Arturo’s Underground Cafe

This place is so bad I fed my whole meal to the pigeons. I couldn’t even drink the tepid toilet water I was snarkily offered that was sitting in a dispenser near the register. If you can’t get water right what’s left? Ok, my mimosa is ok. But the help here is a little too sassy for my taste. Leave the sass at home. The building is cute.

Why have I never been here? What an amazing little breakfast spot!
I had one of the most delicious breakfast sandwiches ever!!!
The guy who took our order was amazing — super friendly and welcoming.
The prices were ridiculously cheap and the food was slamming!
I can’t wait to go back!

We came in on a business trip to Austin and were looking for a breakfast place for our day off. It was important that we find a good place given its our one day off! After reading some reviews we chose to give Arturos a try.
They opened at 10am (sat) and they were instantly flooded with patrons. We were seated really quickly and brought coffee. I decided to go for the chorizo eggs benny, and my friend got a scrambled egg plate. The atmosphere was awesome, they aren’t kidding when they named it the «underground café.»
First of all, the salsa was AMAZING. Probably top 3 salsa’s I’ve ever had (and I’ve been to Mexico.) The eggs benny was perfect and creamy, they didn’t overdo the jalapeños so it was a great amount of kick, and the potatoes were seasoned well and cooked evenly (I would have liked a bit more potatoes on the plate.)
Overall a great spot if you’re looking for a nice spot to have breakfast and don’t want to get a boring eggs and bacon classic.

Amazing. Great vibe, better food. The sausage patties are spicy and wonderful. $ 14 carafes of mimosas. Coffee is top notch and a cookie dessert.

I’ve been breakfasting and lunching at Arturo’s for about 3.5 years since I work nearby. The food is always excellent, from the breakfast tacos to the sandwiches to the quesadillas, and their fantastic house-​made salsa. But sometimes, I wonder if they’re *trying* to go out of business. Let’s recap the journey I took this morning:
I called to place my order and it was taken quickly, but I wasn’t asked for my name or given an estimated total and/​or time until ready. This is typical of Arturo’s. In my experience, everything’s been ready about 5 minutes from the order placement.
I arrived to pick up my order and after paying had the following conversation with the guy behind the counter.
Me: Hey, do y’all have any updated to-​go menus?
Guy: Nah, we stopped making them years ago because people kept taking them.
Me: …
Guy: You’re welcome to take photos of the menu boards, though.
Correct me if I’m wrong, but isn’t that kind of the point of to-​go menus? Especially if you have zero intentional web presence on which one could depend for an up-​to-​date menu?
I went ahead and took (and uploaded, you’re welcome!) those photos which reflect some pricing changes that took place in the last couple of months.
In conclusion, 5 stars for food, 1 star for business acumen. 3 stars for a delicious and confusing adventure every time.

I’ve been in Austin quite a bit recently and ate at Arturo’s instead of at my hotel. Fairly straightforward egg sandwiches and breakfast tacos. Coffee and espresso options are decent. During the week, there is plenty of seating in their downstairs area.
Would gladly grab breakfast from them again.

This place was ok. The building definitely has character and is indeed underground. We ordered up front and the food came out fast. The food was ok too-​loved the potatoes but wasn’t a fan of the Migas which were very oniony and the black beans that came with the plate are just normal beans. I wished that the water was cold instead of room temperature. But other than that, I think it’s a place worth trying especially since it’s so close to campus!

We were immediately smitten when we got to the door — the patio was bustling and the entrance décor provoked images of a wild, secret, garden. The interior was just as delightful featuring brightly colored walls and paintings from a local artist.
The spot was bustling which we took as a good sign! We stood in line to order our food and counted our lucky starts when we were able to find a table to fit our group of six. That was when things started going down hill.
The food runner was utterly confused and brought out wrong order after wrong order — which is fine, we’ve all been there except he was positively snarky about the whole situation. While he was auctioning food off, he actually used his fingers to pick up the top of our quesadilla to announce that it was chicken. It was STILL the wrong order but who would want to eat here after such blatant broken sanitary rules. He finally decided to take our order again but for some reason did not write it down so he forgot it immediately. He came back to write it down but still had the same snarky tone. We eventually were able to order from the front counter who in their defense was gracious as can be.
After that debacle, our food came out but by that time half of our group was pretty hangry so it was hard to enjoy. I’d definitely give this place another try, especially because it looks like a local favorite but based on our experience it was a meh.

Austin, you sly devil. You have captured my bell– err my heart again! As usual, I see tacos and breakfast and my heart pumps a little faster. We got to Arturo’s at 1050 and were told that breakfast was served until 1100. Yasss! Made it under the wire.
We both got the workx tacos, which are their most popular item, and coffee/​soda. We then descended into the underground space. what? Did you think the name was a pun? It is literal. We had a number and set it down on the table. Our tacos arrived promptly.
What can I really say other than OMG this cheese-​jalapeño-​whateverelseisinit combo was clearly their best seller for good reason! Melty, seasoned very well and served pipping hot. It’s just another reason I love Austin so much.
Good job Arturo’s. Way to keep Austin weird!

It’s a nice brunch spot with ample parking on a Sunday. We must have beat the crowd as there was a line forming as we got seated.
My fiancé and I both ordered eggs Benedict. I had pollo and chorizo with potatoes. He had the one with bacon and avocado. The potatoes were under seasoned. They give you chocolate chip cookies and the end and it was soft and chewy.

