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"all i have to say is....TRES LECHES...a friend brought it as her addition to our tasty dinner and it was definitely the highlight of the…" read more »
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Um, I've definitely experienced better. It's not that my tacos al pastor were bad, it's just nothing that I could rave about on Yelp. Salsa was pretty decent too.
The two pros were that our service was awesome for a packed Wednesday night. If I knew his name he'd get a shout out for sure along with 4 1/2 stars! Love the rice as it was fluffy, flavorful, and not greasy. Great prices as well.
Maybe I should have ordered a margarita to complete my meal?
Just because Guero's is the only Mexican restaurant on the cool So co radius doesn't mean they should let up on their game.
1987 was a good year for me. Summers were filled with trips to Symphony Square Children's Day Art Park and Stacey Pool. The Simpson's debuted on the Tracy Ullman Show, Dirty Dancing and La Bamba were my 2 favorite movies (Riiiiiiiitcheeeeeee.....), my 2nd grade teacher totally rocked (Mr. G played the guitar as our entire bilingual class would sing Bruce Springsteen songs), and an unassuming little taco shack opened up just blocks from school. Cheap and delicious, my family frequented this place quite a bit. With my favorite teacher ever and my newfound bilingual influences, I learned to pronounce the name with a "w" sound at the beginning and a slightly rolled "r" towards the end.
When we first started going to Guero's, it on Oltorf where Curra's is currently. It was a tacos and tamales order at the counter type of place with a couple of those cheapy metal Mexican beer tables. Mom and Dad loved that they could feed their little family of four some seriously tasty grub without breaking the bank. Eventually, Guero's expanded into the former laundry mat next door, extended their menu, and started seating folks like a real restaurant. Still casual enough for a young family, we seemed to eat here all the time. The place started gaining popularity and I distinctly remember when they switched from plastic-ware to real utensils. We were growing up and Guero's was growing up right along with us.
Inevitably, childhood friends grow apart and this was no exception. Guero's got really hip, started hanging out with all the cool kids down on SoCo, and began caring more about image than substance. So popular, sometimes I would have to wait an hour just to have dinner with my childhood friend. Even then, it just wasn't the same. Prices were higher, but quality definitely was not. Now we are mere passing acquaintances. Although I don't at all begrudge their success, now on the rare occasion we bump into each other and I have to wait forever for a table and then get served mediocre food for much more than I know its worth, I want to remind them, "I know who you really are and where you came from Guero's, you don't need to put on airs with me."
First of all, let me say that I generally like Guero's, and it hurts me to do this....but I saw something horrible happen there and because of the way the Manager handled it, I must tell my story.
I took an out-of-town guest to Guero's to have a taste of Austin, and everything seemed to be going fine with the exception of the slight attitude the Waitress had. No big deal. Anyway, I went to the restroom and as I waited to use the urinal, saw a kitchen employee come out of the stall after doing #2 and he had toilet paper with feces on it and threw it in the trash can. I'm from Texas and know this happens in Mexico, and I understand why....but this is NOT Mexico. Here in Austin we put the used TP in the toilet and flush it. Anyway, this kitchen employee walked right past me as I waited to use the bathroom and right out the door WITHOUT WASHING HIS HANDS!!!! I stood in disbelief for a split-second and then followed him out to be sure he was actually an employee. I watched him walk directly into a kitchen area, which is near the men's room and watched him go right back to work without washing his hands. I immediately summoned the Manager, a smaller white guy, and told him what I saw...and even pointed out the guy that did it. The Manager told me that there was a sink in the back that the employee must have used, HOWEV ER I know that didn't happen because I WATCHED HIM GO DIRECTLY BACK TO WORK after throwing dirty toilet paper in the trash can with his bare hands!!! The Manager told me I was wrong (basically calling me a liar) and got an attitude with me! I was in shock, and asked him who owned the restaurant and that I would be contacting them about what I saw. He DID give me the names of the couple that owned the place, but I never followed up. After the Manager basically told me I was lying to him about what I SAW WITH MY OWN TWO EYES, I went back to my table (without urinating) and told my friend what I saw and what had happened and that I wanted to leave immediately. About this time the Waitress (the one with a bit of an attitude) came by to collect my money, and I told her what had happened. I explained that I know people in Mexico put the used toilet paper in the trash and not the toilet, and she started on a rampage. She told me she was from the Valley, and she was Hispanic and that she was offended by me STATING A FACT about this. I LOVE MEXICO. I HAVE MANY MEXICAN FRIENDS. I LIVED IN HARLINGEN FOR A WHILE. I EAT AT MEXICAN RESTAURANTS SEVERAL TIMES A WEEK, AND HAVE FOR DECADES. I DID NOT appreciate this girl becoming belligerent. She called me a racist. I AM NOT racist!!!! ANYWAY, she had picked up my money and had it in her hand, tip included, and I told her I wanted my tip back. She REFUSED to give me my tip money back. I feel like she was wrong for saying the things she said, and she was wrong for not giving me the money back. I'm a very fair person, and I see how she had the money in her hand and felt like it was hers....but I am the customer and I felt like she was wrong for becoming so mad at me and I no longer wanted to tip her after that episode. I guess it's too bad that she had already grabbed the money from the table, because I guess it is hers once her hands are on it.
