Best Fajitas in Austin, TX

Hey guys, in this guide we're going to cover the best fajitas in Austin, Texas.

If you didn't know, I recently did an intensive fajita crawl where I ate nothing but fajitas for 2 weeks. Before I started, I asked all of you to vote on your favorite fajita spots in Austin, and I used those recommendations to build my list.

I didn't discriminate either. I included local favorites, restaurant chains, hidden gems, and even upscale hotel restaurants. I was willing to drive anywhere if it meant finding the best fajitas in the Austin area.

As always, every meal in this guide was paid for by me. Nothing is sponsored, and these recommendations are based entirely on my own experience and what I genuinely thought tasted the best. The winner will be on the bottom of this list.

Pappasitos

The first spot that everyone recommended to me was Pappasito's, which is actually a Houston based chain. We ordered the large beef fajitas, which were $69, and they absolutely lived up to the hype.

The meat was incredibly tender, juicy, and perfectly cooked. They use sirloin flap meat, which gives the fajitas that signature texture and flavor you expect from great Texas fajitas. The platter comes with pico de gallo and guacamole, although you'll need to pay extra if you want cheese and sour cream. I also noticed that the guacamole you can order as a side tasted even better than the one included with the fajitas.

From my understanding, Pappasito's also has a machine that tumbles and marinates their meat for hours, which helps the seasoning penetrate throughout every bite. They also make and press all of their flour tortillas in house, serving them fresh and warm. Even the tortilla chips are served warm, which was a nice touch.

The only thing I wasn't a fan of was the salsa, which is served warm. I personally prefer cold salsa, but that's purely a matter of preference.

As for the fajitas themselves, they were everything I was hoping for. They were juicy, flavorful, and perfectly cooked with a beautiful medium rare center. If you asked me to describe the textbook version of what great Texas fajitas should taste like, this would be it.

Their website.

Lupe Tortilla

The second spot that received the most nominations from my followers was Lupe Tortilla, which is another well known Texas chain.

I know the whole "sizzling fajitas" presentation can be a little gimmicky, but when you're ordering fajitas served on a cast iron platter, it's honestly part of the experience. Surprisingly, our fajitas weren't sizzling when they arrived at the table, which was a little disappointing.

We ordered the 1.5 pound Family Style Beef Fajitas for $91.95, which I thought was on the pricier side compared to some of the other spots I visited during this crawl.

One thing I did appreciate was that the standard toppings were included, unlike Pappasito's where you have to pay extra for items like cheese and sour cream. Unfortunately, the fajitas themselves didn't quite live up to the hype. They were noticeably drier than I expected, and the meat was cooked more than I would have liked, making it a bit chewy instead of juicy.

That being said, I really enjoyed their house made flour tortillas. They were soft, fresh, and easily one of the highlights of the meal. The guacamole, however, was very watery and didn't add much for me.

Flavor wise, you could definitely taste the lime marinade, and the fajitas themselves had good seasoning. The biggest issue was simply the texture, as they lacked the tenderness and juiciness I was looking for.

a must, though, was the queso. If you visit, I highly recommend ordering the Large Queso Compuesto. It's incredibly smooth, rich, and creamy with more of that classic Velveeta style texture that so many Texans love.

Their website.

Mama Bettys

Mama Betty's was probably the 3rd most recommended spot by my followers, and it was the main Austin restaurant that kept coming up during my poll. Honestly, this was probably the biggest surprise of the entire crawl.

I visited their newer Burnet Road location and ordered the Family Style Beef Fajitas for $80, which came with 6 different sides. Right away, though, it was obvious that something was off.

The beef was cut into very large, thick chunks, and the meat itself looked tough before I even took a bite. Unfortunately, that ended up being the case. The fajitas were chewy, underseasoned, and lacked the flavor and juiciness I was hoping for.

One thing I did appreciate was that the cheese, guacamole, sour cream, and pico de gallo were all included with the platter. We also ordered the El Navigation Sauce for an additional $8 because it was highly recommended. Unfortunately, I didn't think it added much to the meal. It was essentially chopped mushrooms and vegetables in a thin cream sauce that you spoon over the fajitas, and I don't think it was worth the extra cost.

