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Manuel's Restaurant
- Hours:
Tue-Sun 7 am - 2 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- No
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- Yes
- Outdoor Seating:
- No
- Wi-Fi:
- No
- Good For:
- Breakfast
- Alcohol:
- No
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Ambience:
- Dive-y, Casual
- Has TV:
- No
- Caters:
- No
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
32 reviews for Manuel's Restaurant
Review Highlights
"Family run place with amazing & huge breakfast tacos."
(in 7 reviews)
"Highly recommend - "Camerones Con Todo" or "Machacado."
(in 4 reviews)
"Their salsa is great and their tortillas are yum yum yum."
(in 15 reviews)
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32 reviews in English
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Review from Brent W.
Dallas, TX
9/17/2011
Not a whole lot to say about this place that isn't covered in the other reviews. Huge breakfast tacos are big enough for two people to split, and the fresh tortillas are the reason. They are probably great because of the two women in the back hand rolling them and cooking them right before you get them.
You can try any dish you want, but the classic that they are known for is the machicado mexican style. I recommend going straight for that.
By the way, this place takes only cash. -
Review from Staci L.
Austin, TX
10/13/2011 1 photo
Breakfast served all day everyday. Awesome!
With the overwhelming amount of horrible food in the area and on the island, finding Manuel's was a blessing.
The first visit I had a gigantic breakfast taco with Macahacado (I've heard it called Machaca and Machado but it is dried shredded meat), eggs, potatoes, jalapenos, and cheese. I couldn't even eat half of it. My friend had the migas. He loved it.
The second time I had bean and cheese nachos with jalapenos. yes, the cheese was the standard sysco brand of a velveeta style cheese but I actually like that kind of cheese on nachos because it keeps it from being so greasy. My friend had cheese enchiladas. He also liked his meal.
Our server, who is the son of the owner, was awesome. Super friendly and and seemed happy to be there.
Be sure to ask for a sharpie and sign your name on the wall.
As everyone has mentioned, it is CASH ONLY. and we ate at 11:30am on one visit and 2pm on another and there was no wait. It is off season for the area though so that might have something to do with that. -
Review from Sean M.
Richardson, TX
I eat here every time I come down to S. Padre. The food is always excellent and can fill up cheap.
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Review from Lee M.
In Port Isabel, breakfast is a great 'break', but not necessarily 'fast' when you stop in at Manuel's, located just one block north of Queen Isabella Drive in Port Isabel. Just look for the smallish building that says 'Manuel's' with the PACKED parking lot. This area can be a bit confusing because there is Manuel's, Marcello's, and Marchan's Lighthouse Grill all within a 2 block radius of each other!
As long as you are prepared for wait coming in, you'll be OK. Just Order. Get your coffee and juice. Read the paper. Visit with the friends or relatives you brought - and hunker down. People watch. Check out the happy faces as they devour the large plates at low prices.
I am a fan of their Machacado al Mexicana breakfast taco made at this Mom & Pop shop, as the taco itself was LARGE and was wrapped in a thin, homemade flour tortilla. The filling of machacado (a dried beef), eggs and a few veggies (hence the 'ala Mexicana' part) was hot, a bit spicy, and very good.
When you add their homemade salsa - you add the kick! All that said, I think that $7.50 USD American is probably bit much - even for this 'beast' To Go.
The Machacado al Mexicana plate was probably a better deal with the rice and beans included as a sit down meal.
PRO TIP: You're credit NO GOOD HERE, as they only take COLD. HARD. CASH!Listed in: South Padre Island
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Review from Kathryne P.
Mansfield, TX
12/1/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Every time we come to the island we come to this place almost everyday for breakfast. Not only do they have the most amazing food but also some of the best customer service of any where I have ever been. There might be a wait but it's so worth it. Pork chops with beans, eggs and a tortilla is my favorite. Only dislike is that they are spurs fans. Go Mavs!!
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Review from travis c.
Austin, TX
5/31/2011
We visit Manuel's for breakfast each time we spend a weekend at South Padre Island. The wait is always long, but the breakfast is good and I like the atmosphere. Football (Redskins, etc.) and Scarface movies seem to be front runners of the random decor.
Here's why I think there's always a wait @ Manuel's:
1. Large portions at inexpensive prices.
2. The insanely large tortillas are famous.
3. Not many breakfast places in the area.
4. The local, greasy spoon, family business atmosphere is appealing.
It's sort of a tradition that we stop in this place each beach trip and we'll continue to go here, wait in line and enjoy our basketball sized tortilla with egg, salsa, beans, potatoes, etc.