What a cute spot for your brunching needs! We got here right around 11 in the morning on a Sunday and the morning crowd hadn’t showed up yet so it was perfect and we got seated quickly. I ordered the Texas Eggs in a Basket and Mike ordered the Caribbean French Toast. My order was so freakin’ good — jalapeño cheddar toast filled with over easy eggs and a shmear of pesto… YUM! The side of bacon was super crispy — just the way I like it. Mike’s French toast was equally as delicious — the rum sauce was just amazing! When we went upstairs to pay our bill — we were given complimentary chocolate chip cookies! Get here early because when we were leaving — they had a line out the door! We’ll definitely come back when we’re in town again — I have to try one of the Benedict dishes!

Amazing brunch! I had the Diablo and it was simply perfection. Great flavors and just the right amount of spice. First time here and will not be the last!!!
My only complaint was the prices were a little high. $ 14 for the Diablo is too much. Especially near the campus.

We were exploring Austin and found this place nearby so we had to come check it out. There was a small wait but we were happy to wait when we saw some of the plates coming out of the kitchen.
We were seated and greeted right away and our server was super busy but was also very attentive the entire time. After ready the entire menu a million times I finally decided to get the Texas Eggs in a Basket.
When my plate arrived I was impressed it was tons of food and it looked delicious. The bacon was cooked perfectly and so were the eggs and potatoes. The egg, pesto and cheese over this incredible jalapeño cheddar bread was an amazing experience that I wish I could repeat all the time. The flavors all worked together and it was an amazing dish that I will highly recommend!

Arturo’s is a cute and small café with the best little menu. Although it’s quite a simple place, the food tasted great.
I had the Bueno which is an egg scramble with chorizo and sausage, served with potatoes, flour tortillas and salsa.
My friends had the Texas eggs in a basket which also looked really delicious.
The prices are moderate!

This place was awesome! Great waitstaff, really good food. It’s a tiny place and the food is cooked to order more or less so be prepared to wait, well worth it!

Had high hopes for Arturo’s based on the great reviews but sadly was disappointed with the long grueling wait combined with mediocre food.
Came here on a Saturday for brunch. There was no wait and and we were quickly seated inside. Our server took a while to get to us. We ordered quickly since we were super hungry. Then comes the long wait for food, what seemed like forever was in reality 45 minutes — which is pretty long in my opinion. However they do have a note in the menu «Small Kitchen + Yummy Food = Longer Wait»
The food was just a plain OK. The popular Austin Benedict had some good hollandaise sauce but the english muffin was too toasted/​hard with some burnt parts (couldn’t even cut through) and the poached egg was overcooked. And the home fries were rock cold. The Caribbean toast had a yummy caramel sauce complemented with grilled bananas and pecans. The toast was ½ french toast and ½ regular toast. Wished it was more like a french toast, I would have enjoyed it more.
Overall the experience was just A-​OK. The wait was just too long when it wasn’t even that busy.

The ambiance of this place is cool. Walking in, it’s hard to figure out where they serve food but a little look to your left there’s a staircase to the dining area. It was a bit small from first glance but such an awesome place. I ordered the veggie scramble no cheese. The menu offers a disclaimer that good food takes time, which it did but not unreasonable compared to larger restaurants.
The food was delicious and the service was great. Recommended 100%.

This place wasn’t wowza but I did enjoy my breakfast here. The wait is kind of long for food, about 30 mins, and parking is limited to pay to parks.
I ordered a vanilla latte with the eggs in the basket. I love runny eggs and I love tasty bread. So yes it was quite enjoyable. I really enjoyed the jalepeno cheddar bread. Def not on the spicy side so don’t be afraid to order. The potatoes were pretty mediocre and so was the coffee. Like I said, it’s good but not wow. It’s def on the pricey side for breakfast. $ 40 for 2 entrees and 2 coffees.

I came here on a Saturday for brunch and there was a wait but it went by pretty quickly. There were some spots available outside but it was too windy and a tad bit chilly so we decided to just wait a bit longer to get a table inside.
I was surprised that they didn’t seat us earlier because when we walked in there were at least 5 empty tables but the wait wasn’t horrendous so it’s okay.
I decided to order the latte and the Caribbean French toast and a side of eggs. I didn’t expect the latte to be so bitter. I had to add 3 packets of sugar before I liked it. The Caribbean French toast was delicious! It was a huge portion so definitely it. The gave large thick slices of bread which definitely made the French toast better. There were pecans and bananas on top, but the sauce was definitely the best part: dark caramel rum. I totally recommend getting the French toast!
Overall I’m kind of sad that I tried this place after I graduated so it’s more difficult to try other items on the menu when I’m not living in Austin anymore. However, next time, this will definitely be on the list of places to visit again.

Stopped in for brunch on a Sunday morning while visiting Austin. Had to wait about 20 minutes for a table and the crowd waiting outside kept growing and growing. While waiting one can help themselves to some coffee — nice touch.
Once we were seated we were promptly greeted and served. The waitress was attentive and very nice. Drinks were always full.
My husband had the western melt and completely cleaned his plate, so a win I guess. He did comment on how good the hollandaise sauce was. I had the Texas eggs in a basket, something we often make at home, so it was nice to find in a restaurant. I was worried the jalapeño bread wouldn’t be good, but the flavor is not overpowering at all. The egg yolks were perfectly runny, but the whites were still too raw for my liking. The bread was perfectly toasty and the pesto delicious! Would certainly order that again. Both dishes came with the potatoes, which were well seasoned.