RThere are few better treats in the world than well-prepared Mexican food, and we ain't talking Taco Bell here. We're talking the real thing, made from scratch, leaving you with a food afterglow. Even more orgasmic is cheap, well-prepared Mexican food. Matt's El Rancho succeeds on both counts and has been doing it consistently since 1952. The restaurant has outlived three different moves (Austin's Four Seasons hotel stands on one of the old Matt's El Rancho sites) and outlived President Lyndon Johnson, who loved Matt's food (yes, there was a real Matt, Matt Martinez, the owner) so much that he had it shipped by plane to the White House.
Its current incarnation seats over 500 guests in a building down in the increasingly trendy South Austin / SoCo district. Until Parkinson's Disease slowed him down a few years back, Matt Martinez would take time every single day to hang out and chat with his guests, irrespective if they were rich, poor, famous, or average Joes - and lots of each category became near-religious fans of both Matt and his Mexican food.
Remarkably, 40 years after LBJ gave his presidential seal of approval to Matt's food, the quality of the cuisine remains consistently excellent and his son Matt Jr. has taken over the family business. The restaurant's immense popularity can sometimes cause a wait on weekends, but Matt's solves the problem for you with a terrace on which you can sip margaritas of all persuasions. Once you're in, you may choose to sit out on the sizable back patio to enjoy more margaritas or the signature appetizer, Bob Armstrong Dip (a delectable combo of melted cheese, seasoned beef and guacamole) and numerous amazingly priced and mouth-watering entrees.
Matt's El Rancho is open Monday, Wednesday, Thursday and Sunday from 11am til' 10pm, and
Friday / Saturday: 11am til' 11pm. Closed Tuesdays, even if you're president of the United States.
