El Naranjo

My husband and I love El Naranjo. I am a vegetarian and he’s not. They have great options for us both. The food is fresh and well prepared. It’s a refreshing departure from our saturated Tex-​Mex and taco scene in Austin and is one of our favorite restaurants in the city.
El Naranjo is located in a cute remodeled home on Rainey Street. We have been regular visitors since they opened. The service is always excellent and the owner/​chef often greets guests in the dining rooms. My husband says that they have the best Margaritas in town. We have brought many friends and family along and everyone has always walked away happy. My favorite entrée is the Mole Negro. It’s made with vegetable broth and is phenomenal. I am also a huge fan of their Tres Leches, Queso Fundido, and Pastel Azteca. My husband also likes the Tamiquena and Chile Poblano Relleno.

I do love El Naranjo — I had the mole negro with duck. The duck was perfect, the skin crispy and the mole smooth and complex. It was wonderful. I had the house magarita — which did pack a punch and was the last drink of the evening for me. Our service was great at 7PM on a Wednesday of the week between Christmas and New Years. My husband enjoyed his meal also, but I was so busy wallowing in my mole that I completely forgot what he had. I want to come for brunch to try the chilaquiles — can I get that with Mole Negro? I am sure it would be

We arrived before opening and sat in the shade of a beautiful tree out front until someone noticed and invited us into the bar area. El Naranjo feels like home, albeit a tastefully appointed home with a gallery of photos to entertain the eyes. We chatted with the very knowledgeable bartender as he set up shop and slowly sipped their Mezcalina cocktail which offers delectable flavors derived from the smoky mezcal, sweet agave nectar and muddled basil & serrano chile. What great mind came up with this drink? So unique and yum! That’s no sweet margarita, for sure.
My starter was the Ceviche — what is not to love about a perfectly balanced offering of fish, cilantro and lime. .. . refreshing, light and satisfying. My dining partner truly enjoyed the Caldo Tlapeno which was as tasty as it was beautiful.
On to the main course. We shared dishes — our plates going back and forth across the table without regret. We can highly recommend our selection — a mole and the cochinita pibil. The moles at El Naranjo are traditional and exquisite — don’t even think of chocolate chile — that’s just not what a true Mexican mole is! Expect beautiful flavors that only happen when fruity chiles and a variety of vegetables are simmered for hours or even days. The pork was cooked to perfection. Cochinita Pibil is a rare treat anywhere in the U.S., and here it is sumptuous — I wonder where the pit is !
I got so relaxed and excited that I forgot to even take photos, but the plate presentations were gorgeous.
I truly respect this chef for sourcing many local and organic ingredients, and using only non-​GMO Heirloom Corn from Mexico for the house made tortillas and corn-​based dishes. Supporting growers in Mexico means jobs at home for so many more now — that is a huge step forward.
We do not live in Austin, but look forward to returning to eat at El Naranjo later this year.
For the record, I feel the most negative reviews posted here are people who do not understand the true cuisine of interior Mexico. Everyone is entitled to an opinion, but this is not Tex-​Mex, people.

My boyfriend and I went to El Naranjo last night for an anniversary dinner. We had a very sour waitress who rushed us through our meal — a bummer, since it was a special occasion. The food was decent, but a bit dull and hardly worth the price. I had the tinga poblana, a mushy pulled pork and chorizo dish, which was a bit over-​salted and desperately needed something with a little bit of texture on the side; my boyfriend ordered one of the mole dishes, which he was not especially impressed with. On the bright side, our cocktails were excellent.
In summary: subpar service, average food. We will not be returning.

