Best choice for Mexican and/or Tex-Mex

I%26#39;ll be coming to Austin for a long weekend this fall and am trying to determine the best choices for good Mexican and Tex-Mex food. It%26#39;s hard since taste is subjective, but can anyone list their favorite places for this food---I%26#39;ll be staying at the Omni downtown and will not have a car, so I will only be able to access locations that are easy to get to on foot, public transport or short cab ride.

If this helps, I will list a few places I%26#39;ve enjoyed in San Antonio, as it may give you an idea of the type of food/atmosphere I enjoy (probably touristy): San Antonio I loved Mi Tierra, Blanco Cafe and Casa Rio. Hated Rio Rio Cantina.

In Austin I%26#39;m considering Guero%26#39;s, Fonda San Miguel, Matt%26#39;s El Rancho, Chuy%26#39;s and maybe Miguel%26#39;s. Where else????

Thanks

Best choice for Mexican and/or Tex-Mex

Those are good choices. Guero%26#39;s is very popular and very lively. Fonda San Miguel is interior Mexican food, while Matt%26#39;s leans more to typical Tex-Mex. Chuy%26#39;s is a popular favorite with locals. It%26#39;s not really traditional Tex-Mex because it incorporates some New Mexican ingredients, but it%26#39;s great food. Try breakfast tacos while you%26#39;re here. There%26#39;s a Taco Shack in the Frost Bank building downtown, not far from your hotel, and they make some of the best in town, IMO. Some of the other great breakfast taco places are a little off the beaten path if you don%26#39;t have a car.

Best choice for Mexican and/or Tex-Mex

great, thanks. Oh, and in my above post I meant Manuel%26#39;s (not Miguel%26#39;s!)

Manuel%26#39;s is also interior Mexican. I%26#39;m not a huge fan, but it%26#39;s a nice place. I think Fonda San Miguel is probably more popular if you%26#39;re going for nice interior Mexican.

ONe of my favorite places, that reminds me of a mini Mi Tierra, is Joe%26#39;s Bakery. There are several small places on the east side of Austin that are pretty good. I also like Vivo%26#39;s which has puffy tacos that are very good.

I would steer away from Matt%26#39;s El Rancho.

From where you are located, try Las Manitas for breakfast/lunch on the weekend. Also, Nuevo Leon on east 6th (3 blocks east of IH 35) has mariachi bands on friday. Both of these are authentic (non-chain) TEX-MEX. I%26#39;m a 5th generation Austinite and know my tex-mex. The others that have been mentioned are not my faves. Have fun!

Kaus -- Las Manitas closed last Fall to make way for a new hotel in that area. Word was at that the sisters were going to reopen in a new location, but to my knowledge that has not happened. Please correct me if I%26#39;m wrong.

oops...you are correct about las manitas closing.. thanks.

Las Manitas closed!!!

ohhhh Austin what has happend to you?

Go to Guero%26#39;s on South Congress. It%26#39;s actually interior Mexican, not really TexMex. Get the Tacos al Carbon for an appetizer...rotisserie pork sliced thin and cooked with pineapple, served with cilantro and onions...mmmMMM! It%26#39;s all good there.

I find Matt%26#39;s to be quite substandard, and seems to just play on the name and longevity. I feel the same about Fonda San Miguel...bland and overpriced..even serve WHITE rice. Bllechk...

For super cheap but great Mexican, especially for lunch, go to one of the Taqueria Arandas..the waitresses struggle with English, but you%26#39;ll be able to point at the menu and grunt, and you won%26#39;t be sorry. Tell them to bring the green HOT sauce. Yum.

The best one is on South First St. just south of Oltorf. You%26#39;ll love it.