Plaza Azteca?

Your guess is as good as mine. I noticed them the other day too. The last place there was fucking scary.

kind of a big gamble, opening up a new mexican place in the spot where a shitty mexican place failed...

Wow. How many Mexican joints do we need? LOL

Can't have too many, if they're good!

They must not be open on Sundays because I just drove by there and it was closed.

Yes, it's called El Azteca. It's sister restaurant opened in the old Ralphie's in Maumee recently. We tried it. It's the same crappy food and drink as all the other horrible places you mention. We each had (I should say ordered) a margarita - awful. Made from the same glow in the dark, sickening sweet mix that all the other places - El Vaquero, El Camino, El Neuvo Vallartt, etc. are using. Couldn't drink it. We each ordered a type of combo plate also. Each took a few bites, asked for the check, paid the bill and left - never to return. Service was lousy too. Only a handful of tables were occupied, numerous wait staff members standing around yacking. Do yourself a favor and avoid it.

foodie - do you like ANY restaurants in toledo? No offense, but I never hear a positive review from you

Then you haven't looked around I guess. For Tex-Mex, Ernesto's on Woodville Rd. just past Genoa. Long way to go I know but the margies and food are worth the drive.
For finer dining: Mancy's, Mancy's Italian, Biaggi's, Byblos, Real Seafood, Zia's to name a few. Heck, I think Olive Garden is pretty good when that's what I'm in the mood for.
No offense taken. I know that I am pickier than most when it comes to restaurants. IMHO, the numerous Mexican restaurants that have popped up around Toledo in the last 5 or 6 years are simply not worth my time and certainly not my $$. They are all basically the same. Crappy margaritas and food that was prepared way ahead of time and simply heated by who knows what method and rushed to your table within two minutes after ordering it.
But, hey - if that's your thing - go for it and God bless you - it simply isn't to my liking.
I realize that most Toledoans appear to be happy with their choice in restaurants - and that's fine with me. Like changing the radio or television station away from something I don't care for, I choose not to go to most restaurants here. Again, IMHO, of the zillion restaurants in Toledo, I can count on two hands those that I will patronize.
But, I am ALWAYS on the hunt and open to suggestions to expand the count. I LOVE Mexican food - even Tex-Mex when it's done well and I'm always ready to try a new joint when it opens. And, if it's just "OK", I'll give them the benefit of the doubt of an off night and try them a second time.
For example: I also LOVE Chinese food but there isn't a place in the area that I'm aware of that serves anything that resembles authentic Chinese like I can get in Ann Arbor or the suburban Detroit area.
And billy - perhaps it isn't just my pickiness that gives you the impression I "hate all Toledo restaurants." Maybe you need to try some truly good ethnic food outside of the Toledo area. Trust me, it's out there. But you may have to drive a fair distance to get it.

Ernestos? I have only been there once, but it is basically Ortega taco kit city. I have never seen cheese that shade of orange in my life.

To each his own, I guess that is what keeps different places open.

Perhaps because it's real cheddar cheese as opposed to the faux cheese sauce served by some many others? Ortega taco kit city??
Maybe you need to try them again. I'd suggest the Enchilada soup or Chicken Crispitos.
And their margaritas are especially good - and not short on the liquor. But, if your taste is more towards one of the many too sweet (IMHO) mixes with a shot of tequila, you probably wouldn't appreciate the blend they put together.
And you're right - to each his own. How else could one explain the popularity and success of a place like El Camino Real??

Not to sound racist, but I like white cheese. ;)

I love this conversation. My husband and I are food people. We eat out, Alot. I do like el Vaquero, but only on Secor. But the rest of the new mex restaurants are horrible. I don't drink tequilla so for me it's all about the red sauce. A mexican restaurant can sink or swim on it's sauces.
I also like Pepe's on Sylvania but that's a strange one. People either love it, or hate it.

I've always thought of trying Pepe's. But, as part of my pickiness about restaurants, I was always turned off by the health inspections at their old Erie Street Market location.

I really should give them a try.

my wife got food poisoning at pepe's.

my wife got food poisoning at pepe's.

foodie, pepe's is exactly the type of mexican food you stated you did not like.

Thanks for the heads up upso. Saved me a trip.

Plaza Azteca comes from Virginia Beach. I used to live there. They have several locations and their food is AMAZING!! I almost jumped for joy when I saw they were coming to Toledo. If you look on the sign for questions it is a "757" area code number. This isn't "El azteca"..please don't get them confused.

This city is food obsessed, I swear. I see more restraunts opening than stores.

