Iron Cactus Mexican Grill & Margarita Bar Reviews

Looks like there are multiple locations (hope I selected the right one...in the heart of the 6th St area music scene). Miguel, our server, was terrific despite how busy they were: we visited on Thanksgiving weekend. Casual, fun, open air feel with tastes of the evening mayhem wafting in from the venues adjacent to the upstairs seating area. Felt like this was a true (casually upscale) flavor of Austin.

Stopped off in here for early afternoon refreshment after doing some sightseeing. The waiter was really chatty and interested in what we were up to on our holiday and gave us some recommendations of things to do. There's a good selection of local beers and ale on tap, which made a nice change to bottled beer. They also had a decent cocktail menu. For food I had the tortilla soup with an iron salad. It was really fresh and not too big. Thumbs up.

Amazing food, amazing service and great atmosphere inside and outside. Michael was our server and just tremendous. He gave us the color of the neighborhood, made great drink and menu suggestions. And the other server (female) was also terrific. She taught me about how mescal is made and again, just terrific! Then on top of great service and nice people, the food was mind-blowing! the lobster tacos, the shrimp enchiladas were amazing. the Guacamole was terrific. Everything was over the top great!

The Cilantro Lime Shrimp Salad was a BIG disappointment. It had only four shrimp! For $18, I expected six at the least. And, one of those four shrimp was tough and dry, clearly from a different batch or something. The other three shrimp were tasty enough.

Got a fabulous greeting and sat at the bar my wife had the Mango chilli cocktail and I a couple of local beers, both very good. Bar staff friendly and chatty and made us welcome! Great place for people watching and very popular with the locals, a good vibe and nice place to idle away an hour or two. We sat at the bar however there is also an upper level with balcony. We loved Austin and this was no exception.

When I arrived I thought the food would be regular, but I realized that there are good dishes for all tastes. The Atmosphere is good, but you see a lot of weird things that happen outside the establishment, but it is part of the atmosphere of the sixth and that is how things are there. Very good service from the waitress.

Food was Fair&over priced &Serivce from wait staff was not good. Treated like taking up their time &not needed thetheiratheir restaurant

Stopped in here on a whim and so glad we did! As others have stated, the chips and salsa were great! The customer service is awesome. The food is spicy! I had the shrimp tacos and while I only had two bites (way to spicy for me!) the flavor was great. The beans and rice were so good. Since I wasn't able to eat the tacos, management comped me my meal! Totally wasn't expecting that but just a sign of the great customer service.

Our group of 17 called PRIOR to coming in and were advised, yes! We can seat you shortly with no problem. We let them know we’d be there in 10 minuets. We waited for over an hour, and were told it’ll be just a few more minutes.... then we waited even longer! I’ll never come back to this restaurant... seriously what a HUGE let down.

Good cocktails. Top noche margarita. Decent food. Fun for group events or girls night out. Great ambience

We went there because it was the only place on a quiet Monday night where there was a crowd. Well now I know why! The server was excellent. The beer choices were great. But mostly, the camarones were amazing!!!!!

Ordered chicken enchilada with Hatch green chile. Not much green chile. Brisket enchilada was smokey and tasty. Black beans were a little undercooked but the Marguerita was excellent.

We took a large group of about 70 people for a dinner buffet. The chicken and steak fajitas were excellent. Outdoor patio with the heaters was a nice addition. Service was good. Buffet with nachos, rice, beans, etc was very flavorful. Would come back again.

Are here for lunch today. Had the veggie fajitas. Very good. Server was not the best. His name was Roman and we hardly saw him. Another lady had to get our checks cause he was nowhere to be found. Otherwise the food was good.

Casual atmosphere. Good food. Try the paella. We sat outside on the second floor overlooking action and crowds on 6th street. Was worth visiting. Excellent top shelf margaritas

I was referred to this place via my hotel and I’m very glad they did. The food was great and I really enjoyed the patio atmosphere. My server was very nice and attentive. While it is a personal preference, I was hoping for a little more spicy in the food. Overall, it’s a great place and I would definitely return.

Stop in for a light lunch and beer. Clean and nice atmosphere, along with polite service. Tried a couple apps and it was great!

Our group hosted an event in this restaurant for hundreds of people - the food is good but the setting and the band are fantastic. All the guests had a great time chatting, drinking and dancing.

Great location to hit early or late for lunch, dinner, and or drinks. Great service-the bartenders were hilarious. Great drink selection and food was really tasty too. TVs for sports too.

Was in town and wanted to grab a margarita watch a little football and grab a bit to eat Great Texas margaritas tv available at the bar - great service and tasty fresh food

Came here for dinner while staying a few blocks away for a business convention. Chips and salsa were pretty standard but good. Asked for a hotter sauce but was told they didn't really have anything however after ordering we found out they had a carrot habanero which added just the right amount of kick. Ordered the chicken enchiladas which were very good and got a bowl of fresh chopped Jalapenos which was large enough for the table of 4. Overall the food was very good and I would come here again when in town.

We’d arrived in Austin and asked my hotel staff what restaurants they recommended. This was one of them so we knew we couldn’t go wrong and we were super pleased! Super location and with large windows to people-watch, we had a great time! We ordered the green chili queso as an app; two orders of quesadillas; and an ahi sandwich (I know...at Tex-Mex restaurant ordering ahi? Yes, and would definitely order again!). Super food, super location!

Went here with a friend. We were seated by the windows on 6th Street, so we could people-watch. Our waiter was attentive and friendly. I had a strawberry/prickly pear cactus margarita, which was sooo good! My friend had a blueberry one, but she liked mine better. I ordered the Pescador del Mar, cod with other seafood, served over rice and cooked spinach. It was delicious, and my friend said her smoked chicken quesadilla was fantastic. No room after for dessert though. :( I like that they have numerous gluten-free options on the menu. I would definitely eat here again!

