Yelp reviews are spot on. I got lazy. It was across the street from the hotel. I think one time weary travelers are the only people that eat here? The restaurant is clean. The service is OK I'll give it. Both the steak and the shrimp were overcooked not to mention fajitas should come out sizzling if they're made fresh It's almost like this was pre-cooked and heated to order I wish I would've driven the extra eight minutes to find the meal yelp recommended so a victim of my own laziness I post this for you to keep going move on find better food. Don't waste your money. read more

El Azteca - Steak and shrimp fajitas - Mexican Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Very efficient serving staff. Food was very good and delivered to the table quickly while the restaurant was busy

Super fast and friendly service. The food was good, we had a large group and everyone was pleased with their food. read more

El Azteca - Mexican Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Magnifico! We were staying at a hotel across the street and had just been to a football game at Jack Trice Stadium. Tired, hungry and not quite ready to call it a day we decided to eat at El Azteca. Arriving about 20 minutes before closing made us kind of nervous, but every other place in town was either closed or would be closing soon. I ordered the chicken enchiladas verdes. So delish! I loved the tangy salsa verde with just enough spice to give it some heat but not safe enough for most Midwestern taste buds. I wolfed it down so fast I didn't even notice my wife's Chimichanga or our friends' quesadillas or giant burrito. I did see that the quesadillas were perfectly arranged and the generous portion was topped with sour cream and guacamole. I was envious but as soon as I took a bite of my enchiladas I forgot all about them. The service was fast and friendly despite the late hour. I am sure they were anxious for us to eat and leave, but we never felt rushed and had a really nice experience. Turning off the big screen tv's was our subtle cue that it was time to head out. El Azteca will be on our short list for a late night meal in Ames. read more

Best food ever. Super fast service and always a good vibe. My go to! Everything on the menu is a safe bet.

Have been pissing out of my asshole for the past 3 hours after eating it yesterday. I knew the food tasted off. Wish I could have my money back. read more

El Azteca is an old Dinner standby for family when we're dining out together in Ames. The Stange Road outpost is closer to my Parent's home, while this El Azteca is on the East Side (near I-35) in a new building after moving from their old digs in what was once the Happy Chef. So a couple Friday nights ago, Dad and I endured a 20-30 minute wait to get seated for Dinner. And that's the good news as a cold winter non-game night had folks in Ames coming out in droves. We first tried Texas Road House, which I estimated the wait to be maybe 2 hours. Downtown Ames wasn't any better, and at least the hard working employees at El Azteca were kind and patient with their own horde of hungry customers. El Azteca's new digs are nice, with a roomy dining room and a cool bar area off to the side. Our table service was quick and friendly in terms of ordering, getting our food, and checking out. The menu is expansive in terms of classic "Tex-Mex" dishes. Dad and I chose our usuals (quesadilla for me - burrito for him), which were their usual good filling selves. Of course we ate too many free chips, and I very much enjoyed my margarita. El Azteca might not always be the first choice for an evening out, but it is usually the right choice. Note: At 94 years of age, I don't trust my Dad walking from the far end of El Azteca's large parking lot to the front door. However, it's pretty easy here to swing around to the front for drop off and pick up. read more

It is close to the hotels for starters. This place is always packed so I call ahead and get my food to go. The menu here is extensive, they have it all. Each time I call I am warmly greeted and my order is correct every time. Food comes out fast and it tastes so good. My favorite is the carnitas plate with seafood enchiladas coming in second. Do not let the full parking lot scare you, the service here is amazing and you will get what you want. El Azteca is a homerun for me. read more

I ordered the Texas Fajitas to go. The food was very good & yummy as well as plentiful. I had it for lunch and had the leftovers for dinner. The salsa they serve with the chips was the best salsa I've had in a while. Server was polite & friendly. I will come back next time I'm in Ames read more

Stopped for lunch on our way through town. Cute restaurant. Lots of TVs with sports on. Friendly staff. The food was mediocre. They did give you lots of it, though! Portions were very large. read more

The food was awful. It was so bland with no Mexican flavor. We had 5 people in our party and all usually love Mexican food but this was the worst we had ever had. The service was great but would not go back. Wish I could give it 0 stars. read more

Amazing burrito, good and very very fast service, good vibe. Got the California Burrito (would recommend). Was seated with a group of 8 at 8:30 and was out by 9... crazy. read more

First place I ate after transferring work to Ames. I had chicken in queso, always a good choice, and a very good choice here. Salsa was delicious. Service was ultra fast at both locations. Wish the drive home was not so long as I would grab a quick to go dinner more often. I look forward to trying many of their other dishes. read more

Went for an unplanned dinner during the frigid blizzard - this was walkable from our hotel. Surprised they were quite busy and fully staffed. We got a quesadilla and Carne Asada. Both very good. Also got a couple jumbo Texas Margs cuz why not. Good chips and salsa too. Overall good food and good service. Margs were good but not real strong. This location seems a bit newer than the North side one. read more

