Vivo

So, barring all the Austinites that will cringe at what I'm abou to say.. here it goes... I lived in Dallas for 6 years and moved to Austin about 9 months ago. Dallas may be an Austinite's nightmare, but Dallas has great restaurants in spades... I have been looking for something to match my Tex-Mex requirements here, and Vivo more than delivered. Pros: Great atmosphere (noisy but in a good way), beautiful deck area, great food, service, drinks Cons: Seemingly only serve one kind of salsa, the 'fire roasted' kind... more

So today was my first time there. The place is gorgeous with all of the plants and multi-level decking. The paint inside is very dark and romantic. The food was overpriced, I paid $8 for caso with taco meat. Very limited menu, server was not friendly. Pros: Atmosphere, plants Cons: Service, prices more

i was totally shocked to see negative reviews of vivo- it's my absolute favorite place for food and drinks in Austin. i always take out-of-town friends here to show it off and they've loved it. my husband an i go enjoy prickly pear margaritas (they'll get you!) the veggie delight and their totally amazing salsa practically ever week. i have no issues with vivo... maybe parking, but that's understandable at a place that gets busy. great food (vegetarian selections like the veggie delight and California nachos), great drinks and super seductive atmosphere. i love vivo! Pros: best salsa in austin (smoky chipotle), killer drinks and atmosphere Cons: parking and price of margaritas more

A blight on the Manor Rd. scene, this place feels like it's leveraging to become a franchise. It's almost as if you're stepping through a portal to a Dallas suburb, rather than a Mexican kitchen as their name implies. When I hear the word ""cocina', I think ""warm, inviting, family"", none of which correlates to this completely family-unfriendly place. If you're homesick for Plano or Richardson, or just want to use the ladies' room, this could be the place for you. Enjoy. Pros: strong margaritas Cons: service, management, atmosphere more

We originally enjoyed Vivo when if first opened, rather quaint environment, with puffy tacos (I am an expert on PTs)! and the patio nice. waitstaff was typical austin, ie. friendly, congenial. Music wasn't too loud on saturday nights. Last 3 times we have attended, the hostess has been quite rude, and pretentious, and this includes the waitstaff to a large degree. I think that this attitude is coming down from the owners but not sure. I used to have my birthday parties dinners at Vivo, but don't think that we will return. perhaps there is enough draw for the younger crowd (we are over 40), and that is the new focus. I did enjoy the food though, so perhaps 2 stars, but to me if the waitstaff is rude, then the experience isn't worth returning for. more

Gorgeous garden, unique food and drinks, festive but elegant atmosphere, and super service. And those bathrooms! Oh, the bathrooms..... Pros: Simple, pretty fare. Great service. Romantic garden setting. Cons: Bit pricey, but you're paying for the atmosphere. And it's worth it! more

We were very excited about giving this restaurant a try. The strawberry margaritas tasted nothing like strawberry. It was like adding fruit coloring to a frozen drink and calling it a strawberry margarita. The bartender appears to think that adding more of the cheap tequila will give you enough of a buzz to enjoy the rest of the dinner. The food was terrible. We had enchiladas and quesadillas and we were both disapointed. Who can mess up quesadillas????? In any case, our entire order included a side order of queso, two margaritas, which we left half full, quesadillas, green chicken enchiladas and water. The total was $48. I could have had better at Guero's and paid half that price. In any case, the rose that all women are given is a nice touch, but keep in mind that the cost is included in the overpriced food. Pros: great pictures Cons: horrible food and margaritas more

The food is okay, definitely not worth having to deal with the wait staff though. If you go on a Friday or a Saturday there are orange cones in the empty spaces in the parking lot so Vivo can charge you $5 for valet parking. Reservations are not accepted even for large groups, however they add 15% to your bill for groups of six or more. Seating is NOT prompt, the wait area is a bar where they play techno (yes, techno) music and drinks are way overpriced. The waiter came to our table three times - once to get our order, once after I asked the hostess to get him (he had gotten my drink order wrong) and once again to bring the check (we had to go through the hostess for that as well). Neither he nor the waitress were particularly friendly. Cons: service more

If you have kids, don't waste your money here- they don't want you and your family at their restaurant. We were excited to try Vivo. We go out a lot and enjoy trying new cool places around Austin. However, when we showed up both (out of a total of 2) highchairs were being used. We agreed that our kido (who's great at restaurants) could just sit in our laps. I suggested that perhaps they should have more than 2 highchairs and we were told by one of the staff that the owner really wants to maintain more of an ""adult"" atmosphere due to the provocative paintings and strong drinks. We should have gotten up and left right then, having learned that ""families"" were not really welcome. Now, I totally appreciate an ""adult"" setting and I can also appreciate not wanting tons of kids running around screaming. However, if you really don't want kids at your restaurant, just say so, don't limit people's options (no high chairs, no changing tables) and ruin the experience. Even if our son isn't with us, we won't be returning and we will certainly tell our friends not to go there b/c we are not welcome. There are plenty of good restaurants who maintain a high-quality atmosphere and good food and make families feel welcome. Even nice joints like Fonda San Miguel have plenty of high chairs and are welcoming of families. more