Hello, board. My name is Ramiro. I am actually a managing partner here at this mentioned Plaza Azteca, located on Monroe. I was told about this board by a business associate. First Ill answer easy questions and then ill give you insight on who, what, when, where, why mentioned in the post, and a little information about myself. We are not a sister restaurant to El Azteca. We chose this area, because we are looking for places to expand our operations and places we believe to be successful, the location prior was horrible and it was an opportunity we couldnt turn down. We are from virginia beach, and have about 36 restaunts in 7 states. We are new in ohio, but not new to the business. Without boring you guys to death about how and why we are different, ill save that for each and everyone to make your own decision. Just believe me when I, I am mexican/hispanic, tell the truth about mexican food. I am new here to toledo so the things i mention are facts or personal experiences i have come across. The restaurants here in toledo are not very good, come in and visit us and ill explain how and why. Its cliche but we have better mexican food, we are also straying away from the mexican food here in the area and all across our restaurants focusing more on food presentation. Our margaritas, are a drinkable enjoyable drink made with tequila and some sort of lime concoction, exactly what a margarita should be, something I have heard and seen to not be the case at the mexican restaurants here. We do not use orange vodka, or grain alcohol. We have a diverse drink menu, yes everyone has strawberry, mango, and raspberry margaritas but we have a drink menu consisting of 10 margaritas with high end tequilas, mojitos, martinis, non bag in a box wine, and extensive tequila selections where available. We also focus on customer service. If you have questions or concerns, reply and im sure ill read those or stop by the restaurant when it opens and tell me you read about it here.

When does it open? And when are you having all of us Toledo Talkers in for a taste test? :()

Welcome. I am always on the lookout for a restaurant in my area with good quality food. Are you vegetarian friendly, and will you servers know what is and what is not vegetarian?

Thanks for the info rbravo72. Looking forward to trying your place.

Wow, im suprised no one wanted to defend the local favorites, mexican restaurants that is. I wanted to defend my findings upon eating at the mexican restaurants in the area. We are just waiting on our booths, tables, and chairs, as we get custom furniture from mexico, ie not your standard tackey color spectrum stuff. People are hired and inspections look good, hirings out of the way, kinda sorta, so hopefully next week. Taste test, be more than glad to offer something to the community/board, let me generate some ideas. tlm0000, im laughing about the veg. friendly question, not for those reasons but for the servers knowing about it. I assume you wanted to ask if our servers will know english? Yes, again we do things different so most stereotypes are out the window when you come to us. We have your standard a-e veg plates, you know a mix match of burrito, enchilada, or quesadilla, all veg. of course, and authentic chiles rellenos. Food quality, we just rolled a new menu with new items like mahi mahi, tilapia, and new line of meats from hereford beef. Again we dont skimp out where others do to save money. Is there an option for getting updates on the post? I didnt know people responded so quick. Our website is www.plazaazteca.com, and http://www.plazaaztecanewengland.com/ both have the menus, and dont laugh at the websites, we are trying, lol. Questions, concerns, ill have answers for em.

I would like to correct your misunderstanding, I did not mean to suggest that the servers would not speak adequate English. Actually, my husband speaks fluent Spanish, so it's not really a problem.

Many restaurants to do not educate their staff about what items are in fact vegetarian, or gluten free. These are both issues for my family, as my husband is a vegetarian and my daughter can have absolutely no gluten. Many Mexican restaurants use animal products such as lard, when making their Tortillas, and their beans beans.

As for defending the local restaurants there is really no need. The proof as they say, will be in the pudding.
Good Luck.

welcome Ramiro. Thanks for coming to the board and letting us know more about your new spot. I look forward to checking it out. if you want to throw a taste test party for Toledo Talk members, I will gladly take you up! :)

I also agree 100% with tlm0000

This place is now open. We are going tonight. To Foodie, this place is in no way, shape or form associated with any other restaurant in the Toledo area. It is NOT a sister restaurant to the one in Maumee. This is a brand new place based in Virginia. From checking out reviews of the places in Virginia, I am really looking forward to it.

Menu looks good. Looking forward to trying it out.

Hello board, my apologies for not posting an update on when the restaurant was opening, but we are now open. We are open all week, sunday-thursday 11-10, and fri-sat 11-11. Its been pretty hectic opening it up this week, but i will post some kind of special for the people on the board, again im not a used car salesman, but if you like mexican food, come see what the difference is.

Will probably be there this weekend myself. Hope the margies are not sweet mix crap and you have Patron. :)

Thank God this establishment is NOT related to the one in Maumee! I stand very happily corrected.
Welcome Ramiro. You are correct in your assessment of the Toledo area Mexican restuarants - IMHO, most are not worth a walk across the street. I look forward to patronizing your establishment. Perhaps as soon as this evening.
Again, welcome!

