El Azteca

The food is mediocre and the wait staff are terrible and rude. I am never going back again.

I hate to break it to people who think this is not what Mexican food should taste like, but I have been to Mexico many times and the food is EXACTLY like this. I mean the real Mexican food, not just the hotel tourist food. Carlos and places like that are very Americanized. This is by far the best Mexican around.

Who ever wrote the January 17th review must have been high. You make a restaurant and I‘ll pull a hair out of my ass and say that it was there. Then we‘ll see who‘s being reasonable. Thanks idiot

I really enjoyed this place until the last time I was there. And I am NEVER going back.

First, there was a hair in the salsa and the waiter didn‘t understand why that was a problem. He seemed to think we were being unreasonable when we asked for a new bowl, instead of just letting him pull the hair out of the salsa.

Then when I went in to use the restroom, a hole in the wall started spewing nasty brown water. (I am not making this up.) All the water flowed away from the drain in the floor, (and ended up being at least an inch deep) forcing me to step through the water to escape the bathroom.

Worst restaurant experience ever.

Something wrong with the Dec. 2 review. I have never had anything but the best food and service in either of their stores in Ames. The help could never be more pleasant and the food is excellent. It is our favorite Mexican Restaurant in or outside of Ames. The prices are too reasonable. So much so that we always feel obligated to over tip, if there is such a thing.

I love El Azteca! I have never once received poor customer service and the food is always excellent!! It has grown to be my favorite mexican joint in town. I will be going there today for lunch. You must try their fish tacos, they are glorious.

I am not going back to that place again....the service was very rude. They or any other place has never charged me extra for salsa verde (hot green salsa) and when I questioned that they said I have to pay and if do not want to pay I can "get out".....and they keep referring to me as "you people"...with racial undertones in it. I have never seen such awful and bad customer service before. It does not matter how good the food is if you are treated so badly. I am going to press for the behavior, specially the racial one they showed towards me.

Best Mexican in town, try the Burrito Fajita or the California Burrito!!!

Since they opened their new location we are usually there once a week!! We love the friendly waitstaff and the food is amazing!!!! Definately the best Mexican restuarant in Ames!!

I had lunch at El Azteca yesterday for the first time. The food was awesome, cost was minimal, and the service was fantastic! I‘ll be back :D

Soooo good! I will definitely go back! Super yummy daiquiris! Good food for a great price! Service is also very quick :)

Best Mexican food I have ever had. Everything you ask it‘s just amazing and the waiters are the best. They don‘t forget your name and they always have a smile on their face. The waiters already know what I like to have. Once I enter the door and they see me they‘re just like your food is on your way. I feel great because they remember and they know what I like. The customer matters and that‘s what I love!! The owner is amazing, the place is always spotless, the food is crazy good and the atmosphere is amazing. Best place in all of Iowa. No other restaurant can beat this.

Bravo to Al, wife and their staffs. Excellent food and service at both locations. We go there at least one time a week and always receive the best, friendly service in town. The prices are reasonable and the food is excellent. You can have a nice lunch here for what you spend at the fast food drive thru. Try it and you too will become a fan.

My family always loves to go here when we can afford to go out. Great food, my wife says awesome margaritas, and probably the best service in town. My parents have been going to the restaurant on Dayton Place since it opened, and the owner always remembers them and thanks them every time they go. Can‘t beat that for customer service.

We‘ve been regulars since the first place opened 6 years ago. The food is great, but the Margs are what really sets the place apart. In six years I‘ve never had a bad meal. Anyone complaining is probably another resturant. The North side new place did have a few glitches for a week or two when they first opened, but we go there at least once a week, and it‘s been great ever since.

Albert is the best worker ever!!!!!! give him a raise! all the college girls love him! he is super hot!!!!!!!! I CANT WAIT TILL HE GOES TO COLLEGE!!!!!!! BANG BANG

Great authentic Mexican cuisine! yummy salsa and chips are served with meal free of charge.

My friend recommend this restaurant to me since I‘m new to town, but I was very disappointed with the service, and also the food. This restaurant gives a new meaning to run to the boarde and run to the bathroom. I almost didnt make it to the bathroom in time. I‘m not sure what they are using in there food.Maybe laxatives!!!

great food great service the north location is fantastic

One of the best places in Ames, best Mexican food by far. I prefer the one on S. Dayton because it‘s quieter but the one in North Ames is good as well.

