Still waiting for my cold fajitas....waited 2 years for this place to open, waited 2 hours for the food to be served. Chevy's knockoff.

Do you remember Tex-Mex? I did barely until now. The real deal has seemed to have mostly vanished these parts over the past several years. But wait check this out, Vaqueros. Real, solid Tex-Mex. no B.S. hand-made margaritas and awesome happy hour even on the weekend. You better come hungry because these plates are huge, take a doggie bag home sized. read more

Vaquero's Cafe and Cantina - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

We went yesterday for Sunday brunch. The food was good and the wait staff was very friendly. The buffet ended at 2 PM - when we arrived at 1:15 they were out of salmon, but we were told that "more was coming." About 20 minutes later, I asked about the salmon, and was told "they are taking the buffet down - not adding any more salmon!" read more

Great food, great prices, and the outdoor play area is small but it's still a nice plus for the kiddos.

Loved loved the 1st time so we drove back out to eat carnita tacos again. They were big chunks of dried out pork:(

Love the ambiance. We have driven by here 100's of times. And everytime I think "we need to try them". I will have to try the place again because I don't think I had the best experience. The food was decent but not amazing. The service was okay. But I was there kind of late at night. So I'm willing to give the place a second try. read more

First time trying this place out. Service, food and drinks were good! I was specifically interested in this place because of the outdoor play area for my kiddo. Cons: the entrance/exit is steep and can be easily missed. The frozen margarita was also expensive. read more

went ti vaqueros off Quinlan Park. good thing the chips were good. Waiter took my order then 30 minutes later comes back and asked if I was ready to order WTF. Won't go back. ( had to add a star zero stars) read more

A few more thoughts as a quick update for chilling at the bar and having drinks: Fresitas - good - not very strawberry flavored, but tasty in this crazy heat. Queso Supremo with the beef - so good Taquitos- not too bad - I slathered this with sour cream Quesadillas - these were pretty good too read more

For some strange reason this resturant was soaring in the beginning but turn out to be just plain the margarita was very sour I couldn't drink the prickly pear for the sour taste overwhelming our server is a nice guy wanting to please but couldn't deliver on the food was not very tasty . The enchiladas were bland and tasteless using flour tortillas instead of corn tortillas. I thought it was more of a disappointment than anything else . I do not know why the food turned out pretty bad in my opinion and I can't stomache the poor quality of food here. I can't imagine such a beautiful resturant would allow such terrible food served as though it was thrown on a plate with its of queso sadly have to say no more or if I come back I will see if any changes I will post updates. Happy holidays read more

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I'm shocked to see there are not more 5 star reviews. We moved in to the neighborhood this year and come several times a week. Excellent quantities. Margaritas. Quality/healthy ingredients, great set up for families/kids. read more

It was my first time to try this restaurant. I went for lunch. I had the spinach and chicken quesadillas. You get six huge pieces of quesadillas plus rice and beans (I got the charro) along with a small salad with guacamole. Everything was delicious and the portions are generous on the lunch menu. Be sure to check in on Yelp and you'll get a free small queso. read more

Not a great experience. Wrong food delivered and server wasn't aware it was wrong. Server grabbed a menu to show my friend she was wrong until another server said it was the wrong dish from the kitchen. Did replace with correct order. Hair in salad but they did replace the salad. Guacamole never delivered but was removed from bill. They do not honor the specials on website at Steiner location. read more

Vaquero's Cafe and Cantina - Specials only honored at Westlake and not Steiner location - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

So disappointed with birthday dinner and our service tonight. This was our first and last time to try Vaquero's. Waitress was way over her head and didn't know the menu. Asked for water, silverware, napkins and plates three times before we received them. Received the wrong entree which had to be fixed and we ordered a beer that never came even after asking about it. I could overlook bad service these days, but can't get over what this restaurant calls Char-grilled oysters. We ordered a dozen and what came to the table were little grey rubbery dry balls that had been microwaved and placed on cleaned recycled oyster shells. The mornay and creamy tomato sauce which was what the oysters were supposed to come in was no where to be found. After asking about this joke of a dish was told they were out of mornay sauce and ended up getting a lukewarm bowl of the tomato sauce but a complete waste of money and they were horrible even after we tried one. Cheese enchiladas weren't even good. Lukewarm and no flavor. Overall, bad service and sub par food. I was hoping with Steiner Ranch Steakhouse as owners this would have been much better all the way around, but not. read more

Very chain like food. Quaint environment and decorations. Great service. However can't recommend the food.

