El Arbol

Whyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyyy? Come back, El Arbol! Come back!

CLOSED?! BOOOOOO!!!
Redo the wording on your menu and advertise (I’d never even heard of you before our first and only time!) and open back up, dammit!
And can you please send me the recipe for the gnocci? :)

I can’t believe I am the first person to mention this. El Arbol is closed for business. They still have an active website and their old voicemail.
Yesterday morning their website let me make a reservation for 10 people– myself, fiancé, and out 8 out of town guests– and it even sent me a confirmation email. However, when we got there at 8pm, lights were off, patio chairs were upside down, and there was a little piece of paper taped to the door saying «El Arbol has closed for business. Thank you for your patronage.»
I was so pissed– and embarrassed in front of my trendy LA and NYC visitors! It’s too bad, that place was so good. Super annoying that they can’t even change their website or voicemail.

I am majorly impressed with this place, I’m giving it a full 5-​stars. My fiancé and I came here for his birthday dinner, and we arrived around 6. We were seated in a beautiful booth on the first level that overlooked the patio area. El Arbol is three separate levels, with a bar at the top, and happy hour on appetizers. I have not done their happy hour yet but am eager to come back and try.
My fiancé ordered the flank steak (10oz strube ranch texas wagyu) and this came with a Chimichurri sauce on the side that he really loved. He also ordered a side of the whipped purple potatoes which were so velvety and fantastic. They had the perfect balance of flavor and saltiness. I ordered the oak grilled escolar (white tender fish), which came with a side of herb manchego gnocchi (crispy and delicious), roasted corn, green onion, & fennel. The escolar was grilled to perfection, very tender. The corn and sides were so flavorful, I was just as excited about them as the fish itself.
Our waitress graciously offered us a free birthday dessert, so we tried the PB&J (As described on their menu: Grappamiel semifreddo, olive oil cake, grape gel, rosemary polenta crocante, peanut garrapiñada). The semifreddo was super yummy, like frosting mixed with yogurt, a perfect blend. The lemon cake was very refreshing and the rosemary crisp was so awesome.
Our server was very attentive and helpful, the ambiance was very nice, and the food was excellent. We will definitely be back!

I’ve been here a few times now but have yet to eat an actual meal. That’s because I’m more of a «small plates» girl and let me tell ya, El Arbol delivers.
The décor is stunning. Sleek and simple, with a throwback vibe.
Several other reviewers have complained about the speed of service or the price. I have never had issue with either. In fact, our service has always been nothing short of exceptional.
We have a habit of ordering off the Appetizer menu at a lot of places. That way, we get to savor several things, we don’t usually have leftovers– meaning perhaps we’re not paying for food we’re not finishing – and the final tally is acceptable. Either way, it works for us. Especially at El Arbol.
Our favorites are the grilled octopus, the beef bruschetta, the beef hearts, trio of all flavors of empanadas (though the pork is probably my favorite), and a side of the papas fritas with aioli. Let me say that one more time for emphasis: The Papas Fritas with Aioli. Such a simple dish, so damn good.
Top it all off with a nice bottle of spanish red and then pray for the cooler temps to return so you can take it all in from the treetop patio:)

