El Arroyo

El Arroyo For almost 50 years, El Arroyo has served up Tex-Mex with a side of laughs on the famous marquee sign in front of our restaurant in Austin, Texas.
(2560)

Sure, we like to goof around and have a good time, but ask around: Our food is no joke, and our famous salsa is no exception. El Arroyo is more than just a restaurant; it's a cultural phenomenon. The iconic marquee sign has become an integral part of the Austin community, with people from all walks of life stopping by to snap a photo and share the fun. So whether you're a local or just passing through, come on by and grab a margarita, some tacos and a few laughs.

He believes in me.
10/06/2026

He believes in me.

The real finale is me, unconscious.
10/05/2026

The real finale is me, unconscious.

We dressed for the gram, not the swamp.
10/04/2026

We dressed for the gram, not the swamp.

10/04/2026

In 1975, Bob and Mary Ogden opened a small Tex-Mex spot on West 5th Street, and about a decade later, a broken old sign covered in debris out back would make it famous. El Arroyo still sits at 1624 West 5th Street, at the corner of Campbell, and the restaurant itself has quietly fed Austin for fifty years.

The sign's story started when new owners Clay McPhail and Doug English found old tile letters and a forgotten marquee in the back of the building. On opening day under their ownership, they put up the first message: "Warning: All traffic must exit, entering Tex Mex zone." McPhail changed that sign by hand almost every night for about 26 years, roughly 9,400 different messages, before current owners Ellis and Paige Winstanley took over in 2012 and kept the tradition alive. The restaurant even survived a 1998 arson attack that caused $225,000 in damage, reopening just 61 days later. 🌵

Now the sign gets photographed more than almost anything else in Austin, but the story behind it, a broken marquee found by accident and turned into a daily ritual, is the part most people driving by never hear. What's the funniest thing you've ever seen on the El Arroyo sign?

10/04/2026
Wellness is where you find it, apparently.
10/03/2026

Wellness is where you find it, apparently.

One forecast, four wardrobes.
10/01/2026

One forecast, four wardrobes.

Compliance looks good on me
09/30/2026

Compliance looks good on me

All aboard the lazy river.
09/29/2026

All aboard the lazy river.

Address

1624 W 5th Street
Austin, TX
78703

Opening Hours

Monday 7am - 10pm
Tuesday 11am - 10pm
Wednesday 7am - 10pm
Thursday 7am - 11pm
Friday 7am - 11pm
Saturday 10am - 11pm
Sunday 10am - 10pm

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