Guero’s Taco Bar

The food could have a bit more seasoning. I ordered the chicken and al pastor tacos. Al pastor taco could’ve been tastier, however the chicken taco was delish! Guacamole had very good flavor and the margarita was nice and strong.
Guero’s offers a vegetarian menu which is awesome. My boyfriend has the veggie tacos which came with whole wheat tortillas. Very yummy!
The staff is very friendly and supportive. Overall I would eat here again for my taco fix!

The tacos are good.
I’d veer from everything else. The salsa is mediocre, the rice and beans are not for me.
Service wasn’t terrible but it was forgettable.
With so many options around I can’t say I’ll be back.

I really wanted tacos before I left Austin, but we were limited due to my fiancée’s food allergies. And then we found Guero’s. Guero’s has a cool ambience. They also take food allergies super seriously. They sent the chef out to our table after our order was placed to make sure they didn’t use any allergy-​inducing ingredients.
The food was delicious! If you are on South Congress Ave, definitely make a stop at Guero’s

Let’s see… A review about the food: Meh. It was bland, generic, and underwhelming.
The location: Pretty, cute, visually and audibly stimulating (read between the lines).
The patrons: a mix of locals and tourists.

Great margaritas! Nice spicy salsa! And crisp fresh tortilla chips! We love having lunch here when we’re in town :)

No place better for a visitor or tourist to visit than this location. Great food, fun ambience, and small outdoor marketplace (jewelry, etc) next door at certain times.
I won’t make a recommendation, as I don’t think you can go wrong ordering to your palate.

We got into Austin on a Saturday evening, so naturally our first-​choice dinner spot (Hopdoddy) had a ridiculous line. We were starving so we decided to get al pastor tacos and gratis tortilla chips here and grab a seat at one of the picnic tables in their garden. The awesome weather and laid-​back vibe made for a nice introduction to SoCo for us newcomers. The portions were pretty good for the cheap price tag, tasty enough to satisfy us and we got our food with nearly no wait time.
This isn’t a taco spot I would make a destination out of (with the chill ambience, cheap prices, and proximity to UT, this can easily turn into a bro-​ey night) but if I lived in the area, it’d be a nice place to meet up with friends for an end of the week catch up session.

Guero’s is a great place to grab a Tex-​Mex meal. Although the food wasn’t the best Tex-​Mex I’ve had in Austin, there are lots of other perks to this establishment. For one, they are perfectly located on SoCo (South Congress). After a day spent shopping, walking around, and enjoying Austin, Guero’s is a great meal to compliment the day. I recommend their Burrito Especial. It is huge and incredibly filling. The queso flameado is a great appetizer that can double as an affordable entrée. The biggest star of the show here is their amazing salsa bar. If you’re anything like me, you prefer to douse everything in flavorful salsas. This place has got you covered. Guero’s is well worth the trip. It’s a great place to have a filling meal and take in the sites of Austin.

I got the 2 tacos, beef and pork, with the rice and beans on the side. It was alright, it wasn’t the best. Should’ve just stuck with the tacos solo. Didn’t car too much for the rice and beans. It came out to be $ 10.39 for two small tacos.
Waiter Ezekiel was a cool guy. Didn’t have problems with him.
Place has wifi, so that’s a plus.

Came here on first trip Austin, and food was amazing. Closest thing I’ve ever had to authentic Mexican food. Mexican lemonade was the best lemonade I’ve ever had in my life, and trust me, I’ve tried many. Enchiladas, Charro beans, and rice tasted just like my grandma from Mexico used to make. Price is also reasonable. Would highly recommend trying this place out!

Parking was a bit of a nightmare, but other then that I wouldn’t find this place at all that interesting. The margarita I got was the same size as a shot, just in a larger glass filled with a ton of ice.
The salsas and variety were great as we there tortillas, but I wouldn’t go back down there in traffic just to eat. I would make the Mexican food myself for a cheaper cost and it would probably taste better.

Visited for the first time since 2008. I wanted so bad to enjoy this place like I did in the past but those times were distant memories. Primo location, perfect atmosphere, great patio and people always waiting. Don’t let that fool you… Food is sub par for Tex Mex in Austin. This place has all the makings to be an Austin establishment but the food is such a disappointment! Fire the chef. They need a menu relaunch.