I like the place and it's a bit of a beach treasure as places like this don't last forever.
NOTE: They only take cash!!! -
Review from Bill C.
McKinney, TX
7/29/2011 1 Check-in Here
This place is everything that it was supposed to be. Hole in the wall, giant tacos and cash only. Make sure that if you order a taco, you bring a buddy or 2 This place is GREAT.
In fact, it was so good that we went back for a second round and wrote our names on the wall. If you get to SPI, you should go here. -
Review from Chris Z.
Another great experience. Again I ordered the shrimp con todo. Holy cow it's good... and large. I also tried the heuvos rancheros too. The dish is a bit spicy. It was good too.
I took advantage of the to-go tortillas. $1 each or $10 for a dozen... they're good and LARGE.Listed in: Best of SPI
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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3/17/2010
The tortillas are handmade and huge. I highly recommend the shrimp con todos. It is awesome! Come… Read more »
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Review from Janice A.
Hamden, CT
12/30/2011
Slow service. Bacon greasy. Not worth the wait. Tortillas had too much lard, and were not fluffy or light. Had better huevos rancheros at Yummies on South Padre.
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Review from Nicholas W.
North Richland Hills, TX
Pros:
Breakfast tacos are good. Not the best but definitely top tier. Worth visiting for these alone. Didn't try other items for breakfast but the other dishes looked great. Tortillas are awesome. Order items in tortillas.
Cons:
Don't stray from the main attractions. The green enchiladas were not good. A slice of white cheese food on top is not authentic. My Shrimp Con Todos was filled with ok shrimp, very fresh avocados, and cheese food slices. Service is crazy slow. And it is the luck of the draw who eats first despite who sits down.
Great place, not perfect -
Review from Regan E.
Austin, TX
7/17/2011
Just go...that's all you need to know. Family run place with amazing & huge breakfast tacos.
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Review from Israel D.
Austin, TX
9/4/2010
I ordered one barbacoa taco on a flour tortilla, a side of beans, and a side of guacamole. The "taco" was big enough to divide in half and have one of those halves provide two tacos plus extra filling. It was ridiculous. No one needs a taco that big. No one. It couldn't even fit on the plate!
The barbacoa and beans were both fresh but needed salt, and the tortillas weren't as soft as they could have been, but the guacamole was the best I've ever had. So delicious that it gets a star of its own. Nothing beats avocados from Mexico, and this guacamole had perfectly ripened tomatoes, garlic, salt, pepper ...and incredible flavor.
Even now I'm drooling just thinking about it. Good thing I'm going back next week. -
Review from Lynn F.
Round Rock, TX
10/8/2010
Iced tea, Migas, breakfast tacos and coffee.
This place is fantastic. I never go to Padre without visiting this place. Their salsa is great and their tortillas are yum yum yum! -
Review from Winnie L.
Austin, TX
9/6/2009 3 photos
My sister and I were on labor day vacation in SPI and I have Yelp for my iPhone so i decided to look for a good breakfast place. The first thing that came up was Manuel's and we knew we had to go based on the ratings.
Well I am still sitting here waiting on our food so I figured I would type up a draft as I go!!
We got here around 1130am and there was a large party waiting outside to be seated. The parking lot and exterior is nit amazing but that shouldn't matter. We walked in to get our names on the list and the guy said it would be about 30 minutes, but we got seated in 15 because it was just the 2 of us and some people had left because they didn't want to wait.
The place is super tiny and yes, there is a lady in the verrrrry back making fresh tortillas.
While waiting on our food they give you chips and salsa. The salsa was pretty hot to me but it was good. The chips are thick but ours were cold.
A few tips is that don't come if you are about to pass out from hunger. When we put our names in the list then got seated we realized the people that we saw when we put our names down and even after we got seated had not even gotten food yet. I'm guessing it's about 30-45minutes before your food comes, probably because they make to go orders before all the other orders but the food is SO good!!!
The restrooms are very clean and they have a pretty cool recyclable towel that you pull down to use and it cycles back into the machine afterwards. Just a random tid bit!
The food is sooo good! The owner is really nice! Def. will go again -
Review from Hannah H.
