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"What is wrong with you people? Three stars, really? Less than Chuy's? Ick. You're doing it all wrong. Once you're seated, get a white…" read more »
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I've been to iron cactus several times in the last year, and I give it props for it's consistency. The main reason I go is that it's conveniently located next to the Alamo Drafthouse, and there is usually not a horrible wait (at least if you don't have a large group). Caveat: one time I went for lunch on a Friday (usually go for dinner), and our food took FOREVER to arrive. The restaurant wasn't even crowded. Anyway, it's probably the best mid-range Tex-mex in downtown, but it has surprisingly little competition for the title. Which is a travesty, really! Come on, Austin, can't we do better than this?
Food/drinks: usually get the small frozen margarita, which is not terribly small if you ask me. It's pretty good. Last time I went I almost got the mojito, but the waitress upsold me to the peach mojito, which was fantastic! A bit on the sweet side, but still very refreshing.
Their chips and salsa are good, and they are usually brought to the table promptly. I especially like their smoky salsa which I THINK is chipotle, but don't quote me.
Otherwise, I almost always get mixed fajitas with chicken and beef. The "for one" size is definitely enough for two, especially with chips and salsa, so don't be fooled. There really isn't anything terribly special about these fajitas but, as I said, they are consistent. Last time I also tried some queso compuesto which was equally standard, but I'm not gonna argue with queso. Ever.
I am only giving it 3 stars because i'm never that excited about eating here. It hasn't ever let me down, per se, so maybe I'm just being a hater. It's a small-ish chain, but it still has that chain restaurant atmosphere, and i guess I'd just rather support a local/independent place.
Oh, Iron Cactus. You introduced me to my signature drink, the Paloma, and I forever thank you. I also thank you for the to die for tuna ceviche I had on Tuesday night, and hiring the cute braided waitress who took really great care of us. Seriously, I wish I remember her name so I could ask for her every time. You have yummy drinks and a nice rooftop view.
Even with all of these good things going for it, I still can't make myself give any more than three stars. As far as actual food goes, the dishes are mediocre here. I've only had one item on the menu that I would ever want to return and eat. I should probably be more kind with my rating, but with so many amazing Tex-Mex restaurants around, you have to live up to the competition! Iron Cactus simply does not.
Yeah. Seems like the consensus is 3 stars, food is ok and service is ok. So, my expectations were a bit low. Turns out, it was disappointingly OK. Service wasn't friendly or bad. Food was fine. But, in the end, we were kind of bored by it all. My take: skip it and take a chance elsewhere... at least it may not be just OK.
I should add, however, that if the weather's right, sitting on the rooftop deck make an OK experience feel like more of a success. So, if you just want a few beers and snacks, and want to be outside with a view, then this may be the perfect place for you.
womp womp womp
Came here for a quick lunch before my gym workout, wanted healthy so i opted for the grilled fish tacos with mango and lemon butter.
service:
the bartender/waitress was very nice.
Food:
Chips and salsa came with two types of salsa which is why i gave it another star for variety. the first is your typical yet flavorful salsa, not the chunky style but still tastes good and served cold, the second a warm salsa that was missing salt and ... whats that word ... oh yea flavor.
Fish tacos came out portion was small, fish was dry and bland no flavoring at all but a few pieces of canned mango, overcooked mexican rice that was very mushy, and cole slaw that lacked sugar, or any seasoning. So yea its fair to say this place sucked. Typical tourist trap, but i guess its good if you get chips and the cold salsa to wash down with a few beers cause its hard to mess that up.
So we just wanted to sit someplace and talk with family...ended up here. I really can't review breakfast, lunch or dinner.... ... didn't have any... The service was very good...... We had a few drinks, my Long Island Ice Tea was very strong...so 5 stars there... yipee..for strong drinks!
We ordered queso, which I was told by the Texan in the group..."well, yes...I have had better" As someone..not in the know about queso I thought it was good.... We also had quesadillas with goat cheese...yummy.... then on to the sweets... I had strawberry 3-leches cake.... it was good but since I can speak from prior 3-leches experiences.... "Yeah, I have had better."
Overall, "meh, I've experienced better" fits just right...... If back in the Austin area.... I won't come back. mmmmmmm well, maybe for the Long Island Ice Tea....
