El Chile Cafe y Cantina

I’ve found that El Chile is always good, no matter what location you’re going to. The service at this one isn’t great, but the food is just as tasty and spicy as always. I absolutely love their Chile Relleno — it’s not fried, just a big honkin’ poblano pepper stuffed with goodness and then covered in a smoky, spicy sauce. Their beans and rice are stellar here as well.
This one is a pretty good location for a business lunch too, with all the commercial and industrial places in the area.

Took the family here Sunday lunch. We love Mexican food and wanted to try this place. They are definitely going after a diff vibe, but somethings are essential to an excellent Mexican food experience.
First, there has to be some spicy heat to the food. The salsa is mole/​chipotle and has no heat. It doesn’t even taste very good. We asked for another salsa with heat and she recommended the jalapeño sauce. We said ok, it was decent, but when we looked at the bill they added $ 2 for the small shot of salsa! That’s rule number 2. Don’t charge me for things that are usually free if you don’t tell me they cost!
The sign on the door says happy hour daily, but it’s not. Just weekdays. I told them the door said daily but they said oops, it’s a mistake.
The fajitas are pretty good as well as the charro beans, but it’s all the little things, not just the food, that add up to a great experience.
Why can’t restaurant owners understand the way to make raving fans is to go above and beyond in all the little things, as well as the food.
Chile has great potential, just misses badly in a few crucial area.
I won’t be back.

We love this little place! We were so glad when it opened in our neighborhood, but concerned that it might not live up to the Manor road location. Not only does it it live up to it’s crosstown papa, it might even be a better deal since we’ve never waited to be seated in three years at this location.
Food: Mexican Fusion with very adventurous sauces. Our favorites are the Chile Relleno’s and Enchilada’s de Mole Rojo. The mole sauce on the enchilada’s is incredibly good and leaves us guessing as to which spice we taste more of! The Shrimp Taco’s deserve a mention, though not our favorite. One of the standouts is the chicken tortilla soup which comes from a recipe given to El Chile by Jeffery’s. It’s not like any other Tortilla soup you’ve tasted, and it’s very filling!
Saw some complaints about the fire-​roasted jalapeño salsa. We find it a pleasing alternative to «the red stuff». You can get «Pace Picante Sauce» style salsa if you want it, but the fire-​roasted has a nice delicate flavor we truly enjoy.
Booze and Beer prices are a little steep and the mixed drinks are watery to be fair, but it would be unfair to judge EC on drinks alone.
Service: No Complaints.
Atmosphere: Cozy and colorful, but stay away from the door on cold days. Would be nice if they put up art by locals the way a lot of other places do. Getting kind of tired of the «Freida Kahlo meets Hulk Hogan» pieces on display ;-)

Happy hour, y’all!
Reading other people’s reviews, especially Tara’s and Don P.‘s, I get where they are coming from. They should definitely offer another salsa with the chips. The margaritas are awesome, but I HATE when a restaurant doesn’t put the price of the drinks on their menu. Then they say that drinks are «$ 1.00 off during happy hour.» Since you don’t post your prices, I guess I’ll just have to take your word for it, El Chile. That said, the margaritas are really the main reason you should stop by this location.
That said, during happy hour, when appetizers are half off, you don’t feel like you are getting ripped off when your nachos turn out to be four chips. The nachos are actually pretty darn good — as is the guacamole.
I guess what I am saying is — I will definitely be back — for Happy Hour, that is.

I love El Chile! They have a great atmosphere, they’re very accommodating to large or small groups, and they have amazing food and drinks. I used to buy jars of their salsa to take home, and still would if I still lived in Austin. As it is, I make a point of stopping by for a chilango every time I visit the city. And some chips and salsa. And some queso flameado. And some enfrijoladas. Yum.

Finally tried their Chile Relleno, stuffed with shredded pork, had some heat going on, topped with a very tasty mole. One of the best Chile Relleno’s I’ve ever had. Our regular server (aka «Frank») was awesome and funny as always. Great food, great service, that’s how you earn the coveted star upgrade.
I’m liking this place better every time I visit.

First time there I had yummy pork tacos and a side order of tortilla soup. Both very good.
My second visit I had some pretty bland fish tacos. And over priced beers.
I have had a mixed experience.
The service was nice and friendly.

