Mars Restaurant & Bar

This was one of the worst eating experiences I've had in the 22 years I have lived in Austin. I went for my sister's birthday, and they charged me for the birthday cake (that took them 15 minutes to bring). My waiter gave bad recommendations and when I asked for limes, or clean silverware, I did not get them. The waiter also came and tried to take my plate while half my meal was still on it. These are things that would make me not go back for a while, but the portion size was the deal breaker. The $28 flounder, with the green beans that were served with it, wouldn't have even filled up a 2nd grader. I would guess that the entire meal was less than 2 cups in volume. Comparing that portion to somewhere like South Congress Cafe (just down the street) would be about 1/3 of the food at a higher cost. Also, they stuff people in the front so people walking by on south congress with think that they place is really busy, while the back of the restaurant is next to empty. I will never go back to eat again, maybe to use the restroom (they were clean)! Pros: good food and clean Cons: TINY portions, poor service, and overpriced more

My husband and I went to Mars upon reading a great review for their Sunday dim sum brunch. When we arrived we were the only people at the place, so you would expect very prompt and attentive service. That was not the case! We chose to sit outside, and I felt like during the entire meal we were looking around to see where our waitress was. There was an incredibly long wait for our food to arrive at the table, and when it did it was sub par at best! The noodle and tempura dishes were greasy, and the samosas were bland. The only shining light in the meal were the cocktails. Upon completing our meal, we had to wait for at least 15 minutes for anyone to notice and get us our check. At the point the outside patio had began to fill. I felt like the wait staff was all over the place, and not focused on great service. Once the bill did come, my husband and I both agreed that the meal was much overpriced based upon quality of food and lack of customer service. Even if the meal had been cheap, we still wouldn't return. Pros: beautiful decor and great drinks Cons: everything else you want in a restraurant more

My friend and I went to Mars last night after hearing they had hired a new chef. We had a great time with prompt service and a nice Cabernet by the glass recommendation. I started with the tuna tataki appetizer which was very fresh and tasty. My friend had a rich, creamy hearts of palm soup that she really enjoyed. I ordered the rabbit special which I was very excited about since my French mother used to make it for me as a kid. I was very impressed with my dish. The braised rabbit was tender and served in a rich sauce with yummy root vegetables. My friend ordered the grouper special and it was cooked perfectly, served with roasted brussel sprouts that were delicious. Who gets excited about brussel sprouts? Well we did. Overall we enjoyed ourselves and look forward to trying Mars again soon. more

We decided to try Mars, which opened recently in our 'hood, after being downtown for many years. We ate there years ago and never went back, for no particular reason except that it wasn't memorable & we just forgot about it. But now that it's in our 'hood, we thought we'd give it another try. First of all, definitely go for the happy hour. It's great. I had a wonderful raspberry bellini and my husband had a kind of vanilla manhattan he said was good. Good appetizers, especially the baby back ribs ($3.50) . They came with mashed potatoes & would make a fine dinner-with-salad for a low price. The baba ganoush/hummus with pita was a good deal, also, although the baba needed salt (we rarely salt our food in restaurants) & there wasn't any on the table. Pause here to praise the waitress, one of the best we've ever had in any restaurant. She provided salt & something to fix our wobbly table in no time flat. Dinner was something else. The website for Mars advertises lamb, but there was none to be had on the menu. So my hubby settled for Bouillabiasse. His dish had an odd flavor we couldn't pinpoint (we're both cooks) and one large scallop, a little salmon and some kind of fish and NO shrimp at all. Needless to say, he was disappointed. Is new chef Tommy lazy or what? Since I make a killer red curry Hor Mok Talay, I ordered the red curry dish with "vietnamese prawns," which was basically 4 large-ish shrimp. The dish was so bland I had to - yes - salt it! So I saved half for home, to be doctored accordingly. There were no dessert prices on the menu & the only one that looked even vaguely original was the "chocolate pate." It was also quite bland, with only a slight chocolate flavor, at a whopping 8 bucks (explaining the price omission)! And my husband's coffee was so lukewarm it didn't even warm his hand holding the cup, so had to be sent back. So go for happy hour appetizers & drinks and skip the entrees we ordered! Pros: good waitress; good happy hour Cons: bland food, skimpy on the seafood entrees more

