El Azteca Mexican Restaurant & Tequila Bar

Great service, black bean soup a must have! Food was very good. Only down side I think we were in the only room that had air conditioning!

I love El Azteca. I've been a frequent diner for years. Their food is hot, fresh and delicious. I'm a big fan of the fideo soup and any of the enchiladas! Also, if you get a chance, try a kiwi margarita! They're truly next level! The service is always quick and friendly. The bar has a fun atmosphere. And the bathrooms are exceptionally clean. Above all else, eating here won't break the bank. Whether it's a solo visit or you're visiting with the whole family, it's an affordable choice for great Mexican food! Excelente!

My kiddo and I have been regulars here for almost 10 years. We stopped going as much when the original owners sold because some of the recipes were changed (my favorite enchiladas included 😭). Ownership has changed again and they brought the old menu and recipes back, and spruced up the place inside as well. It felt like old times again and we left full and happy. We even noticed the original owner was hosting. Brenda was our server and she did a great job even though they were busy on this Friday lunch. We will be stopping by more frequently now!

I just had my third mind-blowing meal at El Azteca, and honestly, it gets better every time. Their food? Absolute perfection-from the taco dinner to enchiladas, but their breaded steak torta? It’s unmatched. I’ve been in Fort Wayne twenty years, tried tortas everywhere, and nothing comes close. The salsas, soups, every bite bursts with flavor. Staff is unreal, too. Juan, the manager, is a total gem-always smiling, courteous, makes you feel like family. Everyone’s friendly, in a great mood, super helpful. The vibe’s so warm, like regulars are old pals. This place is my new go-to, no question. I’m already counting down to my next visit! -Jesse Granados (DJ Ridle)

The queso was a great way to start! It was really good and then it all went down hill. The mahi mahi tacos could have used a bit more seasoning. The most disappointing was the “corn in a cup” the seasoning was unnecessarily hot and, in my opinion, ruined the dish. Great service though!

You really can't get any better than this place because it's one of Fort Wayne's original Mexican restaurants!

The food is back to the original. The newer ownership group have brought back the original recipies and the original owner to guide them and welcome patrons. Tastes like it used to years ago. Renovated inside and added a concrete patio outside, soon to be covered. Highly recommend stopping back!

Our newest fav place to go! Speaking to what I believe was the manager, found out they just opened a month ago. FANTASTIC! Very quaint and home feel. The food is exceptional. If you are looking for authentic Mexican cuisine, this is your place! Pricing is also very competitive. We WILL be returning for sure! Highly recommend!

Ok so the last time I came the food quality had gone down several notches. It wasn't what the food used to taste like. Moving forward I had heard that it went under new owners and new management and got a huge facelift on the inside. This had to be a dream and I wanted to check it out. They weren't lying. Starting with the outside the deck and stairs are all refreshed and fixed. The parking lot has been sealed with pot holes fixed. The inside is newly remodeled as well and the food menu has new items as well and their true and timeless classics. The salsas are now how it used to be and the chips seem thinner. A great start to your visit. I got the new birria pizza. It comes In Individual size and family size. I got the individual size and it's HUGE! Came cut into four pieces that were bigger than my hand. It was hot and gooey and the cheese dripped down when you picked up a piece, and was wonderful dipped in the sauce. 5 out of 5 stars and a def recommend. My friend got the small beef and cheese nachos. At first we were apprehensive because it comes with a dollop of meat on each chip. The picture is how it came out. Maybe 12 chips on the plate. It filled my friend up but if you have. Larger appetite id suggest getting something more fulfilling. Like the pizza!! She said they were actually really good. For me I like my nachos covered over the entitiee plate and with melty cheese not shredded cheddar cheese. The bill was very inexpensive too. Wait staff was phenomenal. Very attentive and nice as could be. Highly recommend checking this long time local eatery out and see if it is how it used to be. It's my new favorite Mexican place and can't wait to go again.

