Show Us Your Tex-Mex
The December issue’s Top Tables article on old-school Tex-Mex restaurants—“Candy or Sherbet?”—makes my taste buds crave that extra cheesy enchilada dinner with carne sauce (double rice—no beans, please) every time I read it. Dick Holland’s piece, while spot-on in describing this distinctly Texas experience (sorry, New Mexico and California don’t even come close!), just scratches the surface when it comes to naming some of the top traditional Tex-Mex dining in Austin, let alone the state. For starters, one of my faves not mentioned in the story is El Gallo, at 2910 S. Congress Ave. Time seems to stand still there, from the ’60s-era Spanish dark wood/wrought-iron decor, serape-covered tables, lack of trendy scenesters, and also their prices. My two-enchilada dinner was a mere $ 7.95, which included—yes—choice of candy or sherbet for dessert. (I chose candy—pralines.) And my frozen margarita came in a tall pilsner-style glass, like how I imagine they were served back in 1971 when this frozen libation was first concocted in a Dallas restaurant. This is one of my favorite places to escape when I’ve had too much of our ever-upward-and-upscale city and need to be somewhere more down-to-earth, where life feels a bit simpler.So, where’s your favorite #2 enchilada dinner in Texas? Best salsa, queso, fajitas, or margarita? Best Tex-Mex for the soul that ignores all foodie fads? We’d love to hear from you.
November 26th, 2008 at 11:56 am
In your recent article, “Candy or Sherbet” you left out a great, old Tex Mex hangout – El Gallo on South Congress. I went to St. Edward’s University starting in ’59 and El Gallo was already established. Being right across the street from St. Ed’s, it was the local eatery for many of us. El Gallo was a converted, wooden home with a couple of bedrooms and a living room made into eating areas. The guys always went into the back bedroom so we could dive out one of the windows if the LCB showed up! The food was excellent and the family atmosphere was unsurpassed. St. Ed’s was all male at the time, and most of the 700 student body came from states across the union. There were only 145 Texans enrolled during my time there. Consequently, Tex Mex was introduced to all corners of the U.S. a long, long time ago. A few years ago, I stopped in for a bite and the food was excellent. The old house is long gone, but the atmosphere is still there. Just wanted you to include El Gallo on your list of very old Tex Mex restuarants in Austin. Neal Harrison, Collinsville, Texas.
November 26th, 2008 at 12:24 pm
I’ve grown partial to a South Austin treasure — Nueva Onda at 2218 College Ave., near the intersection of S. Congress and Oltorf. It’s become my "Cheers" of Austin, but the draw isn’t bar fare, but rather delicious Mexican food that reminds me of my grandmother’s cooking. When I moved here, I sampled all sorts of Mexican food restaurants looking for something that tasted like "home." I found it at Nueva Onda. The beans, the rice, the gorditas, enchiladas, migas, caldo, barbacoa, tamales, freshly made aguas frescas and more — all so delicious. What’s more, you can get menudo here every day — not just the weekends like most places. Also, try finding fideo or calabacitas on a menu anywhere else. I grew up with it, so I’m surprised to not find it on more Mexican food menus. Know what else you can get? Bunuelos! Or some delicious Mexican hot chocolate.
The lunch specials make it easy to order quickly (Lunch #2 crispy is one of my faves) or you can have made-to-order breakfast tacos all day long. You can order rice or fideo bowls with picadillo, mole, etc. … and the mole is delicious. They roast peppers, nuts, etc. to create their own spice blend that makes this mole incredible. Twenty-something ingredients, I’ve heard.
Even the salsa, which they make fresh, is so good that I sometimes take shots of it and call it my "spicy gazpacho" snack. Weird, I know, but it’s hard to resist.
The bonus is that I found others, like me, who also found coming here was like going home for lunch. The Nueva Onda regulars are like family now … so coming here IS like going home. So when I walk in, I’m greeted by name … just like in Cheers. Owner Nora Dodson and her son Michael are the mainstays that keep this place relaxed and homey. Regulars aside, this has the best mix of Austinites who come here. They’re all real and there’s none of the pretension you’d find in a $16 enchilada plate joint. So, I can’t help myself in recommending Nueva Onda for great Mexican food, true Austin atmosphere and a cheap meal.