Fonda San Miguel opened in Austin in 1975, among the first restaurants in the country to bring interior and coastal Mexican cuisine to American diners rather than the Tex-Mex dishes most were used to. Owner Tom Gilliland gradually built the space into a replica of a colonial-era hacienda, filling it with Mexican artwork, artifacts, and blooming plants that still define the room.
The kitchen is known for its chile relleno and chipotle shrimp, dishes that have anchored the menu for decades, alongside ceviche and picadillo. A Hacienda Brunch runs as its own menu alongside dinner and cocktails.
Fonda San Miguel marked its 50th anniversary with a cookbook, The Soul of Fonda San Miguel, tracing its history and influence on Mexican restaurants on both sides of the border. Its creators have since opened Tzintzuntzan, a bakery and restaurant serving Mexican baked goods and regional breakfast and lunch dishes.
The restaurant has been named to Eater's Austin essential 38.
The kitchen is known for its chile relleno and chipotle shrimp, dishes that have anchored the menu for decades, alongside ceviche and picadillo. A Hacienda Brunch runs as its own menu alongside dinner and cocktails.
Fonda San Miguel marked its 50th anniversary with a cookbook, The Soul of Fonda San Miguel, tracing its history and influence on Mexican restaurants on both sides of the border. Its creators have since opened Tzintzuntzan, a bakery and restaurant serving Mexican baked goods and regional breakfast and lunch dishes.
The restaurant has been named to Eater's Austin essential 38.