Chicken Bowl

I’ve been eating here for four years, and this is one of my favorite restaurants in the area. Now, don’t set your expectations too high, in fact, lower them even further. This place is no Torchy’s Tacos. However, if you are in the Capitol Complex, it’s a solid choice.
As long as you don’t do something stupid like order the catfish, you’re going to have a good time here.

Slowest service ever. We sat for over 20 minutes for 2 tacos while 6 people that worked here fumbled around the kitchen. Won’t return.

I absolutely LOVE this hole in the wall place! There are so many good things here! My favorite is the beef bowl! The hamburger and homemade french fries are really good too! The enchiladas are delicious they use the good cheese! Nachos, caldo and the tortilla soup are also great! I go so often they call me by name! The service is on point. I wish they had more locations!

I always come here for breakfast tacos, I love the owners very much. They are always very fast friendly, and I absolutely love their food. I’m very happy to live by this place.

Definitely one of the top 10 home made food restaurants in downtown Austin. Check it out and you won’t be disappointed

Best cheeseburger I ever had! Loved the food, but most important loved the service! Everyone who works at Chicken Bowl is incredibly nice, incredibly friendly, and make incredibly good food. Keep it up guys :) !!

Location is the only reason I tried this place; it is very near my work. It is ok; I don’t go out of my way to go there often, but it’s a solid option. Their breakfast tacos are good and cheap. For lunch I’ve tried the teriyaki bowl and the chicken enchiladas. Both were decent, not great. But it’s 10x better than the El Mercado a block down, so you take what you can get sometimes. I really like the service, it seems like a Mom and Pop place with lots of regulars (mostly state employees). And they have Topo Chico.
Update: I had the chicken enchiladas verdes for the second time and they were pretty great. I’ll definitely order those again, 4 stars on the chicken enchiladas verdes, but still 3 overall.

One word review: A’ite
This place is what it is, relatively inexpensive in the CBD (Central business district) downtown. I get breakfast tacos that are okay and relatively cheap and they are open before 8am, which allows me to grab something on my way to the office.
There always seem to be officers in here, maybe they get a good discount or it could be the proximity to several state and federal buildings.
If you wanna save your dough, give it a go.

Chicken Bowl is a great place for quick, inexpensive, not to mention DELICIOUS authentic migas in the morning. They have a friendly staff who will actually remember your favorite order if you’re a somewhat regular patron. The restaurant has a nice, relaxed atmosphere and the big screen on the wall makes the place feel home-​y. This is definitely my new fave «fast food» location in the area.

I only come here for the enchiladas. Everything else is ok, but a quick lunch spot never hurts. And man are they busy at lunch, you should try and get here at or before 11:30. They also have «to-​go» which is a great option. You can find a bench somewhere close and people watch for your lunch break!

Avoid. I could make better tacos at home, and I don’t even cook. American cheese on a taco should be a crime! $ 9 for three sad «tacos,» microscopic portions of rice and beans, and a soda. Sad. Redeeming factors: friendly employees and great salsa.

Not good, but not bad either. I work nearby and almost never go here. When I do, it’s because I’m sick, forgot to bring my lunch, and need some good chicken soup. Their chicken soup is home-​made and tasty. Limited menu, family owned vibe. If you’re in the area you could do worse than the Chicken Bowl. This is a popular breakfast place and if you must have authentic breakfast tacos (barbacoa or carne guisada) this is the only place that serves it nearby. The nearby Arturos, however, has a better tex-​mex variety of breakfast options and much better coffee.

Okay, Chicken Bowl — it took you a little over 4 years, absolute proximity to my workplace, and me finding the right menu item, but you finally won me over.
Let me first say that the concept of Asian, Tex-​Mex, and American food (not fusion, mind you) is delivered preposterously. But this place is always busy, and I figured out why. Stay away from the Am-​Mex and hit the beef teriyaki bowl.
For $ 6 something, you get tasty marinated teriyaki strips over steamed rice and super simple, but wholesome, steamed carrot, broccoli, and cabbage to balance out the salty deliciousness of the teriyaki. They offer a spicy sauce add on, which has varied widely and strangely in consistency, yet I still consider it a staple.
Nice people run the place, and I’ve got a go-​to, reasonably healthy, lunch option. Bam!