Ugh… the salsa… if you can even call it that. I understand they are trying to do their own thing but have a 2^nd option people. It had zero taste it was like eating cold slop. I tried taking a spoon-​full to see if I was missing something … poblano or chipoltle but flavorless really. We got the check before our app even arrived.
The shrimp nachos were pretty freaking awesome I must admit! But the salsa really ruined it for us.
Service was VERY friendly!
Everything was super clean as well.
Let me know when you change the salsa and I would love to revisit. :)

Alas!
A casual Mexican restaurant with no wait, great service and decent food?
We got a winner at Chile!
I got excited the moment we *EASILY* parked and saw the adorable front patio complete with funky red plastic chairs… a happy hour dream! Stepping inside, I felt very welcome inside a surprisingly modern but unpretentious dinner spot.
The menu had all the standard Mexican fare: fajitas, enchiladas, tacos…
I went with the beef puffy tacos and was happy with my order which came with fluffy, thick tortillas instead of traditional, flat ones. The beef was juicy, flavorful and topped with guac — a pure pleasure. The standard rice and beans accompanied my $ 9 entrée — totally worth it.
There was not a single dining companion that didn’t enjoy their meal.
Recovering from day drinking, I passed on the necessary margarita that should be enjoyed with any good Mexican meal but my friends raved about them. Apparently there was no tequila bite, but a definite tequila buzz — that’s the goal, right?!
To top off a great meal at Chile, our waiter was outstanding. He was friendly without being overbearing, knowledgeable of the menu, prompt, and super accommodating with our requests and split checks.
Chile is a GRAND option for a Mexican fiesta with friends when you want to avoid the BS of dining downtown.
Olé!

Sorry all. I just don’t get it. The food is much more exprensive without being any better or fresher. Ordered a top shelf margarita. I am positive it did not have any tequila. I asked the waiter to try it. She stuck a straw in it and agreed. She said they must have forgotten the tequila. She took it away and when I got the bill, they charged me for the first and second. I asked for the manager and he said he made it and it and it had tequila in it. I explained she took it away, but he was unimpressed.
The food is OK but not great and I feel very overpriced.
Don’t think I’ll be back.

Ok so this place does have good food. However, the first two times I had the cheese enchiladas, I specifically asked if there was sugar in the sauce and the waiter said, «No.» The third time I asked, «Are you sure? It sure is sweet tasting today.»
The waiter said, «well let me ask.» And of course, he came back and said, «well there is some sugar in it.»
FYI…it was too sweet for me. But then, I don’t think there has to be sugar and salt in every dish of food I eat. What ever happened to enjoying food for how it ACTUALLY tastes?
Almost the best cheese enchiladas in town.
They offer two kinds of queso and both are good but too expensive for the tiny amount you get.
The restaurant was clean and inviting. I’ll probably eat here again.

Came here to go to the old café that used to be in this building, but when we saw it no longer existed, we thought we’d try out the replacement, El Chile.
Sat outside on their patio, which in the current spring weather is a dream. The salsa is very very good — one of the best I’ve had at a Mexican restaurant recently. I got the pork mole encheladas and my wife got the black bean sauce enchiladas. My wife, who normally hates mole sauce, liked my enchiladas enough to take 2 bites! We had two people helping us during dinner, and both made sure that the chips, salsa, and drinks were always topped off.
The only negative point here was my wife asked for no cream on her enchiladas, and as you can see from the picture I uploaded, they had it anyways — she didn’t complain though as they tasted so good with the cream she was happy that it had it :)

Alright, if you dig through my reviews you’ll find a 1 star review for the El Chile downtown. I was so upset by my last visit to the Manor Road location that I actually wrote a letter to the managers… and I got no response! Which made me even more mad… so, I completely broke up with El Chile.
Fast forward to 2 years later… my wife goes to the new El Chile on Greystone for Happy Hour and had a great meal. She tells me we need to try it again.
So, I reluctantly enter this location… and I remembered why I liked El Chile so many years ago. The food was outstanding. And, unlike the Manor Road location, the service here is excellent. The food arrived warm. There was no wait.
Welcome to my life again El Chile.
It’s now entered my restaurant rotation and my wife and I have been back multiple times.
I mean, the shrimp tacos are out of this world!!! How can I go on living my life without them?!
Screw the Manor Road location… Greystone is where it’s at!

My husband, son and my BF Candace all decided that we wanted to celebrate her husband’s birthday, but due to extenuating circumstances her hubby’s could not make it. So we decided to celebrate in his honor!
For starters this place is in a great location, it definitely was NOT hard to find and since it was nice weather the short wait didn’t bother us at all. I LOVED the patio and outside seating area, but my husband is NOT a fan of sitting outside, so we waited for a little bit before being seated.
We sat and were greeted pretty quickly. The waitress took our drink orders and offered up some appetizers which we didn’t get. Instead she brought us their salsa with chips! I would like to say that I am a good critic of salsa and chips and boy were they delish! The salsa had a very smokey flavor and the chips were thin and crispy just like I like em’!
We ordered our meals — I got the chicken flautas sub black beans, my husband got their chicken enchiladas, Candace got pulled pork tacos? and my son got a mini quesadilla. My flautas were good but nothing to write home about, the rice I think was my favorite part of the meal. Candace and my hubby’s enjoyed their meals and so did my son!
After we finished our plates we sat and chatted for a bit before our waitress came back to take our plates. Candace and I decided to order dessert — let me tell you, I LOVE, LOVE, LOVE chocolate but the way they did it here makes me not ever want to touch a piece again… hold that thought, maybe NOT! lol Anyway, we ordered the chocolate empanada’s with a scoop of coconut sorbet. Let me say the best thing about this was the sorbet and the serving was not big enough for even a 16 mth old baby!
The drinks were HORRIBLE! My husband LOVES a good margarita and being that it was Cinco De Mayo he wanted to try one out. His first was frozen with salt, tasted more like dish water to me and he said it tasted like coconut. Maybe they mixed some sorbet with it?! He then decided to order another but on the rocks, that one came and went… so GROSS! The waitress was very nice about it all and decided not to charge us for either of them. In the end he decided to go with a Dos Equis which was given to him in a glass — but the glass according to my husband, should have been frozen or at least cold and it was far from that.
Overall my experience here was alright, not sure that I will be back. If I do come back, it will for sure be w/​o my hubby!