Yes, Ryan, we have parton, but we have many i think last count 20 different other tequilas, all above "cuervo" status, and many better in personal preference and in beverage guide tasting tests. Come out guys, i should have some special for members of the board on monday, tuesday at the latest. Again we are related to no one in the area.

wow, thanks for bringing this thread back up, midiboy! Welcome, Ramiro, we'll be trying your place out as soon as we can, so nice to have some inside info, thank you!

I'm a Patron lover, too, what tequila do you recommend? I have only tried a few, but I love the different flavors of them all. (is this ok to ask?) :)

Nana I love Patron too. Last Mexican place I went to (name withheld) I knew I hated their margies. I told the waiter I wanted a glas of ice with 2 shots of Patron and some lime slices. WAY better than any marg they have "on tap". I say that because I hate all that "pre-made sit there all day in a jug that they dont even bother to shake" crap.

As with any critic or review. You cannot take it as written in stone or absolute.

If someone doesn't like it for whatever reason, read it, take it as input, but make your own decision to try it or not.

Very true. I love some places and others may hate them. Of course they are simple peasants, but that's beside the point.

By the way, I love McRib sandwiches from McDonals. But don't take my word for it.

Yes, Ryan, we have parton, but we have many i think last count 20 different other tequilas, all above "cuervo" status, and many better in personal preference and in beverage guide tasting tests. Come out guys, i should have some special for members of the board on monday, tuesday at the latest. Again we are related to no one in the area.

There aren't as many taco trucks in this area are there?

We gave this place a try last evening. The decor has been nicely re-done. The gaudy, multi-colored, resin covered tables and chairs are gone having been replaced with very nice dark wood and vinyl covered seating.
But, as my mother always told me - "you can't eat the atmosphere of a restaurant."
A server promptly delivered chips, salsa and a creamy dip that kind of reminded me of ranch dressing but tastier. My dining partner and I each ordered a House margarita on the rocks. A small for him and a medium for me. The margies must be a signature item for this chain. The small is twice the size of anybody's regular and the medium is delivered in a huge margarita glass that probably holds a quart of liquid -or ice. It may be part of the restaurant's schtick but it is unwieldly to handle.
More importantly, they were sickening sweet. Each comes with a wedge of orange and lime - just like Olive Garden's Italian margarita. In fact, they taste much like OG's Italian margie but without the Amaretto. The small was $5.00 and the "medium" was $6.50. You can bet for the size and price, you aren't going to get much booze in that drink- and that was indeed the case. All mix, no liquor and sweet enough to make your teeth ache.
The salsa was very tasty. The chips were ok. We ordered bean dip for an appetizer. Sadly, it was the same exact pureed refried beans drowning in white cheese that is served up by all the other Mexican restaurants that have sprung up all over town of late.
For dinner, my partner ordered a cheese quesadilla. He figured it was a safe bet as he, like me, is so tired of being disappointed with the food served up in these places. I ordered a #11 combo - a burrito, a taco and an enchilada. When the meals were delivered - less than three minutes after ordering, I knew there wouldn't be much to look forward to. Anything that comes out of the kitchen that fast can not possibly be made to order. And it showed. My dining companion received something other than what he ordered - have no idea what it was. They politely took it back. I heard our server tell the person who removed it from the table that it was her fault as she punched the wrong icon when ordering. No big deal. It happens. Completely forgivable. In it's place came the worst looking quesadilla I've ever seen. It was literally nothing more than a flour tortilla with about a teaspoon of cheese stuffed somewhere in the middle on an empty plate. That was it. No visible cheese oozing out, no attempt at any kind of garnish or presentation. It truly looked like something that had been sitting around the kitchen all day drying out. Not forgivable.
The three items in my combo were indistinguishable in taste and texture. The only difference between the burrito and enchilada was the size of the flour tortilla. The only thing that set the taco apart from the other two items is that it came wrapped in foil and was not covered in the neon orange sauce that the burrito and enchilada were. As for taste - truly nothing special. Not bad mind you but nothing to set this place apart from the rest of the less than mediocre joints around town.
One thing I forgot to mention - when we were first seated, our server asked if we'd like "fresh guacamole made tableside." Um, I saw the "guac cart" on the way to being seated. I prefer to have my guac made in the kitchen with fresh and clean utensils thank you. Needless to say, we passed on that.
In summary, I'm truly sorry to say that at least IMHO - and that of my dining partner, for all the claim that this place is "different from the rest" and "not related" to any other joint in the area, the food and drink is EXACTLY like every other Mexican place that has sprung up from no where in the last 5 to 10 years. But, this must be what people want. Otherwise, why would these places seem to flourish? In Toledo, I can understand it. This is a shot and a beer town where most folks look for portion size and price as opposed to quality and taste.
Give them a try and decide for yourself. You might love it. At the end of our less than half eaten meal, we asked each other the same question we always do when trying a new restaurant: "Would you come back?" Sadly, for both of us, the answer was an emphatic "NO."

