(Credit: MikeAnthony Moffa)
The Digs: Entering Aztex is like stepping into a party. Loud Mexican music, chili pepper string lights, and a busy bar add to the gleeful atmosphere. The night my guest and I stopped by, there was an amateur poker tournament in the center of the dining room. That made things more interesting to say the least. The smaller dining area at one end of the building seemed lifeless and dull compared to the poker area where we were seated. The attractive, small outdoor patio looked comfortable, but the fun is inside.
The Delivery: Our very friendly waitress was a controlled frenzy of activity who almost seemed to be running the place on her own, but she brought us everything in a flash and with a smile.
The Dish: Complimentary fresh-made chips and tasty chipotle salsa were provided from the get-go. These should be enough of an appetizer for most diners, but we wanted to sample the Aztex Shrimp Rolls ($7.49 and worth every penny). These lightly fried flour tortillas are filled with Gulf shrimp, diced bacon, jack cheese, and Aztex dressing. It comes with a little salad mixing concoction of corn, onions, black beans, and cilantro. Cooked to perfection, I'd easily recommend getting these rolls as an entrée, along with maybe a single taco or tostada (both only $1.99 each) if you're not getting dessert.
The combo dinner I ordered is a steal. For $7.99, you get a taco, an enchilada, a tostada, rice, and refried beans. That's a lot of food, entirely filling a large plate. There are six tacos to choose from, four tostadas, and four enchiladas. I chose a soft corn-shredded chicken taco, a bean and chicken tostada, and a cheese and onion enchilada. I enjoyed all three selections in my combo, but I would have been happier with little chicken chunks rather than so much shredded chicken. I can't say that anything jumped off the plate and thrilled me, especially against the lofty standards of the shrimp rolls, but the combo served its purpose as comfort food.
My guest's large chicken burrito ($7.99) also succumbed to shredded chicken syndrome. Filled also with rice, refried beans, and cheese and served with sour cream with black beans and tomato, it's a passable but not spectacular affair. On a future visit, I'll try getting it "wet," with melted cheese and red or white sauce. That might compensate for the somewhat dry texture of the shredded chicken.
We closed the night with the yummy fried ice cream ($5.49), a massive mountain of deep fried vanilla ice cream on sopapillas with a caramel sauce. While the appearance was a bit daunting, it gave way to delightfully sweet tastes after we cracked through its exterior.
The Damage: Besides the cheap food prices, domestic drafts are only $2.50 and imports only $2.75, so getting out of Aztex with a content belly, a full wallet, and a happy heart is easy.
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