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I was on the road again and out with old and new friends from my alma mater. One of our party is Puerto Rican and offered to host and interpret a foray into the adventuresome arena of Latin-fusion cuisine here at Azuca. Our 15 minute walk from our hotel on the river was filled with comparing notes on our favorite Latin dishes.
We started by sampling a wide variety of their appetizers. The ceviche was my favorite - three different dishes of nearly raw seafood 'cooked' in acidic dressings. Everything was excellent though, including the calamari, amarillos, mofongo & tostones. Excellent taste and presentation - it really raised our anticipation for the next course.
My entree was the Parillada Mixta (mixed grill) with an Argentinian-style steak, chicken breast and firm South American style chorizo sausage. I opted for grilled vegetables rather than the standard garlic mashed potato base, and they were done perfectly as well.
The prices were great ($5 apps, $15 entrees), except for the weak and uninspiring Sangria. $27 per pitcher of mostly fruit and ice ballooned our bill to $180 for the 4 people on my check. The great service for our very large extended table of 20+, and the great food, make this a very solid 4-star experience for me. If you are in San Antonio, skip the Riverwalk for one evening and make a trip over to Azuca - it is worth the trip.
I chose this place because of the good reviews on Yelp, and I really wanted to like it. I will say the presentation is a-freaking-mazing. I actually took a picture of the coconut shrimp and uploaded it to Facebook because it was so gorgeous. Unfortunately, it looked a lot better than it tasted. The salad was pretty, too, and the ingredients were like, just-picked fresh - that was tasty. The service was not particularly friendly. I wasn't feeling great so I didn't try a mojito or any of their other drinks, although they had some on the menu that looked interesting.
Maybe it was an off night for them and for me. I was disappointed.
Wow - the food at this place was amazing! We went on a Tuesday evening, about 7:00; the place wasn't too crowded. The restaurant itself wasn't what I was expecting for a fine dining restaurant. Everything from the crowd to the way it was decorated felt comfortable and relaxed. It was almost like eating dinner at your host family's home in Puerto Rico... not that I really know what that's like!
Anyway, they start by bringing you a sweet corn bread - mmm-mmm-mmm! I had to force myself to stop eating it so that I would have room for my actual dinner. First we had an appetizer called Arepa which is a corn cake filled with pulled pork. Absolutely delicious - I could have eaten that as an entree! My husband ordered the Chef's Trio - steak, tuna and shrimp. I had a bite of each and everything was scrumptious. I ordered the salmon which was wrapped in plantains and served with veggies and mashers. Words cannot describe how amazing each bite was! Seriously, I'm at a loss for words because each bite was heaven.
The service was good too. The waiter was nice although a bit quiet. I expected a place that's usually filled with tourists would have more talkative employees, but maybe he could tell we were on a date and didn't want to bother us. Either way, it was great and prompt service.
Overall this is a great place - good atmosphere and great food! We will most definitely be going back again really soon. We actually had a hard time deciding on what to eat so we are looking forward to going back and ordering something different! I only took away 1 star because of the flies. Yes, unfortunately due to the hot weather and the layout of the restaurant a couple of flies managed to get inside and bother us the entire time. It was hard to completely enjoy myself when I had to keep swatting the flies away and making sure they didn't get to our food.
I want to give 5 stars, but service was just a bit too aloof.
Wasn't too excited about the gambas, but my husband was, so we tried them. I'm so glad we did. They were delicious! Cooked to perfection, the bacon added a great crispiness (and of course flavor) to the dish. The barbecue sauce has just the right amount of heat. We also had the carnitas (listed as pork fritters) which were more on the ordinary (but still tasty) side. I'd order both again.
For the main meal we had the curry and the jerk chicken. Both were presented beautifully, and were equally delicious. Spiciness of both were right on target.
The tres leches cake is exactly what you would expect. It was good but didn't blow my tastebuds away.
The drinks were OK, I felt a little put off by the size, but then I realized that they only cost $6.50, which is about 60% of what I'd pay at a similar restaurant in a similar place in San Jose or San Francisco.
Overall, I'm really good we got off the riverwalk and took the extra walk to Azuca! We'll be back.
This place is very cool. I had a great time at the bar on Friday for first Friday. The place was packed to the rim but they had 3 bartenders back there going at full speed. Had me some appetizers and drinks. Will have dinner there next week. I'll keep you posted.
Top of the List: MOJITOS were the best I've ever had...not too syrupy sweet, or too minty...They offer a pitcher that serves 6 glasses for only $36!! There's a Mojito menu that includes other delectable flavors: passion fruit, mango, etc...
