Dining del Lago 2014

Don Mario Mexican Restaurant

1700 RR 620 N. #110, 512/266-3319
Mon.-Thu., 9am-9:30pm; Fri., 9am-10pm; Sat., 8am-10pm; Sun., 8am-9pm

The busy Hudson Bend Road taquería with the great reputation has moved uptown to a full-service restaurant space vacated by Sobani earlier this year. The new spot offers plenty of parking, a full bar, and a patio. However, based on our experience, the new incarnation of Don Mario's has a ways to go before they are completely ready for prime time. Granted, the new place has only been open a scant few weeks, and that could explain some of the service issues, but the management really needs to tighten things up here, starting with closing the gates to the overflowing dumpster that greets guests as they pull into the parking lot. There didn't appear to be a guiding presence in the restaurant when our group of six arrived for Sunday brunch, and service deteriorated from there: Food came out slow and in spurts; water glasses, chip baskets, and salsa bowls were replenished slowly, if at all; and an inedible chile relleno was not removed from our bill as it should have been. The house table sauce was excellent and the majority of the food we tried was very satisfying, but Don Mario's is not quite a restaurant yet. We'll give them another shot the next time we're in the area. – V.B.W.