Best Mexican in Ames. Just got back from Mexico and this place definetly stays true to authentic Mexican cuisine.

Great place for Mexican food. Chicken entrees are very good. They could use some help with beef items. Service is veriable, but still an awesome place.

One of my favorite places, ANYWHERE. Al and his wife are genuine restaurantuers. I have eaten there at least once a week since they opened. They are always helpful, service is excellent and the food is second to none in this price point. The servers always do their best to make your visit a good one. Highly recommend for any occassion. Big K.

One of the better Mexican restaurants in Ames, the service could be better but I wont knock it too much, they are busy. I will surely go back for the food though.

Amazing margaritas, but the food needs to be improved. I prefer Carlos for their food over El Azteca.

AMAZING! The food is always delicious, hot, and fast. The staff is very courteous and prompt. We‘ve never had a problem. Great prices too! Definitely one of my favorite restaurants!

Great salsa, service, and very tastey food

Good-Cheap-Fast-Hot =) They give you free chips with their homemade salsa (which is soooo yummy, and homemade)!

I‘ve went here several different times in hopes that the food would be better and thinking maybe it was just an "off day" for them. Each time the food tasted the same. The food was cold, the cheese wasn‘t melted on the nachos, there was NO flavor, and the food is just low quality. This is NOT what Mexican food should ever taste like.

Very good food. Service is quick. Prices not too bad. Great restaurant all in all, but I wish the wait staff would come by every so often once the deliver the food. They deliver it and it‘s off to the TV they go and not to be seen again until you‘re done.

I am not a big Mexican food person. I would really rather not have it. But my husband talked me into trying this place out. I was pleasantly suprised on how great the food is, and the service was quick and friendly. The atmosphere was like being in Mexico. Plus the eye candy (the very handsome waiters) made the occassion a very pleasant one. I will now be talking my husband on going there next time we go out to eat.

AMAZING!! Honestly the best mexican restaurant I have ever eaten at. Great service, great food, and great prices.

This place has great food and also the prices are very reasonable. The service is also very fast and friendly!

This is both the most affordable and best Tex-Mex in Ames. Well-seasoned food, great Mexican Beer selection, and excellent service. Look for the $5 Off coupon in the Monthly Mailer and two can eat (and have a beer with dinner) for under $25 with tip.

We stopped by for lunch and wer very impressed with the speed and quality of service. The employees moved with purpose and efficiency. The manager was very much in control and even though there was a line to get in the wait was short. Every restaurant in town should take lessons from these folks.

Great food, very inexpensive, and VERY fast!!!

Good drinks, fast service, HOT food, and fair prices. One of my favorites! The menu has a ton of variety. Great staff. We love El Azteca!

Food is better than most Mexican. Margaritas are great. The service has always been very good. There can be a wait during the peak hours on the weekends but it‘s worth waiting for.

Greasy?? You must be thinking of somewhere else. I‘ve been here at least a hundred times and not once has anything been greasy. Best salsa, best margaritas, best staff, best prices...my favorite place to eat in Ames!

I was there last week and regretted it. It was Friday night so I did not mind the long wait, but food quality was so poor. extremely bland and GREASY. I got a combination dinner but all three varieties tasted the same. a tortilla filled with beef dripping with grease, some bland tomato sauce and cheese on top. Absolutely no difference in taste! I got sick and could not sleep through the night from that fatty food. The reason I gave the only star is their well-made flan.

I live here in Ames and at least once a week my coworkers and I go here. CAN‘T beat the prices and the friendly staff! I would definately say this is the best place in the city of Ames to eat at. AMAZING! Would definately recommend to anyone!

Good place. Food and service was good. Margaritas were good. Everything came out fast.

the food was excellent, the servers were great and the food was prompt

fast service, authentic foods, inexpensive.

We live in the Twin Cities and always stop here for lunch or dinner whenever we‘re driving through on Hwy 35. Now our daughter will be attending Iowa State this fall and I have 4 years of visiting my daughter and El Azteca to look forward to! Yummmm!

This place not only has very friendly staffs, they have delicious food in cheap price. From the chip and Salsa to your meal, which is generous big portion. It‘s cheaper to eat at weekday lunch, but even for weekend and dinner, it is reasonable price, too.

This place is so good! The food comes out fast and hot and they have always been attentive to the kids. We love coming here!

I won‘t eat at another Mexican restaurant in Ames. By far the best in town with great food, prices, and staff. Better than La Fuente!