I honestly think these fajitas would have been much better if the meat had been sliced thinner. Some of the pieces were over an inch thick, which made them much tougher to eat than the other fajitas I tried during this crawl.

The flour tortillas were perfectly fine, but they weren't as memorable as the ones from Pappasito's or Lupe Tortilla. I also wasn't a fan of the queso. At $11, the portion was fairly small, and I would much rather order the large queso from Lupe Tortilla instead.

While I appreciated that the platter included plenty of sides, the quality of the beef ultimately made this one of the more disappointing stops on my fajita tour.

Their website.

La Piscina

If you're looking for a more upscale fajita experience, then La Piscina is the place to go. Located inside the Austin Proper Hotel next to the pool, it's one of the trendiest restaurants in the city. Reservations can be difficult to get because of how popular it is, so I definitely recommend planning ahead.

We ordered a few different fajitas, including the 12 ounce Pineapple and Soy Marinated Ribeye for $61 and the 10 ounce Prime Arrachera al Carbón for $48. Keep in mind that these were the prices when I visited, and they may have changed with rising beef costs.

One of the things that makes La Piscina unique is that they use premium cuts of beef like ribeye, so you're essentially getting steak style fajitas. They also serve the meat with a pool of melted cheese on the hot platter, allowing you to drag each bite through the cheese for an incredibly rich and indulgent experience. Because of that, I wouldn't bother ordering the queso since you're already getting plenty of melted cheese with the fajitas.

My favorite was the Pineapple and Soy Marinated Ribeye. The meat was incredibly tender and ate more like a perfectly cooked steak than traditional fajitas. The only thing I felt it was missing was a little more seasoning, which gave Pappasito's the edge when it came to overall flavor.

Instead of traditional guacamole, La Piscina serves an avocado salsa alongside the fajitas. If you're someone who loves guacamole, just keep in mind that it's a little different here.

One thing I absolutely loved was the complimentary chips and salsa. We actually asked for a refill because they were so good. The chips were clearly made in house, served warm, and perfectly crisp. The salsa was easily my favorite of the entire fajita crawl. It had a great kick, tons of flavor, and was something I couldn't stop eating.

Their website.

Habanero Cafe

The beef fajitas at Habanero Cafe are one of the most talked about dishes in South Austin, and I definitely wanted to include them on this list.

If you're looking for one of the best values, this is probably it. Their Beef Fajita Plate was $19.95 when I visited and comes with skirt steak, grilled onions, bell peppers, tomatoes, rice, charro beans, pico de gallo, guacamole, and house made flour tortillas.

One thing to know is that these aren't prepared in the traditional style where a whole skirt steak is grilled and then sliced. Instead, the steak is sliced first, tossed in their marinade and seasoning, and then grilled piece by piece. Because of that, the meat looks more like steak bites than the classic long ribbons of fajita meat.

Honestly, though, I wasn't complaining. Since each piece is individually coated in the seasoning, every bite is packed with flavor. The marinade really comes through, and I thought the fajitas were incredibly satisfying.

Their website.

The Winner

Overall, I would rank these near the top of my list. I still give a slight edge to Pappasito's, but if you're in South Austin and want a delicious, affordable plate of fajitas, Habanero Cafe is an excellent choice.

After trying all of these spots, my overall winner for value, flavor, texture, and overall satisfaction was Pappasito's. While La Piscina came very close and offered a more elevated experience, I still think Pappasito's had the edge when it came to the tenderness of the meat and the flavor of the marinade.

My runner up would be Habanero Cafe. I thought the seasoning was excellent, and considering the price, it's one of the best values on this list.

After that, I would rank Lupe Tortilla above Mama Betty's. While Mama Betty's didn't quite meet my expectations during this visit, I do want to give them credit for being a local Austin restaurant rather than a chain.

I also want to emphasize that I only visited each restaurant once. Like any restaurant, there can be off days or exceptionally good days, so these rankings are based solely on my personal experience from a single visit to each spot.