Vivo

Great food. Not so great service. The food will definitely bring you back. Oh one more thing leave the kids with a baby sitter. The staff no likey little ones more

Loved the crab cerviche in the martini glass. Ordered Camerons favorite- the best of puffy tacos, verde enchilada-great. Also, order relleno. Great food and drinks, fun atmosphere and decor. Beautiful outdoor patio. Does not seem like it caters to families with young children. More of an adult friendly place. So glad to have something so good closer to home. Not your typical Tex Mex hangout but with all the flavors and more. more

I gave a rating of 2 stars because, while the food was great, the service personnel were, for the most part, terribly rude. I say this with the exception of one of the hostesses and the manager, Jason, both of whom took control of the situation once it became clear our experience was no where near par for the course. I decided to have drinks and dinner at Vivo for my 23rd birthday. Knowing somewhere between 10 and 15 people would be coming, I called ahead to figure out what the best course of action would be for both myself and the restaurant in ensuring the experience was as smooth as possible. We were coming on a Friday night, at prime dining time, to a very popular restaurant. I knew it would not be easy, so I called ahead to give them a heads up. I was told to come early, get my name on the list, and I'd likely be seated before my party arrived. I got to the restaurant about thirty minutes before everyone was supposed to arrive, only to be told we could not be seated until our entire party had arrived. Alright, fine. A misunderstanding, miscommunication, fine. I told them I knew a handful of people would be late and whether seating us when most of our party was there would be acceptable. They said to let them know as people arrived. As people arrived, I continually communicated with the hostess, asking when our table might be ready. She told me they were waiting on one table in the main seating area to leave and then we would be seated; she told me we'd be seated in about twenty minutes. An hour after I was told we'd be seated in twenty minutes (so, two hours after I'd arrived), we still had not been seated. By this time, 11 out of 12 people had arrived. I went back to the hostess stand to ask what had happened; not only did the hostess tell me the table originally reserved for us had been given to another party, we were now waiting on an entirely different table. When asked why smaller tables had been given to other parties arriving after us instead of being saved for our party, I was given a shrug. At this point, another hostess asked if we'd like to talk to the manager and I requested to do so. Jason was very understanding and apparently had been unaware of how long we had been waiting. While speaking with Jason, the original hostess said to the helpful one, ""What the f*ck does she expect, it's a Friday night?"" As indicated above, I understood it was a Friday night, I understood it was busy, and I continually let her know I was aware of the difficulties of seating a large table on a Friday night. With this being said, her condescending and flippant attitude towards me the entire evening was uncalled for and completely unprofessional. We were finally seated an hour after speaking with Jason and the second hostess. Once we sat down the service was quick, helpful, and thorough. The food was FANTASTIC. The margaritas, especially the cucumber margarita, were FANTASTIC. Jason comped what seemed to be about a third of the bill or all of the drinks. At the end of the evening, we'd waited three and a half hours for a table but, in spite of the hostess, enjoyed a fun evening over great drinks and food. I'm hesitant to write off the restaurant on the basis of one hostess and one experience on a busy Friday evening, but I likely will go to the other location to avoid interacting with this hostess again. more

When I first ate at the Manor Road location, I was not impressed. However, after giving it a second chance at there new location on 620, this is without a doubt THE place in north Austin for twenty-somethings like myself. The margaritas are amazing, and I literally would go simply for those. The food is also above average. I highly recommend the Steak Jalisco. It comes with a garlic chimichurri (sorry for probably misspelling that) sauce that enhances the grilled skirt steak. My only hope is that management does not give into the conservative base in Cedar Park and start redecorating. My wife and I love the decor, and we simply just wouldn't bring anyone under the age of 17 or 18 here. Since we don't have any kids yet, we'll be going to Vivo's for quite some time! more

My husband and I visited the 620 restaurant on a Friday evening and had a blast. The waiter was friendly and not intrusive. The decor inside the restaurant was lively and interesting. Do not leave without having a margarita! The drinks are delectable as they are strong. This is not a place for your family- there are enough of those restaurants in Austin. This is a great place for the 20- and 30-something crowds who want good food as well as a hip atmosphere. more

I've been to the Cedar Park location 2x and have enjoyed the atmosphere, food and drinks. The food is a little pricey, but good. Great place for a date Pros: Fun Atmosphere, great drinks, good food Cons: A little pricey, sometimes crowded more