First and last time here. Went last night before Waller creek light show. Only seats avail were upstairs rooftop by bar. Ordered 2 top shelf margaritas that were $13 each. Tasted like sweet and sour with no liquor. Worst marg I’ve had in Austin. Got the fajita and enchalada and shared. Small portions for price plus lots of throwing dishes around by staff up there. Don’t waste your time or money here.

I visited on a Sunday just after brunch. I had JD as a server. What an awesome experience! I had the Lobster Tacos which were seriously delicious and filling and a frozen margarita with mango swirl and topped with grand marnier, all from JD’s recommendation. I will definitely be back and will tell my friends to go as well!

Happy Hour is the best reason to go to Iron Cactus. Drinks and appetizers are $3 off. The house margarita is potent and yummy! Wasn’t super impressed with the queso or tuna cerviche but then crab stuffed jalepenos and table side guacamole made up for it.

Great food and drinks. The homemade guacamole was so delicious. Unlike some places in Austin these drinks tasted delicious and didn’t seem to be made with crap or watered down.

Stopped in for a late lunch. Hubby ordered the brisket enchiladas ($19) while I had the grilled salmon ($26). Asked for salmon to be grilled well done and it was served very rare. Also, sauce was not hot. Margaritas were $14 and while tasty, fairly small.

A diamond in the ruff on 6th Street Friendly service, clean restaurant and amazing food. Try the brisket enchiladas Enjoy

Good food. Service was a little slow. I know it was busy but possibly need more workers. Food was good, nothing too crazy.

We got to meet there for a bite and drinks when we got to Austin, we sat outside and got some tacos, I believe they were the worst Fish tacos I ever had, but margaritas were good and the service was fast and nice. I’ll go back, just not for tacos.

We went with a group of 16 people. We ended up having one table of 8 and then the rest of the people ate at the bar. We had an awesome table and a wonderful waiter. Everyone loved the chips. The food, on the other hand, was a different story. I had the ahi tuna sandwich which was so salty I had to scrape off the crust. Normally I would have returned it but I was with a group and didn't want to delay things. Another friend got the brisket enchiladas, which sound delicious but were too spicy hot for her to eat. Someone else got the Mexican meatloaf and while it was good it was still too spicy. However he said that the corn side dish was delicious. We also thought the salsa was too spicy. I grew up in Austin and currently live in Houston so I like a little spice. But the kitchen needs to look at this because we really did not enjoy our food.

When you are planning a dinner for 80 people you have to make sure everything is perfect. Dealing with Mark, I felt we were in good hands. When we showed up, everything was ready to go. We had a private room with our own bar service and buffet. We had a large variety of food that was kept full. No one came away hungry and we all had a great time. Servers and bartenders were all very attentive and friendly. We will be back !

Gluten desserts served at a gluten free event. Guests busing their own dishes, Buffet not ready on time. Deserts not ready on time. Staff not monitoring buffet. At least one guest - the groom – told that he could not order a mixed drink. This was how the restaurant executed our son’s 50-person destination wedding’s rehearsal dinner. My wife and I were so upset that we emailed Mark, the restaurant’s Special Events Director, halfway through the event as he was not there. My wife and I met with Mark in January. He prepared amazing gluten free dishes to taste. He was professional, understood the requirements and promised that they could deliver. The restaurant fell far short. To make up for the fiasco, the owner offered to refund the deserts. When pressed about the amount of the prepaid gratuity, he said it would not be “fair” to ask the employees for the money back. Guess the buck and responsibility does not stop with the owner. After 45 days, almost all of the money paid for the deserts was refunded.

Paid the bill to the manager with cash. The change was brought to us. We left the restaurant and we forgot a hat. I went back to retrieve the hat and they said the bill wasn’t paid. My wife had paid it and I thought she screwed up so I paid it again. Phoned later to sort out the situation and they know we paid twice and acknowledged that we paid the manager but refused to do anything about it. Ruined our night.

Amazing food! Great service. Tapas are amazing! Great margaritas. Had a great meal, ambiance, highly recommend this place!

The manager kept us waiting for seats and we never got a message for confirmation. He said we would he waiting for 15 minutes however, we kept waiting at the bar for an hour and never gave us a seat. When we asked about it, they were unbothered and never even got an apology. Worst customer service and racists.

It was a Saturday evening and the only booking left was 21:00. I received 2 txt messages reminding me of my booking on the Rooftop patio. We arrived a few minutes early and were met with a nice lady who checked our booking and sent us up to the top floor - stating somebody would be waiting for us. When we turned up the lady waiting said that the rooftop was shut and had been shut for a while. About 50% of the tables were still eating. We explained that we had a booking for 21:00 and the lady at the front desk confirmed all was well. She called down and after a 3 minutes phone conversation, reluctantly showed us to a table, unnecessarily telling us that we were definitely the last booking of the evening. WE ordered drinks and food. The food arrived quite quickly. The Jalapeño starter was OK, the rest of the food was not. The chips and dip type starter option was tasteless and the Baja fish tacos were totally tasteless. The wife and I had 2 bites each and gave up on them. When explaining why we had only eaten 25% of our food, the server (same person who didn't;t want to let us in) just said sorry and walked off. We go the bill, with no attempt of a recompense for the awful food. We paid and left. As we handed the card machine back to her - the first thing she did was check what tip we had left. Nice that she only thought of herself and not actually providing a minimum level of service we would expect from any American restaurant. Very poor show Iron Cactus. The last time I visited this brand was 10 years ago in Dallas and it was exceptional. I won't be going back to this brand ever again.

