Second Helpings: More Tex-Mex

Tequila Texas Cafe & Cantina

6507 Jester, 231-1071

Sun-Thu, 11am-9:30; Fri-Sat, 11am-10pm

Austinites stabbing further westward need their Tex-Mex fix like everyone else, and Tequila Texas delivers. The restaurant’s comprehensive menu features tacos, enchiladas, quesadillas, and chiles rellenos stuffed to the bursting point. Mexican breakfast is served on the weekends. True to their name, Tequila Texas also stocks about 60 different brands of tequila.

Antonio’s Tex-Mex Cafe & Cantina

11835 Jollyville, 257-2144

Sun-Tue, 11am-11pm; Wed-Sat, 11am-2am

Antonio’s serves adequate-but-overpriced ($6-7 lunch; $7 and up for dinner) Tex-Mex staples such as fajitas, burritos, enchiladas, and carne guisada. The latter dish was appropriately tender, but its gravy was bland and zestless. Antonio’s take on Spanish rice suffered a similar fate, but their borracho beans offer some redemption. There’s a heavy emphasis on margaritas, satellite sports, and super-sanitized “cantina” ambience here, which may explain why the food comes off as an afterthought.

Jovita’s

1617 S. First, 447-7825

Daily, 11am-10pm

For over a decade, Jovita’s has been serving satisfying Tex-Mex, notable not so much for its originality as for its complete and reliable typicality. Enchiladas play the dominant role on the menu. With chili sauce, ranchero sauce, mole or green sauce, ground beef, chicken, or cheese, Jovita’s enchiladas go straight to the heart of deeply rooted Tex-Mex desire. Other dishes include carne guisada, fluffy chiles rellenos, and chalupas. Most nights feature Austin’s number-one locally grown product: great music.

Matt’s El Rancho

2613 S. Lamar, 462-9333

Sun-Mon, 11am-10pm; Wed-Thu, 11am-10pm; Fri-Sat, 11am-11pm

Matt’s is one of Austin’s most stalwart old-school Tex-Mex restaurants. Opened by former boxer Matt Martinez in 1952, El Rancho serves a textbook combination plate along with fajitas, rellenos, chicken mole, and several seafood dishes. Their chicken fried steak can be doused traditionally with cream gravy, or with green sauce or chili con carne for more adventurous types. Great lime juice margaritas, too.

Rosie’s Tamale House

102 E. Oltorf, 440-7727

Sun-Thu, 11am-9pm; Fri, 11am-10pm; Sat, 11am-9pm

With a quarter-century in Austin dishing out tamales and fajitas, Rosie’s was deemed worthy of mention in Southern Living. They boast homemade pralines and entrées from $5.25-7.85. Hey, if it’s good enough for George Strait and Dan Rather, why not for us common folk?

Su Casa

3301 N. I-35, 236-1219

Daily, 7am-4pm

Formerly the I-35 location of Mi Madre’s, this fledgling restaurant has an extensive menu featuring all your Tex-Mex favorites (tacos, enchiladas, fajitas, etc.). Prices range from $1.75 for chips and salsa to $25.50 for fajitas for three. The Pablito’s Plate is a winner for you one-of-everything types. Su Casa also serves an economical $5.50 lunch buffet.

Mi Madre’s

2201 Manor, 480-8441

Mon-Sat, 6am-2pm

Mi Madre’s is a friendly, family-run kind of a place — the kind that makes the diner feel embraced. Breakfast tacos are first-rate and heavily stuffed. The lunch crowd clamors for the enchiladas, fajitas, and soft tacos. The kitchen shows a deft touch with the sauces and salsas. It’s the kind of place where you’re fed like a long-lost relative, and it feels good.

Serrano’s

10 Austin locations

Though not one of Austin’s headliner Tex-Mex restaurants, Serrano’s convenience and dependability make it a good place for quick lunches and large group dining. In addition to Tex-Mex standards like combination plates and fajitas, Serrano’s serves culture-hopping dishes like barbecue brisket enchiladas with chipotle barbecue sauce. Vegetarians can try the spinach enchiladas with white wine poblano cream sauce.