Will have to try for myself. Sorry, but I just can't take your opinion for anything after some of your posts.
now everybody pay up who I bet this would be foodies response

Nice response Ryan. In case you missed it in my post: "Give them a try and decide for yourself. You might love it."

I this a place where people can express opinions and share their thoughts or is it not? Or is this more of a little fiefdom for people like you Ryan to belittle and berate others? It appears to be the latter.

I offered a rather in depth review of MY experience at a restaurant. As noted in my post, it was MY OPINION. No where in my post did I tell anyone not to try it. I offered specifics as opposed to "this place rocks" or "this place sucks" as I've seen in so many other posts.

In my post, there were no personal attacks - unlike you Ryan, and no vulgar comments. Simply MY OPINION of MY EXPERIENCE.

Toledo Talk is apparently not the venue for honest discourse.

I wasn't being mean, relax. Can you not take some ribbin' in real life either? I like food, but not going to get all up in arms about it. Sorry if you tookl it that way, but please don't be so serious.

While I think it's always a bad idea to judge a place that just opened up and is probably still working out the operational kinks... Yikes! After foodie's review... we'll be passing on this place.

Operational kinks are one thing and I can easily overlook them. But, this place is part of a chain. I'm sure the margaritas and food are dictated by HQ and doubt that either will change much regardless of how long the establishment exists.
But, I can't emphasize enough - this seems to be what people want. If you're a fan of El (Insert Name Here), you'll likely be very pleased with it.

I totally understand where you're coming from.

We tried Plaza Azteca yesterday afternoon: me, hubby, two kids. I have to agree with foodie's review (although I liked my giant-sized "small" margarita). My kids got tacos and quesadillas, and they were exactly as foodie described. Nothing special at all, and the quesadilla in particular just looked... blah.

The salsa was ok, but it looked like it came from a jar. They also provided us with a dish of white sauce, which they said was a cheese dip, but as foodie said, it was more like some kind of ranch dip. My kids loved it, but I thought it tasted like tartar sauce.

My husband had a burrito, and by the way he devoured it, I guess he liked it. He enjoyed the rice very much, since he said it didn't seem as dried out as the other Mexican places in town. I ordered an unfried seafood chimi (which is basically a small burrito with sauce over it). It was very, very good, and I would definitely get it again.

Service was OK. Hubby asked twice for guac, but we weren't offered the "tableside prep" option, although I did see the set up and wondered what it was.

Foodie, Thanks for posting such an in-depth and informative review. It's almost like being there! We no longer go out for mexican food, as I can make it better at home. My margaritas are fabulous (if I do say so myself). Good tequila, Cointreau, and fresh lime juice! That's all there is to it. No icky sweet mix stuff! After 2 of my margaritas, my food is always a hit!!!!

hmm..what to do, what to do. I was really put off by the owner/manager's (whatever)response on the board both in general and specifically to me. I dislike it when people make assumptions about me, and for someone who doesn't know me to assume I have an issue with someones accent was both ridiculous and insulting. Then when he opted to trash all other restaurants in the area rather then talk about what was good about his own establishment, well I had already explained to my husband that we would NOT be trying this restaurant.

Now my curiosity is really piqued.
I think I'll stay annoyed for a few months and see if they can manage to stay in business before I relent.

ha!

beenthere: May I ask what the parts ratio is that you use for your Margaritas? Realizing that we all have our own personal preferences, I'd like to start with your blend. They sound great!
Thank you.

My margie technique is the same as Beenthere's. Same ingredients, no mix. 1st marg is 1 part tequila, 1 part triple sec, and 1 part lime juice. 2nd one is 3 parts tequila, 2 parts triple sec, and a dash of lime juice. 3rd one usually ends up being a lot of tequila, and a lot of ice with a dash of lime juice. I can't remember what the 4th and so on consist of!!

now i want a margarita

tequilla shivers, think the last time I drank that stuff I ended waking up in a corn field naked. lol j/k but you get the point.

Foodie, I use the juice of 1 large lime (2 limes if they're dry), 2 shots tequila, 1 shot Cointreau. Put it in a cocktail shaker with lots of ice & shake well. You know they're good when that first sip makes you shiver!