Bff and I had yet another stellar time at La Sombra yesterday evening! The Caiparinhas as usual were fantastic at $ 5 each, the quail amazing, and service as always very good. I wasn’t crazy about the nopal tacos but the redfish ceviche in the lime ginger soy marinade with the pickled veggies was outstanding, and…
Oh. Wait. This is supposed to be a review of El Arbol. Let’s rewind to earlier in the evening, shall we?
Bff and I fairly skipped out of his apartment yesterday, we were so excited to try El Arbol finally. On a gorgeous day, we had fantasies of sitting on one of their many patios for happy hour drinks and apps and dinner. *cue ominous music* We had… a Groupon (duh duh dummmmm). And that Groupon expires today.
After finally finding parking in the neighborhood, we rolled in at 5:45 to find the front foyer packed wth people. There were about 10 folks sitting forlornly on a bench seat like they were outside the principal’s office, and a few people in line in front of us for the hostess and soon more behind as well. Apparently we weren’t the only ones with this great plan. In fact the family in front of us and the 3 people behind us all had Groupons. Bff and I started getting nervous. The first lady in line, well they couldn’t find her online reservation (btw, just try to make one off the Unilocal page right now… so sorry, they are not taking them at this time), so they offered to put her on the waiting list. The wait was, so sorry, THREE HOURS. She fussed a little then took her spot on the Bench of Sadness. Meanwhile a couple of guys had just walked in and by us saying they were just going to the bar. Bff and I were relieved. We didn’t mind sitting at the bar for dinner, even if it was inside. At this point we’d take anything.
Everyone in line was starting to get nervous. The guy behind us said he’d attempted to come in last nite at 5 and couldn’t get in then either. And he said the reservations had been full for a week.
So the guy in front of us starts berating the hostess when she says they are not taking any more people even on the wait list as the wait was THREE HOURS already but she’d go «check with the kitchen» to make sure. That was a big red flag for us. Apparently the kitchen was unable to keep up with volume. He demanded to see the manager.
I mouthed to Bff that I was gonna go check the bar situation. This was the bar situation: a spot about as big as my kitchen, inside, with people just standing around. No chairs and just a single high bar that folks were leaning on. On my way to this bar, I’d walked thru the downstairs dining area that was EMPTY, and had also noted some empty seats on both the downstairs and second level patio.
I returned to the foyer to find the manager and the customer having it out. The Grouponers were demanding to have the coupon extended and the manager was arguing back saying, «That’s why we have expiration dates! You should have come in sooner!» The Grouponers got huffy, the manager got huffy, and this in a room full of customers. Then the Grouponers demanded his business card and said they would be reporting him to the Better Business Bureau. It was at this juncture that Bff and I slooowly backed out of the room not making eye contact. We felt like we were on the Tunisian Border and there was about to be a riot.
We headed to Plan B, La Sombra, where we were greeted with warm smiles from about 5 employees and immediatley got seated on a pleasant patio where we quickly received our tasty beverages. Our first response was, «Ahhhhh…» After leaving the war zone, this was like coming home. Our next idea was to pack up all the great food we were eating and take it to El Arbol and sell to those poor suckers on the Bench of Sadness for triple the price.
So just a little advice for El Arbol:
Firstly, when you have issued a coupon that is due to expire, make damn sure you have the waitstaff and kitchen staff to deal with twice the volume you are used to.
Secondly, and this one is hard to swallow sometimes, but THE CUSTOMER IS ALWAYS RIGHT. Granted the man last nite was a pompous ass and you felt ganged up on by the other Grouponers, but it would have been so easy to defuse that situation by either extending the Groupon or offering to take it at face value some other time. You don’t argue with 4 customers in a room full of customers. I think we all felt like you really didn’t need our business and I would have been interested to know how many times that scenario repeated itself throughout the nite, losing more potential customers.
AS disappointed as we were, we learned a valuable lesson. I don’t care how great their food is, it may be heaven on a plate, but nothing is worth that hassle. One star for the ambiance that, like a poor street urchin, I got to glimpse from afar.

