Fajitas are the name of the game at Polvos, so much so that there’s an entire portion of the menu dedicated to them. You can keep it classic with beef or chicken fajitas, venture into the sea with grilled fish and shrimp, or go all out with a “market price” ribeye. Whatever you decide on, it’ll come out on a dangerously-hot skillet, with a handful of house-made flour tortillas and a ticket to the salsa bar inside where you can mix and match to your heart’s delight, like a 12 year-old kid at a soda fountain. 

There are two locations in Austin: a newer, slightly-sterile one downtown, and the original on South 1st. Unless you’re staying downtown for a work conference, you’ll want to head to the south location, with an expansive patio and a colorful dining room that both feel very “old school Austin.” And even if you are staying downtown, it’s probably grabbing a rideshare to south Austin for the atmosphere alone. That, and the fact that margaritas are available by the pitcher. 

photo credit: Nicolai McCrary