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Mon-Tue. 11:30 a.m. - 9:00 p.m.
Wed-Fri. 11:30 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Sat. 12:00 p.m. - 10:00 p.m.
3 Courses, 2 People, $20. Juicy Burgers & Tender Ribs. You Choose!
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This is a great place if you want cheap, but good Mexican food. Each time I've been the food has been good and the portions are HUGE.
It's BYO so make sure to bring a bottle of Tequila! The mixers used for the margaritas are very sweet so try not to drink them too quickly. Also, make sure you have Tums waiting for you at home. You'll probably need them.
We once relied upon this place for a quick, casual, and decent Tex-Mex meal, even if the place was packed with loud college kids and your clothing smelled like grease the rest of the night. But the food at this place has gone south, and I don't mean south of the border. American cheese on nachos? I'll pass. The jumbo chicken burrito? Oh, it was big alright, big and cold...and flavorless. Time to go back to the drawing board guys.
I've been to El Azteca three times and never experienced any of the issues that the other posters have. Every time I've gone, the food has been served to me piping hot, fresh and delicious. The service has always been quick, efficient and friendly.
The atmosphere is a little tired, with old booths, kitschy decorations and Telemundo, so the frou-frou crowd looking for ambiance should probably head over to El Vez.
The price point is, in my opinion, very accurate (even generous) for the portion size (huge).
The Quesadilla Rellena is a favorite, along with the cheese dip appetizer. DEFINITELY go for the fried ice cream for dessert. If nothing else, the fried ice cream is worth the trip.
This place used to be one of my favorites but they've really gone down hill as they try to make the place more upscale (don't worry, it's still the furthest thing from upscale). The carnitas are still good as are some of the seafood options. I've noticed the food to be somewhat inconsistently prepared lately. I don't know whether they change cooks frequently but it's frustrating to order the same thing a few times over a few months and have it prepared differently each time.
Now that this place has a liquor license I have no interest in being there. This used to be a default party place for me and a small group of friends to go and celebrate birthdays and the like. NOT ANYMORE.
This place is just OK. Mediocre. Not Great- Not Terrible. Portions were big even for a fatty like me. I had enough leftovers to make two meals the next day. That being said, the quality of the food was not so great. Most of it seemed like it was out of a can.
To update another review: I visited on 5/9/2009 and they are now serving beer/wine/liquor. It is also still a BYOB too!
The word of the day is BLAND, can you say BLAND boys and girls?
I"m not Pee-Wee but I felt like I stepped inIto an alternate universe when I went to El Azteca today for lunch. It's decked out with the same decor that a million pseudo Mexican places use to attract the gringos. They were also playing Mexican music(wow so authentic).
So my impressions:
I asked for Horchata: they had none: Strike one
I delved into the chips while I waited for my order and noticed that the "salsa" was runnier than my nose. Not to mention it didn't have any flavor, except maybe, just maybe a hint of cilantro: Strike two
My chimichanga came out with half a head of lettuce shredded on top of it and some tomato slices along with "decorative" sour cream squeezed out of some pastry nozzle/dispenser: Strike three
The chicken chimichanga was bland, bland bland. When you have to put more than 6 drops of habanero sauce on to a dish to give it a semblance of spice, thats BLAND. Strike four
Frankly I don't know why so many people gave this place good reviews. I can only attribute it to either too much tequila or uneducated palates. Either that or I came on the worst day in this restaurants history. And Anthony T, I don't need a lobotomy. You sir, however, need a palate transplant, STAT!
Don't go, its not worth it. Life's too short for shitty Mexican food.
OMG THE FOOD WAS NASTY!!!! I went there for a birthday party, and people were saying how gross and how stupid this place was, and to some extent I agree. The decor was ugly, but the service was not bad, the food was absolutely gross!!!!!
For some reason I had it in mind to look up all my old college hangouts on Yelp for kicks tonight....
Well, El Azteca. It was so awful that six years later this place still sticks in my mind as the single worst "Mexican" restaurant I've ever had the misfortune to patronize. I swear that the only reason people come here is for the BYOB option on margarita pitchers, but the rumor was when I was in college that they'd switch your alcohol for bottom shelf tequila whenever you'd do this. I hate tequila so I can't comment on the veracity of this.
No, really, this place was so awful that even through the drunken stupor I was usually in whenever I came here I was aware that the "food" in front of me barely qualified as such. I remember one time I for some reason decided to have the waiter pack up my vegetable enchilada or whatever brown, mushy, overcooked grease bomb I ordered, and he looked at me like I'd grown a second head and done a backflip. "You'd actually want to eat this again?! SOBER?!" his baffled expression seemed to say.
