Iron Cactus
| Address: | 606 Trinity St, Austin, TX 78701, USA |
| Phone: | +1 512-472-9240 |
| Site: | ironcactus.com |
| Rating: | 3.8 |
| Working: | 11AM–12AM 11AM–12AM 11AM–12AM 11AM–12AM 11AM–1AM 11AM–1AM 10AM–12AM |
Location
Photos 100
Reviews 7
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Erin Parchman
Only saving grace is that the ceviche was good. Sat at the downstairs bar. My friend and I were only 2 of 8 people there and it wasnt that busy in the rest of the restaurant, either. Got drinks rather quickly, but our requested chips and salsa never came. One of the food runners brought our ceviche, but we were never asked if everthing was alright by our bartender once our food arrived. We didnt even get napkins. Then our bartender disappeared and the other bartender never approached us as he was too busy conversing with another couple for over 15 minutes (yes, I started timing it...I was pissed). We never had a follow-up by either bartender. Once our bartender came back to the bar (he entered the restaurant from the front doors so who knows where he was or what he was doing for 20 minutes), he asked if we were ready for our check. Um, yes, please get me out of this establishment. I was not pleased, to say the least, so I exited as fast as I could. My friend stopped to ask for a manager and told him about the terrible service and lack of everything and all she got was an "Oh, sorry." Looks like the bad customer service starts from the top down. It had been years since I had eaten there and this was a good reminder why I hadnt rushed back. TL;DR : Terrible service at the bar, good ceviche, no napkins, lots of better options in downtown.
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Maria Dambrosio
I am baffled at all the great reviews. I will say that it did seem a bit better if you were in a group, but I am a business traveler that mostly eats alone. That being said, this was one of the worst eating experiences I have had in ages. The host acted like the world was coming to an end when I told him I was a party of 1. The server who waited on me was pleasant when he came, but inattentive. I could have given them more profit on more beverage if he had paid half again more attention to me. I actually wanted a 2nd martini and had plenty of time to enjoy it!That was largely why I only ordered my entree instead of my usual multiple small plates like a salad and an appetizer. The food was fine, albeit overpriced, but I expected that from the hub of downtown Austin. I only ate half my dessert and would have not only appreciated him bringing some sweeteners for my coffee, that was absolutely horrible, but I wanted a refill in hopes the 2nd cup would be from a fresher pot. He didnt even ask me if I wanted a box for the other half of my $10 dessert. The only reason it got 2 stars was because the food was good enough to pull it up from 1 star. I wasnt looking for anything fancy, but I expected way more from a downtown Austin icon.
SA
Sam Park
This was the worst Tex-MEx food I ever eaten. I ordered the shrimp tacos and the the tacos were too salty, too much that I could not eat half of it. The rice was burnt, like it was taken from the bottom of the cooking pot. The Margaritas were okay but tiny, not worth the $8. The service was the worst. Everyone around me had chips and salsa. I had to ask another waiter for mine. When I got it, the Salsa was HOT, and I am not meaning spicy. It was warmer than the chips. It was inedible. The waitress appeared three times. Once for the greeting, once for the food, once for the bill. Ive never wrote a letter to a restaurant manager, nor do I underpay an bill, but this time around I did so. I refuse to tip for poor service and awful food. With all the great Tex-Mex in the city, it would be silly to go to this place. I had two days in Austin. The only thing I regretted spending my one night getting Tex-Mex going to this place. Being from KC (not a Mexican food mecca), I could get much better food at my local chain restaurant.
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Candace Lindeman
150 different tequilas!!! My jaw dropped open, literally! I was stunned that they had so much to offer. The menu was alien to me , though.. My sister ordered the tortilla soup and had a small chunk of avocado. She only had to ask for more and it was quickly brought to her. My niece ordered an enchilada plate and it was a huge helping with lots of rice . The queso dip was something i could have made at home [if you like velveeta, (crappy dip)] but the chips were light and tasty and not overly salted. I ordered a burger, which i realize was not their specialty, but what the hell, it was wonderful to look at but not so tasty. Fries were good but i could have done without the cilantro and margarita salt on them! We ate for $47 for the 3 of us. I had one beer! Yes, its costly but they gotta pay the rent too. I would go back, but try something else and definitely bring more $$ to try the tequilas. I forgot my Wayfarers and our excellent waiter turned them in for me.. So points for honesty, which is rare these days!
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A Private User
I am not a person who normally writes reviews for things like this, but I had such a good experience at Iron Cactus I thought I should give them props. The food was absolutely delicious-not cheap Mexican, but you definitely get what you pay for. If you are at all a seafood lover, I would definitely recommend the Shrimp Enchiladas-absolutely amazing and about an $11 plate. I was in a group of 5 and no matter what was ordered, everyone absolutely love their meal. The drinks were very good and flavorful-they were not weak and still tasted delicious (I highly recommend the Cactus Juice blue margarita). The service was good and the atmosphere calm and enjoyable. My only negative comment is that the chips could have been better, but it kept me from eating my weight in them before the main meal, so it turned out to be for the best. Overall, a wonderful place to eat out in Austin.
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Sherry Clay
This is a 5 star place to eat with just a couple of things bringing it down to a four. We were seated by the window and all we saw the whole time was a bunch of homeless people begging for money. We ordered nachos as an appetizer and we were brought 4 tortilla chips with stuff piled on top of them. That being said the stuff piled on top was incredibly delicious! I mean OH MY GOSH raise your eyes to heaven delicious. The salsa he brought out with the chips and salsa was equally delicious. And then our meal came! Just when I thought it couldnt get any better; our combo ckn/steak fajitas were unbelievable! Served with rice and beans and guacamole and cheese and perfect, warm, delicious tortillas. I loved and savored every single bite. I would absolutely come back over and over and over again, its worth every penny! Asking for a seat in the back though.
KE
Keri Ward
I work downtown and have frequented this establishment many times for lunch. The service has been poor at best even though they are not necessarily super busy each time I go there. I love their pollo relleno and the salsa that they provide is pretty good. However, one day I wanted to try their burger and had heard from multiple sources that it was actually really good. However, it came to the table horribly undercooked. They did remove it from the table and provide a replacement. At least I thought that it was replacement. However, they returned the same burger almost burned. I would have been concerned had iI not taken a bite out of it. The fact that they placed the burger on the grill now raises my concern for the sanitation and health procedures that they follow. I wont be going back.
