Matt's El Rancho — Restaurant in Austin

Edit: Unfortunately I have to edit this review because the last three times I went there with my wife we noticed a downward shift in quality. We ordered our beloved Chile Relleno and it's like they've changed the entire recipe. It seems like there's some kind of fake bacon smoky flavor added now, and instead of the beautiful shredded abuelita style chicken, they just cut it into cubes and it doesn't taste as good. (The same fake smokey flavor also was in the brisket flautas) I don't think LBJ would want this version flown to the white house. And they used to have one of the best margaritas in town, but now the last several times we've ordered the margaritas they were half melted and watery, which I understand I guess they're so busy It's hard to keep them frozen in the machine, but for the price it's pretty much unacceptable and they should invest in a few more machines to keep up with the business. Another minor annoyance is that they used to have a nice lunch special menu but now they keep them hidden in an attempt for you to not order off the lunch menu and you have to specially request it, and if you happen to go on a holiday they'll surprise you with the news that they don't do lunch specials, maybe the website or something or the menu should say they don't offer lunch specials on holidays? And I don't mean like Christmas, I mean anything like memorial Day or Valentine's Day etc. And if you do choose to go, make sure you take a good look at The little black payment device they hand you so quickly, because one time I went and the server decided to tip himself an extra $10 and I had to call later to protest and get my refund. On another recent visit, my wife and I were sitting in the dining room and had a member of the staff taking the trash out with two large trash bags over her head walking through the main dining room, with the giant trash bags directly over the top of the tables where people were eating, which didn't seem sanitary. At some point who knows maybe next year I'll try them again, I would consider revising the review if everything has been remedied, but at this point that would be pretty difficult.

I've probably been here a hundred times. I've tried everything pretty much, but my favorite items are the chili relleno and the asadero tacos. The chili relleno is fried, it is definitely an indulgence because it is very large and covered in sour cream, cheese, raisins and walnuts. I usually go for lunch to get a light discount. I've been going here for so long that I remember when it was $8 and now for dinner it's 16. But for lunch it's $12 I think. Margaritas are good, for some reason they don't put the house margarita on the menu they only have the specialty margaritas but the house one is I think $10 and it's pretty decent, well balanced not too sweet and pretty strong. Although the top shelf does have a slight improvement mainly in terms of complexity of flavor due to the reposado tequila and Cointreau I...

My favorite restaurant in Austin!! Been going here since I was in a highchair.

Seating is remarkably fast for how packed this place always is.

Food is incredibly consistent, and it happens that you have any problems with your order they'll make it again for you fast, and with no questions asked.

Beautiful atmosphere, history all over the walls, team members & customers always smiling.

Drinks are strong, and you will never leave hungry. Same-day-made complementary chips and spicy table salsa. Try not to fill up on chips if you can help it, because entree and appetizers are both all a LOT of food. I usually leave with leftovers that turn into a beautiful breakfast the next day.

Personal favorite appetizer: Bob Armstrong Queso Dip. They just recently won a Best-In-Austin award for their queso dips, which is saying something.

Personal favorite signature cocktail: Matt's Knockout Martini. As the name suggests, referencing the founder's professional boxing career, this is a POWERFUL drink. They don't let you have more than two of them. A one-two punch of these can really get to you, but it's tough to stop drinking it because it's so delicious. Be careful!

Personal favorite entree: Janie's Combination Salad. A gorgeous dinner salad topped with your choice of protein and dressing, but I always go with the Beef Fajita and only-found-here Cilantro Vinaigrette. This one is a terrific decision for those of us trying to avoid carbs, too.

You can get a drink and a dinner for $30 here, which is very refreshing in the big city that Austin has become. I always take my friends & family here that come from out of town. They also have vegetarian and gluten-free options, which is great.

Remarkable service. Employees all seem happy to be here, which is very refreshing as well in the current economic climate. Managers seem to know all of their customers by name, which is a cool thing to watch in a restaurant that's been around for 70+ years.

Five stars. Come to Matt's if you've never...

Great food but not customer-centric. My sister and I were looking forward to a long overdue catch-up over dinner. We chose Matt's El Rancho as it seemed like a good middle ground, with me coming from North Austin and her from the south. Unfortunately, our experience was far from ideal. From the moment I arrived, things felt off. I walked in first, but my sister, who was on the property, had to finish a work call. Despite explaining this, the hostess wouldn't seat me until our "entire party" was present. This policy felt rigid and unwelcoming, especially since I was ready to order drinks and queso. In fact, I even tried to get a drink at the bar, but it was so crowded I couldn't get close enough to catch a bartender's attention. This put a damper on the start of our meal and honestly made me feel like an inconvenience. Once we were finally seated, the issues continued. We were informed that separate checks weren't an option, which felt inflexible. We also had to ask for water, which is something I feel should be standard, especially with spicy salsa. Otherwise our server was nice. The atmosphere was also a huge drawback for us. The dining room was so loud and crowded that we really struggled to hear each other. We hadn't seen each other in a long time and had a lot to catch up on, so this was incredibly disappointing. On a positive note, the food was delicious. My blackened salmon was tasty, though at $27, I felt the portion was quite small for the price. The quality of the food was the only saving grace of our visit. Overall, the entire experience felt less about customer satisfaction and more about strict policies. It gave me the impression that they were doing me a favor by letting me dine there. While the food was good, the lack of customer-centric service and the unfriendly atmosphere means I won't be returning. There are plenty of other options in Austin with a more welcoming and accommodating...