Where do I start? A $143.00 down the drain!!!I love supporting local businesses, but this was a disaster! I went last night with a friend & my neighbors. We ordered blood orange margaritas that did not come out orange nor tasted like blood orange. So when we asked our waitress, she said it's bc blood orange is not in season. Then why are you selling them? We did not finish them, & she did not take them off the bill. The coconut margarita was good but not strong & too foamy. We asked to sample the margarita, & she said the bartender would not let us. The red salsa was watered down & way too spicy, especially for the older people who dine in. I asked the waitress if they had a less spicy salsa, & she said no, just add the green salsa to it. I like spice, & it was too spicy for me. The green salsa was bland & watered down. The chips were good, though. Our waitress was very unprofessional & not helpful. I asked for more chips & never got them. I had the Benji de Mariscos, which did not come with rice, but my friend's Benji was the same size as mine & came with rice, as you can see in the pics. I had to order rice separately, which made no sense. The beans were bland with a pinch of cheese. The rice came out cold, bland, & dry. I could not taste scallops at all in my burrito, just baby shrimp & too much sauce. The bottom of my burrito shell was so hard it wouldn't cut with a fork, so I had to use a knife. My friend's $15.99 burrito barely had any steak in it, mostly peppers and onions, very sloppy. My neighbor's nachos looked like they had meatballs on top bc the cook didn't spread the meat out onto the nachos, just put a small scoop on top. The best part of El Azteca was my Michelob Ultra beer. They really need to change their salsa completely. Costco salsa is better. My stomach hurt all night after eating there! Unfortunately, I don't think we will be back anytime soon.

We have not eaten here for about two years. Last night we decided to try it again. Everything was great, the prices were good. The food and flavor was awesome and service was great. The Azteca we knew and loved for decades is back. We will return soon.

The food was good and the service was excellent. The interior has been renovated and the quality of the food has improved.

2 stars for atmosphere and service. The margaritas were good. This used to be my favorite restaurant but not anymore. Since it's been sold several times the food is sub-standard. I have never had mozzarella cheese in an enchilada or cheddar cheese for a topping and not green or red sauce. The chips were stale and tasteless So was the green salsa. There are so many good Mexican restaurants in Fort Wayne. Sadly, I will never go back again!

Our waitress was so good! Her name is Mercede. Attentive, always checking in is, very sweet, gave us refills and took the dirty dishes when as we finished with a dish, which is a pet peeve of mine. The food was good and reasonably priced. The hostess tried to seat us in the bar, where I said I do t want to be, at a corner 5 top for 3 of us. I said I didn't want to sit in the bar, we were then seated in the back room at a booth that was too small for a pregnant person with us and we were squished into the table, I guess that was our punishment. There were plenty of 4 top tables that we saw empty and we could have been seated at one of those. If it wasn't for our server, I would never want to come back.

We visit Ft Wayne several times a year and there's always a planned stop at a Mexican eatery. On our most recent trip that Mexican eatery was El Azteca. I can honestly say that I think we've *finally* found a Mexican restaurant we can rely on. We've eaten at well over a dozen Mexican places in/around Ft Wayne over the last few years and this is the first one that has not only not let us down, but also has some nifty takes on some old classics. When we pulled in the parking lot I wasn't really sure what to expect. From the outside it had the look of a building that had been added on to several times and may have originated as a house. At the same time, it had a lot of character. For a Saturday afternoon we were seated very quickly in the bar and almost immediately had chips in salsa in front of our faces. We were, quite literally, starving so that first basket didn't last long. Our server was Angie and she was spot-on with everything. She greeted us about midway through our first basket of chips and took our orders. You could tell that Angie enjoyed her work and she was very good at it. Always pleasant, always attentive, and didn't mind slowing down enough to have a brief conversation. Servers do a lot of going-thru-the-motions, but it's when a server stops to engage you in conversation it's a nice touch. The menu is pretty extensive, but I almost immediately targeted the Nacho Crispies. A bit of a spin on your regular, every day nachos....and it was AWESOME. Food delivery time? From order to eating in less than 10 minutes. IMPRESSIVE The décor is bright and cheerful and had an authenticity to it, not overdone and cheesy like some Mexican eateries. The bar was brightly but not obnoxiously lit, and the bar was well stocked and chances are it had whatever you were looking for. This bar was massive! This was a GREAT lunch, and I'm glad we stumbled upon El Azteca. I think we found a Mexican eatery in Fort Wayne that we can rely on. See you again soon.