This is the best mexican restaurant in Ames no doubt about it. Great pirces, awesome food, chips are always warm and the salsa has great flavor. Drinks are strong which is always a plus.

Easily the best Mexican food in Ames. Nice, polite staff, and very fast service. Food is great too and inexpensive. Overall a great place to go, the only Mexican place in Ames I will go to.

Good prices, fast service, good food. Easy to forget about, out on Dayton, but a very good choice if you want Mexican.

There is no doubt El Azteca is the best mexican restuarant in the Ames area. Never have had a bad experience there and talk about service, their staff are the most polite and courteous i have encountered. If you can‘t get in due to them being extremely busy well you can always go to La Fuente they are fairly decent but El Azteca is worth your wait.

Second best place to get Mexican food in Ames. Good service, decent food at fair prices.

Reasonable priced, Quick, and great Food. Never had a bad experience there.

The service, food, and atmosphere are awesome! We take our kids here and they love it. The servers do a great job at bringing out the kids‘ food first, and they make sure there is never an empty glass. The food is delicious and fresh!

This resturant is the best in Ames! My husband and I love going there. The staff is so friendly and the food is amazing! This is always our first choice if we decide to go out to eat!

My family loves going here. The food is great, and the service is excellent. The prices are very reasonable. Also, a fun atmosphere. No matter what we order, we must have at least one beef taco - they are so good. The salsa is fantastic.

Best Mexican food in town.
And yes, the monster margarita is HUGE

We were disappointed when we first moved to Ames and weren‘t able to find good Mexican food. That was until this place opened! The food is great, the wait staff is wonderful, this is definitely the place to go if you‘re looking for Mexican food in town.

This place has the best american style mexican food in Ames. The friendly owner and staff are what make this place top notch. While the combo dishes aren‘t spectacular, give their specials a shot. One of my fav‘s is the fajita burrito, if you like spicy, I dare you to try the "camarones a la diabla" (shrimp of the devil). If you like rich food, try the Chori-polo, a dish of chorizo and chicken. The margaritas are great, they added a bar last year and have put in tv‘s for watching games too. If you are looking for the authentic mexican food, Des Moines is your closest bet (try Los Laurales), but if your in Ames, I wouldn‘t eat mexican food anywhere else than here!

Good Service. Food is poor and not authentic. Soggy crispy beef tacos. Beef enchiladas drowned in cheese... no doubt to make up for the blandness of the meat. The Mexican Steak was so salty I almost had a coronary. All dishes had no true Mexican seasonings. Just salt, black pepper, some cayenne and veggies from a can. We‘re from Texas and we eat at Mexican restaurants religiously. There‘s no way the staff eats this stuff. One reviewer said he lived in Mexico and this is how the food tastes. He has to be lying (about something). I‘ve been to Mexico many times and have never had food taste like this. It has an obvious bland, side of the highway truckstop taste to it. Mexico is a big country and there are a lot of different spins on one dish. But I‘ve never been served canned jalapenos in Mexico. On a high note... the chips taste fresh and the salsa is pretty tasty. Still searching for anything that passes as "decent " Mexican food in the area.

awesome food, great service, can‘t beat the prices!! we love this place!!

This place has the best Mexican food in Ames, hands down!
Great service, great prices, big helpings.
And the Monster Margarita! what more is there to say?

Seriously one of the best mexican resturants in Ames! The people are nice and arent staring at you while you eat like some other places in town. You cant beat the prices for the amount of food you get!

I had a great experience when I went here with a group of friends. The food was delicious and the ambience was great! The prices are pretty awesome too! Its a great improvement on the restaurant that used to be here...

mmm, I got the Camarones a la Diabla last night, sooooo tasty.

I lived in Mexico for a while, and this is the sort of food I got in restaurants there. Try the Camarones Diablo if you want a spicy seafood dish at its best. Muy caliente! My son likes trying the Mexican pop. Pineapple is one of his favorites. The salsa is outstanding, and the prices here are great.

el azteca has the BEST service in town, they‘re food is inexpensive but tastes awesome, this is definately my favorite place to eat in Ames!

Best mexican in Ames! Sadly, that‘s not saying much despite the abundance of mexican eateries in this town.

When I got there I realized why no one was there at lunch time, the food sucks if you are looking for something edible

I threw up in a snow bank the first time I had a monster margarita

its the fucking best thing to happen to me!!!!! ever!!!!!!