We Love the food here so we stopped by Sunday around 2. Crowd was gone but there were still plenty of staff in the building. We were waited on and brought our drinks, chips and salsa and food in a very timely manor. Then the problems began - after delivering our food, we never saw the waiter again. We were never asked if our food was as we had ordered, if there were any issues with what was delivered. I had drank almost all of my Diet Coke and placed it near the edge of the table to signify that I would like a refill. Well I guess it was all you can drink day (one glass is all you can drink). We finished our meal, which was fine and tasty as is normal for this restaurant, and then proceeded to the checkout. We never received a check and notified the person checking us out only to have him chuckle. We will return as we do like the food at this location but will think about when we visit so that we receive actual service not like going thru a drive thru. P.S. both of us have worked in the food industry and do not think we are asking too much of the wait staff. read more

Terrible service, bad food, and the most pretentious wait staff I've ever encountered. No wonder this place was dead when we came in. I definitely do not recommend going here. read more

Me my mother and my two sons was treated horribly in this Resturant the manager by the name of "MILOS " was very upset and agitated due to me changing my mind about fish Tacos I ordered.. They were made with Talapia fish which I do not eat nor was it mentioned in the menu. So when I brought it to the manager Attention he was really rude and upset and said "you guys do not have to come back " I will NEVER EAT HERE AGAIN FOOD AND STAFF IS HORRIBLE!!! read more

So I wasn't sure what to expect, when you pull up the place is tucked away in a little area with a trailer park and a few hotels. The place seems pretty busy, the bar is limited (6 seats), no beer on tap and a modest selection of spirits available. The menu is your typical mexican fare, nothing exceptional but it's all done decently. Salsa and chips are food, service is fast at the bar. Overall I wouldn't go out of my way to come here, but if you're staying at a nearby hotel and don't want to have to drive a couple miles this is a easy place to grab a quick meal, have a beer and unwind. read more

Best service in town! They are more than accommodating and love to see us "regulars" come in! It great being greeted by handshakes and hugs from the owners and staff. Food is always hot and fresh, Carne Asada Tacos are the best thing on the menu and I get them time and time again. They keep the chips & salsa full and the Cadillac Margarita's are the best in town. We visit almost weekly and have very very rarely been disappointed with the food. read more

I can't say enough about the service at El Azteca. They're always kind an seat you right away. They make sure your food is there quickly and that you have drinks (and chips and dip while you wait). If you want more tortillas with a meal, all you have to do is ask. The food used to be amazing, but has become more hit and miss. Generally you can't go wrong with the chicken dishes like the fajitas. For all the people complaining about the beef, could you point me to the place where you don't get ground beef? read more

We moved to this area eight years ago, and found El AZTECA right away. We eat here often and have referred many others. It is definitely the best Mexican food around, has great service and is always quick (even when then are at capacity). The price is a steal especially on the lunch menu. You won't want to miss this jewel. read more

Very good mexican food and although the place was packed, excellent service as well !! I would recommend it

I have to give this place 4 stars because this is the fastest Mexican restaurant I've been to but the staff is kinda hard to understand. I had one waiter argue with me because I wanted steak fajita meat on top on my cheese enchiladas. I've had this done many times no problem but this time seemed to be very difficult. He started yelling at me when I told him never mind to just forget the meat and I just wanted cheese enchiladas. Me and my party was embarrassed. I would not recommend going on weekends because there is usually a line out the door. All in all good food & fast service. read more

Food was delicious!!!! Staff were friendly!!! Drinks were good!!! Definitely would recommend to friends and family. Read bad reviews on other sites and was worried but after trying it, was well worth it!!! read more

As always the food was excellent the staff were fantastic and the short five minute wait time was negligible. I highly recommend the California burrito it is fantastic. Our waiter Maynor was great, all of the staff are always awesome thanks!! read more

Received a warm greeting and a great meal here tonight. Forgot to take a pic or two to accompany my review because we were super hungry. I had chicken tacos and the other members of my party had a burrito and steak quesadilla. Only $40 for a party of 3 including drinks and desserts. Everyone was very happy with their enter and dessert. read more