On a whim, upon waking up this morning and feeling pretty lazy, I decided it was a brunchy kind of Sunday.
We drove downtown hoping to eat at Moonshine, but after hearing there'd be an hour and a half (or longer!) wait, we decided to keep on walking until we found somewhere else to eat. Iron Cactus wasn't even on the radar. But after looking in the windows of a few other places and finding them closed, we saw that the lights were on in here and a crowd was building. "Why not?" we thought.
It took a minute for the hostess to make her way over to us, but by the time she did, we'd had a chance to check out people's plates heaped with attracitve food -- then she told us the wait was just 15 minutes -- and we were sold.
The buffet-style brunch featured traditional breakfast fare (my very favorite was the mini Belgian waffles topped with pecans, chocolate chips and strawberries), as well as Tex-Mex (good migas, huevos rancheros, fajita bar, tortilla soup), a guy making omelets to order, and desserts and a good selection of fruit. All very fresh and neat.
I only wish all the hot covered dishes had labels so you wouldn't have to lift the lids to find out what was inside.
Our server had little to do but refill coffee and clear our plates, but he was kind and efficient despite the growing crowd (do your best to get here before noon -- brunch goes from 10-3 and explodes after about 1).
I do not go for brunch very often, but if I decide to again, I'll definitely put Iron Cactus on my short list.
Its good. Esp before a night of craziness on 6th. of course sit on the rooftop but beware of teenagers from the country in prom dresses and waitresses that are slowww.
The food is pretty good though. The drinks are unique and made well. I am looking forward to trying one of each on the drink menu but that prickly pear drink is scary and so is the one with the jalapeno tequila in it. idk about those.
I have sampled so much from the menu. Good stuff includes....crab cakes, spinach and artichoke dip, chipotle salmon, fish tacos, and one of my faves....spinach artichoke and portobello mushroom enchilada. good place to go with a group of friends. i'll be back.
After celebrating so many birthdays and festivities here, how could I forget to review this place?
Iron Cactus gets pretty busy and the wait can be annoying. Hostesses can be snooty and disinterested and we've definitely had a few "confrontations" but the servers have always been friendly and chill. It's unfortunate that there is such a disparity. As a former hostess myself, I don't think standing behind a podium gives anyone the right to have such a horrible, stuck-up attitude.
But anyhoo...I've never had a bad meal here! Tableside guacamole, good. Spinach and artichoke dip, good. Fish tacos, good. Blackened tuna salad, excellent - huge, thick slices of ahi tuna and seasoned chips. Coming here for birthdays rocks since they bring out this yummy mousse for everyone to share. Sitting on the rooftop can be an experience too, just don't eat there when it's chilly! Trust me.
Ultimately it's become a go-to place when a large group of us want to eat somewhere downtown. I'm sure I'll become more adventurous one day, but Iron Cactus has been good to us so far.
While visiting Austin recently, our valet suggested we try Iron Cactus. Having just landed and being very hungry, we were down to try anything that was close by, so we swung into the Cactus. It ended up being a very good decision. So good that we went their twice in our 4-day trip.
For starters, I'm from California (though I lived in Texas for a year), and I tend to prefer Cali-Mex over Tex-Mex. That said, Iron Cactus was BY FAR the best Mexican restaurant I've ever been to in Texas.
They serve up two salsa choices--one fire-roasted and one fresh--along with very good chips. My girlfriend preferred the fire-roasted salsa and I the other, so it worked out pretty nicely.
On our first trip, we both ordered the cheese enchiladas, which were huge and delicious. The enchilada sauce they use had such a unique flavor. We were both blown away.
The second trip was more of a margaritas and chips and salsa trip, before we were to fly back home. That ended up being a margaritas and chips and salsa and queso trip, and their queso was amazing. My girlfriend was in heaven, as she'd never had Texas queso before. She's been craving it ever since.
But the real reason the Iron Cactus is so amazing is something you won't find on their menu. Our waiter suggested it to me when asking him what margarita he suggested. I don't even know if it has a name but I've dubbed it the Jalapenorita--a margarita that features reposado tequila and jalapeno juice, garnished with jalapeno slices. It basically ruined all other margaritas for me. I have never had a margarita blow me away like that one did ... I'm craving one as I write this. The Jalapenorita is worth the trip alone. I can't wait to go back.
