This place is better than I thought it would be given the exterior. My kids love it here. It is typical TexMex fare, nothing special, but the flour tortillas are freshly made and tasty, especially with the butter and honey in the squirt bottles they provide. Definitely an improvement over Tres Amigos, which was here before. The service can be hit or miss, but on my last visit it was good. It is large, so there are many different rooms to sit in. There is free soft serve at the exit, but I wish they would put a trashcan outdoors for people to throw their half eaten ice cream cones into when they admit defeat. The location is perfect for me. I'm just excited to have another good option in West Lake Hills. Not better than Lupe Tortilla, but a few bucks cheaper and more popular with my kids. read more

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Delicious food, great atmosphere. On a lark, we walked in Friday night , knowing nothing about this place. No Yelp search, just random circumstance. It was busy, but we were easily seated out back. The Brew was playing. Spanish guitar, backed up with percussions. Great. We shared the Wagyu beef fajitas. Wow. Delicious. Pricey, but you gotta try Wagyu fajitas once, right? They have regular beef as well. The Wagyu was a bit of a mystery, until we realized that Steiner Ranch Steakhouse is affiliated. We didn't get to anything else, but the fajitas were awesome. Form tender, which is unusual for fajitas. Check it out. read more

i had the tacos that our waiter, Jorge suggested. they had bacon and the most tender meat you will ever have. without a doubt the best taco dish I have had in the Austin area. First time I have eaten at Vaqueros, but I will be back for those tacos! read more

Great Place to visit on 360 highway- great atmosphere. Margaritas are really good- especially the matador and the mero mero. The chips and salsa are great because you can adjust the spicy level by asking for habenero puree which you can mix in to get it juts right! nom nom nom! read more

Man we had a very disappointing first visit to this restaurant. Our server was very friendly and he assured us we were in for a treat. However the margaritas we ordered as we sat down took 25 minutes to get to us, the server said the bartender was slow but really he either forgot to put them in or another server snatched them for his table. Then our food was entered wrong because we got the wrong dishes, he said the kitchen got it wrong. Then, when we finally got our shrimp fajita dish it was very underwhelming. Tiny shrimp, not cooked right and bland. The only thing the staff did to make things better was give us extra tortillas (they are free anyways right?) and free queso (which was not good at all) Lastly my kid's fries tasted strange and my flautas were not very good. We won't be back unfortunately. read more

Our first time here, and very impressed. The restaurant has several different rooms, which helps with noise control. Lots of booths which is always nice. Clean, efficient and friendly service, great salsa and chips, and great and HUGE food portions! I liked the wide variety on the menu. Great happy hour lasting until 6:30 with $5 margaritas. Only reason I didn't give them 5 stars is that the house margaritas are quite weak. They had a great flavor, but that's about it. read more

Their green sauce that they bring out with the chips is LIFE. I'm from the Valley, and so I know I good Mexican food & this is the best in Austin so far. Also, the waiter was pretty great. I mentioned in passing something and he made sure they added it to my order. Little things go a long way. I went on a Friday night and they had a pretty awesome live band. All over, 5 stars! read more

This is our favorite restaurant for fajitas! We've had their fajitas several times and they never disappoint. Both the chicken and beef are juicy, flavorful with thick cuts; no small, dry pieces. Other restaurants in town claim to have the "best" fajitas but they have NOTHING on Vaquero's. I can't express enough how wonderful this dish is... just try it and you won't be disappointed! The staff is friendly and attentive. The atmosphere is nice, and there is never a wait (which might change after people try the fajitas). The chips and salsa are solid and tortillas are made fresh. I'm not sure how their other dishes taste since I've only had their fajitas but what I've seen other tables have looked good. read more

Stopped in after stumbling across it looking for lunch. I sat at the bar and the lady behind the bar seemed pretty busy but she was very attentive to me. I ordered the enchiladas plate. The food was SO GOOD! I honestly cleaned my whole plate! They gave a large portion of food. It came out with a side of beans, a tiny taco salad bowl, and something else delicious I forgot. Aside from the main course! It was just so good. If I lived in Austin, I would most certainly come again. Regularly. read more

If you are looking for great Mexican ... This is the place. Everything was delicious from the salsa to the home made tamale! The plate was so full I could not finish (and I really tried). And the atmosphere is great... From the copper hammered table to the cute paintings on the wall. And if course good Margarita's... Including my wife's skinny one Don't pass this by.... read more

We tried this place after all the hype about the food. The food was ok, but cannot compare to Maudie's in South Austin. Trying a lighter fare, I chose the Tacos Pescado. It was ok, but not very flavorful. My husband ordered the beef enchiladas, and he said they were ok. The flavors in the meat, cheese, and chili con carne did not really blend together, and the meaty was "clumpy". They also sat us, a couple of two, in a room with screaming children. Not really my cup of tea. I think we will stick to Mexican food in South Austin! read more

