We have enjoyed eating at Vaquero's several times before. We were in westlake visiting our kids and decided to try it again. Still as good as ever. read more

The spicy fajitas with fresh grilled jalapeños were exceptionally good and the top shelf margarita was outstanding. We ate in the patio out back and enjoyed the live music and relaxing setting. We will be back... soon I hope. It will be hard to order anything else besides the beef fajitas... they were really that good. read more

I can't say anything bad about this place! From the amazing Sunday brunch to there regular menu features is nothing short of delish. The atmosphere transforms you into a small town cantina. The staff is always so friendly and eager to take care of you. Be sure to try their top shelf margaritas or a premium beer or you can do both and just add your beer into a margarita. For brunch they do it on Sundays. Very intimate and not overly complicated. Be sure to pair it with their mimosa flight for $30. read more

Stopped in to Vaquero's because I was excited to check it out! We just wanted a quick drink and snack on the patio while running errands on the weekend. We walked in and asked for a table on the patio, and the hostess seemed unsure. She said she would check, came back and told us that we couldn't sit out there because a fan was broken. This seemed like the most bizarre reason... We walked out. read more

This was a great way to start off the weekend! Ice cold beer, Cucumber Jalepeno Margarita and Prickly Pear Margarita set the tone. Accompanied by the most tender Fajitas for two and a Fajita Ceasar salad. Our bartender/waitress (Belize) was the most attentive and a very pleasant person to serve us. Homemade tortillas and awesome salsa sealed the deal for us. read more

Overpriced, boring, bland food in an somewhat offensively cliché Disney version of a Mexican restaurant aesthetic. This place is for boring, bland people who don't know jack about good food, and know less about Mexico. The portions are huge, so if all you are interested in is paying too much to fill your stomach with mediocre starch, then this is the place for you. It's no wonder that most of the clientele were overweight. They should have called this place "Cowboy's" because you'll never see a Vaquero eating here. Oh, and the margaritas are too sweet. read more

Love the Sunday brunches here! This place also has great fajitas. I'm a huge fan of Jack Allen's for brunch, but lately the lines have been horrible. Tried Vaquero's and no line (yet) and I honestly think the food is better. Tres leches pancakes, fresh tortillas, omelette bar... They are doing it right. read more

I was hesitant to try this place because of the ratings! However, I was down the street so I thought I'd take the chance - and I'm glad I did! Our waiter was very friendly and helpful, and the food was amazing. I'll be back!! read more

Quite a disappointment. Now, Tres Amigos didn't have the greatest food, but they had good queso, the prices were low, and of course you got to watch your kids watch the wildlife eating tortillas outside! (Worth the price of admission, right there.) Thousands of Westlake toddlers & younger kids grew up watching the deer, raccoons, possums etc. Always a special treat--not half bad for adult entertainment too. And the servers were charming... But I digress. With Vaqueros, the prices have soared. The prices are El Alma like without the corresponding innovative menu or high quality food. The offerings are standard Tex-Mex; the execution falls south of Taco Bell and (slightly) north of an El Patio TV dinner. The food is not very good, and the queso isn't even edible. (What we had was both runny and curdled. No taste or smell--very odd. Color seems off too, even for Queso Blanco). We were extremely hungry, but we barely touched the queso, because it was making us sick. Server didn't notice it appeared untouched. I received more with my meal & didn't touch it at all--again, server didn't notice. Tortillas were sub-par. The charm of the place is gone. Good points: Plenty of parking. Wait for food was reasonable. Now my companion hated the kitschy decor inside and out & piped in Tejano music, but that I liked, on both counts. The frozen flavored margarita was fine. I could have done without the long pretentious dissertation beforehand of the virtues of various tequilas on offer, but that was a little funny, so no points off there. Companion thought the meat quality for the fajita tacos was good. We will try Vaquero's one more time, in case they are still working out the kinks. In the meantime, here's hoping they address the queso problem at least. read more

We tried this place for the first time last night, and were super impressed! We tried a wide range of things from the cheese enchiladas, to the quesadilla (yummy!) to the chile Rellenos. Was not disappointed! The atmosphere is SO CUTE we sat outside, perfect breeze coming off the back greenbelt, and they even had live music last night. It was very open about 5pm not too many people, but as we got closer to 7-8 it filled up fast outside. I couldn't even recognize it as the "old tres amigos" since they took darn near (what felt like) 2 years to build it! lol it was worth the wait. Great location, easy parking and fresh hot delicious foods with flavor. Will go back for sure! read more