The food was mediocre, the service was unacceptable the ambiance was deceptive. My sister and I can only get together usually on a weekend and we live over 2 hours from one another so it's irregular. When we do we like to have great food, great authentic drinks, impeccable service and at least a decent place that stays open according to their hours listed. The food - the salsa - below mediocre. The margaritas- tasted like a power drink mix - the salsa yuck. The waitress - couldn't speak English and her name was Isabelle but then she had amnesia and it became Maria. She couldn't communicate the menu items in any way. She got the order wrong twice. Then at 8:00pm they started to kick us out, even though my sister was placing a to-go order. Their response to our protest was no one is here - we close. We said "google says your open till 9, and the bus boy said "Google is Loco" we're closed you have to go now! That is the truth - never had such crappy service combined with crappy food. read more

I love their raspberry margaritas, they use fresh raspberries and taste great. El Azteca literally makes the best margaritas in town. My recommendations: Pollo al chipotle - the chicken is tender and the sauce is mildly thick with a light chipotle kick, not super spicy imo. Carne asada - so savory, great flavor. The meat is incredibly tender and onions are perfect with a slight crisp. Quesadilla Special - it is incredibly filling, I am especially full after ordering this one. Or any of their combination dinners, it's a great way to try a variety of their menu items. The food comes in fast after ordering. And the plates are hot and fresh. Food is decently priced. And servers are all very attentive. Definitely an Ames staple. They have two locations, I've been to both and the only difference is the building and interior looks different. But same quality food and service. read more

The food was delicious! We were staying in Ames one night & I have been craving the burrito my husband & I shared. May have to find an excuse to make a trip through Iowa read more

My son started at Iowa State in the fall of 2020. We have seen the restaurant multiple times and always commented we should go. Let me just say - we've been missing out! The atmosphere was fun and relaxed. The wait staff was so friendly and helpful. Even though it was busy, we got our food in record time! read more

Always love El Azteca at both the Ames locations as well as the Ankeny one. Food and service has always been top notch with friendly service. read more

Still an AmesTopTen! We got Texas fajitas here today(see pics). They were very good and I had leftovers to take home. I come to this El Azteca, despite it being further away and older than the other one for a few reasons. I like the light here. Lots of windows. Very cheery place. I just feel more comfy here and that is a large part of dining in. Friendly staff. Very family and budget friendly. Clean. I used the bathroom to wash my hands and it was clean as well. Great good. The prices have gone up a bit since we were last here, but it's still very reasonable for the food you get. Lot parking. Marcy'sDinerTantrumScale 5/5-no screaming kids. read more

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Excellent service - very attentive and friendly-being an out of towner where the mexican food is fantastic- i didnt know to expect - but our food was really great read more

The food was good. I have had better but I've had much worse. The location was convenient to our hotel and they have great TV's to watch sports on. The service was quick. The prices were reasonable. read more

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I'm from Houston Texas graving for real Mexican food... found this place because some people in Yelp reviews says it's good BUT my EXPERIENCED here today was not good at all! SERVICE, FOOD, and DRINKS are waaayyyy below my expectations! Server was not friendly but we felt like we were rushed. Margarita drink doesn't taste like a margarita but it tasted like a little children's street lemonade drink instead. Carne tacos was served blunt. No sour cream nor little cheese or something as sides. Meat was over cooked and tasteless, no flavoring but DRIED UP PIECES OF MEAT. Pork carnitas was ok, I can do better (if I cook it at home). It seems like the place is authentic Mexican food because the ppl working there, servers are all Mexican guys. But the food is not worth recommending to others! Just sad. Yikes! read more

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Much better in new location, don't feel rushed. Always great food. Nice service, comfortable eating here.

El Azteca has not let service or taste suffer during the pandemic. I appreciate their service, chips and salsa and large menu including a lunch menu that will get you in and out quickly. Warm plates, good portions and a clean environment! I will always recommend El Azteca for lunch and dinner! read more

Carnitas were very good, the Chile Verde was amazing!!! Service was not very good. We had to ask for a glass for our beer. Server never checked back after food was served and we had to stop staff to ask for napkins a couple of times. Chips and Salsa were average. I rated this a 4 instead of a 3 because the food was so good it made up a little for the poor service. read more

I wish I could give more stars the place doesn't look like a good place from the outside, but it is the best place to eat man oh man. AMAZING Me and the hubby got chips and salsa right away the staff was amazing the chips were crispy and the salsa wasn't to hot lots of flavor. We ordered chicken fajitas it was so fast and hot yummy, and holy crap the serving size was huge. the chicken was juicy and seasoned the veggies were just right not burned not raw cooked to perfection. The Rice and beans that come with it was so good walked away asking for more. We really could have shared one but now walking away with dinner tomorrow. Nice prices wonderful people I must try in Ames! read more

El Azteca - Mexican Near Me - Ames, Iowa

As a quick addition to my original review. I recently went back to try the chicken enchiladas. This entree comes as a single plate of three enchiladas. No rice, no beans, no sides. I ordered a side of refried beans to go with my dinner. Upside: The enchiladas are hot, fresh, filling. Packed with lots of chicken and smothered in sauce (see picture). Downside: No seasoning or other detectable herbs or savory spices on the itself. Just plain chicken inside the tortilla. Kind of a shame. read more