Another «it is what it is» review. Great? Absolutely not. So, what is it then? It’s a decent lunch option if you work one of the nearby state office buildings and want a quick lunch served by a friendly family without having to drive and lose your parking space.
And it’s something other than a burger or sandwich.

I’ve been coming here since 2000, and their quality and flavor have been consistent. They have great lunch specials. They offer hamburgers, baked potatoes, rice bowls, and tex-​mex. Everything on the menu is great! I love their enchiladas — they’re the best in town! So are their carne guisada tacos and chicken fajita tacos… they toast the tortilla a bit which I love. This is also a great place to come for a big bowl of caldo or chicken tortilla soup on a cold day or when you’re not feeling well. They recently acquired a TV which is usually set to ESPN. They are not open past 3 pm. The man at the counter is the nicest and such a gentleman, even sharing beers with us and staying open later than usual for us to chill and watch World Cup Soccer.

A cup o’ strong joe and two pretty decent, quick, fresh breakfast tacos for $ 5.
SOLD.

This may not be a five star eatery but seriously… it’s one of THE best hole in wall joints smackdab in the middle of UT and the Capitol! The service is fast, the tables are clean and the food is great!
Now I haven’t tried everything on the menu. One day I tried the carne guisada dink and now I don’t want anything else! But I have to tell you about the dink; it may make you feel guilty afterwards, but that guilt never enters your mind while it’s in front of you! It is FULL of flavor, a lot of meat, rice and cheese. It’s taste is sincerely authentic. The dinks are definitely a safe way to go! However, everything from their enchiladas to their teriyaki bowls are all delicious!
Definitely give it a try. The prices are about average: $ 5-​$ 7 a plate. Parking is difficult so if you can walk, walk. I have yet to meet anyone who was displeased with their experience.
Enjoy!

The teriyaki? bowls are good. If I had to pick I would definitely hit them up for breakfast instead of lunch. It is way more affordable and the chorizo and bean taco is soon to be named after me. Their migas and huevos rancheros are really good. Friendly service but be prepared to wait a bit because the tacos are made to order. A lot of state employees frequent the place so it gets rowdy at times.
Totally kidding. State workers wait until happy hour to get curreyy-​zee.
I believe they also own Dario’s and the newest addition is… I forget the name but it’s on the I-​35 frontage road and Slaughter right by the home depot.

This hole in the wall is just a half block away from my place of employment so it’s convenient. I’ve only tried their beef enchiladas, works nachos, Dink special, and Chile Relleno.
The enchiladas, and Carne Guisada Dink plate were actually pretty good but their nachos and Chile Rellenos are just ordinary. When I don’t feel like walking very much or am in a hurry this place will save the day.

CHICKEN BOWL FOR YA SOUL!
A friend of mine took me to The Chicken Bowl AKA Chavero’s Restaurant for lunch. It’s family owned and it’s a great little breakfast/​lunch joint in downtown Austin. If you want some good, cheap TexMex food, this is the place to eat!
If you read my rants and raves about going to places to eat during the LUNCH RUSH especially in downtown Austin, I was very surprised that this place (although PACKED TO THE NINES) did not have a long line and table turnover was good. I went around 12 noon, and I heard that most people order food to go since it’s always packed for lunch.
I had the ultra nachos — beef fajitas with cheese, beans, onions, tomatoes, jalapenos, avocado, and sour cream. My friend D had his «regular» Teriyaki Bowl. YES… Michelle C is correct. This place serves Mexican food and Asian food (bowls). I really liked the nachos. It was a good amount, and I ate every single nacho on my plate. D always takes his bowl TO GO. I noticed that they gave him a huge amount of food with cabbage and veggies.
They also serve hamburgers, salads, soups (chicken or tortilla), 5 different style of nachos, quesadillas, enchiladas, fajitas, chile relleno, tacos, carne guisada, flautas and breakfast items. They also serve teriyaki bowls — chicken, beef or veggie and fried rice. Kind of strange, but it looked pretty healthy and an abundant amount of food.
Seating is inside, none outside. Drinks are by the can, tea or water. You order at the counter, and they serve the food to you. You also have to self serve on the drinks
Overall, the prices are relatively cheap (5 – 7 smackers per meal) and you cannot beat that for downtown. I definitely will be eating at this place! Too bad they don’t have any BARBACOA! I would’ve given them 4 – 5 stars if they had!