Head-to-Head · Austin
El Alma vs Komé
El Alma is Alma Alcocer-Thomas’s rooftop modern-Mexican on Barton Springs; Komé is the Tagawas’ Allandale sushi counter. Book El Alma, walk in to Komé.
The Verdict
El Alma is the rooftop. Alma Alcocer-Thomas opened it on Barton Springs Road in 2010 and built a modern-Mexican kitchen with a patio over the greenbelt, a serious cocktail list and a menu that runs from mole poblano and cochinita pibil to autumn chiles en nogada. Texas Monthly has held it among the state’s best. It scores 7 for food, 8 for the room and 8 for value, and it is the easygoing, view-first table.
Komé is the sushi counter. The Tagawa family has cooked the food of their Tokyo childhood on Airport Boulevard since 2011, with a small counter, fish flown in from Toyosu and Hawaii, and an izakaya kitchen behind it. The omakase runs roughly $30 to $61, some of the best-value raw fish in Texas. It scores 8 for food, 6 for the room and 9 for value, and it is the connoisseur’s pick.
The split is occasion versus cooking. El Alma wins the date, the group and the rooftop sunset; Komé wins the plate, on price and precision. One is where you take people, the other is where you go to eat.
Scores, Side by Side
| Score | El Alma | Komé |
|---|---|---|
| Food | 7 / 10 | 8 / 10 |
| Atmosphere | 8 / 10 | 6 / 10 |
| Value | 8 / 10 | 9 / 10 |
Which One for Which Occasion
| Occasion | Editorial Pick |
|---|---|
| A date night with a view | El AlmaThe rooftop patio over the Barton Springs greenbelt, cocktails and a warm room make it the date table. |
| A serious sushi meal | KoméAn omakase counter with Toyosu and Hawaii fish delivers the better plate for a raw-fish dinner. |
| A group celebration | El AlmaTwo floors, a rooftop and a wide modern-Mexican menu handle a table of friends better than a small counter. |
| Best value | KoméAn omakase from roughly $30 to $61 is some of the best-priced quality sushi in Texas. |
| Solo dining at the counter | KoméA seat at the sushi counter, walk-in friendly, is the easy solo move on a weeknight. |
Price and How to Book
El Alma takes reservations for its indoor dining room and seats the rooftop patio first-come, so book a week ahead for a weekend two-top and walk up for the rooftop; the full picture is in the El Alma review. Komé takes both walk-ins and reservations and rarely needs more than a short wait; the detail sits in the Komé review. Both anchor our Austin dining guide.
For cuisine context, weigh El Alma against the best Mexican restaurants worldwide and Komé against the world’s finest sushi counters. For occasion fit, see our picks for a first date and solo dining. More Austin match-ups sit on the compare index, and the city’s toughest seats are in the hardest Austin reservations guide.