This is neither Mexican food nor Oaxacan food. This is overpriced, dry, under seasoned, poorly served Tex Mex.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Quynh-Anh Huynh
Good service, but their food is too mediocre and overpriced. For this price point, I should not expect this level of poor kitchen air ventilation that makes my hair and clothes smell like food after dinner.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 4
Richard W
Interesting flavors. El Naranjo is of course famous for their moles. The black mole is spicy, bitter, and intensely chocolatey. The sweet and creamy mole blanco is a great option for less adventurous palates.The complimentary bread is a sleeper hit. The citrus butter felt so light, mildly sweet, and fragrant. The salsa macha contained a delicious and complex blend of chilis with mild heat. I wish they sold jars of the salsa macha.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mole Negro De Oaxaca with Duck Breast
Nicholas Dunlap
Phenomenal from start to finish.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Bridget Hendricks
Absolutely amazing ? Amazing food, amazing service and super gluten free
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Sundu Brahmasandra
Fantastic dinner. The mole was to die for and the Pescado was equally amazing! Will be back for sure…
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ceviche
Richard
I made a reservation to begin my wife's birthday with brunch. This was our first time dining at El Naranjo. We noticed the chef's story on social media and were intrigued. We had a great first experience. The appetizers and main courses were all delightfully balanced with culinary nuance and fresh, bright flavors. We devoured everything we ordered, and while being filling and flavorful, nothing felt heavy or overbearing. We noticed a line forming minutes before opening, giving a sense that we'd might the right choice, and we did! We'll be back, ready to bob and weave our way through the generous menu, gorgeous food, gracious flavors, and good service. Buen provecho!
Cole
This is a spot not to be missed. Casual and approachable in atmosphere with some of the most elevated, interesting Mexican food I've ever had. Impeccable service from Dustin and team. This could easily be an expensive restaurant but it's super affordable. Don't skip the duck!
KarenH
We had a delightful and attentive server. Not invasive and very helpful. The food was all delicious and the cocktails were creative and tasty. We enjoyed the decor but with all of the hard surfaces, it was pretty noisy so we had to shout a bit to have a conversation. Just added to the noise, I know. Still, we went for Brunch and plan to go for an evening meal. The dinner menu is really enticing and maybe folks won't be so shouty in the evening. No complaining, just saying it is pretty loud. It was for a special Birthday treat and it did not disappoint!
Laura Duggan, Austin, TX Realtor
The food is outstanding at El Naranjo but the atmosphere falls short of a high end restaurant. It feels more like a nicely decorated fast food space and as the restaurant filled (we went early) it became very noisy. They have a great happy hour with $5 off appetizers and a small break on drinks. We had specialty margaritas and guacamole to begin then each ordered a different entree. The moles are their specialty among the creative Oaxacan fare. All of us enjoyed what we ordered. The service was excellent too. The cost was $75 per person.Vegetarian options: They had good vegetarian options including the mole dishes with vegetablesParking: If you go early you can park in the lot reserved for retail customers including the restaurant
This was our first time at El Naranjo. The service was stellar - our waiter was great at making recommendations, our water was always refilled and everyone was super nice. The food was excellent. The daily ceviche was so fresh and citrusy. I ordered the Mole Blanco de Oaxaca with halibut and my husband ordered the Shortrib. The flavors were outstanding, the mole and sweet potato sauce were delicious and both fish and meat were cooked to perfectly. We each tried a few cocktails and loved them. I tried the Mezcalina and La Llarona and both were spicy and not overly sweet. We will be back.
FoodandThought
Authentic, fresh and delicious food. Great friendly service. In the upper range of cost. But excellent overall value. Ambiance is modern and not consistent with an immersive Mexican experience but we were there to eat and we did!
KristinB
Our main dishes were fine but not spectacular. Great appetizers and service, drinks were delicious though a bit pricey. The bread with chili oil and zesty butter were yummy! Our waitress was great. If I could do a redo I would have skipped the guacamole because it filled me up too much, would have ordered a mole, and would hopefully have had room for the rice pudding!
Brigitte Mendoza
Dining at El Naranjo is an exquisite experience! The service and food never disappoint. And the moles.....imaginative and delectable. The assortment of plant based dishes is so delicious. El Naranjo is a star above the rest.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Gabi
Half a chicken breast (I would guess it was 5oz), that was cooked...fine..was $36... They also completely forgot part of my order. A smudge of queso fundido is $10, and the pastel azteca is basically just queso fundido with tortillas, over $30.
