Excellent food, great happy hour. We will be coming back.

I recommend. This gives me upscale vibes without the bourgeois snotty people. Didn't try the food. Drinks were good. I will definitely come back. Enjoyed the prickly pear sangria.

We went for an early dinner between my good friend and her daughter. We sat outside and were having a great time, when suddenly I felt light headed and proceeded to the bathroom, where I started to faint and then fell. Immediately, my friend and several patrons from the bar came to my rescue. I was suffering from heat exhaustion and couldn't sit up for awhile. I can't possibly thank Adrian, Yeta, Megan and my amazing friend for staying by my side and helping me with no judgement. They covered me in ice and towels and helped me non-stop until my husband arrived. Whenever you lose faith in humanity, just know there are people like this out there , that are amazing and beyond caring. Alcove Cantina thank you for everything!

Eero was our server and he took the best care of us on top of being a wonderful conversation. The bartender was a delight. The chef was very thoughtful

Attended a birthday party here last night and they were able to accommodate our large group. It was amazing. The drinks were fabulous the tacos and food were amazing. And what I liked is that the prices were very reasonable and affordable for great quality a great quality service and refreshment. Can you smoke or vape you can step outside easily from the main bar area and get some fresh air. It that when you need to take a little bit of a break from the noise and crowd. I will definitely be back. The tacos were off the hook!!!

Attended event in the speak easy at the Alcove. Great atmosphere, terrific service. Decent selection at the bar, but the inside bar looks to have more variety. Live music!

Excellent food with excellent service. Been here a handful of times and have never left disappointed. Give the prickly pair margarita with a tajin rim a try. Also, if Rey is working in the back and has prepared some of his special salsa, make sure to get yourself some. It is absolutely delicious.

Best service and kind staff. Best burritos as well!

Food, drinks, bar tender, atmosphere 5 stars 🌟

Great little spot to catch some live music. Tish & the Mizzbehaving Band brought their A game! Non stop hits.

My wife and I discovered this place about 3 weeks ago. Since then we have been 5 more times. It is one of the most underrated Mexican food restaurants in Round Rock. I have yet to have something bad on the menu. The Mexican martinis are just as good. We watched them make them in front of us and you definitely get your moneys worth! (The girl that works behind the bar everytime we have been in is awesome!) I’m so glad we discovered this place and now have a weekly go to for Mexican food and drinks.

Ate on Sat night and easy to talk and great food.

Excellent chicken tamale, and taco salad, great service, upscale atmosphere

Really cool, laid back atmosphere to enjoy good food. Service was awesome, loved the cantina/bar vibes. Tasty and warm food, nachos and salsa were great as well!

This review is biased to a Friday night visit. I followed my ears from the strip and found myself entering from the rear access street. Exceptional drink specials and top notch live music. The outdoor patio is the perfect size for an intimate venue, but also large enough to get a nice crowd vibe. The stage is plenty large for a band of 5.5 people, so the possibilities are endless. Shout out to Code Blue Band for a stellar 3 hour set. Will definitely be back.

We came at a quiet time but it is an easy recommendation! Good food and everyone was extra sweet!

Excellent food, excellent service. Went to a bar across the street and the bartender treated us like we were trash. Came here and had an amazing experience. It’s crazy what some personality and good food can do for a place. The staff here is what any business owner would dream of. Will be bringing my family here from now on.

I was surprised when we found this restaurant in downtown Round Rock and it had BOMB barbacoa tacos(which I'm really picky about). The back patio was nice, open and had a separate bar outside; overall the atmosphere was very enjoyable and the margaritas were super tasty and fruity. I'm happy to say that the staff do a great job of enforcing the current COVID restrictions and social distancing. I'm making it a point to go back soon for Tacos!

This is a great Mexican restaurant with phenomenal service! The waiter was extremely knowledgeable as he took our service without having taking notes. He gave us multiple refreshments, carried multiple caring conversations and served well. The babacoa tacos are great!

This is my go-to Mexican place to eat my favorite Fajita. Me and husband usually have our date night here. I've been to many Mexican restaurants, but nothing can compare with their delicious Fajitas!

Great service and excellent food. Super flavorful dishes and sauces.

Decided to check this place out for lunch on a Saturday. The weather was beautiful and the back porch area was the perfect spot! The food was good the the service was even better! We had some young kids with us that made too much noise playing their oversized Jenga and other games they have out there. Overall, I would recommend this place to everyone!

