El Alma

Some comedy and dinner at one of Barton Creek's legendary gems. Always helps to have a reservation these days... our table was ready and waiting. A fun and energetic hum with lots of people dining and waiting for dinner.

Host and server were friendly and welcoming. Started with some Queso Fundido (added poblanos, mushrooms and onions)... who doesn't love melted cheese and fresh tortillas? Shrimp and Crab Rellenos were perfection. Silky smooth sauce and I love rellenos that hasn't been deep fried or stuffed with rice. Swapped out the beans for some slaw and corn pudding topped it off.

My friend had the duck enchiladas, and she enjoyed every bite. We swapped some tasters and agreed everything was delicious from beginning to end.

I have been to El Alma so many times and I don't know why I'm just now reviewing it. It is absolutely one of my go-to restaurants in ATX, and it's always fabulous.

A few tips: 1) even though there's always a wait for the upstairs patio, it's worth it for the cool stone stairs and that view, even in deepest Summer. (Beware the uneven steps on the way down, though, after a couple of drinks!) 2) Trust me on this and try the duck tacos - they are amazing (no they would not normally be my first choice either), 3) Pretty much anything with pumpkin seeds in it is gonna be good - I think they spray them with crack cocaine, 4) CEVICHE!!! Yassss. They make their own tortilla chips to go with it.

And, on top of all of that, they have fun, inventive cocktails made with fresh with Mexican ingredients. All around, this place is always a win, unless it's SXSW-crowded.

On a sunny weekday, we stopped by El Alma for lunch while exploring downtown Austin. Lucas was our server, and he provided great service. The service was efficient, friendly, and prompt. We were delighted to find a virgin option for their margarita, which was fantastic.

The al pastor and carne asada tacos were solid and satisfying. The flan was a perfect way to end the meal.

Overall, El Alma delivered good food, great service, and a welcoming vibe, making it a perfect spot for a delicious lunch in downtown Austin.

Definitely one of my favorite restaurants in Austin. I love everything that El Alma has to offer - a very nice outdoor patio, overlooking downtown, very strong and tasty margs and vegan options in food. Their service is very nice, they take utmost care of this guests.

The only thing that I'd request this restaurant to modify would be to offer plant based protein options like seitan or soyrizo. This would elevate the dining options for vegans like me.

Overall, this will always remain my favorite brunch spot in Austin. Highly recommend it.

The margaritas at El Alma are strong and picture perfect. I ordered some tacos to enjoy with them and those were perfect to set the tone for a night of drinking. The area in which the restaurant is located appears to be underwhelming when arriving at night, but the interior of the restaurant and its offerings make up for it.

I think they also have an upstairs/rooftop area. I could be wrong but I saw the stairs leading to it.

Came in for a late night dinner at El Alma! We've been to this restaurant numerous times. The food standards & taste has certainly maintained over the 2-3 years we've been coming. We were one of the last tables to be seated & on top of that it was a big group. Service was a bit slow, and it's understandable.. food was good! I highly recommend their enchiladas, I love their tomato chipotle & mole verde sauces the most. I would urge you to get reservations ahead of time if possible. They are normally always packed.

This review is long overdue having dined here a few times already. I stopped by with friends for a late brunch after visiting the Christmas Market. As to be expected, the place was packed but the wait time wasn't too long.

Our server was pleasant, and drinks and food arrived promptly. We started with the ceviche which was amazing. I ordered the clasico breakfast tacos and mangorita - delicious! The food and service has been consistent with each visit. The ambiance is cozy and laid back. Overall solid experience - I do recommend.

Went for dinner for NYE and was able to be seated outside immediately.

The views from the patio are always nice because you can see the city. And service is nice but just ok (it was a bit slow getting our 2nd drink & one waiter accidentally spilled salsa on the table).

Tried the top shelf skinny marg on the rocks which was much better than my first visit here. The food, as usual, was excellent. Their jalapeño crab dip was rich and delicious, and their adobo shrimp enchiladas were so good I could have licked the plate.

The reasoning for 1 star off is: their tables are extremely small (a table of 4 outside is very tight) and it is oddly expensive - 2 entrees & 3 margs were over $120 with tip.

A nice splurge but not a regular stop on our food rotation

The patio at El Alma has a great view of the Austin skyline. Food is decent, couple of vegetarian options on a mostly standard Tex Mex menu.

The varieties of salsa served with chips were tasty. Nice cocktails.

Perfect location for dinner date with a view.

Parking seemed to be the challenging part, but it appears they have a good amount of private spots designated for the restaurant. Took a few turns around the blocks to figure out where to park, they have extra parking.

Seated immediately outside on their patio, 20 minute wait for inside. It's a bit chilly, but there are some functioning gas heaters that help out some

Ordered their chip and salsa, guacamole, 2 chicken tinga, 2 pato and 2 fish tacos and jalapeño crab queso dip.

The corn chips for the guacamole and crab queso dip looks different than what's served with their salsa, they are better than the lighter and thinner chips that come with the salsas.

The guacamole was okay, not super flavorful and not sure why the decision was made to add shredded lettuce to the bottom of the guacamole mound, makes it harder to scoop up the last part of the guacamole.

The green tomatillo salsa is good, has a bit of heat. The red roasted tomato salsa is mild, but decent.

The crab queso dip is good, real chunks of crab meat and it's got some serious heat to it.

The duck is shredded meat, it's okay, not much to it and little to no flavor either. The chicken tinga is shredded meat and although it has some color from the tinga sauce, it too doesn't have much flavoring to it either.

We started off with one female waitress and then ended up getting cashed out by another waiter.

You pay at the table, an effort to be pretend to be transparent to the customers. I am not a big fan of this wellness 3% charge, which I didn't find out until I got a copy of my receipt.

There was no note or mention of such a charge on the menu and you won't find out until the end and only if you ask for a receipt from the toast app after paying. Shady stuff.

How about paying your staff 3% more and add it to the cost of foods. The wellness cost is added before the subtotal and then tax you on the subtotal with the added BS wellness charge. Why are customers responsible for supplementing the paltry base pay and now to cover for their health benefits. Another shady practice.

Just be honest with your customers, put it on your menu or add the cost to the food instead. Unbelievable.