No stranger to the genius of Mexican food dives, I returned to Las Manitas recently after several months of opting for other, less rudimentary, Mexican food eateries. Upon arrival,Ii immediately remembered why I had sworn off this Austin ""legend"". The wait staff is rude and is clearly overworked. The restaurant appears dirty and run down more resembling a Matamoros flea market than a Congress Avenue institution. The space is cramped and the silverware is consistently dirty. I received a less than gracious response from a waiter when I dared to inquire where my lunch was after a 25 minute wait for a seemingly elusive order of crispy tacos. The waiter reminded me that the back patio was full of people. Oh yeah, the patio that sits under a plastic heat magnifying tarp that everyone has to walk through the kitchen to get through? I was so angry with his rude response that I considered sending back my chips and salsa and leaving.. .but that would have been a colossal waste of $2.50! You heard me. Nothing's free at Las Capitalistas. Maybe ownership/ management should focus less on maximizing profitability and many their financial imbroglios and focus more on improving their bland,disatisfying, and over priced Mexi-Gruel.
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