortillas made on premises (and turned into sturdy and tasty tortilla chips), nice salsa, quality guacamole, sizable and tasty tacos, good rice and beans. We stopped in right when they opened to have lunch before catching a plane -- and people were waiting out front when the doors opened. Service was fast, but the parking lot was pretty busy by 11:30 a.m. Definitely popular -- and worth a visit.

This place has been here forever, but the quality of food and the service are not what they used to be. It is loud and crowded inside.

We had a business meeting and we were greeting with great customer service and the food was very tasty...

Definitely a staple of Austin and a tourist destination. It’s worth a stop but I found the food average. The service was good along with the margaritas. Nice large patio too.

We were sceptical to go visit a Mexican restaurant called Matt's at first. However this place was awesome. The food was great and there was a ton to choose from. Queso was fantastic and the brisket tacos were amazing. I would recommend this place to anyone looking to get some good Mexican while out in Austin.

We were invited to dinner at Matt's El Rancho. Very disappointed with bland 'brisket' tacos. Shredded meat with no flavor. The green enchiladas were barely green - had to ask for more sauce. The margaritas - both frozen and on-the-rocks - were way too tart. I think the atmosphere is great, but the food and drinks are only fair!

You will not be disappointed. The Uber driver told me Nixon liked this place so much he put it on Air Force 1. Although not verified, it’s a great story and after feasting here you can believe it. Start off with the queso dip and the hugest tortilla chips you have ever seen. This was recommended to me and consequently what I went with. Lip smacking good as it was, I kick myself for not getting the Bob Armstrong Dip. I guess I will have to go back!! Lol The house frozen margarita was packed with punch and just right. Additionally for $3 you can have a bottomless carafe of sparkling water at your table, makes for a palate cleansing swig to better enjoy the offerings. Get the fish tacos grilled, and get the cilantro vinaigrette! Has a generous side of Jalapeño slaw. Mild and the perfect topping. One thing about Tex-Mex is the prevalence of flour tortillas. Skip that and get the corn tortillas. Everything is made from scratch daily, so as you can imagine the corn tortillas were the bomb. Best Tex-Mex in town.

Dinner on a Saturday night. The place was PACKED. Waited for 45 minutes and was seated outside next to the courtyard pond which was very attractive. Heaters provided. Recommend the spinach poblano meal. Claims it is the best mexican restaurant, good but not the best. Wonderful and friendly service. Very popular with students and families.

We've been coming to Matt's for 20 years. In fact, it was our first meal out when we moved to Austin in 1998. Between Bob Armstrong, Frozen Rita's and the Fajitas, there isn't much more to say. They've been consistently superb every time we've been there. Matt's is the long standing place to go, you'll usually see some friends there and while I guess they feel the need to move a little more upscale to keep pace with "Austin", now seeing Valet Parking, new furniture, etc. is a little disappointing. a Saturday or Sunday nite at Matt's should be about the food, vibe and fun...not reserved parking spaces, etc. This is South Lamar and needs to hang onto what made Austin weird in the first place! However, look past these new age "amenities" and go for the food and drink. Unlike too many other Mexican restaurants around town, Matt's actually puts Tequila in their Rita's rather than simply waiving the bottle over the glass of mixer. You'll be feeling it after a few of them for sure! They have plenty of rooms to eat in with the main room being best and the back room for large parties and screaming kids. Also, if you're in a rush, they will get you out in 30-45 minutes or if you'd like to stay longer, just slow down your ordering while enjoying a large Bob and a few drinks.

We ate outside, which was very pleasant, and a good place to sit with a pair of almost three year-olds. The highlight of the meal was the Bob Armstrong Dip (Queso). Everyone dug into the queso, which wasn't overly spicy and we polished off a large order. Everyone also had a "skinny" frozen Margararita and I was the only one, who did have two. For my main course, I ordered tacos wiwth the smoked brisket. They were good and I liked the brisket, but they were "knock you socks off" good.

The restaurant was very crowded, but the wait went very fast. Awesome Margaritas. Everyone enjoyed their food and there were plenty of vegetarian options also. No complaints ~ Would return!

This is a popular Tex-Mex place for good reason. There are several very large dining rooms and minimal wait time (on a Friday night!). I had carne asada which was very good -- nice topping and a chile relleno for a side. Others thought that the dishes were well done -- nothing to avoid. The downside is that it is quite noisy so don't come expecting to have a quiet, romantic conversation.

Y’all! Matt’s is amazing! Have a house margarita and a Bob Armstrong dip. Tacos Al Carbon or one of my fave’s the Brisket Tacos! So freaking good and sit outside if you can.

We came here based on a local’s recommendation and it was pretty good. Seemed like a popular place as it was pretty busy. Definitely not a chain restaurant and has been there a long time. The food was want you’d expect. My wife had the best dish in the steak tacos. They were superb.

I haven't been to Matt's in about 3 years, but something happened and it is now just an average Mexican food restaurant, albeit a higher end one in both price and decor. Still a nice place for a date or special occasion, but the wonderful food is just average. The queso was the exception; it was still great. But, that vinegary dressing on the tacos is gone. The enchilada's were not even average. The price of the average meal was 13.99; lunch specials were 9.99. Ask for the free praline if you want one because they no longer offer.

For the last four trips to Austin, we’ve made a point of stopping at Matt’s. We can’t say enough good things about the food and the wait staff! There is always a line so expect a bit of a wait. Keep in mind that they are closed on Tuesdays.

When we asked the locals where we can get great Tex-Mex we were told numerous times that Matt's El Rancho was where to go. Not your typical Tex-Mex as the dishes were not what we were accustomed. The food was very good. The wait was somewhat lengthy and the dining area rather noisy.

Everything we ordered was prepared as we asked and extremely good! We got there around 5:00 on a Wednesdsy without any wait but the restaurant was full when we left! Our waitress was right on with keeping our chips and drinks refilled. Will stop here again if in this area of Austin!

The hype is accurate. Chips and salsa are good enough to be an entire meal! The queso is simple yet fantastic - we did the Bob Armstrong. The Asadero tacos are incredible, The drinks are top notch. What more could you ask for? Its really nice sitting outside, even in the Austin summertime (umbrellas do the trick).

Enjoyed our dinner very much, despite the rowdy crowd. The guacamole was delicious and they refilled our tortilla chip bowls several times. I especially liked that the guacamole didn’t have any raw onions in it. I had the No.1 dinner which came with a wonderful pork tamale and beef burrito and rice and refried beans. The others had the chicken fried steak which was a large portion with steak fries,and beef enchiladas. All declared their meals very tasty. My only criticism of the food is that it very salty. I love salt so for me to notice it is saying something.

OMG this place is a vibe!! Aside from great Tex Amex food, this place has an energy that’s just so fun. We dined on a slow night which means the wait was 30 mins but the place was just jumping. From couples to girls’ nights to big groups of gussied up young people headed to formals the crowd was diverse and respectful. The food was excellent, too. The chips, queso, marg’s, enchiladas! Holy cats I shall remember this place and plan a return visit when we come back to the area. So fun!

Besides being always busy and Noisy, especially on the weekends, I have lately found the quality of their food to be declining and inconsistent. Also their prices have skyrocketed in the past two years, especially for any of their fish based dishes.

