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Fuego's - CLOSED
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Price Range:
-
$$
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
67 reviews for Fuego's
Review Highlights
"So long, most delicious fish tacos in the universe."
(in 29 reviews)
"All he does is rant and rave about carne asada fries."
(in 11 reviews)
"My favorite was the ahi tuna sandwich I had."
(in 6 reviews)
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67 reviews in English
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Review from Rissa M.
Pflugerville, TX
2/6/2010
They are really at a disadvantage because the outside of the restaurant (and places around it) doesn't exactly predict the quality of the food and top notch ingredients. We ate there today as I was craving some fish tacos but didn't want to drive all the way to Oltorf. We found the interior to be nicer than was expected. The fish tacos were superb. Pan fried snapper (very lightly done) placed on corn tortillas with a special jalapeño tarter sauce and piled with colorful cabbage and pickled onions. The tacos were really wonderful and I savored every bite (and I am a picky fish taco person). I loved the freshness of the ingredients and the zing it put in my mouth.
The hubby got the ahi fish sandwich and he really enjoyed it. Much to his surprise it came with a Cesar salad which he wasn't too thrilled about. He isn't much of a salad type of guy. I should mention that my tacos came with beans and rice, but I didn't enjoy those as much. They were your standard run of the mill refried beans and rice. It was all very well seasoned (everything we ate) which was a nice surprise.
I was sad to see that a restaurant with such excellent food was not that busy for a late Saturday lunch. We will definitely return. -
Review from Don P.
Austin, TX
Updated - 7/28/2008
Road my bike here today for to-go breakfast tacos. Mama Fuego wouldn't let me bring my bike in the store... who can blame her... after my Sarah Stewart workout (workover) and my bike ride with blue shorts, red shirt, blue bandanna, I looked like a crazy-face cracked-out American flag has been.
I ordered three breakfast tacos... added an ingredient on each. Price came to between $4 and $5 for the smallish tacos. They gave me one salsa and when I asked for two more, mama was gonna charge me. We worked out a deal... i didn't take the coffee with the 3-tacos 'n coffee special, she gave the salsa.*
They were small but tasty.
Best part about the whole thing was how mama screwed up taking my order so the kitchen made 5 tacos instead of 3... and watching LeighAnn scold her mama and make sure that I got the correct three tacos was easily a 5 star experience.
I love family restaurants... can't wait to go back for some crab enchiladas and round two of Fuego family wrestling.
*green was better than red1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/19/2007 First to Review
Even though I live just a few blocks away, I don't think I had ever noticed this place at all... but… Read more »
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Review from LO L.
Honolulu, HI
3/1/2008
Oh. My. God. I am so stuffed I need a nap until next week. Carne asada fries. Delicious & fresh. Open kitchen. Little pricy but worth it. Nice staff. zzzzZZZZzzzzz
UPDATE: I've been back twice for lunch and breakfast and I adore the lemon riccotta pancakes. They are sooooo goooood. I'm not a fan of the enchiladas because I'm not crazy about ranchero sauce and they put ranchero sauce on all their enchiladas. Still love this restaurant though. -
Review from Mark C.
Plano, TX
Updated - 5/29/2010
Fuego's has reopened. Unfortunately, it's not the beating of a dead horse. In this case, it's the skinning of a dead horse and attempting to convince everyone that the horse still lives.
The restaurant has reopened under new management as a subpar Chipotle clone. The sauces? Gone. You now get a choice of chicken, steak or pork to put in your burrito (or burrito bowl or taco). When I went, they looked as though they had been sitting there for a long, long time; practically dessicated.
And the food- oy. The tortilla was the best part of the burrito. Everything else was bordering on inedible.
The new Fuego's is nothing but a horrid imitation. Skip it.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/15/2009
Fuego's is not a place you go for atmosphere. It's tucked into a shady-looking strip mall alongside… Read more »
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Review from Ryan S.
2/8/2008
I've been on a search since I've moved to Austin to find the ultimate Tacos Al Pastor. Granted, not a terribly intensive one, but I still look when the mood or opportunity strikes. I'm pleased to say I'd go back and get one here. Not that I'm done looking, but in the interim, I know a good place to get one.
Bonus points for good salsa in squeeze bottles. The verde variety was excellent on my crab enchiladas.
