El Mesón

El Mesón Tequilera is a family-owned eatery that has been a neighborhood favorite since opening in 2010, thanks to its ample yet comfortable space,laid-back atmosphere, and award-winning Mexican home cooking. Mexico City native Chef Marisela Godinez first brought the flavors of her mothers kitchen to Austin in 2000 in a humble spot on Burleson Rd. The small counter-service taquera quickly built a loyal clientele and earned praise in local media. In 2010, the opportunity arose to revamp a property owned by her husband Yves Macas, and the couple opened the full-service restaurant featuring a variety of tequilas, mezcales, adventurous margaritas, and Mexican beer to complement an expanded menu. The self-taught chef grew up in a family fond of cooking. Her father traveled frequently for work, staying with local families and bringing back recipes from different regions of Mexico for his wife to cook. The menu at El Mesón includes many of these childhood favorites alongside a few from Yves upbringing in Monterrey, iconic regional dishes from across the country, and Chef Mariselas own signature specialties. Everything is made from scratch, using the best ingredients possible and local when available. From the homemade corn tortillas to every exquisite sauce, Chef Mariselas dedication shines through. Always interested in learning, Marisela travels to Mexico every year, and has taken courses with renowned chefs Roberto Santibañez and Enrique Olvera, as well as consulted with Chef Patricia Quintana. Some of her most acclaimed dishes include her painstakingly-prepared chiles en nogada, and two of her creations: a chile ancho relleno with three cheeses, dried cherries, and pine nuts, topped with a chunky tomatillo-tomato sauce, and the beef Yucatan, braised with tomatoes and chile habanero. Chef Marisela has been featured in the Cooking Channel, Bon Appetit, Texas Monthly, The Austin Chronicle, Zagat, The Austin American-Statesman, and CultureMap, and her food recognized amon