We often end up here and it never disappoints. Great live music

The atmosphere was great the waiter was very knowledgeable and made sure that we always had our drinks were full and when he brought our food out can you knew what everybody got without asking and the food was excellent I had the fajita taco and it was enough for me

Amazing food and drinks +good vibes! Ask for Toto in the bar for sexy margaritas 🍹

Wonderful locally owned restaurant. Cold drinks, great food, and a great casual atmosphere. Frequent live music and karaoke.

I was surprised at how good the food was! I tried the fish and shrimp tacos and they didn’t disappoint! The rice and beans were also very good! Margaritas were so tasty! Recommend!

Pretty straightforward place. Delicious food and great drinks served by awesome people.

Local RR staple! One of our favorite spots. We love to bring our friends from out of town here! Food is always out fast and hot! Great spot!

Very unique and tasty chimichangas. I had the chili con carne topping and it was fab. I watched karaoke for a while expecting to have some laughs but the singers were amazing. It was like a free concert!

Very cool spot to listen to the live band or partake in the drink specials or food. The fajitas were very good, the margaritas were very good, the atmosphere completed it!

Three neat sections of this restaurant. The main dining, outdoor stage, and the hang out room in the back. I had the Chicken fajitas and was not disappointed. No dry and not under cooked. Perfectly moist yard bird.

I was there for a meet and greet. Didn't get food

One of my first options to hang out with my husband. Great atmosphere. You can choose the vibe. Quiet inside the restaurant. Music and drinks in the patio or party vibe in the lounge with a DJ.

Great prices and the service team was very attentive even though they had a skeleton crew.

Beef Fajitas absolutely amazing. Variety of drinks great as well Loved our waitress

Great service and atmosphere. And see this guy in the black and white cap?? Best bartender ever. He always smiled, gave perfect service and answered all my questions. Then he made me the best margarita I've ever had! Get over there and order your favorite drink from him!

Nice vibe on the deck with live music. (Note - They do allow smoking on the outside deck if that's a deal-breaker for you). Habenaro marg was just the right mix of heat and sweet - fantastic - I recommend the tajin/chili salt on the rim. Tons of great tequila choices. Fresh food. Really good salsa options. The tortilla soup was decent but not great. Overall experience was terrific.

Bartender was friendly and very attentive. Great spot to start out for a night out!

One of my absolute favorite places since moving to the area. The food and drinks are great and very well priced. Lots of specials daily. Staff is so friendly. My husband and I tend to go here at least once a week.

Always a great spot for meeting friends. Great drinks, even better bartender!

YUMMY! Y'all, if you are downtown Round Rock, this is one of my favorite places. The Molcajete is soooooo good! 2 to 3 of us have been able to share the Molcajete for one. We ordered extra rice and beans, but it's perfect. The street corn is great as well. The mexican martini are delicious. Meals and drinks are reasonably priced. They have live music on the patio later in the evening on the weekend. Service is usually great.

This place rocks!!! We were in Austin on a job and stayed in Round Rock. Deciding to find some fajitas on a Friday night and this place came up. Read the reviews and let me tell you it did not disappoint. Ordered a fajita taco and Spanish rice. Nothing was bland. The bartender, Megan, did an excellent job and was very attentive, despite being slammed. The beef fajita was tender and too easy to wolf down. It may has well have been 2 tacos in one. Did not even notice I scarfed it down. I will be coming back next time I have a job here. Delgado Approved!!!

Came here twice but didn't post the 1st time and should have. Had the jalapeño poppers wrapped in bacon and OMG! these are the BEST we have ever had. The bacon was so crispy, not soft or uncooked but perfectly crunchy and the jalapeño was so fresh and crisp, not spicy but perfect with the amount of filling. Our server was attentive, friendly and made our visit a really good experience so we decided to come back for breakfast. We were seated right away by the friendly hostess. I ordered the loaded potato breakfast with a side of biscuits and gravy, my partner had an omelet with a side of salsa. On the way to our table with our food she dropped the toast, my order was supposed to be on hash browns but was served with country potatoes, which she asked if they were ok but I wanted hash browns. I nibbled on the buscuits and gravy which were very good. My partner had to ask for the salsa twice but said his omelet was very good. When my correct order was served it was good but my eggs were overcooked. Our waitress never came and checked on us and we had to go to the cashier for our check, our waitress was making coffee. The place wasn't that busy so we chalked it up to somebody was having a bad day.

Went for lunch. Food and drinks were great. Staff was very nice, friendly and helpful.

