Silent Sunday: El Naranjo - Austin, TX

El Naranjo - Austin, TX

Mezcal Margarita and Chips from El Naranjo - Austin, TX

Interior, El Naranjo - Austin, TX

El Naranjo - Austin, TX

Guacamole and Chips - El Naranjo - Austin, TX

Fish Tacos and Vegetarian Mole - El Naranjo - Austin, TX

Chile Infused Mezcal Cocktail from El Naranjo - Austin, TX

Fish Tacos and the Jamaica Sour - El Naranjo - Austin, TX

Of all the restaurants Eric and I ate at over the seven days in Austin, Texas (and there were many), the only one we returned to over the course of the week was El Naranjo. Compared to a number of Mexican restaurants in the US, the interior of El Naranjo is modest. No red paint or masks or big murals on the walls. It's relatively crisp, simply (and quite strikingly) decorated with black and white photographs of Mexican life.

The food, too, is equally clean. Take the fish tacos, for example, which don't disguise the seafood with its toppings, but, instead, uses them to enhance the fish. There's a slaw that provides a necessary crunch, and enough spice to make you want to reach for a margarita (or one of their other fabulous beverages)

El Naranjo85 Rainey StreetAustin, TX