Thank you beenthere. Can't wait to try 'em! muddyriverduck: I'm going to give yours a try as well. I've attempted more home made margies than I care to admit over the years - just can't find that Holy Grail like my favorite watering home makes them. And they're not telling. And I don't blame them!

ok, foodie, so tell us what your favorite watering hole is!! I've tried them just about everywhere and the Ottawa Inn in Ottawa Lake is about the best I've had.

GOOD question nana! i'd ask that of everyone! where are your better options?

Well, for the best Margarita (IMHO), Ernesto's out on Woodville Road in Genoa is it. For my taste, their margies have the perfect balance. But, go easy on them - they don't skimp on the liquor.

I'm also a fan of their food. I haven't tried everything on the menu but some items I'm particularly fond of: Chicken Crispito; Enchilada soup that is out of this world - a meal in itself; Fajita chicken (or beef) burrito; and, again, IMHO, they have the best bean dip anywhere. It's truly made of refried (not pureed) beans, not greasy and topped with real cheddar cheese and onions.

I'm also a big fan of their salsas. The red is a smooth, not chunky salsa that I find very tasty - though I'm also a fan of some chunky style salsas. Their green is made from green peppers, jalapenos, onions and is finely minced.
As for the atmosphere of Ernesto's, fuggetaboutit. It's a "neighborhood" (middle of no where) joint, semi-dive with a strong local following. For me, the only bad part is the drive - it's 18 miles one way from my home. On the other hand......that could be a good thing!

Is the Ottawa Inn a mexican restaurant? Good margies?

I recently heard that Magadalena's is opening another location on Sylvania Ave. in west Toledo. I know many people are very fond of their Michigan location. I'd give them a try when they get here.

I neglected to mention one of the best things I like about Ernesto's: the food is made to order as you order.

I realize that certain components that are common to several dishes - taco meat, chicken, etc. are made in advance but my point is don't expect to have your order sitting in front of you within 90 seconds of placing it.

There really are cooks in the kitchen preparing each dish as it is ordered.

Magdalena's purchased the former O'Reilly's on West Alexis Road, between Douglas and Jackman. I heard business is good, but do not know if it is being operated as a Mexican style restaurant. This location was also known as Sardini's back in the day.

Thanks for the location correction Hoops. At the time I heard it, I was rather puzzled about the location being described to me.

I'm familiar with the location you describe.

Thanks again.

Maybe Magdalena's purchased the assets of the former O'Reilly's operating entity; but it appears that they are leasing the building as the parcel looks to be owned by the same company that previously owned it.

We visited Plaza Azteca a few nights ago and enjoyed the experience ... but would probably not go back for a meal.

Salsa and chips were OK. I liked the white dip/ranch dressing, which had a great spicy flavor. We love the salsa at El Vaquero (Secor Rd), so we end up comparing all others to that standard.

We ordered the mobile guac cart, which looked very clean and attractive (here's hoping they replace the ink-and-paper price sign with something more artistic). It was a real treat to have someone prepare something tableside for us, especially at a restaurant that is not expensive. It was great to have a big pot of guac on the table for the rest of our meal.

Our food did not arrive instantaneously; I have no doubt that our food was cooked to order. Some of the entrees came on a series of separate plates (maybe a separation of the baked vs. grilled?) and I have to admit, as mentioned in a previous post, some of the items look strangely lonely sitting in the center of their bare, square plates.

The red sauce tasted like canned tomato soup and some of the food textures were pretty mushy. Yellow/beige food on white plates really needs some sort of fresh garnish to look appetizing. A few slices of green pepper, tomato, or a sprig of cilantro on a little shredded lettuce would have created a nice crunchy contrast to the soft cooked food.

The atmosphere was great; I loved the artwork and the privacy of the booths. If there is live music (as indicated on the sign) I would go back for an evening of drinks and guacamole, while enjoying the entertainment.

The new Magdalenas on Alexis has Mexican on the menu, but serves everything else as well for the most part.

I love Ernestos, but aren't they open on Sat afternoon? Tried to take my bro there 2 weekends ago and they weren't. bummer.

Been to Magdelena's up state a few times, pretty standard fare, but it was cool to sit outside and nosh with my friend so I didn't really think about it. I'm glad they are successful enuff to open a new spot, nice people. I'll be checking the new one out soon.

I'll probably try the Plaza, too, just to see.

nana: Sadly, Ernesto's doesn't open until 5 on Saturday. Seems strange I know but they must think it isn't necessary to open earlier.

They open at 11am Tuesday through Friday. Closed Sunday and Monday.

