"El Azteca serves up hearty portions, authentic satisfaction" by JEAN CAREY
The Daily Herald on Tuesday, October 29, 2002

If your vision of paradise includes burritos big enough to feed a family of four, with sweet, cinnamon horchata serving as a heavenly ambrosia, then El Azteca will put an angelic smile on your face. The stalwart Mexican eatery, celebrating its 40th anniversary in Utah County, offers consistently delicious and eminently affordable dishes to soothe the most intense cravings for south-of-the-border staples.

El Azteca's cuisine stresses authenticity and portion size: The hottest of three salsas is not for the fainthearted, and the average chimichanga or burrito weighs nearly a pound.

An extensive menu caters to all tastes -- tortas made with thick slabs of fresh avocado for Mexicano fans, California burritos covered in cheese and sour cream for advocates of Americano, and soft corn shell tacos adorned simply with meat and onions for true border aficionados. There are also more elaborate dishes, such as chicken or steak fajitas tenderly fried with onions and peppers, chile rellenos and Acapulco enchiladas stuffed with spicy shrimp.

Rounding out the Jalisco-style offerings for the hardcore are autenticos such as pozole, a hominy and pork soup; mole pablano, carnitas and menudo. Churros, the ubiquitous fried dough sticks, are available, as is too-good-to-share flan.

The spare look of the State Street restaurant (El Azteca has a sister restaurant in Provo) is offset by a colorful mural that runs the length of the dining room depicting life in an idealized Mexican village.

The service at El Azteca, even during double-whammy peak time rushes in the dining room and at the drive-through window, is unfailingly pleasant and fast. A self-service salsa bar offers three types of homemade salsa, from the hot stuff to a mid-range green salsa to a mild but still flavorful table salsa, as well as hot pickled carrots and jalapenos, pico de gallo and lemon and lime wedges.

El Azteca's already very affordable entrees become an even sweeter deal for customers who subscribe to the restaurants coupon e-mail list via its Web site at www.elaztecatacoshop.com.

Jean Carey can be reached at 344-2558 or jeancarey@heraldextra.com.

This story appeared in The Daily Herald on page C1.