iron cactus mexican restaurant and margarita bar

iron cannot. thecactusused to be renowned for its food, ambiance, service, great patio, and overall fun vibe on 6th. i'm sad to say, it's now below the mendoza line, it's batting 1 for 5. we arrived as the fearsome foursome, excited w/the pecan street festival down below and in need of libations and sustenance. we were deflated by the end of our meal. upon arrival, we were greeted by an unkempt hostess who seemed disinterested in us. we finally convinced her to find us a table overlooking the festival activities. she then proceeded to seat us in the corner. when we decided to move to a better, and requested, vantage point, i, out of deference, informed the hostess of our move in a rhetorical manner: "we're going to move, if that's okay?" to my surprise, she rudely and lazily replied: "i suppose it's okay." the whole place reeked of attitude. the ladies did enjoy their ritas, but we all were left indifferent by our meals; the salads and tex mex entrees were nothing noteworthy in flavor and taste. our server, the lone bright spot, who was a rookie, was attentive and polite, obviously due to his being new he had yet to succumb to the malaise of the iron. perhaps, thecactushas started to rest on its laurels and doesn't think it needs to put forth a better effort; the patio location is still great, but loses its luster from the overwhelming negative vibe present. next time, we'll just go to chupacabra.

i’m currently sitting in the ironcactuson new year’s day and it is literally 30degrees in this place. i’m shivering. my wife’s burger bun had mold on it and it took over 30 min to get a new burger for her. a couple with a baby just came in and i’m scared the baby will get pneumonia or die of eating moldy food. we will not be coming back here.

ironcactusseems like your typical 6th street, over-priced restaurant, but it's not. the staff is friendly and the prices are comparable to any higher-end tex-mex in austin. the rooftop patio has a great view of the hustle and bustle of 6th street. they have great enchiladas and killer complimentary salsa.

very impressive. in the heart of 6th street is a full-blown restaurant, tequila bar and patio with a decent skyline view of downtown austin. being out of town, i walked 6th street quite a few times and needed a "cool" place to sit and to grab a bite and beer. i'm glad i decided to rest my weary body here!

i elected to have fireman's #4 ale to accompany the complimentary chips and selections of salsa. the waiter we had was more than attentive and very friendly. after cooling off in the 98-degree heat on their misted patio, it was time to get to business. i opted for the chile relleno rustica with black beans and rice and of course, another fireman's #4. it's by far one of the best chile relleno i've ever had. i even tried to trick the waiter into believing that i read on the menu it was all you could eat. (didn't work, but he seemed flattered that i mentioned it)

i would suggest ironcactusto anyone that's interested in watching a game, needing to cool off, simply wants a quieter setting in the midst of 6th street and is looking for great mexican food with superb selection of adult beverages and an awesomely stocked tequila section! prices were right on the money as well.

the original ironcactuslocation overlooks sixth street and serves lime juice margaritas to enjoy while people watching and provides a great way to experience sixth street during the day. be sure to order the table-side guacamole and leave room for dessert across the street at jim jims. tip: open mon-thurs from 11:00 am to 10:30 pm. open fri-sat from 11:00 am to 11:00 pm. open sunday from 10:00 am to 10:30 pm. both locations within 250 feet of 615 east 6th street, downtown austin.   share tags 6th street , dessert , downtown , historical , late night dining best frozen hot chocolate best artisan ice cream

an extensive menu and lots of margarita, what’s not to like? i went to austin with friends recently. it was my first time in austin and of course we made it our mission to try tex-mex food as soon as we got there. the ironcactuswas recommended to us at our hotel and so we hopped on the shuttle and headed downtown. upon arrival we found ourselves in a spacious dining room with a bar in the middle and a second floor with extra seating. we sat by the window and started to peruse the menu. the first thing i noticed was the margaritas.

ironcactusis awesome! the staff is friendly and accommodating and the food is down right tasty!! j.r. was my server today and he totally rocks!!

6th avenue is pumping! sxsw has turned the street into a hot bed of music, people and food! we are happy to wait for a table and enjoy a beer or two at iron cactus, a highly recommended spot for some mexican! it's not long before we are installed at our table and salivating over the menu!! chips and salsa arrive and we are happily chowing down on salty nachos and tangy salsa! i have been told we have to have the table side guacamole the "ironcactusguacamole made by your server at the table. it doesn't get any fresher than this!!" and they aren't wrong! a huge tray appears and our server expertly combines fresh avocado, coriander, onion, tomato… yum!! the only problem is we are enjoying this soooo much we are eating a lot of chippies! there might not be room for tacos at this rate! especially when we get the cheesey dip arriving too - it is soooooooo good it must be bad for you!! beers, chips, dips = heaven!! mains arrive and we give up the chips! my baja fish tacos are beautiful! c

greatcactusjuice, excellent rooftop, awesome bartender daniel!!!

bueno queso!. the queso is real and thick.....sticks to the chips.


-----01 mar, 2011-----

this is austin. after a supper round of golf at jimmy clay, we headed to thecactusfor some rooftop celebration of ritas, delicious salsas, shrimp tacos, and a few cold ones....life is good.
(service was over the top)

definitely headed back...... ...to spend another week in texas. i had a long weekend in san antonio, and eventually made my way to austin for a night to experience the 6th street phenomenon. ended up heading to the ironcactusfor dinner, and immediately gravitated to the smoked salsa and chips. if there is one thing i can frown upon at my experience was the over-indulgence of chips and salsa. my entree, pollo relleno was the perfect base to the night of drinking that lay ahead though, and for that, on my return trip to the lonestar state i will make it a point to head back to iron cactus.

love it!. i have been going to the ironcactusnorth for years and love it. it is one of the few places around my house that has a late night happy hour and great food to go with it. the fajitas and enchiladas are amazing and the staff is friendly. i would definitely recommend this restaurant to friends.

best 6th street view. upscale and the best view of 6th street. big ritas and free wifi make this a popular hotspot for the business crowd and the party crowd.

evenings get crowded quickly, especially on special events nights like halloween and new years.

wide and varied choice of menu items, all of which have been good. nice bar to boot.

near the alamo ritz, so if you're not in the mood for alamo dining, hit ironcactusbefore your movie.