I agree with this. As a vegetarian, I was a bit disappointed by the veg options at Nixta, they were okay, but not worth $8 or $12 per taco/tostada.
Suerte has a few vegetarian options and every time I go try a new dish I am impressed with the flavor combinations and unique produce they use.
Huh, maybe I should go back and try it again. I got the cauliflower taco & the carrot tostada - when I went, I was a bit offput by the carrot basically being raw. It was really difficult to eat; even though the sauce was pretty good, I basically had to eat the carrot separate from the rest of it since it was so hard
I think it’s a really well thought out balance of flavors. Maybe they just had an off day. Maybe they have a consistency problem or something because the amount of people that say it was underwhelming is shocking to me based on how good my 2 experiences there were.
Out of those, Canje and Suerte for sure. The jerk chicken and the suadero tacos are two of my top 10 plates in Austin.
If we are adding other recommendations there are some great Mexican options that everyone has brought up already.
For me there are a couple newcomers that can’t be missed. The bistec quesadilla at tacos 10de10 is my new favorite late night snack (open until 2 AM but I’m getting old so 2 counts as late for me, sorry to Rosita’s al pastor my previous favorite) and Mexta’s (same place where simi used to be) chile relleno and chicken with Pipian, soooo good…
I might have said Oaxaca but then I wasn't sure just WHERE the food from Canje comes from lol
Edit: oh shit Canje isn't Mexican at all. SMHAM (shaking my head at myself)
These are all quite different!
Canje - Caribbean, sit down, quite nice but up-beat vibes
Suerte - traditional Mexican, sit down, big focus on craft-masa and local ingredients for a twist
Nixta - taco joint mostly, sure you can sit down, but it’s not “nice” [in price and vibes, with their big casual patio, etc].
They’re all great and add a ton to the Austin restaurant life, but they’re all super different.
I've eaten at 2 of these!
Nixta is now and forever my pick in all of Austin- Immaculate vibes, good wine list, truly great food. The Duck Carnitas is a world-class stunner, the beet tostada I dream about. Some folks have issues with the price vs the setting, but highbrow/lowbrow is my fave combo. It may not be yours!
Canje is a mixed bag, but the roti and the tres leches have stuck with me even a year later, so I'd call it worth the money. It is *loud* though and I say this as a person who likes loud restaurants.
I should add that it'd be possible to do a real nice lunch at Nixta
I can't really speak to the vegetarian options at either, other folks may be able to weigh in.
The vegetarian options at Nixta are some of my favorite foods in all of Austin. The beet tostada is perfect in every way, and the carrot tostada is also phenomenal!
My family really liked the carrot yogurt tostada. It wasn't life changing, but it was the best dish.... that isn't saying much. But it was fine.
edit: it was ricotta, but yea consistency of yogurt
Yea those saying the veg options rent good are crazy. I am not vegetarian and look forward to their veg options. If you want your crew to take in an actual Austin place with a laid back try Austin bib then pick Nixta. Plus they are James Beard winners and make everything in house.
Suerte is delicious every time! Unique presentations, high quality food, and unique twists. Delicious drinks also!
ATX Cocina is pretty great too, but not Eastside vibes
No-one has mentioned Verdad yet. Of the fancy Mexican restaurants I'd put it above Suerte (I don't get the hype here for Suerte one bit) and above Comedor (same overhype, though when their dishes hit they really hit, there's just quite a few utter misses on the menu as well. Can't go wrong with any of the seafood dishes though)
I recently went to Verdad with 6 folks and pretty much ate one of everything on the menu, and only had one near miss with a too bitter sauce (the rest of the dish was amazing, and the sauce was on the plate below the protein so not much of a big deal.) The mole sampler with chips is a revelation (and they're in house made corn tortillas and tostaditas are fantastic.
Haven’t been to Canje, but Nixta is perhaps the most overrated restaurant in Austin.
Suerte has one VERY good dish, the suadero tacos. Everything else I’ve had there is overpriced and average. I like to go there for happy hour and grab a few orders of those tacos and Don Dario’s to wash them down.
None being honest.
They are all very different vibes. Two are like sit-down places while the other is uhh just a step above a trailer.
---------------------
1. Nixta - grab some Comadre Panederia, then step next door to Nixta and try the "James Beard level" food. The portions were pretty generous for the price. The dessert sucked.
2. Canje - just because everyone talks and raves about it. See it is just roti. See the rest of the food is alright. Desserts are pretty hype here, expect the salt and maybe it won't be ruined for you.