ANYWAY this is a 100% true story, and I hate to say this about Guero's because I've eaten there numerous times over the years and I like to support local restaurants. The small, skinny white guy Manager was 100% wrong for handling the situation this way, and he should be terminated immediately. If anyone is eating there, they are eating where an employee went to the men's room, defecated and wiped himself with toilet paper which he threw into the trash can and not the toilet....and DID NOT WASH HIS HANDS!!! This is totally disgusting. It makes me sick to think of it. Then to have the staff handle it like I was the one with the problem was TOTALLY INAPPROPRIATE. I hate to have to say this, but it IS TRUE and it NEEDS TO BE REVEALED! I don't dare put my name or contact information here, but if someone wants to try and contact me via this website, I will gladly respond to them. Owners? Manager? Anyone. I am not lying and I will look ANYONE in the eyes and tell them this and they will know I'm telling the truth! I will sign a notarized statement about it or anything else. I always said I was going to contact the Health Department about this, but I have procrastinated and have never done it. Probably lucky for Guero's. If you own this place and you want to get in touch with me via yelp, I'll show you exacly who the Manager was and the Waitress that called me racist and took my money. This is by-far the sickest thing I have ever experienced in my 40 years of dining in Austin. You can ultimately blame the Manager for this review. He should have handled this situation totally different. I HAD no reason to dislike Guero's and went way out of my way to take my friend there.
I can tell why it's called Guero's (translation: White Guy's).
bleck. I had heard so much chatter about ooooh GUEROS. my echo of that chatter is that this place is NOT all that it's cracked out to be.
I went for happy hour with a friend. It's ridiculously loud inside (and HUGE). Drinks are overpriced for what you get. I mean, come ON! How many places can I get a margarita as big as my head for $6. answer...a TON. so $6 for an itty bitty kid's sized one? no gracias. I will take my tequila needs elsewhere.
Guacamole is crap. I mean really? A spoonful of guac is my appetizer portion size? I will go to chipotle for better tasting and cheaper priced guacamole.
I will try your beer garden someday...that actually seems like it could be fun? inside--not worth it. SO many better options. Maybe if guero's was located in the middle of Iowa could it pass as a great restaurant. In Texas--not a chance.
Hmmm, I'm not sure I understand the dislike of this place. I went here for the first time last night, and had a great. We met up with some new coworkers for drinks and dinner on the front patio. The weather was great, and I enjoyed soaking up the people walking by.
Our service was not what I'd call speedy, and definitely carried a laid back attitude. If you're the kind of person who wants to get in and out of a dining experience, do not go here. This restaurant assumes patrons want to leisurely dine with friends, and spend time soaking up the South Congress atmosphere.
The food was what I expected. Good queso, and quality ingredients in every dish. Margaritas were small, but did the trick. I'd love to go back and experience the inside dining area - it seemed as lively and fun as the outdoor seating.