Four of us went. Service very good. My wife and I spilt the brisket soft tacos, amazing. Our kids had the combination plate. All good. Have fun

All of us had the brisket tacos which were moist, meaty and delicious. Came two to an order on flour tortillas. At $13.50 it was a bargain! The Matt Jr fries were spicy and also delicious. Had tres leches and flan for dessert which were very good. I had a Margarita which was alright. Service was good. Had a half hour wait to be seated. You can sit inside or outside. We sat inside as it was cold outside. Only bad part - the noise level was very high.

The service and food were excellent. We loved the beef enchiladas, cheese enchiladas and tamales. Very good food. The server was great also. We will be back when in town again visiting relatives.

Visited our daughter at UT this weekend and were so excited to come again to this restaurant. Everything was clean and safe and socially distanced. The food was so good and the salsa is one of the best we have had at a Mexican restaurant. Our waitress was excellent and we gave her the top of the tip range. Great job. We will be back.

My favorite place in Austin. I live in South Carolina and make Matt's a must-stop every time I am in town. We have been dining here since 2008. Love the atmosphere, the drinks and definitely the food. Best margarita I've had. Fajitas, chili rellenos, and the queso are staples. Had the Matt's Special last night and it was fantastic. Definitely will be back and don't worry about the wait.....get a drink and enjoy!

I came in around noon on a Sunday and the place was already packed! Fortunately, they had a couple of small tables outside so I didn't have to wait. The service was very quick and friendly and the food I had was absolutely delicious. Being there alone, I had to limit myself to only a few items (but I still couldn't finish them all). After a large bowl of homemade tortilla chips, the "world famous" Bob Armstrong dip, asadero tacos, Matt Jr potatoes and some beans - my only regret was that there were still so many things on the menu I wanted to try...

I am not giving this review because of the food; we never ate. I am from out of town. We were told the best Mexican food in town was at matt’s. I looked on google and found out it closes at 10. We drove across town and arrived at 5:46 only to find a sign on the door that said they were closing at 6 because of the super bowl. Is that normal in Texas? A Texas team was not even playing. However, as irritating as that was, the thing that bothered me the most was that I walked in to ask where else might be good to eat. They were not very nice and were not interested in helping me. There were four girls standing there and they were not very nice. I thought Texas was supposed to be a friendly state.

Matt’s has been an Austin institution for over 50 yrs. Hadn’t been there in many years. Was in town with family/friends at Seton Hospital because of seriously ill brother. Trying to find place to eat everyone could agree on. Sister in law mentioned Matt’s and all immediately said yes. I ordered the beef CHILE RELLENOS. Outstanding! Topped with a seared raisin/pecan blend that put these way over the top. Best I’ve ever had. Started out with Bob Armstrong dip. A huge bowl of queso layered with taco meat, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo. Served w/ corn tortillas and chips. Delicious! Chicken enchiladas, fish tacos, and shrimp enchiladas left entire party full and smiling. Margaritas on the rocks are excellent and not shy of liquor. Highly recommend. Can get noisy but that’s expected when everyone is having great time. Only wish we could trade Austin Joe Ts in FTW for Matt’s

My family & I were in Austin & wanted the best Mexican food in town. Our friend had made this recommendation & it did not disappoint! The fajitas were grilled & very hot; enchiladas-- delicious. This place has been in business since 1952 & I can see why!

We heard that this was THE place to go in Austin for great tex-mex food and it did not disappoint. It was crazy,busy, but we're didn't have a wait and the service was great. The food was delicious!

We were in Austin for a short stay and decided to give the original Matt’s El Rancho a try. Good choice! We were a party of six and found out quickly that...nope...not going to seat you until all six arrive...even though the restaurant is huge and tons of tables were open as we were there about 5:30pm on a Wednesday evening. OK, no biggie, we were seated soon enough. We were provided chips and tasty salsa quickly and our drink orders were taken. Not the biggest fan of the chips...sort of think and looked like a taco shell broken in two, but the salsa was really nice. Our drinks came and we discovered “no separate checks”.....who does that these days????? Well, Matt’s does and no exceptions. Odd, but nothing much of a problem for us. Our server was very nice and keep the chips and salsa coming, re-filled our water and brought new drinks as requested. Food came out and it was excellent Tex-Mex! Really nice flavors and portion size was fine. My wife had the tortilla soup and pronounced it excellent. I had a taco dish that I would definitely re-order. So, bottom line...we enjoyed it and would return. One other note...as the restaurant fills, the noise level also increases and it can be a bit loud.

I have been going to Matts El Rancho since the early 1990s -- mainly with family and friends groups. But yesterday was the first time in about 3 years I have gone there -- we had a group of 6. All had been to Matt's El Rancho numerous time before. Service and atmosphere were great and normal from past experience. But the food was bad. Just bad. Some of the diners I was with did not complain, but none were pleased and all mentioned it was not like in the past. I had a relleno that tasted like cardboard. One of the diners felt his margarita came out of a can. Maybe it's new kitchen help, maybe it's too few workers. Whatever the problem, what we were served to eat was just plain yucky.

My husband & I travelled to Austin, TX this weekend - the only place for lunch or dinner for my husband is Matt’s El Rancho. There is only one meal he orders all the time - the old fashion chile relleno! Always good, always tasty, he always leaves with a smile on his face. I had their guacamole salad - it was fresh & good. Thanks Matt! You made our trip even better.

Very noisy place with regular food and slow service. Very burned meat, no wifi. Excessively spicy food, I expected more.

Wow-the Salsa is HOT, but absolutely delicious and the margaritas are made with fresh lime juice, not the mix. Food was excellent, served in a very festive environment. Chips, salsa, and a cheese dip were shared among the people at our table. Prices were very reasonable for the quantity of food and the quality. All meals that our table ordered were prepared correctly and tasted great. Service was wonderful, drinks were refilled promptly and chips and salsa refilled as needed. Would definitely visit here again.

If you like dining in complete chaos and being herded like cattle, this place might be for you. Very crowded and noisy and they fit chairs on the end of tables and strollers in between tables to accommodate large crowds. The food and service is good despite the chaos although the soup and fajitas for our group came out warm, not hot or sizzling. Waiter (David) did offer to replace both and notice the fajitas not sizzling upon delivery to table so he did a great job. Overall they have a good system to get people seated despite the large volume of people and food and drinks are served within a reasonable time given the large volume of people being served. Prices are a little high. The parking lot is also chaotic, very big and lots of spaces but unfortunately tight spaces so as you might expect you have good and bad drivers and courteous and not so courteous drivers. They appear to have security walking the place. Overall it was good but for my taste the large crowd and chaos do not make for an enjoyable experience despite everything there are Mexican restaurants in the area without the craziness and better prices. PS: Restaurant based tip after tax and tells you on bill but what was interesting my copy of receipt came back asking for an additional tip when I gave 20% without tax.

Went with friends to this old Austin tradition and had another great expeience. we sat outside on a very pleasant evening and soaked up the atmosphere. The food and drinks were enjoyed by all and I was taken aback by the massiive crowd on a Wednesday night. The place is huge and they do a great job of dealing with the enormous number of cstomers they enjoy..