+4

Amazing happy hour deals and delicious food, 6 flautas for $13 is incredible! Outdoor or indoor, it’s a lovely environment

👍 Great food! Good prices! Yummy margaritas! 👎Service can be slow ..but is friendly

First time at alcove cantina and decided to take the bartenders suggestion. He suggested a pick 3 everything was extremely good came out quick and hot! The cook was amazing her name was Lizbeth I think and the bartender Toto and her helper Mayra were friendly and great ! Will definitely be coming back !

First time here and food was fantastic. Shots were delicious authentic Mexican food. When the rice is great you know the food isn’t some knock off Mexican food.

Jesse Deol

Good food, variety of live music and a cozy open space vibe in the patio with heaters and fans for a comfy visit. Excellent patio bar service.

FURCRAZIES

Great spot to make your regular Saturday night hangout, food is amazing, service is great and there is live music almost every day in the lounge.

Liu Hu Ge

Great outdoor patio and live music. Great reasonably priced Mexican food and cocktails and a good mix of beers on tap.

Martha Eoff

The Alcove Cantina is a lively spot with great Tex-Mex and refreshing cocktails. The tacos and fajitas are packed with flavor, and the margaritas hit just the right balance. The service is upbeat, the vibe is fun, and it’s perfect for hanging out with friends or celebrating a casual night out.

Honest Review

Alcove Cantina in Round Rock is a gem! Their taco salads are absolutely amazing—fresh, flavorful, and packed with all the right ingredients. The greens are always crisp, the toppings are generous, and the seasoned meat adds the perfect kick of flavor. What really sets it apart is the balance of freshness and heartiness—it’s not just a salad, it’s a full, satisfying meal. The atmosphere at Alcove Cantina is lively and welcoming, perfect for a casual lunch or a fun night out. The staff is friendly and attentive, and the service is always quick. Whether you’re a local or just passing through Round Rock, Alcove Cantina is the spot to grab a delicious taco salad and enjoy great vibes. Highly recommend—it’s one of those dishes you’ll crave again and again!

Mette Blockhan

Lizzie our bartender was so cool. We just walked in for a cooler place to get a drink & found they have wonderful food options. The beef fajita quesadilla was yummy, we were able to share. Salsa was great! Good smoky flavor & nice heat. They had all the flavors of Deep Eddy's & found that, with Lizzie's recommendations, I love the pineapple!

김로즈마리

"We ordered a bunch of pasta, pizza, and salad and got to try a bit of everything. The new sauce flavor was a revelation and will surely have me coming back. I was too busy eating to remember to snap many photos!"

Kevin McNease

WOW! Best Mexican food in Round Rock I've had to this date. Price was great! Came during lunch. I can see why it's always crowded! Updated in June 2025, stopped in with the Mrs. for the Grande Nachos and a Drink. Still one of our favorite places after living here 10 years.

RP

Only reason I come here is to see Tish and The Mizzbehavin band. She is awesome and the music is great. The food is also great here. Definitely stop by if you are in the downtown area. The food is wells priced too.

B

Atmosphere was awesome. The employees were tentative. I love the outdoor back patio with stage. This place always has something going on. The food menu was amazing! Drinks are well made. Restrooms clean. I have zero complaints. If im back at Round Rock for business trip. I'm coming back everytime! I wish I knew the waiters/bar tender name. He had a cubian accent. He was awesome and so respectful. Go see him! Thank you Cantina Alcove for making me and my family happy!

Steve “Blackbead” Sanders

OUTSTANDING neighborhood cantina with great drinks (Happy Hour all day!), delicious food (the barbacoa tacos were amazing!), and friendly, helpful, courteous service. Adolfo, one of the bartenders, was the perfect host and reason enough to return to his watering hole. If you're in Round Rock and trying to pick a restaurant, look no further than The Alcove Cantina. And it's the perfect place for an after-work happy hour!

Tim Oakley

Visiting downtown Round Rock and stopped here for lunch. We were not disappointed as the Nachos and Margaritas were fantastic. Great service as well. This is a hole in the way but don't let the looks fool you as the food is really good.

Chad Rains

How have I missed this place! Had lunch there todsy and was blown away with the quality and taste of the food. Very fresh and not "microwaved". Best enchiladas I have had since moving here 5 years ago. MUST TRY IT! They also have '80s night every third Saturday. Yes! I am dressing up in my best '80s garb and going to the next one. Go see Tony at the bar. He is an awesome dude and will treat you right.

+4

RJ B

As you can see, I couldn’t wait to eat for a photo. Everything came out fast and hot! The personalized tequila flight was amazing and the prickly pear margarita was delicious. This meal was everything I thought it would be. We ate on the patio and enjoyed the beautiful day. I highly recommend this restaurant.