The Ahi-Tuna Sandwich. Absolutely disgusting dish. Terrible texture, terrible flavor. I had one bite and had to send it back. I’m writing this review 10 months after having this meal and I constantly think back to how terrible this meal was. Take it off the menu!

Great food, had the shrimp Tacos and chicken rellono.. make sure you save some space for the dulce de leche cheesecake.. Isaac was a fantastic server, he made the experience memorable thank you..

Great service. Good selection of Mexican food. Shrimp fajitas were delicious. Margarita was tasty. Great atmosphere. Would certainly recommend this restaurant for a group of friends.

In center of it all on 6th street. Good Tex mex, with mild spice punch. Free chips and salsa were good. I paired the side salad (iron salad) with an appetizer and it was plenty. The “regular” margarita is great, extensive margarita menu.

Our waitress was awesome, and the management was very attentive. The food was very fresh, hot, and prepared very well. We enjoyed the corn chips and the commentary salsa. The cheese dip was a great starter to munch on while we waited for our food, which came out very quickly! I ordered the Smoked Brisket Enchiladas that came with a Smokey savory Mole sauce that had a hint of that traditional chocolate (as it should) and my husband ordered the Chicken Enchiladas that came with a tasty, citrusy verde sauce. Both entrees came with perfectly cooked Spanish rice and piping hot smashed pinto beans topped with cotija.

The tapas were amazing. We got the pork tamale pops, chicken quesadillas, and the brisket queso. My friend got the blueberry margarita and loved it. The service was incredible. Our server, Lacy (or Lacie, sorry!), went above and beyond, providing some great recommendations and checking on us often. I'll definitely be back.

I was tex-mixed out during our visit to Austin with friends, but I was pleasantly surprised by the large menu with lots of other options too.

We were visiting from out of town for a business meeting and were told of this place. We came around lunch with hardly anyone in the place. The service was slow for our group of 16. There should have been two servers for the group. I give the girl credit, she tried. I believe the inspector dropped by that took most of the attention of the staff. Fill up on the guacamole and chips, it’s the best part! I got the shrimp tacos (2) for $17 and left disappointed. Most of the group left disappointed in the service and quality of food. If you are looking for quick Mexican for lunch, this isn’t the place.

Hostess was a little rude when we arrived, but we were seated quickly and our server was professional, friendly, and attentive. Large selection of different margarita flavors - we tried a bunch and all were really good. Everyone found food to enjoy- I don't recall any stand-outs but quality was fine. Easy walk to convention center.

A massive restaurant with a rooftop balcony for dining, really cool spot. My friend and I were accommodated quickly without a reservation even though they were busy. We had the fish tacos and lobster tacos, with beans and rice, this was more than enough food and it was delicious, really spot on. Everything was washed down nicely with a margarita.

Guacamole made at your table . The restaurants in Austin are proud of many things and one of them are their varied Guacamole recipes. The Iron Cactus is one of my favorite for many of their dishes, Guacamole, Salsa, Pollo Relleno...all good

Went on a Sunday night and it wasn't overly crowded. Service was a little slow, but the quality of food was excellent. Had the fajitas, and it was really good. Wasn't pleased with our server - was definitely distracted and/or overloaded. But the food was good.

Stopped in here for dinner, was near closing time so they were not real thrilled to see us it seemed. Food did come out promptly, was OK but nothing special. Margarita was good but a bit pricey.

My husband and I came here with family we each ordered a meal and one drink with tip $60. Food was great and so were the drinks just a little in the pricey side!

Stopped today here as it had a nice big patio upstairs. Food for the most part was good. Only food complaint is i asked for my burger to be done well with no pink inside. Not what i got. Even pink throughout inside. Was still quite good tho. What put a serious dent in our experience was our server. I wont name her. It was like we were a total inconvenience to her. How dare we ask her a question about one of the ingredients in a dish. Also She sat at the bar and didnt do much to service our table. The manager of the restaurant was quite helpful tho. As tourists we needed some help getting wifi as we dont have a data package in the u.s. he got us hooked up so we could call an uber and we were on our way. On our travels we stopped at an Iron Cactus in San Antonio on the River Walk and it Was night and day the difference. The river walk had the feel of a high end restaurant with its service where as trinity made it feel like another theme restaurant. Would i eat here again ? Prob not at this location.

We wanted some good Mexican food and were disappointed. I always hate ordering a Mexican dish and getting processed cheese instead of real cheddar! It makes all the difference, and that’s what I got. There were two of us and they acted on 18% because it was race week... that was the welcome to all the race fans! The drinks were chinsy...

We stopped here for a quick lunch before a tour. Service was fast, food was great, large selection and moderately priced. We are on the 3rd floor terrace. Great lunch!

Was in Austin for a few days with family and this was the only restaurant we felt we had to go back to a second time. The guacamole is to die for and service was phenomenal

Visiting vegan family members in Austin and this is one of their favorite places. They say it is very vegan friendly. I am not vegan, so will rate the traditional fare. I thought the food was good, but nothing particularly notable. The service was prompt and friendly, the restaurant was clean and the atmosphere was great, as well as the people watching. Prices were a little high, but not crazy, considering the location. I would not go there strictly for the food, but I would definitely go again.

Despite being on noisy and crowded Sixth Street on a Saturday night, we were seated within moments on the rooftop dining area. It was hot and humid, but the fans were a nice surprise and really helped keep us comfortable. Service was very good, and the food even better. It was nice to overlook the busy intersection and to see all the (much younger) crowds hustling to the many music venues, bars and restaurants.

