A popular longstanding Tex-Mex restaurant, best known as a hotbed for A-list Hollywood stars, is planning a massive upgrade to its one and only Central Texas location this year. Matt’s El Rancho in Austin will be getting a new $100,000 addition to better serve its growing list of regular and celebrity customers.
A Texas Department of Licensing and Regulation (TDLR) filing says Matt’s is adding a new covered patio for outdoor dining. Construction on the 74-year-old restaurant, located at 2613 S. Lamar St., is expected to begin October 1 and is slated to be completed by early April next year.
The scope of work for the project includes adding a 781-square-foot roofed cover over its existing outdoor dining patio area. Founded in 1952 by owners Matt and Janie Martinez, Matt’s El Rancho has been a community staple in Austin serving locals and tourists alike for decades.
Even back in the early 1960s, it’s said that President Lyndon B. Johnson had Janie’s famous chiles rellenos delivered by jet to D.C. Since then, the Tex-Mex spot has hosted dozens of big-names on their trips to Texas’ Capital City including Will Ferrell, Dennis Quaid, Billy Bob Thornton, Serena Williams and, of course, Austin-based actor Matthew McConaughey.
Some of Matt’s most signature dishes on the restaurant’s menu include enchiladas, tacos, sizzling fajitas and seafood platters. MySA reached out to Matt’s El Rancho for comment…