Vivo

Swanky little place on 620 fairly close to Lakeline Mall — easy to get to from 620, 183, 45 toll, Anderson Mill Rd… it’s in a strip mall, but once inside you would never know that. The artwork is really fun… boobs everywhere… well, fake boobs… painted boobs… not the silicone type… so if you’re offended by nudity… beware…it’s all over the walls… everywhere…boobs galore.
They have an excellent… and I do mean excellent Happy Hour. Select appetizers are half price (don’t assume what you want is on this list, though or you’ll be surprised when you get the bill), and a great variety of drink specials. The margaritas are truly heavenly.
The only negative was the bill at the end… my friends (not me) kind of got a surprise that wasn’t explained when they ordered, but otherwise it was a great experience and we plan to return.

A common cliché, I wanted to like Vivo… after all, the Northern Austin options kinda suck. Unfortunately, our experience was pretty underwhelming.
The good:
The ambiance is nice. They’ve done an excellent job hiding the fact that they’re in a strip mall.
The drinks were tasty.
The chips and salsa were ok (actually, the chips aren’t great, but the salsa is good). Unfortunately, it seemed as if somebody stepped on our chips in the kitchen, as it was more a bowl of chip shards. Maybe they got a discount?
The chicken with avocado was a winner, as were the rice and borracho beans (the refried were extra meh).
The bad:
It was understaffed and service was SUPER slow. Could have dealt with it fine had we had drinks, but…
Our drink order was up moments after we ordered… we were about 10 feet away and staring at our lovely margaritas just sitting there as our waiter passed them numerous times and the bartender sat and socialized right next to them for what felt like forever.
The waiter finally noticed them, likely as a result of our glaring, and brought them over. He didn’t apologize, but instead explained how lucky we were, as apparently the happy hour ½ price margaritas are also normally ½ size?!
OK, I am not a MORON… cutting a drink in half along with the price IS NOT A DEAL!
The awful:
The recommended brisket enchiladas were DISGUSTING. Now, I love brisket, and I love enchiladas, so how could it be bad? The sauce was inedible… it tasted like they dumped a bottle of liquid smoke in it, and it was nothing but GROSS.
In summary:
No mas Vivo! I will instead drive the opposite direction on 620 to Santa Catarina in Lakeway whenever I want classed-​up Mexican.
And as for the recommendations for Vivo’s happy hour… unless you’re looking for only half a drink, consider a place that offers an ACTUAL discount, not ½ price for ½ the drink.

Vivo is basically the only cool spot in my part of town which is why I keep going back.
The last time I was there, last Friday I was beyond disappointed. I had a friend in from out of town so I wanted to take her somewhere cool, but not too high maintenance. I made a reservation and still managed to wait for almost 45 minutes. We each got a drink, so $ 23.00 down, still no food, I’m starting to get really annoyed. No one besides the mousey hostess came up to us to apologize for the wait and when she did come over she just said what we already figured out. .. The table wasn’t ready.
Enough about that. Our waiter was not good. He never came back around to ask if anyone wanted another drink and we probably would have gotten one but basically didn’t want to spend more money there than necessary. Then he brings out one of our orders wrong, doesn’t apologize for it and kind of blames it on my friend. Again, no bigs, we’re pretty reasonable, but then we realize, we’re missing someone else’s meal. He says nothing about that and just starts to walk away. I don’t know if it was a bad day or what. Time for the check — we get it from him after quite a while, then again, he’s vanished. It took forever to get out of there.
Vivo you must step your game up!