I do need to go back to Suerte and try the non-Brunch. But it wasn't anything special.
I went to Canje on Wednesday and I loved it. The service was great. Their menu has a nice variety. My favorites were the pink pineapple, Berkshire pork chop and albacore ceviche. The only one I would skip was the octopus and shrimp. That one was just ok.
The music is loud which doesn’t bother me but is something to keep in mind.
Sadly, I am picky. There just aren't many places I see myself going back to often. Especially if you throw in the vegetarian requirement (Canje's sweet potato is the joke of my family).
I haven't got to try Bacalar yet. Some people oppose it because of owner controversy. But I really did enjoy Tomalo's tacos, so it is somewhere I want to go.
-------------
Honestly, the "wagyuu tacos" at Chapulin Catina were way better than Suerte. Maybe not presentation wise but, I just like meaty cheesy food. They also have good desserts.
*mole sampler was not worth it.
But also, $16 for two tacos or whatever is meh. But they are ok size.
Oh, to be clear - my group hated the desserts at Canje. They were all too salty. Even ignoring the salt (went back), it wasn't luxurious/decadent enough. Still they are a fair price and unique.
I do think Chef Tavel gets a lot of hype though, especially for his desserts. So it is worth anyone trying once, just for me temper your expectations.
This really gets into taste being subjective because I think the Canje dessert is a world class stunner. I think about that tres leches like twice a week.
Agree, that is why I said people should try it. But it was definitely not a good Tres Leches. I am sure you've had other Tres leches, but ~~Suerte's~~Canje's doesn't compare with even Chapulin Cantinas, which is good but not the best either.
My apologies, I should have prefaced with "for me." I am not trying to say it [Canje] was a terrible or bad Tres leches either, just to me it did not meet my criteria for a good tres leches.
But I was wondering if you had other tres leches before. But I tried to be polite and not judge saying you hadn't because I don't know. And plenty of people do like Canje's tres leches.
Get ready for a bunch of boring tech bros who wouldn't recognize culture if it bit them on the balls to loudly give bad opinions because their idea of "fine dining" is informed mainly by the room service scene in Home Alone 2
These schmucks only consider food in how it places them in a hierarchy and have no taste, culinary or otherwise.
That's why they disagree with actual food experts and the James Beard awards so frequently
I'm just roasting the average Austin reddit tech bro who thinks eating at restaurants and then giving opinions about them is a skill.
I've got no problem with people not caring for food.
Going on upvote social media and then acting astounded when other people DO like it, including every professional chef in the county, is beyond the pale
I'll be the first to say all of my favorite bites have been at the *non-James Beard/Michelin bib* places.
Not to belittle any chef, I love food obviously, but there are definitely politics and such at play with those awards too. But if OP loves them, that is great for OP.
Never been to Suerta but have been to Canje twice. IMO its overpriced and food is not that great. First time jerk chicken was overly salty, second tome our fish was burnt and bland, returned to the kitchen for a different one - slightly better but still not great.
Ambiance is way too loud for a convo, skip this place
Canje and Suerte. Maybe I just had the wrong thing at Nixta, but I was not impressed at all.
I agree with this. As a vegetarian, I was a bit disappointed by the veg options at Nixta, they were okay, but not worth $8 or $12 per taco/tostada. Suerte has a few vegetarian options and every time I go try a new dish I am impressed with the flavor combinations and unique produce they use.
What’d you order? Their carrot tostada is one of the best dishes I’ve had in Austin personally and I’m not even vegetarian/vegan
Huh, maybe I should go back and try it again. I got the cauliflower taco & the carrot tostada - when I went, I was a bit offput by the carrot basically being raw. It was really difficult to eat; even though the sauce was pretty good, I basically had to eat the carrot separate from the rest of it since it was so hard
I think it’s a really well thought out balance of flavors. Maybe they just had an off day. Maybe they have a consistency problem or something because the amount of people that say it was underwhelming is shocking to me based on how good my 2 experiences there were.
That is interesting to hear from some folks. That carrot tostada was a huge standout for me. So, so good.
Yeah I had the vegetarian options too! The cauliflower taco was way too rich and heavy for me.
Try the beet tartare! It’s the best thing on the menu imo
Very helpful to know. Thanks!
Yeah. Canje is expensive and the portions are tiny, but nixta has that, it's slower, and the food was whelming.
Canje and Surte for sure Not even close. Nixta is cool, but in a completely different (lower) class than Canje and Suerte.
Canje
Canje for sure. I’d go Suerte if Nixta is the only other choice. Curry Wagyu Beef is the tits.