I had a friend drag me out here yesterday. He told me the food was fresh and great and that it was totally worth the long drive out to the country to eat here. Well it was a long drive, but he was sort of right anyways lol. Had some huge bomb chicken enchiladas with rice and beans on the side. My golly they were delicious, but they were so huge and I felt my stomach exploding as I walked away from the restaurant. Chips and salsa was free, they were good too. You know your usual Mexican restaurant chips, but they were on point. Service was great too. Lots of pretty looking people be workin' at that joint, and they all were so very congenial. It's like they all loved working there. It's beautiful inside too. I was pretty close to rating this 5 stars honestly. Highly recommended if your in the mood for that Mexican hit... well unless you live like 30 minutes away from here, that is haha. read more

Live in the neighborhood, stopped in at 3pm on Saturday to avoid the new restaurant crowds, but also eliminate any excuses related to being busy. In a nutshell, this is basically Tres Amigos with good queso, bad salsa, and a bar with kids. We stopped by for a drink and a couple of appetizers to check things out. The interior layout is almost unchanged from the physical dump that was Tres Amigos. What Vaquero's was doing for the past TWO YEARS to get open continues to baffle. But they did a nice job with updating the inside, although it does get a little overboard with the decoration flare (think Mexican Bennigan's). Our drinks were good, but the frozen margarita was surprisingly good, which is hard to find in Austin. Most have that bright green glow that looks and tastes like those crack-and-shake glow sticks. The queso was also good, far better than the straight from a can, watery mess that Tres Amigos used to peddle. Unfortunately, the salsa was a disappointment - zero spice, bland, and an unpleasant aftertaste. The bar service was friendly and efficient, but it seems Vaquero's bar is kid friendly. I'll never understand the parents and restauranteurs who think the physical combination of kids + bar is a good idea, but Vaquero's is a kiddo bar. Unfortunately we got to suffer through 10 straight minutes of screaming toddler sitting with his dad at the bar - as in sitting in a bar stool - before dad of the year finished his drinks and left. I hope Vaquero's will adopt their predecessor's "no kids in bar" policy - everyone wins. We'll give them another month to work through their opening kinks before trying a full dining experience, at which point I'll ask the manager what took TWO YEARS to open! read more

I came here on a Sunday with my family when they happened to be having a brunch special. We decided to try it out. The food was really good and the staff working the hostess stand and buffet area were phenomenal. One of our new favorite restaurants! Great service and delicious food!! read more

This restaurant is not sensitive to food allergies. We asked the waitress if the taco salad without the shell was gluten free. She said yes. We said please be sure and tell the kitchen I'm celiac. She said of course. Turns out the seasonings on the chicken fajitas contain gluten. A simple meal ruined the next 24 hours. Really frustrating how you can't trust restaurants on food allergies. read more

Mexican food seems to be available all around Austin but Vaqueros is a step above. With just enough Tex Mex flair this place holds true. Loved the carnitas taco plate...hubby had the enchiladas and both plates were delicious and huge! Margaritas were delish too. Service was friendly and atmosphere welcoming to couples and familues alike. The GM just told us they have music on Friday or Saturday evenings too! We first ran across Vaqueros at a community, event - which made us even more inclined to support a business that supports its community. We'll be back! read more

Ok let me just say I have tried MANY Mexican/Tex Mex places in Austin and this is by far my FAVORITE place! I am completely in love with the chicken enchiladas, most places I have tried them the chicken is very dry, but here the chicken is just perfect. I recommend ordering it with the sour cream sauce on top - not to mention the quantities they serve you are huge and worth the price. (Also, loveeeeee the frozen margaritas - the manager actually treated my boyfriend and I to some and we loved them.) The ambiance is very authentic, the decorations are beautiful inside and even the music is very authentic Mexican music. The staff is extremely friendly and always checking up to see if you need anything. Overall, I love this place and would definitely recommend it if you are in the area. Most of the bad reviews here are probably from super picky westlake folk who will probably leave a bad review if they forget to put a lemon in their water, or who think pepper is spicy - so if you don't care about stupid sh*t like that and you love Tex mex, check it out! read more

Great service and delicious food! Easy to get to and nice parking lot. Noted a few Happy Hours occurring at the time we were eating. Busy place but no wait. read more

This is the BEST FOOD EVER. My wife and I always go there because how AMAZING the food is ... unfortunately we have to move away from austin due to job promotion. Will definitely miss vaqueros read more

The food and service were really great! I had steak enchiladas and a Modello especial. The food was out in less than 3 mins I will definitely go back the next time I am in Austin. read more