The lovely waitress/cashier/clerk who helped me knew over half the customer's names who were also in attendance today. That tells me two things. One, people are coming back here...a lot. Two, they care enough to remember.It was nice to find a place that had that sort of vibe. When I go back, I know they'll probably have the same great service, same good food, and same hospitality when I get there. -
Review from Natalia B.
Austin, TX
12/8/2007
I ate here for the first time this morning, and I can't wait to go back! I have NO COMPLAINTS about the food at this place.
The huevos rancheros were delicious! The coffee was fresh, and the home fries were perfectly seasoned.
I also like it that you can see right into the clean kitchen. I like to watch them prepare my food.
In addition, our server (Leigh Ann????), was great! She's a young pretty woman with hospitable and attentive attitude. Actually, come to think of it, she may also own the business as well.
The only thing lacking about this place is the ambiance. As other reviewers have said, it is located in a strip mall and the decor is nothing special.
But the kitchen is clean, the people are nice and the food is excellent. Like I said, I can't wait to go back. I'm dying to try their calamari. -
Review from eric s.
Austin, TX
2/20/2008
This is a real diamond in the rough.
Just checked it out today, and it delivers. I like the Cali-Mexi concept and this delivers well. Some of the items on the menu look like cooking-school graduate material, but from what I tasted, seem to deliver.
I got the special crab enchiladas and they were just right, perfect combination of crab and butter filler with good tortillas and the right balance of sauce and spices to make it so you could actually taste every ingredient. My friend got the Carne Asada Fries and they were also incredible. Slight variations on Mexican food that is a bit fresher, more flavorful and less greasy than the Tex-Mex norm.
I have heard that their flan is very good and I am planning on trying out breakfast soon for their lemon-ricotta pancakes. Their menu is still very limited, and I hope that they expand it as I think (aside from location) this place has much potential. -
Review from Dee C.
Austin, TX
3/23/2009
Yummy yummy yummy, I got love in my tummy.
It was a Saturday night in the thick of SXSW and the place was empty. We were scared, but we went in anyway. We were glad. The calamari was tender and crisp. The fat burger was even too big for my husband to get his big mouth around, but more than that, it was cooked perfectly medium to order. The fish tacos were a beautiful combination of fresh fried fish and cabbage. They came with a side of rice and refried beans that tasted like they had bacon grease in them. Hooray!
I could see us eating here once a week, easy. -
Review from dalee p.
Austin, TX
6/23/2008
I never ever would have gone here...have driven by everyday for the last year and never saw it. But, it was highly recommended by friends so we ventured out and they were right! It was fabulous, delicious and one of the best meals I have had in Austin.
Not the best decor in the world but who cares when the food is that incredible. Take out next time. -
Review from Shannon B.
Austin, TX
6/1/2009
Excellent fish tacos with the best slaw topping I've ever had; I'd eat that stuff by itself, and I don't really even like cabbage. Perfect, award-winning hippy-style grilled ahi tuna sandwich with sprouts and wheat bun. These two entrees will keep me coming back to Fuego despite the turn-offs....
- outrageously overpriced $4 domestic beer during happy hour
- terribly over-cooked, unchewable calamari
- no chips & salsa
I was too stuffed to make it to dessert this time, but Coconut Cake, watch out 'cause I'm coming after you next. I've also heard that the breakfast menu is fantastic. -
Review from Patrick L.
Dallas, TX
10/5/2009
When driving past this place, my friend and I decided to check it out on http://yelp.com because it stated it had the "best tacos." We laughed at ourselves because the restaurant is unusually placed next to a used car dealership. We expected it to be a run-down little taco place but boy were we in for a surprise
This place is absolutely amazing. We entered and the place was very nice. The kitchen had the nice touch of glass walls so you could see exactly what the chefs are doing.
The restaurant hung up its walls with http://citysearch.com awards toting that they had the best fish sandwich. I dare challenged that notion.
I ate the had the tuna ahi sandwich and it was out of this world. The ahi tuna was cooked medium perfectly with special sauce, alfalfa sprouts and tomato slices. I could not believe how tasty and well cooked the sandwich was but it was cooked to perfection.
My counterpart ordered the fish tacos which he also said were amazing. I personally did not try them but they looked pretty.