My wife and I visit Austin from New York every December, and we always set aside one evening for dinner with my sister and brother-in-law. They select the restaurant, always one of their favorites. They have frequently raved about Mars (in both locations), so we chose that for dinner on Dec 29. The evening began when two of us ordered martinis. The glasses were half-full (it was slightly more than a shot, really). We asked the waiter if this was the standard pour. He gave the glasses a perfunctory glance, and said that it was, and then added some confusing comment about total amount being affected by the way the ice is shaken. (When we walked past the bar at the end of the evening, all martinis were poured to the top of the glass). Then my wife then took a sip of her ginger ale, which was flat. We called the waiter over again. We tried to be light-hearted and self-deprecating, calling outselves the "table with bar troubles," but he responded with a curt, "It came from a can." He returned, and unceremoniously dropped a new ginger ale on the table (it was a bottle, not a can, and it was hot, which would certainly affect carbonation when poured over cold ice). As for the food, we had an excellent Thai Bouillabaisse, but all our appetizers were served on the cool side of room temperature, and the meats on our Tandoori mixed platter had no apparent spicing or characteristics one associates with Tandoor cooking. Overall, he food was acceptable, and we made the most of the evening (good company makes up for a lot), but the most distracting part of the evening was our waiter?s demeanor and attitude (after the first plates were dropped, he said ?I hope the food tastes good to you,? with a touch of weariness and condescension). Though he always had a smile fixed on his face, it was apparent he didn?t care about our comfort. more

Me and my Boyfriend stopped in there for the Happy Hour and ended up having a four appetizers and wine, I must say that I was quite impressed. The Spicy Ahi Tuna Tartare paired with crispy wontons was my favorite, I was finished wanting more, the seasonings all come together with such great textures and equal an amazing bite of goodness each time. The Scallops & Gyoza were very interesting yet very delectable. The scallops were seared perfectly and the carrot gyoza were very sweet adding a nice soft texture and flavor to the scallops. As for the Duck Confit Wonton Chips with cherry-pomegranate chutney and goat cheese creme fraiche... this dish is screaming savory flavor. I loved this dish and I'm very glad I ended up getting it. I will order it again and again. Again the wonton chips were served and accomodated the duck very well. The cherry-pomegranate chutney was done to perfection. And the ever-so popular potsticker dumplings are not be left out. These were also very delicious, the crispiness was perfect and could not be done better. So all in all, I may not have experienced the actual entrees, but everything was in up-most quality and taste. Pros: Amazing food, very romantic, gorgeous interior Cons: None more

We celebrated a birthday there recently and the entire group was disappointed. Our group included a chef, service industry folks, and others and we were all very patient and open to try everything. We started with drinks, a bottle of champagne, and 2 bottles of wine. The presentation was good, but the cocktails were overdone with lots of "mix". The appetizers were decent, but it is really hard to screw up hummus and spring rolls. I had the pork tenderloin which was flavorful but dry in the middle, while my green beans looked withered and were bland. One of our friends had to send her seared tuna back because she could not cut it after repeated attempts. Others remarked that the curries were cold and bland. The ambiance is very nice, the colors beautiful, but it is hard to have a conversation as it is extremely loud. Our waiter was extremely attentive and was very obliging to what we needed. It is not the service which made for the poor dining experience, it was the food quality. We had 600 hundred dollar tab, and none of us was content were content with our meal. Pros: Nice interior, interesting menu Cons: Not worth the price you pay more

A group of six eating there recently reports that the Satay is too spicey, the Salmon is not what you'd expect for the price and overall the food is not up to par, very average. Hopefully they will upgrade the food to match the price of the entrees, as this used to be a very good restaurant. Pros: Nice location - used to have a good reputation Cons: Food is just not up to par withe price - disappointing more

Went here with a party of 8 based on a recommendation from a friend and the atmosphere is great. Very cool spot. However, it took about an hour to get our entrees once we were seated (and we had reservations). Food was great once it came out, but it kind of ruined the rest of our night out. I probably will come again. Pros: Food and good looking people watching Cons: Very Slow service more

I went to Mars on a weekday for lunch with some friend. I was hoping for a good experience from all the good reviews however our experience was terrible. First we went on our lunch break. It took over 45 minutes for the waitress to get our orders, and then it took nearly an hour for the food to come out. After we were done eating, it took a while for the bill to come. Not only that, the waitress mischarged the bill. Since we were a party of 5, some had cash, while others used their credit cards. She kept the cash as tip, then she over charged one credit card to compensate for her "tip". Overall, the waitress was either new or was not good at all. She was attentive at first, but after we got our food, we didn't see much of her. Now that was just the experience with the service. The food was also terrible. First off, the waitress misinformed us of the Kobi burgers. She at first said the Kobi burgers was hand ground at the restaurant. Unsure of her answer, she came back and said it wasn't. Despite that, some of us ordered the burgers. They came out over cooked and underflavored. It looked like the Kobi burgers were frozen preformed patties. I substituted my fries for a salad that was wilted and old. I also ordered the coffee which was warm and not hot when I got it. The other people that ordered other items felt the food was so-so. Over all, the bad service, bad food, and the time it took to for us to get in and get out (nearly 3 hours) gives this restaurant a not recommended rating. The only positive thing the restaurant has to offer is the ambiance. It gives off a trendy chic feel to it. more