Very hit or miss, this place — 2.5 really. The first time my boyfriend and I went to Vivo, we found it by accident! We were unsuccessfully searching for some now-​defunct sandwich shop, when we noticed Vivo. It drew me in, looking like an oasis from the 100+ degree heat, so we decided to try something new. My first experience was FANTASTIC!
We ate outside on the patio, surrounded by lush foliage, cool fans, a great water fountain, and amazing décor. As a designer, the fantastic décor and design (inside and out) made me VERY happy! The service was excellent! Never before have I had a server tell me «It was my pleasure serving you, I thoroughly enjoyed it. We hope you come back soon.» We ordered from the regular menu, and we thought the food was pretty solid, a B/​B+. I left with grandiose ideas that Vivo would be my next ultimate «hang-​out» spot, and wondered how many friends I could fit into their awesome leather booths. Overall, it felt like a good little restaurant.
The second time we visited Vivo, the experience was wholly different, because we chose to eat inside.
The décor inside is really what puzzled me. I liked it a lot — I would decorate my own pad like Vivo if I could. But as we were seated in our large vinyl booth overlooking the dining area, we slowly started to realize that the restaurant should be a club, a cocktail bar — hell, even a strip club — but not a Tex-​Mex cuisine restaurant. As a Hispanic person, when I think of Tex-​Mex, I think of a family place. And this is NOT your mother’s Tex-​Mex; a fact that is proudly advertised as «better than sex Tex-​Mex». Cute. But we came for the brunch buffet, not a table dance. The brunch buffet was sub-​par at best, gnawing on rubbery chorizo is not my idea of «better than sex». I would advise to skip the brunch buffet altogether at 15 bucks a pop.
I can’t really explain why the walls feel slathered in sex, but they do. And I don’t know about you, but «sexy» does not equal «hungry» to me no matter how you spin it. The longer we dined there, the more we realized that everyone around us seemed to be nursing a hangover, jamming out to the terribly trite «dj-​mix» of completely unrelated music, or trying to remove the post-​strip-​club glitter caked on their faces.
To wash away the sick feeling of brunch, I decided to order one of their acclaimed house margaritas. PHENOMENAL-​tasting ‘rita, if I do say so. I figured if I was going to feel a bit sleazy, I might as well have a drink with «brunch» — but it still didn’t make up for the experience.
Overall, if you want more club than restaurant — where the drinks will numb your taste-​buds so it doesn’t matter WHAT you stick into your mouth — then Vivo is PERFECT for you!
If not, take the time to eat outside where there’s daylight, and order from the real menu; you just might enjoy it!

Very good! If you’re looking for an upscale Mexican food restaurant with great food, this is for you. I liked the atmosphere – dark and cozy, and they also had a nice patio outside with lots of fans and plants. Got the house margarita (happy hour price is only $ 3) and it was great. My husband actually said, «Wow – I wasn’t expecting that», after his first sip at how strong it was. We both ordered dishes with their verde sauce, which was heavenly. I really enjoyed their chips and salsa as well.
Service was nice and not rushed. Yes, it’s pricier than the average Mexican food restaurant, but the food and décor justifies it.

This Vivo’s menu is so much more enticing than the Manor Road location. Chef Paul has come up with some fantastic dishes on the regular menu as well as specials during the week. Rib eye with a fried egg on top? We missed out but this combo is already haunting me.
Our server, Jory, was the perfect combination of help and humor. Hubby and I shared the House Margarita made with Perrito Tequila served with a beautiful pink edible flower. It was strong as an ox. The guacamole was fresh and tasty but a little too blended for me. I like to bite into some chunks.
For the first time in our lives, we ordered the same meal. The combo plate with one brisket enchilada, one shredded chicken puffy taco and a double refried beans was fantastic. If you are a brisket fan you will be beyond happy with those enchiladas. Jory painted a picture of a huge hunk of seasoned beef on a spit turning slowing as it is smoked for 17 hours. Yowza! And the enchilada sauce is infused with a spicey sweet smoke flavor that is a perfect combination with the brisket.
I realized after we left, that I did not receive a rose. You have spoiled me for years and now nothing? Not even a goodbye.

With the way work has been, I was in desperate need of a good Happy Hour. Made plans to meet friends at Vivo’s was just what I needed.
We managed to get a table on the patio. The patio faces out to the parking lot but you wouldn’t know it with the plants and waterfalls blocking the lot. Weather cooperated to give us beautiful temperatures. The troupe of people I was with were a delight to talk to.
The waiter was on the top of his game with our large group. Drinks and food were delievered promptly. My shrimp quesadilla was filled suffienctly. I only added some of the salsa to my shrimp and it was very good.
What cause this wonderful evening to take a turn for the worst was when the bill arrived. I could understand the no separate checks and even the large party addition of the predetermined tip. The trouble was the «Happy Hour» drink prices and explaination. No, I didin’t get the Margaretta. So the normal 6 ounce Margaretta was not $ 6. The Happy Hour Margaretta was for a half size. So it was not a deal. When the manager came out to explain that, he pointed to my glass size as the Happy Hour size. I requested the Vodka and cranberry juice, Well Drink for $ 3. After the price disagreement on the Margaretta’s, I finally looked at the check to find they charged me $ 5.25 per drink. Yes, a four ounce glass filled with ice, an ounce of vodka, and a splash of cranberry juice is $ 5.25.
So be warned to specifically ask for the HAPPY HOUR drink to the waiter.