I concur with Rob S. review on March 7. We went to Matt’s today and I was very excited based on how crowded the parking lot was and the number of trip advisor reviews. We ordered the Bob Armstrong dip, which isn’t really described on the menu, but is essentially a cheese dip with ground meat and some chopped avocado in it. We did enjoy it, though I think almost 10 dollars for the large was a lot. I ordered the fish tacos and thought my meal was good. The rest of the family thought their meals were just okay. Three people at our table had dishes with chicken and described the chicken as bland. The bill for 5 at lunch with the bob Armstrong dip, and waters all around was 77 plus tip. It was not bad, it just wasn’t great.

Rules of the ranch: 1) bar closed. The facad of covid conciense bar closures rings hollow when no one in the place is wearing a mask. 2) lose the formalities: shamefully understaffed the waitress looks stressed and shows you by not letting you complete s sentence before jetting off to to her other 16 tables. 3) order your margaritas two at a time: (Refer to rule 2.) The understaffing evidently equally plagues the bar. Expect a 30 minute wait where (refer to rule 1) no one s sitting. 4) the chef is the hardest working man in show business. Beware of blistered fingers as the hot plate hits your hand before you get you can say cheese enchi.,,. Understaffing apparently does not spread to the kitchen as the only way they could have served me faster is by sticking a funnel down my throat attached to 30 foot enchilada bong. If you follow these rules you may avoid the pain of sucking down the most glorious cheese enchiladas in Austin.

Rip off on quantity… order the chicken and beef fajitas (1/2) pound. They brought the dish out and there was no more than 4 ounces of chicken and beef and they charge almost $30. Had to beg to get a refill of waters… Server never check back

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️+ (yes - 10 of 5 stars) Matt’s is my favorite TexMex of all time, and that is saying a lot since I’ve been eating TexMex for 45+ years. Everything here is fantastic. There’s nothing more to add - #1 all-time!!

Crowded, but seated within 15 min. At first I was concerned about the size of the place and how they would get our food to us in a timely manner (and still hot!). They really did a good job with service and with good food, good atmosphere. We would return.

Not perfect but we still loved it. The salsa is made daily and tonight it was really over-the-top spicy. Apparently, it’s made fresh daily and you are at the mercy of this person’s taste buds. The too-hot salsa was a bummer because they only make one batch a day. Take it or leave it. Our waitress was absolutely adorable and she alone is enough to recommend this place. Cocktails were yummy. Beers were cold. Fresh chips. Homemade salsa. Hubby loved his chicken fajitas. I had pork and pineapple soft tacos and they were wonderful. We would definitely dine here again.

Moved my son into Austin and we had a local moving company Hill Country Movers provide the labor and they are great but they recommended this place as a must. We went for dinner and the food and service was great. One of the best tex mex meals I have ever had. I will be goi g back.

Fantastic Tex Mex! Wonderful place to go with the family visiting town or a group of coworkers. Quite possibly the best sit down Tex Mex restaurant in town. A lot of unknown but cool Austin history; the Bob Armstrong Dip has a fun story. It’s also delicious!

Great Tex-Mex! If you are in Austin and looking for some Tex-Mex dining, this is a great spot. It was a little busy on Sunday, but definitely worth the wait! The servings are pretty big, so come with an appetite!

This was amazing. 10/10 the best food I’ve ever eaten! We had 4 different meals and they each had a unique flavor! Even the French fries were the best I’ve ever had! You have to get the queso and we were so happy that we arrived around 11am because by time we left people were waiting for a table, standing all over the restaurant and outside! Sooooo amazing.

The food was good and servings plentiful. Our waiter, Eddy, was outstanding. He answered questions easily and accommodated our request to tweak a couple of menu items. The fish taco was a bit plain though cooked well. The brisket taco was the taste winner. We'd been recommended by a friend based on the food but it was the waiter that earned this "very good" rating.

While Matt’s seems to always be busy, you can score a table pretty fast during lunch. The lunch specials represent a good selection of meals for just under $10. The chili rellenos is Excellent plus you can choose chicken, beef, or cheese and your choice of toppings as well. If you have a chance to pair it with a margarita, you might have the best lunch in town. While I still mourn the passing of the stuffed fried jalapeños, also the best in Austin, I am hoping that Matt’s will generously furnish us with the recipe....but seriously, folks, lunch just doesn’t get much better. Enjoy.

This was the best Tex Mex food I have ever had. Definitely will be making a return. The best part was the lunch special foot long enchilada. If you ever go to ATX, Mats El Rancho is a must.

We went on a Friday at lunchtime restaurant was really crowded. We did not have to wait got a table right away. Service was great ,food was delicious. Margarita on the rocks were the best ever,

Excellent food. Great margaritas. The special queso is one of the best I've tasted. It is very loud though

Good food, good service. Unfortunately, it was way too loud to enjoy. The place needed an atavan diffuser.

My wife and I really enjoyed having lunch on Matt's patio last month on our first visit to Austin. We sampled a lot of Tex-Mex fare on our visit and the food at Matt's was as good or better as any of the other places we tried. The Margaritas were very good and the service was excellent. A manager came by to chat and see that we were being well served. That friendly touch was nice. The menu is extensive so I think just about everyone will find something they can enjoy. I enjoyed the fried tacos and the wife really like the chile rellenos.

Billing itself as King of Mexican Food, this was our fallback position for our one night in Austin after the highly recommended by local friends Terry Blacks was posting signs about being out of food and still and frighteningly long line. We were not disappointed in Matt's. Following other reviewer suggestions, we opened with the Armstrong dip, which was a little watery but still had good flavor as cheese dips go. Not sure if we would get that again - nothing special there overall. Once it cooled it did thicken a bit though. Among our group we had six different entrees. No complaints there among anyone on the entrees. If there was one general comment it was the spiciness of the salsa that comes fresh to the table. We have eaten at a lot of Mexican places and even for me who LOVES spicy, it was definitely among the spiciest table salsa we've had. I like it, others less so. We all commented too on the obviously house made tortilla chips, among the largest we've ever seen, and clearly made from leftover tortillas as wvidences in some of them being half the size of a fajita shell. Overall, no significant complaints worthy of scoring this down. Yes, it is noisy, but as long as you accept this as part of the vibe, it is fine. No romantic conversations here, just good food.

Our family went to dinner at Matt's El Rancho on a Monday evening. We had hoped to sit in the courtyard area but it was full. They placed the 5 of us in a super large room that reminded us of a cafeteria because it was so loud. That should have been our first clue of how dinner would go. We ordered drinks and the wine glass that my husband had was filthy dirty. I think someone else had used it and it was never washed just refilled for the next person since they were so busy! The waitress said oops I'll get you another glass but no real apology or even waiving the cost. We ordered our meal and the 5 of us were not served at the same time. Plus, several orders were incorrect. Again no apology just oh let me get what you wanted. When that food was served it was luke warm at best. I certainly could see that they were very busy but this was ridiculous. It was also super cold in the room and we asked if the air could be turned up a little. Our waitress said she would ask a manager but she said they were all extremely busy. So we would not recommend this restaurant to anyone. It's a shame because others on TripAdvisor seem to have enjoyed their meal but it was a poor experience for us. There are tons of Mexican restaurants in Austin, we'll be going to other ones.

Three of us went to Matt’s. The food is Mexican/Tex-Mex comfort food, done well. Prices are very fair. Nice to sit outside when the weather is good. I’d be happy to go again. Casual.