Not bad is probably the best way to sum it up. It was too early to get pizza by the slice at home slice so across the street we went. I had a taco al pastor and a egg and chorizo breakfast taco. Both were good but not memorable. If you are hungry and in the neighborhood its a decent choice but I wouldn't seek it out.
Frommer's you led me astray. If only I had looked Guero's up on Yelp, I would have saved myself the trouble and gone to Magnolia Café instead.
We wanted to try Tex-Mex, but Guero's isn't Tex-Mex, according to our waitress. Already disappointed. We stuck around and ordered two tacos al pastor and the Alambres, both of which were meh. The Alambres was a tad better than the tacos al pastor, but that's not saying much since both were bland even with piles of salsa from the free salsa bar. Beans were watery and everything was just ordinary, which is good if all you want is sustenance.
The only positives about the dinner was the friendly waitress and the festive atmosphere. Drinks, yes; dinner, no. Frommer's, you need to drop this from your guide.
I've been here many times...always at the insistence of others. The only redeeming quality is the location...if you can score a patio table, it's great for people watching.
But everything else? Yeah...what everyone else said:
Margarita...$6 for what I believe may be a 4 oz drink...with 1/2 a teaspoon of tequila in it.
Runny queso
Sub-par salsa
Thankfully, friend paid the bill.
Great Salsa bar and nice vibe on a busy night. Good place to people watch if you can a seat outside on the sidewalk of SoCo. Some of you may recognize the location from the Quentin Tarantino film Death Proof
Guero's is for tourists.
Their queso is watery. Need I say more?
When you go anywhere on SoCo for a meal just remember that SoCo is a very popular destination. It will get noisy and crowded. With that being said. My good buddy Laura M. and I ate at Magnolia, but were in need of a toilet. We didn't want to wait for the one seater at Magnolia so we took a walk and browsed the shops untill we got to Uncommon Objects and finally asked where the nearest public restroom was. He said the restraunt on the corner. It ended up being Guero's.
OMG!
It smelled delicious when we went in and walked around inside. I don't know if all of the negative reviews are anything to REALLY consider. We ddn't eat there we just went to the toilet there. The restroom was nice. The sinks were really cool. I should have taken a picture I know, but I am destined to eat there now so when I do go... Probably the wednesday before thanksgiving. I will go and have my experience and take pictures.
Really it smelled so good that I have to go and eat there.
Just take a look at who comes to this place:
1. Tourists
2. Drunks
3. College children
4. Families from the north "burbs" on their yearly "night out on the town."
SH*TTY, overpriced food. DUBIOUS business practices. Even CHUY's is more "authentic" Austin than this.
And seriously, "people-watching?" Hey, guess what! LOOK! There appears to be PEOPLE, all around you, everywhere, and all the f*cking time!! Go ride on a bus, douchebags.
AND SAVE AUSTIN FROM THIS ROTTING DUMP.
-10 stars.
My boyfriend and I went a few nights ago and he brought his dog. A couple of other dogs were barking at our dog as we were walking up so we asked the hostess if we could set at a table away from the other dogs. Our requested table happened to have three chairs versus the other table (the only one left at the patio) which had two but was next to the dogs. She was SO rude to us because we wanted to sit at the three top. Yes they were busy so I understand why she wanted us to sit at the other table, but the dogs would have barked the entire time.
The food was ALRIGHT.
Our server took VERY long and was not friendly.
Overall a very unpleasant experience. I would have rather stayed home with a PB&J.
I have never had a meal I enjoyed at Guero's. I'm told they have great margaritas, but I'm allergic to citrus so that won't help how I feel. There's always a wait (I know, typical SoCo stuff), but for WHAT? It's just not good.
Finally got to try this place while we were waiting for our photographer. We were pressed for time and it was Sunday morning but we needed some tacos, stat!
When we walked in the first thing we noticed was... holy cow this place is big!
We were seated, and I told the guy we were in a hurry and to please drop the check with the food. I ordered two tacos of the egg bean and chorizo variety, one in flour and one in corn. I received almost what I ordered, one had no chorizo and cheese instead of beans, and the other was... egg and cheese the best I can figure. When presented with the problem our waiter promptly dropped a big bowl of beans down.