Great ambiance Lovely roof top outdoor dinning. We had a ( several) margaritas recommended by our waiter. They have an excellent extensive list. We had the fajitas for 2 it would have been enuf for 4. The Guacamole is a house specialty and it earns its reputation.

This is one of my favorite texmex restaurant! I always get the Shrimp Enchiladas and refried beans. The managers are really sweet, and the bartender is really cool also. They have a great margarita bar with all the margaritas that you can think of and not think of. The rooftop patio are is really nice, overlooking the Entertainment district, and the bars and people watching are worth sitting down and dinning for.

We walked through the nightlife of Austin to find a great place for dinner, and stumbled upon this gem. The staff was very friendly and offered for our family to sit at the bar, while we waited for our table, as there isnt an ample space for waiting. The tequila menu is extensive, and also includes local craft beer. My husband ordered shrimp enchilada, with lobster sauce, and it was delicious. If I go again, I am ordering that! I had the bajan fish tacos, paired with cilantro lime rice. The meal was light, flavorful, and tasty. Our son enjoyed his Travis County Burger, which was a special Texas beef mix. The chips were fresh and enjoyable! This is great for couples,friends, business, or family!

This downtown location is not as nice as the others. It was a cool, rainy day and the restaurant was cold. Food was OK, but not great.

My first Mexican meal in Austin recommended by our Lyft driver who is an Austin native, and he was right. We had salsa & chips with a cheese sauce on the side. I had a hankering for cheese enchiladas, which came with rice & it was wonderful. Also had refried beans. My husband had the brisket enchiladas & totally enjoyed them. Highly recommend Iron Cactus!

I was driving into Dallas from Austin to meet a friend and the first place we tried was super crowded. Decided to go here. I met them at the bar in which they were already seated with a drink. Place looked like cool place to hang out and right in the middle of all the action. I totally understand that when its busy, service can be a little slow but the wait to be acknowledged by the bartender and then to order was on the side of ridiculous. I had to ask for a food menu. And after I did order, someone else brought my food. Again, bartender took a long time to check on me and after it was all said and done, I had to flag him down to get my check. My food was decent (mussels and chicken enchiladas) and my drink was ok (margarita). I didn’t have any expectations of this place since I had never heard of it but I probably would only come again if someone requested.

I was looking for a place for lunch on 6th Street, and I found the Iron Cactus Mexican Grill, which looked nice inside and was about half full. I sat at the bar and ordered the Stuffed Iron Burger with fries for $16 USD and an Iced Tea. The burger was really good and the fries were decent. The service was friendly, slow at the start but got better afterwards.

This was a fun, casual, Tex Mex restaurant, and our server was very friendly and pleasant. I was excited to try their tableside guacamole. My friend and I ordered it, but they didn’t make it tableside, and that was a bit disappointing. The guacamole was good but nothing special. The menu had lots of variety, and, overall, the food was good. I’d go back again for lunch.

Ordered alot of food and the flavor was. Average... Seating was not full at 9 pm on a sat tortilla soup was good the meat was low grade chewy black beans had good flavor Average ticket was around With no drinks For a quick bite on 6th st stop on in

The Iron Cactus was on our Must See list for Austin, and it didn’t disappoint. Get there early to ensure you get a table on the rooftop - it fills up quickly! The complimentary nachos chips and salsa were a real treat, but even better with the guacamole which is prepared to order at your table! This must be seen to be believed - you’ve never seen an avo sliced so quickly! Great way to enjoy a sundowner in Austin, and to enjoy the weirdness of East 6th Street from the comfort of a rooftop bar!

Really, really good Mexican food When you sit at the table a server brings a bowl of hot fresh chips and two bowls of salsa, one fire roasted served warm and a second of fresh salsa served cold. The chips and the salsas are outstanding. I ordered chicken enchiladas and it was served on salsa verde. The salsa verde was so tasty I requested that the server bring additional verde. Yummy. I also ordered warm queso to dip the chips in. Fabulous! Everything was so enjoyable at the Iron Cactus that in the eleven days of my stay in Austin I ate there on three occasions. Need I say more?

Visited for dinner while enjoying a evening out on 6th Street. I enjoyed the combo chicken & steak fajitas while my husband had the Southwest Paella. The portions were large so we didn't have room to try one of the awesome looking desserts. Great location and service!

JD was our server and he was great. I don’t come to Austin often, but when I do I visit the Iron Cactus. The ownership has maintained the quality of property just like it was when I first visited almost 20 years ago. Food and service are always excellent.

We stopped in here several times on our trip to Austin, after reading that they had great margaritas. They have a very thorough tequila bar and margarita menu, delicious salsa, ceviche and enchiladas. Our favorite waiter was Jason, who was very attentive and helpful.

We were in Austin for a family wedding. Dinner at the Iron Cactus was excellent. My wife and I both had paella and split a tableside guacamole. Service was excellent, even ‘tho she was quite busy. We ate outside on the third floor. Even ‘tho it was hot and humid, the misting fans made it very comfortable.

The most rude experience I have ever had. I have NEVER been talked to by a man the way the manager here talked to me. I have lost all respect for this restaurant, and this man should not be in the restaurant business if he is going to talk to women this way. All we wanted to do was get a bigger table than we asked for and he was insanely rude. I’ll never forget this horrible experience.

Visited this restaurant with girlfriends. Amazing choices on the menu. Wish I could have ordered more! Table side guac and queso are go to’s!

We did not order food since we had reservations elsewhere but heard the Iron Cactus had delicious margaritas. Well that was a true statement about the margaritas! We sampled margaritas at several places in Austin and their house margarita would rank as one of the best in Austin.