Hadn't been here in years as food had gone south. My mom wanted to go after she heard it was better with the new owners. She was right! Food was delicious (I forgot how good the fideo soup was), and every server was friendly and excellent. If you gave up on this Fort Wayne icon, give it another shot.

Have You Given Up On ELAzteca??RECONSIDER FINALLY THE OLD ORIGINAL ELAZTECA IS BACK! A lot of the menu items that had been removed from the previous owner are now back. The ORIGINAL ELAzteca menu is back along with the added touch of sweet Juanita (today she was the hostess so if you visit you will be able to see her if she's working, enjoy reminiscing with her but most importantly enjoy the BEST MEXICAN FOOD IN TOWN) ELAzteca is a staple in Fort Wayne. ELAzteca had always been known for their authentic homemade Mexican food in the cutest house located on State Street. It was always so impressive how many customers could pack into that little house to dine but also, the wait to dine when they would have a wait list due to the restaurant being full. They have always had a fantastic Cinco DeMayo tent celebration every Cinco. Growing up in the area this was our go to place for authentic Mexican food. There's certain foods from their menu that they are known for that doesn't compare to any other place in town. A few of my favorites include baked chips, both salsas red & green, queso, enchiladas, crispies, mariachi salad with maggie dressing, black bean soup but most definitely their RICE is the BEST in TOWN. Also if you have someone that you're dining with that doesn't care for Mexican food, they have options such as a burger, chicken fingers & french fries or much more. So if you had given up on this local restaurant, please reconsider giving them another chance because again ownership changed hands within the last few weeks/months from what I've heard. It's the OLD ORIGINAL ELAzteca food! YUMMY, I'm so happy ELAzteca is back! Thank You, Thank You

Just had dinner at Azteca. The legacy of Juanita lives on. The new owner has remodeled and added new menu items. The one thing that hasn't changed since the 70's is the pre-made Margarita's. What's goes with Mexican food is a fresh signature hand shaken marg. Not something sitting all day in a glass jar. Although they've upgraded from the plastic jug. I paid for a shot of quervo to make it not taste like lime Gatorade.

Food was nothing outstanding or unusual. Chips were tasteless and bland and not all that fresh. Service was very slow.

Nice service and simple ambiance, the food is delicious, frozen margaritas well prepared

Not a fan of the new chips. Was told they switched to improve for the nachos. Other than that, our food was great. Best fideo soup in town!

I hadn't eaten at Azteca in about 25 years. After eating there the other night, I was reminded why I haven't been back. If you are looking for good Mexican food, this isn't the place for you. If you are looking for authentic Mexican food, this is not the place for you. The food is very underwhelming. Most Mexican restaurants give you salsa and chips. They do that here, but they pour it for you and then take away the bottles. If you want more, you have to ask and they will refill your bowls. (Stay away from the salsa verde.) Our server was very nice. But there was this girl running around cleaning up while we were eating (It was 7 o'clock.) and she kept coming to our table asking if we were done with things that we weren't done with. She asked if she could take our bowl of chips. It was half full still. So we told her no. She came back after a couple minutes and took 2 bottles of beer off our table saying "I'll just take these out of your way." My husband was still drinking one of them, but was too stunned to say anything. The atmosphere... well, it's very cramped and small. It's pretty outdated. There is a random picture of Marilyn Monroe on the wall. I'm not sure what she has to do with Mexican food or Mexican culture. Food...5/10 Service...7/10 Atmosphere...3/10 I wouldn't recommend this place and won't be returning. I think people go here for the nostalgia. They remember going with their family when they were young. There are way too many good Mexican restaurants in Fort Wayne, to spend your money here.

Save your time and money - the neighborhood restaurant has lost its charm. We went there so I could have the queso bread bowl only to find it had been taken off the menu. I settled on the bean tostada and it was barely warm. My husband has the chorizo burrito and it was very disappointing. His wine was so old it nearly had turned to vinegar and my margarita was so sour I had to add 6 packs of sugar to make it drinkable. We got there just as the dinner hour was beginning so we asked to be seated in the near empty bar area only to be seated right by the door where people were constantly coming and going. I may give it a 1 but we definitely will not go back - if I do my husband said I was going without him. Sorry to see this restaurant go down so greatly. There are so many restaurants in FW I was hoping this would keep up its good reputation.