I sat at the bar for the first time , I felt like I was at a fast food restaurant. My food was spicy when i told the server I do not eat spice ,he said I should be fine,food is spicy and he did notcome to check on us since he brought our food but came and check the table next to us. read more

When it comes to great Tex-Mex food my #1 stop is Vaquero's on Capital of Texas, because they have a great family atmosphere and they always provide top notch service whether I'm with friends, co-workers or just on my own. I love the moment you step into this place you can feel, see and smell the authenticity. You know the tortillas are fresh as you walk into the dining area and see Isabel making them right in front of your eyes. I think the hardest part of being seated is passing all the plates from other customers who are already enjoying the cuisine. I've experienced just about everything in this place from special events, happy hour, Sunday brunch, lunch, dinner and take-out. It hits a home-run every single time. These guys will even cater your special event, office party, wedding, quincenera party, etc. and do it with style and efficiency. This is my dinner table away from home. Make it yours! read more

I don't understand the low reviews here. Work had an event catered by Vaquero's and the food was amazing. High quality, delicious, rich tastes, and the staff they sent along were very attentive. I made a mental note of the place and when my family came in town the other day, I figured this was a good opportunity to try out their restaurant. Again, no disappointments. There were four of us and we had been eating nonstop, as we do, and decided to start with two dishes to share, as we read portions were large. Service was excellent and food was hot, delicious, and in large portions. I'm a huge chips and salsa lover and this salsa was amazing. My step mom was even analyzing it to try and retreat it herself. I am deducting one star only because the you'll spend almost $20 for a fajitas serving for one. That's pretty high. Still sharable, but I sometimes don't want to or can't share. Also, they have a soft serve machine and ask you to grab a cone and help yourself on the way out. A great place w for families with a cute outdoor patio (bring your repellent if you are there around dusk though!) I'll be back! read more

This is an OUTSTANDING restaurant. Enormous margarita that tasted perfect. Everything came out quickly and just as we ordered. We will certainly be returning. We arrived earlier than usual, at 6pm and had our choice of wherever we wanted to sit. Loved the experience. Chips, queso, and salsa were all 10/10. Everything is so colorful, from the plates to the napkins to the decor. Everyone should try Vaqueros. I left with a to-go box because the serving sides were huge. So excited to have my fajitas round 2 for lunch tomorrow. I'm sure it will be sure as delicious the second time around too. read more

This was our first visit to Vaquero's Cafe and Cantina and I was happy it was a pleasant one. The food was good, the drinks were spot on and our waiter Daniel was superb! When we were initially seated next to a very loud and drunk group, we asked our waiter if we could change our seats. We couldn't even ear each other. Daniel completely understood and quietly moved us to another area of the restaurant. He was very professional, personable, attentive, and just a pleasure to talk with. Daniel suggested we return some time to experience the Sunday Brunch. If it is possible to be seated at his table, I am thrilled to go back! Daniel is just awesome. Calm, pleasant and professional! read more

Vaquero's just catered my wedding this weekend and if I could give extra stars I would. Rudy and his entire team were absolute pros, and the food was out of this world delicious. They were incredibly accommodating to a few last minute requests and made everything in their responsibility so easy. THEY EVEN DID THE BAR AND WENT ABOVE AND BEYOND ON THE SELECTIONS. I would recommend these folks to anyone who is doing an event of any kind. I will definitely be using them again and again. read more

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

I meet several of my friends here, usually at least once week. We love the margarita monday special. I don't know what all the bad reviews are about, the consensus with us is that this is some of the best tex-mex in Austin. Seriously though. The prices are fair, the portions are huge and all the staff has been really friendly to us. Must be a just a bunch of whiny westlakers complaining. When my food connoisseur buddy comes in town to visit, he always request we go to Vaquero's because he knows it just might be the best tex-mex next in town. read more

We enjoyed vaqueros !! The food was very good, I had chile relleno and it was amazing!! The service was outstanding standing !!

