Review: Azteca Mexican Restaurant in Davie
By Judith Stocks, Sun Sentinel
Important: This article was last updated on August 19, 2010. Please call ahead to confirm hours, prices, dates and other information.
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 8800 State Road 84, Davie 954-474-5226 aztecamex.com Cuisine: Mexican Cost: inexpensive-moderate Hours: lunch weekdays, dinner daily Reservations: not necessary Credit cards: all major Bar: full service Sound level: can be noisy Outside smoking: no For kids: menu; boosters; high chairs Wheelchair accessible: yes  |
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Background: Started in 1974 as a 24-seat restaurant in Burien, Washington by the Ramos brothers—Jose, Hector, Jaime and Victor—the Azteca chain now boasts branches throughout Washington, Oregon and Florida.Ambience: The expansive facility is better experienced in one of the small and less noisy dining rooms with their impressive hand carved wooden booths. An entertaining mariachi band lends an authentic feel to the place.
Starters: Complimentary salsa leans to the watery side, the plump shredded chicken filled taquitos are bland, and the shrimp, scallop and mushroom appetizer is more poached than the promised sauteed, but nobody in the always gangbuster crowds ever seems to mind much. Maybe that's because there's plenty more to keep diner's happy including huge portions served on hubcap size plates and a killer shrimp and tequila chowder. At $5.25 for a cup or $8.50 per bowl, a creamier more satisfying elixir would be hard to find. Filled with pureed chorizo, shrimp, green chiles, tomatoes, cilantro and jalapenos in light clam broth hinted with chipotle and tequila, it hits the bulls-eye on flavor and texture, not to mention the way it satisfies cravings for hot and lip numbing.
Entree excellence: As disappointing as most of our appetizers were, we gave a thumbs up to our entrees, some showing more refinement and delicacy than Mexican cooking is usually known for. The $14.50 luscious lamb shank tastes of slow cooking in a dense tomato braising liquid with a light taste of cinnamon. The fall-off-the-bone tender lamb, served with avocado and pico de gallo, is supposed to include rancho beans (We got refried.) and corn or flour tortillas. (Ours were missing in action.) For those into sharing, an additional lamb shank can be ordered for $5 more. Just as flavorful is a dish called Tres Amigos ($15.25). This plate-wide feast showcases a seasoned-with-care Chile Colorado (beef chunks cooked until soft in a mild red chile sauce), chile verde (cubed pork in delicate tomatillo sauce) and chile relleno (a cheese stuffed poblano dredged in light egg batter, fried golden brown then smothered with salsa and sprinkled with cotija cheese). Even the traditional simplicity of a Macho Burrito ($10.75) pleased our table's burrito lover with its ground beef filling and tomato based sauce capped with cheddar and cotija.
Sweet!: Ditching excessive amounts of faux whipped cream on desserts would give diners a better chance to appreciate the better than average flan ($2.95) with its appealing dense quality, while the $2.95 order of sweet corn tamalitos (corn cakes with a texture much like the corn filling in tamales), is more savory than sweet and might appeal to those not into sugary desserts.
Service: The various dining rooms are watched over by a cheerful, reasonably efficient accommodating staff, but asking for menu recommendations brought a scripted "very tasty" on every menu question we asked.
Contact dining correspondent Judith Stocks at judithstocksreviews@yahoo.com.