El Chile Café Y Cantina

This establishment occupies the region bounded by Dean Keeton Street, Lafayette Avenue, and Manor Road. It features some parking spaces, mostly on the west side of the restaurant (Manor and Lafayette), though a single handicapped space and a single non-handicapped space exist at the south entrance (on Manor), and 3 spots are tucked away on the east side of the restaurant (also accessed on Manor).There is both outdoor and indoor seating. Indoors features light wooden colored finished, and is an airy space, centered around the bar area. Bathrooms are located on the west side of the bar.Utensils are wrapped in black linen napkins. Once seated, a basket of tortilla chips accompanied by two vessels of salsa will be provided.The menu has a pretty large selection. For a quick lunch, we opted for enchiladas and rellenos and a pair of beverages.We obtained one mango agua fresca and one cantaloupe agua fresca. The mango one was quite sweet, and relatively warm (rather than cold) despite the ice. The cantaloupe one contained more detectable blended fruit, and was more refreshing.I attempted to order the shiitake barbacoa enchiladas, but they were out of those, so I opted for cochinita pibil enchiladas with poblano cream sauce, Spanish rice, and charro beans. My wife opted for the en nogada relleno. The enchiladas were quite savory, and I enjoyed them. Interestingly, they put a layer of cheese between the tortilla and the filling. The poblano cream sauce was... green and savory with no spice. Appearance wise, there was a small scoop of Spanish rice. The charro beans had a bit of pico de gallo inside to brighten it up, but I didn't not detect any meat (preserved or not); but the beans were cooked and seasoned well.The en nogada relleno was quite sweet. It came topped with mole de nuez, some pomegranate, goat cheese, and cilantro. The mole itself was sweet for some reason. The maple sweet potatoes were sweet (because of the maple syrup, but not the sweet potatoes themselves). The beef and poblano were nice and savory. Overall, the sweetness of the dish pushed it more towards dessert territory.When finished, you'll receive a bill that contains a QR code, which if you scan, will allow you settle the bill with Toast.Overall: limited shaded parking, an airy restaurant environment, primarily consisting of four tops, and pretty good food, although anything "sweet" will likely be like candy. Of the two meats tried, both were savory. The orange salsa isn't very spicy, and the brown one is smokey.

Service was awesome. From being seated to when we hit the door. Everyone was kind and welcoming. Relaxed vibe with lovely scenery in the restaurant. Food was so tasty. Enchiladas were great vegetarian and barbacoa (they can put almost anything in your enchilada not only the options on menu). Would go again! Great margs too!

The outside patio is a great place to sip margaritas and enjoy their chips and salsas. We love their ceviche, beef quesadillas and their mole enchiladas. There are tables inside and a bar counter.

I love their patio, even on the hottest summer days, the fans and misters made us comfortable. I have tried several marg from here and they are all very tasty. The ceviche, quesadillas and enchiladas are all very good. Used them to cater a party and all the guests loved the mole enchiladas.

Polite service. Got seated quickly on a Friday for lunch. Parking is pretty limited. Chips and salsa were solid. Enchiladas themselves were a little bland, improved by the mole sauce.

I came here recently with a group of my neighbors and we had a fantastic experience. We were a large group which was easily accommodated on their patio with the fans and misters on. My fiancé and I shared the crab Queso Flameado dip, and the steak quesadilla, and each had a frozen prickly pear margarita. The highlight of the meal was definitely the steak quesadilla, it was huge and very tasty. The crab Queso Flameado dip was a bit too solid, I was expecting more of a typical queso-like experience but it was like a solid clump of cheese which I had to cut out of the skillet to scoop onto the chips. Don't get me wrong it was delicious, just a little thick/ difficult to eat (maybe needs to be heated a little more or made creamier). The prickly pear frozen margaritas were very refreshing and delicious but my fiancé said they were a little too sweet for him. Service was very attentive and kind. Overall I really enjoyed this experience and will be back!

I have mixed feelings about El Chile. What I didn't love:I ordered the chicken quesadilla. While it wasn't bad, it wasn't anything special. It was too cheesy and no veggies were inside the quesadilla to step up the flavor. What I enjoyed:The restaurant is clean and looks new. The service was solid. The waiter was efficient, welcoming, and seemed happy to help. The complementary chips and salsa were tasty. For Austin standards, the menu items were reasonably priced.Overall:I'm not rushing back to El Chile. I would be open to trying it once more, especially for brunch, to see if my opinion changes at all.

El Chile Café Y Cantina is a true gem! The tacos, burritos, and migas are exceptional, bursting with authentic flavors. The friendly service adds to the welcoming vibe of the place, making it a favorite among locals and visitors alike. This spot is perfect for a satisfying meal and good company. I'll definitely be back to share this restaurant with more friends!

Loved the vibe of this restaurant. It was full inside so we sat outside - it was really cute and boho vibes.I liked that the chips came with black bean sauce and spicy sauce, not your typical chips and salsa.Good portion sizes. I got the salmon taco. It was pretty lackluster. The salmon tasted really fishy and lacked any flavor really.

Hokey Pokey-I would just like to say this food is genuinely terrible. It didn't look appealing and tasted like donkey-. Our server was Pablo and he was rather zesty, kind of had an attacking attitude and so sketchy tattoos to say the least. After eating there I now feel like I need to blow up 17 toilets the food ain't sit well for your boy along with every other member of my party. Don't even think about replying about how you are sorry and think you can make it a better time next time I will NEVER be returning. Anywho, el chile more like el donkey. PS. Zero ambiance.