I surprisingly found the flour tortillas to be better than the corn, but might have felt different if they double tortilla'ed their corn wrapped tacos. It ripped open and I ate it with a fork.
The salsas were very good, better than most places. We weren't sure if we were supposed to help ourselves when we needed more though, and our poor waiter was out of it so we asked 4 times for more before it clicked in his mind what we were asking. Once he figured it out, he was on top of it.
We walked in, were seated, ordered, ate, paid and were out the door back on the street in exactly 20 minutes. They gave me what I wanted and did it good enough that Ill be back next time I'm hungry for a taco on SOCO.
I wish I read the Yelp reviews before coming here (dumb). This place has a nice atmosphere and it's South Congress, so it just makes you feel more "hip."
But honestly, the food and service is only meh. I use that a lot, "meh," but you'll know what I mean when you experience it. You'll think back, "damnit, James was right."
The food is only okay. I'd hit up Chuy's if I wanted food that tastes so chain-y (although I love Chuy's).
They have a "salsa bar." Whoop dee doo. It sucks.
Why? It's basically Taco Cabana. or Taco Bueno, if you're from the north.
Meh.
I'm not a big fan of Tex Mex. But I am a resident of Austin. This means that I am regularly asked to accompany friends to Tex Mex restaurants. And so it was on a recent workday.
The Senorita plate that I ordered was a mixed bag. The chalupa, guacamole, and queso were tasty. (But then is it possible to mess up a bean chalupa? I'm just asking.) The marinated chicken breast taco was strangely bland. It made me wonder what they marinate the chicken breast in. Water?
And my last visit to Guero's got me thinking. Have I ever had really outstanding service there? The answer is no, even though I've been there dozens of times.
But I'm sure I'll turn up at Guero's again -- probably sooner rather than later. After all, I do live in Austin.
ok, i'm really really really not into places where you have no room to even stand, much less do anything else. yeah, it has a cool atmosphere, yeah, there is good music....but totally not worth it.
we stopped by to have a drink and let me just say it was the nastiest, smallest, most expensive margarita i've ever tasted. seriously, i think it was just cheap tequila with lime juice squeezed into it....in a glass small enough for a 3 yr old. ....and they were like $6 a pop! reeeee diculous
they should really take notes from el arroyo on the margarita making, and the prices. the $.99 ones there are bigger than the one i was served last night and definitely more tasty...
Who's coming here for the food? All you beginners deserve to get the Ass-End-of-a-Donkey Plate. Christ.
Get to the beer garden, order a couple of Lone Stars, grab a bench and position your body in a way that you can head nod to some bluegrass in the glorious Austin springtime.
If the fancy strikes get up and twirl your partner a bit.
Fucking easy-breezy. Whats the big hang-up about food?
My only beef (pardon the pun) with Guero's is that it shuts down waaay too early. Fortunately, Continental Club is just a block upstream.
Go here for the atmosphere!!! Guero's has been at this exact location on South Congress forever, and actually most of South Congress built up around it because of how popular the restaurant was! I was raised on breakfast tacos here; when my mom was pregnant, she craved Guero's breakfast tacos. Go when it starts getting dark, and the area starts getting really fun to watch. Try to sit outside, or just sit at the salsa bar. There is an entire side patio with free chips and salsa that is awesome. Warning though, this place can get packed so if you aren't prepared to spend a lot of time, maybe eat somewhere else and just come here for some fun at the salsa bar and mexican martinis. The restaurant has an awesome atmosphere though, and handmade corn tortillas!
The inside is too loud. The salsa comes (or rather, you have to serve it to yourself) in little thimble-sized cups that don't accommodate a standard tortilla chip. The food is lackluster, and identical replicas of this cuisine can be found at your favorite Trudys/Chuy's/other white-people-fied highway-view shopping plaza restaurants.
So why wait an hour and a half to eat at Gueros when you can have the same mediocrity elsewhere?
If you want some interesting food with a kick, and a better salsa bar (with delicious spicy pickled veggies), go to Polvo's instead. Although, those with sensitive taste buds may prefer something less interesting.
