Is Pelons Tex-Mex Restaurant Still Open? Mystery Diners Update

Mystery Diners (Food Network) investigated Pelons Tex-Mex Restaurant in Austin, Texas, after owner Doug heard rumors that staff were collecting money from customers for an unauthorized charity and wanted to know if the reports were true. Wikipedia's article on the series describes Mystery Diners as an operation run by host Charles Stiles that goes undercover at restaurants, at the owners' request, using hidden cameras and staged interactions to document suspected problems. According to Food Network's description of "Charitable Donations" (aired April 28, 2014), Mystery Diners investigators Holly and Jordan went undercover to observe the collections; the available description covers the setup of the investigation but does not detail what Stiles told the owner afterward or what change followed.

Wikipedia's article on the series, citing its sources, separately notes that the program carries a disclaimer that certain events were re-enacted for dramatic purposes and describes a television critic's assessment that some of the show's scenarios and outcomes can appear implausible or staged. A check of the restaurant's own website, pelonstexmex.com, on 2026-09-08 found posted weekday and weekend hours and an active online-ordering link for the same Red River Street address featured in 2014, describing the business as a Tex-Mex restaurant in Austin's Red River Cultural District. Google's Places listing for the business separately lists its operating status as active.