The restaurant has great weekday specials that span the Latino spectrum (ie Mex Mondays, Nicaraguan Wednesdays, etc...), combining meals, music, and beer that fit a country's theme. COoky, but still a good deal!
Us 3 ladies shared 4 appetizers and a salad--everything was yummy and flavorful--meaning, you can truly taste the real ingredients in each dish. We had fried yucca root, coconut shrimp, something with a polenta-like cake and shredded pork, the tuna tartar, and a salad with pineapple. Everything was great--but I'd do without the shrimp next time b/c we each only had a piece and who can get the full effect with that?
Thumbs up for the live music, young, good looking crowd, and patio seating. PS I love how Texans are less shy about just asking a girl to dance!! (Okay, he was probably my abuelitos age, but who cares??)
Alright so I'm in town for business working this convention and there's this woman about four booths down who's ridiculously beautiful. I figure wherever she likes to go that's where i want to be, right! So I hit her up on some good spots for nightlife outside of the traditional Riverwalk and she refers me to this spot called Azuce Latina.
Naturally I check the spot out on Yelp first, just to co-sign on the recommendation. The reviews were all good so I suited up in my finest business traveler's garb and made the trip. All said it wasn't bad. I showed up about 11:30 and their was a decent crowd. You could tell it was a mixture of locals and tourists. The area of Azuca I checked out had three sections: the main bar, an outside patio, and a balcony area upstairs (off limits due to a private party).
For my drink I went for the mojito...saw a couple yelpers mention it. It was pretty good. Just to verify Azuca's consistency I had a few more ;). They too were just as good.
The best part of Azuca's to me was the music. They had a gentleman who was singing (salsa?) and engaging the crowd to get on the dance floor and have a good time. You could tell the crowd felt him because before you knew it there was the dance circle with people taking their turns showing their moves.
This is definitely a spot I would take a date or friends to.
My cousins took me to this place in San Antonio. I was not too excited because I am from HOUSTON, which is Texan for "Land of Restaurants."
But it was cute, for starters. This is important to us designers. We sat down and I had a hard time picking out a drink. I'm not a big rum fan and I didn't want a margarita or a beer or wine. And their drink menu consisted of mojitos, margs, beer and wine. I eventually decided on their pineapple mojito, downed it and ordered another one. I'm totally picky with mojitos, so this is saying a LOT.
For dinner I had the pepper crusted tuna, which is served over mashed potatoes and topped with watercress (or some kind of frilly green thing). There was dijon mustard and reduced balsamic vinegar drizzled all over the plate but I didn't think they added much to the tuna. Even less were the pickled (?) onions in the corner of the plate. I ate a few with my fish, but overall didn't see a point to them.
For dessert I had the mojito pie, which was almost exactly like a key lime pie, only with a bit of mint and rum in the aftertaste. I am a huge fan of key lime pie, so I thought this was fantastic.
The service was great, the vibe was great and would be a great date place or spot to bring out-of-towners (can I use "great" more times in one sentence?). I can't review the mints b.c they're still in my jacket pocket, but they were in a nice package.
I give it 4 stars because it was delicious, but not mind-blowing. It's also pretty close to the Riverwalk so we went there afterwards to point and laugh at tourists and hoped somebody would fall in, but, alas, nobody did. (How brilliant is an open container law + slippery 2-foot sidewalks + a damn RIVER?)
I'm in San Antonio fairly often for work, and I have to admit the prospect of tourist-trap Riverwalk restaurants doesn't exactly thrill me when it comes time to plan a return visit. However, now that I know that Azuca exists just blocks from the convention center, I'll be a little more excited to come back... okay, a lot more excited!
Azuca is laid out in three separate sections. The main entryway leads directly into a large outdoor seating space; the bar is to the right and the main dining room is to the left. The dining room is vibrant and funky, with blown glass pieces and original art dispersed throughout. The Latin/Mexican/Carribbean-influenced menu has a nice range of appetizers (lots of plantains), several soups, beautiful salads, and plenty of seafood and meat options. Azuca also offers the most variatios on the mojito I've ever seen, from a red bull-enhanced concoction (dubbed the "enerjito") to mojitos spiked with various fruit purees. I had a good old standard mojito, and it was made perfectly.
When it came to the food, I had a lot of trouble deciding... there were way too many things on the menu I wanted to try. Our server was very helpful - I told him which dishes I was choosing between, and he steered me toward the shrimp diablo. The presentation was funky and creative, but the food itself is what really sold me. The shrimp were dusted with spices, char-grilled, arranged around a slaw and piled on top of a pool of black beans with corn masa dumplings placed at the corners of the dish. The balance of flavors was just spicy enough and the portion size was just right. I couldn't have imagined a better dish for such a reasonable price!