+1 star for the really pretty lights they have on the live oak trees. It does make Congress Ave look wonderful at night. Also, I have yet to try the little taco stand by the grove area. I'll bet that is decent and worth it if I ever saw a band playing that I'd actually want to sit and watch.
One time a few years back I was heartsick. I hadn't eaten in days. My buddies wanted to get together at Guero's that evening and I thought I should go so I wouldn't die alone [insert violin and cello here]. Plus, I'd never been there.
I wasn't hungry, but I ended up ordering a single egg, mushroom and spinach taco. For some reason it was the most delicious thing I'd ever had. How savory were those eggs! How loving was that tortilla! The spinach was perfectly sauteed with a bit of garlic, and I was soon compelled to order a mojito. I sat up taller. I started nodding my head, slowly at first, agreeing with my buds. Eventually I was pounding my fist into the table - I DO deserve better! I AM fantastic!! It's ALL HIS FAULT AND I AM NOT BUDGING!!!!
I went back two weeks later. It was not as orgasmic or empowering an experience. In fact, no subsequent visit has matched that initiation meal. Unless you're getting over something and haven't eaten in a while, it might not be the place to go. Plus, the wait can be ridiculous, except it wasn't for that first time. For a few important hours once, Guero's had my back.
We love coming here for a good solid Tex-Mex meal. The atmosphere is funky Austin and the food is great. Sometimes the wait can be somewhat long but the food has always proven worth it to me.
Wow, I'm surprised to read the negative reviews about the margaritas here. I suppose the people who don't like them don't appreciate the "original" margarita recipe which is 1/3 tequila, 1/3 fresh squeezed lime juice and 1/3 cointreau. I'm not sure if they make them exactly that way, but they certainly taste like the ones I make at home. If you don't like those, then perhaps you don't really like margaritas?
As far as the food goes, I must admit that the first time I ever ate at Gueros I had the Tacos Al Pastor, and every time I've been back that is all I get to eat (besides chips and salsa). Seriously, you gotta try the Tacos Al Pastor. I can't speak about the rest of the menu, but those tacos are divine.
But the best thing about this place is the bar area... I love to go on a sunny Saturday afternoon and sit at one of the high-top tables... forget being seated in the dining area in the back unless you're with a large group. Something about the way the sunlight comes into the bar area of the building makes it a perfect place to get a good afternoon tequila buzz going.
And of course the outside music venue under the oak tree rocks, if the freakin' city would lay off the music ordinance that is.
My country for a Burrito, and god knows I have searched high and low. So far the best burrito in the states that i have had was in a small stand in Berkly called La Burrito. now coming form the Midwest I have a different set of standards for burritos (usually lower) but after my girlfriend helped open my eyes to the possibilities of what a burrito can be... Well, Let's just get started with the review shall we.
First off, no matter what they claim Guaro's is not real Tex Mex. It's way better. Now with that set aside let's talk about food... My girlfriend has eaten here before and i was intrigued to try it out on our weekend trip to Austin. ( I wanted to try it for it's role in "Death Proof") We split a burrito and had a Quesadilla for an appetizer. now the Quesadilla was a bit bland but the burrito was better then average. I really liked the salsas they provided especially the jalapeno and lime one. The atmosphere was a bit chainy for me but just enough outside the box that i could enjoy myself. Overall totally worth the visit, and I will def be visiting again and again...
A slice of sanity on the long mile called So Co. It is absolute stop every time we arrive in So Co for our walk about to drink and enjoy what we love about Austin. I don't give a crap that folks don't like it... for whatever reason they can come up with. Guero's doesn't pretend to be something it is not. It is little rowdy, full of personality, and solid food. We make it by at least 2-3 times a month, if not more. We have countless wonderful times with our funky even sometimes slightly removed servers. I get to see an old waiter buddy from my stint at Lone Star Cafe 20 plus years ago. It is comfy and homey for us.
