Best Mexican Food Restaurant in Leander & Cedar Park

We recently ran a poll on NextDoor.com soliciting votes for peoples’ favorite Mexican Food Restaurant in Leander & Cedar Park.  While we attempted to be as thorough and scientific as possible, NextDoor would only allow for 10 candidates, so we had to leave off one or two establishments, though the results would likely have been the same, apparently.  The response was immediate and swift, and a clear leader quickly rose to the top.  With all the glitz and glamour of some of the bigger and fancier options in town, the community widely voted  for the more blue-collared Jardin Corona & Jardin Del Rey as our Leander & Cedar Park fan fave!  Out of 235 votes cast (as of Sept 30, 2019 @ 10:00 am) the Jardin (pronounced “har-deen”) franchise had collected over 25% of the votes, with Dos Salsas in a distant 2nd place with a respectable 16%.  Chuy’s took the 3rd spot with 14% of the vote, while Lupe Tortilla nabbed 13% .  Serranos closed out the top 5 with 8%.

Jardin Del Rey’s sign in Leander on 183.

Jardin Corona’s logo…same logo, different name.

Jardin Corona has 4 locations in Cedar Park, NW Austin, Liberty Hill, and Marble Falls while Jardin Del Rey operates its single location in Leander  at 703 US-183, Leander, TX 78641.  The stories and legend behind the apparent spin off of Del Rey are varied, so until we confirm with the respective owners (if they are even separate), we will continue to keep them attached at the hip!  They both have the same menu, with the exception of swapping words “Corona” for “Del Rey”.  Del Rey does not show up on the Jardin Corona web-site, but it does point to the Jardin Corona web-site on its Google business page, go figure.  Regardless, they are a time-honored tradition (over 25 years) in both Leander & Cedar Park and consistently offer, according to our voters, the best Mexican food in the area!

The humble facade of Jardin Del Rey in Leander. The old double-wide trailer is quietly the area’s most popular restaurant.

One of the signature dishes, this is the “Pechuga Jardin Del Rey” which is a fried chicken breast stuff with cheese, bacon, and mushrooms, and smothered in queso! #winning

This is a “Grande Jardin Margarita”. It’s yummy. It’s also a very accurate picture of the type of business Jardin Del Rey/Corona is. You’ll notice one table with a tasty margarita and in the distance another table with kiddos, all of whom are enjoying themselves.

Rumor has it that Jardin Del Rey in Leander will some day be building/expanding, but for the time being, we love our Pechuga Jardin Del Rey, Pollo Tequila, or Pechuga Encebollada along with a tasty beverage on their covered patio over-looking the gravel parking lot.  When you pull up to this re-purposed mobile home, you quickly recognize this is NOT a fancy place, but the overflow parking and buzz inside and outside of the building on a Friday night will invite you in.  The service is always fantastic and the food is both consistent and predictable, which is what we all yearn for in a Mexican restaurant. 

We are creatures of habit, and we all want to have a place where we can refer to ourselves as “regulars”.  This is our place.  They don’t care if you make $2,000,000/year or $20,000/year, everyone here is equal, and that’s how you’ll be treated, and perhaps that’s why the majority of people in our community have cast their vote in favor of this casual, comfortable gem.