Reviews (100)
Unfortunately, I received food poisoning from the ceviche or the shrimp tacos. I loved the restaurant and was excited to return. However, after getting sick shortly after the thought of this restaurant makes me nauseous. Very unfortunate given how much I enjoyed my experience. I would just beware of the seafood.
A cozy rooftop bar in Barton Springs. It was a warm and humid day when we stopped for cold drinks and they didn’t disappoint. We didn’t eat but the food that went by us looked good.
First timer. Everything was delicious!!! Table shared Queso, ceviche, plátanos, gringas, and papitas. Can't wait to go back.
Small portions and mediocre taste for a decent price point. Imo we paid for the atmosphere. Also...the tostadas had the guac under the tortilla...stuck to the plate..?
Great rooftop with great taco selection, and great margaritas. What else can you ask for.
We worked with El Alma for catering for our backyard wedding. The tasting was delicious and Alma herself came out to greet and serve us! Our wedding guests have remarked plenty that they really enjoyed the food. Couldn't have chose better.
Very good food, reasonable prices for the portions you are getting, the outdoor upstairs seating a nice vibe. Parking is limited but we went on a Monday afternoon so wasn’t too busy and found parking easily.
Always a winner! The tacos and margs are the best! Get the avocado margarita…I promise, you won’t be disappointed. I know it looks like a dive when you pull up, but the patio is always great.
The Duck Relleno and Old Fashioned were DELISH! And my toddler loved the Horchata and quesadilla Gringa with carne asada added (avoid the fixings for little ones, they're spicy! So mama ate them 🤤😁). On the pricier side for an everyday meal with your toddler, but this was a special mama + daughter date, and it was absolutely lovely and totally worth it. I'll be back with my hubs, for date night, and I'll absolutely bring the whole family for a special dinner outing. Great service, great management, and talented chef 🌹❣️💃🏽 10/10 recommend.
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 wit
Cody friendly place with very nice food options and drinks. Very friendly service til and nice terrace in the backyard. Recommend 👍🏼
During our trip to Austin we went for Brunch and Margaritas to El Alma. Strawberry and “Mangorita” frozen Margaritas were so tasty, “La diabla” frozen Margarita was amazing! mango-habanero infused, tequila and Chile rim, the “chicken smokey tomatillo enchiladas” had a different flavor than what I’m used to but they were so good!! The patio was really nice on the roof, great atmosphere and close to downtown, easy parking out front.
Shrimp tacos and frozen mango margarita were really good. They have free parking and we were lucky enough to get a spot as someone was leaving. Neighborhood streets around it are permit only.
I went there yesterday. Got the queso fundido and the duck mole enchiladas and was nearly hospitalized for food poisoning. So although the service was great. I will not be returning. The food not only tasted mid, but also put me out.
We were outside as it started pouring down rain and the manager Ash took such great care of us. She had staff help us inside with coverings and even got us a table inside even though it was a Friday evening and busy. It was above and beyond service. The food was great and experience even greater despite the bad weather! Thanks Ash and El Alma.
This is hands down one of the BEST restaurants in Austin and trust me I know there is a lot to chose from. I eat here frequently and have never had a single thing I didn’t love. The Al pastor tacos, chicken enchiladas and sopa Azteca are my favorites. If Seth’s bartending you’re lucky because he is amazing and the margs there are like a little piece of heaven.
We went on a Friday late afternoon, just before the dinner rush, and we hadn't made a reservation. When we walked in, we had no idea there was a large outdoor seating area upstairs in the back of the restaurant. There were seats available both indoors and out when we arrived, and since the weather was great, we chose outdoor seating. We ordered margaritas, tacos, enchiladas, and the elote placero. All of the food was delicious, and the margaritas were OK. Would definitely go back for more tacos.
We love El Alma so much we decided to book them as our wedding caterer! 100% recommend for lunch, dinner, or for any big events you’re planning. The catering team was professional, attentive, and just lovely to work with. The menu did not have any bad options and the food on the day- of was delicious! Thank you!
Had a late lunch on a Monday afternoon on the patio. Nick, our server, was very attentive and helpful, and provided excellent service. The food was very fresh and seasoned perfectly. We recommend the cheese enchiladas with tomatillo sauce and black bean sauce. The jalapeño crab queso is exceptional! Great day, great service, great food!
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.