OK folks… First I want to make clear I went here using the Groupon that was available in December…
When I arrived there was quite a line of people that were angry that there was a 3 hour wait if you didn’t have a reservation. Surprise, surprise — the several days before the groupon expired (today, 3÷3÷11) they were packed and busy… That’s why reservations are recommended folks!
I made my reservation a couple weeks ago, and, obviously, am glad I did. I was seated promptly and the great service continued through out the entire evening. If I could rate just on service, it would be a 5!!!
My dining partner and I ordered numerous things so we could really test the foods (My favorite thing to do on a Groupon!) We started with cocktails — me the Italiano (martini with lemon and prosecco) DELISH! him — a frozen margarita with a floater of Chambord — No complaints there either!
When you arrive at the table, they bring a bread basket and a garlic/​white bean spread. The spread was a nice change from butter and yummy. The bread was your basic sliced baguette.
For appetizer we ordered the Picada ($ 15) (Cured Meat, assorted Cheeses and house olive mix). The meat was about 6 slices of basic salami; mild, not too dry and wonderfully flavored. The cheeses, while unknown, were great! One was a hard cheese with a sharp flavor which paired nicely with the salami. The other was soft and creamy, but more firm than Brie and it paired outstandingly with the olives. MMMM… The olives… The olives were large green and kalamata coated in a crushed pepper aioli… MMM…
For dinner I ordered a glass of Pinot Noir, which was very good! To eat, we ordered several items:
Flat Iron ($ 21)) — Wagyu beef, perfectly cooked, tasty with the Chimmichuri, a little bland on its own.
Vieiras Doradas ($ 25) — 3 Large scallops, again perfectly cooked, with basic mashed avocado, wispy yucca chips, tasty and NOT greasy fried Brussels sprouts and a soft, not overpowering aioli.
Noquis ($ 7.50) — Manchego Gnocchi with corn and a garlic/​fennel sauce. You couldn’t taste the Manchego at all and the garlic fennel sauce had lemon in it which overpowered the taste of the gnocchi entirely.
Papas Fritas ($ 6) — Essentially French Fries, but they had a wonderful house seasoning on them that while tasty in a kind of barbecue chip kind of way, had a cumulative salty effect. Additionally, the garlic aioli served with them had salt in it too, which compounded the saltiness.
Side Salad ($ 5) — Refreshing, not over-​dressed with a crisp lemon-​maple vinaigrette. This salad would be AWESOME with Mahi Mahi or Rare Ahi on top, but by itself… Simple, refreshing and crisp.
We didn’t order dessert because nothing screamed «Try me» in our opinion.
All in all, I wouldn’t go back and pay full price because it wasn’t worth it. Good food, just not for those prices.

I seriously love this place! El Arbol is gushing with ambiance and follows through with amazing drinks and food.
I started off with the empanadas which were doughy and nothing short of amazing. The ceviche was served up in a hearty portion. My favorite part of the meal was the Costillas de Res. The short ribs were succulent, no knife required.
I was super impressed that our waitress did not wince but instead cheerfully exclaimed «perfect» when I pulled out a groupon.

It may be next to a Burger King but don’t judge El Arbol by its neighbors. This towering three floor restaurant is bringing some delicious Argentinian flava to Austin.
To start, we had delicious complimentary bread and garlic hummus, Pulpo a la parrilla (GRILLED OCTOPUS) and a Espinaca (spinach, onion, parmesan) Empanada. All of these were really good. I actually liked the bread and hummus the most, but the octopus was succulent and had a great grilled taste. The sauce that came with the octopus was sweet and strange (didn’t care for it) but the potato slice was flavorful. The empanada was on the small side but it was pretty good.
For the entrée, two words: PORK BELLY. Tender, juicy, fatty meat on tasty sweet potato risotto and topped with fresh arugula. Amazing.
I would also recommend the Coconut-​Dulce de Leche for dessert. The coconut custard on top of the chocolate cake is really smooth and yummy. The accompanying sea salt dulce de leche gelato was strange and salty but complimented the other part well.
I also tried the Caipirinha and while good, be ready for overwhelming taste of sugar in every sip.
As other Unilocalers have noted, the service here is unfortunately disappointing. We waited too long for our waiter to come by after we were seated and for every course of our meal even though we had it all figured out from the beginning. Our server, while knowledgeable about the food and courteous when he did come to our table, seemed pre-​occupied. Also, 5 different people came to give us each dish (whoever was standing by the when the food was ready?), so their server routine is a little strange. Maybe it was because we were sitting inside and most of the tables are outside, but nevertheless, they did a good job at making us feel forgotten and that did major damage to my rating and my desire to return.
We took a peek at the patio afterward and it’s pretty and legit! The food is good but pricy and it’s a cool restaurant with an interesting menu. I’ll be back someday and when I do, hopefully food service will be improved.