All in all its about $10-$13 a plate but well worth it. Its cali-style so pretty unique in austin.
I only gave them 4 starts because of the poor location. -
Review from Doryan R.
Updated - 3/30/2010
It's true.
Tomorrow 3/31 is their last day.
The cook in the back said they'd like to open up someplace downtown. The lady who's been so nice all this time was a bit more stand-off-ish and said that she just wanted a break and that they weren't looking to open up anywhere anytime soon.
We stopped in today for one last Ahi sammich and one last Fish Taco plate. Both were very good, as usual, but they had run out of sprouts for the sammich. Not a huge deal, really. Still the used-to-be-nice lady said that they shouldn't even be open today because they were out of things.
Well, heck. That's just too bad. Poor location, but the food makes up for it, and the service used to be great when everyone was happy.
Sorry to see them go, but when you immediately lock the doors after your only customers leave, and it's only 5:30...well, I can't help but wonder how many other poor choices they've made.1 Previous Review: Show all »
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4/26/2009
Damn fine fish tacos.
Thanks Randall M. for the recommendation of the Shrimp Cocktail! It was really… Read more »
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Review from Robin C.
Austin, TX
5/24/2008
A friend of a friend noticed a glowing review of this place in the Chronicle and asked to eat here tonight. Glad he saw the review because I would never have been inspired to try this place out otherwise. There's a HUGE disconnect between the location/ambience and the food. HUGE. I was a total hater when I first walked in. You have the unappealing location (run-down strip center), horrible interior (picture an age-old Dairy Bar, circa 1979), no air circulation and hot indoor temp, the wait staff seemed irritable initially, and no kid's menu items. (I don't expect restaurants to necessarily cater to kids but this one in particular does not scream "fine dining" and I am never going to pay $8.50 for a quesadilla my 3.5 yr old daughter may/may not nibble on.)
You could say Fuego's and I got off on the wrong foot.
After checking with the kitchen, the waitress acquiesced to my request for a small quesadilla for my daughter. My initial icy reaction to the place started to thaw.
Then, they delivered our food. And I guess you could say I became a died-in-the-wool convert.
Fuego's, how I misjudged you. Your ahi tuna sandwich was so flavorful I am already wondering if my friends will return with me for a second sampling when I get back from vacation in two weeks. It's a mouthful for sure, but oh, so delicious (*mouth waters*).
My friends raved about their fish tacos...they looked really scrumptious but I'll have to take their word for it, as no one (including myself) was sharing a bite of anything.
For dessert, the flan was reportedly phenomenal...I had a bite of the creme brulee and really liked it. It's not as sweet as most creme brulees I've had, but I liked that about it.
Service was very friendly and attentive once we got over our initial hump.
Would I recommend the food? Absolutely. Would I recommend dining in? Not so much. Especially if you have kids, for the no-kid-menu reason mentioned before, as well as the fact that they have one lonely high chair (our party had 2 smaller children). I guess you could bring in stuff for the kiddos, but I don't necessarily want to eat in their dining room again anyway. Take my advice and order it to-go.
But definitely go. Scrumptious!! -
Review from Yvonne R.
5/13/2008
I have been here 3 times and have never been disappointed. Granted I got fish tacos twice, the staff is sooo friendly. I think it is owned by a family because I see the same wait staff ( friendly younger girl and older lady) everytime.
The good:
1. Fish Tacos - mm..mmm good. Made with red snapper, very minimally breaded and grilled, a light slaw and a creamy, but not too heavy tartar sauce. The perfect size and amount (You get 3). Rice and beans are pretty good, but not the best..I usually don't care about that part anyways.
2. Seared Ahi Tuna Salad - a huge portion, tuna perfectly seared on the outside, pink on the inside, with a semi sweet asian sesame like crust. The dressing was also sesame like and delish!
3. The 2 squeeze bottles of salsa verde and some red salsa that has a nice little kick to it.
4. Awesome staff, not too in your face and very nice, always made sure we were happy with our food.
5. It's BYOB - nuff said
The Bad:
1. Only thing is it is kind of in a weird area, off Lamar/183 by that one Sexy scissor cuts place with the "Sexy Legs" lamp sign
To Try Next:
1. Nachos - which some other party had and looked humongous enough for 3
2.Breakfast - Lemon Riccota pancakes sound yummy! -
Review from vette w.