I enjoyed my experience here. I was rushing a bit and our server was amazing. He helped us pick items that would be done sooner. He made sure we were done in time. He was so nice and accommodating, I wish I remembered his name. The food I have was great! 10 out of 10!

Went there with friends, got the shrimp tacos - very good. Service was fast and nice. Lots of families there. Nice family restaurant

Food was great, service was definitely slow. Had to make a point to look for the waiter and grab him as he went by, he hardly ever came over to ask if we needed anything ... that includes empty drinks. Rooftop patio is nice.

Great spot for dinner and margaritas. We had a window seat, perfect place to people watch. If you have a chance to visit, highly recommend.

Delicious meal. Lobster tacos and guacamole for starters. Both were winners. Guacamole made table side. It was worth the entire visit! 5 stars! The basket of chips must have come from the bottom of the bag-few whole chips. For entrees, my husband had Pescado Del Mar and I has Chile Relleno Rustico. Both really good. Could definitely recommend. My husband had key lime tart. Good. Graham crust. Maybe not the best ever but it was good. The ambience of the restaurant was okay but not great but it would not keep us from going back.

Just arrived in Austin today and set out to explore the city and stumbled across the Iron Cactus. My girlfriend and I decided to check it out and I’m really glad we did! We each had a few drinks, I was drinking beer and she was drinking their margaritas, and a couple of appetizers. Highly recommend the jalapeño poppers!! The atmosphere was very relaxed and we felt very comfortable walking in and the entire time we were there. Since we just got into town today, neither of us were “dressed up” and still there was no problem getting in or being served. I would definitely go back for more drinks and would love to try more of their food! Everything we had was great!!

We chose to eat upstairs and glad we did. The view was awesome on the patio. Fried wonton appetizer was amazing. Easy to walk to from out downtown hotel. Will definitely eat here again when visiting Austin.

Great guacamole and a huge variety of drinks to fit every palate. Delectable morsels to choose from including some wicked tacos. You can also be full on just apps!

we stopped in for drinks and snacks and came back for a lunch couple of days latter. service and food were very good not to mention the drinks!

Stopped here on two occasions last week while in Austin on business. A welcome and welcoming quiet respite from the chaos and heat of 6th street. The food is good to very good, the tequila list long and strong, and the lobster tacos were good enough that I would return just for them.

This place sucks. We sat down and didn’t order for 45 minutes. The lady was giving my business partner weird looks and didn’t have 4 of the items she requested from the menu. The food was mediocre at best and it took forever. Overall, do not recommend this restaurant to anyone.

This was recommended to us as an excellent example of Austin's TexMex cuisine, so we gave it a try. Very glad we did! It's got a nice vibe, friendly service and excellent food. The southwest paella was outstanding, loaded with tasty seafoods and wonderful seasoning.

Really enjoyed this Mexican restaurant, good service, great selection of drinks and the food was excellent. Complementry corn chip and salsa so probably don't need starters. I had 3 Chile Pork loin chops with a bacon mash and veggies. My wife had Combo Fajitas including beef, chicken and shrimp looked and tasted great and both meals prepared well and very fresh.Lovely creme brûlée for desert. Reasonably priced inc drinks around $60

Came here for a late lunch after doing a bus tour downtown. Sat outside on the 2nd floor balcony as the weather was nice. Had a couple of cocktails (nice) but was less than impressed with the food as we expected more from this caliber of restaurant. The food was barely warm and the taste was mediocre at best. Would skip next time....

Sat outside on the balcony - nice and cool on a hot day. Food was plentiful and had fajitas for 2 which cost $38, in comparison to everywhere else we’ve been in Texas an average price.

Just stopped to get a drink and ordered lunch!! Glad we did. Food was fresh and delicious. Waitstaff was wonderful and super fast service. Great atmosphere and large windows to people watch. Definitely recommend.

First, the chips are the best I've had in a long time. Second, we also had the lobster tacos, veggie enchiladas, and paella, all of which were good. The paella being the stand out. Would visit again.

This trendy Mexican restaurant has delicious traditional and original dishes with pretty good service and a fine happy hour. The veggie enchilada is unique and flavorful. The best thing of all, though - is the fresh guacamole made table-side. Wow! If you like mezcal, the mezcal margarita is great, too!

A nice Mexican restaurant with some really nice dishes. The pork tamale pops were a hit as an appetizer for our family. The Pollo Relleno was the best dish of the entrees. Definitely worth a visit while in downtown Austin.

Worst experience ever. Server was rude and said he would not serve us alcohol because we were to intoxicated. This is a restaurant on 6th street open at 10pm at night. Who does go here and does not drink? With two of us not being from America I can’t help but feel this was a racist attack. Do not recommend.

The food was nothing special but our waitress was really attentive. Had a great margarita the mix was not too sweet. Also had an impressive tequila selection.

GREAT margaritas, great service, great atmosphere and great food. Highly recommend coming here. Prices are decent as well. Not too expensive and not too cheap & trust me, I’m a frugal person myself.

I stopped in early one evening not realizing this is a chain. Since I was by myself, I told them they could stick me in the corner since I preferred a table vs. the bar. They took me towards the back a bit near the kitchen, and that's when the smell hit me. If you've walked down a restaurant back-alley at night, you know the smell. I suppose you go nose-blind after a while when you're inside, but it was definitely a turnoff. However, I stayed. For Austin, the beer selection was abysmal. Two drafts to pick from, one of them a Michelob Light if I remember correctly. I ordered a basic burrito and when it came out, two small slabs of something covered in green, I was skeptical. But, it tasted better than it looked. I've had much better. For a chain even, I expected more. Service was good, however.