The only thing good here was the one Fortlandia local beer on tap. They couldn't even tell me the name of it just that it was an IPA. To start, thin red and green salsas. Not special. Just thin and not tasty. The soup. There self proclaimed local favorite the Fideo tasted like salty beef broth. The meal. I had the Mariscos chimmy and my wife had the Fajita quesadilla. Both were only ok. Not good enough to finish. So we tried the desert. Desert. We tried the fried ice cream. Have you even had Chi Chi Fried ice cream? If not you should be disappointed that they are not still in business they were the gold standard for fried ice cream. The El Azteca miss the mark. Theirs was covered in chocolate which it would have been fine without. The chocolate ruined it. I also don't remember Chi Chi's having coconut on it; only cinnamon. We won't be back. Nothing was good enough to tempt a return. Jalapeños and Cebollas is way better with preference to Jalapeños.

I'm giving this place one star because the waitress was very nice. This is an old rundown looking restaurant, but that wouldn't matter if they served good food. My lunch started with stale chips and bland salsa. I ordered the chicken flautas. They were as hard as a rock. Hard to even cut with a knife. There might've been 2 tablespoons of chicken in these three tiny flautas. They were covered in shredded lettuce and not even a tablespoon of sour cream. This "meal" was about twelve dollars. This was by far the worst meal I've ever had in any Mexican restaurant. I'm pretty sure they were just frozen flautas that you would get in a bag at the grocery. And then they were over cooked. I will never go back.

Wife and I stopped in tonight. The food was excellent, prices are reasonable, and the service was outstanding. They've got a nice patio to enjoy the late summer weather. Definitely eat there again!!

For those who have decided to skip eating at El Azteca, PLEASE reconsider! The new owner, Juan Marin, is bringing back the original recipes that the Ray family made the restuarant famous for. Juanita Ray (one of the founders) is also helping the new owner. I have been there three times in the last 2 months. The first time was for convenience. During this visit, I discovered the new owner and his dedication to bringing back what made us love El Azteca so many years ago. He truly wants to provide a great dining experience and restore the reputation of the restaurant to their glory days. We had dinner there again for New Year's Eve. Our server did a great job. The food was hot and fresh. The owner visits each table to ask how everything is. So, if you visit, and I hope you do, and you are not happy with something, please give the owner your feedback. No one can fix something if they don't know something is wrong.

El Azteca is a must stop when we come to town for our annual trip back to Fort Wayne. My mom grew up eating here and so did I. She insists on coming here each time we are in town to get the marisco burrito. She's obsessed and now so am I. When we came in I tried the marisco Benji style (A giant wet burrito stuffed with lettuce, diced tomato, and sour cream. Baked with one of our homemade sauces and cheese melted on top). Holy cow was that good! You can really taste the seafood. My mom got her usual marisco burrito and my friend tried the lunch fajita quesadilla which she said was really good. We also ordered the flight of margaritas, which were all really tasty. We love this place, from the family feeling, to the chips and salsa, to those delicious burritos and everything in between!

This is the worst Mexican food I think I've ever eaten. How has this place been in business since 1973?? I knew we were in serious trouble when they dropped the red salsa off and it tasted like Ragu -- and the green salsa tasted like salty vinegar with a hint of cucumber soap. After that intro I wasn't confident in their ability to understand what the proper flavors for anything should be. I ordered the tamales which were dry, unseasoned logs of masa, lard and pork. The rice was a mushy congealed pile of overcooked rice and condensed tomato soup and the refried beans were disgusting. My husband had ordered the chicken enchiladas and ooofh it was worse than mine. Same Italian seasoning issue as the salsa and super dry chicken inside. Synopsis: this food tastes like what someone from 1973 thought Mexican food should taste like after their friend told them about a time they had visited a cheap resort buffet in El Paso. Don't waste your time -- hard pass. We wish we had.

great dinner with a delicious margarita earlier this evening. One of my favorite restaurants in Fort Wayne. Our awesome Server, Angie, was on point as always!!!!

