Sazón

What an amazing dining experience! The staff was friendly and helpful. The food was spot on! Not a single thing I would want then to change.

No split checks. They don’t tell you until the end. It’s 2016 and they don’t know how to split checks. Too many other places in Austin that know basic arithmetic to ever come back here. Go someplace else if you have more than a couple in your group.

Great staff! Chase is fabulous, it’s nice to see an owner at his restaurant as well! Great queso, margaritas!

Love this place! Food is always good. Fresh, well prepared and attractive presentation. When friends visit from out of town I take them there. Definitely NOT TexMex. Central American. Décor is reminiscent of early border town. Service is friendly and polite. Nice bar. Inside and outdoor patio dining. Close to town and parking. Go there!

I like interior Mexican food, and this comes close to the clean, tasty feeling. The chile relleno (with cheese) was good, and the charro beans really good. The fish was also good. The patio is nice and S Lamar is not too noisy. In the evenings, parking is good.

I love this place, the food is always delicious and staff attentive. Their margaritas taste like a vacation in your mouth and makes you long for sandy beaches. This is the only place to go for authentic Mexican food in Austin.

Always a friendly staff! Great Mexican martinis! It’s kind of a hidden treasure so there isn’t usually a long wait time.

Just passed by this place on the way home. Never even realized it was there. Food was pretty on point. Had the chicken fajita taco plate. Really flavorful chicken and delicious charro beans. The rice was nothing to write home about, but still okay. Always nice to find a hidden gem in bustling s Lamar. I’ll definitely be back to try something else.

On the hunt for good Mexican food my first night visiting Austin from Houston.
Found this place on Unilocal & visited for the good reviews. The salsa wasn’t very good. Chips were yummy and heavy on the corn flavor.
Margaritas were small and $ 5. Happy hour is only $ 1 off.
I got the tacos al carbon, which were very good. My boyfriend got a pork and rice meal which he did not like. I’ve visited Mexico numerous times and the pork did not seem authentic to me, but maybe it was so authentic that we didn’t like it.
Service was not that good either. The restaurant was so loud. Overall, the bill was low because my tacos al carbon were only $ 8. If you’re going to go, get that!

Excellent interior Mexican. Save some money compared with Fonda Ssn Miguel, but sacrifice Fonda’s stunning environment.

If you’re reading this and trying to decide between the 3 Mexican restaurants in the area (Sazon, el meson, la feria) this should definitely be your choice. Decent margaritas, friendly service, really good food! Black beans are to die for. This place is not tex-​mex, it’s real Mexican food! Try the pipian (not sure I spelled that right) shredded chicken Breast topped with a very flavorful pumpkin seed and fresh green sauce.

Ordered the chicken mole with rice and black beans. The mole was okay, the chicken mole combo was very dry, it lacked cheese inside the enchiladas. And the mole sauce wasn’t enough to compensate for it being dry. The black beans and rice were good. The margarita sucked! I ordered a Mireta or something like that!
The waiter really needs to be in another line of work, he was not friendly, he seemed bothered by our questions and really put out that we were there! I’m not sure why he was there?
The door to the restaurant was super dirty, I knew right then it was going to be a bad experience. Having been in the restaurant business for many years, that was definitely not a good start.
The place has smell to it, I couldn’t put my finger on it but it grossed me out. If I wasn’t there with friends I would have left in a heartbeat. I would never have ordered!!! My friend ordered white rice with her plate because she didn’t know it came with rice and beans and the waiter did not remove the extra rice off of the bill even when she mentioned to him that she didn’t know it came with rice, he was like oh well!
Good luck to you! I hope your experience was better than ours!

I had a very simple meal of chicken enchiladas made with corn tortillas and verde sauce, it was delicious with a perfect citrus, spicy balance. I ate the whole plate which for me is very rare! My friends had veggie enchiladas and a fish dish that was equally great. We sat outside and enjoyed conversation with the people at the neighboring table. Our waitress was great and extremely helpful — one in our party had to leave early so she proactively put in her order separately so it would come out first. The only reason I gave it 4 stars instead of 5 is because I’m just probably the most picky eater and actually prefer my own cooking to any restaurant. I have to say though I even felt good after eating here.