Austin, TX
8/26/2010
First attempt to obtain fish tacos: tired calling but the number on the website was disconnected. The place is right across the street from home so I thought I'll just drive over, order there and take them home. Drive up and see a sign on the door: closed for remodeling. Walking back to my car the new manager ran out and started telling me all about the new menu and how great it will be when it's open and to come back later that week.
Second (and last) attempt to obtain fish tacos: This Monday. Still no phone number but there are big flags all over the lawn waving people in so I drove over again. CLOSED. The manager was there again putting a sign on the window that reads LUNCH.
He said because they weren't getting enough dinner traffic they will now only be open for breakfast and lunch. They now close at 3. Blamed it on the prior management because "they were never open and people never knew when to come" REALLY?! Cause that sounds like my story with you. I told him his published number is disconnected and to at least get a twitter account so people know whats going on.
I really wanted to try this place but I'm done. Off to Chuy's. -
Review from Kim N.
Austin, TX
2/10/2009
After hearing from a friend about how good Fuego's is, we decided to give it a try last week for lunch. I was absolutely impressed. The reviews are right, though, there is about zero ambience. This place is probably not a place you want to go for a romantic date.
But the food, man oh man. My mom and I split the fish tacos and a ceasar salad. The tacos were cooked perfectly and came with a creamy sauce, fresh cabage, and spicy pickled onions. They were awesome. The ceasar was huge and the dressing was one of the better ones that I've had. It also came with a slice of garlic bread and the garlic butter spread on it was just heavenly goodness. My sister ordered a bowl of the chicken vegetable soup and let me try a few bites of it. Wow. Super fresh, warm yummy broth. Next time I get sick I'm going back for a huge bowl. It had squash, zucchini, onions, carrots, celery, and some other veggies. We finished off our meal with an order of Flan, which was also superb.
We had a really great lunch at Fuego's. The ingredients are all incredibly fresh, the service was awesome, and the prices are totally reasonable. I can't reccommend it enough. I just really hope they are able to survive, as there really weren't a lot of people in there. Please go and support this restaurant. You'll be glad that you did. -
Review from Sumina B.
Austin, TX
5/1/2009 2 photos
Awesome! Went here with a friend. He orderd the Three Fish Tacos ($9.99) which were delish! I order the carne asade enchiladas at a very well priced $7.99. Meat was well seasoned. The red and green sauces are both delightful. I am always wary of the sauces in the plastic bottles.
I have often stepped into these kinds of restaurants (strip mall, next to a small car dealership, so you can never tell what you are going to get!) and have NEVER been this pleased.
The warm coconut cake. Yum. My friend got the famous Fish Sandwich to go... and I heard that was awesome too. This is NOT a fried fish fillet, it is Ahi Tuna Steak. Yes. Seared or well done. Get it seared. :)
My only complaint is the ladies restroom... you know my pet peeve: no place to hang my purse. I hate this!!! Please Austin restaurants... get with it! Where do you want us to put our purse? And please don't say *gasp* the bathroom floor. Shudder. Also, get rid of the moth ball smelling thingie in the toilet. Hate that. Oh and while I'm at it, increase the amount of hand paper from the 'wave-here-auto-dispenser' machine. I know you people are trying to save paper, but all I end up doing is taking 4 times the amount.
The take away: awesome, fresh, delish food at a great price. -
Review from Albert N.
6/23/2009
Food - 4/5
Service - 2/5
Price - 2/5
Atmosphere - 3/5
Best Dish: Fuegos Fat Burger
The truth of the matter is, the burger is delicious. The actual burger is huge and the toppings are made fresh. However, it just feels wrong to have a bill in the double digits when all you get is burger and fries. The service is terrible, the woman that runs the place handles the orders, the finances, and the cleaning--she obviously needs some help. -
Review from Kelly S.
Tried this little gem this morning after Galaxy Cafe was only serving breakfast and we wanted heartier fare post-boot camp.
The good thing is they have this incredible ahi tuna sandwich. Its huge -- with a big tuna steak, dressing, tomato and a caesar salad on the side. Their green salsa will change your life -- some kind of tomatillo with an extra spice that I just can't quite identify - and I put that on basically everything.