Great food, adequate service, cramped seating. $8 for the nachos which is literally 6 chips (we ordered without tomatoes and lettuce). I think it's humorous that they give the chips out for free with other entrees. They provided a second plate with no additional charge to resolve our complaint and I appreciate that. Don't expect anything phenomenal from this location.

One of the worst restaurant experiences I've had. I came with friends as one really recommended the place but we were all underwhelmed. Salsa was very unpleasant and not good. We did spicy and as our waters emptied, we constantly had to ask our server for more cups, as she did not pay attention. Then, when I ordered my meal I asked for no dairy whatsoever and informed my server of dietary restrictions, and clarified no cheese or sour cream. My meal came out with both cheese on my rice and inside my tortilla with the beans. My server told me to scrape it off - but I don't eat cheese and avoid dairy products. Similarly, I found the lettuce and tomatoes on my plate to be quite spoiled and sour - I couldn't even finish them. My friend barely ate half her plate for the same reason and ended up getting bad food poisoning. Finally, when it came to my check, I was overcharged for my meal and told that I had ordered a dinner item during lunch. I kindly brought this up as I very clearly asked my server about the item and price difference and distinctly ordered a lunch entree initially. Upon pointing this out, manager came out and told me I was wrong and that I had ordered a dinner item after I very clearly did not. I didn't even have a dinner menu and had never been there before. She was very rude about the situation and worsened the experience even more. I always look forward to going to a great Mexican restaurant but this was absolutely awful, service AND food.

Saw this small restaurant and thought should give it a chance. I Was dying of hunger when I came in but when I got my food I almost died from eating this dry chicken. Like jeez wouldn't serve this food to my dogs cause they'd probably choke on how hard this stuff is I couldn't even cut into this with a knife. And the rice felt like mashed potatoes. Another one of us at the table ordered fajitas and damn is this place vegetarian lol kid you not was about 4 to 5 shrimps and all vegetables. Last time I checked guacamole was not just mashed up avocado. given this place 0 out of 5 stars

El Azteca is my go to place for the best margarita in Fort Wayne--the Azteca Squeeze! This is a relaxing place to meet with friends and family for dinner and drinks. The wait staff is welcoming, helpful, and always ready to tailor your order and refill that glass. My personal favorites currently are the black bean soup, the house salad with a unique lime dressing, and the seafood enchiladas dinner. For dessert, the fried ice cream is delicious, topped with either fudge or honey. This has pretty much replaced the birthday cake in our family. This long established neighborhood restaurant has kicked up its menu with new features, which keeps me coming back for more. If you haven't been by in awhile, go get a squeeze and enjoy!

This Mexican restaurant used to be the best Mexican restaurant in town. Unfortunately it definitely isn't anymore. I started going to this place when it opened back in 1972, I was twelve years old. The food was very delicious and the place was packed. This time I ordered enchiladas with beans and rice on the side and it came with soup. The fideo soup is always great and it was this time too. The enchiladas were horrible. Tasted like they started using liquid cheese on them. This is the second time I've eaten here in the last year and it's the last time I go back. What a shame.

By far the worst food we have ever eaten. The salsa alone was horrible and tasted exactly like a shitty can of crushed tomatoes. We got a chimichanga that came completely bare. No sauce, no queso on top, no nothing. The flavor of the meat inside...wasn't horrible however, the fried tortilla itself was thin and flavorless. We were very disappointed with everything on our plate which by the way we shared and the restaurant refuses to split any shared orders. (Why wouldn't you just cut the damn thing in half for us, come on folks) It goes without saying we will NOT BE BACK. Ps. We ordered all three of their salsas hoping to like one.... that was a hard no. Sincerely, Your disgruntled customers

We had an order of Crispie Nachos wit Queso Blanco delivered to us. The entire order was drenched in cheese sauce causing the chips to be wet And the entire order inedible. We have ordered this in the past and it has never been served like this. The restaurant said that there was nothing they would do and told us to get the Queso on the side next time! Now we're hungry and out the money we paid to have it delivered through Waiter on the way... who by the way wouldn't do anything either! IMG_20211031_135847_011.jpg

Absolutely terrible besides drinks. I ordered queso cheese and honestly I should've known from how bland it was this was not authentic. Queso was clearly melted from velveeta box. Boyfriend ordered enchiladas with red sauce instead of green which was topped with salsa instead lol. I got cheese chicken over rice and they literally gave me the chicken out of the fajita frozen bag from Walmart. Manager refused to remove enchiladas because he got red sauce and "she cannot ensure that it will have the same taste". Drinks were great tho I got the strawberry large pitcher 64 oz for 26 bucks not bad at all. Definitely will not be referring or returning. Waiter was great as well.