I've come to this restaurant since 2019. I've celebrated birthdays, hung out with coworkers and had a few happy hours. Today was the WORST experience I've had to where I've felt discriminated against. I arrived at this restaurant at 5pm. Sat in the bar area and inquired with the female bartender if we needed to order at the bar or not. She said she would be with us shortly. She then informed us that we could not sit at the table we were at and moved us to the larger dining area. Benjamin took our drink order and later asked for our food order. After asking about items from the happy hour menu he said I needed to go to the bar. I informed him I was instructed to leave that area. To not have any issues I went to the bar to order. The female bartender said I had to sit "bar top." I told her I'd order and take it since I've already gone back and forth I'm already frustrated at this point. She informs the manager of the situation and he agrees with her. I asked "Why have I been able to order happy hour menu items the past 2-3 times at many other tables/areas of the restaurant but this time it's different? He said they weren't supposed to. At this point I return to my 2nd table to order. My family decided to close out and return to the bar. At this point I'm just done with the back and forth and my daughter and niece are hungry since their lunch is extremely early in the day. I did get upset and Benjamin just laughs at me. I'm ready to leave but my family decides to order anyways. I brought everything back from the 2nd table to our now 3rd table without any assistance. At this point it's 5:40pm now. All this time to determine where'd we sit to accommodate us. Worst service ever. I'm sure they would not allow anyone else deal with this. Get your stuff together. Maybe if y'all were consistent we wouldn't have had any issues. read more

I visited Vaquero's Cafe with my brother and his family while visiting TX. We were all disgusted at the green molded bread on 3 of the orders and the inability to get the other 2 orders correct. Sadly, I do not see this little diner making it based on the poor quality of food, and the lack of concern by both the waitress and the owner. read more

Vaquero's has catered for us many times and it is always fabulous. Both the service and the food are superb! I really can not say enough good things about Rudy, the General Manager, his staff and their food. Will be customers for a long, long time. Amy in Austin read more

We've waited for this place to open! So, after a day on the boat we stopped by. Got a booth promptly even though it was PACKED and the server was happy to see us. Chatty and welcoming. Ordered tamales (OMG!!) and carnitas tacos. I must say, that as a Mexican-American that grew up eating Authentic INTERIOR Mexican Food - not TexMex - this was fabulous! The tamales were filled to the brim with meat. Not just smeared with something like meat. They were tender and not dry. The tomatillo salsa? Warm and tasty. Not cold and flavorless. Now, the carnitas could have been a little less greasy but oh my taste buds were they perfection! Tender meat. Toasted on the edges with lots of flavor. Tortillas were fresh. Tea was not watered down. They served great salsa and thin chips. We will be back and we hope to have the same experience as this one. Wishing Vaquero's all the best! Keep up the great work! read more

Great atmosphere! The staff are all really friendly and welcoming. Good food (I recommend the fish tacos), the fresh made tortillas are fantastic! Well stocked bar, The frozen margaritas are all delicious but the Frosita is a must have. read more

Vaquero's Cafe and Cantina - The Frosita is a must have at Vaqueros - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

One of the best restaurants i have ever eaten. The service was absolutely amazing. The food was delicious. Presentation of the food as delivered and the history of the decor that was provided by Rudy outstanding. Highly recommended. read more

Vaquero's has taken over the location where Tres Amigos used to be. The building and atmosphere/decor are very nice, about the only thing good I can say. My first time here under the new name and ownership (my dining partner had been here once before and had recommended it). Overall very disappointing from the service to the food. The restaurant was not very crowded when we got there so we were seated right away but it took our waitress a very long time to come over and greet us. I ordered the combo with taco, tamale and beef enchilada. The enchilada was good but the rest was bland; wish I had just ordered the enchilada dish. My dining partner ordered the pork tacos and he too was unimpressed; he had ordered the enchiladas on his prior visit hence the recommendation. Queso was nothing special. The one thing worth mentioning is that the entrees are huge, enough to share or to take home. Personally I always opt for quality over quantity. We did not order drinks but their selection is extensive, albeit a bit on the pricey side. Possibly a good place to go for cocktails? but can't vouch for that. We observed the owner visiting tables and conversing with some of the patrons (which is always nice) however he kept going back to the same 2 tables instead of making a wider sweep of the restaurant (our table was situated right between the other 2 tables he kept visiting). Regarding the service, once the waitress took our order we never saw her again until she brought the check. Someone else delivered our order and our water glasses never got refilled (in spite of being completely empty). Although we had planned on ordering dessert we weren't offered this option, we were just given the check. (BTW: We were not disrespectful or mean at any point during our visit and sat there very patiently throughout ...so the service was just bad). At that point we paid our check and left (one of the few times I left well below minimum tip and thought long and hard about whether to leave any tip at all). Will not return as there are too many other Mexican options in the nearby area that serve much tastier food and provide much better service. Owners take note that restaurant competition in the Austin area is fierce .... may want to step up your game. read more