We came to Vaqueros on a Friday after work for their happy hour. The food was pretty delicious (albeit a bit generic) and the deals we're good. The service and margaritas were excellent. Plenty of parking available as it's right off 360. A bit noisy but we had no problems getting seated. Overall, might come back for another happy hour. read more

Love this place! They frequently have live music in the back patio and a playground for the kids. Great food and free soft serve on the way out. What more can you ask for?! Go check it out! read more

We have visited Vaquero's at leasts 4 or 5 times, and have been delighted with each experience. At first glance, it is easy to see that there was a bunch of coins dropped on this place. The decorum is impressive, fun, with no detail was left untended. What a great improvement to the pedestrian appearance of Tres Amigos. It is clear the delay in opening was worth the wait. They do have a lunch menu with very reasonable prices and the portions are just huge. It is almost impossible to not walk away with a doggy bag. The salsa is very flavorful with a side of habanero to allow for each individual to perfectly "spice" your own salsa. Oh, and did I mention the $3 margaritas during the lunch hour. read more

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Tried this new spot to grab a late light dinner. Really wanted the ceviche on the menu but they said they didn't have any and they were removing from the menu. After only a few weeks?? Sounded fabulous by the description !! Salsa had great flavor, tortilla soup nothing to write home about. (I'd go to Maudie's for Tortilla soup. I hear the fajitas are what to order. We will try again to find out!! The main dining room is very loud so we went to the bar area and got immediate service!! read more

Vaquero's Cafe and Cantina - A la carte taco! - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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**NEW restaurant alert** Had an awesome dinner! Service was excellent Thanks Sarah :) Beautiful building! Salsa and queso was delish!! Fresh, handmade tortillas accompanied by bottles of honey and butter on the table! They have your normal tex-mex favorites and also special dishes like deep fried chile relleno and tortilla crusted flounder!!! Refried black beans are bomb! Happy Hour starts at 4:30 - $4 margs & specialties $5 TOP SHELF MARGS Free ice cream for the kiddos!!! read more

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This place looked and sounded good, but I was pretty disappointed overall. Started with the chili con queso, which I cannot stress enough tasted exactly like Velveeta - it had a very clear chemical aftertaste. We ordered the beef fajitas, the plate of which was 80% steamed onions (not really caramelized as they were crowded). The meat itself was a handful of strips (6?) which for one person is a joke, especially given the overall prices (over $20 for single serving). Overall, the food is priced for luxury but it tasted like an average cheaper chain in a nice ambiance. read more

Vaqueros in Austin on Hwy 360. Had a good experience on a Sat evening several weeks ago, so we drove back up, bringing a group of friends on Sunday evening, Dec. 19th. What a disaster. The bartender had no idea what he was doing. No one liked their margaritas--too tart. I ordered Tequila neat; the first two times they gave me some type of mixed drinks that I sent back. The third time was Tequila on the rocks, which I went ahead and accepted if for no other reason the food had arrived and I was tired of explaining to the waiter, who also didn't know, what "neat" was. We all ordered different types of Enchiladas, and they were overcooked and dry. Nobody finished their plate. An embarrassment since we had praised the place to our friends. read more

So glad I am Spontaneous. Fast service is alway great with a smile. Okay the place seems great I will be back solo read more

Vaquero's Cafe and Cantina - Here just because she couldn't decide so I saw and stopped. Easy for hombre - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

Great great food! Get the "Tacos Rancheros" YUM! Share with a friend, portions are large!!

I went to Vaqueros with a friend on a whim last Sunday. I was met with plesent staff, and an really awesome waiter. We didn't know it at first, but we had walked into a gem of a Sunday brunch. They had all the standards, eggs, French toast, pancakes, etc., but they also had some really unique dishes like tres leches pancakes and biscuits with jalapeño infused gravy. We sampled just about everything and walked away very happy with the $14.99 we had spent for each person. Long story short, we will be going back. read more

Terrible food! Terrible service. I waited 15 minutes to order. I waited over 30 minutes for my food. The order was delivered by the manager and not complete. I was overlooked and passed by several times. This place does not deserve my business or praise. It is a flat NO for me. Bad service can definitely alter the food, but this is just not good. They are not Top 100 in Austin for Mexican restaurants. read more