Authentic Mexican food, no, but what I had was delicious! As my 2 companions had already had a bit of pizza at Jack's, we were able to get just a plate of the spinach and goat cheese quesadillas, drinks, and the complimentary chips and salsa and were completely satisfied. The quesadillas were SO good. The goat cheese was tangy and it was nice to see fresh spinach instead of the weird previously frozen stuff restaurants often put into quesadillas and enchiladas. I had a frozen margarita with peach swirled in-super tart but really tasty. They give you two different types of salsas for your chips, both of which are delicious, but the roasted/chipotle (or something! not totally sure) was my favorite.
My only complaints could be that our server never brought the glass of water I requested and the prices are a tad bit high.
Was in a town for a conference when I tried this place. I am a Mexican-American, but in Texas there really isn't authenic Mexican food, it's Tex-mex and I know that, so I didn't at all go in expecting authentic Mexican and I wasn't really sure what tex-mex consisted of, but their sour cream sauce enchiladas stuff with chicken and cheese are yummy! So delish that as I'm here in chicago, I am craving sour creamsauce enchiladas because there certainly aren't any Mexican restaurants here serving that.
My friend had fish tacos and he was quite pleased with that as well. He was fearful that they wouldn't be filling, but they were pretty hefty and we were all ready for a nap after that meal.
"Dear Home, I have no comments about the food here. Love, JB" (Nothing to write home about. Good ritas)
This place really pisses me off. I mean really, it's one of those places you leave not thinking, "this place wasn't very good, I won't be back." No, it literally makes me angry to think about.
First of all, it is in a great location, and the large windows are perfect. Sitting at a table by the window is a prime people watching spot. I love it so much. Secondly, it boasts a great tequila selection with food descriptions that look like it will rock your world. The service is also pretty good, and the waiters seem to handle large groups or a bunch of tables well.
The problem is, the food blows. It blows harder than white powder and two guys in Affliction shirts in a bathroom stall at Pangaea. I usually get the Fiesta Salad here, and I feel like everytime it just gets worse. I hate a bunch of lettuce stalks in my salad. Secondly, there was probably the equivalent of two chopped pecans on the entire plate. Thirdly, the chicken tasted like something that came out of the pre-packaged chicken chunks for salads sold in the pre-packaged deli meat section of the grocery store; lack of any flavor or identity. And lastly, the entire salad must have been dunked into a vat of oily dressing. What. the. fuck.
When I get a salad like this at places, it makes me irate. Angry. I'm sure smoke starts blowing out of my ears like Apache smoke signals. Is it a cost cutting measure? Do you save thousands per year by serving shit lettuce? Is it too much for me to expect you actually grill a tasty chicken breast up to put on the salad that I am paying $11+tip for? Are pecans really at a premium these days? What is the mofo problem up in here?!
I just can't stand businesses in a great location with a lot to offer who could care less about serving some great tasting food. It's amazing to me that a restaurant owner has no shame to serve up crap like this. There is a special place in hell reserved for restaurant owners with a perfect location who serve shit food, and Iron Cactus has a one way ticket there. Bastards.
Edit and PS - Why is it that bachelorettes have an obsession with penis? Penis necklaces, penis blow-ups, penis earrings, penis drawings. I know when I think about marriage, that's exactly what comes to mind - a big inflatable penis.
¡Mas queso, por favor!
Gorgeous weather and a queso craving beckoned my presence at the Cactus, so from the hotel, we walked over to the Sixth Street eatery (we, as in Briana T and myself. You think I was gonna stay at the haunted Driskill all by my lonesome?!). The young, sweet hostess walked us up the two flights of stairs to the rooftop patio where many lunchtime folks were soaking up the rays--and booze.
We ordered up some chips and queso ($5.95), Ahi Tuna Ceviche ($8.95) and the Cactus Quesadillas ($9.95). The chips and queso are recommended (I'm very particular about my chips and dip); and the ceviche's huge chunks of guacamole and limey, fresh pescado are some things I'll crave back in H-town. Til next time, Iron Cactus...
This place was really really nasty. Over priced and I should have looked on yelp before I ate there. I had a Chicken Caesar salad, which gave me a bad stomach ache, tried a bite of my Friends cheese enchiladas. He originally ordered the Chicken enchiladas but the waitress said, I wouldn't get that If I was you. That should have been the first clue that the food was Sub PAR. I would have given it 1 star, but the chicken on the caesar salad had a nice flavor, altho it was SUPPER SALTY... 3.75 domestic bottled beer (holy crap) helped wash it down.. Most expensive Stomach ache I've had in a while!