Service was very slow. Manager was helping the staff, which was great. They need to hire additional servers. Food was just ok. Would prob go back for drinks only, but knowing we would have to wait quite some time for them.

6th Street vibe, warm service, happy hours until 6pm weekdays. Above average sauces. Thumbs up in happy hour margaritas with default tequila herradura.

We had an excellent meal as an outing with co-workers. All the food was excellent and the drinks very good. The service was exceptional. I would recommend this place. It was in a cute, brick restaurant.

I ordered the fajita tacos and the chicken was burnt and very dry. It smelled like old mop water in there.

So food was ok . Don’t get the shrimp tacos cold and tortilla was also cold and flour. The green enchiladas is the way to go . Beans cold as well. We tried the tortilla soup lack of flavor. The good thing was drinks I tried the spicy watermelon yum and hubby cucumber drink .

We enjoyed this food immensely. We ordered the queso to start, glad we did. We also ordered the shrimp enchiladas and the chicken sandwich. Both were delish...The waiter was friendly and engaging. We recommend this restaurant.

My son and I ate dinner at the Iron Cactus on 6th Street. We loved the vibe of the place as soon as we went in. We had table side guacamole which was delicious. I had tortilla soup and my son had poblano chicken as our meals. Both very very good. We will go again.

Popped in here for a quick snack - nice ambience. Did not stay too long as was on my way to a meeting.

Everything about this place was just mid. Food was blah, drinks were just OK. I’m sure there is better Mexican in Austin. The only bright spot about the experience was our server John. He was so nice and attentive and helpful.

We came here late at night to grab drinks and wound up on the outside terrace - highly recommend - overlooking 6th street. Great vantage point to people watch and the drinks were top notch - food looked good...

If you're in Austin definitely you've to go there. Best Mexican food I've ever tasted! Everything is fresh and delicious. Very friendly waiters. Thanks!

Excellent variety and quality of food. Super drinks and fun experience in Austin's sixth street entertainment area.

Amazing service & food!!! Great customer service from everyone!! We were happy to eat here and the drinks were good too

This is an attractive restaurant with a lot of light and and two levels. My friend and I ate on the upper outside deck and even though it was chilly we were fine with the heaters they have in place. Service was very good especially since they have to run up and down stairs with your food order. Chips and salsa were good which is always a good sign. My friend thought his enchilada just average but my quesadillas were excellent. Wasn't sure how raspberry sriracha honey bbq sauce was going to be but it worked fine with the dish. My only complaint was I'm not sure they got the drink prices at the bar right. A margarita and a beer shouldn't cost over $20 here.

Good place, nicely decorated, good crowd. The staff was doing fine, though the guys at the bar (where I ate) where a bit overwhelmed: they could have benefited from 1 or 2 people more working the bar. Great food, quickly delivered, good choice of drinks. All in all good choice.

We took a chance on this place for lunch and loved it. The upstairs patio area is gorgeous with a nice view of surrounding 6th Ave district. The food was unique and excellent. Service was good. Waiter was super friendly and helpful with advise on menu. We loved the fried avocado, the tortilla soup and salad, the chicken enchiladas and the fish tacos.

The food and drinks were great. The staff is kind and patient. I have the jalapeño crab poppers and bud light. The salsas were very fresh and delicious.

Great vantage point for all the mayhem and chaos of dirty 6th. Grab a table upstairs if you can. Very casual decor with metal tables. Salsa runs hot and cold. I tried a avocado martini blended with mango and vodka. The salt rim on the glass accented the drink well. We order picadillo purses and mussels appetizers. The picadillo purses were laden with nacho cheese on the inside and were heavy and overwhelming. The mussels were good , served with french bread wedges.

We interrupted the hostess on her phone and she was not friendly so we were not optimistic, but the waitress was super sweet and the food was great. We told our waitress, Amy R, we were going to 6th Street, and she gave us a personalized note with our check. You dont see that level of service often today.

If it wasn't for the entire experience, I would have given it a 5 for the food, the margaritas, and the friendly waitstaff. It's a big space with tall ceilings, which is fine, but it was very bright for dinner time making it look more run down than it is. In addition, we did not know that on weekends the Austin police close the street down by driving up and down the street with lights flashing, and since we sat by a nice window the police lights were very intrusive (and worrying until we asked the staff what was going on). I'd go again in the day in the middle of the week.

I had lunch at Iron Cactus earlier today and thoroughly enjoyed the experience. I was seated right away and had tortillas with salsa in a minute. My drink arrived a couple minutes later. I had the "lightly blackened" Baja Fish Tacos with Black Beans and Rice....excellent. I perused the drink menu and felt the prices were very good for the area. The place had a good feel/atmosphere and good table service. I will go back!

Sat at the bar as the patio was closed on a Wednesday evening. The food was good, the services at cube bar was less than adequate. Drinks sat empty. The bartenders had too much going on from making guacamole to cleaning glasses while trying to manage drink orders.

We heard great things about this restaurant so chose it for Sunday brunch. It was hotel food at best-in fact, the Hilton food is WAY better. Perhaps it's better at supper time, but go elsewhere for brunch. plus, the staff was less than excited to see us. We felt like a bother.

The food is superb. Even though it’s “Mexican Food” the spin they give on the dishes is mouthwatering. Try the pork tamale pops, the brisket tacos, & the lobster tacos. Yummy! There’s great views of 6th street and the atmosphere is great! Don’t expect to navigate easily on their website menu though.

I really enjoy the fajitas here and always get the steak and shrimp with corn tortillas. It may not be as famous as other texmex but it serves up the goods.

