Quick Answer: De Nada Cantina South First is at 1302 S 1st St in the former El Mercado space, open Tuesday–Saturday 11am–midnight and Sunday 11am–10pm (closed Mondays). It's a taco-and-margarita cantina — standouts include the slow-braised beef cheek and seared Gulf fish tacos and the Mexico City-style quesadillas. The Infatuation rated it 8.0/10. See below for the full menu, parking tips, and what happened to El Mercado.
On February 22, 2026 (yes—National Margarita Day), De Nada Cantina officially opened its second Austin location at 1302 S. First St. The timing wasn’t accidental. And neither was the address.
🗺️100+ areas with interactive maps and local data
De Nada Cantina – South First
$$South First sits just west of South Congress but shares the same 78704 energy—walkable, patio-heavy, and increasingly competitive for dinner reservations.
This isn’t just another Tex‑Mex opening. It’s a neighborhood handoff nearly 40 years in the making.
Welcome to the new casual anchor of South First.
The Big Picture: A 40‑Year Cantina Legacy, Reimagined
The South First address was home to El Mercado Restaurant & Cantina South for four decades before closing on December 17, 2025.
No inspection data foundLocal coverage from Community Impact detailed the transition and the legacy behind the address in its report on De Nada Cantina’s South First opening. Rather than wiping the slate clean, De Nada’s parent company (2 Dine 4 Hospitality Group) approached this as a rebrand with reverence.
"The goal wasn’t to erase the past — it was to evolve it.
Translation: longtime El Mercado regulars will recognize pieces of the past—while De Nada’s signature high‑energy aesthetic pulls the space firmly into 2026.
That balance is the real story.
If you’ve been tracking Austin’s dining surge, you know South Congress and South First are in the middle of a generational refresh. De Nada slides perfectly into that momentum.
What’s Different From the East Side Original?
De Nada first opened in 2021 off East Cesar Chavez and built its reputation on:
- Tacos with broad crowd appeal
- Margaritas served in signature pink cups
- Strong happy hour energy
- Late‑night draw
South First keeps the DNA—but shifts the tone.
The South First Vibe
- Brighter cantina palette
- Fresh furniture and updated layout
- Abundant plants and patio flow
- A noticeably more family‑flexible setup
Think of South First as the “earlier evening” De Nada. It transitions smoothly from 5:30pm family tacos to 8:30pm margarita meetups.
This location feels less “late‑night East Side hang” and more “neighborhood gathering place you can bring kids at 5:30 and friends at 8:30.”
That flexibility matters on this corridor.
The Insider Timing Strategy (Avoid the Parking Spiral)
South First is walkable—but not forgiving.
Weekend evenings = tight street parking + long waits. Expect circling between Oltorf and Mary if you arrive after 7pm Friday or Saturday.
Here’s the smart play:
- ✅ Go for early lunch (before peak brunch crowds)
- ✅ Or early dinner (5–6pm window)
- ✅ Consider rideshare on Fridays/Saturdays
- ✅ Be ready to park a few blocks off and walk
Pro move: Park slightly west in the residential grid and walk in. It’s usually calmer than hunting directly on South First.
If you want a low‑stress pairing: do an early meal at De Nada, then wander the South Congress strip before sunset.
Family & Dog‑Friendly? Surprisingly Strong Yes.
One of the quiet advantages of this location is its patio layout.
It’s one of the more relaxed kid‑ and dog‑friendly setups along South First—especially in late afternoon before the dinner rush tightens up the energy.
The patio spacing here is wider than many South First spots—strollers and leashed dogs don’t feel like you’re blocking traffic.
It’s Tex‑Mex that doesn’t feel like you’re disrupting the vibe by bringing a stroller.
Expansion Strategy: Why South First, Why Now?
De Nada didn’t choose a blank slate. They chose a legacy address.
That decision signals something bigger: Austin restaurants expanding aren’t just chasing growth—they’re anchoring neighborhoods.
Instead of a flashy concept drop, De Nada becomes the “default group dinner” answer for:
- Birthday dinners
- Post‑soccer team meals
- Patio margarita nights
- Out‑of‑town guest easy wins
That’s powerful positioning.
What to Know Before You Go
📍 Address: 1302 S. First St., Austin, TX 78704
🌐 Official site: denadacantina.com
📅 Opened: February 22, 2026 (National Margarita Day soft launch)
Because this is still a soft‑opening phase, hours, staffing flow, and wait times may fluctuate week to week.