Foodie, thanks, I'll make a note of that. It really is odd that they open for lunch during the week but not on the weekend when more people might be traveling, there's nothing out there!!! One good thing, tho, my new house is 10 minutes closer! :P

also, I wanted to mention, I made margies tonight using 1.5 cups of Simply Lime, 4 shots of Cuervo Especial, 2 shots of triple sec, lots of ice, and they're pretty damn good. dint get the 'tingle' but the first one was mighty fine. Very fresh tasting, no extra sugar, just another variation to try.

beenthere: I made a couple of margies per your recipe last night - though I had to use the cheap stuff as I was out of good tequila.

Pretty darn good! Though I'll have to adjust the booze downward a bit - WOW! After two of them, I found it difficult to answer much of anything on Jeopardy.........

Thanks again.

nana: I'm going to give yours a shot as well. The Simply Lime you are referring to - is that the juice in a bottle similar to the Simply Orange, Simply Apple, etc.?

I think there ought to be different names for two different kinds of drinks - just like there should be different names for authentic mexican places vs taco bell with a liquor license places so people can tell the difference.

Make no bones about it - a real margie is a STIFF friggin drink!! It's not a 7-11 slurpie with some booze sprinkled in it...

yup, foodie, thats it.

billy, thanks for clearing that up, lol. I've had the stiff ones, but not in the middle of the week on a work night. I weaken em up when I just want to have a little buzz while surfing. ;p

I like the 'macaritas' at Mac & Tongs.

Where did Ramiro disappear to? I was hoping for some sort of a deal like he had mentioned.

he was probably turned off by all the Plaza Azteca negative reviews

I had lunch at Mac & Tongs the other day. The burgers are excellent!

I was planning to make my way over to Plaza Azteca for lunch but somehow I just haven't gotten around to it, and after the reviews here I'm not really in any hurry. Why rush right out for the same old Mexican food I can get anywhere?

nice! :) mac & tongs is awesome.

I ate lunch at Plaza Azteca, kinda made me miss the old place that was in that building. nothing special to make me want to go back, service was ok, the salsa was ok, my chimi was really small compared to other places. the beans were like melted frito bean dip ,no texture at all.
Does anyone have a review of carl's hideaway in Ida Mi?

Jhop: I happened upon Carl's in Ida by accident and I can tell you that it is a dive but OMG, I just loved their wet burrito. It was huge, filled with chunks of beef and very flavorful. I keep forgetting about it since Ida is a drive but now that you brought it up, I think I may make a run for the border this weekend! LOL

Well, finally tried Plaza Azteca. Prompt and courteous service, but way too overbearing. Three different people came to our table over the night at least 10 times all together. The food is fine I suppose, nothing to rave about. The white sauce they give you with the chips is an enigma, no idea what it is doing there. The margies are too big and awkward. We both ordered a red eye yet mine was green and hers was red??? That said, I enjoyed my beans and enchiladas. I would go again, but in no rush. Hopefully these are all things that can be ironed out over time. I also agree with the person who commented on the sign for guacamole. Last night it was a piece of copy paper with marker.

Hey! Ryan!

Here's some crow for you:

"Sorry, but I just can't take your opinion for anything after some of your posts."

There, I just saved you some $$ on dinner tonight. ;-)

There is no crow involved Sheryl.

I said I didn’t trust your opinion and I didn’t. I still don’t. Not after the glowing Ernestos reviews. But like I said, to each his own.

I still haven't tried Plaza Azteca. I went over there the other day for lunch and decided on Bar-Be-Que instead. I've talked to another person I know who's been there, and the review wasn't all that great. He said the food is just okay, nothing special, and the service was lousy.

Ryan: I'm guessing that they cracked down on the servers before you got there.

I went over and ate at the Plaza Azteca - click here for my full review.

I give the place a shaky 5 on a scale of zero to 10. My food order had problems that the wait staff couldn't really identify or solve. The ambiance isn't conducive to a relaxing meal, and I'm not impressed by a huge selection of pseudo margaritas and faux martinis.

Nice review madjack.

As far as drinks go - after one margie I asked for two shots of Patron Silver over a short glass of ice and got a short glass of Patron with a few ice cubes for 12 bucks. That would have been a gold mine if I could figure out how to pour that tequila into a glass of ice. I tried, it failed, oh well.

Plaza Azteca provided me with my "what the f¡ck" moment of the day today.

While at the mall, I found this table of free room temperature (coagulated cheese) quesadillas at banana republic provided by PA.

seriously... wtf?!

also... great review madjack. bravo

Great idea, terrible follow through.

Bad idea if you ask me. Like I needed to be reminded why I don't fit into anything at banana republic!

LOL! Gross store to begin with.