A friend and I were in town and went here for dinner. We hadn't been at our table a couple of minutes and we had chips and salsa right there. The salsa was very good. There was a mild and spicy, both of which were very good. We had a great view of the town as we were up top on the patio where there were fans above circulating the air. The food was very good: my friend had the shrimp tacos and I had the brisket enchiladas. Our plates were cleaned at the end, which is why we didn't have dessert -- no room. For drinks I had a Pacifico beer and she had a Strawberry Margarita. Both were very much enjoyed. Our waiter was attentive and came back several times throughout the meal to check on us. It was a great meal, a great view and a great visit.

We love to eat at Iron Cactus when we take Capital Metro Rail to Downtown Austin Texas. It is not far to walk from the Downtown Austin Train Station to the Iron Cactus. Then we go to Esther's Follies. We had various items to eat and drink. My friend and I had the Chicken Tortilla Soup which was very good. We also had table side guacomole made fresh at the table.

My first stop in austin. Nice margarita. Good taco. Really liked the brisket. Server was nice and friendly, he even gave me a printout of other places of interest once he learned that I had jsuy arrived in Austin. Nice touch, thanks for the good meal, guys.

The food is great, in the middle of 6th street, serves is super nice, pricey little bit, but the moment you order a drink a big bowl of chips and dip is with it on the house.

Dropped in her to eat "dinner" while walking around Austin before going to a show at ACL Live. We both just ended up eating appetizers and it was plenty. I had brisket quesadillas, yum, and my wife had the tableside guacamole, which was really great because they asked her about how much of different ingredients she liked, so it was custom made to her tastes. The margaritas were also very good and we could hear the live music from across the street which was also a plus. Good service too and they sent out some bites for us to try for free as well.

The food was amazing! We sat on the third floor and for a November night had excellent open air weather. The service was on top of things and made sure even with a very busy restaurant we had everything we needed. Really like the atmosphere with clean restrooms as well. Definitely recommend!

I stopped here for a late lunch after my flight to Austin. It was a Monday and they were short staffed like a lot of restaurants are these days. The waiter was a bit overwhelmed by the amount of customers resulting in less than stellar customer service. However, the flavor of the chicken enchiladas, refried beans and salsa made up for it. The food was excellent.

Stopped in for a dinner without reservation and ate at the bar. Good, casual TexMex food and drinks. A bit slow on service but to be fair, it was a crowded Halloween night! Definitely worth a stop for a casual meal when checking out the night life in Austin.

Excellent location. The burger looked amazing and I had a shrimp and rice dish that was generously portioned and very good. Server seemed a little bored of the tourists, which is too bad, because that's who comes here.

Flavors are bright and service was excellent! Do try the table-side guacamole. (You get as much heat or as little cilantro as you like.)

After checking into my hotel, I ventured out to get lunch. Went to the popular 6th Street area. Lots of food and beverage options. I came across Iron Cactus, only place that had a line. I sat right away because I was alone. I immediately got a nice basket of fresh chips with 2 different salsas. One of them was served hot, which was a first for me. Both were delicious. I ordered for an app, lobster tacos and my entree was the Ahi Tuna sandwich. The tacos had lobster, Monterey Jack, jalapeños, spinach and lobster cream sauce. Gr 3 of them, great flavor. The sandwich came with pepper-crusted Tuna, spring mix, avocado, citrus, grape tomatoes, cucumber and basil pesto. The sandwich was delicious. I left stuffed!

There are not may good places to eat on this stretch of 6th. This place stands out from the crowd. We went for a late lunch and were able to get a spot on the top floor balcony which was in the sun and just perfect for some chips and their delicious salsas and Guac. The drinks are unusual and well crafted. The meals were a sensible portion so you didn't feel too full after even though you ate a ton of the chips. The place is HUGE and designed and decorated nicely.

If you are going for the margaritas, no worries. The restaurant is known for it's margaritas. The food was okay, not special or exception.

The food was good (but slightly spicy) and the restaurant was busy. We sat on the 2nd story patio, which had fans with misters to keep customers cool. This place is worth a visit.

The food was good but the wait was unreal. Reservations/call ahead was not accepted so when we arrived and were told a 2 hrs wait we were not thrilled. In the meantime we grabbed a drink at the overly crowded bar. I would recommend stopping by if the crowds weren’t so bad, maybe weekday afternoon.

Great food great beer selection great atmosphere if you’re in Austin and one great dining experience with plenty TVs and Lively environment you need to check this place out

Stopped here for a quick drink. Ordered suggested margarita (something with double barrel (?)in the name) and have to admit that it was very good. The food looked delicious too, but I was not hungry... maybe next time. The service was a bit spotty, but I wasn't in hurry and so didn't care much. The bartender was very friendly though.

First started coming here in 2001 when traveling weekly to Austin for work. Excellent then and excellent now. Great rooftop patio. Great food and drinks. Definitely a bright spot on 6th street!!

We were looking for a Mexican restaurant that had fajitas in their me yesterday and have a high rating. Unfortunately we’re we’re extremely disappointed with our meals. For one the fajitas had little grilled veggies. Practically few soggy very thin slices onions and peppers buried under the meat. Also their lobster tacos were so pathetic. Very sloppy and can hardly taste the lobster. No fresh veggies just a sloppy filling that didn’t have the taste of a taco. I do not recommend this place from what o have seen. Maybe other menus items are better bit what we ordered was bellow par.

We had some nice starters and drinks at Iron Cactus. Matthew provided good service and the margaritas were very good. The spicy one was great. The table side guacamole was great, the picadillo purses, and romaine salad were good.

Not what it use to be In the last year it has really gone down hill. I understand with the year we have had. One of the reasons I won’t be back is the amount of homeless people stopping you every step you take in the area. It’s just a shame it has come to this.