The server was one poor lady trying to do it all herself, the place smelled really strongly of baby powder (pink fabuloso?) and the enticing and promisingly named carne asada fries were nothing remarkable.
It's worth going for that sammy/salsa alone but try to catch them when they have more help and a flushable toilet :) -
Review from Dana B.
2/2/2009
We pulled into the parking lot and debated on going inside or not because we didn't see anybody in restaurant and there were no cars in the strip center. We decided to go in because I had read really good reviews on yelp and on chowhound. I also knew that the restaurant was going through some hard times and we wanted to support a local business so we decided on trying it out. We walked in and were greeted immediately... of course when you are the only customers in the place you would hope to be greeted immediately :). It was a little odd to be the only people in the restaurant, but our service was fantastic and our food came out quickly.
I ordered the fish tacos and the hubby ordered the nachos. My fish tacos were da bomb. Even though the fish was fried it was delicate and flaky and it wasn't greasy or super crunchy. They were topped with a spicy coleslaw mix that totally made the tacos. I would have eaten a bowl of the coleslaw mix on its own. I liked it much better than when restaurants just put some dry shredded cabbage on top. If you go and order the fish tacos I would suggest that you ask for the jalapeno tartar sauce on the side. It is very good, but I thought it had a little too much on the taco's. The hubby's nachos were exactly what he wanted, a ton of toppings on them so every bite was perfect and loaded with Mexican goodness. -
Review from Capen A.
Austin, TX
5/30/2010
When I was young I had this dog, a golden retriever named Bandit. I played with him almost every day, we were pretty inseparable. Then one day I came home from school and my dog was gone, my parents told me he had ran away (he actually got hit by a car, but my parents didn't have the heart to tell me). A few weeks pass and my mom brings home another dog. This dog, however, didn't like to play and in general wasn't a friendly dog at all. I was crushed even further because not only had my favorite dog ran away, but he was replaced with one that made me miss him more.
Fuego's, much like the dogs of my childhood, was once a wonderful restaurant and has died and been replaced with a vastly inferior "dog". The once varied menu has been replaced with a Chipolte style Burritto/Bowl/Taco menu. The food, once prepared with a lot of love and flair now sits in a warmer waiting to be unceremoniously scooped into a tortilla.
The food is the worst part too. The chips were stale and my rice was hard. My friends' burritos were barely edible. The guac was good, and my tacos weren't horrible, but that's about the most civil compliment I can come up with about it.
I really hate writing that too, as the people were insanely nice(which netted the extra star from me). But the place looked like it had been dead all day, so they were probably just happy to know that civilization still existed and some cataclysmic event didn't happen while they stood behind their counter.
All in all there really is no reason to eat here. You'd be better served going across the street and eating at the food cart in the parking lot. It pains me to say that too, as the old Fuego's was one of the first dining experiences I had in Austin, so a special place for me has died forever. -
Review from Alexander Aaron P.
Los Angeles, CA
4/13/2009
I suggest everyone eat here at least once! This restaurant has such good food you won't know what to do with yourself. If you ask me, it's like a hole in the wall. Perfect quaint inside, friendly service, not surrounded by a lot. It's right of the highway almost, it's a weird little location but it works.
I had a buddy who's from San Diego with me and he fell in love with the place. All he does is rant and rave about carne asada fries... I didn't think he would shut up until I found this place. Well we tried it and I'm betting this is the only place in town to get real carne asada, on FRIES AND NACHOS.
I ordered four things:
1. Pepsi
2. Fish tacos, which were pretty damn good
3. And the most delicious carne asada fries (I personally cannot compare to Baja, but my friend, he says they were damn close to what he remembers.)
4. Cheesecake flan (Mexican flan which tasted more like cream cheese than the custard counterpart.)
It's as close to real Baja California/Mexican food as you'll get in the ATX, that is GOOD.
I can guarantee you that much.
You go and enjoy now, ya hear?? -
Review from Christian N.
Austin, TX
9/11/2009
There are not many things I'll hit north Lamar up for, especially not past the train tracks. As a matter of fact, there's not really anything up there for which I can't find a comparable counterpart in south Austin, but, I've been reared a southie, so my bias may be a little on the extreme side. When my north-side comrade suggested we go, I was feeling adventures, and we made our way past *GASP* Airport Blvd. As it turns out, the trip was worthwhile.