I will give it to our waitress she was pleasant and helpful.
Me: we'll have two margaritas please
Bartender: The house signature?
Me: sure!
A damn fine margarita.
Me: we'll take the check please
The bill: that'll be $18 please.
$22 dollars including tip...I feel a little gipped.
Welp, not very good.
skip it, there's a lot more that are better.
Food was ok. Service so so. Chips and salsa was about the only winner for me atleast. For the price I was definitely expecting better.
I'll admit, Iron Cactus was not our first choice for brunch. We ended up over there after another restaurant had over an hour wait. We sat on the rooftop patio which gives them bonus star and they had some decent food on the brunch buffet. AND of course they have unlimited mimosa's for 5 bucks. The Huevo Ranchero's were the star of the show... they weren't your typical Huevo Ranchero's, it was a fried egg (mine was over easy, which was perfect) on a large thick tortilla chip topped with ranchero sauce. Yum! They also had some typical Mexican restaurant foods like chicken enchilada's, mole chicken, fajita meat, an omelet station, migas (stay away from... not good), biscuits with jalapeno cream gravy (tasty) and salads.
While the view was nice, the food was decent, our morning came to a screeching halt when the waiter informed us that THEY RAN OUT OF CHAMPAGNE. Uhhh... WHAT? It's 12:30 on Easter Sunday and now we can't drink mimosa's until I'm seeing fuzzy? REALLY!?!? That is some damn bad forecasting on inventory. The waiter came around and offered us OJ with white wine.... ummm....... no thank you.
Sure my liver didn't need the extra mimosa's but if you know you are low on champagne when you open the restaurant, then don't offer your patrons UNLIMITED MIMOSA's!
Reading many of the reviews here, I sense a lot of anger, but I can't figure out why. Perhaps it's because people are expecting traditional Mexican food, which this is not!
I really enjoyed my spinach, mushroom, and artichoke enchiladas, and my girlfriend believed her fish tacos were the best she's had--an assessment I'd go along with. The service was attentive and helpful. I wish the decor were a little more comfortable, but otherwise it was an enjoyable experience.
Why waste a Tex Mex meal in Austin with bad tex mex? There is so much other great restaurants to try - that there is no reason!
We have a different friend in town this memorial day weekend. We are reserving Polvos for Saturday night - so we needed to find another restaurant for our friends in from Chicago. We thought the 6th street location with it's great rooftop patio would be a great way to show the different areas of Austin (that we never go to!).
First mistake is that we ordered the guac when we ordered our entrees. The waiter came back to say - I forgot to put your order for guac in - and now by the time I get it out your entrees will be here at the same time. Do you still want them? well of course not. Since it has to be made tableside and it was busy - I bet that was done intentionally.
Then our food came - and it had NO seasoning whatsoever - or it did and it completely disappeared! He said that they marinate in tequila - but was there any seasoning with that tequiila? I told the waiter that I felt it was tasteless. He said he would tell management - but do you think they bothered to come over to get more feedback?
Waste of food, time and money if you ask me. Don't bother - get yourself down to the many other great cheaper restaurants in the city. El Arroyo is ten times better than this place.
For the first wonderfully sunny day of Spring (after a dreary and depressing cold winter), my friends and I went here during lunch and lounged on the patio to soak up some of the long forgotten sunrays.
The ambiance was awesome, and the food wasn't bad. My friend got the Steak Colorado Enchiladas - extremely heavy (don't eat it if you're planning on eating somewhere else later) but very, very, VERY good. I got the Teo's Tacos with chicken, and while they were "okay", they did pale in comparison to the enchiladas.
I haven't been here for any non-sxsw nightlife, but the margaritas I had here were strong and tasty, even though they came from a machine.
Great place for eats in Austin!
All we had here were iced tea (standard), pink lemonade (very pink and slightly cloudy looking, and supposedly not very good), and their salsa and chips.
Am writing this because their chips and both salsas (one more garlicky, one more spicy) were tasty! Thin, crispy, non-oily, and fresh chips with deliciously fresh and well seasoned salsa...
