El Azteca

The most disgusting mexican food i have ever had… i do not recomend eating here ever… drive 2 blocks to dairy queen garantee the food is way better

El Azteca is a popular Ames area Mexican restaurant for a good reason — their food is good as are the prices. The service has been a bit slack as of late, knocking a star off of what would have been a sure-​fire 5-​Star review. They have a huge menu and full bar which offers the «best» margaritas in Ames. I’m not sure about that as I’ve never had one. They have excellent fajitas, enchiladas (especially the enchiladas verdes) and taco salads.
The food comes out quickly. We timed it one time and even on a busy Friday night it was hot and at our table in eight minutes. Everything tastes fresh and I’ve never had anything I didn’t like. It’s nice to be greeted with a hot, crispy batch of fresh tortilla chips and a delightful salsa, though with the fast turnaround time you barely get a chance to enjoy them.
I am less than pleased with the service lately. The past two times I’ve gone there it has taken them seemingly forever to wait on us even when the place isn’t all that busy. They seemed to have more than enough time to stand around and talk, just not enough time to properly wait on you. Once they do finally get around to you everything goes quickly.
Overall, the poor service isn’t enough to keep me from going back because this place is unquestionably the best Mexican restaurant in Ames.

Stopped in at the last minute for a carry out order. Place was as always busy, but was seated and my order taken very quickly. Got my order in a short amount of time and the food as always was delicious.

Very good mexican food and although the place was packed, excellent service as well !! I would recommend it

We moved to this area eight years ago, and found El AZTECA right away. We eat here often and have referred many others. It is definitely the best Mexican food around, has great service and is always quick (even when then are at capacity). The price is a steal especially on the lunch menu. You won’t want to miss this jewel.

Referred here by a colleague and the food and drink definitely doesn’t disappoint in terms of taste. Though for a family-​owned restaurant, it seemed to lack two common facets: portions and service. The portions for the food, especially the dinner combination plates were really rather small. Typically when you order a combination with a few enchiladas and a taco or quesadilla, it includes a big plate with rice and beans as well. Not so here.
Also — the service was really lacking. I was sitting in the bar, early in the evening, and as soon as I finished my food, one of the several servers swooped in and took my plate and replaced it with the check. Well, I was thinking of having another drink or two and watching the NFL game they’re showing, but I guess they want me to leave…
I might give it another try the next time I’m in Ames, but only if I can’t find anything else.

This place is the best we have found in our area. They have the best servers, very friendly and make you feel at home. Tables are always clean. Food is always great. Especially the chicken tortilla soup. My family loves their cheese sauce. Good for young or old. I highly recommend coming here.

I ordered the Burrito California, being from L.A. I thought it was tasty. Wasn’t thrilled with the cheesy sauce and lettuce in the burrito but that’s my preference. Not bad for Iowan Mexican food. Will go back and try something else.

Walking in to El Azteca, the immediate aroma of seasoned and grilled meats strikes the nose like a lightning bolt. Seated very quickly (noon on a Sunday). Our server spoke a little bit too quiet, hard to understand. After I ordered it seemed as if they already knew what I was going to order because it came out about 5 minutes later. I had the Burrito California. Not bad, not a big fan of warm lettuce in a burrito but that’s just me. ⁴⁄₅ stars. Would enjoy anything on the menu.

So I wasn’t sure what to expect, when you pull up the place is tucked away in a little area with a trailer park and a few hotels. The place seems pretty busy, the bar is limited (6 seats), no beer on tap and a modest selection of spirits available. The menu is your typical mexican fare, nothing exceptional but it’s all done decently. Salsa and chips are food, service is fast at the bar. Overall I wouldn’t go out of my way to come here, but if you’re staying at a nearby hotel and don’t want to have to drive a couple miles this is a easy place to grab a quick meal, have a beer and unwind.

This place is pretty good! And I don’t mean «pretty good for Ames»; I mean it’s actually good.
The salsa is tasty and lightly spicy. Chips are fresh. I tried the Chori-​Pollo based on a colleague’s recommendation. The Chori-​Pollo is sliced white meat chicken topped with chorizo and cheese sauce and served with rice, beans, and tortillas. I subbed the beans for guacamole and made myself little burritos with the tortillas.
The service here is lightning quick! I was amazed by how quickly the order was taken and then served to the table. This quick service makes it great for a quick work lunch.
I’ll return!

The ambiance and atmosphere is what one expects from a Mexican joint. I ordered the Pollo Chipotle which was flavorful and delicious. The salsa for the chips had a nice kick and the rice and bean sides were standard.
My wife enjoyed here Chipotle steak quesadilla which had the same sauce as my entrée. The service was quick and friendly! Happy we looked on Unilocal and found the place.

Terrible service, bad food, and the most pretentious wait staff I’ve ever encountered. No wonder this place was dead when we came in. I definitely do not recommend going here.

Really love coming here they are friendly and I have never been disappointed with the food.

For sure my favorite Mexican spot in Iowa that I know of. The service and atmosphere in here is great! Every meal I have had has been excellent and the owners are fun, and always smiling. Sometime they even bring you over a free shot, to celebrate your meal.
Always good specials here and I recommended the Veggie Fajita’s. They are amazing and come steaming hot and piled high.
The chips and salsa are hands down some of the best I have ever had. The food comes fast, so even if you waiting in line to get in on a Saturday night you will be seated shortly.
The place is kinda outside of town on highway 30 but it’s worth the drive and you will not leave hungry!

Great food, great places, good atmosphere. I should give this place 4 stars but I’m not a huge Mexican food fan.
The waiter was really cool and always looked out for us. I will definitely be back here when it’s convenient.

The service is fast & friendly, food is hot and tasty, prices are reasonable, varied menu with vegetarian options. Plenty of parking. The owner personally works the floor and keeps an eye on quality.
Good food for a good price.

This is only reviewing the margaritas as we had just chips and salsa.
Imagine frozen lime juice really watered down… then you have the margaritas
We had last night. Limited salt around the rim and no lime. Looked around and no limes anywhere.
I thought they might be making them with wine due to the lack of alcohol taste. Even the color was washed out.
When the server asked how the drink was and I told them, they didn’t offer to correct it. We drank our juice and left.
Wouldn’t have left a tip but server never came back to take our bill. Standing around the bar was keeping him busy.

This is just good stuff. Great food, quick service, priced right.
Big margaritas, cold beer.
Excellent salsa.
Best Mexican in town.

This is by far the best authentic Mexican food in Ames. I’ve never been to the Somerset location, but the Dayton Avenue restaurant in an old Happy Chef next to a cluster of Highway 30 hotels is terrific. Much better than the widely popular La Fuente and west Ames’ Cazador, it’s worth a visit. Their takeout service is also fantastic — fast and packaged perfectly.