El Rey Azteca

Amazing authentic Mexican. The menu is smaller than the chain Mexican places but every item is a winner. The guacamole was divine and my kids ate it up. The kids also loved the shrimp tacos and fish tacos. The enchiladas and burrito were very good. The Fajitas El Rey were phenomenal, including chicken, steak, shrimp, chorizo, carnitas, and bacon. The spices and heat was a little too much for my family but I loved it. Even the table salsa is zippy, and the house made Adobe sauce literally brought tears of joy. Highly recommended for anyone who loves more authentic Mexican!

So glad we came here! When we arrived there was a sign on the door for cash only. The credit machines were down. We left planning to go elsewhere since we don't carry cash but opted to stop at the bank around the corner. Best decision! I had the Torta King Azteca and this thing is a monster. The meats were fresh and delicious! Bread was perfect and their homemade salsas are some of the best I've ever had from a restaurant. Very authentic options and they have a separate menu insert for those. The waiter was very friendly and prompt. Prices on some dishes are a little more expensive than most authentic places I've been to but if the ingredients are as fresh as these then it is more than worth it. My only price issue was with the tacos. $13.99 or 3.50 each for the authentic ones. $3 tops but most places are $1.99, $2.29 or $2.79 per taco I have found. We didn't order tacos for this reason.

Editing: since I originally made this review, it seems the restaurant has decided to cater towards the reviewers who complained that the food is “too authentic.” We’re now in average Americanized food territory so adjusting to 3 stars. However if this is what’s required to operate successfully in a small town I’m down with it. It’s bland but still good quality. Coming from Austin TX I’m used to good Mexican good. This is good Mexican food. Probably the best in town. Service was great too. They deserve success!

I personally never heard of a Mexican restaurant having a buffet, but decided to check it out with my wife when I saw the “Buffet” sign when driving by the “El Rey Azteca” on 3rd street last week. Best spur of the moment choice I made that week. I grew up with homemade Mexican food, and usually judge any Mexican restaurant based on their beans and rice. All restaurants I’ve gone to in Bloomington have usually had decent food, but they always seem to have the beans tasting either watered down, or canned. I can’t really blame most places for their beans not being up to standard, as making food in volume can cause people to take shortcuts, like using canned beans (My family would use canned beans when they didn’t have time to make the normal way so I’m familiar with the flavor). This restaurant however truly surprised me as the first thing I noticed is that their beans tasted homemade. Their rice also tasted great, a bit strong in flavor, but really good. Their main dish options, whether pork, beef, or vegetable, were also pretty good. Almost as good as my mom’s cooking. :P So this is just my first impression. They are not a perfect buffet, as their desert option was basically regular donuts and jello, but I honestly didn’t care as I was too full from the other options that all tasted really good. I’m looking forward to trying their regular fare when I have a chance on a weeknight/date night sometime soon . Their buffet is available on the weekdays from 11 to 2pm.

My lady and I stopped in for a late lunch. The restaurant was clean, we were seated immediately and had a few minutes to peruse the menu. The salsa that was brought to the table was excellent, very fresh and delicious. We asked for a suggestion from the host and chose the Sope. I asked for sour cream on the side. When the dish arrived (quickly) it has the sour cream on top. When we told the host, he took it away with absolutely no fuss or bother, apologized for the mistake. Just as quickly I was presented with a new plate. My wife and I enjoyed the entire meal and the experience. The staff was very nice and friendly. He even offered for us to sample some of the ice creams they stock. Wow! The tequila ice cream is amazing! We felt welcomed and well taken care of. We will be back.

The food probably would have been good, but the water they use for there drinks and cooking is city water extremely strong with chlorine. The chlorine was really strong in the drinks from fountain machine. I have also never had carrots and potatoes included in my rice and in the ground beef. In my opinion not good. The service and staff were very friendly though.