There are several things one must do if you drop on by. Silver Train Margarita rocks. Yes it is served in a small glass very much like what I used to drink at the old Cadillac bar in Neuvo Leon. No, they don't rip you off.. if you watch they put a full shot of tequila, triple sec and lime juice and some simple syrup.. they way it's suppose to be. If you happen to be a guy, hit the john and count the number of one armed guys there are in the photo above the urinals.. as the rita's start to flow you will always find more than the last visit. Taco's al Pastor are excellent in value and flavor. Mix the salsa's they leave out for you to enjoy. Sit at the bar, if there is room and dine rather than the dining room since some of the most fun is the people watching activities and meeting new friends at the bar.
This is not a fancy mancy Mexican place.. it is what it is.. from the uneven wooden floors, which actually become easy to navigate after a half a dozen rita's to the Austin Vibe wait staff and management.. and if you hate it.. don't come back, this place is usually hoping and the hatahs can just head out to Taco Bell or something more to their likings..
I think this place has so much potential it makes me so sad to see it float in the sea of mediocrity. I had lunch here with coworkers celebrating a birthday. I had pretty low expectations but was excited nonetheless for a new Austin landmark experience.
FOOD:
I ordered the two taco place with one al pastor and one al carbon. It came with a side of beans an rice. I have to say that the rice and beans were much better than the typical Tex-Mex ketchup flavored rice and baby poo beans. The rice was light and fluffy and didn't sit in your stomach like a pit and the beans were whole pintos served in a cup on the side. The beans were a bit bland but a welcome respite from the typical. The al pastor( marinated pork with onion, cilantro and pineapple) totally rocked! I did well by ordering it on a corn tortilla. The al carbon ( marinated chicken) was awful just awful. It was chunks of chicken wood on a cardboard flour tortilla. I took one bite swallowed and left the rest on my plate.
SERVICE: The service is lacking. My iced tea was never refilled. The servers were never around and considering we had a group of ten you would think we would have been extra pampered.
ATMOSPHERE:
1940's cantina with some cool stuff on the walls. Large, clean restrooms. I didn't see the patio. I did notice that the restaurant was very very slow. I'm guessing it wasn't because of the economy but people can get better elsewhere.
Six of us dined here tonight, and it was nothing memorable. I agree with Aimee C. in that this place has so much potential but it's sad that they don't live up to it.
I'm giving this place two stars because of the cool location (first star) and that I like their queso (second star). The salsa was fresh and plentiful, as well.
As for the rest of the food...bleh. It was average, at best. To tell you the truth, my picadillo enchilada was almost tasteless.
I know that there are WAY BETTER Tex Mex restaurants in this town. Gueros is just not one of them.
I was never a big fan of Tex-Mex before I came to Guero's. I know, shoot me, I'm from Texas, but it just never was my thing.
Then I met Guero's.
I ordered a chicken dinner salad with chipotle feta dressing and chicken tortilla soup on a whim. Turns out that it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. The chipotle feta dressing is completely unique and the chicken is marinated to perfection. The soup has fresh avocado in it as well as tons of delicious delicious cheese and tomatoes. Not too heavy like a lot of Tex-Mex places are, but definitely not too light. If you like fresh veggies, cheese, amazing green salsa, and decent prices this place is for you.
So we finally made it to this place... Everytime we are at our favorite Pizza joint across the street (Home Slice), we look over and see that Guero's is pretty packed. My wife and I would like to think of ourselves as foodies...always looking for the next good spot. And we love tex-mex just as much as the next person. We keep saying "let's try it!" But up till now haven't made it.
So we walk in on a Monday afternoon, and as always, the place is rockin'. Nice atmospere, lot's of people seem to be enjoying themselves. We have a short wait till we're seated. Our waiter takes our drink order and brings us some chips. The chips are pretty thick, which didn't bother me, my wife, on the other hand, wasn't too impressed. He drops off some pico de gallo and a red and green hot sauce, I'll use that term loosely. Turns and gives us another set, that it looks like came from another table and had to be someone's leftovers..dirty, half-filled cups... but we pushed those to the side and didn't bother with them.
