“We have a little bit of everything,” Osorio said. “People feel like they’re at home with the way we treat you. Everybody is special to us.”
Everything is made fresh from scratch daily with a menu focused on the most popular dishes native to Latin America, Osorio said. One favorite is the Acapulco a la Talla baked red fish, a filet marinated with a variety of peppers from the Acapulco region in southern Mexico. Alongside full dining service, the restaurant offers a full bar with beer, wine and Latin American-inspired cocktails.
The menu has been simplified in the last year to prioritize popular dishes and avoid customers getting overwhelmed with options, he said. Though the restaurant is not explicitly a Mexican restaurant, the menu also consists of several Mexican and Tex-Mex dishes for those interested in Latin food but hesitant to branch out.
“We are the only restaurant in the area that has this wide selection and live Latin music,” Osorio said. “It gets packed. Those are probably the two things that make us stand out the most.”
Several Latin bands play at the restaurant, including The Brew, an Austin-based band featuring leader and guitarist Michael Rodriguez. There also is a private room available where patrons can pay a certain amount on food and drinks to reserve a space for parties, karaoke or other activities.
Osorio previously opened a location in San Marcos in 2017 but chose to relocate to the Steiner Ranch area because of its proximity to Lake Travis and his family. Like many other restaurants, Komal Latin Kitchen & Bar has taken a hit due to the pandemic. Despite these setbacks, Osorio said he hopes the restaurant will gain a foothold in the community and garner more supporters moving forward.
“We made the decision to stick it out because this place has so much potential,” Osorio said. “There is not much competition around here with our concept, so we hope that is going to give us the edge eventually when we get out of this situation.”
Komal Latin Kitchen & Bar
5000 N. Quinlan Park Road, Austin
512-992-0445
www.komallkb.com
Hours: Tue.-Thu. 11 a.m.-9 p.m, Fri.-Sat. 11 a.m.- 10 p.m., closed Sun.-Mon.