Had the worst restaurant experience today at Vivo off off Manor and IH35. Vivo only has 2 highchairs in the whole restaurant. Really!?! Why don't they just put a ""No Kids Allowed"" sign on the door. Horrible hostess did not seemed concerned how unhappy and inconvenienced we were because of this. I had spotted the 2 mothers using the only 2 highchairs in the restaurant and saw them leave. I was never offered one of them nor offered a booth to make my dining experienced decent. I have never felt so uncomfortable and unwelcome in a restaurant before. Our server was decent, but did not seem to care we were there. No smiles or warmth letting us know we were valued customers. I guess, we weren't because we had a child in tow. Food, was ok, nothing special. I will never go back for the simple fact that my child isn't welcome there. Pros: Margaritas and beautiful interior Cons: Horrible staff and not family oriented more

Our party was chastised relentlessly by the manager for being seated in an area for six when we were a party of 8, even though we got permission through the hostess who supposedly got the ok from the manager. She denied that and continued to make us uncomfortable instead of addressing the issue with the person who gave us permission. Had it been my call and not as late (8:30pm), I would have gone elsewhere. None of us had ever been treated so unprofessionally by any restaurant staff ever. The decor is strip club worthy with nude female on paper supposedly equalling art. The music was too loud so instead of it providing a little ambiance and conversation privacy, it dominated the room. Our beef enchiladas were good but nothing outstanding and certainly could not compensate for the stress that the manager caused. The one positive was our very professional and competent server. Pros: average to decent tex mex, attentive server Cons: rudest manager, long wait for food, music too loud more

The decor is phenominal. The no kids under 18 is perfect. Starting with the chips, very good. I have had the chicken enchilada and the Vivo Chicken and both were outstanding. The charro beans are not just filler food, it is seasoned and tasty. The Vivo Chicken is pounded flat chicken breast, covered in a very tasty tamatillo sauce, with sliced avacado on top. The prickly pear and strawberry margarita was very good... The Mexican Martini not so much. Trudys or my home made one is much better. Service was good and friendly. One of my new favorite places for sure. Pros: Great food, drinks and atmosphere Cons: Long waits on weekends more

After waiting 2 hours for our table, we left and went elsewhere for dinner. We spoke to the management and they were unconcerned. We will not be back. Pros: cool vibe/art Cons: terrible service, overcrowded, poor management more

Vivo on lake creek and 620 is 18+ . thats great, no screamin kids, there is no where like it this far north, date night,and awesome food. drinks take a little bit but bc they are original, and mostly homemade. well worth it. some ppl i saw were mad about 18 and up but really? dont be mad bc you actually think the very sexual artwork is sutible for your 10 year old. the art is very different than the south location. more

I have always enjoyed myself when dining at Vivo's. I have taken out of town guests here and they have always enjoyed it. It is a very unusual and interesting dining experience. I saw that they are opening a north location and I am so excited!! Hope it has the same feel and vibe as the original. Pros: Gorgeous place, Great food Cons: No reservations, parking more

Tried to eat lunch and they would not seat our party despite having four open tables in the dining room alone. We inquired if they were short staffed and were told no, they were just holding those tables for larger parties. We stood around while they continued to make parties of four or less wait 15+ minutes. We asked to speak to a manager who immediately told us they have to serve large parties over others. When we said there were plenty of people waiting, the Manager said they would not seat any parties of less than 7 at the open tables, despite the wait list and no large party reservations. Awful service and horrible management. We won't go back. more

A group of us-- about 13-- came for a pre-bachelorette night out. They don't take reservations, but the manager assured us that the wait would be 20 minutes max. 2 hours later (and a few complaints) we finally got seated about 11:00. The waiter completely dismissed our table, taking only half of the drink orders. Then, he proceeded to ignore us for another 30 minutes. By the time we got out, the night was pretty much over...Lets just say that I will never step a foot in this restaurant again!! The food is definitely not worth the wait!!! Pros: Hibiscus margarita is ok, but expensive Cons: Horrible wait staff more

Decided to go there today for lunch with a group from work. The atmosphere and architecture of the restaurant has an Austin feel (I am a native Austinite and lived here for over 40 years) and is fairly well designed. The service was mediocre and the food was just awful. The three other coworkers that went with me had combos #1 & #2, fajita tacos, enchiladas, and some sort of chicken taco salad. All of us were in aggreance that the food was either bland, too salty, or cold. The prices are WAY too high for the quality of food. Our drinks were never refilled and the server dropped the tab off and never said thanks or asked if there was anything else we need. On top of that they had a 20% gratuity automatically added to our bill for a group of 4 people all on one tab!!! I asked for the manager (who we waited for almost 20 minutes and never came) - we ended up paying the tab in cash with no tip and just left. If I wanted to go to a snotty restaurant with high prices and horrible food I would live in Dallas! more