While Matt's El Rancho has had great Tex-Mex food through the years, things have changed. With covid changes - now using their order take-out, their menu prices are deceptive, overpriced & the quality of the food way down! They use the excuse of what they call expensive packaging to add charges above online menu prices - without warning you. This expensive packaging did not keep the food warm while we traveled about 10 min to our home. Included salad was left off two of our dinners. This has yet to be resolved because they also are not open to discussing problems over the phone. So, we emailed - still no resolution. Quality & service WAY down!

We heard a lot about this place but had never visited. My fear was a place spewing out tourist Tex-Mex. Well, it’s not, we started off with some great chips and salsa, and the salsa had a good kick to it. We added the obligatory Bob Armstrong queso and enjoyed that. I ordered a Tex-Mex No. 1 dinner, which had a beef taco, tamale and beef enchilada. My wife got the tacos al pastor, which she liked. She also enjoyed a good margarita and I had a Pacifico. Final ratings: Food 4 out of 5, service 5 out of 5, and atmosphere was a 5 out of 5. Definitely worth a visit, you will enjoy your time here! Great people watching, as well! Oh, I almost forgot, they sell t-shirts, really cool coffee mugs and nice ball caps at a very reasonable price.

Best tacos al carbon in Austin. Also love their Nachos! Been coming here since the 1970's and I've never had a bad meal! I have to write more since my review didn't have enough letters.

Full disclosure - I am not a big fan of Tex-Mex food. We were really shocked at how popular this place was when we got there at 5:25. We were told there was a 25 minute wait so we stayed. And pronto, after 25 minutes I get a text message to come to the desk to be seated. Off to a good start. Our server Marcos was very pleasant and helpful. I had a black angus steak fajita, which was excellent and plenty of food! My wife had 6 jumbo gulf shrimp which were also quite good. And my son had brisket tacos. Before the meal we shared delicious guacamole with homemade chips. I had an sub-par IPA beer and they had refreshing sangria. We skipped dessert. We had to wait a fairly long time for our server to check us out. We did not mind but clearly they should have been able to turn our table over 10-15 minutes before we left. The restaurant was absolutely crawling with wall-to-wall people when we left. If you don't mind eating early on a Saturday I would advise arriving no later than 5:30 and probably closer to 5:00.

This place was recommended by a local. We were visiting Austin for first time and are huge foodies. If you want authentic Mexican do not come here. It is a glorified Lonestar. Average food. This is Tex Mex which I just learned from website. We had the Armstrong dip which was recommended. It was similar to that jarred old elpasso cheese dip you microwave. Not for us. We had a tortilla soup. Flavors were good but chicken, dry. Bartender recommended fajitas. Lacking in spices, salt, dry steak and chicken, bland guacamole and refried beans. I had a margarita. Not real lime juice. The drink was white in color. The ambience at the bar was great. Full of locals. I'm not sure why. But good bar vibe. The dining area seemed cold esthetically. The best thing was talking with locals who recommended other places to eat and drink for the rest of our trip. Sent us on a good path.

Was told this place is THE place to go for texmex, but I was kind of disappointed. It was nothing more than the local Mexican food restaurant I went to while in college. I tried going one evening (at 8pm), but the wait was almost 2 hours! Went back for lunch the next day and waited only 20 mins, yay! Service was good, and the experience was unique. Chips were pretty thick and too hard/stiff for my liking, and the queso was just ok.

We were here on a business trip. The food was good, drinks were good. The menu mentions no split checks. Four of us work for the government, we needed separate, itemized receipts to turn in for reimbursement. Server said she would ask her manager. She said manager said they could only have separate tickets for food and drinks. We paid the tabs on an electronic device, we added 20% tip for the food, and picked the 18% option for drinks. The server came back and asked if we were doing a cash tip on the drinks. We let her know we picked the 18% option. The server said she must have processed it wrong, because there was no tip for the drinks. We felt she was demanding a tip for the drinks, and the issue was on her side as we added the tip. She told us she messed it up, so she asked again were we going to tip on the drinks, she added the original tip amount and it was paid again. We are regular tippers. We know the importance of tipping. We did not appreciate the demand for a tip, instead of an apology regarding her mess up. The server name on the ticket was Alexe A. We were at table 15. We loved the food, but we don’t think we will return due to the tip demand.

We went to Matt’s El Rancho because we really wanted tex mex food. Firstly the service was excellent, our waiter was very patient and gave us some tips and recommendations in relation to the menu. When I told him I liked my margaritas sweet, he recommended the Mango one, and it was perfect. Each table gets homemade tortilla chips and salsa, the salsa is super spicy but that’s perfect for us! We ordered the queso con chile and it was perfection! I’m not a huge fan of queso usually but this was so good that we couldn’t stop eating it. For our main course we shared fajitas, with a mix of beef and chicken which was plenty between the two of us. I would definitely recommend splitting an entree unless you’re really starving as the portions are quite big. I would highly recommend stopping by here if you’re ever in Austin for some tex mex

I’m not a huge fan of Tex Mex. However I was pleasantly surprised how much I enjoyed the food and experience at Matt’s El Rancho. When we walked in, it was clean and the quality of the decor and furniture was at a standard above what I was expecting. They have a huge private parking lot. There was no wait time for Sunday lunch. The waitress was friendly and got our order quickly. We ordered Bob Armstrong queso as our appetizer. They gave complementary salsa and chips. The chips were not greasy and the salsa was spicy. The queso was thick and gooey with sausage and guacamole. It was very good. Great complement to the salsa. For lunch, I got the Asadero tacos and my husband got the green enchiladas. We were served guacamole on the side. The asadero tacos were the best! It’s like a fajita but with more flavor from the beef and big chunk of cheese. It’s very filling. I highly recommend it. The green enchilada was good. I suggested requesting extra green sauce. They used chicken breast which is healthy but can be dry. The sauce helps. Overall we recommend this place. This is a great place to bring out of town guests to try Tex Mex.

My fiancée and I ate here a few weeks ago. We live in South Austin and every time we’d drive by we noticed how busy it was and the sign out in front about it being a TripAdvisor 2018 Top 10 winner (or something like that). So we decided to stop in to see what all the hype was about. We got seated in the big area to the left and it was soooo loud in there, people were literally screaming. The waiter brought us our drinks, I ordered a Coke and got a Dr Pepper instead. The chips were hard and seemed like they were stale. We waited so long on our food that we had time to think, do we really want to sit here any longer and listen to people screaming or just ask for our food to go...we decided to get it to go. The waiter didn’t seem like he cared about our complaints, so no tip. Then we called the restaurant to talk to the manager and he really didn’t seem to care at all. He was just like ok, uh huh, ok. Needless to say we will never return, there are plenty of great restaurants in Austin to spend our time and hard earned money in.

I was a bit disappointed by Matt's. It's a beautiful place with really good service but the food is just average Tex-Mex. They don't take reservations and the place was already full at 5:45 when we arrived. I couldn't find a parking spot so I Valeted ($9). I had the Beef Enchilada Dinner, which at $14 is quite reasonably priced, and have the following observations about the dish. The beef Enchilada's are good, but don't have as much meat as most in the area do. The Chili sauce is also good but lacks something, I'm just not sure what. The Refried Beans were like a soup, which I've never seen before. The Mexican Rice is your standard fare and I mixed it with the soupy beans. Average Tex-Mex in my estimation. My dinner mate had teh Shrimp Tacos and said they were good but that she had better at other Austin Tex-Mex spots. At $19 they were also reasonably priced.