7 of us went to Plaza Azteca for the first and last time last night. We waited what seemed to be forever thinking wow, this is popular it must be terrific. Now I know why we waited so long, the service SUCKS! They don't care about the customer one bit. When I go to Mexican restaurants I expect the FUN factor. This was not fun! We were given our chips salsa and that terrible white crap and waited forever until I got up and went to a manager who said we're busy, be patient with a real attitude. All we did is make fun of everything from then on. NO WAY will we ever go back there. Give me El Vaquero on Secor Road anytime!

Oooo! Good Idea! I think we'll hit El Vaquero for lunch.

Ok, I sorta kinda hate to breathe new life into this thread, but there was no way I was going to start new thread about Mexican restaurants. ;)

I am curious if anyone has been to the Magdalena's on Alexis, and if so, what was the experience like?

I eagerly await the answer to your question Valbee!

Skip it and drive to the one in bedford. Or stay with the tried and true mex places you already know. this one is nothing to write home about

well that stinks. I live a block in from Douglas/Laskey so I was hopeful!

Time for some more Mexican food postage.
Maybe they have improved over time. Anybody been there recently?

http://www.toledoblade.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20101028/ART12/10270430

Weird. That's a surprise

IKR? I wasn't even sure it was still open. Maybe they just had a rough start because my friends from Virginia Beach (where they are headquartered) swear by the place.

Interesting. Guess I'll have to consider giving them a 2nd try. Maybe. Hard to forget our one and only trip there not long after they opened. The food/service/margaritas were all lousy.

I take particular note about the food critic's mention of their margaritas being strong and of a unique flavor. When we were there, they were very obviously made from a sickening sweet, cheap mix (like most margaritas in Toledo) and weaker than a butterfly's burp.

I was there a couple of weeks ago. It was nothing special.

went tonight because of the great blade review. have to say I agree with dhr. Nothing special. the ranch dip on the table was weird... i'll give them that. definitely felt like a chain, with a slightly antiseptic atmosphere, and slow off kilter service. not terrible, but not terribly good either.

Thanks for the update.

That ranch dip really is an enigma!

it's just ranch out of a bottle mixed with a little hot pepper flakes... maybe a tiny bit of salsa. not very good.

Yeah, that stuff didn't really do it for me.

I'd go back with a group, but I'm not adding it to my rotation.

My husband and I went there for lunch a couple weekends ago. We had a very good experience.

The service was extremely prompt on our visit. I don't think I've ever had a food order come out that quickly at a sit-down restaurant. And we were happy with how our food tasted as well. (I had chicken enchiladas, don't recall what my husband ordered?)

We weren't drinking that day, so I can't offer any opinions on the margaritas.

I'd go back again some time. Maybe next time I'll try a margarita.

I'm a little tired to read the full posting here. I love local authentic restaurants. Don't know if it has been mentioned yet but I just found out about San Marco's Grocery Store on Broadway. Don't be intimidate because of the non-English. Walk through the store and in back they have a nice clean restaurant area - sit at the counter. I ordered two steak taco's with cilantro and onion and later ordered a beef burrito. I topped generously with a great hot green sauce they have on the counter. Probably the best Mexican I have had in the Midwest. No fan fare - low key and incredible.

oh yeah, there are many posts about san marcos. HANDS DOWN the best mexican in toledo and quite possible hands down one of the best places for any genre of food in the area.

Danneskjold: I don't know if San Marcos has them everyday as I've only been there on the weekends - but you have to try their tamales. You'll find them stacked on top of the butcher case - still warm. About $10 for a package of 12. Incredible.

If you are in to Mexican cooking (as I am) you won't find a better source for the necessary ingredients than San Marcos.

Mostly non-English speaking - yes - but pointing and smiling get me through. Time for me to stop putting off the Rosetta Stone software............

Thanks Foodie, I'm a big fan of good tamales. They did not have them today which was my third visit in about two weeks. I did venture out and tried the Cow tongue in addition to my normal steak taco's. I can't get enough of the place, thankfully it's across town otherwise I would have had it every day for two solid weeks (not an exaggeration). I haven't ventured too much into Mexican cooking with the exception of simple recipes but it does look they have everything there.

For those who like sour cream, try some Mexican Crema from San Marcos. You won't go back to sour cream.

Danneskjold: My pleasure. There's a show on Food Network that I've become a big fan of - Mexican Made Easy. The host makes some amazing dishes. Many with ingredients one will find only at a store like San Marcos. Of course, if you don't have time to catch the show, you can take a look at the recipes at FoodNetwork.com.

I can’t find much info about San Marcos. Do they serve food all the time or just lunch? I need to check that place out.

