Well, Ames has another sit down Mexican restaurant. I think this one is actually owned and run by…read moreMexicans. I hope they succeed where so many others continue to fail. This is a Tex-Mex restaurant. Native Texan here, check my oldest YELP reviews, people. Tex-Mex cuisine is different as cheese plays a more featured role than it does in Mexican cuisine, but unlike Americanized Mexican cuisine, it comes from Tejanos who are A) Hispanic and B) actually season their food. The customer service here is glorious! You definitely feel appreciated. The restaurant is spacious and clean, and they are keeping the number of dine in customers fairly low and spaced out. I've dined in once but lately have stuck to carry out. I think they were initially lax with masks, but were wearing them when I went in today. The food was delicious, and reminded me of Tex Mex fare back in Houston. The portions were large and the price was nice. The chips and salsa were fantastic! It tasted great even after the 30 minute drive home. I think I've found my regular Tex-Mex spot. What I liked most were the seasonings and sauciness - well balanced and no one aspect was overpowering. It also looked so pretty! Get at the tamales!!!

WOW! It's both good and sad that I don't live in Ames, because if I did, I'd eat here ALL the time!…read moreOne of the Mexican restaurants we've ever been to! Salsa was fresh and chips were good and crispy. I got the steak tacos on corn tortillas and beans. All so great!

This place is my go to for Mexican cuisine in Ames! Got the fajitas and nachos and they were both…read moreamazing. Love the chips and salsa that they bring out when you first arrive. Great service and atmosphere! Take some amigos and go to El Azteca!

It was a dark and stormy night…read more... After a long Dad-related day, I wandered in (from the downpour) for a well-deserved Margarita, with mole chicken enchiladas on the side. The place wasn't very busy on this mid-week January evening, as I was seated quickly with the chips not far behind. The Margarita was refreshing and strong, the chips were fresh, and the enchilada came out hot and tasty. Service was friendly and fun, making my evening most pleasant.

Food: Everything we've ever ordered has been astounding! All of the food is fresh, hot, and full of…read moreflavor. Portion size is great as well! I love the bread options their store offers also. The quesabirrias tacos are a favorite go to! They also provide lime wedges, radish slices, roasted peppers, and roasted onion with the tacos. The fresh, crisp cilantro is the "cherry" on top lol. Service: Every time we go in there, we're greeted with a smile! All of the employees are really friendly, patient, and helpful. They do their best to explain something on the menu if you're not fluent in Spanish/don't know what something is or consists of. They're very quick and efficient. Ambiance: A quaint, quiet store/restaurant full of delicious options and amazing smells. It's kept clean and tidy with medium noise pollution: there's typically a TV playing in the dining area or music playing throughout the space. The seating is cozy; more for 2-4 people at a table/booth, as opposed to large parties.

Delicious well priced food with huge portions! So many fun and fresh menu items and the attached…read morestore has amazing baked goods and lots of Mexican staples.

a restaurant run by one guy who is the chef/server/cashier etc. The food is Very Good and the…read moreportion sizes are solid. When I walked in he said the soup they had today was lentil soup. Very flavorful with a good variety of vegetables in there. Guava juice was in a large cup, and this wasn't one of those situations where the cup is 80% ice. Chicken arepas are great. Keep in mind that all this is made by One Guy and food may take a bit to come out depending on how many people are in your group.

It is, for sure, just one dude holding down this whole joint all by himself: cook, waiter,…read morebartender, all. Very basic dining room for sure, but it's really all about the food. The food is good and authentic. Took a friend who knows Colombian food well and this guy is doing it just like they do down there. I've never had arepas so good. We had the reinas pepiadas: really really tasty. I could see how some people are a little alienated by him, but also remember that he's there alone. You can go a little off the rails at places that have more people on staff to manage those kinds of patrons. When you walk in, you know that you can't push beyond what's offered and make special requests. This place is one of the more interesting places to eat around here; let's appreciate his/its strengths and not dwell on what this place isn't.

Yelp reviews are spot on. I got lazy. It was across the street from the hotel. I think one time…read moreweary 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.

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

This is a review of ONLY the cheesecake chimichanga. It's best to try this while out with one or…read moretwo friends. Oh, SOOOOOO. GOOOOOOOD! I would have taken a picture, but I got it in the drive through and by the time I got home, it wasn't as pretty. Share it, if you can. It doesn't look that big, but the taste is huge and half of one is enough for anyone. It's $6 plus tax and very worth it. There's carry out, dine in or drive through at this location and delivery, if you have DoorDash. Friendly staff. Lot parking. Good prices. It's not really fast food, more of eat in food, delivered fast. Clean. MarcyDiner'sTantrumScale 5/5- NoScreamingKids. This desert has chocolate on it. Two thumbs up. Next time, I'll stop and take pictures.

For starters, I wish we could do half stars on here lol. I'd give them 4.5/5, only because there…read morewere no indications of spice level on the surf and turf burrito; it was crazy spicy. The burrito was good, but WAY too spicy for me. The birria tacos were phenomenal though! So were the taquitos. All of the staff were really nice and they were very efficient too. We only went through the drive-thru, so I can't say much about the inside. We're definitely going in next time though!

What a great place with friendly staff and ambiance. I loved the food and will be back again.read more

All of the food was SO good!!! Everything was hot and fresh with very large portions. The prices…read moreare great as well, considering how much food you receive. The Texas dip is definitely a new found fav lol. Staff were wonderful! Everyone was so friendly and very quick. They made sure to check on you periodically so you are not ignored. All of the staff members were very efficient, knowledgeable, and polite. The overall decor of the interior is very vibrant and quite enjoyable. It's not too loud in there and it's pretty upbeat. There is quite a bit of room inside, so even when they're busy, you don't feel crowded while you're eating. They also do a really good job of keeping everything clean and organized. We can't wait to go back!!!

Well, this place is slightly better than Los Altos, the last restaurant to inhabit the building…read more I've been told it's an entirely new business and not affiliated with the old restaurant Los Altos. The owner of this business was one of the cooks at La Fuente. There are lunch specials that are cheap and fair. They have large CYRIDE ads, but still have the Los Altos art on the walls. The servers are kind, but aren't strong English speakers so be patient if you go. I had lunch special nachos and it was a large portion, but it could've been better seasoned. It's fair for a quick and cheap lunch.

Under a new name, not sure if management is the same. No alcohol allowed yet but the food was…read morepretty decent. Waitress came over once to check on us, they were not busy. Will check them out again in a few weeks to see how it's going.

Not coming back, food subpar poor customer service…read more Once the guy gave me my food, he did not give me my drink when I came back to ask for it. He told me to go look in the cooler when I bent down and search in the cooler for an orange Mexican soda I hit my head and asked him if he even knows if there's any in there?? He told me I had to go look for it. This was right when they open, and there was nobody in line.

O M G, is this place delicious. This is the kind of place where you would want to come again the…read morenext day and then the next. Though it is a food truck in the middle of a parking lot, the burratas are crazy good. I highly highly recommend the burratas ramen. The owner loads it with meat so it won't disappoint.

I am once again back at this tremendous establishment- the staff per usual treats me like family…read moreand gives me a great sense that I belong here. Everything aspect of this bar and grill is perfect from the nice bouncer Nigel who treats me like a king to the beautiful bartenders that make me feel like the only man in the world. I love this place. sincerely, Louie DuPont

Our son was in Ames for hockey and we stopped in for food, drinks, and to watch the KU basketball…read more game. Typical college Saturday going on. Tacos were deep fried and actually really good and $1.75 Apple Pie shots. Good times!