Matt's El Rancho on South Lamar Boulevard in Austin

Matt's has been in business since 1952, a year before I was born. When I first moved to Austin in 1981 I ate at Matt's down on Caesar Chavez in front of where the Four Seasons Hotel is now. A year or two later he built a much larger restaurant on South Lamar Boulevard across the street from where the Sonic Burger now stands. I think they have some of the better true Tex-Mex in Austin and lots of people seem to agree. They have daily Lunch Specials that are currently under six dollars. A couple of House Margaritas, I like them with salt but only for the first one, and you can get away for under $20 including tip. Or, you can drink water and do it for $10. Drink water, in a mexican cantina, yeah sure. I need my frickin' vitamin C man. It's a cool place to get a drink and stand around looking at all of the framed mementos on the walls, or the hallway of garden ornaments, or watching the cooks in the kitchen through a plate glass window. I don't know how the cooks feel about it but I think it is better than the Food Network. The parking lot rivals that of a smaller mall and they are open at 11 a.m everyday but Tuesday. It's weird, Home slice Pizza is closed on Tuesdays too. Must be the slowest day of the week. I like it and their sign is the same one that used to be down on 1st Street, I think.