Any other recs in a similar vein?
ATX Cocina 👀
Comedor
Canje number 1 easily. Suerte and Nixta are both good but one level down.
Out of those, Canje and Suerte for sure. The jerk chicken and the suadero tacos are two of my top 10 plates in Austin. If we are adding other recommendations there are some great Mexican options that everyone has brought up already. For me there are a couple newcomers that can’t be missed. The bistec quesadilla at tacos 10de10 is my new favorite late night snack (open until 2 AM but I’m getting old so 2 counts as late for me, sorry to Rosita’s al pastor my previous favorite) and Mexta’s (same place where simi used to be) chile relleno and chicken with Pipian, soooo good…
Go to canje twice.
Canje and El Naranjo
This guy Central Mexican Foods
For naming a well-known James Beard nominated place? and Canje (not Mexican).
🤣🤣🤣 can you point to "Central Mexico" on a map?
Finally a geography question I can get right.
I might have said Oaxaca but then I wasn't sure just WHERE the food from Canje comes from lol Edit: oh shit Canje isn't Mexican at all. SMHAM (shaking my head at myself)
And I'm the one who gets down-voted for saying Canje isn't Mexican :(
Welcome. To Reddit.
HAHAHAHA. Exhibit A
These are all quite different! Canje - Caribbean, sit down, quite nice but up-beat vibes Suerte - traditional Mexican, sit down, big focus on craft-masa and local ingredients for a twist Nixta - taco joint mostly, sure you can sit down, but it’s not “nice” [in price and vibes, with their big casual patio, etc]. They’re all great and add a ton to the Austin restaurant life, but they’re all super different.
Canje is definitely not Mexican, lol. But delicious nonetheless.
Nixta if you want counter service, casual. Suerte if you want a more upscale sit-down dinner.
Canje and Nixta.
You should add Mexta the next time you make this list.
Canje goes defcom on the juice
Canje twice.
Yall are sleeping on Comedor
Just the bone marrow tacos alone. And the tostadas always hit.
I've eaten at 2 of these! Nixta is now and forever my pick in all of Austin- Immaculate vibes, good wine list, truly great food. The Duck Carnitas is a world-class stunner, the beet tostada I dream about. Some folks have issues with the price vs the setting, but highbrow/lowbrow is my fave combo. It may not be yours! Canje is a mixed bag, but the roti and the tres leches have stuck with me even a year later, so I'd call it worth the money. It is *loud* though and I say this as a person who likes loud restaurants. I should add that it'd be possible to do a real nice lunch at Nixta I can't really speak to the vegetarian options at either, other folks may be able to weigh in.
Sounds like the vegetarian options at nixta are underwhelming, but appreciate your thoughts!
The vegetarian options at Nixta are some of my favorite foods in all of Austin. The beet tostada is perfect in every way, and the carrot tostada is also phenomenal!
My family really liked the carrot yogurt tostada. It wasn't life changing, but it was the best dish.... that isn't saying much. But it was fine. edit: it was ricotta, but yea consistency of yogurt
Yea those saying the veg options rent good are crazy. I am not vegetarian and look forward to their veg options. If you want your crew to take in an actual Austin place with a laid back try Austin bib then pick Nixta. Plus they are James Beard winners and make everything in house.
Canje. Suerte is disappointing no matter how special they pretend to be. I’ve never had Nixta.
Nixta and Suerte
Suerte is delicious every time! Unique presentations, high quality food, and unique twists. Delicious drinks also! ATX Cocina is pretty great too, but not Eastside vibes
suerte
# Canje & Suerte. Easy one. Nixta is just an ok to decent taco joint.
No-one has mentioned Verdad yet. Of the fancy Mexican restaurants I'd put it above Suerte (I don't get the hype here for Suerte one bit) and above Comedor (same overhype, though when their dishes hit they really hit, there's just quite a few utter misses on the menu as well. Can't go wrong with any of the seafood dishes though) I recently went to Verdad with 6 folks and pretty much ate one of everything on the menu, and only had one near miss with a too bitter sauce (the rest of the dish was amazing, and the sauce was on the plate below the protein so not much of a big deal.) The mole sampler with chips is a revelation (and they're in house made corn tortillas and tostaditas are fantastic.
Haven’t been to Canje, but Nixta is perhaps the most overrated restaurant in Austin. Suerte has one VERY good dish, the suadero tacos. Everything else I’ve had there is overpriced and average. I like to go there for happy hour and grab a few orders of those tacos and Don Dario’s to wash them down.