Not like the old Azteca. No baked chips, mesquite chicken on the mariachi salad was flavorless. The hot salsa wasn't really hot.

Absolutely the worst food ever! A lunch for 3 $83.00 plus tip! 3 margaritas @ $8.00, the worse nachos...tasteless chips, very, very disappointed!

Asked for cilantro, got this. Soup was good, that's it, couldn't finish my meal- the produce tasted old in the taco and the salsa was like canned tomato sauce.

My girlfriends and I came here to celebrate a very important holiday- National Margarita Day (Feb. 22)! This was my first time here and I loved it! If you're looking for a fun, friendly place to throw drown some delicious margaritas - this is the place to be. They have two pages of drink flavors to choose from! TWO! That's just flavors alone. I decided to try the frozen Pineapple Margarita and they did not skimp out (as seen in the picture). It was so good! You can tell they use fresh fruit instead of just a syrup for the flavor. I got the Flan as well; which was equally delicious. It had more of thicker consistency... Similar to creme brulee. Definitely a must try. Overall, the service was great and we look forward to returning again!

We went as a part of Savor Fort Wayne since we've lived in Fort Wayne our whole lives and never been. I now know why, the chips were good. We were presented with 2 different salsas. One red which was red (supposed to be hot) and a verde (mild). Both lacked flavor and were almost sour. I tried about 2 chips of each before giving up on the salsa. We had queso blanco which was decent but again lacked flavor. For our entrees we both had burritos which we decided we could've gotten at Taco Bell for cheaper. Again not much flavor. The Savor Fort Wayne menu included desserts so we had chocolate flan which to me was like a glorified chocolate pudding and an apple chimichanga aka a McDonalds apple pie with whipped cream. The service was decent but I'm not sure how this place has been in business 45 years. We won't be back as there are other more flavorful options in town. Hey even Bandidos changed their menu when they were stuck in a similar flavorless rut losing the foodie millennials.

I was raised in Ft Wayne but have lived out of state for 20+ years. Azteca has been a must eat place when I am town. Not anymore. I was in for lunch on 1/18 and so looking forward to my favorite Red Sauce and chips. What has happened to the red sauce? It was neither hot or good. Did they change the recipe? Next- Black bean soup. I was served a bowl of beans. Again, what? My entree of two beef tacos was okay but again, way different than I remember. The refried beans also had a "cleaner" flavor and frankly, left me perplexed about what happened to my favorite place. I hope this was just a one time "thing". Next time I'm in the Fort, it is no longer a sure thing that El Azteca makes the list. Not to be total horrible guy(I hate being that guy but I also want to be honest), the server we had in the back room was AWESOME!! He was very attentive and made us feel welcomed and appreciated.

Very surprised that I'm gave this place 2 stars! If it weren't for the margaritas I'd honestly give this place negative stars if applicable.. the food was mediocre at best but drinks were decent depending on who made them... good luck! The sever or has gotten to be the slowest sob experienced in my life time!

