By Robin Garr
LouisvilleHotBytes.com

I confess to being a little surprised at first when Mary came home from lunch with a friend the other day raving about how good the food at Los Aztecas had been.

Why the surprise? To be honest, I rarely think much about the Mexican-run local chains like Los Aztecas and El Nopal anymore, and I realized with a jolt that there might be a hint of food snobbery about that.

After all, when I reviewed the first Los Aztecas on Herr Lane in 1997, eleven years before it would be surrounded by Westport Village, I was pretty excited. “Authentic Mexican cuisine has become a viable option in Louisville these days,” I wrote in a review around that time. 

Immigrant restaurateurs Saúl García, who died in 2021, and his brother Manuel, who remains at the helm of the family business, were first among a corps of new neighbors from South of the Border who began offering an alternative to the bland Americanized grub (and bathtub-size margaritas) that had previously been Louisville’s only option in this world-food niche. 

“Los Aztecas is far from the only excellent example,” I wrote in that late ‘90s review, perhaps conscious that Bruce Úcan’s blue food truck that would eventually evolve into Mayan Cafe was rolling around the same time. “But it’s a good one, with tasty Mexican fare good enough to lure us back again and again.” 

I kept that promise to come back too, at least for a while, as did a lot of people drawn by the mini-chain’s quality Mexican fare made easy with bilingual menus and service staff. 

But then – here comes the snob bit – as immigrant communities grew and serious, Spanish-speaking taquerias popped up to serve them, excited foodies followed along, eager to try the latest new thing. 

 Before long the earlier mini-chains became under-valued because, well, they look Mexican-American, have multiple locations, and have been around for years. 

But it’s a wise partner who pays attention to his spouse, and Mary seemed really impressed by her $9.99 arroz con pollo lunch special. “The very simple combination of the nacho sauce on the chicken, then mixing with the rice, was sort of addictive. Such wonderful flavors. You got the smoky grilled taste on the chicken bits and the nacho sauce. I’d order this again,” she said, also praising the sparkling clean dining room and very fresh food.

Sold! Off we went, and if it didn’t feel quite as adventurous as the tinest taqueria – when I tried out my Spanish on our server, they responded in excellent English – everything was good, and a hearty meal for two was admirably affordable.

Los Aztecas’ Westport Village and Prospect locations share the same menu, which may be in the midst of an upgrade, as we were charged a nominal buck or two more for a couple of items than the online menu indicated. As listed, more than 75 dishes are almost all priced below $15, with only a couple of fancy steak dishes bouncing to $19.99.   Two dozen lunch plates, available 11 a.m.-3 p.m., are priced from $7.79 to $10.99. 

The Nulu location has a similar-only-different menu that’s a bit more pricey, with most dinners in the upper teens and a couple of steak or shrimp meals in the middle $20s.

Meals at Los Aztecas naturally begin with a big basket of fresh, warm tortilla chips and two mini-pitchers of salsa, a smooth, mild version that sings the song of the fresh tomato, and a textured spicy option that adds a kiss of fire.

Our fare, like the chicken-and-rice plate that beckoned us in, were simple but well prepared and flavorful. 

Despite its status as a value-priced lunch plate, carnitas ($10.99, pictured at the top of the page) came in a large portion. Chunks of pork were roasted crisp and crunchy on the exterior,, pull-apart-into-strings tender within, ranging in size from small crispy bits with fatty edges to hefty chunks the size of a walnut. They were piled on yellow Mexican rice with a pool of frijoles refritos alongside – pureed beans topped with mild melted cheese. Three fresh, warm tortillas wrapped in foil, a small dish of truly fiery red-chile sauce, and two fresh lime wedges completed the plate.

“Relleno” is Spanish for “stuffed” or “filled,” and that’s a good basic description of chile relleno, the star of a $13.99 vegetarian plate. A mild, dark-green roasted poblano pepper was filled with mild, stretchy Oaxaca-style cheese, cloaked in a soft, not crunchy breading that’s traditionally made with whisked egg whites, and served snug under a blanket of tomato- and chile-based ranchero salsa. Alongside came a simple burrito, frijoles refritos and cheese rolled in a flour tortilla and topped with cheese; and a mound of that excellent yellow rice.

With a tamarind-flavor Jarritos Mexican soft drink ($3.29), our filling and delicious meal for two came to a thrifty $29.97, plus a 25% tip.

Los Aztecas
1107 Herr Lane
Westport Village
426-3994
losaztecas.net
facebook.com/losaztecasrestaurant
instagram.com/losaztecas.restaurant
Other locations: 
445 E. Market St., 561-8535, and 9207 U.S. Highway 42, 228-2450.

Noise Level: There was a definite buzz on a busy Saturday, but conversation was never difficult with sound levels around 72dB, particularly in the confines of a comfortable booth.

Accessibility: The restaurant appears to be accessible to wheelchair users.