I rarely give five stars unless they are well deserved and in this case they certainly were. My first real downtown Salinas experience was surprising. There are so many Mexican restaurants out there that I didn’t have much expectation beyond what is fairly typical. Don’t get me wrong I do enjoy a good Mexican meal, but this one was different. The environment appeared more upscale and was fairly busy which is always a good sign. At first I could see and taste the quality and flavor of the salsa and chips promptly delivered and led me to believe the menu would be equally delicious. I almost generally order the Chicken Enchiladas and tonight was no different. I could see when my meal arrived this was not going to be my usual Chicken Enchiladas…the presentation was very attractive and the Cilantro Crema was perfectly spicy and luxurious. The sides were also not your typical fare. The Rice was a version of Cilantro Rice that was light and airy and the beans were not heavy and full of flavor. It was a pleasure to be surprised to dine at Villa Azteca and I will absolutely dine there again.
Villa Azteca
Excerpts
I rarely give five stars unless they are well deserved and in this case they certainly were. My first real downtown Salinas experience was surprising. There are so many Mexican restaurants out there that I didn’t have much expectation beyond what is fairly typical. Don’t get me wrong I do enjoy a good Mexican meal, but this one was different. The environment appeared more upscale and was fairly busy which is always a good sign. At first I could see and taste the quality and flavor of the salsa and chips promptly delivered and led me to believe the menu would be equally delicious. I almost generally order the Chicken Enchiladas and tonight was no different. I could see when my meal arrived this was not going to be my usual Chicken Enchiladas…the presentation was very attractive and the Cilantro Crema was perfectly spicy and luxurious. The sides were also not your typical fare. The Rice was a version of Cilantro Rice that was light and airy and the beans were not heavy and full of flavor. It was a pleasure to be surprised to dine at Villa Azteca and I will absolutely dine there again.
Came here for lunch on a Friday afternoon. We waited a while in the doorway until we were greeted & seated, waited about 10mins to get our order taken, & another 30 for the food to arrive; It didn’t seem that busy. When the food finally came it was in a sizzling bowl with a delicious boiling salsa yummy meat, seafood, cheese, avocado, & scallions. Tortillas were delicious & hand made, but be careful because only 2 came with that huge molcajete, which is enough food for 2 people. We asked for more tortillas, which we never received & were charged $6 for them. The prices here were outrageous for what it was honestly. But food was good, regardless. Though service could really improve.
Came here for lunch on a Friday afternoon. We waited a while in the doorway until we were greeted & seated, waited about 10mins to get our order taken, & another 30 for the food to arrive; It didn’t seem that busy. When the food finally came it was in a sizzling bowl with a delicious boiling salsa yummy meat, seafood, cheese, avocado, & scallions. Tortillas were delicious & hand made, but be careful because only 2 came with that huge molcajete, which is enough food for 2 people. We asked for more tortillas, which we never received & were charged $6 for them. The prices here were outrageous for what it was honestly. But food was good, regardless. Though service could really improve.
I Love Villa Azteca! It is my favorite restaurant in Salinas. I Always make sure to dine here when I visit Salinas. The dishes are so flavorful, they do a great job at cooking familiar dishes with unique tastes. The presentation of the dishes is also very beautiful and creatice. They have delicious drinks (alcoholic and non-alc) too!! I can’t wait to come back ☺️