I am a terrible Rainey neighbor. It took me over a year to stop in here and give it a go. Aaaaaaaaand now, color us addicted. (Dat ceviche doe. Pause. We’ll get there.)
Admittedly, the front of the house could use a little more lights, marketing, or whatever to attract business — I always thought they were slow and hurting for business whenever I’d walk past. I know isn’t a neon light kinda place, but it still looked dark and lonely from the street. Little did I know, the font of the building houses the host stand and a modest sized bar to the right and the true action takes place in the sectioned off dining rooms. Yes, dining rooms. Its adorable — you’ve gotta see them.
But this isn’t the type of place you’ll ONLY want to stay at the bar for. This is the type of place where you go because you’re dying for something new, unexpected, tasty and has attentive, friendly service to boot. The staff is always patient as you butcher the pronunciations of their authentic Mexican dishes and they’re always taking the time to describe their tasty, drool-​worthy dishes.
From moles that are crafted from over 30 spices and flavors, to the moderately sized sharables, there is seriously something on the menu I guarantee you’ll fall in love with.
We’ve been a handful of times and though we’ve adventured through the menu, I always find myself wanting to order:
–House Margarita — Keep it simple. Why ruin a good thing? Its refreshing, hand crafted and I’ve never detected that fake, syrupy crap. These are the real deal, guys.
— CEVICHE!!! The base is generally yellow fin tuna, with variations from there. I’ve nibbled on tuna with plantains, lime, cilantro, onions, and unadulterated magic, while other times they’ll throw in a diced avocado instead of the plantains, but no matter how they make it, I highly suggest you order it. Their chips are the perfect size, and hold just the right amount of grease to make you feel guilty and in love at the same time.
— Pastel Azteca — This is like a gloriously cheesy Mexican lasagna. The menu describes this dish as «layered corn tortillas filled with spinach, almonds and raisins. Covered with a tomato chipotle sauce with crema and cheese au gratin.» Meanwhile, I’d describe it as culinary genius in my mouth. Its cheesy, filled with love and care. I dream about this stuff.
Other contenders:
–Carmones (shrimp) al mojo de ajo — A light shrimp dish with a light, citrus flavor.
–Poblano Relleno — This isn’t like the stuff you get from a generic Mexican restaurant. Its made with so much more than that.
–Tampiquena — A simple, yet tasty steak dish.
Even their breads that they serve prior to dinner are perfect. Its presented as tiny little two-​bite pieces, served with a small bowl of pickled onions, carrots and cauliflower (the actual name of this escapes me. I suppose its something like chow chow or something?). It is also accompanied by a small dish of room temperature orange-​flavored butter. Glorious! And the final piece is a house made, purchasable smoky, chipotle hot sauce/​salsa? I feel terrible that I can’t describe it in a sexier manner — I just know its delicious.
Point made. Its fabulous. Its not offensively pricey. Its just more upscale than a lot of the other Rainey joints. And there’s a reason. Because you’re stepping into an experience where the staff is going to take care of you and the chefs are going to take care of your bellies. win/​win.

Great interior Mexican food plus attentive service — I will be back!

Went with a large group. Staff was courteous and proffesional. We ordered the CEVICHE DE LA SEMANA, QUESO FUNDIDO ESPECIAL and GUACAMOLE, WITH TOTOPOS. All were delicious and the Queso was more than delicious it was outstanding.
I had for my entrée the CHILE POBLANO RELLENO DE PICADILLO OAXAQUEÑO. Very tasty and good. Others raved about the PESCADO TIKIN (sea bass) as their entrees.
Highly reccomend this restaurant. parking is strange. We all ubered in. Might want to call and see if they take reservations as well as it is in a old house which has been fixed up to look great.

Had an amazing dinner here. Was nervous to try it, but living down the street and want to try out everything that is local. The ceviche was my favorite. House margarita was great. Good ribs with garlic mashed potatoes. Had good service. Little pricey for Mexican food, this is the only reason it got 4 stars.

Sunday brunch, the place was empty, quiet, had a weird waspy, sterile kind of vibe.
The owner lady came by and offered us Pan Dulce for $ 2.50, which she vouched was the best we’ll ever have. Although we were hesitant, once we took a bite, we totally agreed.
Everything else was meh. Their beer selection was weird and small.
The food was expensive. The chicken was bland. The eggs were runny for poached eggs. Actually everything was really bland.
This place was pretentious, overpriced for what we got and tasted and underwhelmed. Too bad.

I searched and searched for a great Mexican food restaurant that I felt would impress my family who was visiting this weekend. Unilocal led me here and unfortunately I’ve been left with a feeling of dissatisfaction. We had a party of 9, two of which were children around age 5. They do not have menu items catered for children of this age and I wish that had been more noticeable when I was researching the venue. My parents and myself had their taco dish (TACOS DE ARRACHERA ESTILO BAJA-​MED). Mom thought they were good, dad thought they were ‘ok’ and I thought, ‘Meh, I’ve had better’. Being raised in Texas I’m accustomed to ‘good’ sized tacos… the tacos here are half the size of a taco you’ll get from let’s say an authentic tex mex restaurant. The steak in my taco was not warm, neither was the tortilla. They had a hint of pineapple… and that’s about all the seasoning that resonated with me from those baby tacos. No rice, no beans, no sides at all came with the dish. My girlfriend had the TLAYUDA OAXAQUEÑA and she says it was really good; It was light which is what she was looking for. She was not able to finish it all and took some of it to go. We also had an appetizer of chips and guacamole; it was good. The guac was fresh and chips were crunchy. So we asked our waitress (who by the way was a little snide), if they had anything that a child would like and she recommended cheese quesadillas. The two barely touched them and the naranjo manager had no issues comping them; Nice customer consideration! The ambience is quiet and although the dress code is casual, the food and staffs demeanor seemed to be geared towards an upscale crowd; It’s a little contradictory. I mean it’s on Rainey street.

