Iguana Grill

The Iguana Grill beautifully couples original ""Lake-Mex"" culinary creations with stunning views. Having dined there since they opened, I have to say it's one of my favorite restaurants in all of central Texas, regardless of style. The Iguana's take on shrimp cocktail is simple, delicious and refreshing, while their chicken flautas served on a heavenly bed of charred tomatillo salsa merit driving a great distance to savor. If I could make only one change, I'd bring back the scrumptious fresh mango daiquiris which were sadly discontinued a few years back. Other than that, no complaints whatsoever. One word of advice: while The Iguana Grill has ample parking, service can get quite hectic during the brunt of the lunch and dinner rush. Off-peak hours deliver maximum serenity and the ability to really soak up the scenery. Pros: Unique take on Tex-Mex with a Lake Travis flair Cons: Sometimes busy during peak hours, but worth the wait more

Better view than Oasis, especially at sunset. Better selection in music, as some real gems come through here. Great staff, very easy going but professional. New enclosed patio makes the winter bearable with panoramic view of the lake. Pretty good Tex-Mex fair, at least the equal of the Oasis. Pros: Great views & service. Good value on food Cons: Samalll kitchen that gets slow with large crowds, sometime closes a little earlier than expected. more

i live right around here and it is my favorite mexican place in austin...i love to go at sunset because the view is soo amazing and peaceful...its never very crowded when i go...i guess because its a little hidden and people from around here don't know its there...but i love the food..ive eaten texmex my whole life and its so refreshing to have a new spin on mexican dishes...mexican food everywhere seems to have the same tasting things but not this place. its a great local place to go with someone to have a drink watch a sunset and have a great casual meal. more

After being very disappointed by other mexican restaurants overlooking the lake my husband and I decided to give this a try after driving by several times. It doesn't look like much from the street but once you have a seat you wont be disappointed. The view was wonderful, the food was great and the service was good considering it was during a lunch rush. Everything we ate was warm and fresh. The view was so relaxing. Thank you Iguana Grill, I can live in the area and finally enjoy good food with a great view! Pros: everthing Cons: nothing more

Iguana Grill is casual and relaxing, simply put - something I love and appreciate highly. This is one of the best places to spend a lazy Sunday afternoon sipping on a nice drink and enjoying some decent food while taking it all in ... the beautiful views are undeniable and very hard to not come back to over and over. The food itself is average to good, the drinks are wonderful and I personally have always had good service - but I do rarely go when it's super busy. (BTW, every guest I have taken here that is not from Austin absolutely loves it.) Pros: It's like a personal retreat! Cons: Some people really like to get their drink on here ... so occasionally it can get mega volume voicy. more

I consider it a responsibility as a Austinite to try the various Tex-Mex locations around town. My first trip to Iguana Grill impressed me quite a bit, but I always like to give any restaurant at least three visits before writing a review. Pros: Atmosphere, Food, Margaritas, People Cons: Wait time more

This is a nice place with above average food. Service is ok, the view is perfect. Live music. Not such a young crowd like the rest of the places on the lake but still fun. If you're over 30, this place is for you. Perfect first date spot too! Pros: Views, food is above average, live music Cons: Service is just so-so, long wait time more

If you want to feel as if you're on vacation somewhere... you have to try this place. We went here on July 3rd and although we had to wait forever (expected near a holiday), we were able to enjoy the live music, drinks, and chips while waiting. Can be very romantic overlooking the water, but a good place for kids, too. The food is above average but it's the view that's fantastic. Pros: The views, service, drinks, live music Cons: Can be a long wait more

My family and i went to the Iguana Grill to celebrate my father's 60th birthday. I called to make a reservation for 8:30 for 17 people.We arrived promptly at 8:20 with our whole party. When we arrived our table wasn't even set up so we had to wait a while. Once we ordered we made our bar order and were told a few minutes later (8:45) that the bar was closing so we had to hurry and make our last drink order. The bar manager that night was closing the bar at 9:00 and we had at least 10 of our party ordering drinks. Later after our meal we were settling our bill and the bar manager went around turning off lights on the patio. This made me FURIOUS!!! I brought my family there to enjoy a great meal with a great view and ended up feeling rushed out of the restaurants . The restaurant was empty when we got there and i would think they would appriciate a large group coming to spend money on food and drinks. I believe arriving at a restaurant at 8:30 would be plenty of time to have a nice dinner without having a manager start turning off lights when customers are still enjoying thier evening. The food has always been good when have gone but this time i am not sure i would recommend it to anyone. I was VERY disappointed. more

I've heard the view is even better than another popular restaurant nearby. The food is fabulous - sizzling beer-marinated fajitas, chips and great spicy salsa, fresh and loaded chef's salad iguana style, the best pina colodas I've ever had. During the summer they have a stage for live music that provides an atmosphere the closest to perfect that you can get. The night we heard music there was Joe & Ellen, we ended up getting their CD just to remember the evening. We've gone here mostly as a family and with family, although it would be perfect for a date night as well, especially if you come at sunset. The service is always friendly, and although I don't remember anything exceptional in the many many times we've been there we've never had a complaint. That's pretty exceptional in itself! This is one of our two favorite restaurants in Austin. The other being North by Northwest which is just as wonderful an experience even without the view. If you want to experience Austin though go here to Iguana Grill. Definently go when you can sit outside - we've never sat inside as we haven't wanted to miss the view! Pros: View, excellent food, outdoor seating with fans and shade live music consistent food & service Cons: none! more

The place does get super busy on nice weekend nights and wait times over an hour for outdoor seating is not unheard of, especially during sunset hours. However, they have a nice outdoor bar and patio area where you can wait for your table while sipping some margaritas and listening to live music. The menu is good and it's probably my favorite Mexican restaurant in the Lakeway area. I particularly like the spinach and mushroom enchiladas. Personally, I find that I copmare this place to the Oasis because of the sunset views mainly and the Oasis has a slight edge over Iguana Grill, but the food at Iguana Grill is much better and I find myself going there more ;) Pros: Food, Outdoor seating, View Cons: Long waits more

There is nothing like sitting outside on a beautiful afternoon or evening and watching the boats on the lake while you drink a frozen margarita and chill out with friends. Iguana grill is a great place to do that! I am a big fan of the spinach and mushroom enchilatas and you can't beat the queso! Pros: great view, fabulous margaritas more

The chips and salsa aren't the best around. The food in general isn't good Mexican food, but the view is gorgeous. Sit outside if you can or your experience will be a let down. more