this is typical of some new-age type tex-mex places which are copy-catting each other around Austin. Others: Chile's down the road from this one.... Cheap pop-art lines the walls, with dimly lit spots, making for cool mood, and keeps the staff from having to sweep the floor every hour. Food is good, but expensive for what it is. Expect smaller portions. Margaritas are good... bar staff is definitely ""too cool"" for school - and seems to think that regardless of the way they act people will keep pouring in. they probably will for a while as the UT crowd seems to think this is the place for the next year. been here a couple of times - one time bar staff refused us chips at the bar even after a 100 dollar bar tab. ""sorry man, no chips at the bar"" cool... Go once, check it out, and get over it. This place is a fad. (I believe most of the reviews on this page are done by VIVO investors) then head back to north of campus for down to earth fun. Pros: interesting flavors. good date place. Cons: expensive. un-friendly staff. not a good deal. more

Stay away! Do not come anywhere near this establishment. You will be funding an awful cause and encouraging more of the same business. Pros: You've been warned Cons: You have to look at yourself in the mirror more

Vivo is great, I love the food, the atmosphere, the drinks-I have never had anything there that I didn't like. I think some of the CitySearch reviewers are missing the point of the place. Comparing it to El Chile is misguided as these two restaurants are not attempting to accomplish the same thing. Both restaurants are great at what they do and one should not be considered a substitute for the other, unless your knowledge of Mexican food is extremely limited. Roger Diaz of Vivo has taken the familiar Tex-Mex cuisine of his family's restaurant in San Antonio and updated it for the new Austin audience. He has taken the lard out of the beans, and uses healthful wholesome ingredients like brown rice. Served up in a lucious, lively environment, there is nothing else like this in town. I think that the reviews that say the place is not kid-friendly are dead-on, and I'm glad. It is nice as an adult to be able to go out in Austin and have an adult time without hearing other people's kids screaming. Take your kids to Matt's El Rancho, they will have a great time. As for the people who complain about the price of his margaritas, you have to realize the $8.95 ""regular"" is served in a deceptively large glass. It is about one and a half margaritas, and in my opinion is priced accordingly. If you don't want to pay $8.95, order the smaller drink. And finally whoever said he puts too much booze in the drinks either got a bunk batch, or doesn't go out much. Kudos to Roger and his crew for creating a hip experience at a moderate price. Pros: great atmosphere, well-rendered Tex-Mex standards Cons: gets loud on the patio, don't take your grandma unless she's way hip more

My girl friends and I went to Vivo for a Monday ""S*x and the City"" type evening. We love the hip atmosphere and interesting artwork. The salsa was AMAZING - if you like thick and spicy. I had the California Nachos which were loaded with veggies and cheese and were great. The menu is not very extensive so I probably wouldn't go to eat here often because I would quickly tire of the selection. I would return for the We all Prickly Pear Margaritas and of course the rose given to the ladies at the end of the meal! Pros: atmosphere and flavor-filled food Cons: limited menu selection more

I don't quite get the hype about this place. I tried it twice and found the food to be mediocre and the drinks uninspiring. There are far better places to eat in this town of restaurant abundance. The service is on the snide side, so if that's your thing then you might like Vivo. Otherwise I would try El Chile up the road. Their food is fantastic. Pros: service food and drinks Cons: cool patio more

I recently visited Vivo for the first time and was happy to find a cool, new restaurant with great Tex-Mex! I think it's definitely not ""kid friendly"" but that that's one appeal of the restaurant (not every restaurant has to have a playground...). It's got a great ""grown up"" vibe to it and I would hope that people would not want to bring their kids in there. The provocative art, the strong drinks-- let's leave some places for the adults please! more

I've been to Vivo a few times and love the lush outdoor patio. I haven't sat down to eat inside before but it's quite lovely and romantic there. I enjoyed some of the fruit margaritas but find the prices steep for the quality of food. I ordered a combo platter with one taco and one enchilada and paid $12! The flavors were less than exceptional. Pros: Lovely indoor and outdoor seating, good margaritas, free roses for ladies Cons: Overpriced, average-tasting food. more

I can't imagine why anyone would choose to eat at Vivo's when El Chile is just down the road with much better food, drinks, and service. There IS plenty of room here which would be a pro, along with a nice patio. Pros: patio Cons: bad service, overpriced mediocre food and drinks more

This restaurant may be a lot of things but it is definitely NOT kid friendly. I have personally had a bad experience here with my children and have talked to numerous people who have had similar experiences. I wouldn't give it a bad review for food, but I don't want anyone to read these reviews and think they should dine here with their family. Some restaurants simply don't cater to people with children, and by the looks of it the staff and management at Vivo's are encouraged to be rude to parents and kids. Save this one for date night. more

Vivo is great to go to for the prickly pear margaritas. They are very nice and strong. Only get 2 max if you're driving! Pros: Great margaritas Cons: pricey, bad food more

Vivo is a great place to relax and have a great Austin moment.The garden,the water fall,the candles and the roses in the bathroom had me smiling!!!The food was very fresh and tasty.I had a very enjoyable experience @ Vivo... more