Message from Mars Restaurant & Bar
2003 Winner Austin Chronicle: Asian, Original Recipe, Favorites
- Nightly specials
- Reservations accepted by phone
- Happy Hour 5pm-7pm, Mon-Fri
Chef Thomas Reeh offers an experience that draws from many lands. Most prevalent on the menu is the food of the Pacific Rim. An Indian tandoor roasts meats at high temperatures as well as slowly smoking items over the course of hours. Influences from Thailand are found in our curries and signature Thai Bouillabaisse. Nods are also given to Japan and China on this eclectic menu. In addition to all of that, there are Eastern Mediterranean and North African touches as well. All of this is bound with the tools of a classic education and a willingness to experiment with ancient methods and nothing but fresh ingredients. The collision of these styles is expressed in many dishes, such as cinnamon duck confit egg rolls, where east and west truly meet.
|
 Mars Restaurant & Bar
(512) 472-3901
1610 San Antonio St
Austin, TX 78701
|
Editorial Description by Citysearch
This trendy, yet low-key Pan-Asian and eastern Mediterranean fusion restaurant on South Congress is bigger and better than the old location on the other side of town.
Rated 8.8 out of 10 by Citysearch.
|
|
|
|
Explore
Austin, TX
»
Caterers, Family Restaurants, Restaurants
|
|
|
4 Reviews
of Mars Restaurant & Bar
in Austin
...Write yours here!
Bid dissapointment 
Worst restaurant I've ever been in the Austin area. I understand the concept of fusion cuisine but Mars goes far beyong offering a miserable plate for a big price. Waitresses should alert customers about the size of the portions, which again, I understand are small in this specialty. I ordered Lamb, which was the most expensive plate in the menu and the size of these lamb chops were ridiculously small. I will never eat at Mars again
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
(you must log in or
sign up to vote)
It's Red Inside 
My friend's took me to Mars for dinner on My birthday. I was pleasantly surprised. The food was awesome. I had the salmon. It was a little loud because of all the people, but the staff was wonderful and the mood was nice.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
(you must log in or
sign up to vote)
good food 
Do try to contain your guffaws.) Seriously, I've been in a couple of times to chat with girlfriends over a Marstini (Absolut Citron, Grand Marnier and a lemon twist) or Martian (raspberry bellini) or wine or bourbon. The Pacific Rim food smells good and looks delectable as it passes us by, but we like chatting over dim lamplight and red and black dcor and consuming tasty beverages, even if we've never made the 5 to 7 p.m. Monday-Friday happy hour specials. That's OK; the intimate seating arrangement -- 25 people would be quite a crowd -- encourages lovely conversation: how to change careers, for example, or what it means to take risks in writing and in life. Or where to acquire hip new glasses and official geek status for wanting to see the "Firefly" movie sneak previews.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
(you must log in or
sign up to vote)
Red Tile Everywhere, and Great Food Too! 
My husband and I went to Mars on our first date, and I immediately wanted to go home and retile my house. With red walls embedding with varied shades of red tile, the restaurant itself is a work of art. The menu isn't bad either. We ordered several appetizers, all of which were delicious. The service was friendly, and the cooks definitely know their stuff. Funky and elegant all at once.
Was this review helpful to you?
Yes /
No
(you must log in or
sign up to vote)
food was really bad and overpriced.
I had the veggie wrap and even the wrap bread around it was bad. Even the french fries were awful even when they renamed them pommes frites.
My friend had crab cakes and got sick an hour later. She told me she didn't know why she kept eating them when they tasted bad.
yuck. Do not be drawn in by the glossy good looks of this place.
Posted 06/22/08 at 9:24pm
Must try this place!
I have been to Mars a few times and I am planning on going back next week. I absolutely love this place. The people that are on here leaving negative remarks must have larger issues in life, because this place is easily one of the top 5 restaurants in Austin. If you have not been here before, go you will not be disappointed.
If you will allow me to make a suggestion, for an appetizers, try the Malanga Napoleon. I hate to say something is the best ever, however at the current moment, I can not think of any appetizer I have ever eaten that I would choose over the Malanga Napoleon.
Pros: Wine selection
Cons: bit pricy, but very much worth it.
Posted 06/19/08 at 1:55pm
really???
I am the chef at Mars Restaurant and I would like to point out that I indeed take pride in the food that myself and my cooks put out every day. Was the food too bland or too salty?? I am not from the Mid - Atlantic nor have i been raised on soft shell crab however I can assure you that the crab was alive before it went to the table. We do NOT marinate the lamb in beef broth but we do however serve it with lamb jus made from lamb bones. The ribs are braised for hours and are anything but dry . I would normally in this situation ask you to come back so that we could resolve any and all doubts you have in us, but instead I will ask that the next time you go out to eat anywhere that you start your dining experience with a better attitude.
Posted 05/31/08 at 4:19pm
Lazy service, bland food, and incompetent management
They sat us immediately and jokingly told us our server would be with us in "4-5 seconds". About 15 minutes later the manager finally came around and told us that the server asked her to take our drink order - there was no: hello, welcome to Mars, sorry you've been waiting. It was Friday night around 8:00pm or so and there were empty tables everywhere so they weren't overwhelmingly too busy to care for their guests. Eventually we get our drinks and when our waitress finally comes over to take our order , it's the same thing - no introduction, no how are you, no sorry to keep you waiting. When we started to ask her questions about the menu and the wine she responded to everything saying that it was "good". When the appetizer arrives it was dry, my soup was unbearably salty, and the beet salad actually tasted ok but the greens were wilted and it only had a few beets. Our entrees were no less lackluster: the ribs were smeared in a sticky sauce that tasted ok but the meat inside was dry and bland; the softshell crab was disgusting....watery, mushy and had flavor similar to a frozen product. (let me mention that I am from the Mid-Atlantic coast where I grew up eating softshell crab); the hearts of palm that came with the crab were raw and bland; and lamb tasted of nothing but salt, like they marinated it in beef broth. Whoever the head chef is should be ashamed of the food he/she is sending out to the guests. When we told the manager of our concerns about the food, she responded saying "let me get it out of your way so you don't have to deal with it anymore". They comped the food we sent back, but there was absolutely no apology or attempt to improve our experience in any way. My boyfriend and I both worked our way through college waiting tables in nice restaurants so we know what it takes to make a nice dining experience. It was obvious that the server, the chefs and the manangement at Mars simply have no pride in their product. I will never go back.
Posted 05/31/08 at 8:58am
First time was very good
I went on a recent weekend for the first time. We were part of a large group, and I was happy to see that our table was waiting for us per our reservation. We started with drinks from the happy hour menu, and everyone was happy! My date and I shared the Tuna appetizer and the Spring Roll appetizer. For dinner, she had the Flounder and I had the Flank Steak; both were perfect. We also enjoyed several bottles of wine with our friends. The waiter did a good job with a large group: he was always there when I wanted something, at least.
It was a little on the loud side, but what can you expect with these crowded places? It was a very good first trip: I'll be back
Posted 04/28/08 at 11:13pm
|
|
4 reviews –