I would have to say I just don't know about Vaquero's. I don't know what they were doing for 2 years of construction to turn a Mexican restaurant back into a Mexican restaurant. I saw the snarky response the management posted to BA's review, which they have now removed, which said they had a problem with COA permitting. Welcome to Austin. But 2 years to make the place look like a fancier version of TRes Amigos is just weird. Even the tortilla machine is still in the same location. I just don't know what they were doing in the months they had a sign out front saying "training in progress". One waitress we dealt with seemed to have benefitted from the training and was very polite and helpful, though she told us she wasn't our waitress and pointed out the woman who was. That waitress didn't come by to check on us unless we waived her down and wouldn't make eye contact with us then. Part of the menu was marked as coming soon, because the kitchen can't handle it yet, I guess. Seems like the construction plan and the training plan are from the same book. I don't know what to say about the margaritas. The house frozen was decent and I would order it again. And it was a bargain at hh. But the Mexican martini was $11 for a small portion (not in a shaker as is the norm) of a watered down marg that had no olive flavor at all as I'm used to with a good Mexican martini. The queso was a big improvement over Tres Amigos version. But since TA's queso was inedible, that isn't saying much. The chips were greasy. Others have commented that the salsa was flavorless which I disagree with. It has flavor. It has that metallic flavor like it came out of a can. I didn't order anything else, and think I'll wait a while to give it another shot and try the rest of the menu. And lastly I don't know why Vaqueros thinks it is okay to have employees park on the grass on the side of the highway even when the parking lot is empty. This poses a danger in blocking the view of patrons leaving the lot of the traffic coming down the highway. This creates a hazard if there were a wreck that sent cars flying into what is supposed to be the clear zone. This poses a risk of causing a grass fire on the TxDOT land they are parking on with the hot engines and the tall grass. And it makes our neighborhood look like a flea market. Since I drive by this place multiple times a day, that really irks me. They seem like they aren't from here since they didn't know how to deal with building in Austin. Maybe they park on their lawn at home, but that doesn't fly in this neighborhood. read more

Colorful, lively, super nice staff, lovely owners. The food is Tex-Mex and it was really good. There is a separate bar area too. And for those who want , there is an ice-cream soft serve you can have on the way out ( or in) that gratis (free)! So fun. They are brand new so give them a few days to adjust but they are making every effort to provide great food and lots of smiles! Great location , 360 near Westlake high School ( use to be Tres Amigos but this place is nicer).. Congrats to Vaqueros!! thanks, Cei read more

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

We were pleasantly surprised by our experience at Vaquero's, and it has become a must-do on our trips home to Austin. Our server, also the bartender, gave us samples of their margaritas while bringing all sorts of complimentary chips and dips to our table. We ordered a few of their frozen strawberry drinks which were amazing, plus some guacamole for the table. That too was creamy and delicious, I just wish there had been more of it! The chips were fresh and all the salsa and dips were also perfect, just a bit spicy without leaving your mouth on fire. We ordered shrimp and steak fajitas, the shrimp has a great seasoning and char to them, while the steak was so tender we felt like it was a filet. Each came with a plentiful bowl of sides, custom rice and beans (my refried beans were the only disappointing thing the whole meal, my boyfriends black beans were much better) and fresh, hand-made tortillas. Throughout this, the owner even came by to say hello and ask about our visit, and our server was excellent. He even brought us a little free flan for dessert, and even though we were both stuffed we devoured it because it was so good. I would highly recommend this place. Beautiful atmosphere, delicious Tex Mex and great staff. A very well deserved 5 stars! read more

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

We visited on the forth day they were open. They definitely have some kinks to work out. Margaritas we're good and a great deal. The queso flameado had more peppers than cheese but the lighting of the cheese when they brought it to the table was a nice touch. Tortillas were wonderful and the free soft serve ice cream was a plus for our kids. The fajitas had more veggies than meat which will sway us from ordering them again. We REALLY want a good Mexican restaurant in our neighborhood and they'd be smart to pay close attention to the critiques of the neighbor customers. Customer service was definitely lacking but we attributed it to the first days of service. Our kids loved the beans,, tortillas and the ice cream. read more