The weirdest part of this restaurant is the women's restroom, though. If they haven't remodeled since the last time I was there, for some inexplicable reason they have two toilets just sitting there side by side with no partition. Because, um, apparently women go to restrooms in groups no less than two...so, thus the additional toilet for your inevitable partner? Yeah, okay.
Being in transplanted to San Diego now, I'm actually kind of offended that this restaurant is classified as Mexican. Never in my tenure in Philadelphia did I see anything at El Azteca that qualified as "Mexican," let alone as "food."
Pros:
+ BYO
+ free chips salsa up front
Combination dinners for $12, Specialty dishes for $13-$18. We went around 7:30 on a Tuesday night and pretty much had the place to ourselves (they close at 9 on Tuesday). We were sat promptly and the wait staff was generally attentive. The salsa they bring to your table is a little spicy (but not too hot) and has fresh cilantro chopped in. Between the two of us we tried the enchilada, burrito, chile relleno, rice and beans. It was all a little greasy, but come on it's Mexican food. The relleno was fried. We generally left with the impression that it all would have been more fresh if we had gone earlier or on a busier night. The bottom line is that it was fine. Not particularly good or bad, just fine. That said it's nice to find an American-Mexican restaurant in Philly.
My co-worker and I came here for lunch today. It's right there where we work so we figured we'd try something new.
Service was standard, food was okay. Why only two stars? Well, probably because I'm no Mexican food epicurean, but everything seemed awfully heavy and oily. I got the vegetarian lunch platter and the quesadilla was described as "mixed vegetables and white cheese". I think they forgot to list the major ingredient, which would be "and a good heaping of un-needed oil" - enough to saturate the bottom of the plate.
Well that's my complaint anyway. Maybe this is standard Mexican/American-Mexican? The only Mexican or Mexican-ish places I've been was here and Distrito, so I really have a limited experience but really. Did they really have to put THAT MUCH oil?
It was a nice new experience but I probably won't be going back. They haven't patently offended me like some other places have but I don't think that this is my type of food.
Oh and I guess everyone's review was written before they got their liquor license. Now it carries tequilas, LBI, beer, wine, etc.
This place is no longer a BYOB! They obtained their liquor license sometime in June, so when we went with our big bottle of tequila, we couldnt use it!
The food was ok, however the portions were huge. The ingredients are not that fresh which is a negative.
Service was pretty bad, seemed like no one really cared to serve us. And we had to ask twice for the check.
The only positive was that the margaritas and sangria that we ordered were pretty good, but prob wouldnt bring us back here again.
First of all- hilarious that one reviewer had to sign a "vomit waiver" here. Never heard of such a thing.
I never had any complaints about the food here. Love the BYOT aspect.... and I think now they have their own liquor license too? But not sure about that.
It seems this place has changed over the last few years. Used to be a lot of underage looking folks drinking in here- but they must've gotten busted or something. Maybe that was the reason for the vomit waiver, which is still making me giggle every time I think about it. I haven't seen as many kiddies in there lately.
Only been a couple time and both times for a birthday. First time was for a friend, and it impressed me well enough, to throw a birthday party for my girlfriend here. This was my first encounter with the whole "BYOT" concept, and for a large group this was so economical and enjoyable to all. Everyone had tasty Mexican fare, all enjoyed. The fun is with the party you get fried ice cream with sparklers in it and a big sombrero. A silly inexpensive place for a big group of people to go!
My girlfriend and I go here pretty regularly, when we just want some good Mexican. She always gets the same thing (vegetarian burrito combo), since she see's no reason to mess with perfection. I especially enjoy their house specials, i.e. carne asada with shrimp.
I read some reviews about off-flavors, and I couldn't disagree more. On the contrary, this is some of the most consistently well-flavored (seasoned without being overly spicy, unless you ask for it that way), and a little greasy like it should be, but not excessively so.
Also, the wait staff there is really friendly and attentive, and of course the atmosphere is inarguably festive and inviting.
El Azteca is a very good choice for a Mexican lunch, that uses very fresh ingredients, is NOT overly salty and greasy...and to boot, offers free chips and fresh salsa and reasonable prices. Oh yeah, and the service is fantastic on every visit.