GREAT service! The waiter even let me try a sauce before ordering just to make sure I’d like it. Food was good. Margaritas were just OK.

Amidst the endless options of Mexican food in the area, Sazon stands out. It’s definitely my go-​to in the area for a number of reasons. The food is consistently delicious, the staff is always extremely attentive and friendly, and the atmosphere of the restaurant feels natural and welcoming.
My favorite dish is the fajitas with the mexican martini, maybe the choriqueso if you’re feeling a little crazy.

Fantastic food, Excellent Happy Hour
Tried this place for the first time and was really impressed. XLNT house margs for happy hour and great quality Mexican (interior) food. Note that this is not a Tex Mex restaurant … it is more MexMex which boasts a lot more complex flavors from extended cooking times. Don’t get me wrong because I do love TexMex, but the food here is fantastic in it’s own right. Expand your palette and take time to appreciate fine Mexican cuisine. I would recommend this place and go back anytime!

This is the first time I’ve given two stars and I’m going to say it’s not because of the service or cleanliness but rather the food. These beef tacos were terrible, what is this grade J quality beef? Taco Bell beef is prime rib compared to this shit

I felt like they stole the shirt off my back!!!
I took a client into Sazon about a month ago and dropped over $ 200 there. As I was squeezing by the narrow space between the bar and the wall, my shirt snagged on the wall texturing and ripped. Margarito, the owner offered to have the shirt fixed. I thought that was really nice (and appropriate) so, the next day, I drove all the way downtown to bring the shirt to him.
He told me he «knew someone in the business» and would have it back in a week. THAT WAS A MONTH AGO. For the last two weeks I’ve been calling and emailed the guy and he doesn’t return calls or emails.
Today, I went down there and of course, he wasn’t there and of course, nobody knew anything about it… «Like a lost and found at a bordertown, asking bout a diamond ring. They just look at you like you’ve lost your mind and say they haven’t seen a thing».
The bartender snickered when I walked in… Clearly, she was in on the joke, and I was it! After I demanded that she call him, she did and he called me back about an hour later. He told me he still doesn’t have my shirt…
I’ve moved on. He can wear it in good health or donate it for all I care. I will NEVER go back…
Not to mention, the food is mediocre at best. Believe me, there are MUCH better places in South Austin… AVOID.

Sazon has great food at reasonable prices. This is definitely not Tex Mex (such a nice change), their dishes have a much more interior flavor. My personal favorite is the Pipian sauce over carnitas, delicious! I do wish they would bring back my ultimate favorite which was the Choc Mol… I still ask every time I go. Every once in a while I get lucky and the chef will make it for me if he has all of the ingredients!

Ya know how sometimes you look up and realize that you drive over 7 miles in Austin to go to a particular Mexican restaurant every single Saturday morning?
It’s because this must be your favorite restaurant, okay I’ll admit that I’m talking about myself here, okay? I’m here at Sazon right now… it’s my second time today.
I don’t wanna creep anyone out so I’m just gonna lwhisper «I love you» on my way out and hopefully they hear me and say «I love you too» but they probably won’t because they’re busy with making excellent food and atmosphere. Plus I can tell they’re not in love with me… see you tomorrow Sazon

I really love the food, and the fresh salsa was ridiculously good. I was blown away by the Mole, made perfectly.

Must. Eat. Choriqueso.
This place is the bomb dot com. Yep, I said that.
Seriously though, their food is amazing. Interior Mexican with a few tex-​mex-​y items sprinkled throughout their menu, it doesn’t get any better. Their service is more than on point, the margaritas are delicious, and they have the best ceviche in town. I love their homemade mole too! Mmmmm Sazon, you haunt my dreams and in the way I like to be haunted.

Good selection of interior mexican at a good price. The portions are good, and the margaritas are ok. I’ve been here a couple times, and nothing really stood out as bad or great, and that’s a default of 4 stars for me.
They get bonuses for having a dog friendly porch and the waitstaff are pretty friendly. It’s a great alternative to any of the hipper, pricier spots that are downtown or on south congress and certainly better than chain mexican places all over the city.

