La Azteca - Mexican, Petaluma

1420 South McDowell Blvd #E, Petaluma CA 94954
(707) 763-6844
Parking: In shopping center parking lot

Last Visited: November 24, 2004

Food: 3 to 4 stars
Atmosphere: 3 stars
Service: 3 stars
Price: $ to $$

James suggested trying La Azteca which is located in the Arroyo center. The restaurant is L-shaped with bright yellow walls. There are pictures of Spain, Mexican suns hung throughout the room, mirrors within some sun art, and on a display shelf are some beer bottles. In the back of the restaurant, you’ll see a bright fresco. The red cushioned booths are on one side of the room, and light brown tables fill the remainder of the room. On the side of the walls, you’ll see wood logs cut in half to line the wall. From one part of the room, you can see a view of the kitchen and all of the dishes that are served.

There was a flower at our table, but I noticed the amount of dust on it and tried to look away.

We were promptly greeted and told to sit anywhere we liked. The menus are already on the tables waiting for all the patrons. The waitress came very quickly, but we needed more time. After she had taken our order, and before the food came, the waitress came by again to see if we needed anything. It seemed a bit excessive, but maybe we looked confused or something.

James said to try the burrito and the chips. So we did. Chips arrived at our table with red salsa. The chips were homemade, but the texture is hard to describe. They’re not like tostadas, and not like hard chips, but somewhere in between, leaning more toward the hard chip, but not as hard. The salsa is on the spicy side, but not burning your mouth.

- Chunky Chicken Burrito – A good sized burrito is made with a flour tortilla and filled with chicken, rice, beans, fresh salsa, cheese, guacamole, and sour cream. There is a choice of red ranchero sauce or green tomatillo sauce. Since it was my first visit, I opted for the red ranchero sauce on the side, which they seemed to think was a slightly unusual request. The sauce is good. Good burrito – very satisfying. $5.75

- Fish Tacos - Two corn tortillas are topped with deep fried fish and salsa. I didn’t expect the fish to be deep fried, but it was okay. Fresh, but not spectacular. Okay. $2.75

- Chicken Enchilada – Chicken is wrapped in a corn tortilla and pan fried. Then the enchilada is topped with enchilada sauce. Shredded lettuce accompanies the enchilada. The sauce is nice – different from others I tried, but good. $3.00

Combination plates, seafood, and egg dishes are available. They also have seating to accommodate larger groups.

The overall experience was a good one. I enjoyed the chips, and found them a bit addictive. Even after finishing off my burrito, I still ate more chips. The food is fresh, and the service is good, though our waitress may have been slightly overly attentive, but I would certainly be willing to return to try some of their other offerings.