Great atmosphere, and the food is healthier and less greasy than your standard Mexican joint.
I had an ice tea, some of the chips and salsa, and Puffy Tacos with chicken. The tea was light and refreshing, sort of a mango or other light fruit taste to it. The waiter kept the glass filled too. The salsa wasn’t agreeable with me, perhaps because it’s a dark pepper based salsa instead of the traditional Tex-​Mex red sauce.
The Puffy Tacos were very good though. I could tell the shredded chicken is simmered in some broth and tomato stock, very tasty. They aren’t cheap with the guacamole portions either, which was almost the same size as the meat portion in the taco. The rice and refried beans were ok, but I was pretty full by then and didn’t eat much of them.
I’d certainly go again!

THE BEST MICHELADA IN TOWN!
Also, the Tacos de Cochinita Pibil were great. The escabeche really made it!

I came here with a friend for dinner recently. We walked in and there was maybe one other table. There was no hostess but it seemed like there should be so we stood around awkwardly for a minute until one appeared. She told us we could sit where we liked, so we sat down and as soon as we did the guy behind the bar shouted across the restaurant, «CAN I GET YOU SOMETHING TO DRINK?» I appreciate his eagerness to serve us, but I’m not accustomed to shouting my order across the room. Was it too much bother for the waitress to come to our table and take our order like civilized restaurants do? I don’t know. We smile at the bartender and tell him we’ll take a look at the menu.
We decide against drinks and munch on chips and salsa. The salsa is good, but different. It’s a thick, dark, pepper-​based salsa. I wasn’t very hungry so I ordered the tortilla soup. Be forewarned: The tortilla soup is not your typical tortilla soup. Instead of being a clear broth with chicken, this was a rich, heavy, ancho pepper soup. Note to servers: If your restaurant has a drastically different take on a staple, it might be a good idea to give your patrons a heads up. The soup wasn’t bad at all, but it wasn’t what I was expecting. I was looking forward to a light chicken soup, and the heavy spiciness didn’t agree with me that night. And it was too similar to the salsa. My friend had the fish tacos and those looked okay but a little sparse. Overall, I’ve just never been super impressed with the food here. Maybe it’s better as a happy hour spot?

Met two friends here for lunch and decided I’d go light on what I ordered. A small guacamole (it’s got Omega 3, people) and a small tortilla soup would do me just fine. We sit and chat and sip our tea (went light on the beverage too). And I’m feeling pretty smug about the tiny meal I was about to consume. My friends had each ordered a large plate of enchiladas with sides. Heh.
Suddenly the waitress places a massive serving of guacamole in front of me and then a huge bowl of tortilla soup. Are you serious guys? Thinking they must have given me large portions rather than small, I flag the waitress down and ask. No. These are the small she explains. Seriously. I can’t fathom the large bowls fitting on the table.
The soup had lots of shredded chicken in a thick dark red ancho pepper broth. Cheese, avocado and tortilla strip garnishes came along for the ride. It tasted delicious and was comforting on a cold day. My guacamole was rich, creamy and filled with chunks of red onion, tomatoes and cilantro. I took half home with the homemade tortilla chips, which, by the way, are different than the crappy complimentary chips that come before everyone’s meal.

Suprise find in a seemingly uninteresting shopping center. Cute outdoor patio (view is of a parking lot, but what the hey) with mix match of furniture.
The real reason for this review is the Chilango margarita: a spicy orange-​infused frozen margarita. It has some kinda of chile salt around the rim and is just incredible. I would get there for happy hour (before 7 I believe) because the prices are reasonable — half price apps and $ 1 off margs.
The rajas queso was small but tasty, and looking forward to trying the other versions. I also tried the ceviche which had big olé pieces of fish (but equally large onion chunks = boo). The fish tacos were great, but by then I’d had three margs, so I couldv’e eaten a Hot Pocket and thought it was god’s gift to cuisine.
Going back for that marg as soon as the guy who lives near there calls me to go out again (and he will, remember i had three margaritas, and was VERY grateful for dinner).

I love the enchiladas de mole rojo. They’re easily my favorite enchiladas in town. Their salsa is smokey goodness and different from anything else I’ve had in town.
I visited the original on Manor Road and am happy to have the new location in my neighborhood.