Food is excellent and they have the best queso in Austin called the bob. They also have great flour tortillas and burritos. Would totally recommend.

Good afternoon. Let me start by saying I have been a fan of Matt’s since I ate with his family at the East 1st (Now Cesar Chavez) location. He (then) and his family now have always been great hosts. Today, I had an entirely foreign experience that I can’t imagine they would tolerate. I ordered lunch for my wife who works about 3 blocks from your restaurant. Over 50 dollars for lunch but its Matt’s and worth it (in the past). It was late, it was cold, and it was missing food for her lunch. I called the restaurant and the staff who answer the phone were professional, patient, and attentive. I was passed on to the Manager Aaron? Forgive if spelling is incorrect. He was short, rude, and hung up on me. I called back and he continued to be rude and couldn’t care less about customer service. He blamed the delivery service and took no responsibility for the missing food order until confronted about it. I asked to speak to one of the family (owners) and he said he would not pass my concerns to any of them. He said he would pass my message to the General Manager but not any of the family. After 40 plus years of eating at Matt’s we say goodbye, with fond memories of Matt..

Friends of ours took us here when visiting Austin, and it was a revelation. Very lively on a Friday evening, but friendly and efficient service nevertheless. Starting with queso dip, with beans and avocado, was a great start. And the rest of the meal followed suit. Highly recommended!

Absolutely great food and good service. I had the 2 beef tacos al carbon with pintos, pico de gallo, and rice. The tacos they bring first are very warm. The dip is homemade and it is spicy. Not for the timid. The only gripe I have is the water. No ice. I asked and was told that ice is a special request. First time I have ever had this happen. Overall, this restaurant is worth a visit.

With all the fantastic Mexican restaurants available in Austin, to rate this 5-Stars is big a stretch. We ate here as part of a group of 10 people and, based on the reviews, we expected a great experience. We were seated outside which is the typical Mexican decor you would expect. While it was hot, we were comfortable due to numerous, well placed fans throughout the seating area and I would rate the atmosphere a 4. Service was very slow. Our waiter was nice and courteous but clearly overwhelmed; in fact, it seemed the restaurant was understaffed as a lot of people around us were waiting on food. When our food finally came out (about 35min) we got 8/10 plates. In our family, we eat together, and with two members waiting for their plates, we all sat for another 10 minutes watching our food get cold before the the last two plates showed up. I had the beef fajitas which was very average and the beef had an odd taste. My wife had the Shrimp A La Matt's and while she liked the shrimp, the Flautas that came with were tasteless. My Mom had the quesadillas...she ate one, and then claimed she wasn't hungry (her way of saying she didn't like them). Overall, none of us were impressed and I would rate the food a 2. The atmosphere and the fact that our waiter was doing his best and had a great attitude, bumps the rating to a 3, but if you are a Tex-Mex aficionado, you'll be disappointed in the food.

We decided to stop at El Rancho Mexican restaurant to have lunch before we headed home. We were not disappointed! Not all Mexican restaurants are equal and El Rancho Mexican restaurant surpassed any restaurants we have recently eaten at that left us feeling as if we paid for food, but it wasn’t yummy. El Rancho had great wait staff, it was clean, fast service, and the food was spectacular! I had the Asadero tacos that were flavored just right, but amazingly so tender it was almost like butter, and the Charro beans were really good as well. My husband had the chicken fajitas, which were Flavorful and cooked to perfection. The servings are generous, and he brought home half of his meal and of the two Asadero tacos, I brought one home. The tacos were stuffed with that tender meat that was just so delicious. I recommend trying these.

These guys took care of my group of 31 like it was a normal day. We had a great time, great food, and the staff made us feel like we were the most important in the room when they were with us. Highly recommend!

Food good. Didn’t enjoy them sweeping and cleaning next to us so they could shut the room down when we were done eating. Can’t enjoy your meal with dust flying and loud noises from moving tables and chairs around. Not the kind of dining experience anyone would want. The manager didn’t seem concerned when we brought to his attention.

Since it seats 1000 people this crowded landmark seated us on a Sat night in about 15 minutes. Waitress friendly and well trained. Matt's Special was a bargain, great chicken enchiladas and sides served very hot and very tasty. Great Green Sauce and Queso is world famous... Large Mexican Martinis, pricy Margaritas but you really taste the booze! Great meal although the with concrete floor the room is loud. Will go back when south of the river.

First time here. Came with two other couples. Mel was extremely accommodating. The food was great. We ate out on the patio. Plenty of room and a little less noisy. The food and drinks were a little pricey. My only real complaint was that the patio bars closes early and it takes FOREVER to get another drink from the waiter. He/she now has to go inside for drinks while still waiting on tables outside.

One of the best things a restaurant can do is keep it simple. Fresh ingredients, quality food, and good service. That’s what this place has done for many years. Outside patio is wonderful when it’s not too hot. Plenty of room to hold large parties, or nice quiet dinner for two. Experienced and friendly staff make sure lunch or dinner is extremely pleasant. Two thumbs up

Food is good if you want an incredibly noisy meal with tons of kids running around experience. Margarita heavy on lime juice! It's a formula that works for Matt's but if your older, It's an unpleasant dining experience and we went at 5 pm. I would rather go to Casa Garcia but we were close to Martts and husband was hungry so we stopped. We will wait next time!

Matt's El Rancho is still great after all these years. There is a reason why it is always packed. Very Delicious Food, Great Atmosphere, Good Service. The Holy Three--Fresh Chips, Salsa, and Scratch Margaritas--are perfection. Love the Quesadillas, Enchiladas, and Tacos. Try the Asadero Tacos--perfection! Medium prices. Plenty of Parking. Matt is smiling down on us!

Bob dip was okay but pales in comparison to Torchys. The best thing we ate were the asadero tacos and the prickly pear margarita was strong. I loved the hot salsa that comes with the chips. Place is super busy but plenty of parking and seating.

In town for Memorial weekend, my study of reviews took us to Matt’s Sunday evening. Pulling in to the parking lot, it didn’t look like we would get to try it. The place was packed. When we checked in with the hostess, she said a 1:45 minute wait. We made the commitment. Fortunately... my phone buzzed within about 30 minutes. Hind site being 20/20... 1:45 would have been worth it. The place was amazing! The Asadero tacos were melt-in-your-mouth good. The Bob’s queso is one of the best. The carne guisada was perfect. We made the right choice going here. A definite must visit when in the area... regardless of the wait.

Fantastic Tex/Mex. this was recommended to us by a couple from Austin, so we gave it a try and are glad we did. The food was awesome

This is on my favorite Mexican place ever!!! Nothing can compare to the Bob and a Mexican Martini! The food is to die for amazing and the service is aways excellent. Get there early if you dont want to wait but if you end up waiting go grab some Mexican Martini's before you sit down. You wont be disappointed!

We went to Matt's after a local told us it was their favorite. After 5 trips to Austin, this was probably the worst meal we have had. The food was really bland and flavorless. My wife had the Asadero tacos. The beef was just plain bland. I had the fish tacos. Literally a piece of dry over cooked fish in a tortilla. No sauce, no flavor. All I can say is "super disappointing"!