I had such a blast last night. Which is completely NOT a reflection on Vivo, but which is on the people I was surrounded by!
When you arrive at a place for happy hour and it says the house margaritas are $ 5, many people, myself included, assume that means their regular $ 10 margaritas are ½ price. Well, you know what happens when you assume! So you can imagine how shocked we were when we received our bill and we were all charged $ 11 ($ 1 extra for flavors) for all the margaritas we drank. When the manager came to explain our bill we were then informed $ 5 margartias are actually HALF SIZED margaritas. How is that a happy hour special? Apparently, no one from Vivo has ever visited another happy hour, otherwise they would know how it was done.
The food was awful. I had the Comal Seared Queso Fresco which is served with a cranberry chipotle compote. Now I expect anything that has chipotle in it to have a little bit of a kick to it. This had nothing… no flavor at all!
They are just not a happy hour place and should not advertise themselves as one.

Happy hour. A noun. Defined by
as: «a cocktail hour or longer period at a bar, during which drinks are served at reduced prices or with free snacks.»
Apparently, Vivo didn’t get the memo.
It was one of those beautiful, temperate Austin days that makes me crave nothing more than tasty adult beverages on a patio somewhere, with fab company. It was brought to my attention that Vivo had all of these things on this particular day, so I made the trek slightly North to meet said peeps. The patio is fabulous. The drinks are tasty, perfect for the weather. There was trouble wrangling an extra table for our expanding group, even though there was plenty of space on the patio… actually, there was no wrangling an extra table. We managed to cram, maybe, 15 people around two tables. I’m glad everyone was friendly and no one smelled, since we had to keep such close quarters. Service was painfully slow… we often had to nab someone to refill our waters or bring menus (our waiter was decent, though, he just had a whole lot of tables, and always had a smile on his face… hire more people, Vivo! Especially for «happy hour!»).
I’ve never been impressed by the food at Vivo and this visit was no exception… but I hadn’t eaten all day and needed some sort of sustenance to go with my cucumber margarita. There was, however, a mango mousse on the special menu that I couldn’t resist. It. Was. Fabulous.
Then, the check arrived. We were charged $ 11 each for $ 5 happy hour margaritas. Upon explanation, the manager said that their happy hour margaritas were less than half the size of the ones we’d been drinking. So, um, we were paying regular price? How does that equate happy hour? I consider myself to be pretty intelligent and that math just doesn’t add up in my head. Also, they don’t separate checks, though they do allow separate payments (note to self: bring cash when gathering with a large group). I think we all ended up just sucking it up and paying the damn expensive bill.
I think it’s pretty safe to say that most of us won’t be back. I know I won’t. That mango mousse didn’t even make up for it.

The prickly pear margarita was delish strong with and edge had an edable flower you can actually eat. I had the crab enchiladas the sauce was so flavorful you could tell they use the good stuff (real crab baby) trust you will not be disappointed when you eat these one of a kind enchiladas trust me I know enchiladas I’m Mexican so try em baby !!!
It’s as if they went fishing this morning to grab that delish crab for you! You will know its fresh once it hits your tounge so soft and moist… You even find a lil piece of crab shell that confirms it is not the counterfeit stuff

I wish they opened a bit earlier for happy hour. They have interesting appetizers and they have a cute place. A bit dark so don’t lose your earring.
I tried to take mom there but they weren’t open yet. I thought they used to open at 4.

I’ve been to this location for dinner, Sunday Funday, and now brunch. The staff is always friendly, the food is always good and OMG are the drinks delish. I love their salsa as well. It has a nice smoky flavor that’s not too common. The décor is really modern and the art is fascinating. Even the bathrooms are all done up.
Their $ 15 brunch buffet was pretty small in regards to selection, but it was all very tasty: biscuits & chorizo jalapeño gravy, chcicken & waffles, bagels w/​lox & cream cheese, ham & crispy bacon, migas, fajitas, cheese enchiladas, queso, guac, salad, fresh fruit, and pastries. They have DJ DIgg there spinning some old school R&B and progressive rock as well. I’ll definitely be working VIvo’s in to the brunch rotation.
Viva la Vivo’s!

Phillip is a fabulous waiter!
We showed up for Happy Hour. The deals really aren’t that great (on drinks). The apps are half price. We had the Shrimp and Chicken Quesdailla apps. Both were good. The salsa is fantastic!
House Prickly Pear margarita was decent, a bit sour despite being told it was sweet. The Hibiscus margarita was good, worth the $ 9.95? Not sure.
All in all, the décor, the service and the Happy Hour is a solid 4 stars. And the rose presented to me at the end of the meal? LOVE.

