Matt's El Rancho

The overview

The King of Mexican Food since 1952.

Matt's El Rancho has been Austin's original Tex-Mex since 1952, when Matt and Janie Martinez grew a 40-seat café into a South Lamar institution now serving some 500 guests a day. Generations order the same things: sizzling fajitas, cheese enchiladas, and the legendary Bob Armstrong dip — queso layered with taco meat and guacamole, named for a regular.

Still family-run after more than 70 years, Matt's is the 2025 Centurion Award winner in Austin.

What they're known for

Sizzling Angus fajitas
Bob Armstrong dip
Cheese enchiladas

The public record

What reviewers already knew.

A Centurion Award doesn’t replace the public record — it verifies it. Read it for yourself, on the platforms where it lives.

Google Maps
Reviews, photos & directions Read reviews →

Public-record snapshot as of July 2026. Live ratings are always current on each platform.

The verification

Why this business cleared the bar.

Selection is by the published criteria, evaluated on public evidence. Matt's El Rancho cleared every one.

✓Years in operation. Operating in Austin since 1952 — 74 years of continuous business.
✓Sustained online presence. An established local institution with a consistent public footprint — listings, coverage, and word of mouth in Austin.
✓Established customer track record. A deep public track record: Austin has kept Matt's El Rancho busy for 74 years.
✓Liked by customers and the community. Genuinely beloved by Austin regulars and visitors alike — a bona fide community favorite.
✓Recognition in the local community. Named best Tex-Mex in Austin for 2026 for more than 70 years of the Martinez family's kitchen and the Bob Armstrong dip Austin refuses to live without.

The full verification report — the specific data behind this award — is held by the business. The exact thresholds stay internal so the bar can’t be gamed. Read the methodology.

Award record

2025

Best Tex-Mex in Austin Austin, TX · Awarded under the 2025 evaluation

All awards for Matt's El Rancho →

Visit Matt's El Rancho

Websitemattselrancho.com ↗

Location2613 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704

In business since1952

Find them onFacebook · Instagram · Yelp

Facts at a glance

The sourceable record.

Clean, checkable facts about Matt's El Rancho — for readers, search engines, and answer tools alike.

Legal / trading name: Matt's El Rancho
Category: Restaurant
Founded: 1952, Austin, TX
Founders: Matt & Janie Martinez
Location: 2613 S Lamar Blvd, Austin, TX 78704
Centurion Award: Best Tex-Mex in Austin — 2025
Record last verified: July 2026

A signal you can check.

This is a dated award record, published by The Centurion Awards after Matt's El Rancho cleared the 2025 evaluation for its market and category. It was not bought, voted on, or sponsored — the criteria are public, only winners are published, and an award that stops holding up is revoked, not quietly removed. Awards run one calendar year and renew only if the business clears the bar again. For everything else — hours, bookings, live reviews — go straight to the business itself.

Quick answers

Frequently asked questions.

What is Matt's El Rancho?

Family-run Tex-Mex landmark founded by Matt Martinez in 1952, home of the original Bob Armstrong queso dip.

Is Matt's El Rancho award-winning?

Yes — Matt's El Rancho is the 2025 Centurion Award winner for Best Tex-Mex in Austin, a verified, criteria-based award. Named best Tex-Mex in Austin for 2025 for more than 70 years of the Martinez family's kitchen and the Bob Armstrong dip Austin refuses to live without.

Where is Matt's El Rancho?

Matt's El Rancho is in Austin, TX.