It was a friday afternoon, just a bit after lunch rush time, 2 or 3, and we arrived to an empty restaurant. Not sure what to make of it, we chalked it up to being a weekday, after normal lunch hours. So we get in, and have ourselves a feast. I had the Fish Tacos, and they were as good as everyone had told me before. Fresh, with a delicious sauce, on unimposing tortillas that seemed more authentic than your often found 6 in. mass produced "tortilla." The enchiladas were delicious, drenched in heavenly sauce, and the cerveza i pounded down after inhaling my meal topped it off, a succesful lunch I'd say. As Shannon B. mentioned before, the slaw topping on the fish tacos was seriously amazing, and I too could eat it by itself, in disgustingly massive quantities.
Pacific side fresh-mex with an austin flair to it, I recommend stopping by for lunch, it'll be worth your money. -
Review from Matt L.
Los Angeles, CA
11/2/2009
Fuego's - you lied to me and I don't know how I'll ever be able to forgive you.
Since the menu is advertised as "Cal-Mex", I assumed that I'd be able to find my favorite Fuego's dishes in my current hometown of LA. So far, not so good... The fish sandwich with its side of caesar salad is in the pantheon of perfect lunches. I haven't seen it anywhere in LA. I've run out of ideas for finding an acceptable substitute. I fear I've been misled about its provenance - not California but the mind of a mad kitchen scientist...
Other favorite offerings include the fish tacos, the carne asada fries and the burger. The rest of the menu also looks interesting but will have to remain unexplored by me.Listed in: Austin favorites that I miss…
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Review from Sam J.
Austin, TX
10/13/2009
This was the first time I ate at Fuego's. I never gave the place the time of day before because of the location. The liquor store that use to be next to Fuego's had been a source of contention for our neighborhood, but that wasn't Fuego's fault. It is actually pretty nice inside with ten tables or so.
I ordered the Al Pastor Enchiladas which were excellent. It wasn't heavy or greasy like other places, but it was filling. The waitress gave me two different sauces in squeeze bottles which were both delicious. I would have drank them both if she hadn't kept coming back to fill my ice tea.
The waitress informed me that they make all their sauces themselves, including the salad dressings. I didn't doubt it. They also serve breakfast tacos in the morning. They are more like a breakfast burrito. The couple of times someone bought me one I thought they were very good. -
Review from Stephen V.
Austin, TX
8/13/2008
I ended up here by accident one day when the car I was in broke down. We weren't disappointed at all. The tacos al pastor were good, said my friend. I had the fajita beef burrito and it was HUGE. I can generally finish off even some of the largest burritos, but I had to take some of this one to go. And it was well worth it, because it was darn tasty.
I'll be going again, and probably not just when my car breaks down. -
Review from Emily L.
Austin, TX
10/5/2007
My family and I love this place. The food is great, with choices I've never seen anywhere else. They also have a great take on several classics, including the BEST chicken quesadilla my daughter has ever had, and one of the best burgers I have ever had. Tonight I had delicious calimari, with sauces which were clearly homemade.
We've also been here for brunch, and they have some of the most amazing pancakes I've ever tasted. I'm a brunch aficionado, so you can believe me when I tell you the lemon ricotta cakes are NOT to be missed.
Clearly family owned and operated, you can feel great about eating here. Delicous, and out of the ordinary. -
Review from Diana D.
Austin, TX
6/19/2009
This little gem was introduced to me by a friend of mine who was obsessed. He found the place the first week it opened and raved about it for weeks.
I finally went and have to admit, it's great. It's a small family owned business and they keep it simple. When I first came in, the menu was a laminated piece of red paper. But the food is AWESOME. The menu boasts Mexican fusion and the owner used to be a sous-chef, so the dishes range from simple breakfast tacos, to seared fish entrees and pasta.
The decor and seating wasn't the best, which is why I didn't give it five stars, but overall, I dig this place. -
Review from Charlotte P.
Chapel Hill, NC
3/11/2009
Husband and I both had the fish tacos, which were awesome! They let me sub a caesar salad for my rice and beans and it was perfect - light on the dressing, which you could taste was home made. The waiter was very attentive and both he and the cashier were incredibly friendly. Very happy to have tried this place.