The dessert menu was calling my name (I definitely glimpsed at least one mojito-inspired dish), but I'll have to leave that for next time.
And, oh yes, there will be a next time.
I have been eating here since they opened, and from day one I knew it was special. The Menu has changed a little with new and amazing entrees. Have never been disappointed, and the food is as good as it can get. If you are tired of mexican food and tex-mex...this is the place to be...and then they have the Bar...and the music....It is really a must visit, at least once.
Sangria: 3*
Mojitos: 5*
Ceviche: 5*
Fish: 4*
Veggies: 5*
Flan: 5*
Berries & Cream & Chocolate: 5*
Value (Price): 3*
Father-in-law claiming it was the best dinner he's ever eaten out: 5* :)
Oh, and the Cuban sandwich is great for lunch.
This place has a lot of potential. Too bad that most of it was unfulfilled, on the evening that I was there, at least. They serve Latin food, which includes a broader range of cuisine than simply Mexican. My main beef with Azuca is that it's way overpriced. But, I'll get to that in a bit.
The setting was nice: older building in a downtown setting. Their private group dining rooms are also nice and they have an adjacent property that seats larger parties.
I ordered the Chilean Sea Bass and was disappointed. I've definitely had better, in terms of taste, prep, and portion. They have some interesting appetizer options, which is a plus for them. I really forgo appetizers most of the time when I eat out because they all seem to be so standard. Azuca had some nice ones.
Okay, so we get down to the main issue, which is value. It's way too expensive. For example, $19.99 for Brazillian feijoada (which is a stew of pork and black beans, served over rice) is ridiculous. Considering that feijoada is historically a "poor man's" staple in Brazil (that's not me being a snob, either, because I love it), trying to play it off as high cuisine is silly. Even so, a member of the group ordered it and enjoyed it...but not at that price.
Possibly the best food I've ever eaten. Ever.
I was actually interviewing the owners of the restaurant to cater my wedding, and we decided to eat lunch there. Nuevo Latino cuisine and Mojitos. It doesn't get any better than that in my book.
We started with the guacamole and the tostones, which are fried plantain fritters in a garlic butter sauce, and some of the white corn bread as well. Everything was prepared and presented beautifully. If you eat with your eyes first, this is a great restaurant for you.
For my lunch I selected the pepito sandwhich, which has a tasty black bean spread, grilled onions, and thinly sliced, perfectly grilled beef flank, served on two small sandwhich rolls. The sandwhich was perfectly proportioned for lunch and included a large mound of their spicy seasoned french fries and a cool side of julienned vegetables which complimented the spicyness and savory nature of the rest of the food.
We all had Mojitos which were possibly the best I've ever had. The mint was well muddled with just the right amount of lime. It was refreshing and wonderful.
The service was great, and the atmosphere was too. The walls are decorated with hand-blown glass from a local artisan that has their gallery right behind the restaurant. On Friday and Saturday nights they have salsa dancing with a live band. Since we were there for lunch it wasn't that crowded, so I don't know how the service varies based on how busy it is.
I will definitely be making the trip back for more mojitos, salsa dancing and amazing food.
Wow, simply amazing. I travel all over the World for work and pleasure and very rarely, if ever, give a restaurant 5 stars. The ambiance is wonderful (sit outside if you can), the food is top notch and the service does the job. I highly recommend this restaurant to anyone visiting or living in San Antonio...
I love this place for happy hour. Who can beat $2.75 mojitos and $2.75 appetizers. My coworkers and I frequent this place to let off some steam after a long day of work. They have seating inside as well as a patio area.
I have eaten here for dinner once and it was pretty good. I'll have to agree with some you folks out there it's a little pricey.
Mojito happy hour!
$2.50 mojitos and a couple other drinks! $2.75 appetizers!
The tostones (fried savory plantains) with garlic oil were amazing!
The mojitos were some of the very best I've had, though actually a bit strong for an afternoon drink.
The guacamole was awesome, though it was slightly odd to be served a scoop of guacamole topped with tomatoes and like 9 big (delicious) chips. It was artful and tasty, and we weren't looking to be filled up, so it worked, especially paired with the completely terrific tostones.
Atmosphere was OK, nothing that stood out and no complaints.
We didn't eat at the restaurant, just the bar. I'd definitely come back for happy hour or to try the restaurant.
My favorite place to eat out with friends! The decor is to die for...so chic and pink and fun. I feel like i'm in the most amazing loft ever!!!! So, it's a little pricey, but it's downtown people! Amazing food but can be loud when it really gets going. GREAT ENERGY!
