El Azteca

El Azteca Review

This old-school family restaurant, now run by the second generation, has been around since 1963 in the heart of bustling, working-class East Austin, and draws local Latinos and downtown workers alike. The decor is a decades-old accretion of Mexican and American kitsch, and great tacky posters featuring half-naked Aztec warriors, swooning women, and volcano goddesses. The servers are no-nonsense, even brusque. You dine at red Naugahyde booths with wood-tone Formica tables with steel-frame chairs, but you're here for expertly rendered Tex-Mex and Mexican platters. The house specialty is cabrito, or kid goat, which, at $11.95, is the most expensive dish on the menu, served with guacamole salad, beans a la charra (in a smoky broth), and salsa. The cabrito is served in a pile of small chops on the bone; it's lean and just the right side of gamey, and slightly sweet with a hint of baked apple. There's a covered patio with outdoor tables as well.