El Azteca - Chicken enchiladas dinner entrée. - Mexican Near Me - Ames, Iowa

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You know, I love their food, the ambiance, and the value, but.... the service was not great. The server started off fine. He wasn't actually pleaseant, but he was there quickly and got our drink order, took our orders and brought the food. And that's the last he communicated with us except to bring the check before we were done eating. No refills on drinks. Tried to get his attention as he walked by our booth many times, but he wouldn't even look at us. The restaurant wasn't overly busy, plenty of open tables and booths. The manager (i think) stood 10 ft away from us by a floor register, he didnt come over either even though i was holding my (very small) coffee cup out. We had a lunch meeting wth 4 of us from a partnership team. We were not loud or difficult, just discussing some items. They never checked back with us even after i mentioned it to the host. We wont be back, to this location. Always had good service at the Stange location. I almost never give bad reviews, but this was just frustrating. read more

Granted there aren't a lot of mexican restaurants in Ames, but this is hands down the best one. From the staff to the food, everything is done with excellence! The atmosphere is very classy too, its a place you can go on a nice date or take the family out to eat after church on Sunday. They also do fun things on your birthday! My personal favorite dish is the Arroz con Pollo. If you're ever in the area I recommend stopping here for sure. read more

I went here with my family and it was absolutely horrible. Margaritas had hardly any flavor, the rice tasted like complete salt and the meat had no flavor. They were super rude to us and when we complained about the food, the talked about us and made us look bad. They were assholes! read more

We were staying across the street and decided the convenience was worth a try. The food was excellent. The refried beans were some of the best I've had. I ordered pork verde and it was excellent and the tortilla's tasted home-made. Our waiter was prompt, friendly and helpful. Food came quickly. we had regular margaritas and they were fine. I recommend if in the area. read more

Service is superb and the food and margarita are delicious! We stop here everything we drive home to Missouri from Minnesota

This place has it all put together. I'm glad they're expanding and opening more locations. Every time I visit I have all of my expectations met. Food is great and the service is friendly. Thank you for your delicious Mexican food. It's almost better than the actual food in Mexico. Ha! read more

I asked for three tacos 2 beef and 1 chicken. Beef tacos are suppose to be made with "carne" not ground greasy beef. No tomatoes nor onions, nor sour cream, nor lime on the tacos. Chicken was that shredded chicken; again with the same condiments as the beef tacos. The shredded lettuce had mayo like the lettuce that comes on the mcdonalds mcChicken. I'm a New Yorker and in NYC they don't make tacos the way this spot did. Total disappointment. I figured since being in the middle of no where in Iowa the tacos would be of the chain. Mah flan had ice cream and my churros were stale as cardboard. Azteca step ur game up and cook and serve more authentic Mexican food. You got all dem Caucasian dat don't know better. The only thang that was good was the Jarrito ! read more

Stopped here late on a Friday night while traveling. We wanted something quick and this was quick. Server was very prompt. The chips and salsa were ok... the main reason I didn't give it 5 stars. My partner ordered the chipotle chicken and enjoyed it. Big portion but a bit spicy. I ordered the Enchiladas supreme and was very pleased. Nice serving size and good flavor. We were in and out in less than 30 minutes and the bill was very reasonable. read more

I knew better than to get excited about Mexican food in the Midwest. Save your money and go Taco Bell. The waiter used a horrible fake Mexican accent. I wasn't called amigo as many times the entire time I lived in El Paso. The food was terrible, it was so bland I didn't finish the meal. I woke up sick this morning never again. read more

I visited this restaurant with my family while on our roadtrip. It is conveniently located between a cluster of hotels and motels right on the side of interstate highway 35, on the south edge of Aems, IA. The staff is entertaining and the seating and atmosphere is very welcoming. It is kids friendly. The food is better than most Mexican-themes restaurants I've tried. Unlike your small chains and ubiquitous mainstays, this restaurant offers more authenticity, with its basic southern US herbs and home made additives. I tried the Steak quesadilla plate and added green chili hotsauce, not that it really needed it, but because I like to spice things up. The family also tried the fish tacos, and it proved to be the better choice. Everything was cooked very well and presented with lots of side extras. The plates were large and filling. Pros: Quiet atmosphere, plentiful lighting, quick service, and better than average menu. Food is great! Cons: The bar area is situated in the center-entryway, which is distracting from the family-oriented ambience the place is aiming at. read more

Take out not recommended. Ordered three entree dishes that included flour tortillas. They forgot them for all three dishes. Should have checked. But come on. I used to be a big fan but they rush you on Dine in when it was available (pre corona) and the quality and service has gone down from when they were growing. Sorry guys. Get better. read more

El Azteca - Chorizo polo - Mexican Near Me - Ames, Iowa

Found this listed on Yelp and decided to give it a try. Very pleased with our choice. Service and food was all good. Nice menu without being complicated or confusing. The chips and salsa were good and fresh. I will return again when in the area. read more