Reviews El Alma Cafe

I went to this place looking for some tacos that were gluten-free; what I found was a super cozy, relaxed restaurant with really delicious food! You MUST try the crab queso, it is mind-blowing. The waiters were so friendly and attentive, and the vibe was so relaxed. I loves to see how the manager kept order but treated his staff like family; you can really see it in how happy everyone is to be there. It’s a very cute, clean spot and I highly recommend it!

Great authentic Mexican cuisine with great beverage selection. Really cool outdoor dining area upstairs that is just for large group gatherings. Service is generally good, but parking can be a tad challenging.

An amazing restaurant with explosions of flavor delivered with every bite!! Zach took care of us and was wonderful from beginning to end. The rest of the staff was great also with every encounter. We began with chips and queso topped with onions, peppers, and mushrooms(oh my delicious). The chips appeared to be made in house and accompanied the queso quite well, also delicious. I ordered the red fish with the jalapeño cauliflower, with a cornbread pudding muffin. AMAZING!! All of the flavors complimented each other in perfect harmony. My husband has a soft spot for duck; he ordered the duck enchiladas. STUPENDOUS!!! WOW!! His only (lovingly) suggestion, is that every meal gets one of those cornbread pudding muffins. I did split mine- love makes you do those kind of things.♡♡♡ A wonderful experience(Thank You). I most definitely would recommend, and I cannot wait to return!!♡♡♡ ☆☆They do have an amazing rooftop patio. We did not sit there, but Zach suggested I take a peek. The ambiance had a cozy, chill vibe and would totally wait to sit up there on a beautiful day or evening.

Super cute restaurant, amazing service (always a plus) the ambiance is pleasant. Waited 20 min to be seated. Menu was good, we had seviche, tostadas and tacos. The tacos were dry, corn tortillas thick and also dry. Margaritas on point! I will definitely come back and try some of their specials!

Everything was decent, nothing spectacular, except for the chips and salsa which were really good. The michelada had too much Tabasco and the ceviche too much tomato. I got the grilled chicken and it was a bit bland. Thank goodness for the extra salsa I ordered to give it some kick and flavor. Service was good, parking can be tricky and upstairs patio doesn’t have heaters for cool days or nights. My wife enjoyed the pastor tacos, both the regular ones and the shrimp pastor.

First time there. Was told one of the best taco places in Austin that isnt a food truck. It was really good - i dont know about best restaurant for tacos. But I havent tried too many places yet. Vibes were great, margarita was great. Salsa delicious with a good kick. Very much would come back.

This is my absolute favorite Mexican food restaurant in Austin. The shrimp tacos are amazing & the queso is the BEST! And the grilled corn is 5 stars! The rooftop patio is very nice.

I was looking for a swanky spot and came across El Alma. It's an authentic Mexican food restaurant with a fun vibe and ambiance and green plants alongside rocks as an interior decor with a rooftop. We happened to get a parking spot right in front of the restaurant. Upon entry my wife and I were greeted and seated immediately. This was Mother's Day around evening time. We choose to sit inside to avoid a 30 minutes wait for the rooftop seating. Our server quickly introduced himself and got us started with a couple of cocktails. I had the Cara Tropical, Cara Tropical (carabuena blanco, passionfruit, ginger liqueur, lime, agave, sugar rim ) on the rocks. My wife had the Flaquita (watermelon-serrano infused El Jimador tequila, watermelon, lime, agave, chile rim) on the rocks. Both of these drink were very good. We ordered the Jalapeño crab queso dip (Ancho butter, crab, grilled jalapeños, cilantro, white queso). This was very tasty, the has a pleasant taste and the crab isn't overpowering. The chips were very good too. I ordered the Pastor (Adobo pork, pineapple, raw onions, cilantro, lime) and the Pato (Roasted duck, almonds, pepitas and escabeche onions). The Pastor, I had on corn and it was a quality pastor taco. if you're a pastor afficianando definitely give this taco a try. It's very flavorful and moist. The Pato was good too and the ingredients blended well. The duck was moist, this is definitely a uniquely flavored taco. Definitely try both of these. I had a bite of the two tacos my wife ordered. She ordered the Shrimp al pastor (Adobo shrimp, pineapple, slaw, avocado, lime) and the Lamb barbacoa (Habanero pickled carrots and onions, cilantro). The shrimp was good but the taco had too much slaw which pulled away the flavors from the shrimp. It was better when I removed some and took another bite. The lamb barbacoa was a little dry, but if it has great potential to taste awesome if it wasn't on the dry side. For dessert we ate the habernero empanadas served with a side of vanilla ice cream. Unfortunately we didn't like it. The crust was very doughy and had a spice which I thought was nutmeg that was very overpowering. The ice cream was good but as whole dessert this wasn't for me and perhaps not for you either, however i would recommend everything else I mentioned in this review!

Everything we ordered was delicious! Especially loved the brisket flautas. Great atmosphere. Will definitely go back.

We've been wanting to try this place for while. The mole enchiladas and crema de elote were delicious! Cocktails and aguas frescas a bit disappointing, and too many flies around. But other than that it's a place definitely worth trying.