Cardenas
Mexican · Giddings
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About Cardenas
Located in Giddings, Cardenas is a local favorite, evidenced by our 4.7-star rating based on 222 reviews. We offer convenient takeout and dine-in options with fast service. We are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with great coffee to complement your meal. We're open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, F...
Located in Giddings, Cardenas is a local favorite, evidenced by our 4.7-star rating based on 222 reviews. We offer convenient takeout and dine-in options with fast service. We are open for breakfast, lunch and dinner, with great coffee to complement your meal. We're open Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday from 6AM to 2:30PM, and Sunday from 7AM to 2:30PM; we are closed on Wednesdays. Cardenas is committed to accessibility, providing a wheelchair accessible entrance, parking lot, restroom and seating to ensure a comfortable experience for all our guests. We welcome solo diners and groups alike!
What Customers Say About Cardenas
Cardenas is a family-owned Mexican restaurant known for its friendly service and delicious, authentic food. Customers rave about the Carne Guisada, homemade tortillas, and breakfast options. Many reviewers highlight the warm, welcoming atmosphere and fast service.
Popular Dishes
Best For
Tip: Don't be fooled by the exterior; the food and service are excellent. Try the homemade tortillas and spicy green salsa.
Features
What to see nearby
Data from Wikidata
Explore the area around Cardenas
Cardenas is located in Giddings, surrounded by cultural and historical points of interest. Here are some of the most notable places nearby.
Historical Heritage
- Lee County Heritage Museum (A 703m) — building in Giddings, Lee County, Texas Lugar inscrito en el Registro Nacional de Lugares Históricos
- First Presbyterian Church (A 705m) — historic place in Giddings, Lee County, Texas Monumento histórico grabado de Texas
- Fletcher Home (A 740m) — historic place in Giddings, Lee County, Texas Monumento histórico grabado de Texas
- Edward R. Sinks House (A 827m) — historic place in Giddings, Lee County, Texas Monumento histórico grabado de Texas
Religious Buildings
- First Presbyterian Church (A 729m) — church building at 192 S. Grimes St. Giddings, Texas
Data from Wikidata
Frequently asked questions about Cardenas
Cardenas Giddings Reviews
Our first time here. Not our last. Traditional Mexican breakfast - so fresh and served by the nicest waitresses around. Breakfast tacos are huge and less than $4 ea. Parking lot was crowded and we knew right away that we made a good choice.
Amazing food, dont let the looks of the place scare you away, this is a hidden gem!!!! Highly recommended
Delicious food, friendly service and good prices. If you are passing by Giddings and you are looking for a place to eat I do recommend this place!!
What a great little Mexican restaurant! We wanted an off the wall cozy place to eat after Sherwood Forest, and we found it. Green salsa was awesome, service great, and our food was fantastic! We were hungry and forgot to take pics. BTW...price is right here too!
Quaint restaurant, looks to be family owned. Ordered the menudo and it was excellent. 2 large tortillas accompanied it, which was just enough to be enjoyed from start to finish. The tortillas were unusually good. I wish I could be a fly on the wall to see how all this is made and learn their ways. This will be my Menudo spot when passing through Giddings from now on.
Fast to go spicy migas M m m
Do not let the exterior fool you! This was some of the best Mexican food, that I have ever eaten. It was delicious and the service was excellent! My only complaint is it located too far from my house.
I love this place!!! Great Mexican breakfast spot that's a family owned and run business! Shop local!
Our first time here. Not our last. Traditional Mexican breakfast - so fresh and served by the nicest waitresses around. Breakfast tacos are huge and less than $4 ea. Parking lot was crowded and we knew right away that we made a good choice.
Delicious food, friendly service and good prices. If you are passing by Giddings and you are looking for a place to eat I do recommend this place!!
What a great little Mexican restaurant! We wanted an off the wall cozy place to eat after Sherwood Forest, and we found it. Green salsa was awesome, service great, and our food was fantastic! We were hungry and forgot to take pics. BTW...price is right here too!
Quaint restaurant, looks to be family owned. Ordered the menudo and it was excellent. 2 large tortillas accompanied it, which was just enough to be enjoyed from start to finish. The tortillas were unusually good. I wish I could be a fly on the wall to see how all this is made and learn their ways. This will be my Menudo spot when passing through Giddings from now on.
