Chago's — Restaurant in Austin

We like to explore restaurants in Austin. And we have our favorites. Chago's Caribbean Cafe is our new favorite after just two visits! We can't wait to return to discover more new flavors that expand the Latin palate in Austin. This is a family restaurant. It is a down to earth place for great food and a pleasant atmosphere. Hip art on the walls. Friendly staff and the owner wants to be sure you enjoy your experience. The 4.6 stars this restaurant has earned are well deserved and I'll add my five stars to the mix. The flavors are unique to Puerto Rico. Spicy without the pepper heat, the ingredients are the stars of the meal. This food satisfies the informed adult palate as well as the children. We enjoyed the Ensalada Chago with shrimp. A complete meal complemented with a great Pinot. The generous portion of JUMBO shrimp were marinated with fresh herbs then grilled (but NOT overcooked). I had a salad on my first visit but explored the Chagos Pernil Asado, pulled pork with pigeon peas rice and a side salad this time. Sounds so simple - and it was, all but the flavors. The ingredients beautifully complement each other with complex spices and obvious care in preparation. The generous portion of meat chunks was moist. The meat fell apart as I lifted each piece with my fork and it was not at all greasy or fatty. The rice and pigeon peas side was toothsome and perfect with the pork. The salad with scratch house dressing completed and complimented the meat and rice beautifully. My last bite was as memorable as my first. We usually eat out on a budget. Our meal here was a little more than were usually spend, but considering our total experience - it was a bargain. We can't wait to share a meal here with friends. We were happy to see the tables filling as we finished our early evening dinner. This place should soon top the charts as one of the go to places in Austin for great down home food for the family or to...

This evening, my husband and I went to Chago’s for dinner for our first time. Santiago (“Chagito”) was our waiter and was very helpful. The food was sooo delicious and clearly made with time, love and soul. I love that this place is family-owned and family-run. It really is. The pork I had was falling apart and melting in my mouth. It was so flavorful and perfectly cooked. The rice was also perfection. The “amarillos” were so tasty! Chago, himself, delivered them to our table. It was a lovely experience and I plan to go back! In terms of the ambiance...will you find white tablecloths and cloth napkins here? It is a “fancy” restaurant. No. Is that missed or necessary, absolutely not. It was perfect! Isn’t the point of going out to eat to experience a feeling of comfort, home, peace? The ambiance was an “experience”, truly, and a highlight for me! The place is oozing culture, and was so interesting and real! Music was playing (at a tasteful volume), which made dinner even more enjoyable. The owner was actually cooking in the kitchen, the staff was friendly, and you could see what were probably regulars filling the restaurant. I regret not having dessert, but will next time! I cannot comment on the drinks because I don’t drink often, and didn't this evening but a lady at the next table had a festive probable piña colada, or something to that effect. It was tempting :). In terms of the prices, to me they seemed quite reasonable, and neither my husband nor I finished our meals because we were full. It was plenty of food, in my opinion, and not overpriced whatsoever. The food is real and of good quality so the price was in line with that. Thank you, Chago’s for the great experience! We will be back, and...

After much anticipation, we finally stopped by Chago's. My dad is from Puerto Rico, so I grew up on this cuisine and knew what to expect.

For an app, we had alcapurrias that came with a bold sauce. It was seasoned nicely, but it doesn't compare to the ones you find from street vendors in PR. I'm more familiar with the crispy version, so maybe this is just a different recipe.

For entrees, I had the pernil asado and it was very moist and melts in your mouth. It came with arroz con gandules (rice and chickpeas) and it was better than my mom made! It also came with a small salad with a nice house dressing, it has a good kick. My boyfriend had the bistec encebollado, it came with white rice and beans of choice (he chose red, and they were very well seasoned.) The beef was very simple. Caramelized onions and a few herbs. He didn't leave a bite, it was so good! I had told him beforehand not to expect spicy mexican food slathered in sauces, and that helped him adjust his expectations. Living on an island, you make use of what you have! For dessert we had tembleque, which is basically coconut custard. It had a great texture, soft flavor and was a refreshing end to the meal.

So overall, wonderful service, food was out quickly and tasted great. We will return again at some point, and try different stuff! I wouldn't say 5 stars, since it wasn't perfection and there's always room for improvement. For example, we had to ask for silverware and a more descriptive menu would have been helpful. The sides and appetizers aren't really explained very well or for some of them, not at all. Most of their customers seem to already know some spanish, but they shouldn't rely on that if they want to expand...