Z’Tejas Southwestern Grill

Headquarters for the Department of Rude Surprises. As noted by other reviewers, complimentary, excellent cornbread has been a signature touch at ZTejas since Day One. But dining there last night, we were hit with a $ 3 cornbread charge, for what has always been included in meal pricing.
The salient point here is that we were not advised of this policy change by our waiter. I spoke with the manager, who failed to offer to reverse the charge. IMO this would have been the proper one-​time thing to do for long-​time customers who are not proactively advised of this fundamental change in their dining policy… think your fav TexMex joint where you are unexpectedly charged for chips.
Instead, he droned on at length about how this is now «Cornbread for a Cause», with ¹⁄₃ of each $ 3 going to a charity of ZTejas’ choice. He waxed poetic about how much Z had contributed to the Children’s Hospital of Phoenix, like this was supposed to somehow vindicate his poor response to my issue.
IMO, incredibly insensitive and stupid, because for $ 3, they could have retained us as a loyal customer. Instead, we’ll now patronize other area restaurants, because we were burned by a quasi-​Bait & Switch, then dissed by Z’s manager.

This place was kind of like the Tex-​Mex version of the Cheesecake Factory. Everything from the décor to the food was pleasant but none of it had much character or uniqueness.
The service was good. It wasn’t very crowded the night we went and we were seated immediately.
We started off with chips, guacamole, and an order of the cornbread. (Other reviews mention complimentary cornbread – it was NOT free when we went). The cornbread comes in a small cast iron pan and was OK, pretty light and cake-​like, but not particularly flavorful. The guacamole was made tableside and had like 20 ingredients, including cheese and pumpkin seeds. It was a bit unusual but I liked it, there was a nice slight smoky flavor to it (from the chipotle hot sauce they used, I guess).
For my main dish I had enchiladas. They came with the standard rice and beans. Unfortunately they were nothing special. The flavors were a bit bland and just tasted like something I could whip up in the kitchen at home (and I’m no great chef).
Overall I’d say you can find much, much better Tex-​Mex/​Mexican/​Southwestern in the area. On the other hand I’m sure this place would be good for something like a work lunch or family outing when you just want decent food that everyone can agree on.

So bad. A place like this in Austin should not exist. We know what good Tex Mex tastes like and this is certainly not it.

We asked if we could be seated across from the fireplace when we walked in and they happily obliged, the place is set up pretty cozy for the holidays.
I tried the Li’l Z’Stick ‘Rita which is Midori, Chambord, and DeKuyper Blue Curaçao, I gotta say it was a little strange. It doesn’t look all that appealing as far as the colors mixing together goes (turns kinda gray), it wasn’t bad, it just sounds better than it is.
We then ordered the table side guacamole for an appetizer which I lovedddd. It was so good, I scooped up most of it with a spoon before my bf had a chance to dive in. Nothing better than fresh guac!
Dinner was alright, nothing amazing really. I had the mushroom enchiladas which were supposed to come with an avocado mango relish (they skipped the avocado, which by now you can tell that was a huge problem for me) so our waiter brought me some slices. The sour cream it came with was ‘drizzled’ on top… not sure who puts sour cream in a squeeze bottle instead of in a ramekin or on the side… but I had to ask for some because it was a lame excuse for sour cream.
All in all it was an OK experience.

Deplorable service and mediocre food, at best. I have never been more disappointed in an Austin staple. Just no excuse for waiting 45 minutes for one entrée, an appetizer and a kids meal. The couple next to us was seated 20 minutes after us and we’re paying their tab… and we still hadn’t been served. When we asked the manager to check on our food he disappeared into the kitchen and never followed up, never apologized, never offered an explanation. We sat with empty glasses for over 20 minutes while waiting on our food. It would have been nice to at least have a drink! The waitress finally reappeared and brought out ice cold shrimp tostada bites, mediocre enchiladas, and the kids meal which was so salty I was worried my 5 year old would have a coronary. I’ve loved Z-​tejas for my 20 years of living in Austin, but today was the nail in the coffin. Never again.