Vivo la Vivo! I spent way too many years in Round Rock to give this anything less than five stars. Between this, Gumbos steaks and Teji’s authentic Indian food, you can almost bear living in this restaurant wasteland.
The atmosphere is gorgeous (though who could expect less after having been to the one on manor?) We were seated promptly and brought two salsas and chips. I mention the two bowls of salsa because frankly, everyone always brings one. Then you descend on the chips like a shark scenting blood and everyone sits there and waits desperately for the next bowl of salsa. Well done, Vivo.
I got the Pollo Vivo, and by all rights it should have been the blandest thing on the menu as it was a chicken in verde sauce. Not so! I was pleasantly surprised by the spicy, rich, peppery verde sauce, perfectly cooked chicken with slices of avocado on top and a side salad (sub for rice and beans.) I was full midway through thanks to those GD chips but I powered through the chicken like I was getting paid for it.
Speaking of paid, the margaritas as pricey to be sure. They also have tons of flavors like hibiscus, watermelon, tamarind and my favorite drink, a paloma. Get there during their OG happy hour from 4 — 6 or the reverse HH from 8 — 10 though and you’ll save some dollah bills.
It’s gorgeous inside, the food was fabulous and the service was so great and unobtrusive that every time i reached for my water glass it was full without me even realizing it had been filled. Definitely a spot to check out if you’re in the northwest Austin area.

This place has a really nice atmosphere, very Vegas-​y. And a nice drink menu. I got a jalapeño cilantro margarita which was really good, although it could have had a little more muddled cilantro. The food menu (mostly various enchiladas and puffy tacos) seemed pretty limited.
When I took a bite of the queso, I remembered why I didn’t frequent the East side location. My husband put it perfectly, «it tastes like cheez wiz!». He thought it was good, I will pass. The chips were bubbly and crunchy, and I really liked them and the smoky salsa. The enchilada sauce on the cheese enchiladas was good, but the cheese had that cheeze whizzy/​velveeta taste. Eh. The puffy taco was good, not outstanding.
I would not come here again for lunch or dinner, but I would stop by to soak up the ambiance and have a drink for HH, and some of those chips and salsa.

Just an update, not a change in stars. I was already «a fan» of this place for their drinks and patio. But I never really cared for their food. Well, I noticed about a month ago an article in the Chronicle that they had hired a new chef and he had changed the menu. We decided to check it out. I’ve been twice now and have to say the new menu is a vast improvement over the old bland offerings.
The first time I went, I had the brisket enchiladas and hubby had pork ribs with a side of pork belly (that was a «special»). The enchis were the winner that nite with a great smokey flavor enhanced by the tangy ranchero sauce. A great fusion that embodied the term Tex-​Mex.
Last nite we went back for Dining For Life (thanks Vivos!) and as I wasn’t too hungry (I was eating for charity), I ordered what I thought would be the lightest item on the menu, the chile relleno. And yes, even tho this was less carboriffic than say, enchiladas, the pepper was huge and stuffed with a fantastic picadillo made with a Chardonnay soaked beef with succulent, sweet raisins, and then covered in a ranchero sauce with cheese topper. You could definitely taste the wine in the meat, lending it a sweetness, again offset by the tangy, tomatoey sauce. Another great thing about Vivos is they offer whole grain brown rice as a side which makes me feel healthier, even tho there was a layer of cheese under the rice, spilled over from my chile. The charro beans also were tasty with little chunks of tomato.
My only complaint is the guac we ordered as an app was very bland. It was a huge serving, with NO iceberg filler, but it tasted just like mashed up avocado with no seasonings, lime juice, etc.
I would recommend all those folks, who, like me, found their food to be boring and predictable for Tex-​Mex, to return and check out the new menu. Now I can go for the drinks AND the food!

