El Rey Azteca

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.

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.