A Groupon got us in the door, but the lovely ambience, delectable food, and precise service will keep us coming back.
Every item on the menu was carefully chosen: from the fried capers on the salad, to the white bean and anchovy paste that comes with the bread, everything was spot on. We had one of each empanada (highly recommend the carne suave — beef, potato, and onion) and also shared the filling picada (cheese, olives, and salami plate).
For the main course, we shared the pescado con noquis (mahi mahi that melted like butter with the best dang gnocchi you’ve ever had in your life). We usually don’t order dessert, but with a name like «bacon brioche,» I just had to get it. OMFG. (Yeah I actually said that after my first bite of bacon gelato.) Bacon gelato, people! The crème brûlée banana slices were also extraordinary.
Like other reviewers, I agree that it is pricey. It’s a place that should be saved for a special occasion. But we now want to go back for happy hour. Their gorgeous tree-​centered patio is a place I need to frequent this summer.

OMG, this place is so fun… in fact, I could kick myself for not trying it sooner! The venue is a flashback to 1960s hip, with a great outdoor patio… a friend told me they have the largest selection of Spanish wines in ATX.
Everything I had was outstanding from the wine to dessert. I started out with the queso de cabra which was very fresh and tasty. The house made espinaca empanada is served with chili reduction sauce — wow — I could eat just the yummy crust all day! The herb manchego gnocchi made with roasted corn, green garlic, and fennel was to die for. But since I’m a major dessertie, I have to give big props for the malbec-​turrón — a chocolate malbec torte, pistachio turrón gelato, raspberry gelée, malbec reduction.
I can’t wait to return in the summer, to sip wine on the patio!!!

Stopped by here on the way home from dinner on the bf’s birthday. We knew it was expensive so figured we’d just treat ourselves to drinks. It was about 9:30pm on a Wednesday and there was maybe only 4 others in the entire place. This made it feel VERY empty — since that this spot is three floors and can hold hundred I bet — but was kind of neat cuz we had it to ourselves. We ordered drinks at the bar (more on that in a second) and headed out to to the second floor patio. There is, as the name and other reviews suggest, a giant tree that cuts through the restaurant. Well, it really only cuts thought he outdoor portion, but the multiple floors and patios wrap around it. It is all lit up and just absolutely gorgeous. What a great date spot!
I ordered a blood orange pomegranate martini and he a Sazerac on the bartender’s recommendation. The martini was in a big glass and pretty strong but I wasn’t wild about the flavor, got too sweet at the end. a bit overpriced at $ 12 IMO. the Sazerac was pretty incredible, so good that we will attempt to duplicate it at home.
since neither of us have ever heard of a Sazerac, here’s a bit of trivia from Wikipedia: «The Sazerac is one of the oldest known cocktails, with its origins in pre-​Civil War New Orleans, Louisiana. The original drink is based on a combination of Cognac and bitters created by John D Gertsen in the 1830s, and is reported to be the first cocktail ever invented in America. Since its creation, many different recipes have evolved for the drink, usually involving some combination of Cognac, rye whiskey, absinthe or Herbsaint and Peychaud’s Bitters.» The el Arbol version was made with a Pastis (anise flavored liquor) rinse, and made with rye whiskey and Peychauds.
The staff was very pleasant and made my night when they brought me a small piece of bread and a birthday candle (we had no room for dessert, and a candle wont stay put in a drink!) so at least I could sing and he got to make a wish. Yay!
Will be back to try the food!