One of my son's had the childs tamale plate....Dry, masa-wrapped meat that should not be called a tamale..I've had much better samples at the HEB on a grocery trip. The plate came with some queso on the side, that was just plain jane, bland queso. My other son, picky as he is, had an order of bean and cheese nachos, and he got bean and cheese nachos. Can't really mess that up. My wife had a burrito that was big and full of filling. It came smothered in three different sauces on top of a small bed of rice. Not bad, I guess. She didn't care for the sauces on top, but it was okay. I had the taco plate with one Al Pastor and one Carne guisada taco. They were both okay also. My tacos were luke warm, so I didn't get the feeling they were made in a timely manner to be served with the rest of our order.
After it was all said and done, I found myself looking around the restaurant wondering why it was sooo busy. There was nothing special about this place. No "wow" in the food, service or atmosphere. The food was bland, Taco Bell has more to offer. The waiter came by to check on drinks and refill the chips but didn't seem to be too happy with his job either. Maybe I needed to order some alcohol to make everything seem better. but I don't really think the way they open their beer bottles would be too much differfent than any other place. But as I looked around I did notice that most of the people in there did have lighter skin than my family and maybe this place was better to them than it was to us. I guess my wife said it best when she said "Well, atleast we got it out of our system!"
First time here, last time here. Bad white people food in a cheap Mexican costume.
I had the carne asada (which I always always get), and it tasted like nothing. Really, water has more flavor than this and this is made out of animals. Delicious animals and rice and beans should not have the flavor equivalent of water. My date had the shrimp enchiladas, which was rubbery and tasted like the shrimps had gotten married and let themselves go. He ate 1/2 of it and left the rest to live a cheerless life in the dumpster.
It does not make sense that this place is always packed! Our server was pleasant enough and fairly quick, but at one point I pointed to a pal's margarita and asked for one and he brought me a Shiner. I'm pretty sure they are two different things. Perhaps one of us was on drugs (although if it was me I'm sure I would've had a better time). I finally got the margarita, and it was $5.50 for a little tiny baby cup. They should at least booze you up so you won't notice the insipid food.
One star for hard-at-work bearded server.
Plus, the bill was astronomical. An enormous bill for dreadful food and overpriced mini-drinks does not a happy gal make. Bill Clinton's swell and all, but he must've had his tongue ripped out in 'Nam.
Best fish taco's I think I've ever had! Mix in the local So co atmosphere with great fish taco's, and killer bloody mary's and you've got Guero's on a Sunday morning. I find this to be one of the best places to have a "rehab" session from the previous nights.
Yes, I will admit there are times when the seating is not real quick, but that's not saying it's a bad restaurant but more like it's a great place to hang out. Of course if you're on a quick one hour lunch break or trying to hold a business meeting... it's not always the best place b/c it does get fairly noisy when they are rockin' and rollin'.
In all.... a great place to hang out with good friends and people watch! If you haven't been, make sure you get down there sometime soon.
Growing up in Cuernavaca, Mexico, the "tacos al pastor" were a required pat of our diet. There is a one mile avenue with dozens of taquerias. Living in Austin, we definitely missed our tacos al pastor.
No more - the tacos al pastor from Gueros are amazing. The real thing - served with pineapple, cilantro and onion on a corn tortilla with a nice salsa verde. They ar ethe reason why I am a fan of the place. (Order the small ones, the "standard size tacos" are not as good for some reason).
Everything else in the menu my friends and I have tried has been OK. Certainly Tex-Mex but not bad. The place has a very south Austin vibe.
So...I'll start off by saying that we had dinner at Guero's after we were turned away from a 2/3 empty dining room at Perla's a few doors down. Their loss was our gain...this place rules!
We had dinner on a Saturday night at 6:45 pm. The house was jam-packed, with more people arriving in huge parties by the minute. We put in our name, got a little pager-thingie and headed to the crowded bar for a drink.
The atmosphere here is as chill as it gets--a great old building that used to be a thrift store, it has exposed brick walls complete with crayon scribblings, many layers of chipped paint, and old photos. The wooden floors are worn and warped, and there isn't anything pretentious about the sixties-style tables and chairs.
Despite the whole place being hoppingly busy, we were promptly served at the bar. Our beer was super-cold and refreshing, but my friend did not love her frozen margarita. She said it was more watery than frozen but that it tasted good and was strong. We were seated 15 minutes later, which was very impressive considering the crowd.
