With the growing trend of ersatz ethnic food showing up in fast-food chains, I found it a delicious irony that a certain fake-Mex, fast-food giant sits across the street from El Azteca, a truly authentic Mexican restaurant.
Authenticity scores well with me, and I found this Mexican owned and operated restaurant a real dining pleasure. Husband and wife, Raul and Maggie Macias, have teamed up to bring diners the flavors of Mexico from Macias' native city of Guadalajara.
Raul began his training in the food industry back in 1979, while working in his uncle and brother’s restaurants located in Atlanta. Macias followed his family’s entrepreneurial spirit by opening his first restaurant in Athens, Georgia, in 1988.
A couple of years later the Maciases came across the building on Tom Hill Senior Boulevard and thought that both its architecture and location seemed ideal for a Mexican restaurant.
Opening its doors to the public on November 7, 2001, El Azteca was greeted with the enthusiasm that Maconites frequently reserve for mega chains such as the Applebees next door. Aside from good authentic food, contributing factors to the restaurant’s successful flux of customers surely includes its inviting décor and fun activities such as its pool table, frequent live bands, and child-friendly entertainment.
The décor here can easily compete neck to neck with Mexican sit-down chains that have far more money at their disposal for furnishings. Terra-cotta, stucco, and tile abound throughout the sizeable restaurant. There’s a wonderful fenced-in patio area to enjoy dining al fresco and a large wrap around bar for those who revel in the company of spirits and strangers. Several dining tables can also be found in this section.
The main dining room is home to a giant television, which compromises aesthetics for entertainment value, but the rest

of the décor is pleasing. Beautiful mosaic tiles are displayed throughout the room. Sepia and black and white photographs of Mexico’s people adorn the walls giving the restaurant an artsy touch. The casual and warm environment is just right for this type of reasonably priced restaurant.
As soon as my husband, Ken, I were seated, our server arrived with a basket of warm tortilla chips and a carafe of salsa. The salsa contained bits of cilantro which added a fresh zing. If you want to doctor your salsa—or anything else—a variety of hot sauce can be found on every table.
Service remained attentive and efficient all evening, without being intrusive. Our waiter returned with our drink orders before asking about our meal selections. It was good to have this time to mull over the menu as its gargantuan size was rather like breaking open a pinata that’s crammed to the brim with colorful treats.
Beverage choices too, are quite extensive. There’s an abundance of magaritas and daiquiris, over nineteen tequilas, wines—including Sangria—and oodles of domestic and imported beers—eight of which include great Mexican imports like Negra Modelo.
After sipping our drinks and munching on salsa and chips we decided to forego appetizers for the sake of our appetites. If you want an appetizer you’ll find traditional favorites like a variety of nachos, dips, frijoles, and quesadillas, as well as more unusual appetizers like Coctel de Cameron (see recipe on opposite page)

LA EXPERIENCIA

MEXICANA



El Azteca gives diners
a truly Mexican dining experience
chocked full of spice
and a whole lot of nice

Written by Veronique F. Saiya
Photographed by Andrew Brooks

VITAL STATS

Cuisine
Authentic Mexican

Price Range
Dinner entrées range from $6.79-$13.99 Lunch entrées range from $4.29-$7.99

Reservations
Unavaiable, but large parties may call ahead.

Alcohol
A full bar with an extensive Tequila selection and an abundance of domestic and imported beers are available. The bar stays open one hour later than the dining room.

Child Provisions
Booster seats and high chairs are available. All kids meals for children 10 and under are $3.49. All include a beverage and rice krispie treat for dessert. Crayons and arcade games are available for fun.

Smoking
Bar section only & no pipes or cigars

Extras
Catering & private parties

Hours
Mon.-Thur.; 11 a.m.-10 p.m.; Fri., 11 a.m.- 11 p.m.; Sat., 12 p.m.-11 p.m.; and Sun., 12 p.m.-10 p.m.

EL AZTECA
RESTAURANTE
MEXICANO &
CANTINA

169 Tom Hill Sr. Blvd.Macon, Georgia 31210(478)475-9199

The soups and salads section as well as the a la carta section on the menu provide even more appetizer possibilities and include an array of different burritos, chalupas, tacos, tostadas, tostaguacs, enchiladas, tamales, and chile relleno.
Children could even make a meal off of some of these smaller-portioned items. Or those who are ten and under may order one of the items from the kid’s menu, all priced at $3.49. Mexican items include a cheese quesadilla & fries; a taco, burrito, or enchilada with rice & frijoles; nachos with cheese; and chicken fingers or hot dog with fries for those children who have an innate fear of anything that isn’t utterly bland and recognizable. If you find your children are in need of an entertaining distraction, both crayons and arcade games are available.
Adults have entertainment options also. If you’re making plans for a girls or guys night out or are planning to be alone with your wife or hubby don’t forget to periodically check out the restaurants music venue as live bands frequently play here. The month of May will include a celebration of Cinco de Mayo—from May 5th through May 8th—featuring rock bands such as McFly, Josh Carson, Strawberry Nixon, and Echospeed.
Most importantly, the food here is quite good whether you’re paring it with entertainment or not. With twenty-seven entrées to choose from the menu does tend to be a bit overwhelming. Ken and I finally managed to make a decision. Ken ordered two entrées, and needless to say, had left overs. He ordered Carnitas which was comprised of a generous portion of pork tips

served with rice, frijoles, and a plate of lettuce, pico de gallo, sour cream with flour tortillas for wrapping. The pork was seasoned, but not overwhelmingly so, and extremely flavorful and tender.
Ken’s other choice, the Cancun Special aka Camarones a la Diabla, was extraordinarily good. It consisted of a bounty of shrimp sautéed in a pico de gallo sauce mixed with rice and served on a bed of tortillas. Nothing in the dish’s description other than the word Diablo gives any indication of what’s in store for the weaker palate. This dish is terrifically spicy. I love hot-spicy food so long as other flavors in the dish filter through, which was the case here, making it a delightful entrée.
My Burrito Azteca gets a thumbs up too. Filled to the max with beef tips, this burrito is served in

a deliciously creamy jalapeño cheese sauce and comes with a hefty supply of rice, frijoles, and an ultra-fresh guacamole salad.
Dessert selections contain Mexican favorites like fried ice cream, sopaipillas, flan, pastle trés leches, and banana caramel xango, as well as more typical American staples like cheesecake and chocolate cake. All of which sound like a great finale to a meal.
I look forward to El Azteca’s Cinco de Mayo celebration. I’ll sample new entrées while I kick back and listen to the live music—and this time I’m definitely leaving room for dessert!