Maria Maria

Bummer that this place closed down, but I could see why it did. The wait was always outrageously long and the prices were pretty high for the average. The only reason I’d still give it 3 stars is because the pomegranite margaritas were so amazing. The ambiance was cool, it was very trendy. Maybe too trendy for weird ol’ Austin.

I am sitting in Maria Maria while I write this. I have actually been here for 45 minutes. The restaurant has 3 other tables right now… We just got our drinks exactly 4 minutes ago after ordering 40 minutes ago! About 10 minutes before the drinks came we got water along with chips and salsa. Our waters were empty almost immediately. I had to go to the bar to refill them myself.
Bottom line, the server is a nice guy but SLOW! The manager doesn’t seem to care because I let him know that we had been waiting for over 30 mins and he said that it was because they didn’t have a bartender so he had to make drinks.
It is now 50 minutes into our lunch on Thursday and our food arrived… Of course they forgot the duck taco appetizer…
Steak and pineapple tacos had very dry steak and were bland. Truly disappointing.
This place could be 5 stars if they got good service.

I was here for a business lunch and left very very unhappy with the food. It’s a huge place that was almost completely empty during a mid-​week lunch.
Everything was oversalted, including the guacamole.
Nothing stood out as having any flavor besides a lot of salt and a little heat.
Service was surprisingly bad; for a place that was devoid of other patrons at lunchtime, it was hard to get the staff’s attention for things like «more water» and «the check».
It was not inexpensive; $ 12 – 16 for a basic lunch item, off the lunch menu.
I’m pretty sure any hole-​in-​the-​wall tex-​mex restaurant (or real Mexican restaurant) would be much tastier, cheaper, and friendlier.
Avoid.

Service, great! $ 13.95 brunch buffet, yes please! $ 1.00 Mimosas, does it get any better?!?
I went here this last Sunday, after reading reviews, I must say I went in with mediocre expectations. I had been here once before for happy hour, which I thought was pretty good, but to be honest it was a couple years back and not so memorable, but I was willing to give it another try.
Let me say, I am generally not a lover of buffets, I find I fill up on less than stellar food, and am too full to eat what I liked. This buffet was the perfect size, not too many options and everything was done right! I went with three friends and the biggest hits were the chicken verde enchiladas, the french toast, the Mexican chocolate mousse, and the migas (they were really good, but if you are used to the overly cheesy El Arroyo type, these may seem dry, but your arteries will thank you!)
One of my friends has a gluten intolerance, and the chef was so nice he came over and said he would make whatever he wanted from the menu gluten-​free. He told my friend he was more than welcome to have some fruit from the buffet, since the rest of us chowed down immediately, and they brought him a g-​free mousse! Wow! It was so nice for a chef to be cooperative with dietary concerns and not turn his nose up.
Yes, I have had some better, more creative, or more authentic food, but the value and the service is unbeatable! This is not over cheesed tex-​mex, not quite as fanciful as La Condesa either, but a perfect spot for Sunday brunch! Trust me, we stayed for 4 hours… seriously! Good friends, good food, cheap drinks, nice people, and could go back for seconds… why leave?
Trust me… go. go now! Well, not now, Sunday between 11 – 3!

Went for brunch and unfortunately was not very impressed. Stood around for 10 minutes before a hostess came to greet us. The items on the buffet were tacos, omlettes, pork tenderloin and migas. The dessert bar had fruit and several sweets but the variety wasn’t really there. The tables are so close together that you could barely move around. The complimentary mimosa was good and our waiter was very nice and pretty attentive, but then again at 12pm there weren’t a lot of people in there.
I think I will try this place again for dinner and drinks to see if there is any redeeming qualities but for now they need to step it up.

Maria Maria is not the place for Mexican food in Austin. The first problem is the air conditioning. After being we seated it became quite warm. Not a good start to the evening. My wife ordered wine. It never arrived.
The rolled duck tacos sounded interesting. They proved to be better looking than tasting. Orange sauce covered the plate but the flavor was lacking. They were out of the grilled wild salmon. We chose the red fish. A very average piece of fish. Maria Maria is a chain which seems to have lost its way here in Austin. The mens room was dirty and lacking toilet paper.
Austin has so many great Mexican restaurants. This is not one of them. Service, price and quality are all problems at Maria Maria. We will not be back. Adiós Maria.