Aurora, IL
5/25/2011
Oh my my my - best Mexican food I've ever had, and I live in the Chicago area where I get fresh Mexican food all the time. But Manuel's has that beat, hands down! For breakfast, try the Migas (Chilaquiles) with cheese - mmmm! The handmade tortillas are awesome (delicious), and huge. The refried beans are magnificent... If you get here late though be prepared to wait - the restaurant is small, and quite popular (and once you eat here you'll see why it's popular).
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Review from Stacey L.
San Francisco, CA
9/3/2008
Manuels have the best breakfast tacos on the beach! They are huge so get the small because the small is still huge! If you get the large you will be eating for a week!! The Tortillas are homemade and Huge! This place is cheap yummy goodness with HUGE portions!!
Try it is a hangover life saver! This place is not on the Island but just across the bridge. It is often crowded but well worth the wait!
I miss Breakfast Tacos!! -
Review from Chris E.
Richmond, TX
9/4/2010
The taste of the food is the only redeeming quality of Manuel's, but this is the type of food that is available in any hole in the wall mexican restaurant between the Rio Grande and Waco. Simply because they are cheap and put forth an honest product, I'll give them two stars instead of the one I feel they deserve.
Folks, don't expect quick service. The wait is twice as long as what you are told and you will fry outside on the blacktop. Inside, there are only two people cooking food for 13 tables. The waiters move at a snails pace that is not true of other Valley restaurants. There is a large screen TV that is not on even on college football Saturdays. The decor is cheap sports memorabilia which are entirely random in nature. The walls are littered with cheap movie posters. There is no theme, no kitsch, no appeal.
Salsa is hot but good. Use it on your tacos which come with no salt or pepper pre-added. You will only get one basket of chips during your 45+ minute wait between being seated and seeing your order materialize - so ration it. Since they bring it fifteen minutes after you are seated, that will help.
Bottom line - unless your time is worth the $1.00 savings per person over going elsewhere for quicker service with smaller tacos, but identical contents - avoid Manuel's. -
Review from Heidi O.
Elk River, MN
4/6/2011
I dont remember what I had, but it was a breakfast taco with the beef jerky in it, done mexicano style. So dang good! Place is not a fancy place, but I don't need fancy. Great service, awesome food. We will definately be back. A breakfast I will not forget. Portions are huge, share or have them put 1/2 in a to go package right away. Fresh tortilla's, who does that these days. So good......
This is a must for anyone on the island or close by.
If you are going and expect the best of everything, change your expectations (Chris E). You take into consideration the awesome foods, the flavors, the great service. I would have to pay more for a lot less anywhere and I would leave unhappy.
A very memorable breakfast. Yum, Yum, Yum..... -
Review from david h.
Longview, TX
8/3/2009
This is a great little breakfast place. I would imagine the lunch is good too but I only had breakfast. You can tell when you walk in it is going to be good.
There is a little, old Mexican lady in the back hand making the tortillas. It was a little like stepping back in time.
Friendly people. Great food. I would choose this place over anywhere in South Padre (even if the causeway was backed up). -
Review from Shaun A.
Kingwood, TX
10/25/2010
Some of the largest and best tasting tacos you could ever get in the valley!
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Review from pj s.
Round Rock, TX
8/7/2011
Read the other GOOD reviews, then go. Yummy migas and breakfast tacos. Nice spicy salsa. Relax. Be patient. Familial South Texas. Random John Wayne, Scarface, Rocky, college pennants decor.
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Review from Olivefood E.
San Antonio, TX
8/4/2011
Delicious breakfast! The food was fresh and hot. Everything we ordered was excellent: great coffee, pork chops, mushroom and cheese omelet, tortillas, beans, hashbrowns and biscuits. Highly recommended.
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Review from Jennifer T.
Austin, TX
8/31/2010
My husband and I ate here for breakfast - it was DELICIOUS. I had migas which came with a gigantic homemade flour tortilla (I even saw the tortilla lady making them in the back room). My husband had steak and eggs (for $7.50!) His meal came with a ribeye, 2 eggs, hash browns and toast. The service is quick and friendly too. I would love to go back here to try lunch or dinner. Manuel's is easy to find in downtown Port Isabel. Really delicious breakfast, very affordable with the biggest homemade tortillas I've ever seen. If you are reading this on Yelp for iphone in the Port Isabel area, start driving there now.
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Review from Sarah C.