Staff was friendly, portions were huge, tortillas were delicious, but the quality of the food is why I'm giving it 2 stars. We ordered queso flameado, which was more like grilled veggies mixed with a little bit of cheese. Most of the menu wasn't available, which was kind of a bummer. When our food came, it looked and smelled amazing. I ordered the carnitas tacos and my husband ordered the vaquero plate. Both plates were salty. Womp womp! read more

The food was mediocre at best, but certainly not anything I would go back for. Pretty hard to screw up chicken fajitas. On the bright side the server was very attentive. read more

This is one of the best restaurants that I have visited in awhile the food is great the service Is awesome and the manager Rudy was awesome professional and very curtious I will be going back very soon. read more

Being a big fans of Tres Amigos we were really looking forward to trying Vaquero's. As expected, it was very crowded on Friday night. Were told that the wait was an hour, so we decided to check out the bar and fortunately there was a table, so we decided sit in the bar and order there.I would agree with the other recent reviews, Vaquero's is absolutely not ready for business. I will say that the decor is definitely an upgrade from Tres Amigos, but that's the only thing that is. Here are some quick observations/feedback : 1. The army of hostesses running around the bar and lobby area shouting names out to find the next party to seat, is both annoying and inefficient. Use a paging system or a texting system for the wait list (both Flores and Maudie's have figured this out). The hostesses were very nice, but like everyone else working there, seemed to be confused/overwhelmed. 2. I love a good bar with energy, but the bar at Vaquero's is louder than any restaurant bar I have ever been in. Everyone was screaming over each other to be heard. Not exactly sure why? Acoustics or just too small of an area with too many people in it? 3. I ordered two different margaritas and got the same margarita twice and both times they tasted like a cheap mix out of a bottle from the grocery store. We're in Texas, get the margaritas right - Maudie's, Flores and Texas Chili Parlor would be good places to figure out what good tastes like. Heck, "the old school mixed in a bucket margaritas" at Tres Amigos put Vaquero's margaritas to shame. 4. The Salsa was better than Lupe Tortilla's pico that they try to call salsa, but not much better. It reminded me of a bad version of Pappasito's salsa actually. 5.Our server was very friendly, but was clearly new and overwhelmed with the chaos/crowd in the bar and restaurant. She wasn't exactly sure which entrees were available and which ones were "coming soon." At one point she started making shots/drinks behind the bar and seemed to completely forget that several tables were waiting on food orders. 6. Food took an hour to get and everything was pretty greasy and just unimpressive overall. Will be very interesting to see how the owners/management address the challenges. We really need a great Mexican/Tex-Mex restaurant in the area again vs. driving to others farther away. read more

I just ate here with a large party of say 25 people celebrating a friends bday. Service and ambiance overall was good. The waitress or chef did mistake our order of fajitas for two and served an order for one. On that note the fajitas had an odd sort of rancid taste to them which we both commented on later. I feel like this could be a really great place but they need to up the food quality to match the extensive decor. read more

Yeah, they still have wait staff kinks, but that is opening process stuff. I am a harsh critic of Mexican food because I am from El Paso, and this isn't El Paso... but it is good quality Tex mex comfort food. Homemade tortillas, squeeze bottle of butter, tasty fajitas, appropriately flaming flameado, what's not to like? My dream? Hand fried tacos fritos, and red cheese enchiladas? They have a decent deep red sauce... need to try the relleno. There will be a next time shortly. Thank you for opening! read more

We tried this place for the first time last week and it was very good. The fresh tortillas are outstanding. I just wish they would build a playground- then it would be in our regular rotation. They have self- serve soft-serve for the kiddos. read more

This was the worst Mexican food I've had in Texas. I got the cheese enchilada dinner with chile con carne as the sauce. There was little hint of the enchilada itself as it was covered with a massive amount of what appeared to be queso and hamburger meat. No flavor outside the cheese. No hint of a chile sauce. Who uses hamburger meat in an enchilada chile sauce? Rice was unimpressive but the charro beans were good-the only good thing on the plate. Got a side crispy beef taco that had an intersting new take on the taco shell that was the biggest positive of the meal at $5 a la carte. Total bill was $32 for 2 inedible enchilada dinners. Far cry from the Tres Amigos it replaced. I give them 6 months. read more

Great food, service, and ambience. We enjoyed this place very much and plan to visit regularly!

