Chango’s Taqueria is an independent, family-friendly restaurant on Guadalupe Street in Austin serving all-natural tacos and other Tex-Mex delights. During an Austin road trip, my family and I followed a friend’s tip and stopped at Chango’s for lunch. We enjoyed a satisfying meal and made family memories. I lived in Austin years ago but have rarely been back since, so this visit felt like closing a loop.
The menu at Chango’s is taco-centric, and the depth of taco offerings provided options for our whole family. I ordered the Del Pueblo deluxe; the seasoned chicken was a nice complement to the fresh lettuce.
My husband, Mike, loves fish and seafood tacos, so he ordered the Del Mar. He was pleased with the generous helping of tender shrimp in the taco. Our son, F.T., likes to keep things simple, so he ordered his taco with just chunks of beef on a tortilla. Our daughter, G.N., ordered a bean and cheese taco off the kids’ menu, and seemed pleased.
As a starter, Mike ordered chips with queso and guacamole to share. The queso was an irresistible dip and we were using bits of tortilla chip to scrape the cup. The guacamole was fresh but too spicy for most of the family.
Chango’s is the best of both worlds because they offer fresh food and natural ingredients but they don’t make you wait a long time for it.
The atmosphere is casual. The decor is playful and funky without trying too hard. A wall-mounted television showed a soccer game, and pop music in Spanish played in the background. The dining area is compact but has enough room for kids to wiggle. My kids brought their bag of art supplies and spent time coloring and drawing while Mike and I savored our food and conversation.
The location on Guadalupe Street is near the main campus of The University of Texas at Austin, along a dense retail and residential corridor. During our meal, the street seemed surprisingly quiet, probably because we visited during a holiday weekend when many students were home. However, we did see burnt-orange-clad families walking south towards the stadium for a Longhorn football game that evening.
As we were packing up to leave, doing the usual bathroom breaks and chugging cups of water, I scanned the walls and read an article about the restaurant. I learned that Chango’s is owned by the same family as Manuel’s, a Mexican-food institution on Congress in the central business district. When I was just out of law school, Manuel’s was the favorite restaurant of a group of lawyers I worked with. Discovering that connection, and having the opportunity to share this good food with my family, made my Chango’s taco all the more satisfying.
Story and photographs by Inga Cotton, founder of San Antonio Charter Moms.
Explore More:
Chango’s Taqueria
Website
(512) 480-8226
3023 Guadalupe Street
Austin, Texas 78705
This article is part of a series (“The Quick Bite”) of Texas Hill Country restaurant reviews featuring simple, affordable, and tasty food.
