Casa Azteca — Restaurant in O'Fallon

I was in the mood for good Mexican food. I didn't get good Mexican food. Mexican food is my favorite. I grew up in southern California and El Paso, TX. I know good Mexican food. This wasn't it. My first clue was when the chips and salsa came out. The salsa was a homogenous watery paste with a couple seeds in it. You know when the salsa isn't chunky-ish its usually because it's made out of cheap canned ingredients and has been blended to hell or it's because it's chile, though that distintiction is obvious. Their's was the former. All I could taste of it was the metallic acidity of canned tomato paste and the slight spice of whatever they had blended in with it, which was probably pickled jalapeno based on what I received later. I ordered their asada plate, suspiciously not labeled carne asada like anywhere else you might go. Even while living in El Paso I never encountered asada minus carne. Weird, whatever. The menu stated that it was streak serves with grilled onions, bell pepper and jalapeno, with an enchilada, rice and beans on the side. What was served was essentially fajitas with the meat as a severely over tenderized and torn whole. Whatever, anyone who really knows Mexican food knows that it's more varied than what your average American thinks it is, and that staple dishes are made differently between Chihuahua and Oaxaca. However, the steak was so over seasoned and marinated that all the combined flavors resembled pure soy sauce. It wasn't pleasant. The jalapenos served with it were pickled. I've never been served pickled jalapenos at any Mexican restaurant. That is not the flavor of Mexican food. 4/10, wouldn't order that again. On to the rice, beans and enchilada. I don't remember the rice and beans aside for how tasteless they were. The enchilada was ground beef and onion with what I think was an attempt at mole sauce. It was overly sweet and kind of tasted like a fridge. I don't know about anything else on the menu, but just based on the enchilada alone I wouldn't order anything else. I make enchiladas at home sometimes, that I would consider 7/10 when I get lazy with them. Every part of an enchilada is a breeze to make, and it takes no time to do it in bulk for restaurant service. I can't think of an adequate excuse for a bad enchilada.

The service was there. Not overly friendly and didn't bug us constantly, which is what I prefer, so there's a positive.

I don't know if the issues with food has something to do with COVID and cost savings, or because we went during lunch and maybe they skimp on lunch orders. I don't know. But I can't get over the pickled jalapenos. That alone blew my mind. There are multiple stores within a 5-10 driving distance that sell them fresh. Pickled jalapenos tells me they don't care or there's some financial trouble going on. Either way, I can't recommend. If you don't know at least decent Mexican food, you'll probably find it passable, but eventually ditch this place for La Casa 5 minutes away where they at least deliver 7/10 consistently. This is the Mexican equivalent of barely competent housewife...

I’m from out of town and this place is as authentic as the Mexican restaurants I go to in Chicago. From the atmosphere,the music,and their salsas made me feel back at home. It was hard finding a Mexican restaurant that was good out in this area most of them lack that real Mexican authentic taste. Waitress was extremely friendly as soon as me and my co-worker sat down she brought out chips and salsa(at no extra charge),she also brought out this home made salsa to go along with the chips that had a great taste. I ordered the 3 taco meal (1-chicken,1- Al pastor & 1-carnitas) with rice and beans but opted for double rice instead. The food came out very promptly and the meats tasted fresh,they didn’t taste like they sat all day in a pot. Both of their green and red salsa were amazing. They also use standard 6” tortillas not like some of these places in the area that sell you a 4” taco,that’s not a real taco. I also got a medium horchata that was very tasty and it complimented my food. I would most definitely recommend this restaurant to anyone in the mood for real Mexican food or anyone who knows real Mexican food you won’t be...

I didn't care much for it. They use a mole sauce on their enchiladas and other items that taste like a sweet chocolate. There were 9 of us eating and everyone tried it and not one of us liked it. The margaritas were an odd dirty looking color, maybe they use a dark tequila in it but it looked like dirty dish water. The enchiladas (we ordered them with no sauce) were made with a cheddar cheese and weren't bad. The beef tacos were the best I have ever eaten, the beef is seasoned very nicely. Chips were good, salsa could have been much better if it didn't have so much jalapeño juice in it, made it pretty spicy and you could taste the vinegar from the jalapeño juice. They don't use cilantro in it, it's a smooth salsa. The beans were very runny and unappetizing to me and several others at our table but some liked them. They do have a buffet that they will serve you. A few people liked the fried burritos, 1/2 of us didn't. The smoked sausage in BBQ sauce was very good. Overall, 1/2 of our group who ate there would go back again and the other...