Mmm... need to go back for more!
I love this place. I go here every time I'm in Austin. Great food. Lots of choices. Several non-typical things. Great salsas and I love the guacamole. They also have a great selection of Tequila.
Fun to sit on the second floor outside deck overlooking 6th street. Good, reasonably priced Mexican food in downtown Austin.
(null)
More like Iron Stomach...
We ended up at the Iron Cactus during a recent visit to Austin, because it seemed popular, had a nice rooftop patio, and is one of the few actual restaurants on 6th Street. We had some underwhelming and overpriced margs, followed by guac made fresh at the table which was the highlight of the evening. The guac was fresh and tasty with good ingredients, just needed some more salt.
I wish I could have requested they make the rest of my dinner fresh at the table. I ordered chicken enchiladas which were so bad as to defy description. They got passed around the table and to a person, everyone spit them out. We're talking Boston-Mexican-food bad; I never thought it possible to get Mexican food this bad so close to the border. We also had ceviche which tasted "off", fajitas that were over-salted and over-marinated, making the meat mushy, and flautas that tasted like they came from the freezer.
Long story short, enjoy the patio with a beer and some guac but go somewhere else for margs and dinner.
I had the tacos here and was not that impressed. It just tasted like a soggy pile of nothing. Soft tortilla with chicken and cheese melted into it. If the chicken was grilled, they did it wrong. You can add the right amount of lettuce and pico de gallo, but ya, whatever. Bland tacos makes Tony sad.
The waiter was almost as bland as the tacos.
On the positive side, the chips they gave you tasted like it was baked (healthy) and the salsa was pretty good. The rice had an interesting flavor as well. Though the chips and rice were good, I would not come here again...which would be easy since I live in Seattle.
Zipzap Zubidy Bop!
The Iron Cactus was actually my first stop and my last stop in Austin, TX. Having a friend recommend it for "great Tex-Mex," I decided to give it a whirl. Those that know me probably wonder why I would *ever* come here, since I'm not a fan of Tex-Mex, but I figured when in Rome, right?
The first time I sat at the bar and ordered some apps. and drinks, while waiting for my friend's flight to arrive. Exhibit A: Pecan Crusted Jalapeno Crabcakes, Exhibit B: Ahi Tuna Ceviche. Um, yeah. The crabcakes? Burnt and disgusting. (Taken off my bill.) The ceviche? So-so, but the tuna was way too chewy and almost tough, and WAY too much onion. However, my bartender, and I wish I remembered his name (he's from Eugene, OR) was super friendly, gave me advice on where to go, and even fixed me a gin martini that was beyond amazing! If whoever is reading this is the boss over there, this man needs a raise.
My second visit was for their brunch buffet. We came here because we were told they had "bottomless mimosas". I say "bottomless mimosas" because although they're called that, they never get refilled. In an hour-long meal, we had a total of two glasses. There are two things I can't stand: that beyatch Sarah Palin, and getting between me and my bubbly. Food-wise, it was a tad bit better than my previous experience...but nothing I'd ever crave or want to come back for.
Will I be returning here? Perhaps for a gin martini, but I don't think I will be eating anything...
The only reason they get 3 instead of 4 is they seem not quite equipped to handle the crowd that surrounds SXSW. Our server used a plastic fork to mash our table side guac...did not quite work...so we offered our own forks as she explained they have run out of silverware! We ended up mashing our own guac more as the plastic fork did not do justice.
I will point out my whitefish tacos were delicious although they were served lukewarm and might have due to the other orders at the table (2 ordered very delicious red snapper) and maybe mine sat a little while under a heat lamp...but who knows.
Beyond this service, the food was good and the peach mojitos were some of the best I had ever had. We were also told 45 minute to an hour wait but were sat right by the windows within 25 minutes. I would definitely go again but maybe when the restaurant is not overburdened with SXSW.
This was my first time to 6th Street. The Cactus was a nice way to be introduced to the scene.
We sat at the bar for Margarita's early on December Tuesday night. This was spacious and gave us a good chance to people watch. I really like the high ceiling, clean, roomy feel to the main front area.
On this recent trip to Austin most of the restaurants had Christmas decorations. That makes for a cool contrast with the Southwest motif.