My mom has been raving about this place for about a year and this month we finally had the opportunity to make it over for dinner. We got there around 630 on a First Friday (which was an understandably busy time) but ended up waiting almost 45 minutes to be seated even though there were plenty of tables open. That was the beginning of the bad service and it mostly went downhill from there. After taking our initial drink order the waiter went MIA and we were haphazardly attended to only after I spoke to the manager.
While the food was good, typical 'Nuevo Latino' modern menu, and the prices were about good for a higher end restaurant, the service was absolutely terrible, even with the attention of the manager. Perhaps it was a fluke but I don't think their cornbread and tuna negro are enough to draw me back.
Maybe next time I'll venture over to the mojito bar instead- apparently yelpers have much more success over there.
I really like their specialty, the mixed grill, but it is really pricey. The ambienceis great. It's almost in the touristy part of town, but the location just off La Villita makes it slightly edgey.
Call me cheap, but when I go, I use a deal from http://restaurants.com to cut some of the expense.
OH MY GOD. You know you've eaten somewhere amazing when everyone in the party leaves with a huge smile on their face. San Antonio has some good food, but this place blew everyone away. I was there with a bunch of family members celebrating the 90th birthday of my grandmother, who passed away about a month ago and whose memorial we had just celebrated. When I first arrived inside, I noticed the bright, bold colors everywhere. There were beautiful modern style paintings and DELIGHTFUL colored blown glass decorations everywhere. There were two HUGE lights on the ceiling, covered with blown sculpted glass. It looked like it was made of hard fruity candy. The food......*moan*. Both appetizers- the coconut shrimp and the guacamole and cripsy, flaky, buttery,. homemade tortilla chips were scrumptious. The gazpacho I ordered was a firework of tangy, bright flavor in my mouth. My entree was the Chilean Seabass. It was buttery, flaky heaven. On the side were the most juicy, flavorful cherry tomatoes I've ever had and perfectly grilled veggies that I got in place of mashed potatoes. I tried a bit of everyone else's entrees- all to DIE for. Pork with spicy rice, beans and chorizo-great. Mahi mahi- great. The servers were awesome. To top it all off, when the waiter asked if desert was desired, my aunt told him that we were here for my grandmother's 90th. The waiter immediately said with a kind warm smile that he would do something special for my grandmother. He soon brought out a piece of HOT dark chocolate cake with a tangy strawberry sauce lake and an intricate meringue-ish creation on top. He told us that the desert was from him to our grandmother- how sweet. It almost made my aunt cry. We all agreed that my grandmother led us to this WONDERFUL restaurant. Please try this place!!
this place is awesome! i mean it's no cafe habana or anything but in the middle of texas it gets the job done.
go to the mojito bar next door for 2.50 happy hour mojitos and cheap cheap appetizers. (i hear the guac is excellent) - if you wait & get drinks when you're sitting in the actual restaurant, it'll cost you twice the price.
the tostones were top-notch. the vegetarian entree was $15 and had enough fresh vegetables in it to feed me for 3 meals!
after having to eat almost exclusively fried food for a week this place was like a breath of fresh air!
I ate here 4 years ago and I'm still in rhapsody over their passion fruit flan. I think about it constantly.
From their website: "One of the Top 50 Hispanic Restaurants in the United States" Hispanic Magazine.... October 2004
It's a large place separated into three different sections: indoor seating, outdoor seating, and an indoor bar with tables. I was solo on a Monday night (~8:30), so I grabbed a stool at the bar to have dinner and a drink. I just ordered a couple of appetizers: tamal chapin and coconut shrimp. They also gave me a small loaf of their house cornbread. The tamal was delicious. It's a chicken tamal, steamed in banana leaf and served with black bean and axiote sauces. My only critcism is that the chicken wasn't deboned, it was a wing and little piece of a drumstick. Is that traditional? I don't know, but I like shredded chicken. The coconut shrimp was good, but uninspired. It looked nice, crusted shrimp served beside a cracked open coconut containing a dipping sauce, but the sauce tasted like thousand island dressing with some spices tossed into it. Their house cornbread was awesome! I would go back there just for that. I think I liked it sooo much because it reminded me of my mom's cornbread, sweet and cake-like. Next time I'm in San Antonio, I'll head back there for a real meal.
San Antonio, TX
Category: American (New)
San Antonio, TX
Category: Mexican
San Antonio, TX
Category: Dive Bars
San Antonio, TX
Category: Burgers
San Antonio, TX
Category: Wine Bars
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