El Azteca — Restaurant in Ames

I have been going to el Azteca approximately 2-3 times a month for the last 2.5 years, and I can say without a doubt, this is my favorite Mexican restaurant in the entire Midwest.

Food: El Azteca has the best chipotle sauce I’ve ever had a Mexican restaurant, nowhere else compares. Since I started going there, I now try the chipotle sauce dishes at all other Mexican restaurants and El Azteca has yet to be beaten. My favorite dishes there are the Chaca’s burrito, the chipotle quesadilla with chicken, or the pollo al chipotle (pictured). My partner always gets a cheese quesadilla with rice, with a side of queso (pictured), which never disappoints her as well. Some of the combination plates I have tried do remind me of a standard Mexican restaurant, their speciality offerings bring them up to a 5 star experience. Their lime jumbo margaritas are very good as well!

Price: very reasonable. I think the current prices for regular entrees are about 10-15 per plate. The order of a cheese quesadilla with rice is like $6.

Service: the service here is always fantastic. While the restaurant can at times be packed, I have never had to wait long to be seated, and have always been waited on right away. Their food is always FAST and PIPING HOT. They also can get food to you in record time. Sometimes, the meals are out in less than five minutes. It is not uncommon for other waiters/waitresses to come over and refill drinks, etc, so you feel taken care of.

Atmosphere: this is by far the cleanest Mexican restaurant I have ever been to. Seriously, at least from what I can see, they run a tight ship. It is honestly hard to go to other restaurants because it is clear that they take cleanliness seriously. The ambiance of the restaurant is not over the top, it’s very...

Normally there is nothing notable about the service...it is existing...not usually bad, not usually stellar...today was eye opening.

Upon pulling into the parking lot I noticed a van with its side door wide open...no one in it. I tried but could not find the release for the door. As I entered and said we had a party of six, I asked if they could possibly ask their customers who owned the vehicle as the door was open and rain was soaking the inside. The elder man (owner?) scoffed at the notion and said "I have no idea who owns it and have no time for that" then went to collect money at the register.

I was surprised as were folks in our party that they could care less about their patrons. Once he was done at the register I re-engaged the man, asking if he couldn't or wouldn't attempt to ask around in concern for his customer. He again scoffed at the idea.

We have seen this lack of concern in other ways expressed by employees here.

We left...they lost not only the transaction today, but also in the future. We have plenty of other concerned restaurants in the area where they do express genuine concern for...

The food is good, my wife and I used to go there every Monday, but some of the servers/waiters behave in rude at the least to borderline threatening ways at times making us so uncomfortable we won't be going back. An example occurred as follows: I always order the same thing, the #11 combo with an extra beef enchilada. One time even after the waiter repeated "beef enchilada" he brought me an extra taco. With some trouble I got his attention and told him I'd ordered the enchilada not the taco. He glared at me and said "no you ordered taco and there it is". My wife said to him "no he ordered the enchilada like he always does". The waiter again, raising his voice, said "no you ordered a taco". Another waiter intervened and exchanged the taco for an enchilada while the first waiter stomped away quickly. No one apologized or even asked if everything was OK at check out. It was all just too weird for me and I don't need to pay people who...