Bob must have been a great man because his dip is phenomenal! The chile relleno was one of the best I've ever had, and the ritas were not too shabby. I love, love, love Tex-Mex, and Matt's did not disaappoint.

Everything about our visit was GREAT! The Bob Armstrong Dip is off the charts delicious and one of a kind. You can't go wrong with anything on this menu. The servings are a good portion and you will be very happy with the service you receive as well. We ate outdoors and it didn't even feel like 91 degrees. Highly recommend for the future and return visits!

Safe to say the best Chile Relleno in the world. Other items on the menu rank up there too. Try the Bob Armstrong dip as well. Margaritas are off the hook and strong. Do not pass this restaurant up

Our family has been going to El Rancho for over 30 years, it has been a family tradition. The food is still good and the waitresses are friendly and helpful. On this visit we were shown to a large room (1 of 3) full of 3 groups with over 20 people in each group. LOUD is an understatement, we could not converse at all. We asked the hostesses to move into another room without the groups and were bluntly told NO. Incidentally, the other rooms had plenty of room. Unable to talk, all that was left was to eat and leave. Anybody choosing to dine here should choose carefully where they are told to sit.

My family and I had an incredibly negative and frankly, humiliating experience at Matt's El Rancho in Austin recently. We were a party of 8, including three visitors from outside the country who were looking forward to trying some authentic Austin Mexican food. We expected a wait, especially on a busy evening, and were told it would be about an hour. We waited patiently for the full hour. When our table was finally called, one person in our group was briefly in the restroom with a toddler located right there in the restaurant. The rest of us approached the host stand, ready to be seated. We were immediately told by the server that they could not seat us because the party was "incomplete," as one person wasn't physically present at the stand. We explained the situation – that the missing person was just in the restroom with a young child and would be back in a moment – hoping for a little understanding after waiting an hour. However, the server strictly enforced a policy requiring the entire party to be physically present to be seated. We asked to speak to a manager, hoping someone could apply a bit of common sense given the circumstances. Manager "Charlie" arrived and his attitude was appalling from the start. He was clearly bothered by our request, refused to make eye contact, and rudely repeated, "We do not seat incomplete party," over and over. He was completely unhelpful, inflexible, and dismissive. The way Manager Charlie handled the situation was demeaning and made us feel like we were trying to do something wrong or dishonest, simply because one person was in the restroom with a child. It was incredibly humiliating, especially in front of our family who were visiting. After waiting for an hour, only to be treated so poorly and inflexibly by the manager, we were so upset and embarrassed that we had no choice but to leave without eating. We wasted an hour of our time and had to scramble to find another place for dinner with our guests. This was, without a doubt, the worst restaurant service experience I have encountered in my two years in Austin. The combination of an overly rigid policy applied without discretion and the shocking rudeness of Manager Charlie made for a truly terrible experience. Based on this, I absolutely cannot recommend Matt's El Rancho. Be warned about their service, especially if you encounter any issues or have a minor delay like ours. There are many other excellent Austin Mexican restaurants that offer better service and treat their customers with respect.

The restaurant is supposed to be a local icon and was recommended by locals as a must. The wait was quick and our server was amazing. He gave us a sample of their famous Bob’s queso, which we ordered. My fish tacos were delicious. The corn tortillas were homemade as were the chips. My husband had Matt’s special. He said was good, not the best, but no complaints. I would recommend

Came here on a recommendation of a friend. We came early to beat the crowd and glad we did because this place fills up quickly. The service was excellent. We ordered the "bob Armstrong". It was very filling. The small is a lot for 2 people to finish the bowl off, we didn't. My husband got the (3) BBQ tacos, which were a little on the greasy side. They came with charo beans that were really tasty and a scoop of guacamole. I had the No. 1 which came with enchilada, rice and refried beans and tamale, and taco. The taco had a great dressing drizzled over it that add some flavor and glass of tea. The tamale was a little heavy on the masa and lighter on the meat but still had good flavor. The salsa has some kick to it and the size of the chips are huge. Water is served with no ice but they are quick to refill your glass. We were too full to try a dessert.

Ate here with my wife, and other family. Had not been here in a long time. About a 45 minute wait, which wasn’t too bad. This is a gigantic restaurant, I think it seats about 600. But, the service is very personal, and once seated the food came out quickly. Wonderful server, very friendly. Guacamole was excellent, perfect amount of salt. The queso was also excellent. Enchiladas, Tacos Al Carbon, fish tacos, and blackened redfish, along with Tacos Al Pastor were top notch. This is a very good Tex-Mex restaurant, with reasonable prices

The Bob Armstrong dip is amazing - I could eat just that and be so happy! Definitely loved Janie's Margarita - made with highest quality ingredients! The seafood enchilada had shrimp in every bite! You'll want to come back often!

So we go for drinks and the Bob Armstrong (queso) outside. The host tells us we have to sit at the bar inside because he needs the outdoor tables for dinners. It's 4pm and not dead but also not busy. Drinks and queso easily cost as much as dinner. Whatever. So we say fine, we will also get food even though we don't want them because we want to sit outside. So we get seated and nobody comes for a solid 20 minutes. We are nice costumers that tip well. We'll be spending our money anywhere else in the future.

We heard nothing but really great things about this restaurant, so we had dinner here tonight. While it wasn’t great, neither was it bad. We ordered what the waiter suggested: asadero tacos (“named by Texas monthly as one of the 120 tacos you must eat before you die!”) beef tenderloin tacos (2) the most tender meat!!! Then we’re ordered the chicken Chile relleno. It was ok, neither good nor bad. The margaritas were mediocre. But omg- the flan is PERFECT!! So smooth; best we have ever had. Adrian was our waiter and he was a gem- excellent service. When in Texas, we felt we should try a Tex mex restaurant... this wasn’t the one to try.

Great service, tasty food, friendly people and fun atmosphere. Have the queso with ground meat and margaritas. Great place for all ages!

I was very happy to go here and overwhelmed with service and food. OMG, we all had a good time and enjoyed the wonderful food. It was very crowded, but the service was great for the amount of people there. I recommend you go hungry and be prepare to be happy. I had the fajti and the other had the Matt’s special. Needless to say I couldn’t finish my order and neither could my wife as she had the special. Food was great and the price was right. I highly recommend this place.

This iconic South Austin Tex Mex restaurant is a must go to if anywhere in the Austin area. They have excellent food, famous margaritas and drinks, and the very best staff you will find anywhere. The restaurant in grounds itself are an amazing and a throwback to Old Austin and you can often run into famous people when eating there. It has a huge indoor area with many rooms but the outdoor patio is one of my favorites.

Went dinner last night and had the chicken chili relleno and my husband had Asadero tacos! I also had an amazing margarita with Maestro diablo tequlla! Will definitely go again!

Fabulous margaritas, (recommend the top shelf!) great atmosphere, and good food all casual and reasonable. Our favorite is Taco’s al Corbon, which we share because too much for just me! Can’t ever leave with getting a “Bob” !!