Fact: Phil H. likes a big piece of meat.
Fact: El Arbol provided Phil H. one of the best steaks in recent memory.
A little birdie (Hi Connie!) wrote a great review about her meal at El Arbol, putting the restaurant on my radar. When I arrived at my friend’s house in Austin, we saw a write up in a local magazine accompanied by pics. The one that sealed the deal was the Alfajores — baked phyllo with dark chocolate, dulce de Leche and coconut whipped cream.
We arrived and were seated promptly and within minutes Russell (one of the managers) stopped by and introduced himself. He asked how we heard about the restaurant and I went into the story… with that he decided we needed to try the Alfajores right away. Dessert as an appetizer? Yes please! And did it live up the expectations? Absolutely.
The rest of the meal was chock full of meaty goodness — the two ladies in our group went with the Bife de Lomo and were both thrilled with the taste and the portion size. Us manly men went with the Ojo de Bife — big hunks of Argentine rib eye. I’ve had a lot of steaks in my day and must say, this was one of the best steaks I’ve ever had.
We washed everything down with Caipirinhas (my fav was the strawberry) and Mojitos and Malbec. Russell even came back by our table later in the evening to offer us a little pop of whiskey which was a nice touch that we definitely appreciated! In face, service was top notch all evening, from our sweet waitress to the bus boys.
Not only was El Arbol my favorite meal of the trip but it was probably one of the best meals I’ve had all year. In fact, my dining companions said it was a better meal than anything they ate during their two weeks in Argentina. I can’t wait for my next Austin adventure to return to El Arbol for a fantastic meal served by good people.

Unilocal fans to the rescue!
Twas a hot summer’s eve, and our large party of 10+ made way to El Arbol for some serious Argentinian fare. The patio may not be the wisest choice for this time of year, but that tree is gorgeous … and hey, more reason to suck down fruit-​infused Caipirinhas. Besides, stock up on those Unilocal church fans and you’re good to go.
We had a 3-​course prix-​fixe menu already set up for our large group, which consisted of our entrée of choice, along with numerous small plates for sharing. The Picada was my favorite, only because of the creamy, Lincoln Log cheese and olives. I wasn’t too crazy about my snapper. It was actually good, but those purple potatoes and spinach stole the show. I could have eaten a whole tub of that.
I wish they offered sangrias. Argentinian or not, this would have been perfect for the evening. Service was attentive for the most part. For folks like me who sat on the very end of the excitement, we didn’t get our drinks that fast, and it was forgotten a time or two, and I had to get silverware from another table twice. Not too much of a biggie; I know we were a large group and I appreciate how the owner came out to say hello. But they should consider giant fans or misters for the outdoors. That would have made dinner that much more pleasant.

I ate at El Arbol on an evening that was hot enough to make me sweat in scarring ways. My mind simply does not want to recall what it felt like to be that hot. I lost 5 pounds in water weight alone. Girls at our table were hanging out in the bathrooms, clinging to the walls just because they were so cool. And even, with all that I still managed to enjoy my meal here. It’s just that good.
The setting is marvelous — the giant tree on the patio provides plenty of shade and made me feel like I was eating in the backyard of a house in the old South. The food is equally marvie. We had a large group that had a family-​style menu so I sampled everything from a melted pan of cheese to a meat roll-​up kind of thing to ceviche. For dinner my main course was roasted chicken and we shared side dishes like purple potatoes and spinach. All of it was so good.
Cocktails are also quite nice here. We shared plenty of good wine (whites of course on such a hot day) and I had both the strawberry and blackberry flavors of the Caipirinha. Strawberry was my preference, but they were both delicious and refreshing, which was oh-​so-​important during my visit. This is definitely an amazing place in Austin for dinner, whether you’re on a date or in a overly large group.

El Arbol has the whole sexy mid-​century modern thing going on. I think it used to be an apartment complex or something. The outdoor seating at this tri-​level Argentinian restaurant is built around a really old oak tree, and while dining outside really is the best way to experience the place, it’s not ideal at 6pm when the sun is still boiling your skin. I also got bitten by some crazy insect (or scorpion as one of my co-​workers suggested) that gave me a gnarly allergic reaction, but I am still giving El Arbol 5 sexy stars.
The Caipirinhas here are AMAZING. I could down those suckers in seconds. You can get freshly muddled blackberry or strawberry. YUM. Thank god for them because I probably would have died from heat stroke.
Since we were dining as a large group, we had a prix-​fixe menu set for us, with starters and sides pre-​selected, and entrees to choose from. We started with:
— Provoleta (grilled provolone with oregano and smoked paprika)
— Picada (sweet coppa with Casa Bolo and Lincoln Log cheeses, and house olives)
— Matambre (braised flank roulade with spinach and hard cooked egg)
— Ceviche Criollo (red snapper)
These were all great for sharing, and a nice variety of flavors. For my entrée, I went with the Pollo Asado. It was a ½ chicken, so a large portion for me. The chicken was tender, but prepared simply. I wished it had a little more to it. The tasty sides made up for it though — we had the whipped purple potatoes, quinoa salad and sauteed spinach.
The heat really made things unbearable outside, but we found refuge inside where it was nicely air conditioned. I snuck away for a few minutes to catch some of the NBA finals at the swanky upstairs bar. Others hung out in the women’s bathroom, where the a/​c was really blasting.