Don't know the answer to that question but here's a bit more info:

http://www.yelp.com/biz/san-marcos-toledo

After searching through old posts at Toledo Talk on San Marcos, I didn't see any mentions about when they served food, but here are some comments about the place:

• If you're looking for authentic, you might want to try San Marcos Grocery store on Broadway near Clayton, about 1/8 of a mile south of the High Level. The lunch counter at the back is almost an afterthought, it only seats about twelve. It's certainly not a restaurant but the food, whether eaten at the counter or to go, is excellent. The portions are big and the prices are low. Give it a shot, you won't be disappointed. >>

• it's been mentioned before on toledo talk but san marcos is about as awesome and authentic as it gets in toledo for mexican food. >>

• San Marcos Strategy? - I need some guidance getting to the allegedly tasty chow at San Marcos. Can anyone give me some guidance how to proceed? Are there waitresses with table service? Should I stand in line at the bar and try to get someone's attention? Also, since I have never eaten there before, what do you recommend we start with? Are they open for evening meals? Are there any slow times?

• It takes a few visits to figure out the system. Just stand near the bar if there is no seating, and soon enough someone will come up to you and take your order. Last time I was there (last week!) It was pretty crowded so I just got my food to go. It can be an intimadating place until you realize everyone is in the same boat, just trying to figure out how to get served. >>

• and as far as recommendations go, everything is awesome. >>

• I always have good luck standing by the cash register at the lunch counter. You won't believe how good their food is. >>

• Pork burrito was awesome. It was like $5 and the size of 2 Chipotle burritos smashed together....it's has to be over 4000 calories but worth the early grave. >>

• Best tacos in town is definitely at San Marcos. End of discussion. >>

• Ethnic grocery stores & food in nw ohio - for Mexican you can't beat San Marcos. >>

• Speaking of good Mexican food, I was doing some shopping at San Marcos over the weekend. I picked up a package of their tamales. Oh baby! I can honestly say they were the best tamales I've ever had. Perfectly seasoned and perfectly cooked. Amazing. >>

• The tamales at San Marcos are definitely more traditional in nature. Masa dough filled with a shredded pork mixture - and, surprisingly, a hint of some type of non-melting cheese perfectly steamed in corn husks. They have "regular" and "spicy" though the packages were not marked as to which is which. I ended up with the spicy. They had a nice kick to them. >>

• San Marcos grocery has [tamales]; they come from Chicago, I believe >>

• Yeah, San Marcos. What would be great is if they would open a real restaurant, with drinks. Of course, some how, it would eff everything up. >>

• Give San Marcos Grocery Store a try. You can't get a drink but their food is pretty amazing. >>

In case anyone is intimidated about San Marcos, don't be. They'll understand your English and you'll get some great food. I lived in Southern California for a number of years and I think San Marcos tacos are comparable. Don't be afraid of the lengua or tripas. It's great. Waiting for them to start serving ojos.

Ended up there yesterday afternoon while looking for a place with a patio. I thought it was much better than before. I only had the bean nachos and not only was it very tasty, but the portion was HUGE. I couldnt even eat them all for 5.95. My friend got two appetizers, shrimp something and a chirizo dip and both also were big. Took most home. I enjoyed the margies and the fresh fruit in them. Service was good as well. I hope that was not a fluke because now I will go back.

Not a fluke. It's the norm for San Marcos. Anything but what you experienced would be the fluke.

i was talking about plaza azteca

Sorry! My bad. I was reading ^^ about San Marcos and I recalled that you were there recently and were a bit underwhelmed by it.

As for Plaza Azteca, it was so bad the first time we went that we just can't force ourselves to give it another try.

i thought that too, but was pleasantly surprised. not sure if we ordered the right thing, service was better, etc or what.

i want to marry san marcos

Maybe you could have Grumpy's marry San Marcos, and they could spawn wonderful restaurant babies!

match made in heaven

I drove by today and it looked like Plaza Azteca was closed. Are they out of business?

i had lunch there thursday, they were open then.

I think they keep some strange hours -- such as being closed on Friday nights or something. The spouse and I keep thinking they're out of business because the building looks dead at some fairly normal dining times. However, being an El Vaquero junkie, I get my fix elsewhere.

I stopped by Friday night at 5 and the worker had posted a note that they would reopen on Tuesday. Apparently they needed to pay for a license and, although they paid, the paperwork needed to be processed and wouldn't be ready until Tuesday.

Viola, do you see a difference in quality between the three El Vaqs?

I'm not sure, only because once the Secor El Vaq opened, we quit making the trek to Perrysburg. The menu is large, lots of unusual dishes, so I rarely order a repeat. Now that there's a Docks option I might do some controlled comparison eating. As opposed to my usual uncontrolled eating.