El Alma South — Restaurant in Austin

Let me paint you a picture: Imagine you’re walking into a restaurant where the vibe says, “Kick back, relax, and prepare to be seriously wowed.” That’s exactly what happened when I strolled into El Alma, a Mexican gem that’s about to make you rethink all your taco Tuesday plans.

Let’s start with the queso because, well, it’s queso, and it’s practically the gold standard by which all Tex-Mex joints are judged. El Alma’s version is a gooey, cheesy dream that will have you questioning if you should even bother with the rest of the menu (spoiler: you absolutely should). It’s the kind of queso that makes you consider licking the bowl when no one’s looking.

Next up, the enchiladas. These bad boys are not just “good.” No, they’re the kind of good that makes you close your eyes and take a deep breath after the first bite. The sauce? Perfection. The filling? Heaven-sent. I’m talking about an experience so divine, I might need to go to church afterward just to say thank you.

And let’s not forget the tacos. Now, I’ve had my fair share of tacos—some that made me wish I hadn’t, and others that brought me joy. But the tacos at El Alma? They’re in a league of their own. The tortillas are fresh, the fillings are bursting with flavor, and each bite is a little fiesta in your mouth.

Then came the shrimp. Oh, the shrimp. They were so perfectly cooked that I’m pretty sure Poseidon himself sent them from the depths of the sea just for my plate. Juicy, tender, and seasoned to perfection, these little morsels were the surprise highlight of the night.

But you know what really stole the show? The service. The folks at El Alma know how to treat their guests. It’s like they’ve been trained in the fine art of making you feel like the most important person in the room. Attentive without hovering, friendly without being overbearing, and knowledgeable without coming off as snobby—they’ve mastered the trifecta of service excellence.

So, will I be back? You bet your bottom dollar I will. El Alma isn’t just a restaurant; it’s a destination. Whether you’re looking for a killer queso, life-changing enchiladas, or tacos that make you weak in the knees, El Alma delivers on every front. Do yourself a favor and get there soon—you can...

We tried this El Alma location today & were very disappointed. First off, I want to acknowledge the power was out that morning which definitely slowed things down. But unfortunately we did not know that until after we ordered.

Our bartender seemed pretty upset that they didn’t delay the restaurant opening. He was very passive aggressive towards us & pretty much ignored us. It was so uncomfortable & awkward. He practically threw the menus at us. We ordered & waited. And waited. And waited.

45 min after ordering my husband asked the bartender how much longer the wait would be (we just ordered a couple of tacos). That’s when we learned the restaurant had lost power that morning & he said it was ridiculous they opened that early. Okay? Maybe learning that the kitchen was way behind before we ordered would have been nice. And not taking out your frustration on some customers would be nice too.

We got our tacos after 50 minutes of waiting. We ate so fast so we could get out of there. Needless to say we won’t be back. At least the tacos were yummy.

All in all, seemed unfair to put the staff under the stress of not ready to open & unfair to take it out...

Showed up as a party of 5 on a busy Saturday, picked a queso to start and the plate had 8 corn chips on it and a decent size bowl of queso - more than what 8 chips could scoop. After asking if that was how many were supposed to be on the plate, the server also looked puzzled and brought us more. Cool. 3 of us ordered elote soup and they all came out not hot. We all agreed it was warm enough to not mention anything because we were hungry from waiting (as expected). 4 of us ordered a fried shrimp taco and we all agreed there was zero seasoning. By that third strike I felt guilty for suggesting the place as I was the only person who was a repeat customer, then out of nowhere the server, Sophia, brought us a complimentary flan and said some kind words to our friend who is a new mom and it FULLY saved the evening and most of El Alma's reputation in our eyes. She was such a sweetheart that everyone was convinced to give it another shot! So, whoever is on expo Saturday nights, please serve HOT soup, serve more than 8 chips with the queso, season the dang shrimp and we'll all be winning!! And whoever's in charge, GIVE...