First off, the best thing about Sazon, hands down, is their happy hour, which runs every weekday from 3pm to 7pm. This features ½ off a selection of appetizers and $ 4.25 margaritas, along with some beer specials.
The margaritas here are some of my favourite in Austin. They aren’t too sweet, they don’t taste like boxed or bottled mix, and even during happy hour they’re quite strong. The frozen ones really shine; on-​the-​rocks is good but not as good. All of the appetizers we have tried have been excellent: choriqueso, sopecitos, guac, and salsa. The salsa and chips arrive at your table free, and the sopecitos, which are little corncakes topped with chorizo and what you might call «taco fixings,» are amazing. The choriqueso is a meal in itself, even for two.
In my experience, the service here is excellent. The waitstaff are quick and attentive, and they don’t judge if you’re only there for drinks or snacks. The outdoor deck in front of the restaurant, despite being right on South Lamar, is where we always sit. The inside of the restaurant isn’t super appealing, especially when it isn’t crowded. Parking can be a pain here. They have sharply angled spots on one side of the building, and I imagine that during busy dinner hours, you have to seek parking elsewhere on South Lamar.
So, dinner. Unfortunately, the entrees we’ve tried here did not blow us away. The mole enchiladas were decent, as were the tacos al pastor and the enchiladas de pipian. Bottom line: I love this place for happy hour, but I wouldn’t recommend it for a full meal, especially since entrees aren’t any cheaper than most other Austin sit-​downs offering the same dishes.

Fake Mexican food. Enchiladas, etc are ok but anything authentic is just for show. Charro beans broth tasted buillon cubes. Just be Tex-​mex if you’re Tex-​mex.
Don’t bother here. There are at least 3 better Mexican places within walking distance.

Not quite what I expected but a little better actually.
Early dinner on Thursday evening during happy hour. Drink specials are pretty good considering the size and quality of the margaritas. $ 4 for fresh lime juice, tequila, triple sec as sweet or not as you prefer in a large glass and domestic beers were $ 2.25, Olé!
The 3 – 4 tables quickly swelled to 12 or more all partaking in happy hour specials expedited by attentive servers making sure the wait was minimal and the crowd was quite convivial.
Chips and salsa to start were tasty with no complaints. We couldn’t decide on entrees so we ordered 3 for the 2 of us. Carnitas, beef tenderloin skewer and chiles en nogada.
The food arrived fairly quickly and we dug in. Carnitas were authentic large pieces of pork cooked in pork fat. The beef skewer was very tender, cooked medium rare with a nice grilled taste. The chiles dish, the most expensive at $ 16 was truly traditional and well prepared. Luckily we saved enough scraps for leftovers the next day.
All in all I would probably go 3.5−4 on food and 4 – 5 on drinks and service so I arrive at a solid 4 on this first time experience. Go for happy hour for sure and see what you think.

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I’ve been back so many times now I’m becoming a regular. My favorite is still the Enchiladas de Pipian, but there are so many wonderful looking things on the menu that I have to squeeze in a new experience once in a while.
Went on Friday night and our group decided to start with the QUESO GRINGO. Mmmm good. A subtle hint of sauteed onion and/​or shallots. White cheese. .. creamy. .. delicious.
I decided to try the CHILE EN NOGADA. The menu says the sauce is served cold, and thank goodness it’s not. Mine arrived a little more like room temperature. For me the problem is that a cool sauce on top of (or under) a hot dish just immediately drops the temperature of the hot food, which is not my preference. The sauce seemed a bit gritty and not as creamy as I would have liked, but it was tasty. Not my favorite, but glad I tried it.
I guess that I just didn’t get my fix on Friday night, so I had to go back on Sunday afternoon and order the ENCHILADAS de PIPIAN. Ahhhhh. Now I feel better. Also ordered a ToGo plate for my son. He selected the ENCHILADAS de CARNITAS. When I asked later if it was good, he said, «Yeah, it was good. No, it was VERY good.» He wants to try the ENCHILADAS de JAIBA next time.
And don’t forget to order a couple of their delicious frozen margaritas to enjoy with the chips and award winning hot sauce.
Also, if you’re going on a weekday, they often have Groupon Now deals ($ 10 for $ 20). Even if you’re alone, you could probably order your meal and one to go. Unfortunately, I always go on the weekends, but it is sooooo worth every penny I spend, and I think their prices are VERY reasonable.