This is neither Mexican food nor Oaxacan food. This is overpriced, dry, under seasoned, poorly served Tex Mex.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 1
Good service, but their food is too mediocre and overpriced. For this price point, I should not expect this level of poor kitchen air ventilation that makes my hair and clothes smell like food after dinner.
Atmosphere: 1
Food: 1
Service: 4
Interesting flavors. El Naranjo is of course famous for their moles. The black mole is spicy, bitter, and intensely chocolatey. The sweet and creamy mole blanco is a great option for less adventurous palates.The complimentary bread is a sleeper hit. The citrus butter felt so light, mildly sweet, and fragrant. The salsa macha contained a delicious and complex blend of chilis with mild heat. I wish they sold jars of the salsa macha.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Mole Negro De Oaxaca with Duck Breast
Phenomenal from start to finish.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Absolutely amazing ? Amazing food, amazing service and super gluten free
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Fantastic dinner. The mole was to die for and the Pescado was equally amazing! Will be back for sure…
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Ceviche
I made a reservation to begin my wife's birthday with brunch. This was our first time dining at El Naranjo. We noticed the chef's story on social media and were intrigued. We had a great first experience. The appetizers and main courses were all delightfully balanced with culinary nuance and fresh, bright flavors. We devoured everything we ordered, and while being filling and flavorful, nothing felt heavy or overbearing. We noticed a line forming minutes before opening, giving a sense that we'd might the right choice, and we did! We'll be back, ready to bob and weave our way through the generous menu, gorgeous food, gracious flavors, and good service. Buen provecho!
This is a spot not to be missed. Casual and approachable in atmosphere with some of the most elevated, interesting Mexican food I've ever had. Impeccable service from Dustin and team. This could easily be an expensive restaurant but it's super affordable. Don't skip the duck!
We had a delightful and attentive server. Not invasive and very helpful. The food was all delicious and the cocktails were creative and tasty. We enjoyed the decor but with all of the hard surfaces, it was pretty noisy so we had to shout a bit to have a conversation. Just added to the noise, I know. Still, we went for Brunch and plan to go for an evening meal. The dinner menu is really enticing and maybe folks won't be so shouty in the evening. No complaining, just saying it is pretty loud. It was for a special Birthday treat and it did not disappoint!
The food is outstanding at El Naranjo but the atmosphere falls short of a high end restaurant. It feels more like a nicely decorated fast food space and as the restaurant filled (we went early) it became very noisy. They have a great happy hour with $5 off appetizers and a small break on drinks. We had specialty margaritas and guacamole to begin then each ordered a different entree. The moles are their specialty among the creative Oaxacan fare. All of us enjoyed what we ordered. The service was excellent too. The cost was $75 per person.Vegetarian options: They had good vegetarian options including the mole dishes with vegetablesParking: If you go early you can park in the lot reserved for retail customers including the restaurant
Atmosphere: 4
Food: 5
Service: 5
Recommended dishes: Pastel Azteca
Restaurantji Recommends
This was our first time at El Naranjo. The service was stellar - our waiter was great at making recommendations, our water was always refilled and everyone was super nice. The food was excellent. The daily ceviche was so fresh and citrusy. I ordered the Mole Blanco de Oaxaca with halibut and my husband ordered the Shortrib. The flavors were outstanding, the mole and sweet potato sauce were delicious and both fish and meat were cooked to perfectly. We each tried a few cocktails and loved them. I tried the Mezcalina and La Llarona and both were spicy and not overly sweet. We will be back.
Authentic, fresh and delicious food. Great friendly service. In the upper range of cost. But excellent overall value. Ambiance is modern and not consistent with an immersive Mexican experience but we were there to eat and we did!
Our main dishes were fine but not spectacular. Great appetizers and service, drinks were delicious though a bit pricey. The bread with chili oil and zesty butter were yummy! Our waitress was great. If I could do a redo I would have skipped the guacamole because it filled me up too much, would have ordered a mole, and would hopefully have had room for the rice pudding!
Dining at El Naranjo is an exquisite experience! The service and food never disappoint. And the moles.....imaginative and delectable. The assortment of plant based dishes is so delicious. El Naranjo is a star above the rest.
Atmosphere: 5
Food: 5
Service: 5
Half a chicken breast (I would guess it was 5oz), that was cooked...fine..was $36... They also completely forgot part of my order. A smudge of queso fundido is $10, and the pastel azteca is basically just queso fundido with tortillas, over $30.