Alfredo's Mexican Restaurant — Restaurant in Horseshoe Bay

Came here on the recommendation from a friend who said it was the "best" Mexican food they have ever had. I don't live close, so it was a bit of a drive to try this place out. The parking seemed to be pretty full but I was still able to find a spot. I was seated immediately even though they were pretty full. I will say they are very clean and the staff is very friendly/attentive.

The chips and salsa come out pretty quick. The chips are just okay; taste more store bought than anything else. I am used to chips that are a little saltier. I know I can add salt, but it isn't the same as putting salt right after they come out the the fryer. The salsa is really just a red sauce. It is a bit spicy but not like having a good salsa.

Checking the photos, the "Flag Plate" seemed to be a good idea. It's three different enchiladas with rice and beans. And when they say "hot plate" you really need to heed that warning. I don't think my plate ever cooled to a point where I could touch it with my bare hand. But this I did appreciate. Most places, the plate goes cold so quick and the food does as well.

For the Flag Plate, one enchilada is cheese, another is a sour cream chicken and the third is "Beef Spanish" whatever that means. I tried the beef and chicken and really wasn't impressed so I just ate the cheese. But speaking of cheese, there certainly is no shortage of that for the entire dish. I'm not not used to enchiladas with the amount of the cheese that goes into theirs. When I have had chicken enchiladas, all my life it has been shredded chicken in a red sauce. This was chunky chicken and some sour cream sauce and again, the heaps of cheese.

I was disappointed to find out when I arrived that they are "cash only" and did not see that before. I see now some people did comment on that, but it very rare to encounter a place that is only cash. They do have an ATM inside, but of course, you have to pay a service charge for using the ATM. All in all, it was almost $30 for one person with no drinks (I only had water).

For that price and being forced to pay using an ATM I would not come back here. Even had I known the cash only policy up front, I prefer to pay with a card. Less hassle than carrying cash and if you have a card that awards miles or rewards, it's always nicer to use the card.

The food was okay but nothing I would go out of my way to...

We had lunch at 11:30 on a weekday. The restaurant is a small, one room plus kitchen building, nothing fancy, low ceiling. There are 14 tables, and a cashier in the dining room. The kitchen is visible from the seating area.

The restaurant was full. We did not have to wait for seating, but apparently this is quite a popular lunchtime restaurant. At lunchtime, I did not observe any children. A few patrons were college students. The majority were middle-aged working people.

The atmosphere is homey and scrupulously clean, freshly painted, but the furnishings and the floor is slightly time worn. The waiter, told us that the restaurant had been in business for 15 years. The restrooms are tiny, sparkling clean, and wholly utilitarian.

The waiter, Jorge, was friendly and personable. He arrived quickly and greeted us with chips and salsa. The chips were fresh and warm. The salsa was nondescript and could have come from any mass produced jar at a local H.E.B grocery store.

I had the sweet tea, fresh, and surprisingly sweet.

We ordered from the lunch menu, beef burritos on one, and beef enchiladas on the other. Honestly, whenever they brought the meal, they looked so similar, I could not tell the difference until we cut onto them. The burritos are white tortillas with beef and cheese. The enchiladas are corn tortillas without cheese. Both were soft and covered in sauce. The ground beef filling had a mild chili powder flavor.

The meal is standard fare: seasoned rice, refried beans, also standard canned flavor. The melted cheese on the burritos and enchilladas was likely American Cheese.

Overall, the meal was filling with a basic presentation, and had a tasty but not particularly outstanding flavor. The meal was good, the clientele appeared to be local working men and women. The service was great.

This is the right place for a hot meal, and the prices were lower than those advertised at other restaurants in the surrounding area. I would eat there again, but would not take a date or a co-worker I was...

This location is CASH ONLY with an ATM inside. Be sure you read the door or the location section of the website before you go in. If you use the ATM, you will be charged $3 by the ATM servicer and $3 by your bank. Based on the reviews here there seems to be a lot of people who like the food and enjoy the service. But it's weird in our modern age that this business cannot process a credit/debit card transaction. When I saw this, I turned right around and went to Pho Saigon South up the street. Excellent food, and they can process a credit card transaction. Even the folks selling produce from the back of a van at a farmer's market can process a credit/debit transaction these days. McDonalds with its razor thin margins can process a credit/debit transaction. It's not a cost or technical complexity problem. Those issues were solved over a decade ago. The only reason I can think of for a business to run CASH ONLY with an ATM inside these days is if they are in a revenue sharing contract with the ATM servicer. The business is counting on you not discovering that they are CASH ONLY with an ATM inside until after you have been given the bill. Then it's going to cost you $6 in ATM fees to get out of there. Because the consumer these days is thinking, "who doesn't take credit/debit cards these days?" Well, Alfredos Mexican doesn't. After reviewing the menu, I think the prices are on the high side. After spending the day in town and asking some locals about the food, no one remembered the CASH ONLY requirement at Alfredo's. Only one local I talked to had been more than once. But all preferred El Bracero Mexican Restaurant closer to town. So frankly, I don't know what to make of this business. Just be aware that Alfredo's Mexican is CASH ONLY... But they have...