In a familiar way, Eldorado Cafe blends traditional Mexican food with new, creative Tex-Mex. Like walking into a Tex-Mex restaurant that you’ve been to a thousand times before, the North Austin restaurant is a staple is a neighborhood hub for good food, drinks and people. On a Thursday night, the parking lot was packed and there was an hour and a half long wait for three people. 

 

On the restaurant’s patio was a dedicated waiting area where you could sit and enjoy chips and salsa and order drinks. A come as you are type place, some people enjoyed the very causal vibe and were dressed for a causal evening, while some other parties looked like they came straight from the office. Some groups were groups of friends catching up, some were couples on a date night and others were families just there to enjoy dinner. The restaurant was completely full, but it didn’t feel like it. The walls were decorated with all kinds of art and posters, and the middle of the restaurant featured an open kitchen. Despite the full house, it wasn’t overwhelmingly loud. We could chat at our table without feeling like we had to yell, and there was music playing but it was quiet enough to where we couldn’t hear it. 

 

All aspects of the service were friendly as everyone was super enthusiastic about answering questions about the menu and had a smile on their face every time. Outside while we were waiting for our table, our waiter was very friendly and attentive, but not overbearing and he let us enjoy our conversation. Once we sat at our table inside, our waiter was just as friendly and for me, a very familiar face. 

 

As soon as we walked in, I saw him, my best friend’s ex-boyfriend. I quickly pointed out to Isabella and Leeza that I had completely forgotten that he worked at El Dorado and was just as shocked when he came over to our table and introduced himself as Zach, our waiter. We were able to put aside the awkwardness of recognizing each other and he was very friendly and helpful all night. 

 

Every Tex-Mex restaurant should have its staple cocktail, and for many, it’s a margarita. With Leeza and Isabella, we asked our waiter if they had any signature drinks, and our very friendly waiter recommended the Mezcal Sandanista, Pinarita and House Margarita (10). We ordered our drinks and mild salsa, which came in two varieties, red and green. Leeza and I ordered House Margaritas with a Tajin rim and Isabella tried the Mezcal Sandanista. 

 

The margaritas were very tart, but the citrus flavor wasn’t overpowering. They had the perfect amount of tequila, as the first sip wasn’t too strong, but the drink got stronger as you drank more of it. When we sat down inside, we scoured the double-sided menus - that even featured a vegan section - and made our decisions. Leeza ordered the Eldorito Pie, the restaurant’s take on a Tex-Mex version of a frito pie. Isabella got the chicken flautas, which ended up being smaller than she expected, but the chicken was still very juicy and flavorful with the tortillas being perfectly crispy. The menu provided an option of some classic Tex-Mex staples with some nostalgic dishes and some new, more modern options. 

 

On the nostalgic side, I ordered the Dart Bowl Enchiladas ($17.50). Dart Bowl was an Austin original bowling alley, somewhere I grew up going to for field trips, fun and in high school, lunch. Before its lot was bought out to be turned into an apartment complex, Dart Bowl was known for its cafe, and the staple of the cafe was its enchiladas. Seeing the Dart Bowl Enchiladas filled my heart with nostalgia and I knew I had to order them. 

 

The enchiladas are cheese topped with chile con carne, jack cheese, queso, red onions, jalapenos and a fried egg and a side of rice and beans. It's served with three enchiladas, which usually would be more than enough for me to take home and have leftovers, but I was starving from having played soccer all day so I cleaned my plate. You don’t mess with a classic and the iconic recipe was just as I remembered it, flavorful and perfectly cheesy. The jalapenos add a little bit of spice, but not too much and the fried egg is a surprising flavor but adds some firm texture to the softness of the enchiladas. 

 

After we finished our dinners, we decided to order dessert, I ordered JB’s Rodeo Donuts ($7), Isabella the Flan ($7) and Leeza the Sopapilla Cheesecake ($8). The desserts were all solid choices, with none of them being overpoweringly sweet, the Flan having the perfect texture and the Sopapilla Cheesecake being fluffy on the outside with a traditional cheesecake filling on the inside. The Rodeo Donuts were mini buttermilk donuts that were covered in the perfect amount of cinnamon sugar and served with a very tart homemade jam. 

 

Overall, besides the embarrassment of seeing an unwanted familiar face, El Dorado Cafe was a great experience. It’s clear why it’s a local favorite and has survived several generations in the Austin food scene. Everything about El Dorado Cafe is done well, from the service to the food. 

 

Details: 

https://www.eldoradocafeatx.com/ 

Address: 3300 W Anderson Ln. #303, Austin, TX 78757 

Hours: Tuesday - Saturday 9 AM to 10 PM, Closed Sunday and Monday

Phone: (512) 420-2222

Social Media: @eldoradoatx - Instagram and X, El Dorado Cafe on Facebook

Price range: $20-30 per person 

Accessibility: Has a vegan/vegetarian menu, lots of disabled parking and ramps on the sidewalk to get in