Our server was very cool and easy-going, and he managed to help us get a LOT of food onto our tiny table. We always had full water glasses and drink refills before having to ask. My husband had the chicken fajitas, and I ordered the shrimp enchiladas, both of which were delicious and generously proportioned. My friends enjoyed their entrees also, but to be honest, I was enjoying mine so much I hardly looked up and can't recall what they had! And the salsa bar with all the different dips and toppings for the endless chips is a plus--the spicy tomatillo salsa is delicious and worth the trip alone!
Given the snobby brush-off we got at Perla's, the trip to Guero's was even more enjoyable. This is what a South Congress eatery should be--unpretentious, friendly and great food all in a building with great character.
Ha, so this is the place that yelpers seem to love to hate on. Um, of course it's pricey it's in a touristy area of Austin. It's not gonna be super cheap. The drinks are expensive but they're actually pretty good. And jeez the food is not that bad. I wouldn't go out of my way to come here but it's not the worst food ever like some people make it seem. I think it's funny that people bash it on here so bad, because there are plenty of places that are far worse than this place and get some raving reviews. Torchy's anyone?
The salsa bar is pretty cool and I've only ever had the fajitas and they were good. I wasn't expecting the best food I've ever had in my life and if you go here expecting that well, then you're crazy. I mean this place is what it is. A restaurant that mainly caters to tourists in the area. So get over yourselves stop hating and go pout and listen to NPR in the corner because you're so much better than everyone else. And yes, we know. You hate Californians.
3 stars for the food and one extra star for the drinks. I'm not a huge drinker but I decided to try… Read more »
I'm about to write one of those reviews that I hate to read -- the ones slagging an authentic Austin landmark. But Güero's, you've earned my ire. You've served me some of the worst Tex Mex I've ever had -- and I LOVE trashy Tex-Mex. I like it greasy, offensively meat-atarian, and covered in cheese. Yours, while managing to hit all 3 of those marks, is simply inedible.
And -- horror of horrors -- you've served me a couple of the most hideous margaritas I've ever had the sustained displeasure of choking down in an attempt to get some kind of value from what proved to be a tragic mistake.
So, to recap, of the 3 things you're known for, you're horrible at food and drink. That leaves the thing you have more or less by accident -- a great location -- as the only thing you do really well.
You are truly The Oasis of SoCo.
Just moved to the neighborhood and figured the constant crowd of people waiting to get into Guero's was a sign of greatness within. nope. first off the service is awful. Now I know waiting tables at a busy joint is a tough gig, and I go to great lengths to be pleasant to the hardworking waitrons of the world; these guys were just plain miserable. so then I thought the place must be so busy because the food and drinks rock. wrong again! had a margarita that tasted fine, but was so overloaded with ice I had downed the thing in practically one sip. it was really more like a $6 margarita shot. the chips were OK but I found the accompanying salsas to be bland. My entree was so forgettable I literally cannot remember what I had. The only good thing that came from this experience is that I now know to not waste my time ever waiting to eat there again.
Tasty steak tacos, great salsa bar (the pico de gallo is awesome). Very enjoyable meal and cool atmosphere. We went for lunch, so can't comment on dinner or drinks, but we loved it. A couple local Austin friends recommended it and I am very happy we tried it.
Came back to Guero's Oak Garden to hear Erin Jaimes and her band.
This time ala 100+ heat.
But it was a good time. The oaks really are shady and the tables are laid out in a nice casual way that allows fun for all. I brought all 3 kiddos and they had a blast. There was free water and chips, so they were happy to munch and sip.
Overall, great time.
AND get out to hear Erin and her band. They play in and around Austin all the time. I am putting up a link to her site with a schedule-
http://www.myspace.com...
This review is all about the Oak Garden. I went to see/hear the Erin Jaimes band.
The weather was…
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$125 Level One Improv Class
Neighborhood: East Austin
Happy Hour til 9pm every day!
Neighborhood: East Austin
Neighborhood: 78704 (South Austin)
Category: Parking
Neighborhood: 78704 (South Austin)
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: 78704 (South Austin)
Category: Pizza
Austin, TX
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: 78704 (South Austin)
Category: Mexican
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