El Mercado Uptown - Austin

I am from Houston, but every time I'm in Austin I make it a point to stop here. The food is delicious, and I mean that. I have never given a hoot about atmosphere with regard to any restaurant. I only care about service and taste. And they do both of these well. Very well indeed.

We were staying at the Hilton next door and opted for a convenient dinner right across the street. The service was excellent, which is the sole reason for the 2-star rating. Unfortunately, the food was terrible. The rice and black beans were both crunchy, the refried beans tasted like an overpowering spoonful of cumin straight from the container, and the spinach and mushroom enchiladas were just raw spinach and mushrooms wrapped in a soggy tortilla, topped with an extremely subpar store-bought ranchero sauce. The guacamole was watery and lacked any flavor. On the bright side, the margaritas were strong. The manager did try to make things right, but we left feeling very disappointed.

This restaurant is a long-time favorite of mine. The food is excellent, and the staff is wonderful—every single one of them! They’re always attentive and ready to help whenever you seem curious about something. Just so you know, I’m over 50 and not exactly model material, but that doesn't matter here; everyone is genuinely nice.

We selected El Mercado for our son's wedding rehearsal dinner, and it turned out to be an excellent choice, especially during these challenging times with COVID! The restaurant was spotless, and the food was some of the best authentic Mexican cuisine I've had in Austin. Our server, Cory, played a crucial role in making our experience enjoyable. The combination of fantastic service, delicious food, and a wonderful atmosphere created a truly memorable evening. Plus, the prices were just right. Thank you for helping to make this special occasion a joyful beginning for our new family! Wishing everyone good health and a prosperous New Year.

I 'm sorry to say that this was the worst Tex-Mex food I 've eaten in my life. My sizzling fajitas were warm at best. My neighbor at the bar also had the fajitas and his were colder than mine. Pretty tasteless. The onions were close to raw. I even had to ask for chips and salsa while I was waiting for my fajitas.There 's not a lot of options in this area but I have to say that anything would have been netter.