El Alma

Barton Springs Road has plenty of family-friendly (read: tourist-friendly) dining options, but the street has had tough luck maintaining establishments with serious culinary reputations. El Alma's sprawling multi-tiered footprint was a step in the right direction thanks to a well-rounded menu offering a wealth of rarer taco varieties (lamb barbacoa, shrimp al pastor) perfect right before a dip in the Springs, as well as hearty entrees to refuel after swimming. Don't miss their most popular dish, duck enchiladas in pasilla mole with almonds. It's also worth noting that El Chilito, El Chile, El Sapo and Alcomar all operate under the same management, with each offering reliably delicious takes on different types of Mexican cuisine.