We came for a late lunch and some cocktails. We had great attentive service, and sat in a booth in the bar area. Love the atmosphere, food was fantastic and drinks were just what we needed on a hot August ATX afternoon! I highly recommend Vaquero's, we will definitely be back for the full evening dining experience! read more

Very good Tex-mex and brand new restaurant! I was pleasantly surprised to find this restaurant to be much better than the one previously in this building. First off, the food is great! Perhaps the best flautas I have had. Shredded chicken with a thin light crispy wrapping. Beef enchiladas had ground beef with actual flavor and wasn't greasy. Topped with my choice of a salsa verse sauce which was good. Charro beans were packed with smoky flavor. Rice was the standard fair neither amazing nor great. Portion size was generous and the price of $14 for a combo plate with 2 enchiladas, 2 flautas, 1 tamale and rice and beans, lettuce and tomatoes was reasonable. Atmosphere: building is redone inside and out. I was pretty impressed. Has a modern mixed with rustic style. It is a very lively place ( I went on Fri dinner about 2 weeks after they opened and it was packed). Immediate seating in bar or a 15 min wait. Staff was friendly and food served quickly. Can tell the staff is a little new but that is understandable. Only disappointment was salsa wasn't spicy enough. I wouldn't go so far as bland just very mild. It was fresh and tangy, just needs to be kicked up a little. Or maybe offer choice of hot or mild. I will definitely be back. Worth the nearly year and half wait for the remodel. read more

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The oysters, tacos and fajitas were yummy. The service from Jorge was excellent. Portions of food were large. The drinks were okay, not the best margarita or pina colada I've had. We sat on the patio and enjoyed our lunch here. I would go back again next time in town. read more

Vaquero's Cafe and Cantina - Lunch taco plate. Beef fajitas. - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

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I am happy to say the manager reached out to me and gave me a credit for my first meal... we will definitely be going back to give Vaquero's a second chance. Thank you for your professionalism. Eric F read more

Well 3rd time in a row and the order is wrong. My cheese enchiladas were chicken enchiladas and I'm vegetarian. Maybe next time. No there probably won't be a next time. What is going on with this restaurant? read more

Extremely hospitable, festive, and welcoming environment. Everything was delicious, full of flavor, and on point with portion size. Will definitely recommend and return! read more

My go to Mexican food. I eat there a couple times a month. The crispy taco is filling, the bacon wrapped shrimp can be ordered a la carte and the drinks are great. Katie and the other bartenders know the regulars and keep them coming back. The portions are huge and I either share or take a bag home. read more

Food was great. Service was very good. Checked frequently to see if I needed anything.

BEST Keto lunch in Austin, Texas! We had the lunch taco salad, and it was DELICIOUS! We ordered it without carrots and asked for the guacamole on the side...AND the lunch portion is not only large, but it does not have beans. SCORE! The tea was freshly brewed, important to a Texas girl, and the soap in the restroom does NOT contain methylisothiazinalone. Vaquero's Cafe & Cantina, I've just become a regular customer for you! Thanks for the great lunch! read more

Vaquero's Cafe and Cantina - Taco Salad w/Shredded Chicken - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas

SO SWEET! it was so busy and Issac was so attentive and sweet, he was so funny and he did so great with the crowd! He deserves so much! #givehimaraise read more

Ive driven by this place several times and after finding out that it's owned by Steiner Ranch owner Bobby Steiner, I knew the food was going to be amazing. It was! Highly recommend! We had the Chicken Fajita Enchiladas with Verde sauce, the Carne Asada Del Mar, and chips & salsa of course. At each table, there are honey & butter bottles to drizzle all over their hot fresh homemade DELICIOUS tortillas. Oh and for drinks, their Spicy Pepino Zlammer is hands down, one of the tastiest I've ever had. Staff are very friendly and chill, making it a comfortable experience. Go! You won't be disappointed. read more

This is a great little spot in Austin that is frequented by locals and visitors alike. The food is simple, hearty and very flavorful. The portions were a little too big for me but then I guess that's a good thing for most people. This place is always busy and has a great menu selection to suit every pallette read more

Hospitality was great and large portions pushed this out of being a one star rating. Well that and the free soft cone ice cream. It seemed more of a soft opening as half the menu was unavailable. The queso flameado was really just queso with veggies. My food was very salty, especially the tamale. If it weren't for the saltiness, it would have been pretty bland. My wife's tacos were also very salty. I ordered a taco for my son from the kid's menu. Note to people with a kid's menu: don't put pepper in the food. Their brand new taste buds are just too sensitive. He was a good sport and ate a few bites but just couldn't do it. It's hard to justify the price with the food being less than mediocre. I can see why it's a little pricey with the portions though. We spent $42 for two adults and a child. I would rather spend that kind of money and get some good wings or bbq. read more