Texas Chili Parlor

Great local place to get authentic Texas eats. We had the chili and the tamales with cheese sauce. Great food. We had a nice chat with the owner while waiting outside for the table. Highly recommended

Being a Texas boy, I have lived in Austin all my liife. Pass by Daily… Never really knew where to park. My wife and I were out on a date seeing Boston during ROT Rally out on the bike and decided to park right next to the other one on the side walk, I see it they’re quite a bit, more than likely someone that works there. The service is great and the food was good.
I think the parking is around back but be honest I don’t think I’ve ever been back there. Being a tow truck driver I’m afraid to park anywhere downtown you can get towed real fast if you park in the wrong spot. So read all signs before you park somewhere.

Great dive bar located steps from the state capitol. Sat at the bar during lunch (only spots available for the place was completely packed) and ordered the Frito Pie w/​black bean & elgin sausage chili. Tasty and relatively inexpensive. Would like to come back and try their other chilis and their gumbo.

Love the atmosphere and feel of the place.
The service was friendly, and the chili was great.
There have been some cool movie scenes filmed here as well, if you’re into location scouting. (easy to find online)
Overall, nothing at all to complain about here. Would recommend to anyone who enjoys a good bowl of Texas style chili.

One true Austin original you cannot recreate a place like this it’s patina is built up over decades. Great old Texas feel a must stop for anyone visiting and definately included in any bar hopping. Football and soccer lights the place up with insanity from tipsy revelers. Food is solid and you won’t be hungry until the next day. Hot, hotter and nuclear are how hot tge chili gets so be careful ordering. Tell ‘em Stockbauer sent ya !

This is a fun place that we were aware of from the Quentin Tarrantino movie, Death Proof. Another plus is that my husband loves chili. I on the other hand am not a big chili fan. They had a daily special of Migas which was excellent. I love eggs so this hit the spot. My husband got a 3 item combo with a bowl of Chili, a tamale and a baked potato. He liked all of the above.
The décor is divey and it should be. It was fun to read all the signed on the walls and feel like we were on the set of the movie. The waitress was very friendly and direct. She kept us happy and the drinks full. They had a food challenge wall in the back if you are brave enough to try to eat the massive meal. There were no names on the wall, so what does that tell you. I would recommend this be a stop if you are in Austin.

Oh my god, the best chicken fried steak and fries ever. Totally on the secret menu and only available on Tuesdays. The super hot bartender, Stephanie will pretend that you can’t order it but don’t let her deny you!

I wasn’t born in Texas, and I was raised with the idea that the only meat in chili was when you got it ‘con carne’ style. When my family moved out west, I was disabused of the idea — chili was about spice, meat, and only then might you think about throwing beans in the pot.
TCP is about as old-​school as you can get with this idea. It’s housed in a delightfully dive-​y, rundown honky-​tonk location — the kind of place you can tell has a steady clientele from the graffiti carved into the tables. Service was very good (though I came at a quiet time so YMMV).
And wow, is the chili good.
For me, there were two standouts in the 3-​bowl sampler I tried. The mild black bean and Elgin sausage chili was some of the best I’ve had, with a smoky, meaty taste that didn’t rely too much on chili powder or cumin. On the other hand, the XXX-​level house chili was the bigger accomplishment — proving to be very hot (I ended up sweating!) without burning out my tongue so that all I could taste was pain.
Ironically, the white-​bean and pork chili suffered in comparison. It was good, but nowhere as great as compared to its two older, bolder siblings. Also, I need to put in a good word for the pork tamales, which were excellent — though I think a native New Mexican would probably call out the green chile for not having Hatch product in it.
Still, I’d come back to eat here in a heartbeat. Parking can be tough, but nowhere as tough as in the ‘zone of death’ that you’ll find around E. Sixth Street. Definitely worth the trip over for some genuine Texas-​style comfort food.
This place scores a 5 out of 5 on the ‘CTJ Scale’, as noted below.
5 out of 5 stars: Come-​to-​Jesus good. Would be OK passing away after finishing a plate here.
4 out of 5 stars: Come-​to-​Mary good. Would be OK being seen eating here by Mother Mary.
3 out of 5 stars: Come-​to-​Joseph good. Would be OK having a beer here with Jesus’ Dad.
2 out of 5 stars: Come-​to-​the-​Apostles good. Meh. Wouldn’t have my last supper here.
1 out of 5 stars: Come-​to-​Nobody good. I wouldn’t have my penultimate supper here, either.

Dive bar vibe wrapped up in a restaurant which is what I love! The XXX Frito pie is on point! Delish-​delish! Drinks are well made and the waitstaff are nice and friendly! Great place to dine!

Went here with some friends after dinner plans at another place fell through.
The décor is homey and fun, and the wait staff are all polite, even with a larger group like ours.
I ordered the 3X Chili and a Cheeseburger. The cheeseburger was good. Nothing to write home about, but good… better than you can get at any chain restaurant.
The chili however I was somewhat disappointed in. A 3X chili should have been making me look for water or sour cream or something to douse the flames, and it just wasn’t doing it. The heat level in the chili is derived solely from jalapenos, which are considered to be a medium chili at best… I wanted HOT, and unfortunately this chili was not up to it. Adding hot sauce to the chili did in fact make it spicier, which is something that should not happen with something that is supposed to be rated «Hot hot hot» as the menu states.