Side note, I read a review earlier about the online menu being different than the menu in the restaurant, and I'm guessing they fixed that because as far as I can tell it's now one and the same.
Happy Eating! -
Review from Amber s.
Austin, TX
7/1/2008
I'm such a snob. Normally I wouldn't even consider going for dinner at a strip mall. But I was in the mood for fish tacos, and my husband had done some research and assured me that the fish tacos at Fuego's were supposed to be delicious. Armed with a healthy dose of skepticism (and a back-up plan), we walked into the restaurant and took a seat.
Our server greeted us immediately and introduced us to the menu. The first thing we noticed (besides how efficient and nice our server was, which was a pleasant surprise) was how unusual the menu was. My husband joked that the menu was really a collection of stuff the chef "knows how to make real good"! From sashimi to burgers to fish tacos to carne asada french fries, the menu was as diverse and unexpected and it was intriguing. I wanted to try at least four items on the somewhat limited menu.
To make a long story short, we ordered two entrees (shrimp quesadillas and crab enchiladas--I didn't even order the fish tacos I had heard so much about!) and the french fries for appetizers and we walked out the door raving to each other about how good the food was. Very Cali-Mex inspired (in a good way!), the food was a wonderful break from typical Tex-Mex plates so abundant in Austin. The food was delicious and fresh, and our server was perfect--attentive without being intrusive, friendly without being cloying, and very knowledgeable about the menu.
I will definitely go back and try something else on the menu. I have my eye on the ricotta pancakes for breakfast, and I hear the burgers are wonderful. If a Mexican place can pull off even great burgers, you know you're dealing with a real winner. -
Review from Kara S.
Austin, TX
2/17/2009
Boy am I lucky to live right around the corner from this place, it's awesome! Super fresh ingredients, artfully assembled with care. Everyone is right about the fish tacos, but they're even better blackened! And the fish sandwich is hands down the best I've ever had. It had a lot of the delicious jalapeno tartar sauce, which made it messy, but in an awesome way. The crab enchiladas are also a winner--made with real crab, not "krab." We've also had the calamari, which is very tender and interesting b/c it was cut into planks instead of the typical rings...it looked more like a plate of battered french fries from Hyde Park grill. My husband had the fat burger (not kidding, it must be!) for lunch another time and said it was noteworthy by any standard. The breakfast tacos we got to go one time were good, but not as good as the regular--and especially the seafood--items.
Frequent Fuegos, and tell your friends! Hopefully once this place catches on they can do something about the location and atmosphere, right?? -
Review from Andrew B.
1/7/2009
I went to this place based on the great Yelp reviews. I'm not sure about the california-mex thing. Frankly, I'm more of a tex-mex guy. I wouldn't call their food either.
It's more Carribean/Cuban in my mind. There are a couple items that are a little out of place (chicken caesar wrap), but I thought the food quality and presentation were more like fine dining.....especially considering this place is in a tiny strip center that's in a pretty bad location.
I've only been once, but I hope to go again soon. The fish tacos I ordered were some of the best I've ever had. They were served "open face" and there is definitely some presentation involved; not just fish, sauce and veggies slapped together. There is a window into the kitchen so you can see your food being prepared and see how clean they keep the kitchen. I went at a slow time so there was only one other table, the waitress and the cook. Since I was by myself, it was easy to tell that the cook was interested in my opinion of his cooking. I gave him a big "thumbs up!"
Fuego's is a very pleasant surprise. Only reason it doesn't get 5 stars is due to their cruddy location. I really think they need to re-think their marketing too (or lack thereof). It really looks like just another tex-mex place from the outside. The name Fuego's also does little to let you know what kind of food they have. Regardless, Fuego's is great! -
Review from Jennifer H.
Austin, TX
11/22/2009
I did not order the fish sandwich - I bucked the trend and ordered the giant chicken burrito - and my husband ordered the chicken enchiladas. The burrito was huge and delicious, the pink lemonade was very good, and I liked both the red and green sauces. Neither sauce burned my face off, which was a nice change for a Mexican place in Austin.
The chicken enchilada red sauce was very flavorful, and the dish was not oily, and they used all white meat chicken in both entrees, and this was also a pleasant change from the hit or miss at most other places.