We celebrated my daughter's birthday there yesterday with her little brothers and a small group of family. We thought it would be a good kid friendly atmosphere. We all got food poisoning. All 6 of us. My poor daughter had it the worst. She was sick again tonight before going to bed. I called this morning to let the restaurant know. I left a voicemail, but no one called me back. I called again around 5 pm to report what had happened and to see if others in the restaurant were sick too. The man who I spoke to said that he would look at the items that we ordered in the kitchen and get back to me. He took my name, email address, and phone number. I never heard back from anyone. I had the fish tacos, which tasted very fishy. I only ate a few bites of them. A few at our table had enchiladas (including my daughter). We all had guacamole, chips, and salsa. Not sure what caused the food poisoning, but my daughter is especially worn out from it. She had to stay home from school today. We will sadly not be returning. read more

Amazing! We came here for lunch and the service was outstanding our server was very nice and attentive we ordered the margaritas and lunch combo everything was great priced, great food, great service. I recommend this place to my work team and can't wait to come back!! 10/10 read more

Had brunch there today. Buffet was delicious. I normally don't like buffets because I don't feel I eat enough to cover the cost but I'm glad I did. Got to try a few different things. Their cream gravy was the best I've had. I don't know what they put in it but it was so good. Chorizo Mac-n-cheese was great too. read more

My husband and I were told about the 'Amazing Enchiladas' this local restaurant has, so we just had to try. It was a Sunday around 1pm and we were greeted by a gentleman and then escorted to a table towards the back, passing a large 'Buffet Type' Assortment of Foods. We guessed it was 'Sunday Brunch' but we were Not told about it, nor did we see any signs! We sat down in our booth and our waitress came over asking for our drink order, never welcoming us or telling us her name. We checked the menu for their 'Brunch' Special, but saw nothing. Chips were delivered and tasted a little off (they were definitely not the thick Mexican resturant type) it might have been the oil they were made with that gave them an odd after taste, (the sauces were tasty though.). My husband ordered his 'go to' Margarita and I had a Water with Lime. Our waitress came by to take our order with no mention of Brunch, and we didn't ask, so we ordered our meals. My husband ordered his favorite, Chili Relleno and I had to try their 'Raved' about enchiladas. Our waters were brought over and soon we were served our food by another gentleman, but no margarita ! My husband asked the man about his drink and he told us he would check. Our waitress brought over the margarita but quickly left, not even a smile. My husband judges a good Mexican Restaurant by their Chili Relleno's and was disappointed by this one. We exchanged small portions of our meals with each other and found them both to be surprisingly 'Tasteless'. My Chicken Enchilada tasted like it had boiled chicken inside and was very bland. The beef one was also just ground beef, nothing special, with the cheese one a little better. The rice was okay, just like a boxed one purchased at a grocery store, and the beans were about the same as Old El Paso or Rosarita! Our waitress never came back to ask how things were, again disappointed with the service here. We were never asked if we would like dessert when we requested our check from our waitress and waited patiently. We Finally did receive our bill, paid and we left very disappointed with our overall experience. We're sorry to say that we were not impressed with this well known restaurant and doubt that we will return. I read through some of the reviews going back 2 years and noticed that a response, by the 'owner', was given to some of the Yelp ratings, apologizing for the meals. It sounds like this owner has not gotten the message about the bland food served here and is failing to try a little something different. I LOVE Mexican Food, but even though I'm of German/Polish descent, I know I can make better Enchiladas than this resturant can! read more

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This fairly new restaurant took the place of Tres Amigos. I typically stop at Rudy's for a breakfast taco in the morning but gave this place a chance. I got there right at seven when tacos start, and was greeted with a smile by a sweet young girl. She was very friendly and helpful. All of the tacos are egg and cheese and then you can add chorizo, bacon, or potato and pico. (I might be missing one?) They are a little on the pricey side 2.59 a taco but the offered a three pack so I went for that and brought one to a friend. Yes, I ate two tacos if you are counting. My bacon taco was delicious. The girl was right when she told me she loved their tortillas, which are made in house. They did not skimp on the fillings in my tacos. I truly enjoyed my tacos and so did my friend. :) I am on a budget so I will not be able to frequent their establishment every day. I don't think my waistline would appreciate it either. I will stick to my yogurts and fruit most mornings but will be back to treat myself for more tacos very soon! The green and red salsas were also very tasty. Give this place a shot! read more

Mmmmmmm good!!!! The place is a little hidden- my boyfriend's brother told us about this place that it had brunch buffet. I couldn't believe it. Colorful and clean place, the atmosphere was great. We got there with his whole family, we were the first ones there. The buffet was delicious. The food was fresh, tasty, and on point. They even had a section for PANCAKES. Music was delightful. After the kids ate they had a nice playground for them. I will be back one day! read more