I actually wasn’t impressed by this place, tho I wanted to be! I went for the molé and the drinks. They were out of basil for the drink I wanted and I was understanding and accepted a substitute. They said they were working on getting more basil so they could make the drink I wanted but that didn’t end up happening. I can understand that though.
I was hoping to have the best molé in austin, especially for the price, but to my taste, it was not great. I prefer el Alma’s molé.
I’d like to go back and try the ceviche and desserts, and I’ll update my review when I do so.

Layers of tortillas filled with goat cheese? Yes please! I didn’t realize that this restaurant existed, since most of the time when we go to Rainey, we’re going for the bars and not the food. However, I was looking for a three dollar sign place to go on my birthday and thanks to Unilocal,stumbled upon El Naranjo. Like most places on Rainey, the restaurant looks like it used to be somebody’s house. It’s actually quite a bit bigger on the inside than you would expect though. The bar is kind of in a weird position in the corner, but otherwise, the layout is nice.
We started with the queso fundido topped with chorizo. It was ok, but nothing near the best queso fundido ever. The best queso fundido ever is located in Seattle Washington at a restaurant called Casco Antiguo. I digress. At El Naranjo, they also bring you out some bread with little ramekins of orange butter, some sort of spicy compote, and pickled vegetables. The butter was really yummy. For dinner, I ordered the Pastel Azteca, which the waitress described to me as a mexican take on lasagna. It was corn tortillas layered with goat cheese, almonds, raisins, and spinach. All topped with a chipotle tomato sauce and queso fresco. It was amazing. Boyfriend ordered the tinga polblana, which was really just a plate of very spicy shredded chicken and black beans. It came with tortillas to make your own mini tacos. Also, really delicious.
Our service was meh. We waited for quite a while after sitting down before we even got water. We also were never told what the special was, but heard it told to the guests next to us after we already ordered. I don’t like to remove stars from my reviews for less than awesome service, unless it’s a trend. Therefore, I’m still giving El Naranjo four stars and it’s mainly due to the tasty entrees and bread service.

Holy mole! This restaurant is nothing short of AMAZING. Went there for dinner for the second time yesterday. One of us had the mole negro and another had the tenderloin in the most wonderful cream sauce with all kinds of chiles in it. The tenderloin was a recommendation from our waiter. I would never had thought to order it but holy crap it was good and the tenderloin was cooked to perfection. Getting back to the mole, I have NEVER had anything close to as good as theirs. Tip: Get some extra home made corn tortillas to sop it all up. Trust me, you won’t want to waste any! The service is also top notch as is the setting in a quaint converted bungalow. Do yourself a favor and skip the tex mex and try out the real deal.

I couldn’t believe folks were lining up for hours next door at Bangers when El Naranjo had just opened on a Sunday and we walked in to an empty restaurant. By 11:30am the dining room was buzzing and the back patio was full of sunlight, though plenty of shade and fans made it comfortable in mid-​July.
The menu was uncomplicated and focused on the chef’s take on familiar choices such as Eggs Benedict and Omelettes — both were delicious and hearty. The coffee is sweet and the homemade bread heavenly.
Truly, I don’t write many reviews, but felt this joint pulled off both authentic and modern — no small feat — quite well. Well priced and not sufficiently frequented. Worth the trip.

I’ve only been once thus far, but I was impressed.
Chips — Awesome (maybe my favorite in town)
Guacamole — Awesome
Huevos Benedicto — Great (I must highlight the coffee cured loin and chile de arbol infused hollandaise sauce)
Pan Dulce — Great (just like I’ve had in Mexico City)
Espresso — Pretty good (the cookie was appreciated)
Mauricio, our server — Fantastic!
Ambiance — Clean, homey, and modern.
I’ve came for brunch; I look forward to returning for that again and to try out their dinner menu. Overall a bright spot in a great city that is unfortunately and surprisingly sorely lacking in authentic Mexican restaurants.