Ivo Jahn

Great place downtown Round Rock. Me and my wife had lunch there on Sunday, rather than waiting for 1 hour at boring breakfast places. And we loved it, the chips where warm and the freshly made salsa had just a little kick to it. The attentive service deserve a extra star, both servers where just great. The Taco and enchilada where delicious, my main was well prepared to and very big. Will certainly be back for more delicious food and live music.

Great food and menu. I came in with my family and couldn't find a table big enough for 6 adults and an highchair. All the bigger tables were too high for the highchair.

Great outdoor patio. Karaoke was good!

Went here for a friend’s birthday dinner on a Friday evening. Our group chose to sit outside on the back patio. We quickly found out that there was no wait staff to take our food orders. Must put in orders at the bar. The bar out back was open and it wasn’t packed so it was easy to get our order in. Food was delivered to our table one order at a time but quickly. I tried the shrimp tacos. They were not the greatest, kind of soggy. We tried the Mexican Lollipop shots - these were good! Atmosphere was great.

Great bartender, good food. Live band is very loud, could turn Volume down some

These folks were awesome! We held our first fundraiser and it was such a great success and the folks at Alcove Cantina were great to work with.

Overall our experience was good. I don’t think this place has incredible Mexican food, but it was good enough. I liked the vibe overall, and they seemed to have live music out back which was cool. You seat yourself, and sometimes it took a bit longer than it should have to be talked to by a server, but I get that it can be busy. We may come back again in the future.

Great atmosphere love the live band, food was good however the salsa with the chips was watery that's the only reason I gave it 4 stars.

Nice place to hang out but the draft beer in the patio sucks and the bartender outside would rather read her phone or talk to her friends than serve sloppy hot beer. Where's John Taffer?

I give this place a strong 4.0 to 4.5. Up sides- overall the food was great! Considering it was busy, the waitress was attentive and the food came out quick. I ordered chicken enchiladas covered in queso and it was delicious! The menu is simple and to the point. The patio out back is very nice and relaxing for social outings. Down sides- They only had UNsweet tea. I wasn't expecting the rice to be so spicy. There was no hostess and the room is small so it's a little confusing if you should just stand and wait, or seat yourself. I had to take a star away for this. It is important to communicate well to your customer when they first walk in where they should go and what they should do. Whether it's seat yourself or wait for a hostess, etc. Luckily we beat the dinner rush so we easily found an empty parking spot and table and sat ourselves. Overall, I'd love to come back to this place! Oh and a plus is they have a (digital) juke box so it's awesome to be able to add my own song! The songs it had were good and fit the vibe of the place well. They also have karaoke on certain nights.

Vanessa Gonzalez

If you’re looking for affordable drinks to pair with tacos, this is the place to go! I came for Taco Tuesday and was impressed with the great specials and excellent service. Definitely a great bang for your buck!”

+2

Don Derouen

It’s too loud for a lunch venue. This is because it’s not a restaurant, it’s a bar that serves really good grilled fish tacos. Rice and beans are top notch. Melissa was our server for the entire place and she was awesome! On top of everything and still managed the bar.

pamela c

Went here for the firrst time for a TexMex dinner on a Sunday evening. It was busy, mostly with 30 - 40 year-olds at the bar. There are a few tables to sit at up front. Our server was a super nice young man who waited on us promptly and who was just wonderful. We had the 3-pick mix and match tacos and enchiladas that were all very good.

d p

Flies. Too many flies to give them 5 stars. I visited Round Rock for business. I googled and found Alcove Cantina. The reviews were overwhelmingly positive. The restaurant was easy to find from my hotel. Inside the decor is more trendy bar than restaurant and the noise level was high (7 PM). I believe there were only 8 tables inside but there was more seating on the patio. I was quickly greeted and ordered a drink and an appetizer. Both were delivered very quickly. I had their trio which included guacamole (outstanding), fresh salsa (delicioso) and queso (not temperature hot and too thick to eat). My entree was a combo of pork tamale and ground beef enchilada. Both were great. At this point I was noticing the flies. Lots of flies all over my table and I was trying to bat them away. Lots of batting of flies. Too much batting of flies.

Pros great salsa and jalopeno poppers Cons staff not attentive very much in their phones. They did not identify their food correctly and gave me pork i had to spit it out since i haven’t eaten pork in years and then gave the plate to my partner half eaten instead of getting a new meal. I had to request him a new tamale. The enchiladas were not good and the tamales weren’t either. I won’t be back.