Our bartender prepared guacamole right in front of us. Boy this was delicious! She most have added six ingredients on top of the avocado -some of the best guac I've ever had - fresh & flavorful.
The manager was friendly and gave us some Austin tips, as we were new to the area.
The open rooftop area reminds me a lot of places in Key West, where you can technically be indoors, but the entire surrounding walls are open to the air. It was perfect for our afternoon goal of enjoying a margarita in the pleasant weather.
The drinks were not that great; we ordered a couple of the "Mexican martinis" which are just margaritas served in a salted martini glass with olives. I got the Buena Suerte, with agave nectar, and the whole thing was way too sweet. They give you the mixing tumbler, so I let some of the ice melt and after that it was palatable but still not great. C- on the drink.
The hostess and the bartender were friendly enough. My friend asked for extra olives, expecting one or two, but she gave him an entire plastic cup full. That's good service.
All new Rooster Sr. presents - "WTF is that?" Award FIRST WINNER!! My wife and I visited yesterday with a mixed review of the food. The chips paired with the warm roasted garlic salsa was delicious. The pecan crusted crab cake was also tasty served with aoli and jicama and carrot slaw mixture.
Our entrees started the "WTF is that?" marathon. My wife's veggie wrap came to the table with an amazing amount of juice on the plate. The juice made every thing including the fries soggy. My chicken relleno was a fried tennis ball size crustless chicken nugget stuffed with cornbread and peppers topped with a strange cream sauce served on a bed of rice. Each bite took 4 1/2 minutes of chewing to actually be able to swallow. It was beyond scary and the rice on the plate actually consumed the knife the entree came with.
The service was great; but I'm sticking with two stars because I can't think of any place or chef for that matter that would serve that chicken dish to anyone this side of a buffet line at a morgue
Austin has douchebags too, and they hang out at the Iron Cactus on 6th Street.
I'm with Nicki G. - I normally wouldn't have eaten here as we have an Iron Cactus in Dallas, but the restaurant we wanted to go to was closed and we were hungry. We let our bellies dictate the choice.
The food wasn't bad, but it wasn't great either. I got the Colorado enchiladas, and they tasted a bit dry, like they had been under a heat lamp for too long. The chips and salsa were OK. They brought us two different types of salsa, and the chipotle flavored one was pretty good.
My margarita was potent, although over-priced. Actually, a lot of the items on the menu seemed a bit high.
We went here on a Saturday night during the Labor Day Holidays, and it was so crowed that we were told the wait would be 45 minutes for the upstairs - the quicker of the two options. After 45 minutes, there were still no tables available. We ended up sitting at the bar to eat, but by that point, we were so hungry we didn't care.
I don't plan on returning to the Iron Cactus, but if I had to go there for some reason, I wouldn't make an excuse to bail out.
In contrast to many of the reviews I have read below, I really enjoyed the food at Iron Cactus. I had actually been told by a friend that the food was OK, but my boyfriend and I decided to give it a try because it was conveniently located by our hotel and looked like it accommodated a bunch of people (i.e. we would get a table).
While we didn't get a table right away, we were able to cram ourselves onto the bar area and eat there almost immediately. We started out with some nice, strong margaritas, and along with the chips and salsa, we ordered the guacamole. They make the guacamole right in front of you, which is cool and inherently makes it more fresh. The guac was interesting - they added a little squeezed orange. I have had better guac, but it was unique nonetheless.
We then proceeded to split the veggie fajitas for two. It was great! I enjoyed the refried black beans (this may be a given for some people but I have had bad beans) and the veggies were really yummy. They included mushrooms, which I have not seen often in fajitas, but it was great.
Finally, the service was pretty great to us. The three bartenders each did a good job of checking on us, refilling, etc. We would return. Maybe it is all about expectations?
Rectal discharge at 27 hours. That's right. It took a full day and then some to pass my Tex-Mex dinner through what was a completely empty digestive tract since I hadn't eaten anything but water for 2 days (detoxing).
27 hours....... a sign of AUTHENTIC Tex-Mex greasy chow. Loved their chips and 2 different kinds of salsa (one was roasted), AWESOME greasy chicken quesadilla and lobster.. um.... something.... soft taco was it? Whatever, Lobster something from the appie side. LOVED it. 4 to 4.5 stars for the appies. I was in slop heaven.