Fast to go spicy migas M m m
Do not let the exterior fool you! This was some of the best Mexican food, that I have ever eaten. It was delicious and the service was excellent! My only complaint is it located too far from my house.
I love this place!!! Great Mexican breakfast spot that's a family owned and run business! Shop local!
My girlfriend and I stopped by here on the way to Austin. And OMG. It was amazing. We have honestly talked about how it may be worth an hour trip to just eat here again.
So delicious! Such friendly staff and the food was amazing! Green salsa is spicy and the red was juicy and full of flavor. Food was hot and fresh. Homemade tortillas were awesome! Really yummy, and we’ll be back!
Warm small town cafe atmosphere. Fast and friendly service. Excellent Mexican food, as good as I used to get in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Stephanie took really good care of us.
Given the competition in the food industry, it's relatively easy to find good food...what's even harder to find is a restaurant that has high quality service. Cardenas certainly has both! I'd requested a last-minute group order for a small gathering for 50 people. Even though it was last minute, not only were they willing to make the order, but they went out of the way to provide food where ingredients were more limited and needed for the rest of the day's service. This was not just professional service, but very sacrificial and caring example of what makes up the core of what we call 'hospitality'. We ordered the beef and chicken tacos, with fajitas which were cooked to perfection (and stayed hot during transportation) and the salsa...I could drink it by itself! (public apology) my only regret is that we were in such a hurry that we forgot to tip.......but guarantees that I'll be back next time we're in town. Thank you to Cardenas for your sacrificial and loving care for your customers in a pinch! No amount of stars could give you a high enough rating.
The Carne Guisada is so good. It is so lean and tender. It is flavored perfectly. I always get the meal so I can get the rice and the homemade tortillas to wrap up together. I've been going there for years now. They are very friendly and Family owned.
The service are so amazing!! They do even cook with vegetarians foodstuffs. And it tasted so delicious. Plus Deaf friendly.
Great Mexican Restaurant.. had been here 7 yrs ago and I just had to stop by once again (on the road) fantastic service and reasonable prices. !!! I love this place, makes me feel at home.
Great food in family run restaurant. Service is quick and staff are always pleasant. Chicken enchiladas are a favorite.
A very quaint and unassuming place, but packed with joy and happiness inside. The service was great, and the servers were really friendly. The food was really good too. The eggs were cooked perfectly, and they nailed the sunny side up. Some items could use more salt, but it was pretty close to a perfect Mexican breakfast.
My family and I went to a funeral in Elgin. It was 9:00 am. We were driving around looking for a good Mexican breakfast. Every restaurant we passed was closed I googled for a Mexican place that was open. It mentioned Cardenas. When we arrived we were hesitant. It looked like a house. My sister said " mom and pop" restaurant were the best. Needless to say that was the best food I've ever tasted. I love menudo but no place makes it like my mom. Well mom - you got competition 😀. We will be back
Great food in family run restaurant. Service is quick and staff are always pleasant. Chicken enchiladas are a favorite.
My girlfriend and I stopped by here on the way to Austin. And OMG. It was amazing. We have honestly talked about how it may be worth an hour trip to just eat here again.
A very quaint and unassuming place, but packed with joy and happiness inside. The service was great, and the servers were really friendly. The food was really good too. The eggs were cooked perfectly, and they nailed the sunny side up. Some items could use more salt, but it was pretty close to a perfect Mexican breakfast.
My family and I went to a funeral in Elgin. It was 9:00 am. We were driving around looking for a good Mexican breakfast. Every restaurant we passed was closed I googled for a Mexican place that was open. It mentioned Cardenas. When we arrived we were hesitant. It looked like a house. My sister said " mom and pop" restaurant were the best. Needless to say that was the best food I've ever tasted. I love menudo but no place makes it like my mom. Well mom - you got competition 😀. We will be back
The service are so amazing!! They do even cook with vegetarians foodstuffs. And it tasted so delicious. Plus Deaf friendly.
This place is amazing 🤩, come try their tacos. Super friendly staff. You'll definitely enjoy the food and the atmosphere here.
Warm small town cafe atmosphere. Fast and friendly service. Excellent Mexican food, as good as I used to get in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. Stephanie took really good care of us.