If you’re mapping a full South Austin weekend, this makes a strong anchor dinner before heading elsewhere in 78704.
Quick Take Review
- Strong margarita program
- Crowd-pleasing tacos
- Excellent patio layout
- Flexible for families or groups
- Parking friction on weekends
- Can get loud after 7:30pm
- Wait times building as word spreads
De Nada South First smartly evolves a legacy cantina address into a modern 78704 staple. It’s not reinventing Tex‑Mex — it’s becoming the reliable group-dinner default South Austin was missing.
The Bottom Line
De Nada South First isn’t trying to reinvent Tex‑Mex.
It’s doing something smarter: preserving a 40‑year cantina legacy while injecting the high‑energy, patio‑friendly, margarita‑driven atmosphere Austin expects in 2026.
If you live south of the river, this becomes part of your rotation.
If you don’t? It’s a strong excuse to cross it.
And if you were an El Mercado regular—this is your sign to go see what the next chapter looks like.
South First just got its new anchor.
And it came in a pink cup.
De Nada Cantina South First: Current Hours, Menu & Reviews
De Nada Cantina South First is closed Mondays and open Tuesday–Saturday 11am–midnight, Sunday 11am–10pm — an update from the February 2026 soft-opening hours described in the guide above, which started dinner service at 3:30pm. Verified against the restaurant's own site and its OpenTable listing.
The taco lineup includes slow-braised beef cheek (salsa habanero, pickled onion, cilantro), braised pork (salsa macha, salsa verde), seared Gulf fish (Yucatan marinade, huitlacoche black slaw, pickled pineapple), and smoked birria (Monterey Jack, beef consommé). The Infatuation also called out the Mexico City-style quesadillas — a fried corn tortilla packed with meat and cheese — as "excellent." Margaritas come in De Nada's signature pink cups, with a two-per-person limit on the large size.
What Do Reviews Say About De Nada South First?
The Infatuation rated De Nada 8.0/10, highlighting the barbacoa and fish tacos and the quesadillas as standouts and calling the margaritas among the best in Austin. That's a solid score for a location that's only been open a few months.
Inside De Nada Cantina South First: your questions answered
- What are De Nada Cantina South First's current hours?
- De Nada Cantina South First is closed Mondays. It's open Tuesday–Saturday 11am–midnight and Sunday 11am–10pm, per the restaurant's own site and OpenTable. That's an update from its February 2026 soft-opening schedule, which started service at 3:30pm.
- What's on the menu at De Nada Cantina South First?
- De Nada is a taco-and-margarita cantina. Standout tacos include slow-braised beef cheek with salsa habanero, pickled onion, and cilantro; seared Gulf fish with Yucatan marinade and pickled pineapple; and smoked birria with Monterey Jack and beef consommé. The Infatuation also singled out the Mexico City-style quesadillas, and the house margaritas (served in De Nada's signature pink cups) are limited to two per person for the large size.
- Where is De Nada Cantina South First, and is parking easy?
- De Nada Cantina South First is at 1302 S 1st St, Austin, TX 78704. Street parking gets tight on weekend evenings after 7pm — arrive for early lunch or an early (5-6pm) dinner, or plan to park a few blocks west in the residential grid and walk in.
- What do reviews say about De Nada Cantina South First?
- The Infatuation rated De Nada 8.0/10, calling out the barbacoa and fish tacos and the Mexico City-style quesadillas as standouts and praising the margaritas as among the best in Austin. As with any restaurant a few months into a new location, expect some visit-to-visit variation.
- What happened to El Mercado at this South First location?
- El Mercado Restaurant & Cantina South operated at 1302 S 1st St for roughly 40 years before closing on December 17, 2025. De Nada Cantina (parent company 2 Dine 4 Hospitality Group) opened its second Austin location in the same space on February 22, 2026 — a rebrand the operators have described as evolving the address's legacy rather than erasing it.
Health inspection record
Austin Public Health files inspection records under the name De Nada Cantina – South First, but none of them is at this venue's address (1302 S 1st St, 78704). The dataset covers every food-service facility in Travis County, and businesses reuse a trading name across locations — so rather than attribute someone else's score to De Nada Cantina – South First, we are showing no score at all. These are the records we found, with the addresses the city publishes for them:
- De Nada Cantina — 4715 E Cesar Chavez St Austin 78702-5135
Related Austin Data
Share this article