Service was amazing!! Everyone who worked here was extremely friendly. Love the decor and throughout including on the patio fence. Food took a little bit but was fresh, warm an totally worth the wait. The platter we had was big enough for my husband and I to share with leftovers. We enjoyed the new patio and looking forward coming back and enjoy it with the live music they added. read more

Wow! This place is great! Jorge our server was prompt and efficient. Dinner started with Frozen Sangria, chips salsa and queso. The drinks were outstanding ( secret recipe?) and the queso is probably the best in town. On the side ,they also serve a haberno paste that was to die for when mixed with the queso. The salsa? Perfect! Also, Try the Cozumel salsa ... it's original , amazing and the talk of the town-creamy roasted jalapeño & avocado salsa- maybe this to, is a secret and it should be! Then arrived the shrimp stuffed chile relleno. the poblano was packed full of cheese, shrimp was plentiful and the breading was astounding, not the same 'ole pepper breading! Flaky, larger crumbs fried golden brown. Desert was bunuelos (crispy cinnamon sopapilla type chips served with vanilla ice cream)and tres leches. *Don't by pass these deserts you will regret it! We will definitely make Vaqueros a weekly stop! Can't wait to enjoy fall weather on their beautiful back patio. read more

See all

Have been waiting patiently for Vaquero's to open up after Tres Amigos closed last year. Not at all disappointed with the new restaurant and we're sure it will only get better with time. Super friendly service, and great ambiance -- excellent redesign of the previous restaurant. Free self-service ice cream was a pleasant after-dinner surprise. Looking forward to coming back on our next visit to Austin. read more

Vaquero's, you have sure roped me in with your breakfast tacos! I don't know how you do it, but your breakfast tacos are absolutely delicious! You are greeted with a friendly smile, as you drive up and place your order. You don't even have to leave your car, it brings drive through to a whole different level. Vaqueros tacos are consistently perfection and their sauces are amazing, they use avocados & fresh peppers in their green sauce, the real deal, Yumm!! Many thanks for making my morning!!! I am so looking forward to your Happy Hour! read more

Tex Mex in Austin....a crowded space. All about expectations. If you want something better than Tres Amigos, Maudies, Las Palomas, Texican, etc. you will be happy. Fresh tortillas, chips and salsa were good. However, Pappasitos, Lupe Tortilla, and Chuys are better quality options for casual Tex-Mex/Margarita lunch/dinner. Better meat, fresher ingredients, and better Margaritas. Vaqueros has a better price point and better service than Lupe which is about a mile away. For how long this place was under construction/getting permits, expectations on interior were not met. So if you are on 360 and don't want to spend the $$ at Lupe, have a Tex-Mex fix, and need a cold Margarita, Vaqueros is a serviceable option but don't confuse serviceable with 'gotta have it' read more

OMG. I am sick!! I am a pretty clean eater and this the the nastiest, greasiest Mexican food I have ever had in my life. No way will I ever go back. We had the tacos and the taco salad. It could not have been worse. The chips and salsa are good and the bar is cute. If you are trying to get a beer at the bar with a few chips, go for it. But stay away from the food. Better to go to Tacodeli, Lupe tortilla or even Taco Bell. This is Austin. Didn't they get the memo that we like great tasting healthy stuff? read more

This restaurant is primal Tex-Mex cuisine. Not overly priced yet delicious. They have a great selection of frozen drinks to mixed cocktails which so far have been great. Definitely a place to stop in and check out! Oh, and the decor...well thought-out, tasteful, and just very pleasing to look at! read more

I tried this place because I am a HUGE fan of Steiner Ranch Steakhouse and I have to say, Vaquero's Cafe & Cantina did not disappoint!!! The food was great, service was even better and the decorations were awesome! My favorite part was the homemade tortillas! The only reason I am giving it a 4-star review is because I wish they had more vegetarian options. I can't wait to go back and will definitely bring out of town guests here. Vaquero's is a very authentic Tex-Mex restaurant in the heart of Austin! a MUST TRY! read more

I'm sitting here eating some of Austin's best kept brunch secret. The enchiladas are fantastic, the tres leches pancakes are delicious and nothing has been bad! I can't believe we haven't tried this place sooner. The food is incredible and our service is great. read more

Vaquero's Cafe and Cantina - Some of the pastries in the dessert section of the brunch buffet. - Mexican Near Me - Austin, Texas