I have NO idea how a fellow reviewer, Stevo H., had terrible service and a bad experience at El Azteca. I have NEVER had bad service at either of the two locations. The service staff is always incredibly kind and quick to come to my table once I'm sat. Their food is also wonderful! I get Poncho's lemon-lime chicken every time and it's amazing. Their cheese enchiladas are also great as well as the arroz con pollo. Everything about this restaurant is great quality. If you ever somehow happen to have a bad experience there, it is definitely worthy of another try! read more

El Azteca - Poncho's lemon-lime chicken - Mexican Near Me - Ames, Iowa

The best Mexican in Ames. Food always comes out hot and fast. Only problem I have is the servers can be a little flirty, but the food is so good and the margaritas even better, I'm willing to let my wife get hit on a bit. Hell, I'd let em take her on a date if they gave me a girt certificate or something. read more

Do you love boiled ground beef pretending to be a Mexican dish? Go here... you'll love the place. They put ground beef in almost everything. read more

Stopped in at the last minute for a carry out order. Place was as always busy, but was seated and my order taken very quickly. Got my order in a short amount of time and the food as always was delicious. read more

Unpleasant staff. Terrible service. I have nothing positive to say about this place. it survives because it is the only restaurant walking distance to a number of hotels. Do yourself a favor and hop in the car. read more

Waiter was very kind, the manager not so much. The plates came out very hot and in result a margarita glass was broken from accidentally touching it. One sip was probably taken out of it and the manager came over nowhere near polite. He made the whole thing seem like it was on purpose when we were more of just embarrassed. The way the situation was handled was so not customer friendly. The waiter offered to bring out a new one, but good thing we said no because we were still charged with the other one. $13! On top of that we ordered nachos and they came out pretty burnt. The other El Azteca in Ames is a way better choice. read more

Poor service! We went there intending to stay late into the evening to watch a game on TV. Apparently they "do not have remotes so it is impossible to change the channel" from an irrelevant Alabama vs. Arkansas game to a playoff cubs game. They treated us very poorly the rest of the visit because of our request. We are fast and left! Rude Rude Rude at all levels of service from the staff. read more

Best Mexican food you are going to find in Ames, IA. I prefer the location off Highway 30 because it is quieter than the new location in North Ames, but both have great food. It's good for vegetarians and meat eaters alike. The chile rellenos are to die for, and my mom says the chicken enchiladas are great. Friendly servers, fast service, and hugh portions. Because of the huge portions I can report my cats are fans of the food too. I ordered a mango daiquiri once which was very strong. I told the server how strong it was and he laughed and said since the mango is so sweet they add extra alcohol. I have no complaints about El Azteca. read more

Best Mexican food in Ames. Seriously. Cheap, fast, and super friendly service. I love going here with my friends and family. We go here often and love it every time! read more

Walking in to El Azteca, the immediate aroma of seasoned and grilled meats strikes the nose like a lightning bolt. Seated very quickly (noon on a Sunday). Our server spoke a little bit too quiet, hard to understand. After I ordered it seemed as if they already knew what I was going to order because it came out about 5 minutes later. I had the Burrito California. Not bad, not a big fan of warm lettuce in a burrito but that's just me. 4/5 stars. Would enjoy anything on the menu. read more

My favorite Mexican restaurant in town. Fast service, polite staff, and good food.

I am in town for business for a week and a half. I only chose this place because it was close by the hotel that I am staying in. I'm tired from travels and work and wanted to get a quick sit down lunch. I've learned my lesson - do research BEFORE going out to eat or go to the tried and true nearby (i.e. Subway). I have certainly had better Mexican. The chips were cold and tasted like the came out of a bag. The food was o.k., but nothing to be excited about. If you just want to fill for belly with "Mexican" food, then it is o.k., but to me Taco Bell is better than this place. read more

Went to the one in Somerset and after a couple chances nothing has improved. The wait staff is horrible even when not busy but they claim they are busy. The group I was with 4 of the people got food poisoning and owner and manager didn't really seem to care. You won't waste to much money since it's cheap as crap, but the food also tastes like it. read more