We’ve been coming to Matt’s for 20+ years. We started as college kids and now bring our own kids in from Lockhart regularly. Free Saturday? Our kids ask to go to Matt’s. House margaritas on the rocks … always on point and don’t forget the Bob dip. My husband and son get the cheese enchiladas. I always get the spinach poblanitas (veggie enchiladas), and there is no restaurant that even comes close to matching Matt’s. We’ll be coming here as long as they’re open. Love us some Matt’s.

A true Austin original since 1952. One of the best Tex-Mex restaurants in the state of Texas and definitely Austin. On any given day you can see celebrities and well known City officials dining indoors or out on the beautiful patio. The famous Cactus Pryor margaritas and Barham Bob Armstrong dip are shoe must haves. They are known for their extensive menu and great margaritas. The outdoor patio is like an oasis and the ultra-hip South Lamar District of Austin. This is a great place for Sunday brunch or when you have family in town.

Yes it’s an Austin classic. Yes they have good queso and margaritas. But other than that it’s not my fav. Super crowded. Long wait times for table. Very loud and overserved people everywhere. All three of us thought our food was just ok. Tacos were dry. Pricey for what you get.

Great food and drink. An Austin 'original'. Very popular and crowded. They do not take reservations. Get there early! Bob Armstrong dip was fun and delicious. Rest of menu is Tex-Mex with some twists. Well done. Service was friendly.

I gave the waiter a 40 for my drink and did not get my change back. When I asked, the manager came out and was extremely rude and said I would have to wait until the end of the day when they checked the register. He said they would call me back if it turned out they owed me. During this time, they asked me to leave and would not take my information until after I continuously told them to take it so they could contact me. My family and friends always enjoyed this place and went with our families, but after this experience, I will spread the word and will not be going anytime soon unless this gets handled. We work hard for our money and do not deserve to be stolen from. Please do the honorable thing.

sign says "best in the world" Not! But still, decent enough. Started with the Bob Armstrong dip. In the end, it isn't really anything special. Queso with chorizo and guacamole. Any restaurant could do this. But, it's good enough to eat with a spoon, like soup. Why fill up on chips? From there had the fish tacos and the Asadero tacos. Both were very good. Nice flavors. My complaint is that I wish I could get the tacos (and other things like flautas too) ala carte. The serving size isn't a meal, at least not for me. I might have ordered another one, or maybe even two, but I didn't want more rice and beans, etc. I just wanted more tacos. Rice was just ok, Frijoles ala Charra were tasty. Staff was friendly, service was fast. Lots of parking. Very noisy inside, even the patio is noisy outside when it is full.

This is a resto straight out of the 80s (or maybe earlier), huge portions, retried beans, not terribly seasoned, etc Unfortunately, portions only don’t suffice any more. That said, it’s worth coming here to people watch, and remember how things used to be…

I finally made it back here for a meal, it had been 30 years since my last visit. The fact that it has been here since 1952 says something. However, the food, to me is just basic Tex-Mex, nothing special. If that's what you are after, you are in the right place. It has a full separate bar area, lots of parking (very much needed) and is usually crowded, so take that into consideration. It is an Austin Classic, but there are many much better options in the area. A nice touch was the praline offered for dessert.

Some of the best Tex Mex I have eaten, and as a native Texan I have eaten a lot! Their queso was the absolute best! Service was good even though they were crowded since it was Spring Break week. Due to the crowd, it was a bit noisy but not obnoxiously so. Really delicious food!

Do not go here if you have a service animal! The manager was extremely rude and we were harassed with questions and felt uncomfortable, so we left. We will never be back here again.

Having a family gathering? A large group? Then this is your place. Matt's is huge, as evidenced by the parking lot. Don't let the crowds scare you off, the place is larger inside than it may appear. They can accommodate large groups. Avoid the dinner hour if you can. Food is great Tex Mex, large portions, reasonably priced. Try the Dinner #1 or the taco special. Service is good for such a busy spot. Only complaint: my dinner was to include ice tea and sherbet, which never appeared.

We pulled into this place and the first thing we noticed was the large parking lot and it was kind of full on a saturday afternoon. Seated right away in the bar area and almost immediately was given some amazing chips. large, hot and tasty. the salsa has a kick to it. but still very good. the wife had the taco carbon. for some reason on each taco the first bite was very chewy. however, after that the rest of the beef was quite tender and very good. i had the tacos Al Pastor. very, very good. large corn tortillas good rice and the best thing about it only the pork and pineapple were in the tortilla. i was free to add my own toppings. the tea glass was never below half-glass. great service, great staff would love to go back.

Totally underwhelmed by the food and the experience. Desk greeters looked as if they wanted to be anywhere else, server for the end of his shift. The food could have saved the day - but it didn’t. Bland and stodgy. Wouldn’t recommend.

Highly recommend! Excellent food and great service! So-so on margaritas- ordered top shelf/ not great. Fish tacos, queso, fajitas,.. all delicious! We went on a Thursday around 7 pm no reservations needed- quick wait!

I had a catch up lunch with a couple of old friends here today. I won't comment on their food since I didn't ask their thoughts. From my perspective the Beef Enchiladas with rice and beans was average Tex-Mex. Not bad, but nothing special. The chips and dip are pretty good. Service and the kitchen also get an average rating. I had to motion twice to get water. From a value perspective I was out the door at $50 for three lunch's, inclusive of tip and tax, so it's a fair value.

It is a pretty tall order when your sign says ‘Best Mexican Food In The World.’ Honestly I have a few hundred more restaurant s to try before I can vote. I must say the food is very good and the service was excellent. Unfortunately we were a table of 12 and the would not split the check three ways. Now that may seam reasonable to some folks but their system is comprised and it only takes seconds to split a check. Yes, seconds. This is blatant disregard for their guests. Food good Service great Management sorry

My wife and I both got the ASADERO TACOS. They were named by TEXAS MONTHLY as "one of the 120 Tacos you must eat before you die!" They are Beef Tenderloin Tacos with Grilled Asadero Cheese, Onions & Rajas in Corn Tortillas. I have never had a better Tex-Mex meal.

This restaurant is the best Tex-Mex restaurant I have enjoyed in almost six years of searching in Austin! It is pricy, as we paid $130 for the two of us, plus tip. The atmosphere is wonderful, and the restaurant operates within an Austin Historical Building. The service is impeccable! Water, huge chips and wonderful spicy salsa are replenished automatically. They read minds; the moment you are thinking you want more of something, staff appear to fill your unspoken request. This restaurant is busy, but we were able to score table in a couple of minutes. The food menu is so good that it is hard to choose. I would not recommend their salads and soups, as they are very expensive and are plain. My guacamole salad was three strips of avocado on a bed of shredded lettuce. I ordered a couple of margaritas. They were small and not worth the $15 and $29 paid for them. Our entrees were sizzling fajitas, one beef and one shrimp. The beef was great, but for some reason, the shrimp are served with tails on. This presents the diner with a huge amount of work to remove the tails before building fajitas. The menu says you get flour tortillas with dinner, but they will bring corn tortillas for you. The overall fajitas were very tasty and filling. The one odd practice the restaurant follows is putting all of your side fixings on a side plate, with the fixings on a large lettuce lear. This make it very hard to get the fajita fixings off the plate. There was no room for dessert, but many wonderful memories of this restaurant. We will return frequently.

Must eat when visiting Austin. The food was amazing... especially the Queso dip with ground beef!! The atmosphere was also great - outside was covered by trees, had a cute courtyard with fountain and even though it was hot it had a mist spray. Definitely coming back here!