This location is much more hip and fun than the old location - definitely a great spot for happy hour. The drinks are fantastic (love the people-watching patio, too), but maybe it would have been best to stop there. I lost track of time, but it took a minimum of 45 minutes for our entrees to arrive after our appetizers. To the waitress' credit, she was very apologetic. However, after even more waiting, we didn't want apologies - just our food (feed us...please!). It was funny because the chef left the kitchen a number of times - we don't know if he was apologizing for his food or schmoozing with the customers, but we just wanted him to get back there and cook! When the entrees finally made their grand appearance, the reviews around the table were mixed. Some stuff was great (ahi tuna satays won raves, as did the salmon), other items were okay and forgettable (red curry - the rice was dry). This food was not as memorable as the old location - perhaps there were just issues in the kitchen on this particular night. I will not be bringing out-of-town guests there again but will go back for drinks and maybe work up do dinner again sometime in the future. Pros: Fun atmosphere, great drinks, people watching on patio Cons: Food average, very slow more

I had a lovely evening at the new Mars this week with a group of friends. I'm the first to say that it was a bit of an attitudinal shift for me to leave the cozy shadowy house where Mars used to be. It was so quaint and charming back in the day and I have many happy memories from that building on San Antonio. But the new space has cast its spell on me. I've been three or four times and I've always run into friends or acquaintances. That was a relief, as I was afraid of losing Mars to tourists and out-of-towners due to its new locale. It seems to be a happy mix of locals and visitors. The food hasn't changed, except for the better. I'm drooling thinking about the tuna tartare! Their ribs are stunningly delicious, and I've always loved their bouillabaisse (although it's been a little too salty once or twice). Definitely save room for the new doughnuts. They're yummy, as are the many other new elements to the menu. The staff was incredibly sweet and they seem to have worked out any kinks that new restaurants inevitably face (and they've accrued a slew of Austin's hottest hotties!) Despite our large table of nine (at the coolest booth on South Congress) the service was outstanding, and our libations were delivered promptly even though we kept the waiter running. Happily, Mars is still the charmer it always was. It's an old friend that has grown along with Austin. Pros: the food, staff, location and atmosphere Cons: more crowded than the old one more

Excellent food and service. Beautiful new location on south congress. I had the ribs and they fell of the bone. You must eat here and experience a real austin treat. Pros: service; food; ambiance Cons: a little loud but that made it fun more

finally had a chance to go to the new and improved mars on congress ave- what an amazing space- the inside is so beautiful- they did a great job of keeping the feel of the old mars but updating it- the restaurant was loud, but that's what happens when a restaurant is full of people. the patio is probably one of the best in this town and probably on the best corner in this town- right on congress ave across the street from the continental club- great for people watching. the food seemed to be better than ever- had the tenderloin- one of the best i have ever had- cooked perfectly with the most perfect sauce and garlic mashed potatoes- my friend had the fish- nori wrapped swordfish- delightful. the desserts were out of this world- a doughnut plate with coffee ice cream and a strawberry shortcake sandwich- both were wonderful. our server was sweet as can be and very helpful with menu suggestions- the wine list has expanded and they have incorporated some infused alcohol drinks on their menu- try the watermelon martini- will definitely go back again and again. Pros: ambience, food, service Cons: loud, somewhat long wait more

Finally had a chance to have dinner at the new Mars on South Congress and loved it. The design was sophisticated, the deck is great, and I was glad to see some of the hints of the old Mars. The bar is a welcome addition to the neighborhood. For dinner, I had the tandoori steak and my husband had chicken - both fantastic. Our server was personable and prompt. Had a wonderful experience overall there. Pros: Atmosphere, decor, service more

Okay so I used to LOVE Mars, not anymore. I went to dinner with a group of friends, and we had a reservation. We notified the hostess that we had arrived, she asked us to sit while she prepared our table, we sat at the bar, and we sat, sat, sat, finally we went over and asked her if our table was ready, and she said it had been ready for over an hour, didn't we know??? Uh, no we're not psychic!!! That delayed us an hour! Finally after getting seated we ordered our dishes, and that took another 1 hour and a half. The food was cold, bland, fish salty, and way over priced. Sorry Mars, but it's just not worth it. Our waiter did the best he could, but I will never go back! 3 1/2 hours for dinner is just crazy! By the time our food came, it was so late 3 people had to take it to go, including me! Dont do it! Pros: Nice Decor Cons: Service, wait time, price, food more