For entrees, my buddy ordered beef enchiladas (I think it was the "Colorado" enchilada) while I had the chicken enchiladas, both requesting refried beans. Not bad. I'd say 4 stars, since they weren't pornstar-sex good, but more like "honey, want to have sex before lunch since I have 10 minutes?" good. The beef came with some Colorado spicy sauce, while my chicken came with some thick white cream sauce, which I thought was rather ho-hum. So I ordered a side of Colorado sauce and doused my chicken with this so I essentially had this rainbow colored concoction on my plate, which I'll admit, made it mmm-mmm-good. Definately recommend the food here.
So why the ding on stars? Service was ..... meh. There was a really snooty manager/host dude that acted as if he had the cleanest rectum this side of the Mississippi, which just set a bad tone. The waiter, while nice, was mediocre. I make a strong distinction between nice and service. Nice is nice, but please make sure your service is up to par, and don't leave me asking for water or napkins twice, or have to flag down the busboy instead to do your job.
Still, I liked the food enough to definately come back again.
I wish we could give this place "No Stars". Is that an option?
We checked this place out after this guy at an auto repair shop gave us a gift certificate as a welcome-to-Austin present. One would think that being super-broke lends itself to being a little less particular about eating, but it doesn't. First off, the service was TERRIBLE. We didn't get our chips and salsa or drinks until after our entrees had arrived, and the waitress acted like that was how it was supposed to happen. My husband got some kind of seared ahi taco thing, which was only made mediocre by the jicama salsa that it came with. I ordered some kind of combo plate, which was probably 8 or 9 bucks? I could have ordered the same god damn thing from Taco Bell, paid half of the price, and actually enjoyed my food.
Good thing this was free. Also, I wish there was a "Good for: Nothing" option.
After being cooped up in a conference hotel for a few days I wanted to see a bit of Austin. Someone had recommended that I should check out Iron Cactus and 6th Street, so I figured why not check out the local fare. The location was good and very clean. The staff was incredibly attentive, and the atmosphere wonderful. I had the sheared ahi tuna tacos, I was concerned that the pineapple in the taco would overpower the fish, however, I was delightfully surprised to find it was fresh and light.
Delicious delicious delicious.
I had the Cancun Snapper and it was the best fish dish I have had in recent memory. I mean, you really can't go wrong putting sauteed lobster and crab on top of a tequila ginger marinated fillet of snapper. I mean seriously, if they did miss, I would have gone into a deep depression.
The location of this place is great. We sat on the patio upstairs, with a view over what my friend calls "Sketchy 6th" (as opposed to the less sketchy, West 6th). We were having a late dinner, so the atmosphere was starting to heat up. East 6th street really does remind me a bit of East Bourbon Street. The hot dog vendors, the awesome drink specials, the live music, the drunk people in the streets, and the very intelligent idea of not allowing traffic down the street so that people can walk freely.
The only things that didn't make this a supremely enjoyable experience is the waitress seemed to have the personality of a wet dishtowel, and even though chips and salsa are supposed to be bottomless, our supply ran through only one helping of chips.
But all in all, if I get a chance, I will be back there again. Also, my mother ordered the Ahi Tacos (and of course I stole some) and they were delicious.
Number one: My guacamole tasted like a zoo. You know how when you are at the zoo and it smells like animals and a dirty bathroom. My guacamole TASTED like that! For being in Texas, I was expected to be blown away- especially since you have the option for your server to make the guacamole at your table. We just ate the salsa they served and my dish came with a side of guac.
My dish was good- spinach and cheese enchilada's with rice and beans. It wasn't as good as I expected though. This place was crowded too- another reason I thought it would be awesome!
Great Margarita's though! They probably make them that good so you get wasted and don't realize how mediocre the food is.
No more zoo-tasting guac for me! EEK!
I got a combo plate of enchiladas, and out of everyone else's dishes there (fish tacos, tortilla soup, and something with pulled pork), mine was the clear winner.
We went for lunch on Saturday, and it was FREEZING. WHY?! Because the waitress decided to put us at the table right underneath the air conditioner. Needless to say I wore my jacket all through the meal.
It was my second time there, and though I wasn't blown away, I might go again. If you made me.
Austin, TX
Category: Tex-Mex
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Restaurants
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Southern
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: American (Traditional)
Neighborhood: Downtown
Category: Bars
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