Habanero chili and the gumbo are the truth!!! Insanely delicious! I wish I could take this place to Florida with me. I am going to cry big tears when I leave. Great service too and the folks here are just really chill. I love spicy food and the chili doesn’t disappoint. A peppery heat versus gritty from using a lot of powders. I could go for more heat but this is a great blend of heat and flavor; wonderfully balanced and just dancing on my tongue. Have a frozen margarita with it and destination Heaven!

Once again a famous Austin restaurant inexplicably has taken one of the best menu items of all time off their menu (see my review of Walton’s Fancy and Staple, for example). This time it’s the Chili Parlor’s turn. All of a sudden, they just stopped serving their classic triple-​decker «Grilled Chicken Club.» This was a true hidden gem of a club sandwich, and it was the main reason I would eat there, as well as some of my friends. Suffice it to say they have lost at least this good customer for life. TCP, you carry on without me, y’hear?.

This place is a favorite of ours for the food and the people. Great to take out of town visitors.

The ambience here is so «cowboyish» and fun. You feel like you just entered a different world or something. It feels like an old cowboy movie in there. To be honest. we all tried the «original» Texas kind of chili with no beans and it was not very good. The service was ok and the food came out fast. I would definitely go back here just to be in the ambience and bring some of my out-​of-​town friends here.

Does this place not scream Texas in all the right ways? If you’re looking for a solid dive bar that also happens to be a Texas chili joint, then this is your spot. It’s claim to fame for many was it’s role in Tarantino’s Death Proof. I can see why he liked it to begin with. There is more to it than that.
They have a number of chili’s to choose from as well as nachos, mac n chili cheese and more. I shared their nachos with friends and went with their 3 chili sampler for myself. I chose the venison, white bean pork, and the regular standard chili. I did not like the venison one at all. I definitely would recommend against it. It was watery and had an odd flavor to it. I’m well versed in venison and a fan. This did not showcase it well. The other two were great. The white bean pork was probably my favorite and I’d easily get it again.
Is this the best chlli I’ve ever had? No, but if you want some damn good chili, cheap drinks, good service, and a wonderful divey Texas bar atmosphere, stop on by.

Texas Chili Parlor caught my attention after watching Food Paradise. This place looks like a hole in the wall dive bar with its dark ambiance and curtains instead of doors in the bathrooms (bring hand sanitizer), but despite feeling as though I might be murdered at any moment this place is one of my favorite restaurants in Austin. Their chili is ok, but I don’t go there for the chili. The grilled chicken club is everything! Crispy bacon, juicy tomatoes, swiss cheese, crisp lettuce and mayo atop perfectly cooked chicken breast. This sandwich is heaven in your mouth. As my side I get the pasta salad which they sprinkle parmesan cheese on and it’s delicious. Their margaritas are also very good and very strong. Who would think to order a chicken club at a place famous for its chili?! Not me, so thank you Unilocalers for this truly amazing find.

Like another reviewer, I wanted to go here because I’m a huge Death Proof and Quentin Tarantino fan. I did know the jukebox wouldn’t be there, because I’m so obsessed that I knew he owned it.
I digress, it was our waitress’s second day on the job, but I would have never known that. It was only at the end when she said, «not bad for my second day right?» Not at all! She told us the specials, answered menu and drink questions, she even suggested her favorite margarita and it was great! I got the Killer Nachos with chicken and they were also great. (Stuntman Mike had the nacho grande platter in the movie, closest I could get haha) I loved this place!

Love this place! I’m not one to spill the beans normally BUT I know traditionally chili has some kind of beans in there… extra protein blah blah blahzay! My favorite TX style anything has to be their chili hands down sans the frijoles! BTW they do serve chili with beans as well… but that ain’t TX style chili… is that debateable? Eh eh perhaps…
Nothing is more comforting and somewhat healthy than a bowl of «XX» spicy chili from the TX Chili Parlor! They do it right. No hidden crappy fillers that your scared to read on the back of a canned label of chili. They got different levels of heat which I love. If they only offered that mild Greek style chili which also has no beans I’d be down for that too… it’s not only about their BBQ in TX… their chili gets it right. A must stop when ever I’m in ATX.

I stumbled here after the tour guide from
Duck tours recommended this place… yes I’m a tourist! It caught my attention when he mentioned that Texas is known for the no bean chili. So that’s what I came here to try! I got the original XX (meat based) with no beans. It comes with cheese, onions, jalapeños and sour cream. The chili had chunks of beef, was very thick, and it was a little bland. The sour cream and cheese helped it taste better. It was different from the chili I’m used to, but it was fun to try it :)

A great place for a Unilocal UYE!
Stick to XXX or go home. It is great, yes it is hot, but I have had hotter, it is hunk meat, not ground fru fru chili, it is not Cincinnati (thank goodness), and no beans (praise the Lawd!). The lovely young lady was wonderful taking care of us and is exactly what you want in an old school chili and bar joint. I first came here after it opened around 1976 and I have never had anything else but chili. Is there better chili? Yes. But «better» means so many things. So, if you want an elegant place to have tofu and bean sprout chili run away. I will be quite happy to eat real chili.
This is a chili joint and it is a joint. Keep it that way please!
Organizers, you can be proud!
Love it!