Wow. What a tourist trap. This place used to be great but now it is understaffed and slow. We had to wait over in hour to get seated even though the hostess said it would be less than 15 min. When we asked what was going on all we got is «I feel your pain». Once we were seated chips and drinks came quickly but it took nearly an hour to get our food. Our waiter never came back by to ask us if we needed more drinks or offer any service while we waited. When our food started to come out, none of the meals were ready at the same time and plates showed up a few at a time. After we finished it took another 20 – 30 min to get our check. The worst part of the whole thing was when we went to leave the parking garage, the charged us for parking because we stayed longer than 2 hours.
Like I said before, the service here used to be great but now they seem understaffed with very inexperienced people. Even the manager didn’t care about the poor service. Do yourself a favor and go somewhere else.

We didn’t even go to the outdoor patio with the live music, but the food was great, and the waiter had good suggestions for music venues after we ate.
We didn’t stay for a full dinner but enjoyed drinks and apps. The Queso Flameado (usually called queso fundido) con Chorizo was bursting with flavor. And the Guero Dip (layers of refried beans, cheese, guac, jalepenos…) and chips were good too.

Friday, 7:30 PM.
Quickie:
— Food
+ Friendly staff
— Limited menu
— Slow turnaround
And then???
The lively vibe and salsas can be points of leverage. Quality of grub is missing some punch.
**********
Stuffed my face in:
1. Shrimp tacos with rice and beans
+ Tender, mixed well with grilled mushrooms and tomatillos.
— Rice and beans were bland.
2. Guacamole
— Did not taste fresh (chunks were soggy).

Before I moved to Austin 5 years ago, my husband’s then workplace organized a «tour of Austin» as a way to convince us to make the move. After the usual Mount Bonnell, town lake and UT route, the folks at Austin office brought us to Gueros. Someone said «this is where you get the best margaritas in Austin, and this is the most Austin of all patios. «
Having lived in India for 22 years and then in DC for one, I honestly didn’t know what to expect from a «good margarita.» Was it just the tequila? Was it the mix? Are margaritas meant to get you hammered? What on earth was an «Austin patio»?
After we found seats on the patio, I kinda knew what the Austin thing was all about. It was about folks enjoying themselves, regardless. It was about soaking in good music and making the best of the time we have here. It was about camaraderie, being non– judgmental, and just accepting you for who you were. And, getting pizza across from home slice, sitting down and enjoying a margarita. It represented the city in so many ways, most of which left the best of impressions.
(This may sound philosophical, but for someone fresh off the boat such as myself, it meant a whole lot.)
I am not sure that the margaritas are the best in town. At the time, I did think they were, being brand new to Austin. Now, I know better. But first impressions always last, and no one can ever take that away.
Of the several times I’ve been here, I can say that I have enjoyed ONLY the patio and the live music/​atmosphere. There’s not much food to talk about — especially for a vegetarian such as myself. To sum up for the sake of this review– 2.5÷5 for food.
After 4 years of repeated visits, I have learned to accept that it can never be a great restaurant– but you will always have a good time on the patio, especially when the weather is fair and the music and liquor flow.
Just FYI: IMHO, I do think this place has a killer Bloody Mary.

Stopped in during our exploring around SoCo for margaritas.
Literally tasted like strawberry slushies.
And let’s be real, I’m a light weight. Having two margs should’ve atleast had me buzzing but I tasted (or felt) absolutely no alcohol. Two thumbs down
My brother got some tequila/​grapefruit juice drink that he said was good.
Ordered a smell queso, tasted like velveeta. How quaint.
The chips and salsa (s) were so blah.
Didn’t expect too much from this place but in general I do like to get what I pay for and considering my margaritas and queso weren’t free… Eeek

Guero’s (translation: White Boy’s) has been in SoCo since before SoCo was cool. While the Tex-​Mex isn’t Austin’s best, it’s good. And the location and vibe are very Austin. So Austin, in fact, that their outdoor oak garden was featured in the Austin segment of the 2014 film, Chef. In the film, Gary Clark Jr. plays on their outdoor stage and the crowd is sparse. That part was fictional, like the part where there isn’t a line at Franklin’s BBQ. The Chamber of Commerce is at it again. Ha ha ha! But I digress.
We come to Guero’s on a regular basis for the patio, because there is free live music, a full drink bar (strong margaritas, FYI), and an adjacent portable taco bar. The tacos are $ 2 each, and freshly made in front of your face while you stand there and watch, and they’re outstanding. You can add onions, cilantro, and a variety of salsas and pico yourself, if you wish. If you’re a spice wimp, just go for the red salsa. Locals, go for it all. They also serve queso outdoors, and the chips are self-​serve.
The crowd tends to turn over fairly regularly, but Guero’s is very busy and packed during SXSW and ACL weeks. Since SoCo has become a walkabout tourist draw, the set-​up is perfect for people to stop in for some live music (though sadly, not Gary Clark Jr.) and refreshment and move on to continue the exploration. We always put the Guero’s garden on our list, and we’ve been locals for 30 years.
So there you have it.