7/2/2008 1 Check-in Here
We were told by EVERYONE to go to Manuel's for breakfast. Everyone was raving about their tacos. How could we refuse? Plus, we're up at the crack of dawn anyways thanks to our 9 month old.
Manuel's exterior is a bit rough. If I were looking for a spot to eat at and I had no idea how highly recommended this place was, I would drive right past it. It's definitely divey but the food is on a whole new level of great breakfasts. I seriously wish this place was here in Austin. I'd be a permanent fixture and people would think I was part of the decor.
The menu is a pretty basic one. All of their food looked fantastic. They offered all types of breakfast meats as well as American style breakfast like pancakes and sunny side eggs. Manuel's likes to keep their business in house. Our waiter, who happened to recognize me from schlitterbahn the day before (can someone say, stalker?? I kid, I kid.) also happened to be Manuel's son. We told him we were virgins and to treat us gently. He recommended a breakfast taco "con todo" meaning with everything. Everything to them is potato, cheese, egg, and re-fried beans. All we had to do was pick a meat. We chose sausage for each taco. He gave us a frightening look and told us that there was no way we could possibly get two tacos, one was more than enough. I was a bit skeptical because as you can see, this girl likes to eat. I trusted him though so we agreed on one taco. When it came out it was seriously the size of two plates and that's because it's folded in half. They couple the taco with a ramekin of salsa. The salsa is fantastic! They definitely use roasted tomato's. Mmmm.. I was stuffed and completely satisfied. I will definitely be going back and back and back and back the next time we hit S.P.I.
Also, this place closes at 2 p.m. so don't be a jerk and show up at 1:50 p.m. Thank you and your welcome. -
Review from Yashira G.
Dallas, TX
5/19/2010 2 photos
We decided to go to Manuel's after reading the reviews on Yelp. The restaurant itself is ugly- but remember that you're there for the food and not the decor! We had the flour tortilla with shrimp..it was amazing! The tortilla was hugeee so we split it. It was soft, buttery and flaky...definitely not for people that count calories! The ingredients were fresh and the place was PACKED both times we went. If you value delicious & fresh food, go to Manuel's!
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Review from Ellis F.
The Woodlands, TX
8/28/2010
The king of breakfast / brunch tacos. Texas Monthly rated as 1 of the 63 tacos in Texas that you must eat before you die. I have been eating here for over 20 years - never been disappointed. Highly recommend - "Camerones Con Todo" or "Machacado". Order just one. I have never been able to finish one.
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Review from Elias S.
Brooklyn, NY
6/22/2010
You better Burrreat it!
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Review from bee s.
Dallas, TX
10/17/2008
The food is incredibly delicious. Homemade tortillas that are mouthwatering. Great Breakfast and lunch. The service is great, all family members aiming to please. Lots of locals and SMART tourists that know a good thing when they see and eat it. As a Cowboy fan its hard to see a Cowboy pennant hanging next to a Redskin pennant, but its worth the discomfort for the great food.
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Review from Trey C.
Fayetteville, AR
5/11/2009
Thanks to reading online reviews, I decided to go for the breakfast taco (which isn't on the menu). We just told the waitress to have them make it however she'd recommend. They were awesome! I ate about 1/3 of mine and was full. I haven't tried lunch or dinner here, but imagine that would be good as well. They didn't take cards when we were there, which was the only inconvenience...
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Review from Sara M.
San Antonio, TX
9/4/2010
Do not order the pancakes unless you like pancakes from a mix. The chips were hot and OK. The salsa was a little spicy hot but OK. My husband liked his steak and egg breakfast. The coffee is a good strength, but a cheap brand. The tortillas are huge, hot and I wanted to say delicious, but they had an after taste I've never had from a fresh flour tortilla. The wait was long (an hour on Saturday) but we expected that and read while we waited. We will not go back as the wait did not justify the food not being exceptional. If I did go back, I'd have the breakfast taco con todo. But we aren't going back as food quality is the most important thing to us, not massive quantities.
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Review from Karon W.
Austin, TX
3/14/2010
Friendly and good food with lots of character. Their breakfasts are really good. They have great burgers, too. Add jalapenos and their wonderful salsa and they are the best burgers ever!!
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Review from sara s.
San Antonio, TX
9/3/2009
the food and the prices were outta this world!
Definitely our favorite place. the ambiance was simple and functional, personally that added to the appeal. We tried breakfast tacos and migas. everything was to die for. I wish I could go back just to have breakfast!
warning: you will get a lot of food!