This place was completely disappointing. I went to a birthday gathering for a friend here a couple weeks ago. We had a reservation for 9 pm. The restaurant was really busy and incredibly LOUD. We had a big bunch, but couldn't interact much with each other. I could barely hear the people sitting right next to me. The music was just way too loud for the size of the room plus all the people talking.
The food was not very good. I was disappointed. I was really hoping for some good, greasy mexican food. While this was certainly greasy, the flavors seemed wrong to me. The cheese was certainly not right. The margaritas were okay; but with the noise and the heat in the restaurant, they didn't help the resulting headache.
Bottomline: save your money and go to Lolita's.
I was worried by the polarized reviews of this place. I've never had really bad Mexican food though, but that was in California...
I can see why people flock to El Azteca for birthdays and bachelorettes. It's a fun atmosphere that's BYOT. Unfortunately, the pitchers of margaritas were the best part of the meal (and I'd probably only recommend the lime flavor.)
The chips and salsa were okay. We stuck with the basics when ordering - enchiladas and tacos. The filling was fine, but the enchiladas were covered in what tasted like bland tomato sauce. Honestly, I buy canned enchilada sauce at the grocery store and it tastes much better than that! The rice served on the side was so salty, it was pretty much inedible. (Try the "Spanish" style Rice a Roni from your local store instead).
This cannot be the best Mexican in the city, otherwise I'm depressed. If you plan to dine at El Azteca, drink heavily first then eat your meal. I've heard the food tastes much better that way.
El Azteca has really good quesadillas--which is all I ever get when I'm there. I also like their re-fried beans and they make good Guacamole. Their margarita mix is also pretty good--but nothing special ,
The layout of the restaurant is really cool, especially back by where the washrooms are.
I am not a Mexican Food Connoisseur. I do not like Mexican Post. I did like Taco House (RIP) in the gayborhood when I was in high school. So take that all into consideration. Especially since I was the only sober person to ever eat in Taco House EVAR.
I had high hopes for El Azteca -- the place was packed when I went at lunch, and the chips and salsa were tasty (although not very spicy; a trend I'm noticing in this town), but my beef burrito was a major disappointment. The beef was stewed in a sweet-tasting tomato sauce (not unlike what passes for pizza in Philly -- again, don't get me started) and it was just... wrong. Not Mexican, not Tex-Mex, not even passable for Taco Bell.
Naturally, I came back the next day (hey, the chips and salsa were good), and ordered three crunchy beef tacos for lunch. The tacos, which had ground beef instead of the bizarre stewed beef, were good (although they fell apart very quickly), and I'll probably go back again for lunch. The burrito, however, I wouldn't recommend to anyone. Ever.
I've eaten here several times -- once maybe 10 years ago, and once recently. The real mystery to me is how they stay in business, other than being a complete tourist trap near IHall
I was served tacos that were basically cold and lifeless. Same for the chicken soup -- it's like somebody dumped a jar of Ortega salsa in a pan and added some shredded chicken from a can. Not good.
Anybody who doesn't like this restaurant should be lobotomized. This is the best Mexican restaurant in Philadelphia...no, that is not an opinion, that is a fact.
Decent prices and fresh, crisp homemade Mexican food make this a destination for when I really want to treat myself. The fajitas are awesome. The enchiladas with mole sauce are a heavenly.
Here's the best part...the restaurant is so authentic they even have Mexicans working for them! Wow! That is commitment to the guest experience.
Don't get me wrong, I like this place a lot and will definitely go back here many more times in the future. It was loud, colorful, full of people, and of course there is the BYOB special of $6.00 pitchers of Margaritas that are made from your own tequila. (You flavor choices are Lime, Strawberry, and Peach. A handle of tequila will make you about four-five pitchers at this place.) I went with six people and we had a great time. It was a tight squeeze in a booth table, but a lot of fun.
The reason for the three stars as opposed to four is that the food was really nothing special. I found the sauce and sour cream that was doused on my food took away from the meal because it was kind of gross. It lacked spice and was almost like a weak tomato sauce. When I go back I'm going to try something that doesn't have as much sauce.
But, they do provide you with a continuous basket of hot tortilla chips and salsa to share with you table. Sodas get two free refills. It is a great place to be loud and meet-up for birthdays and a good time.
Interesting fact told to me by the women in my group: The ladies' restroom has a set of toilets side by side without a partition. So, I guess if you are so inclined, you and a friend (or more than a friend) could share a special moment in the back of El Azteca.