Food was okay… the shrimp avocado tostado appetizer was AMAZING! Entrees (chorizo stuffed tenderloin and steak enchilada) were just alright. Service was NOT good. Our server was friendly but actually said at one point «guys I’m really busy right now I’ll see if someone else can deal with this,» when we asked about closing a flap on the outside tent. As a former waitress, I was floored. It was clear from the service she was unable to handle her section because we ended up waiting for everything. Made an average meal even less appealing.

It is so truly hard to fault this place. The food is delicious, the service is good and the consistency of both is outstanding. I have gone to all 3 locations for many years and still enjoy it every time I sit down. I find this location louder than the rest and almost always sit on the patio (they enclose it in colder weather). Take advantage of the free appetizer on the survey and save a ton on the next visit. This is a great place for a date or to take the parents.

Great food overall the several times I’ve been there. The pork nachos, mushroom enchiladas, and jerk chicken were awesome. We didn’t care for the tortilla soup. Service was good. Ceiling, fireplace and view were nice. The tables outside could use a little TLC. I’ll be back for the flavor and fresh ingredients.

Upon entering the door we tripped on a rolled-​up mat that had not been put out properly. 2pm on a Saturday and no hostess??? We sat ourselves at the bar and became engulfed in swarms of gnats; keep in mind it’s cold outside so I guess these gnats were due to an unclean working/​food environment. Moved to a table to get away from the gnats and they followed us there too. Ordered the chicken tortilla soup and it was done poorly. We have been coming here for years and this is hands down the worse visit. Not sure how every aspect of our visit was less than acceptable. No follow-​up from management/​owner. Disappointing.

Best food, drinks, atmosphere for a meal with a date, friends, family or coworkers. Love the cornbread. Love the seafood enchiladas. Love the happy hour.

Their catfish and Tatar sauce is always cooked perfectly, crunchy, flavorful, spicy and spicy, but not overly spicy. Their hot complimentary cornbread is an excellent recipe. I haven’t tried anything else on the menu because I am addicted to the catfish.

We had a 12:15 pm reservation October 25 (yesterday)for a party of 8, and the hostesses were v nice. It’s a great looking restaurant.
We got the big oval booth by the patio.
We put in our order which our waiter never wrote down. He was rude actually. An HOUR later he finally tells us «oh the kitchen lost the ticket» and writes our order again. No apologies.
Overall we were there for 2 ½ hours and our waiter never gave us a discount or offered any extras.
My friend had to talk to the manager, whom we had to wait for, and then he blamed the kids at the table.
What? The kids were perfectly well behaved.
Never coming back here again the manager and waiter were AWFUL
We got the chile rellenos, chicken tacos, nachos, queso dip, chicken tenders, rice and beans, etc.
was just ok.

Came here for Sunday brunch and I must say, I really wasn’t expecting the view! The food was delicious and the bloody Mary’s hit the spot. Will be back soon to see what the rest of the menu has to offer.

Why four stars, because it’s the real deal, when I say the real deal I mean the real deal, everything we had, there were four of us, we tried each other’s dishes and one was better than the other.
The atmosphere is a little on the strange side but it works, if you’re going to sit there for a long time the seats are not that comfortable but the food makes up for it.
The staff was very friendly and accommodating seating us where we would be the most comfortable.
This was a Unilocal fine as we were visiting Austin Texas for the first time so we did not know where to go and as usual it did not fail.
If we were to visit this part of town ever again I would definitely go back and try some of the other dishes on the menu, all of them that I saw go buy me look and smelled delicious as our food was.

Food was great! Service not so much :/​our server (s) were awesome, but very busy and we had to ask for all of our refills :/​after shopping all day, we were very thirsty! But, really, the food was good. The attitude of the servers kept the review up, even though it was a bit lacking in attention.
The restaurant is LOUD! If it wasn’t so hot, we’d have sat outside, it’s nice and quiet out there lol
On Sundays, after 4pm, kids eat free, 1 per adult entrée.
We will be back!