This place has but barely an Austin feel.
The greeter was clueless. When i called he mentioned several open tables and no need for a reservation. We show up 35 minutes later and there is a 40 minute wait. A teachable moment for my kids (delayed gratification) and for me (forgiveness).
And then the greeter said the kids brunch costs the same as the Sunday adult brunch. Thankfully our server was great, and he told us the correct information (Adults $ 16.99, Kids $ 6.99). Kids OJ was $ 5 a piece (for lots of ice, and the 10-​yr old called it out). But the first mimosas were complimentary.
The food was great. Decent selection, even when the buffet was winding down (3 pm).
The staff overall were a mix of friendly and pretentious types. Very hard to feel the vibe. The live music was a nice touch for a Mother’s day brunch.
And the main reason why we showed up? 50% off gift cards from Costco. Never been a sucker for Groupon type deals, but my wife got this one.

I want to begin that I miss the old Maria Maria. We went on Cinco de Mayo…
The story begins with the Air Conditioning not working. The waiter started off in great form, then he, too, lost interest. The food has lukewarm and not very good. I mean come on the «baraccho» beans tasted straight out of a can. An old can. Found on the side of a road. In the desert. It is a shame that the food has went down hill so much. They ran out of glasses. They ran out of Corona. The toilets were leaking. It took forever to get additional drinks. The Mexican Cosmo my wife ordered was weak and worthless. We used to spend $ 120 to $ 150. We definitely didn’t last night. We got out of there as quickly as we could, and we won’t be back. It’s a shame to loose a place that you really liked. The only warm note: the margaritas were pretty good. More could be said, but enough is enough.
Sorry Carlos.

I was so disappointed by Maria Maria. I had been hearing great things about it for years, and when I finally went… well, it was a major letdown.
A party of 10, including myself, went on a Friday night. It took more than a decent amount of time to get a waitress to take our order (the place wasn’t even busy). One hour, yes, HOUR, later our food arrived. I think maybe the kitchen staff were butchering the animals, or waiting for the veggies to grow, because I cannot fathom what was taking so long to cook. When the food arrived only half the dishes were only warm. My food tasted fine, nothing to write home about though.
The only saving grace was the margarita I got at the bar while waiting for the rest of the group to arrive. Hats off to the bartender, because that was a fantastic drink… and I have had many margaritas in my time.
Overall, terrible service, so-​so food, a bit too expensive, and a big let down. I wish it had been better, but as it is, I won’t be going back.

In a city where great mexican and tex mex food abound Maria Maria is a sad addition to the mix. I’ve given it at least 3 tries and while its a fun place to hang out and drink the food leaves much to be desired.
First its expensive, it is over sauced, spiced, and just about anything else you could do to make mexican food bad. Even the drink service is abysmally slow and painful. It truly has all the makings of a great restaurant just hasn’t seemed to put all the pieces together.
I really hoped it would be better but aside from some great parties I’ve attended here I can’t think of much more to say than take your eating and drinking elsewhere until they improve.

Was visiting from out of town and my party was booked at Maria Maria for a private dinner party. The staff were so friendly and welcoming. I loved the large rooms and space. Might I also add that the art was pretty funky inside as well.
Great ambiance, friendly staff, good food. Love the space and the environment. Would recommend it to a friend.

Arnie, the bartender, did a wonderful job at Maria Maria. His meticulous attention to my long island iced tea was much appreciated, squeezing lemons and ensuring proper proportions of the different alcohols to make a delicious drink. He excelled at service and attentiveness too.
I ordered the beef enchiladas, a side of black beans, and a side of rice (last two items aren’t included with the entrée). The beef enchiladas were delicious — spicy and not greasy. The beef was sliced, almost like fajita meat, not ground beef, which I appreciated. The black beans weren’t soggy, and the rice was perfect. The food and two long island iced teas, including tip, totaled $ 34.09, to give you an idea of price.
Some may think this price is high, but you are in the Warehouse District, which is slightly more upscale than 6^th Street. Furthermore, the ambience was worth it. In the middle of the restaurant is a largely lit tree with benches around the tree, as if you’re at a park. Some guitarists were featured on stage; I’m pretty picky about music (former music major), and these guys were good.
This is a great place for either a girls’ night or a romantic date. I’ve already recommended this restaurant to two different people visiting Austin — that should tell you something!

Come for salsa music and dancing on Friday night! The service was less than spectacular, although it appeared to just be my server. The ambiance was fantastic (with the salsa dancing). I was NOT impressed with the food — go to Maria’s Taco Express for better food. The drinks were very good. Their house margarita is a generous mix of tequila and burbon.
Flautas were OK, kinda dry. Taco sampler was soggy.
SERVICE: ³⁄₁₀
AMBIANCE: ¹⁰⁄₁₀
FOOD: ⁵⁄₁₀
PRICE: ⁷⁄₁₀
UNIQUENESS: ⁹⁄₁₀
OVERALL SCORE: 68
Service: Graded by the «Keep my cup full principle».
Ambiance: Pretty self-​explanatory
Food: A high food score does not always indicate it is a place for foodies. It is weighted based upon the establishment — thus bar food can receive a high score
Price: Price is graded based upon what I believe is fair value for the food you are receiving. A high score does not necessarily indicate the establishment is cheap.
Uniqueness: Higher scores indicate desire to return.

