El Alma South offers shrimp and crab, sweet potato, roasted pato and beef barbacoa rellenos. (Courtesy El Alma)
For the last 15 years, El Alma has served Mexican comfort dishes to Austinites at its Barton Springs Road location. Over the last three years, the restaurant has expanded to serve its familiar flavors to its South Austin audience, helmed by chef Alma Alcocer.
“This is the type of place where I would expect everybody can find something that makes them feel happy,” Alcocer said.
El Alma also offers brunch on the weekends, including classic offerings like breakfast tacos and chilaquiles. (Courtesy El Alma)
The background
Alcocer said she was in a transitional time when she met Carlos Rivero, the owner of El Chile, on the patio of what is now the Barton Springs El Alma. The meeting took place before El Alma opened, between two former coworkers; the pair had previously worked together at Jeffery’s in the late 1990’s, according to previous Community Impact reporting.
There, Rivero asked her, “Would you like to do something with this place?” Her reply: “I would love to.”
“It was a very grassroots moment,” Alcocer said. “It was a very small budget, but we loved the space [and] we loved the location. I think Austin was at that perfect moment in time where this area was growing, and the city was booming.”
Chef Alma Alcocer is from Mexico City. She said much of the El Alma menu is inspired by the foods she ate growing up. (Courtesy El Alma)
From the oven
Alcocer said she knew she wanted to be a chef since she was a child. After going to culinary school and working in Austin’s dining scene, she draws inspiration from the food she grew up eating and her background as a professionally trained chef.
At El Alma, patrons can find enchiladas, rellenos, tacos and salads on the menu. Two of the restaurant’s popular menu items feature duck, including roasted shredded duck enchiladas and the roasted pato relleno. The duck relleno is made with braised and shredded duck, raisins and almonds stuffed in a poblano and served with chipotle tomato salsa, crema, escabeche onions and jasmine rice.
Other menu items include ahi tuna ceviche tostadas, queso fundido, grilled avocado Caesar salad and coffee-rubbed black Angus New York strip steak.
El Alma South offers shrimp and crab, sweet potato, roasted pato and beef barbacoa rellenos. (Courtesy El Alma)
It’s 5 o’clock somewhere
The drink menu is stocked with margaritas, cocktails, wines, sangria, beer and mocktails. Customers can find the avocadorita, which is an El Jimador frozen margarita with Grand Marnier, avocado and a chile rim.
“I think that there's nothing better than a summer in Austin where you go to your favorite place and you end up having a margarita,” Alcocer said. “The frozen margarita is really outstanding. We have a really good well tequila.
El Alma South opened three years ago, featuring a larger kitchen and dining space. The patio is also pet friendly. (Courtesy El Alma)
Something to note
When El Alma expanded in 2023 to include El Alma South, Alcocer used the larger restaurant space to offer exclusive menu items. The grilled avocado Caesar and beef barbacoa crispy relleno are both unique to El Alma South, Alcocer explained.
“It has been absolutely fantastic the way a community in South Austin has received us,” Alcocer said. “Even though we have expanded, this is still a passion project.”
1025 Barton Springs Road, Austin; 4521 West Gate Blvd., Austin