I have been here twice now, we recently went with a large party for a birthday and were seated outside. It was a pretty steamy night, but it was a very nice setting and the view is lovely. Our waiter was a complete space cadet and I felt like he was aiming for my head when he poured water to the person sitting next to me and delivering plates of food.
We got their sampler platter and I thought the queso was pretty good… I got the smoked chicken poblano stuffed pepper as their take on chile relleno and really enjoyed it. The flavors were great and it was not too spicy and just different. I also had their mexican martini which was pretty yummy and very generously sized.
It is fairly pricey for mexican food but in a nice part of town so I guess they must pay the rent somehow. It is a very nice spot to take someone for fancy mexican fare though and the food is good, but I just can’t see spending this much on mexican food if I have to go out again to pick a spot to have some margaritas.

Having been to Z’Tejas TWICE within a span of FOUR days and still not being sick of it, I can attest that Z’Tejas delivers some pretty solid food. I went to both the 6^th Street Location and the Arboretum Location and enjoyed both experiences (I went with 10+ people both times).
The food is awesome. I’ve tried their Tejas Trio, Chicken Fried Chicken, Catfish Beignets, Street Tacos, and Ancho Fudge Pie. And of course, their complimentary side — corn bread. The street tacos were extremely satisfying: the flavors from the beef, cucumbers, and other ingredients all coalesced very well.
Service is also quite good. I will say, however, that I enjoyed the service at the Arboretum location more than the one on 6^th Street. Our server at the Arboretum location checked in on us more often and joked bout his mastery in cutting cornbread. Nonetheless, service at both places was pretty good, and Z’Tejas is definitely a restaurant worth checking out.

Yay! So delicious!
Love how open and comfy all the seating is. Our waitress and waitstaff were all very nice and kept all our drinks filled.
The cat fish beignet were Delish. Perfectly crispy, not greasy at all and tasted fresh. My husband got the street tacos. They tasted very good and it came with 4 beef tacos. Most places only gives you three. I got the Smoked Chicken Chile Relleno. It was very pretty but I was confused from the huge poblano chili. It was grilled nicely but underneath was this yummy, moist chicken. Very very good.
I rarely drink because of the taste but i thoroughly enjoyed my basil berry margarita and my husband’s Petron fruzion was even better.
We asked for more corn bread before we got dessert so the waitress packed us a whole thing of corn bread and honey butter to go. Over all, the night couldn’t be better.

I visited Austin one weekend and this restaurant was recommended by the concierge and walking distance from my hotel.
At 5:30 on Saturday it was pretty packed, but I was able to make reservations online through their online system. The atmosphere is casual.
I ordered the table side guacamole to start. It was delicious and fresh! It included the regular guac essentials: cilantro, tomatoes, onions, etc. They added a chipotle tabasco and pumpkin seeds which I had never tried before. The combination was pretty damn good! The chips were a little stale.
The 6^th Street margarita wasn’t anything particularly special. For 6.75, you get what you pay for. More like a slushy to add to my meal than a potent alcoholic drink (haha.)
Instead of complimentary chips and salsa, Z Tejas gives cornbread. It was very fresh and served in a mini cast iron.
For my entrée, i ordered the steak burrito. Very lackluster and forgettable. The tortilla was very chewy, and the steak wasn’t particularly flavorful. The Spanish rice was a little bland as well. I probably wouldn’t order it again.
Overall, it wasn’t horrible, but I would try another restaurant next time I’m in town.

One of the best food happy hours in Austin! They have a good variety of appetizers for $ 6, 7, and 8 dollars. Some of my favorites are the chile pork verde (great for taking home for leftovers if you have too much), street tacos (4 mini tacos with pretty good beef), and the grilled shrimp and guac tostado bites. I’ve also tried the catfish beignets (just okay, it’s like fancy fishsticks) andthe spinach and mushroom quesadillas (good, but again not amazing).
Also got their 6^th street margarita and boy, it was pretty strong. They definitely didn’t skimp on the alcohol! I have fairly good tolerance (especially considering I’m a small Asian girl), but this one was whoa! My friend and I both were like hmm. Note to self: drink slowly, very slowly. LOL! :)