I have a great experience and a not so great one. I went here with a friend recently for dinner and I loved it. The atmosphere is so fun and funky, the patio is great and our server was excellent. The food is OK and the menu is limited, but everything else makes for a great time. I highly recommend the cucumber margarita! Now with this fun time in mind, I returned expecting the same great service and brought friends from out of town here. They ask if you're here for dinner or just drinks and apps. We were just there for drinks and apps, so we were seated in the bar area. This is all fine until we are totoally ignored. We had to walk up to the bar to order drinks AND food. There are FOUR people behind the bar and not one approached our table. Once the drinks were made, they simply set them on the bar without so much as telling us they were ready. This is at about 5:30 and there are maybe 3 other customers sitting at the bar...and remember there are 4 workers behind the bar. Once our so-so nachos arrived, I had to walk over to one of the ""reserved for dining"" tables and get our silverware. Any server knows that the money is in the drinks, not so much food especially here where one drink cost the same as an entree. We would've stayed and spent quite a bit more money, but I'd rather give my money to someone who earned it. I was highly disappointed considering my server in the dining area was so great. Wake up VIVO; you're losing major business if you neglect customer service in the bar area...$$$$$ Pros: Atmosphere, Drinks, Patio Cons: Bar area service more

Need a place to impress out of towners? This place just hits everything positive... atmosphere is everything here. Great decor inside, ambiance is provacative and hip.. outdoor patio is intimate and service all around was attentive. We didn't think the food was that hot & the menu is very small but who cares! The drinks were good, and that salsa was amazing. Will come back again and again. Pros: Hip and intimate, service, drinks Cons: Parking is horrible! more

This place is for people who really don't know what to do with themselves. Why do people eat here when we are in Austin TX surrounded by great Mexican food? Ok, there is one reason: the patio/deck. It's nice. ""Vegetable"" or ""Vegetarian"" here means cheese. They really don't get it. The margaritas will knock you out, which they should for $9. I think they have everclear in them. The interior of this place is hell. I think people from West of the highway think it's adventurous but still safe enough because of valet parking. I'm really not sure. If you want to yuppy it out in East Austin, go to two doors down to El Chile where the food and drinks are actually really great. I don't know, I guess it just makes me kind of sad and confused. I only gave it one star so it would process my review. more

When I saw Tofu as an alternative to Beef in the Burrito section of the menu, I should have walked out of the restaurant. Vivo was recommended to me by a co-worker as, ""the best Mexican food in Austin."" After refusing to take another taste of the bitter salsa, and biting into an enchilada that featured salt as its main ""spice"" I was reminded that people in Austin have no idea what their talking about when it comes to Mexican food. I have had Taco Bell meals that were more authentic than the food I ate at Vivo, and it didn't cost me $10+/plate. The atmosphere at Vivo is great, and the patio is nice when the weather is good, but the tall, pretty hostess at Vivo is way too proud of it. There is a palpable arrogance when you walk in the door. She may as well greet you by saying, ""welcome to Vivo ... how lucky are you to be eating here?"" Our server was great, but the food came out a little slow. The place was not that busy, and it's Mexican food we're talking about here! Chicken or beef in some sort of tortilla surrounded by beans and rice ... kitchens should be cranking this stuff out pretty quickly. Vivo was not the worst dining experience I've ever had by any means, but if I go out of my way to go to ""hip"" Austin joint, fight for parking, wait 20 minutes to be seated and pay close to $15 for lunch, It better be worth it. Vivo was not. Pros: Ambience, Roses for the ladies, dim lighting inside, bright patio outside Cons: It's not Mexican food and it's too expensive. more

Service was very slow, Food is overpriced and served luke warm at best. Music was so loud people at our table could not hear each other. I was in a party of 8. Restaurant does not take reservations. When one member of our party was running late, hostess threatened to give our table way to another group as they would not seat us with only 7. Fortunately, our last member arrived before this happened. I had a bar tab open while waiting to be sat. Server refused to transfer my bar tab my table bill. We asked for separate checks which server also refused to do. Half way through the meal everyone became frustrated at the loud music coming from the bar area. Asked the server to turn down the music which was never done. Gratuity of 20% was automatically added which the server did not deserve for the poor non-attentive service that was provided. Our table ended up having to pass the multiple checks around and try to figure out what they owed. This is certainly NOT what I would call having a nice night out on the town. A restaurant server is named such as they are supposed to ""server"" the guests. If guests ask for separate checks there is, only one acceptable answer, YES. I will never dine at Vivo Cocina again. Cons: Just about everything more