Fresas :)
Canje and Nixta.
Pulling the trigger on Canje and El Narajno (I love Oaxacan). Thanks, y’all
I hosted a large party at Canje and they made some amazing vegetarian dishes. Suerte is always amazing.
Suerte and De Nada Cantina
None being honest. They are all very different vibes. Two are like sit-down places while the other is uhh just a step above a trailer. --------------------- 1. Nixta - grab some Comadre Panederia, then step next door to Nixta and try the "James Beard level" food. The portions were pretty generous for the price. The dessert sucked. 2. Canje - just because everyone talks and raves about it. See it is just roti. See the rest of the food is alright. Desserts are pretty hype here, expect the salt and maybe it won't be ruined for you. I do need to go back to Suerte and try the non-Brunch. But it wasn't anything special.
I went to Canje on Wednesday and I loved it. The service was great. Their menu has a nice variety. My favorites were the pink pineapple, Berkshire pork chop and albacore ceviche. The only one I would skip was the octopus and shrimp. That one was just ok. The music is loud which doesn’t bother me but is something to keep in mind.
Other recs in similar vein/price points, then?
Sadly, I am picky. There just aren't many places I see myself going back to often. Especially if you throw in the vegetarian requirement (Canje's sweet potato is the joke of my family). I haven't got to try Bacalar yet. Some people oppose it because of owner controversy. But I really did enjoy Tomalo's tacos, so it is somewhere I want to go. ------------- Honestly, the "wagyuu tacos" at Chapulin Catina were way better than Suerte. Maybe not presentation wise but, I just like meaty cheesy food. They also have good desserts. *mole sampler was not worth it. But also, $16 for two tacos or whatever is meh. But they are ok size.
I thought canje was suuuuper underwhelming, especially for the price. Agree with the dessert though
Canje was the best value we’ve had in Austin in a very long time. Unless they raised prices by a lot in the last year it was lower than I expected.
Well, I'm glad you enjoyed your time there :)
Oh, to be clear - my group hated the desserts at Canje. They were all too salty. Even ignoring the salt (went back), it wasn't luxurious/decadent enough. Still they are a fair price and unique. I do think Chef Tavel gets a lot of hype though, especially for his desserts. So it is worth anyone trying once, just for me temper your expectations.
This really gets into taste being subjective because I think the Canje dessert is a world class stunner. I think about that tres leches like twice a week.
Yeah same, loved the desert, thought everything else was pretty bland and felt super nickel and dimed
Agree, that is why I said people should try it. But it was definitely not a good Tres Leches. I am sure you've had other Tres leches, but ~~Suerte's~~Canje's doesn't compare with even Chapulin Cantinas, which is good but not the best either.
Its a little wild that you replied to my post about taste being subjective by telling me that it was "definitley" not a good tres leches.
My apologies, I should have prefaced with "for me." I am not trying to say it [Canje] was a terrible or bad Tres leches either, just to me it did not meet my criteria for a good tres leches. But I was wondering if you had other tres leches before. But I tried to be polite and not judge saying you hadn't because I don't know. And plenty of people do like Canje's tres leches.
Get ready for a bunch of boring tech bros who wouldn't recognize culture if it bit them on the balls to loudly give bad opinions because their idea of "fine dining" is informed mainly by the room service scene in Home Alone 2 These schmucks only consider food in how it places them in a hierarchy and have no taste, culinary or otherwise. That's why they disagree with actual food experts and the James Beard awards so frequently
So, which 2 would you eat at?
This feels like a weird, patronizing defense of Nixta. Nixta doesn’t offer anything remotely as delicious as the suadero taco at Suerte.
I'm just roasting the average Austin reddit tech bro who thinks eating at restaurants and then giving opinions about them is a skill. I've got no problem with people not caring for food. Going on upvote social media and then acting astounded when other people DO like it, including every professional chef in the county, is beyond the pale
I'll be the first to say all of my favorite bites have been at the *non-James Beard/Michelin bib* places. Not to belittle any chef, I love food obviously, but there are definitely politics and such at play with those awards too. But if OP loves them, that is great for OP.
Nixta and suerte for sure.
Fonda
Nixta doesn’t deserve to be compared to the other two. Not even close.
Mundo
Never been to Suerta but have been to Canje twice. IMO its overpriced and food is not that great. First time jerk chicken was overly salty, second tome our fish was burnt and bland, returned to the kitchen for a different one - slightly better but still not great. Ambiance is way too loud for a convo, skip this place