Another fiver for an Austin favorite.
As a non-​native Texan, I must warn that you should NOT opt for the lovely patio beneath the tree (for which the restaurant is named) unless you want to be as well cooked as your steak! I was roasting out there!
The food was to die for though. Once we had some ice cold caipirinhas down our gullets and food in our bellies, the heat was bearable.
My steak was PERFECT, the appetizers were impeccable and the service was great. I couldn’t have asked for a better dining experience. In fact, the last time the air smelled so good at a restaurant — I was in Argentina!

Let’s get this out of the way: NEVER sit on the patio when it’s 6 pm and hotter than the surface of the sun outside. That will be a mistake that you will regret even as you look longingly at your perfectly cooked entire cow of steak and realize that it’s too GD hot to eat anything.
Assuming you don’t make the same mistake I did, this is what you can expect: Excellent service from slightly snooty servers, purple potatoes that taste amazing even as the kid in you delights in eating weird colored food, spinach that is life changing in some kind of thin hollandaise-​y goodness, baked cheese made with love and magic, spicy fresh ceviche, a huge juicy piece of steak that would be offensive to even the most accepting of vegetarians and the best capirinhas this side of the Argentine border. Did i mention the last comes in blackberry or strawberry flavor?
Lets be clear. This place isn’t cheap. It’s a special occasion meal or a seal the deal meal but it’s not a casual encounter. It’s sexy, swanky, well designed and built around a huge tree. Get in touch with mother nature as you shell out, dig in and then very discreetly, unbutton.

I went to Arbol for brunch with a friend last week. It was a really nice spring day and it was good to be outside. The giant oak tree and décor is really nice. There was a huge wedding party there (30 people or so) enjoying the mid-​morning and taking photos. You can see the three levels of the patio on the logo itself. I didn’t go inside, but it looked dark and romantic.
I had the Pacualina (baked spinach and onion pie with cheese and egg). It was sort of like a pot pie with one of those bricks of frozen spinach stuffed inside. In other words, it didn’t have a lot of flavor. I really like spinach, though, so I didn’t mind. Then I had the Mendoza empanada and I’ve been thinking about it ever since. It’s filled with pork, onion, raisins, green olives, and almonds and it’s really good. It’s $ 3 and pretty filling. I tried my friend’s bacon and loved it and the coffee is great.
If I ever went back for brunch, I’d order all four empanadas. Even now, 10 years later, I miss the Empanada Parlor on 6^th street.

I went here with a couple friends on Brunch for Saturday and absolutely loved it. The food is delicious and fresh.
I will definitely go back!

In a word? Sexy. The build out here has clearly been brought to bear with care, and when we waltzed in on a gorgeous Sunday afternoon, it seemed like the light and shadows hit in all the right places. If you’re looking for Austin metaphors (and part of me thinks that’s a distinctly unfair barometer), it might seem that this place is a mash-​up of certain elements of the Belmont lines with some of the finer elements of the Buenos Aires Café menu. Either way, it was clever but never twee, scrumptious and not over crowded.
As others have noted, the restaurant is named for the omnipresent tree that it’s built around, and the two exist fairly elegantly. Dinner by the same token delivered on its promise of South American notes, from the vinaigrette dappled tomato salad I tried, to the steak at dinner or the apple crêpe that rounded out dessert. The beer selection is fairly robust, including the dunkel on tap that gave way to my impromptu grin. I’ll be amped to hit this place during patio season.