I have newly returned to Fort Wayne and decided to try El Azteca at the beginning of my quest to find a good Mexican restaurant in Fort Wayne. Service: I sat at the bar, the bartender was prompt and attentive but a bit aloof and preoccupied with things other than taking care of the people at the bar. No one welcomed me to the restaurant and no one said good bye. The place was strangely cold given the warm intimate homey ambiance of the room. Complacency may be the right word for it. I was left with the impression that they did not want or need new business. The food came in reasonable time and service was technically fine. Ambiance: Cozy and warm. The bar area was warmly lit and interestingly painted. There were 10 tables and 12 bar seats in the intimate bar room. This was the best part of the restaurant. There were also three TV's that I could see with the FOX NFL broadcast. Food: I had one chicken enchilada and one cheese enchilada plus beans, rice, chips, and salsa. Also drank a margarita on the rocks made with Cabo Wabo blue label. There was a HUGE selection of tequilas, including many premium ones. The margarita was overly sweet for my taste. It was large, maybe too large because the tequila to other ingredient ratio was low. I could not taste the Cabo Wabo, as I usually can. The chips were just OK. I had both the green (milder) and red (hotter) salsas. They were OK, a bit runny and unremarkable. The beans, rice, and enchiladas were also OK. The ingredients seemed to be of good quality and well-prepared but everything was bland and without distinct flavor. The portions were large. I ate half and took half home. Bottom Line: Disappointment. The staff and food did not give me a compelling reason to return. I will continue to search for my go-to Mexican restaurant in Fort Wayne. If 2.5 stars were available I would have given an extra half star.

Our first visit to El Azteca in years and is was just OK. Nothing great, some bland food yet a staff that rocked it when they were busy and short staffed. 4 of us were greeted immediately and seated right away at a nice round table in the corner of the bar (nice social distancing!). We were served a small...and I mean SMALL basket basket of warm chips and our choice of a timid, almost tasteless green tomatillo sauce and a borderline spicy, not so hot red sauce billed as "hot". Our server - Angie - was doing her best to keep up and all in all, we received great service...no complaints given the situation. Hell, even the bartender was running extra salsa (they do not skimp on salsa here!) and more baskets of chips (note to the owners...BIGGER BASKETS please...that means fewer trips to the table!) I won't even mention the 16oz water cups...really??? I know I'm not buying a drink, but at least provide a decent portion. First to arrive at our table were bowls of their 'famous' fideo soup. Mine and one of our other dining companions was, at best, lukewarm. Two others were sufficiently hot. It took 15 minutes for me to flag a staff member to report the cold soup until our overworked server provided a steaming hot and most delicious bowl of soup. A bit frustrating when everyone else is eating. Our server did apologize and noted it was the "bottom of the pot" as to why it was cold. My question - if it was not hot, why serve it? Finally our lunch arrives...we split a large Carne Nacho with spiced beef and an ala carte chicken enchilada. First, the limp, tasteless enchilada. Smothered in cheese...the flour (? what no corn?) tortilla was soggy and the filling was tasteless...like wall paper paste. Not good. As for the Nachos, they were passable....fresh chips covered in beef and Colby cheese....nice portion for two people. Unfortunately the chips were soggy by the time we finished the plate. Overall, the lunch was 'mehh'. Really not worth the $33 we spent (that did include 2 draft beers), but our server Angie was worth every cent of the tip. While I loved spending local, I think there are better choices for a local shop offering better Mexican fare.

All servers wore masks except the one serving our table - and there was a hair in my friends food. Won't be returning.

Being a native of the fort I remember el azteca being the best of the best...no so anymore. I have been there 3 times in the past couple of years and the service and food has gone from bad to worse. This past weekend my husband and I met friends from out of town there for lunch when my friends said they wanted to go there I cringed but thought I will give it another chance third time was NOT a charm first we waited almost 40 min for a table after being told just a minute then I ordered the three piece combo with 2 chicken & 1 beef enchilada the chicken sauce was horrible and the beef was awful the tiny scoop of rice looked like 3 day old over cooked stuffing no taste and the salsa had big globs of thick " stuff" .. after the meal I asked for a to go cup and was told we don't have those then in the bathroom the paper towel dispenser didn't work and my husband said the men's room was out of paper towels. They were not busy so this was unacceptable. I will NOT be returning and I hope if you have the same experience you will post. The only reason there is one star is because it won't let me erase it

This is a nice place but the food is a very American take on Mexican food. If you want a more authentic flavor of Mexican this may not be the choice for you. The margaritas are great. The food was not, it actually gave me diarrhea nearly all night. I was very sore in the morning and had to have my girlfriend apply some baby rash cream on my hole. That was not really a good experience for either of us. I did laugh about it. I won't be back. We threw away the leftovers.

