La Penca Azul — Restaurant in Alameda

Ducking into Azul Taco Bar for a late lunch, I was immediately drawn to their taco bar setup—there’s something satisfying about watching your meal come together right before your eyes. The fresh tortilla game here is undeniably strong. Watching the masa transform into warm, pliable tortillas as soon as you place your order creates that authentic taqueria anticipation. I went with two carne asada and two al pastor, and appreciated the extensive salsa bar where you can customize to your heart’s content (yes, even rice if that’s your thing). The horchata deserves special mention—creamy, well-spiced, and the perfect complement to the meal. The back patio offers a pleasant escape from the midday rush with ample seating. While the tortillas are made fresh, they lack the structural integrity needed for a proper taco experience. The soft texture crumbles under the weight of juicy meats, turning what should be handheld perfection into a messy affair. The execution is decent and the atmosphere works, but at these prices, I expect more authentic flavors and better value. The fresh tortillas are a nice touch, but they can’t justify the premium pricing when the overall experience feels more upscale-casual than genuine street food. Worth a try if you’re in the neighborhood, but I’ll be seeking out more authentic options that deliver better bang for your...

Ridiculously loud; can't enjoy a conversation on a weekday at 2:00. Though there were at least 10 empty tables we were seated next to a family with children so active that they were climbing on the furniture. We asked to sit elsewhere and did but the music piped in was loud and not conducive to conversation even though I moved my seat from across from my friend to sit next to him I asked if they could turn it down a bit but they did not. Mexican "salsa" type music is lively by its nature and when too loud just isn't fun to try and talk over. Sort of like trying to have a conversation while rock or metal music is playing, It seemed like they weren't concerned about their guests having a good experience. I'm guessing that we were seated next to the table with the climbing children because it would have been easier for the waitress, and I'm sure the staff there liked the loud music more than we did - but I will not return to the restaurant. The food wasn't any better than I can get somewhere else where it would be more pleasant to have lunch with a friend you are trying to catch up with. Not recommended unless you want to be yelling to talk to others in your dining party and don't care that the food is...

We've had great meals in the past, but this time something was a little off. It was a Saturday, wasn't too busy at dinner time...but the staff didn't seem too attentive. No silverware on the table, a nachos appetizer was brought out with no plates and the silverware, they filled an order wrong (ordered a shrimp enchilada but came as beef but decided not to waste the food by requesting a do-over).

Food: the nachos were good but again no silverware or plates (we asked for plates and a nice gentleman helped us but our main dishes had arrived before he returned with the plates). Every dish that had beef was dry-tacos, burrito. We ordered lengua burritos and they were a fine dice and a bit dry. Ordered the fish taco meal and the fish was flaked into bits, not grilled or fried fish pieces.

The receipt came but it was hard to decipher what had been ordered, especially since we got beef enchilada instead of shrimp.

Couldn't tell if the waitress was tired or disinterested, she didn't seem as welcoming as other wait staff in the past. Food was OK but the service may be a greater factor when deciding to return, unfortunately. Really wanted to love the place...