Went to Mars for lunch on Saturday. The server seemed rushed, tho only one fifth of the tables inside were full. That should have been the first warning sign since it was graduation weekend and every other restaurant in town was packed. The food quality was inconsistent (AVOID the pasta and the shrimp salad!) but even the good dishes weren't that great since it took FOREVER for us to get our food... and again the restaurant was not busy! Other nights on South Congress, I've seen the restaurant quite busy, but after the poor service and hit-or-miss entrees, I wouldn't risk a return visit. Pros: attractive food presentation Cons: terrible service, bland unappetizing pasta more

Went to check out the new location on SoCo. Great spot. Inside decor was visually pleasant but on the chintzy side (red and black paint over particle board), but very nice, large comfortable leather chairs for a restaurant. Fantastic deck. Patio furniture was not on par with the interior. Had the negamaki, potstickers, spring roll, Hummus, duck confit wontons with my friends. Negamaki was tough to chew. Potstickers were doughy and cold. Hummus had a fly in it. Spring Rolls were good. Duck confit wonton was okay. Service was among the worst I have come across. First off, we ordered a bottle of wine and she leaves it at the table and says "Its a screw cap so I'll let you guys handle that," and walks off. (We had a couple bottles and she did that both times.) She never checked to see if we liked our selections, so the fly in the hummus was not resolved. We flagged down another server who just shrugged and said she would find our server. Nothing came of that. We were told that they would continue serving drinks until 1 a.m. At midnight, our waitress gave us the check and said "You can stay here as long as you want, I don't care, but I need to go." We still had half a bottle of wine left and food on the table. One last thing, apparently there is an invisible line on the outside deck. We were seated at a table that was right next to an active service door. We asked to be moved to the next table over, away from the door. We were told that if we sat at the other table, which was maybe four feet away, that we could only have drinks and not have food. A passing server heard us discussing the stupid policy and readily agreed. On the upside, location was great for people watching on South Congress. Downside was that the food was okay. It is definately not a gourmet restaurant, but it isn't Macaroni Grill. There is no value, taste or monetary to the meal. Wine selection was average. No sophistication with the selections. Service was absent, uncaring and rude. Pros: Great Location, Outside Seating, Pretty Inside Cons: Service, Food needs work more

I moved to Austin two years ago via San Francisco and have been eating at Mars since day one... It has been my #1 favorite place so you can imagine how excited I was to experience the new location. Friday night a friend and myself put our name on the "one hour" wait list and took a seat at the bar to start the weekend and play catch up on our busy lives. Ten min. into our conversation I see we are being paged... "GREAT" I told my friend, " they must have a ton of large tops tonight." We hand in our buzzer and keep talking as we get seated. We order a glass of wine and continue to look at the menu when one of the host's comes over demanding we, "get up and move, they made a mistake." After telling him to beat it, that was their mistake and we have wine coming he leaves to bring the manager over. NOW, I have to say folks... I work in the service industry as a Stylist on Congress.. when I mess up.. I take the blame... So, the manager comes stomping over with the same demanding attitude telling us we have the "CHOICE HERE" to do "THE RIGHT THING" as to imply that the mistake the HOST made is now "OUR" responsibility. The shmuck made us so uncomfortable that we got up and moved back to the waiting area for almost TWO HOURS (oh, and they forgot to give us another buzzer after all that I had to get us another one)... Are you kidding me??? NEVER would I make my clients feel the way my friend and I where made to feel.. What ever happened to "the costumer is always right" and "Above and beyond" they must not care too much about retention.. we all know what a bad reputation will do to an Austin business however! Good luck, I will tell everyone I know of THE WORST SERVICE I HAVE YET TO EXPERIENCE and it happend at MARS!!! UNBELIEVABLE AND UNACCEPTABLE! MARS in no longer my favorite place! Cons: Rude Host/Manager more

I've been a fan of Mars since it opened. I loved the food and the ambiance at the old location. The new location is bigger and more central, but the rest is hardly recognizable from the place I knew. The service was slow, there were multiple restrictions on what you could order depending on where you sat (no appetizers or menu food at some tables on the patio but not others) and the food was a poor imitation of what it once had been. I had the Thai Bouillabaisse, once my favorite, and it was bland, lukewarm, and some of the fish had a distinctly pre-frozen taste. My dining partner ordered the Malanga Napoleon - it was so bad we sent it back. I hope that these issues are just kinks that will be worked out in time, but for now I do not recommend this location at all. more