El Azteca is one of my favorite restaurants in Fort Wayne. I will not say that it is because the quality of the food is out of this world, but because of all of the memories I have there. I have been going there for years. Recently, when I was home for the holidays, we visited El Azteca for old time's sake. I ordered the combo pick one with an enchilada and a margarita. The margarita was a good, nice size and was really good. There was definitely a good amount of alcohol in it. The tamale was a perfect portion for me as well. It was a nice, lunch-sized meal. The spicy beef in it was pretty good, and it came with beans and rice that were good as well. The only thing I did not like is it did not come with anything like lettuce, tomatoes, guac, sour cream--nada. Just the tamale with the two sides. I asked for some extras, and the waitress brought them back in a few minutes no problem, but I would have liked if this came on the dish. Everyone else in my party had this on their dishes, so I wonder why this does not come on the tamale.. oh well! They also give you free chips which are really good, and they have a red and green salsa to choose from. I always get a mix of both. And, at the end of the meal, they give you this awesome black and white taffy that almost has a black licorice flavor. That is a tradition there, and I love these! This is definitely not super authentic Mexican food, but it is a popular restaurant in the area with cute, fun decor. If you are in the mood for some margaritas and some Indiana-ized Mexican food, this is the perfect place!

Went there a few weeks ago. Owner was very unprofessional, treated her staff poorly. And seemed intoxicated. Wouldn't recommend eating here.

I remember this place being pretty good in high school. Went for the first time in a decade today , and have to say I wasn't impressed . Margaritas were 8$ . Though I would say it was over priced; it was easily the best part. I got chicken crispie nachos, which run about 15$ (insane in my opinion for nachos) nothing exciting. The chicken was also cut into small square cubes, and was very dry. Servers were friendly , but service was slow, even though the restaurant didn't appear to be very busy. "Hot salsa" was basically a sweet tomato paste . No veggies at all that I could see in it , not really a salsa, but a very bland tomato paste. Definitely won't be back. Lots of better options in Fort Wayne .

It has survived in ft Wayne for ages so they obviously are doing something right for some. Me not so much. Salsa was a bit bland and thin, if I was to guess it came from a can. I asked for roasted jalapenos with my meal hopin and there were 3 pickled jalapenos on top of my chicken breast. I asked waiter if he could get me the roasted ones and he informed me they only had the pickled not fresh. I guess I question a Mexican restaurant that does not have fresh jalapenos in the kitchen.

This place has them steamers, fresh fajita beef, broccoli smell, that kind like Bandido's has or had, me haven't had them in a grip so I'm saying steaming and hot smelling like the old bandido's old school, that meat be a smelling up the room with them peppers and such. Margarita here at El-Azteca very good, very salted up and a one two pack a punch type of taste. I love it. Reminds me of Bandido's but fancier and pretty good food to boot. I like it here, great taco's beef burrito's and margarita's baby! Place is pretty good, it's like getting dropped off out of a plane with only your nut *ack and a pack of banana's from one of these Mexican master cooks and adopt him and make him slave away, but pay no taxes in the United States type of tasting cooking up here. Spicy, authentic and the margarita's are pretty darn good. Pretty nice and it's as good if not better than Bandido's. Off State street, check you out a ride at Kelly, get you some El Azteca, only on state street. It's a Mexican restaurant...You gotta give em that.

This has ALWAYS been one of my favorite places to get a margarita. I've been a patron for over 34 years. My most recent visit was disappointing, not because of the food or the service. My waitress in the bar area was wonderful and the food taste the same, however the frozen margarita has changed drastically and is way sweeter than under the former owners. Every restaurant has that something that makes you want to be there. El Azteca's draw for me has always been the green sauce and original margarita. To me It compliments my meal and experience otherwise I can go somewhere else.

We were disappointed with the food this time. The salsa tasted funky to me, for the lack of a better word and what's with the few whole tortilla chips on top but all those broken up pieces underneath in that basket? That's why we were asking for more chips. They were all the same...broken up pieces. We waited forever at the end of our meal for our waitress. On the plus side, it's always warm and intimate in there. Staff is always friendly. I still like this place, but in this visit, all in all, the food wasn't great, not as good.