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Entrées, main dishes and desserts - El Alma Cafe y Cantina, Austin, TX

El Alma Cafe y Cantina

4.8
4.8
998 Reviews
$30 and under
Mexican

Make a reservation

2 people
10:30 PM
Booked 25 times today
  • Neighborhood gem
  • Great for creative cocktails
  • Charming
Patio seating is first come first serve. Reservations are for indoor dining room only.

El Alma Cafe y Cantina is vibrant, homespun take on the authentic flavors of Mexico. Chef Alma Alcocer prepares food as she would cook for you in her home.


"It"s fun, flavorful Mexican food that is very approachable. It's a casual, authentic representation of the food I grew up eating." - Chef Alma

Additional information

  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Daily 3:00 pm–10:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Phone number
    (512) 609-8923
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Executive chef
    Alma Alcocer
  • Catering
    For caterings email us at catering@elalmacafe.com.
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown
  • Cross street
    Dawson
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, View, Weekend Brunch, Wine

What 998 people are saying

Overall ratings and reviews

Reviews can only be made by diners who have eaten at this restaurant

4.8
4.8 based on recent ratings
  • 4.8Food
  • 4.7Service
  • 4.6Ambience
  • 4.6Value

NoiseModerate

Loved For

  • Austin

    Neighborhood gem

  • Austin

    Mexican

  • Austin

    Neighborhood gem

  • Austin

    Mexican

Review summary

AI-generated from verified diner reviews
El Alma Cafe y Cantina offers a vibrant atmosphere with "fantastic" cocktails and "unique and delicious" food, making it a "great spot" for any occasion. Diners praise the "amazing" duck enchiladas and "best margarita in Austin." The upstairs patio is a favorite, especially for "happy hour." Service can vary, yet many find it "stellar" and "friendly."

998 Reviews
  1. Steve

    VIP

    Austin

    26 reviews

    5.0

    26 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    It’s a fun and friendly place to enjoy uncomplicated Mexican cuisine. I’ve enjoyed attentive service every time I came, and the food never disappoints. When the weather is nice, I highly recommend the patio. It’s an oasis.

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  2. Debbie

    VIP

    Austin

    10 reviews

    5.0

    10 reviews

    Dined 3 days ago

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 4
    First time at El Alma and it was fantastic. Service was exceptional and the food was next level good! Already booked another reservation and will bring friends! Buen Provecho!

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  3. Thomas

    Austin

    7 reviews

    5.0

    7 reviews

    Dined on February 5, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The food is always outstanding whether it's one of the specialty entree plates or going with Tacos Ala carte (The Pato duck taco is my fav). The Cocktails are stellar, especially the Blood and Smoke! My favorite destination for out of town guests for an excellent Austin experience.

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  4. Marcela

    Austin

    2 reviews

    3.0

    2 reviews

    Dined on January 26, 2025

    1. Overall 3
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 2
    4. Ambience 3
    Very good food and different dishes, but service and attention to detail could improve, for instance, to start we order coffee, and we had to ask separately after waiting several minutes for sugar and then also for spoons, which is basic table setup, cocktails also took a while, we were not asked if we wanted another, we asked coffee refill, never got it, food was good and our waiter was polite but these basic things could improve. It was an average experience.

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  5. Christian

    VIP

    Austin

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on January 26, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    the duck enchiladas with green mole is amazing! The service was great, and margaritas are fantastic

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  6. Cristin

    Austin

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 25, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    We had made a reservation for six people, but one couple dropped out at the last minute due to illness. When we arrived and were led to our table, which was set for six, but appeared to normally seat at least eight we asked if we could be moved to a smaller table so that we wouldn’t be taking up such a large space with just the four of us. We were quickly redirected to a table upstairs on the patio next to a heater, which was lovely and perfect. Our waiter was friendly as was the gentleman who delivered our food. Everything tasted wonderful and we had a lovely dinner and still made it to our concert in time. We shared the queso fundido, and left no scraps. My husband had the mole chicken, had the ahi tuna tostadas and the crema de elote soup, my daughter had the sopa azreca and my son had three different tacos. I think the only plate that was not completely cleaned off was my tostadas and that was only because they were a little bit too spicy for me, but I can’t handle a lot of spice. Highly recommend for anything from a casual brunch on a shopping day to a special occasion dinner.

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  7. Anna

    Austin

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 23, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Food and service are always excellent. I have never had a bad experience!

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  8. Angelicque

    Austin

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on January 19, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    The Pozole was so delicious. Perfect for a winter day.

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  9. Libby

    VIP

    Austin

    3 reviews

    5.0

    3 reviews

    Dined on January 10, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 4
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Always amazing! Get the fundido and the shrimp Cameron.

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  10. OpenTable Diner

    VIP

    Austin

    1 review

    5.0

    1 review

    Dined on January 9, 2025

    1. Overall 5
    2. Food 5
    3. Service 5
    4. Ambience 5
    Ryder was an absolutely amazing server! He anticipated our needs and MET them! The food and drinks were amazing as well! Definitely will be back soon!

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FAQs

El Alma Cafe y Cantina is rated 4.8 stars by 998 OpenTable diners.

Yes, you can generally book this restaurant by choosing the date, time and party size on OpenTable.

Make a reservation

2 people
10:30 PM
Booked 25 times today
Google Map for El Alma Cafe y Cantina

1025 Barton Springs Rd, Austin, TX 78704

Additional information

  • Cross street
    Dawson
  • Neighborhood
    Downtown
  • Hours of operation
    Brunch Sat, Sun 10:00 am–3:00 pm Lunch Mon–Fri 11:00 am–3:00 pm Dinner Daily 3:00 pm–10:00 pm Happy Hour Daily 3:00 pm–6:00 pm
  • Price
    $30 and under
  • Cuisines
    Mexican
  • Dining style
    Casual Dining
  • Dress code
    Casual Dress
  • Parking details
    Private Lot
  • Payment options
    AMEX, Discover, Mastercard, Visa
  • Executive chef
    Alma Alcocer
  • Additional
    Bar Dining, Bar/Lounge, Beer, Cocktails, Full Bar, Gluten-free Options, Happy Hour, Non-Smoking, Patio/Outdoor Dining, Patio/Outdoor Dining, View, Weekend Brunch, Wine
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