I have always been wanting to go to this place, and I finally got to go! I loved it!
The place was quite contemporary Mexican. The art on the walls was beautiful and the seating was plush mineral colors. There was also a beautiful large tree (art) near the entrance which you could sit around. As I was sitting, I thought, this is so Carlos Santana.
The food was delicious! I ordered an enchilada that came in this zesty red bell pepper sauce. It had just the right amount of heat. The corn tortilla was fresh and the inside filling blended perfectly with the sauce. It was a great combination of flavors, however, for the portion, the meal was a bit overpriced.
Service was good, though our waiter was a bit odd.
Definitely recommend this place – it’s a must do in Austin!

We had excellent service and wonderful food and drinks at Maria Maria’s. Carlos Santana did not show up, but the local band was really good and I had excellent taco’s. They let me split my order with Shrimp/​Steak and Chicken and I’d probably rate the shrimp as best.
The atmosphere was nice and I was truly impressed. Great service!

This is my second time being here, first was to eat with friends and second for the Unilocal party. I will give the review from my first visit.
First, the atmosphere is amazing. Its very relaxing and upscale. The décor with the candles really sets the mood here. The restaurant is divided in two sections and I was at a table in the back section. The front is where the giant tree and the bar is located in the middle. Me and my girl friends just ordered all appetizers to share and drinks. Everything we ordered was delicious.

Maria Maria is gorgeous inside with this crazy tree, big eye catching paintings and spanish stylings playing low through the speakers.
Everything I’ve tried here is delicious — including the margaritas and i heart a good margarita. I’ve never had a soup like their tomatillo tortilla — it has pieces of cheese and poblano in it. Their enchiladas pasillas were a generous portion and the lime pie was lighter than key lime but still citrusy enough to have great flavor.
Totally great atmosphere, good food and well mixed booze — a recipe for a return visit!

Tasty enough — but unremarkable.
When it came to my mahi-​mahi fish tacos here — I enjoyed the fresh avocado, fresh lettuce, and soft taco shell more than the merely meh mahi-​mahi chunks which they surrounded.
The fish just didn’t stand out — in anyway.
My co-​workers all finished their meal, but didn’t really rave about their food as well.
As far as ambiance — Maria Maria is lounge-​ish. Casual — while still being sophisticated, with modern — and quite lovely accents throughout the place.
Maria Maria is still worth checking out for a meal. The food is definitely decent, But with the plethora of other mouth-​watering spots in Austin — if you want to wow your taste-​buds — I’d recommend other delectable spots in the area — first.
Trust.

So… Santana owns this place. Cool!
I’m not a big fan of his music though. That’s not to say he isn’t talented, but I sure am sick of hearing that song, «Maria, Maria.» It’s one of those songs that can’t get outta your head! So… be it fair or unfair, I was skeptical about this place just based on its name.
The décor was lovely, the wait service was perfect, but the most important part… the food? It was just meh. Sorta like Tex-​Mehx.
I’d never had real Tex Mex food before and was really hoping to be blown away. Granted, the ingredients were fresh, and the food came out quick, but it reminded me a lot of a Mexican version of PF Chang’s or another big chain. I could’ve confused the fish in my tacos for tofu but hey. they were still pretty good! I left feeling satisfied, that’s what’s important right?

Yes, I love the two Marias! This Restaurant/​Lounge is Awesome, I could only wish Houston would come up with a place like this, but with better food. The décor is Amazing. I loved, the paintings on the walls. It was all mostly eccentric Mexican art, which looked amazing in this upscale place. The interior decorator in charged of this place should win a award, the place really just looks fantastic!
I ordered a strawberry lemonade (yes it has alcohol), which was so delicious it was definitely worth the $ 11 it costs. I also ordered some beef quesadillas, they were awful. The quesadillas were taking longer than I expected, to be prepared, when I asked her about them she said she would «check.’ When she returned she told me that they had prepared chicken instead. of beef. I looked at her incredulously as I was sure she just forgot to order them. As you could probably tell the waitress was just OK. We also ordered a seafood guacamole and that was AWESOME! I loved it! Judging from the quesadilla and guacamole their food may be a hit or miss.
There was a live Latin jazz band there, and they were great. I actually found two salsa dancers and had a wonderful dance! I had an amazing time there and was very impressed by the décor. Did I mention there is a huge tree in the middle of the front room?! I thought that was great! I may need to try this place again to form a better opinion, but for now I think it is A-​OK.