Very friendly staff sincere to have our business, Rudy shook our hand and welcome us as we were seated. Sizzling chicken and tender beef fajitas with ample onions and peppers with butter garlic ramekin, and gosh darn best black beans I've ever tasted. Most make them bland and a bit chalky, but this is prize worthy taste. Fresh guacamole begging for a hot flour or corn tortilla. Rudy hanging on our every desire with care. Feeling blessed to stumble on this great Tex Mex cafe. read more

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This is the first time we have tried this buffet. My husband and I checked in at the host stand 1.30 pm, and we knew we only had 30 to experience the buffet, which we were expecting not to get the best quality throughout the buffet. Surprisingly, all the food was amazing! The service, however, was one of the worst experiences we have ever had. They took our name at the host stand and told us it would be 10-15 minutes. This confused us as the restaurant had empty tables. The host, who turned out to be a manager, said he would go look for a table. We sat down wondering if he was implying if he wanted us to get disappointed and leave. We waited while he came back and walked to the bar area. When another customer checks in at the host stand, a server comes and helps her out and immediately takes her to a large booth. I followed them to tell the waiter we were told to wait 15 mins for an open table. The server apologized and immediately got us another table (smaller booth). So we looked around, and many open tables were available even at the patio. The gentleman who sat us down had a huge sense of urgency and brought us our soft drinks, but afterward, our service was very poor and slow. We had a waitress who barely made refills. We didn't want anything free, so we paid our tab first and requested to talk to a different manager. Our waitress was very short and told us, "He is the only Manager! The other one is busy. " Definitely, this waitress brought down this review to zero with her service and her answer. We wanted to be listened, and they absolutely showed they don't care! We waited to talk to a manager after we paid our tab because we were genuinely interested in explaining the horrible situation and wanted it to be taken seriously. Often, places will placate you by comping something. We wanted them to focus on the situation and not buy us off with something free. Unfortunately, since they were not interested in talking to us, we had to come here to express our concerns. read more

Just Terrible I was visiting family for the day and we decided to try this place for lunch. First, there was a HAIR in my food! I ate some because I was starving..But also the beans had a very weird flavor, everything was bland especially the queso and my sister got a stuffed avocado that was nasty. It tasted super old. There's no excuse for such bad Tex Mex food in Austin or really anywhere in Texas. read more

Lunch time traveling to Austin and this place caught my eye. Lots of cars in the lot so first good sign. Front entry doors must weight a100 pounds and look like they came directly from an old Mexican monastery. Second good thing. The place is visually interesting and the bathroom clean and well stocked. 3rd good thing. Got seated right away with chips and two kinds of salsa. 4th positive. The manager was impeccably dressed and seemed to know many of the customers greeting them by first name. 5th good thing. Food was hot and delicious. The beef crispy toco was weird in a good way. It was much bigger than typical. Couldn't eat it by hand. Would definitely come back. The menu was limited which I think is a good thing. I'd rather see a place that does a few dishes very well rather than a bunch of items mediocre. read more

Vaquero's Cafe and Cantina - Plato vaquero - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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Great for families with kids...big patio and you can see playground from most seats out there. Free soft serve ice cream after dinner for kids. Restaurant makes its own tortillas. Fajitas were good read more

Ugh, ordered a burrito and come to find out it was nothing but rice, beans, and a few pieces of diced chicken when it was supposed to be fajita. Then you get another pile of rice and beans. My plate was nothing but rice, beans, a flour tortilla and little bits of chicken that were clearly not fajita. Margaritas are alright, I recommend the Corona add on to alleviate the sweet. Waitress was good and friendly. We waited for 10 min with no hostess, the bartender had to go find us seating after I went to her and the cook had to serve us our food. It was just confusing and a little disorganized. read more

I Just wanted to thank everyone on the Vaqueros staff. Because of COVID we've been hitting a lot of stuff in our backyard and I can't say enough about how phenomenal the food and service have been. I've eaten there since they opened, but just started frequenting the restaurant this year. Wish I could tell you my favorite, but I'm all over the menu and it's all really good. I can definitely recommend the Skinny Margaritas. They're like my dad made before he passed. Thanks Y'all read more

Came here for the brunch buffet. Sooo many great options. Very good and fresh food!! Met the owner and we will be going back really soon!! read more