It was a beautiful day in Austin so we walked around South Congress strip and stumbled upon this landmark Mexican restaurant. The indoor décor felt like an airy indoor terrace w/​an open kitchen. It also had plenty of outdoor sidewalk seating so this was great choice for people watching. We were craving for tacos so we decided to go for 3 taco plates.
Our server brought us complimentary chips and salsa to start. For entrées, we ordered Al Pastor, Carne Guisada & Fish Tacos. The Al Pastor tacos were tender but just ordinary. The marinate was just ok, nothing to jump about. The Guisada were a little dry for our taste and lacked flavor. The good ones were the fish tacos. The fish fillings were still hot and chipotle tequila mayo was a nice touch. Each taco portion were pretty decent & filling so 2 plates were probably enough for 2 people cause we didn’t finish. Service was attentive and swift considering the restaurant was packed when we came in for lunch.
FYI, they have 2 spots on the strip within a few steps from each other. One is the full service restaurant and the other is an outdoor hangout w/​picnic tables, full bar and free live music. We had a great time at the outdoor venue. The bands were awesome and the margaritas were quite potent :)

Whoa, only 3 stars for Guero’s? I’m shocked!
I met up with local friends during SxSW and spent the entire day here on what I’m told was the most gorgeous day Austin had seen this past Winter. As a Jersey Boy who had just escaped from under cold gray skies and a foot of snow, I had no choice but to concur. And Guero’s may very well be one of the most fun places I have been in a very long time.
What I liked about being at Guero’s was, despite it being SxSW week, the place was filled to the fences with friendly locals — and I mean, super-​friendly locals. We were camped at two giant picnic tables just off to the side of the stage, with just enough sun and shade to keep us comfortable all day long. Live music played on for hours on end. The house margaritas flowed endlessly. And when we were hungry, we feasted on freshly made Tacos Al Pastor and chips. The tacos and chips were excellent! No, nothing fancy — just perfect Mexican street food.
The whole scene and vibe at Guero’s is Austin at its best, in a unique sort of way that you just won’t find back in Jersey. This is true southern comfort: a place where everyone can lounge about in the sun and shade alongside their kids and their dogs and their friends, whiling away an entire day with great food and drink, singing and dancing to some truly awesome live music. That’s my kind of day.
Guero’s is a keeper, in my opinion, and a place I look forward to returning to when I next pass through town. Definitely check them out if you’re in the area.

Fun SoCo Tex-​Mex restaurant that has a separate vegan menu! I went with my mom (who is vegan) and tried several of their vegan items, which were all pretty good!
This place is charming and fun and full of character! Definitely a good place to eat on SoCo if you need a vegan-​friendly place!

I popped into Guero’s with a plan to down a Margarita or two and exit. I unfortunately caved and ordered some quesadillas. Here is how it all went down…
Upon arrival I was welcomed to a nice outside table that was not bused yet. A waiter ran over and took care of it quickly. When I sat down the table was still very very wet. At that point it took another 10 minutes until another waiter came back to dry off the table.
The Good: The queso is okay and the margaritas are pretty on point. (but for $ 6 a Margarita I will happily walk myself over to El Mercado a street over.)
The Bad: Those freakin chicken quesadillas. How can you mess up a quesadilla for goodness sake? The chicken was under cooked and had this horrible seasoning. I had two pieces and feed the rest to the dog at my feet. To each their own but I was not about that food at all.
The Food: ¹⁄₅
The Service: ²⁄₅ (I feel like I was constantly looking for the waiter.)
In conclusion, only come here to drink if you must. Fill that tummy somewhere else.

I didn’t order any food at this place, but I came here looking for some casual day drinking in a comfortable atmosphere. The fact that it’s on South Congress is a plus, since people watching and sitting outside on the patio on a nice day is definitely something I enjoy. The wait was incredibly long for a seat outside, but as they only had 4 tables outside, we waited since we really wanted to sit outside. When we got our table, we realized it was happy hour (YAY!), and so we ordered several drinks off the house margarita menu. I definitely think the mango and strawberry margaritas are good drinks that are both sweet and refreshing. The last drink I had was The Don, which was definitely smooth (as promised on the menu), and it was basically like the margarita minus the sweet and fruity taste.
I think it’s a good sit down place, especially during happy hour, if you just want to chill outside and do some people watching. I will have to try the food here next time I’m around.