This is a quirky restaurant. We were intrigued by the misty plant-​ensconced patio with the Buddha statue, and then my husband read that there was a new, highly-​rated chef on board, so we decided to check it out. As it was over 100 degrees that evening, we opted for the indoor seating, which is ample. The hostess and our server were super friendly & efficient.
As some other reviewers have indicated, the décor of this place is odd. The front alcove is graffiti-​adorned, and there is funky cartoonish art, mostly of naked, smiling women, throughout. There are several funky bar areas, and some are made private by high walls & sheer curtains. The dining area is surrounded by padded, private black leather ensconced booths, and multiple tables fill up the center area. Tall vases are strategically placed on pedestals to create a sense of privacy. It’s almost too loud for conversation, with undiscernable modern music filtered through the system, and dark, with lots of candles & lamps. A couple of Warhol prints of Marilyn Monroe smiled back at us from across the room. So we had the feeling that we had time-​traveled back to a late ‘60s, early ‘70s shag-​a-​delic nightclub. Austin Powers, anyone? Yeah, this is not a place for the kids.
The drink menu is as extensive as the food menu, with fancy, flavored margaritas served with flowers atop. My husband reports that the margaritas are good: flavorful & strong.
The beer and wine menu is respectable as well. Not many wines are available by the glass, but there is a decent assortment of imported and domestic beers.
Food is Tex-​Mex, and a basket of chips with some really fresh, spicy salsa arrived right away. I ordered a Negra Modelo, and it was served with a frosty pint glass & a lime.
The menu is succinct & fits on one long page. Tex Mex with some interesting flavor combinations, and choices of whole grain rice & charro & black beans, for example. Appetizers range from the standard nachos to the more adventuresome. We skipped those, however, and went straight for the entrees. The hubby ordered a chicken taco & enchilada combo, and I struggled over a decision between the enchildas verde (served with pulled chicken), or the chile rellenos (served with either picadillo, or grilled shrimp). I’m not a beef or chicken eater, so the waiter quickly offered to make whatever changes I wanted to combine fillings & sauces. Usually, I have to ask for substitutions & wonder how they will be received by the kitchen, so I was relieved to have it offered.
Our meals were delicious & plentiful enough that we each boxed up half to eat for lunch the next day. Everything was freshly made and cooked to perfection, not overcooked as is often the case with Mexican restaurants. The charro beans tasted fresh from the pot with fresh pico de gallo on top. The fresh verde tomatillo sauce was some of the best I’ve sampled. The fresh homemade corn tortillas were so soft and supple that they almost passed for flour.
One nice (and kind of humorous) touch is that the servers will deliver a long-​stemmed rose to any ladies at the table, just before the check is presented. I say humorous because of the timing. So, bottom line is that we were pleasantly surprised, and plan to return. Yeah, baby, yeah.

This review only survived a one star because the expensive margaritas and sangria are strong and tasty.
Better Mexican food can be found at a local taqueria or family-​owned restaurants. Vivo’s food lacks flair, style, flavor and substance to justify the price. I ordered the Macho Nachos, Emma’s combo (puffy taco and Chili enchilada) and the Bailey’s cake. The Nachos and combo were not bad, but just not near worth the price. The Bailey’s cake was delicious, but is a small square of cake for $ 9.
The décor is semi-​swanky and dimly lit, yet still modern.
The service was good.
The rose is a nice touch and made the evening worth it for my girlfriend. We both enjoyed our drinks.
If I want a great happy hour meal with delicious cocktails, I’ll pick the Roaring Fork 9 out of 10 times over this. The tenth time I would go back to Vivo only because I became so bored of Roaring Fork. Scratch that, I could never be that bored of Roaring Fork to head back to Vivo.
Note: I edited this to reflect the salsa, which is good.

Décor is unique and the semi private booths are a nice touch. However, the images of the ladies are a bit much a few would be nice but they are totally overdone. If Hugh Hefner was Hispanic he would love it!
Service was very good
The food was ok and since I believe it always comes down to the food I am only giving them 3 stars.
The food isnt bad, it just isnt great. I had a tasty green garden salad with an ancho vinaigrette dressing that was very good but the rest of the meal was rather boring and lacked luster and originality. I was driving so I can not comment about the drinks.
The long stem rose for the ladies is a cute touch. If your in this part of town and would like to have a decent sitdown meal then drop in but I would not go out of my way to eat here.

Excuse me, I must be in the wrong place. I was looking for a typical Mexican food restaurant found in any north county strip mall.
As soon as I walked in, I knew I was lost; maybe even transported to some new hot spot lounge in the Dallas area. I hate it when I hit the road to a distant city and blank out on the drive.
How can they get away with the fabulous décor and attention to detail? Don’t they know they are supposed to have ho-​hum bathrooms and no personality? And where’s that sterile smell of pine-​sol?
And what’s with the dim lights? I like ridiculously bright lights when I eat; this is too intimate and fun. What’s next, a fabulous menu of exotic drinks? Oh, I guess so. Keri B’s already fallen in love with the cucumber margarita.
I only had the Machos Nachos with beef picadillo, but if that app is any indication of the quality of the entrees, I’m going to vivo more often. I’ve heard the puffy tacos are not to be missed. Puffy tacos? Are we in San Antonio? Does anyone else remember that the minor league team in SA had a puffy taco as their mascot? Are the San Antonio Missions still around? Are there too many questions in this review?