I go hear for Lunch once in a while, and I think the food hits the spot. Although its not the highest quality, the dishes are yummy enough were I crave the fajitas. Their lunch special is pretty reasonable. I would go back for the cheap eats, but would be hesitant to return for dates or any special occasions.
I agree that it's the best tex-mex in the city, but that's not saying much.
I've been an ex-pat Texan for ~8 years, and I've eaten tex-mex in several different corners of the world. I usually try as many places as I can in a new city, then pick the best and only go there from then on. El Azteca was that place for me in Philadelphia, but it ranks behind the best place in such other cities as New York, Reading PA, Kansas City, Chicago, and even a couple of international places.
The most important factor for me is that thin red sauce they pour on almost everything. The cheese enchilada is a pretty good rendition, but then they pour that thin red sauce over it and make it mediocre.
Also, the guacamole is great, and it's BYOB so be sure you bring a bottle of tequila and they'll whip up some tasty margaritas for you.
Have I got a story for you.
El Azteca seemed a great place for my friends from out of town and I to go to and enjoy a Martguerita or several and rehash old times. BYO and decent prices. Well, when we called to make a reservation we were told that there were time slots into which reservations fell...So we could only get a table from 7-9 or 9-11 (or something close to that).
Fine.
So we get there early, just in case they would seat us, and were told that there was no room, even though we were looking at TWO clean, empty tables.
Whatever.
so we come back at 9. We were then told that in order to dine at this fine establishment that we would have to sign a VOMIT WAVER, whereby we would be charged $25 per person who vomited in our party. Furthermore, we would be given one warning for foul language, and the second time we were notified, we would be thrown out. Read that: we would be thrown out for foul language, but not for vomiting.
Now, after all this, our expectations for the food were low (and not even met) but the food could have been world class and i would not have cared, because the restaurant was so filled with rowdy, pushing, noisy people that i could barely scream my order to the waiter.
I have to vote no on this one.
Sometimes when I have a particularly bad experience, I block it out from my memory completely, and don't remember again until it's too late. Such is the case with El Azteca. I came here once for a class dinner a year ago, had the worst Mexican food I've ever tasted, and promptly forgot all about the experience--until I showed up for a friend's birthday a few weeks ago and it all came rushing back. The food is greasy, bland, and just not good. I won't forget again.
When my family moved from Arizona to Philadelphia, we went through serious Mexican food withdrawal. That is, until we found that El Azteca could curb it. It is BYO, so don't go expecting margaritas and corona, bring your own.
The chips and salsa are really good. If the salsa is not hot enough for you, ask for the chile sauce. It is spicy and delicious. In fact, you must order it to make sure your food is spicy enough. In general, Philly doesn't make food spicy enough for me, so the chile sauce is required. My favorite dish at El Azteca is the beef chimichangas, Do not get them with ground beef...ugh. That is a sin.
I don't know if Jorge still works there, but he is the best waiter--nicest, most informative, and remembers everyone. Treat the waitstaff well, and they will remember you and take special care next time.
El Azteca almost makes me wish I still lived in Philly.
Wow...I am really sad by the bad reviews on this place. My husband and I ate here all the time. I am a fan of the Fish Tacos and they have the best salsa!!! They have a frequent diner card that we put to good use!
The decor is fun, the service is great and who doesn't like a double toilet w/ no partician in the ladies room! It's a BYOB and I love the Margarita's. This is a really fun place to eat with a group.
My only reason for the 4 instead of 5 star rating is because it's the only Mexican place we ate at during our three years in Philly so I can't really say it's "as good as it gets". All I can tell you though is that I am a BIG fan and having recently relocated back to Boston - I miss it SO much! We're still looking for a place that compares to our beloved El Azteca.
First off, let me say that I didn't end up eating here. This review details why I didn't end up ordering anything.
I stopped by in the afternoon, we were too late for the lunch specials but too early to want to spend as much money as they were charging for what we already knew would be sub-par Mexican food. The restaurant is huge, and empty. There was not a single table in sight.
We waited for a few seconds in the front of the restaurant until someone came out. We sat down at a table and looked over the menu and it seemed like it was way overpriced.
We ordered a couple of waters and while the server was away we realized we were about to pay too much money for food that probably won't be very good, in an empty restaurant with Ghetto Superstar coming through the speakers.
We bolted. As we made our way to the door, the server returned with a tray of chips and salsa and our waters. We told him we changed our minds and he looked seriously heartbroken. I should have left him a couple of dollars for getting his hopes up.