Given the competition in the food industry, it's relatively easy to find good food...what's even harder to find is a restaurant that has high quality service. Cardenas certainly has both! I'd requested a last-minute group order for a small gathering for 50 people. Even though it was last minute, not only were they willing to make the order, but they went out of the way to provide food where ingredients were more limited and needed for the rest of the day's service. This was not just professional service, but very sacrificial and caring example of what makes up the core of what we call 'hospitality'. We ordered the beef and chicken tacos, with fajitas which were cooked to perfection (and stayed hot during transportation) and the salsa...I could drink it by itself! (public apology) my only regret is that we were in such a hurry that we forgot to tip.......but guarantees that I'll be back next time we're in town. Thank you to Cardenas for your sacrificial and loving care for your customers in a pinch! No amount of stars could give you a high enough rating.
Great Mexican Restaurant.. had been here 7 yrs ago and I just had to stop by once again (on the road) fantastic service and reasonable prices. !!! I love this place, makes me feel at home.
So delicious! Such friendly staff and the food was amazing! Green salsa is spicy and the red was juicy and full of flavor. Food was hot and fresh. Homemade tortillas were awesome! Really yummy, and we’ll be back!
The Carne Guisada is so good. It is so lean and tender. It is flavored perfectly. I always get the meal so I can get the rice and the homemade tortillas to wrap up together. I've been going there for years now. They are very friendly and Family owned.
So, my job has ordered breakfast from this place a couple times. It's been pretty decent food every time they order breakfast burritos. So I got a hankering for that good tasting combination breakfast burrito, so I popped in. It took nearly 15 minutes to get 3 combination burritos in a brown paper bag paid for and in my hand. The food is as good as you would expect it to be. The restaurant experience can only be described as this: being in Jr High School and walking into the cafeteria during a lunch time you don't normally eat in. Every one looking up from their food and staring at you walking in the door. And if the locals eating at the tables didn't notice you open the door of the converted trailer coming in, they sure will when that door closes. Immensely uncomfortable for those of us who don't like attention. I don't like people staring at me. I prefer to be on the fringes of attention and move in silence, anonymously doing what I do in the background. You walk in that door those locals are looking. But the food more than compensates for the awkward atmosphere. Even the staff seemed a little unwelcoming. It was a purely cultural experience and I'm rambling because I'm trying to convey an experience without saying it the way I really want to relate my experience. Sometimes people allow their cultural norms to overlap in their public business environment. There, I said it.
So, my job has ordered breakfast from this place a couple times. It's been pretty decent food every time they order breakfast burritos. So I got a hankering for that good tasting combination breakfast burrito, so I popped in. It took nearly 15 minutes to get 3 combination burritos in a brown paper bag paid for and in my hand. The food is as good as you would expect it to be. The restaurant experience can only be described as this: being in Jr High School and walking into the cafeteria during a lunch time you don't normally eat in. Every one looking up from their food and staring at you walking in the door. And if the locals eating at the tables didn't notice you open the door of the converted trailer coming in, they sure will when that door closes. Immensely uncomfortable for those of us who don't like attention. I don't like people staring at me. I prefer to be on the fringes of attention and move in silence, anonymously doing what I do in the background. You walk in that door those locals are looking. But the food more than compensates for the awkward atmosphere. Even the staff seemed a little unwelcoming. It was a purely cultural experience and I'm rambling because I'm trying to convey an experience without saying it the way I really want to relate my experience. Sometimes people allow their cultural norms to overlap in their public business environment. There, I said it.
Great chips & green hot sauce. Not Tex-Mex, just plain Mexican food. Cheese enchiladas contain white cheese not yellow (new to me) and had less flavor than a typical cheese enchilada.
Great chips & green hot sauce. Not Tex-Mex, just plain Mexican food. Cheese enchiladas contain white cheese not yellow (new to me) and had less flavor than a typical cheese enchilada.
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About Cardenas
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922 S Main St, Giddings, TX 78942
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922 S Main St, Giddings, TX 78942
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building in Giddings, Lee County, Texas
historic place in Giddings, Lee County, Texas
church building at 192 S. Grimes St. Giddings, Texas
historic place in Giddings, Lee County, Texas
historic place in Giddings, Lee County, Texas
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