I'll be coming back to try other things on the menu for sure! -
Review from Cody R.
Austin, TX
8/30/2008
2 stars for complete confusion....
I haven't actually eaten at this restaurant... but I attempted to last night.
I went on their website prior to my visit to take a look at their menu.... I was loving everything I saw. I went to the actual restaurant and was given a menu that resembled NOTHING of their online menu.
Their actual menu has about 6 choices for dinner (all seafood)... where as their online menu has a LOT of choices for dinner (tacos, burritos, etc)
I asked the lady where all of the online stuff was.... she said "that's only for lunch".... but I was holding the breakfast, lunch and dinner menu in my hand and still didn't see any of the stuff from online. We were so confused we almost thought we were in the wrong restaurant. I wish I could have gotten more information but our server didn't speak great English.
So, I took a look at what their 6 dinner options were... decided I didn't want any of them... and I kindly told the lady we were leaving.
I just wanted to write this review for all of the people looking at the online menu and deciding to go.
I guess I will go for lunch sometime and I'll update my review.... I really want to try this place! What's the secret? -
Review from Randall M.
Austin, TX
4/24/2009
Ok, so when my friends said I had to try this place, I was a little hesitant. Great, I thought, another divey Mexican joint. However...all that changed when I sat down and a lovely, friendly lady- the owner's wife I think, greeted us and we felt instantly at ease. The interior is nice and quaint and very, very clean.
The food arrived hot and exactly as ordered. The taco plate was delicious as was the very unexpected steamed artichoke appetizer. But! the star of my meal was the remarkable Mexican shrimp cocktail. HOLY Moly it was fantastic. Served in a tall parfait glass, with a tomato based sauce, it was delicious and perfectly done. It is hard to find this version of my favorite thing in Austin and this one is definitely worth going to Fuego's for...although everything else was truly fresh and exactly right. The handmade salsa in squeeze bottles was another spot-on right touch.
My friend's meals were really well received as well and we all had an excellent time. I am going back soon to try the creme brulee. -
Review from Richard R.
Austin, TX
6/23/2009
This place could easily be an awesome little joint. But it misses the mark in every way except one. Here's what they got right:
The Food is delicious.
But that's about it...
Here's what they need to do:
Turn on the Air conditioner. This is Austin, and you're a restaurant. It's hot. You're cooking. Turn it on.
Throw out some chips and salsa. People expect that here.
Find a way to make your soda not taste like toilet water. Don't know how you screw the pooch on this one... Call Pepsi. Serve cans. Whatever.
Decorate a little. Look, I'm a minimalist, too, but one beer sign on the wall isn't doing the trick.
Think of me as a lady and you a bachelor. You want me to come by and give it up (money). You've got a tasty burrito, but that's not all a girl wants... A girl wants a nice place to hang out for a little bit. Air conditioning. Maybe a picture on the wall. A drink that doesn't taste like it came from the bathroom. You can do it. I believe in you.
SB -
Review from Bryan T.
Austin, TX
1/16/2011
The new place Taqueria El Charro is unrelated and definitely good and really cheap. haven't explored the menu enough to say much. Will review under Taqueria El Charro.
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Review from Gary K.
Updated - 1/19/2010
Went back today to try the Fat Burger and fries. I will stick to he Mexican food. That's all about that.
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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1/13/2010
I keep driving by Fuego's but never stopped, well today I did, actually today was Tuesday. It was… Read more »
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Review from Karen B.
Austin, TX
5/15/2008
This cozy family-owned restaurant needs to be discovered! Seems we always have the place to ourselves while it should be PACKED b/c of the delicious, although small, menu. The blue crab enchiladas are heavenly and even the rice tastes so different from the "norm". The Ahi Tuna Salad melts in your mouth. Flan is the best I've ever tasted. You know the chef (Mom that day) takes pride in her cooking when she refuses to serve slightly overdone flan. The staff, all family, is always very inviting and friendly. Should be an Austin fave but it's "end of the strip center" location could keep it in hiding.
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Review from Renee C.
Austin, TX
2/18/2009
Delicious! Stopped in after gym time, had chicken on corn tortillas. My friend had the carne asada meat on french fries, which were so yummy! Great food, the staff was nice. I will return!