A friend recommended this, and we were glad we followed through. The place was packed, and it is clearly "the place to be seen", but also good for nobody's like us. The meal was excellent, and our server was the grandson of the family that started the El Rancho restaurant chain. Fun, and worth your time and money. Prices were modest.

Great food, great service, I forgot my sunglasses and the server brought them to me before I left. My husband loves Tex mex and the tacos were perfect. The frozen margs and fans kept us cool outside. The only negative I have to say about this gem is they can’t filter out the parents who don’t pay attention to their kids but who knows maybe that technology will come in the future. You definitely should stop by if you want a great atmosphere and relaxing meal.

The fajitas were good a mixture of chicken and beef. I actually liked the caramelized onions. The one pound order was about too much for two people. We had both corn and flour tortillas. I asked for the charro style beans and got black beans which were good. My wife had the refried beans. The hot sauce was on the hot side but good flavor. Service was slow to start but was good during our meal. I thought the prices were on the high side for Mexican food in Austin.

A park ranger recommended this restaurant for Tex-Mex. We ordered 2 items from the Tex Mex section on the menu. Not sure how they differed from any other Mexican restaurant food that we've had elsewhere. But, it was tasty! Our waiter was attentive.

I love several Mexican restaurants in Austin, but always end up going back to Matt's El Rancho for authentic margaritas and crispy fried tacos! Lots of places around have great food, but Matt's does it all from scratch. When folks come to visit and want a nice lunch or dinner Matt's is where I take them.

I see some bad reviews here - maybe you either came on a different day or didn't order what I did, but everyone at our table has loved their meals and we've been three times. The patio is great, very festive with lights strung above, and birds chirping and checking you out - and stealing food once you are gone. I am not lying. I saw a bird pick up a chip, dip it in cheese and eat it. I started laughing, my family turned around to see what I was talking about and he did it again. Thanks, bird, for allowing my family to believe me and not think I was crazy. Anyway, I order fajitas everywhere I go. They were great. Fun place!

Brought my mom out for her birthday, had amazing fast service! The food tasted beyond great. The price was well worth it all. The food, staff, and the setting was the best I’ve had at a Mexican restaurant.

The green enchiladas are great, and order a prickly pear margarita to go with it! So yummy! Even the chips and salsa are good! Great go to for the weekend.

This place is HUGE. Told 30-40 wait on a Friday but the 2 of us got in in about 15 mins. Food is v. good--get the tenderloin tacos.

The place is huge and was packed. It seems this place is extremely popular but, I wasn't that impressed with the food or service. It took about half an hour to get a beer and the food took longer. It was crowded and packed but, as that appears to be normal, they should have it organized by now. When it arrived, it was fairly typical TexMex.. nothing special so I'm not sure why it ids so popular.

I was in town to celebrate my son's 30th birthday and he chose Matt's El Rancho. There were goung to be about 30 of us. We called to give them a head's up and they said we needed to show up at 6:30 which we did. This was on a Monday night. They did an amazing job accommodating us and everyone had a great time! The food was great and the service was excellent. I had the shrimp enchildas which were good and the refried beans were awesome. It is always busy and I understand why!!

Well, all I can say is this place is amazing. Social distancing enforced at check-in. accurate timing for wait. Tables inside and out spaced well. And this is just on current situation safety protocol. The back patio is absolutely amazing. It’s spacious, with a large fountain and huge trees. The walls keep the area quiet. We went for the beef fajitas, based upon the reviews. Needless to say, they are unbelievably amazing. What’s also amazing are the margaritas. Especially, Matt’s knock out Martini. Probably the best margarita I’ve ever had in my life. Service is on point. The food is excellent. The drinks are fantastic. I cannot wait to come back here again.

Was hear with a large group. Took a minute to be seated but service was really good. Extra large quality and portions. Had the fajitas

There’s a reason they’ve been attend for decades, they do it right! The cheese dip was great way to start. The blood orange marg was strong and tasty. Fajitas had bold flavor and good cuts of meat. Plenty for leftover lunch next day. Great food and service!

I know about the awards and kudos this place gets. I also know how highly rated this place is on this TA site and other sites. I am not from Austin and went there tonight with some locals. I found the food ok not great, and a little disappointing based upon all the hype and even the response the GM makes to reviews here which are less than fully complimentary. My experience was ok. I had the carne asada, others in our group had the fajitas and also another beef dish with pieces of simmered beef already cut up. The chips and salsa were good but again passable instead of great. My carne asada was tasty, quite a thin piece of beef with a ton of onions on top and a giant pepper and beans. Again, it was ok not captivating. We had queso dip first which was actually quite good along with some humongous chips. Service was friendly and efficient, the food came out quickly. Lots of locals who love this place, not a lot of tourists it seemed. A giant place with a huge parking lot too. I would seek other places in my next visits over returning to this place, but that is just me. It didn't grab me enough to make me want to come back and try other dishes on the menu. Priced reasonably for Austin.

Recommended by several people! Food was disappointing! Chips were really thick —scared I was going to break a tooth!! Bob Armstrong dip large had maybe 1 teaspoon of meat!!! Nachos fajita beef did not even have meat on every one!!! Flour tortillas were very thick!!! Beef fajitas were just little pieces not strips!!!Smoked brisket tacos were very salty!!! Only thing good was the service!!!

This came recommended and I was more than disappointed! First let’s start on service, we ordered queso and got it then immediately following our dinner was delivered. I am talking within seconds. Then I ordered a order to go and it took over 30 min to get it. It made no sense. Ok I love Tex-Mex and I truly love authentic Mexican, this missed the mark on both. There was NO seasoning on the sauces or the meat. I special ordered fajita enchiladas and ate 1/2 of one. My friend ordered one of the combos and barely touched hers. We both left incredibly disappointed and I say I will not go back again. The to go order for my husband was equally as disappointing. I know everyone had different tastes, but do not understand the rave reviews.

Matt’s is the perfect local dinner spot. When we arrived, it looked like lots of families were waiting for tables. Luckily, as a party of two, we were seated right away. The waitstaff were very friendly and the prices were great here. Everything moved fast, but the food was warm and tasty. The vibes at this place felt more local/special than the food. Don’t get me wrong, the food was great! However, living in a big city, the flavor profiles weren’t new from other Mexican food I’ve experienced. I’m still super happy to have stopped in here to see what day to day Austinites eat!

This was very standard Tex-Mex that I can get on literally any street in my hometown of San Antonio. We heard it was an Austin standout but it was very underwhelming. Lunch special and cocktails were overpriced. But worst of all: my food was served cold. Usually Tex Mex is served on a piping hot plate. My plate and food were cold and the refried beans even had formed a crust from sitting too long. On the good side: service was OK, and the chips and salsa were good. Nice fresh chips and spicy salsa. I won't be in a hurry to go back.

This place is the best! Recommendations....Top Shelf Frozen Margarita, Matt's Knockout Margarita, Bob Dip (also try the Smoked Bob -- Off the menu), Fajitas, Nachos.....One of my favorite places in town. Great for dinner with the kids or with only adults.

We were told by a local this was a great Tex-Mex restaurant. I can’t think of a thing that was great. Not the food, service, or ambiance. Would not recommend. It’s basically a tourist trap.