Stopped in for a snack after having spent the day walking around Austin. The heated salsa that came with the chips was really really good. Great flavor and kick. We had the chicken flatbread which was also good. The place was pretty crowded due to the LSU-UT game but we got a table and the service was pretty good give how busy it was.

The salsas here were obviously freshly prepared and delicious. I loved their smoky, warm salsa. My husband had the picadillo purses, and he enjoyed them. I had the beef fajita tacos, and they were really good. They weren’t stingy with the meat and cheese. We also enjoyed the charro beans. We also had a couple of great cocktails. Our waitress Rebecca was super friendly and attentive. It was a terrific experience!

My husband and son and I stopped in for dinner on a Friday night. We had been strolling down 6th street listening to music. What a great place to eat, wonderful staff, loved the atmosphere, and most of all the mouth watering food. We are from Oregon and nothing here comes even close to what we ate. The tortilla soup tasted so good , we came back the next day for lunch. We had to fill up one more time on a large bowl. That soup lasted us until we arrived home 8 hours later. What a way to remember Austin. We will be back again!

I was looking for a simple yet unique Tex/Mex restaurant for my group of 15 while we were in Austin. I was disappointed this restaurant (like most in Austin) didn’t take reservation, however we were able to be seating within 30 minutes. The food was ok, but nothing spectacular. Basic Mexican fare. If you are looking for a simple, clean place with nice staff this place is fine. If you are looking for a place that serves really good Mexican food, you might want to try another restaurant. B- overall.

Good food, good service. Lots of activity. Great upper story outdoor patio overlooking the street. Will go back.

We were visiting from Columbus, Ohio…. So weren’t used to Texas servings! The food here was excellent! We loved the huge servings! The Ceviche was huge hunks of fish, great flavor! Huge taco’s (especially the veggie with avocado) lasted us two days! The queso was great! We really enjoyed the leftovers (we mixed the beans!). Go! Give them a try!

Very friendly staff great service our server was Rae. Very high quality food and very yummy 10/10 definitely would come here again.

Expensive place with the most unfriendly service I encountered in Austin. The Lobster taco is a (bad) joke and the other two dishes we tasted were only marginally better. Beers were no good and badly served. For the money they ask it should be empty 24/7.

As someone has previously pointed out, the restaurant smell curiously of stale garbage. Pretty empty when we got there inspite of the booking nothing that we would only have an hour. We left.

We were welcomed as soon as we walked in and our server Brian was very friendly and took great care of us. I couldn't decide on a brisket quesadilla or the stuffed avocado.. he recommended the stuffed avocado and it was amazing.

Solo traveller so sat at the bar. Had fajitas - tasty and filling. Beef was tender. Flour tortillas were excellent. Could have done with more vegetables on the sizzling skillet. Bar staff were run off their feet so service could take a moment or too… Really enjoyed the food and the bustling atmosphere.

Matto offered us excellent service and leadership gave us a starter (picadioo purses) that wowed us from the start. Everything we tried was AMAZING!!!

We had the best server, Frances. She works on Mondays. The food was excellent. We had happy hour margarita’s, they were so good. I had the lobster tacos and my friends had table side guacamole. Everything was great about the restaurant on the Riverwalk. We will be back, soon!!!

It was probably one of the worse experience I’ve had. Service was terrible. Our table side guacamole EVENTUALLY came after we have already eaten the first serving of chips. Then our waitress asked if she can take our order which was confusing because she already took our order about 30 mins ago. After the chips and guacamole, we waited and waited for our food. And waited so more. Finally, our food came. I had Baja fish tacos. It was bland. I asked for some limes. I waited until my tacos were cold. Finally I had to go and get limes from the bar which the bartender literally handed me two limes without a napkin or bowl or plate- yuck. At least pretend you’re clean! Finally ordered a Moscow Mule before the meal and it came close to after my meal. Don’t waste your time and money. If I can give no stars, I would.

sexy venue with a nice location. i loved the staff they were friendly. the view at night was superb - great view of the owl building. the food was great - i recommend the margaritas with salt!

We arrived late and were thankfully accommodated. Food was freshly cooked and service brisk polite and helpful. Thanks Giovanni. We enjoyed our meal.

My sister and her husband were in town for Christmas, and this is one of our favorite places to eat. They were super busy on a Friday night, and service was a little slow, but they did make sure we had plenty of chips and both of their delicious salsas. My husband and brother-in-law had the Mexican meatloaf and both said it was good but not something they'd order again. I had a seafood dish and it was outstanding, and my sister had cheese enchiladas, which she said were excellent. The queso was excellent as were the margaritas! We always enjoy the Iron Cactus.

The hotel was under construction but nowhere on social media or the website did it say that. We arrived and were welcomed in to the mess and led upstairs to the top floor which was all outside. Definitely not the experience we wanted for our 20th Anniversary. We also told them it was our anniversary and we received no dessert or anything after our main meal.

Came here with 6 people, we were seated pretty quickly and the restaurant was pretty empty at the time. Our service after that seemed very slow, drinks took forever to come to table. Two of us ordered draft beer, which the server told us there were 4 available, then returned to say only one was available, not the one we chose. The restaurant did get a bit more crowded after we arrived but the server seemed like it was an afterthought to check on our table. The experience was good but could have been elevated to exceptional with the server making us feel a little more engaged with our table

Food was just ok. I had the Southawest Paella and 2 of the 5 mussels weren't opened. Told the server and he did nothing. Service was average. Wife had the chicken enchiladas, they were average. Chips and salsa were good. Overall just ok. Positive was they did have a gluten-free "ish" menu.