BYOT? Bring your own...trumpet? tulips? tasty treat? Ohh no. TEQUILA! Yes- I said it...Bring your own Tequila. El azteca will provide you with the margarita mix and you make it as strong ( or weak) as you wish.
The decor doesn't do much for me and the kitchen is only open until 10, but the staff will let you hang out until about 11/11:30 to party with Mr. Cuervo. Good for big parties, but make sure you make a reservation first.
I actually didn't eat, but my friends looked pleasantly stuffed (and drunk) when I arrived to meet them.
I see this place has a lot of hater-aid going for it here on Yelp! I am a fan, El Azteca, you can count on me to stand by your side.
This place is great for your low-brow mexican jones. Forget the mexican post with their nyc style salsa and stale chips - El Azteca has got that market on lockdown. they have fresh ingredients in their salsa (which has been consistently fabulous) with a never ending basket of WARM tortilla chips. Their menu has a wide ranges of dishes that can satisfy the pickiest of eaters at more than reasonable prices. The BYOB aspect of this place is FANTASTIC with 3 flavors of margarita mix to choose from-who knew you could have your cake and drink it too? This place is great for groups and where else in this city do they put on such a production for a birthday? Ok, lets be real here, I'm not talking a grizzlebees style establishment with singing, no ma'am, this is an all out 30 second disco party complete with a sombrero and lots of cheering - take that T.G.I. Fridays!
Perfect for the college student who wants good Mexican and bring-your-own-tequila margaritas, but can't afford to go to Lolita.
The prices are great - for $6, you can get a pitcher of margaritas (Lime, Strawberry, or Peach). I had the enchiladas mole, and while I was disappointed that they used corn tortillas instead of flour, for 12 bucks, you can't go wrong. The atmosphere is laid-back and casual. The wait staff was attentive and friendly, and the restaurant is great for groups. My friends and I will definitely be back.
Food is so-so and will fill you up. The crowd that I saw when I was there Friday was pretty young.
Negatives: a credit card is required when reserving for large parties (7 or more) - the margarita mix is pretty rancid (too sour!) - I was told that the Mad Mex margaritas (slushy style) are better.
I had read some good reviews and was looking forward to trying out El Azteca... I left less than pleased. I had the jumbo quesadilla... it wasn't bad, however, the cheese resembled something more like the cheese whiz you find on a Pat's Cheesesteak. For dessert, my wife and I shared the Banana Changa. Although it tasted very good, when we got to the center of it, we found it still partially frozen. When we notified the server, he seemed far from surprised. He indicated that it happens frequently, since the outside cooks extremely fast in the deep fryer and doesn't allow enough time for the inside to thaw. We were given a second one to take home on the house as compensation. Overall, the food was average Mexican and the service was marginal at best.
For some reason, I keep coming back to this place whenever I'm in Philly. Nothing is particularly amazing, maybe except for the huge colorful sombreros they give out to birthday folks and the fried ice cream which I tried once. The burritos are pretty okay, but the enchiladas are kind of chewy and strange. The last time I was here, we were dehydrated from the saltiness of the rice and beans. Some accident must have occurred in the kitchen because that stuff was SALTY. But they do have a wide selection of dishes, and my friend swears by their tamale. I dunno, maybe I'll give them another chance and try something new next time I'm here.
on the plus side el azteca gives you free chips and salsa. that's about the only good thing about this place.
they offer a huge menu, but the problem is that the menu items are #1 over priced and #2 so bland.
i've eaten there three times. each time is always the same. i think that a frozen lean cuisine enchilada would taste better and more authentic than the ones prepared at el azteca.
Loved it! Loved it! Loved it! I miss this restaurant so much. Their beans were to die for and the vegetarian lunches were awesome! I used to clear my plate and feel so full afterwards. The staff was always friendly and the food so unlike anything you get in the Mexican chain restaurants. Well worth a visit - and the prices ain't too shabby either!
Best mexican food in the city, hands down. The entrees may look pricey but you get a lot of food for your money. Wonderful for groups, they have tons of seating and can easily accommodate groups of 15 or more.
i usually frequent the 'tekka in the northeast. Usually go for take-out, as i always get the same crummy waitress who will never, ever bring you another water. well made, cheap, and authentic? its as close as you can get i guess.
Neighborhood: Market East
Category: Mexican
Philadelphia, PA
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Bella Vista
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: Bella Vista
Category: Mexican
Neighborhood: University City
Category: Mexican
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