Meh.
Friendly service and cool space, but the food is mediocre at best.

5 Stars for this beautifully upscale gem, quietly hidden among the hustle and bustle of Rainey Street chaos. I had no clue this place existed until we found the restaurant on Unilocal and pulled up in our Über. One would walk by it thinking it was just a house. We had reservations, which I would suggest, as the place is small and it has been full both times we’ve gone. El Naranjo has a wonderful ambiance, it’s fancy but not too fancy, quiet, and you really feel like you’re treating yourself to a nice meal when you come here. This isn’t your typical Mexican food, it’s upscale Mexican food. Chips and salsa are replaced with complimentary bread with three different unique dips (my fave was the orange butter). Service was impeccable, with the head chef even popping in to clear a plate or two and checking on how everyone was enjoying the food. Besides the food, meeting the humble chef and seeing her appreciation for us loving her food, willing to receive feedback… well that’s what being a passionate chef is all about, and that’s the type of places I want to treat myself to! El Naranjo makes for a wonderful date night, or a place to wow your out of town visitors. Keep up the great work, I hope this place stays around for a long time!

This is one of the finest authentic interior Mexican restaurants in the U.S. The food is fantastic.
Rainey street is fantastic. Parking may be a challenge but that’s typical of any street like this — just like Ocean Drive in Miami Beach or any other. The restaurant is nice, modern and new, very clean. The backyard in the back is awesome.
I read some reviews that did not like the food. Well, here is the thing: Mexican cuisine is very varied. Every one of the 32 states has its own set of dishes. There are dozens of types of Mole. So if you did not like the Mole here it is probably because you were expecting Mole Poblano (brown, sweet) and not the traditional Mole Negro from Oaxaca.
I was born and raised in central Mexico, traveled around the country and love authentic Mexican food. This place is fantastic and authentic.
We ordered a Llorona and a Strawberry cocktail. Both were unique and delicious. The tamales and garnachas were great. The 7-​chile salsa was fantastic, flavorful and with the right level of hotness.
The bean soup was delicious. I have never had a bean soup that tasted like that in the U.S. although I was expecting some sour cream on top, queso cotija and more fried tortilla strips — at least for décor.
The chile relleno was very well prepared. I tried my firend’s black mole with chicken. The mole, as I wrote above, was excellent and flavorful. At the beginning you may feel your palate is confounded with a new taste. By the time you are finishing up you are scraping the plate for the last drop.
The spinach Pastel Azteca was exquisite. Especially after adding some of the 7-​chile salsa on top. But the highlight of the evening was the cochinita pibil. There are a couple places in Austin that make good cochinita pibil. Honestly, you can get some decent packaged cochinita at HEB (by the tuna fish and canned chicken). But this one was extraordinary. The tortillas were delicious and house-​made.
Our server was super friendly and helpful. Chef De la Vega (I think?) stopped by our table to check everything was right. I ate a lot and feel proud about it. Looking forward to come back and try the Tinga. See if it can beat my wife’s Tinga — haha.
Yes, it is on the pricey side. For our table including appetizers, cocktails, soup and main dishes turned out to about fifty dollars per person, including tip. Pricey but not expensive.
For those reviewers that didn’t like the food… enjoy your Tex Mex at Taco Bell or Chuy’s. :-)

Quality central mexican food. The bread and sauces/​butter/​toppings they give you are awesome. We got the sea bass and tamale. The ceviche we got for the appetizer was by far the best thing we had, I would highly recommend it.
Do not order the queso. It sucked.

Hola El Naranjo, Mi nombre es Marisol, eres nuevo mejor amigo. (credit:
) I had an absolutely divine meal here. First of all, I love their cozy dining rooms, that are modern yet extremely cozy. This is the kind of place where you could have a four hour dinner and just keep the wine coming.
Everything from the complimentary bread, to their trio of homemade sauces, to the guacamole, to the steak entrée to the fish entrée. They were all truly outstanding. Much more elevated cuisine than I was expecting to be honest. Both my husband and I commented that the quality of the dish was much higher than we would have thought. You’ll initially think the price on the menu is a little high, but after you experience the food, you will feel it’s well worth it.
They are also doing Latin beer offerings (that change) to pair with the food. Those were a really fun addition to the meal.
Muy buena!