Anthony Escobar

Food was ok, good portion size and presented well. Atmosphere not really kid friendly. Flavor could have been better. Nice location in downtown Round Rock.

+9

The only reason it gets two stars is cause of the bartender Alicia and Ashley actually took care of us. We sat outside cause we brought our dog and they told us that the bar outside opens at 6. When it hit 6:10, nobody was really outside which was fine, so we decided to go inside and order. It is a bit busy indoors so we wait by the bar to take our order. We watched two bartenders/servers take the orders for the people indoors and completely ignore us when we asked us if we could place an order. At first we figured they were busy, but then we saw that they were just talking with one another and didn’t even ask if we needed anything. They looked at us and then just proceeded to ignore us. It wasn’t until Alicia came around the bar and asked if we needed help. Luckily, when more people sat outdoors and we finally had an outdoor bartender named Ashley, she took care of us. Gave us what we needed. Probably won’t come here again just cause our first time here gave us a sour taste in our mouths. Thought it was supposed to be a nice new experience, but I guess it’s better to just go elsewhere.

This place was average. We sat ourselves in the back area and no server approached us despite walking around us. After five minutes we went up to the bar to ask for menus because it was clear no one was planning to attend to us. After that the bartender came and took our orders. Didn’t bring waters, didn’t bring the free chips and salsa that other people clearly had at their tables. Once the food came they were more attentive and checked in quite a bit. Food was so-so and drinks were actually pretty good but I wouldn’t come back.

We went here last night for group gathering along with music (Fusion) drinks and food. Cool little place in downtown RR. Not too busy. Service was better than expected for the amount of employees in hand compared to customers. Music was great! Loved the band and would see them again. Parking was also easy and free! Unfortunately the food was terrible. Zero taste. No seasoning, nothing. Literally, not gross but absolutely tasteless! I’m not sure why anyone would say this place has good food. Dead taste buds perhaps? Or they don’t know what quality food tastes like? We had loaded queso-no flavor. Barbacoa tacos-no flavor. Premium margaritas-no alcohol taste. Tart and tasted like a supped up lemonade. Drinks were cheap, that was our first clue they might not be any good. Reminds me of the Oasis, go for the atmosphere NOT the food. Otherwise, we had a great time. Oh, black beans DID have flavor and were quite tasty. Not sure what happened to the rest of the food.

Greeted very rudely when walking in the place. Told there's more places in the back. When my fiancé and I made it to the back the bartender couldn't even look up from her phone to Greet us. When we finally got food chips looked like they were from the bottom of the bag. Food very bland. And bartender all she could do wad text text text.

Food is nasty… white Mexican food..I got a cold burrito tortilla not even cooked. Service was excellent and good atmosphere.. also the margs are made with cheap tequila.

We had a very bad experience. The bartenders did not attend to us properly. It seemed to be because we don’t speak English, since they did not help us at all and ignored us. Very poor service

Walked in with my 2 daughters for lunch. As we waited at the door to be seated, I watched a waitress (who just took someone's order) walk to the back and while putting chips in the basket, she started to eat them. And then sipped her beverage and brought that same basket out to a guest. Immediately, we left

I walked in and out. No menus, no staff assisting, no one acknowledged we had been waiting for someone to greet us at the entrance. We approached the bar just to ask for a menu and the employee looked overwhelmed. This is a small place, so it’s not hard for staff to see when someone comes in. First time in and forever gone. Bye and good luck.

I'm new to the Round Rock area and was looking for a somewhat dive bar to have a couple of beers after work . I see this place called the Alcove lounge down the ally and figured hey close enough. I went inside, there is only 5 people in the bar. At first, the bartender greeted me nicely, but after finding out I wasn't with some company that booked the place for the day, she rudely said I will need to go to the outside area or main restaurant bar. I didn't mean to crash anyones party. There weren't any signs on the door indicating the lounge was reserved. Anyway, the bartender could have been nicer in the way she kicked me out of the place.. needless to say, im not going back there again. If anyone knows of any good, friendly dive bars in the Round Rock area. Please let me know..

I got the taco salad and they barely filled it up half way and the shell was so stale. Very sad

I just moved here from denver/Phoenix 22 days ago my first time in round rock, I thought I'd try out something local and I am heavily disappointed. The restaurant, The Alcove Cantina, is extremely short staffed and the food is very bland. I got a combo plate that consisted of taco, enchilada, tamale, I wanted to try it all and bring home leftovers. I hate to say this but taco bell is better.