Azul Bar Y Cantina

Azul USE to be one of my favorite places. I heard from friends about the quality of service and food but brushed it off. This past Friday I experienced it for myself. Took more than 35 minutes to get my meal which was lukewarm at best. I spoke to the owner who did nothing but whine (want some cheese with that) telling me how hard they were working with the large parties. Let me tell you what I saw - an owner who spent at least 20 minutes talking to people during this busy time. Then she spent another 5 minutes talking to someone else. I feel sorry for the staff - she just seems to get in the way. Now for my meal. when it arrived I was told the plate was hot. Forget about the fact that I saw it hit the counter and I know it spent at lest 10 minutes there. When I got the plate it was like warm. My husband was still waiting for his (something about they ran out and had to make more??? made no sense). This USE to be fun place to go with god food. No longer. I will no longer be a patron!! They will be on the next installment of Restaurant Impossible or Kitchen Nightmares! more

I would have agreed with Yans completely if we were talking a couple of years ago. However, the food and service has gone way downhill since there is a new cook and completely new staff. In the last year, the service has become a mess. The owners are not friendly (but they never have been). None of the authentic flavors are present any more (as well as the authentic warm faces that greeted us). At least, these people were incredibly kind and welcoming. Instead of the fresh ingredients we are used to, everything seems like it has been sitting around, watered down etc. In order to not come to quick, harsh judgement, I have gone back a few times since the changes and sadly, my impression is the same. For example, I used to love the shrimp cocktail for the large pieces of shrimp and an abundance of them. Last time i ordered it, there were barely any shrimp, they were much smaller and it was really watered down. The soup was greasy and had barely anything in it! Everything is just skimpy and the flavors are NOT the same. I could go on and on... It's as though they are trying to cut back in order to save money. I was a very loyal patron and I will not return. It's a shame, because I really loved that place. more

I grew up in the southwest United States and I've travelled to several countries south of our borders. The chef and his staff at Azul create flavors with their menu that take me back to childhood and such great times.\r My family and I visited Azul on a Friday night, which we all know is the night ALL Pittsburghers decide to eat out. The restaurant was bursting full but the owners and staff were handling the crowd fantastically. Although cold outside, we were comfortable even by the front door. The waitstaff is young but efficient. The kitchen is where the action is. The Tostada appetizer was created to bring each individual flavor separately to the palate while merging the flavors to form each bite into a different taste experience. Our entrees transported us all back to our memories of Yuma and such places. The Tropical cake desert again was amazing in its simplicity and fusion of flavors while pleasing as a sweet, it was wonderfully tangy without the sugary sweetness that ruins such an item.\r I and my family will not only be returning to this little piece of heaven soon and often, we are planning a graduation party, retirement party, and general party there as well. Thank you to ALL the Azul staff.\r \r April Warn\r Coraopolis, PA Pros: the phenomenal kitchen team Cons: Young waitstaff more

I just had one of the WORST experiences dining out of my life! I've been to this establisment before and know that the service is probably the worst I have ever encountered. I've lived across the US and have also been to multiple countries overseas and can honestly say that this is the worst wait-staff I have ever dealt with. \r \r Tonight, my wife and I, sat for over 10 minutes waiting for our server. He decided that it was more important to shmooze with another table during this time. I was almost about to walk out and someone else helped us. We waited another 25-30 minutes for our food to arrive. This was not a busy moment for them, so I couldn't understand what the problem was.\r \r I've worked in the food-service industry for many years. If I were the person managing this ""restaurant"" I would FIRE everyone who didn't have the where-with-all to take care of each and EVERY customer.\r \r I will say that the food is okay, if you don't mind chicken that tastes ""funky"" as my wife put it. So much for the wait.\r \r If you're going to drive any length of distance to this establishment, think again. I'd rather make a TV dinner and sit on the couch before I'd set one foot in this place again. Save the gas and go someplace else. You'll be better off at Eat n' Park! Pros: not much to say about the PRO's Cons: Terrible service, long waits for food that isn't that great more

In my opinion, Azul is the best Mexican restaurant in Pittsburgh. I lived in Az for a while, where there was fresh, authentic Mexican food on every corner. Azul is as good if not better than all of my favorite AZ Mexican restaurants. The food is always fresh and the waitstaff are friendly and accomodating. My son has numerous food allergies and they always make sure that he is well taken care of so it is a favorite spot for my family and I. The burritos which you can get plain or ""wet"" with a red or green sauce are delicious! I personally love the pork... big, juicy piece in every bite....very tender! The surf and turf burrito..beef and shrimp are out of this world. The shrimp are in big pieces and are not chopped up in microscopic pieces like you would see at other places. The margaritas are delicious! The chips and salsa are authentic. I've tried several different things on the menu and I have never been disappointed. The decor is beautifully done. It is sophisticated, yet fun with great art pieces and authentic, rustic seating. It is off the beaten path on a residential side street in Leetsdale but don't let that stop you. It's well worth it! I think it is one of Pittsburgh's best kept secrets. Pros: fresh Mexican, great atmosphere Cons: off the beaten path, but worth it! more

I read about this place in City Paper and it got rave reviews. We typically don't drive out of the city for food but boy are we glad we did! Although it was kind of hard to find (take a right off of Route 65 North onto Rapp Street and you're there), we eventually got there and the fun began. Inside is a bright and welcoming large room with colorful Mexican paintings and Mexican Indian art pieces. The furniture is Southwest-style wood with highly polished lacquer wooden tables. The bar featured two flat-paneled TVs playing different programs. Our waiter was very friendly and explained a little of the restaurant's incarnation. We ordered jicama as an appetizer and two white Sangrias. The jicama arrived on a royal blue plate, stacked like Lincoln Logs and seasoned with fresh lime juice and red pepper flakes. The jicama was a wonderful new snack sensation for us (we were jicama virgins - we even learned how to pronounce it correctly...HIK-a-ma). Crisp, crunchy, slightly like a raw potato but with a light apple sweetness, balanced with the tart lime juice and tingly hot pepper flakes. We washed the bites down with sips of our delicious (and at $4 each...cheap!) Sangrias and cool glasses of water. Our entrees were nothing short of spectacular. My dining companion had the pork fajitas which were plentiful and fresh with hot corn tortillas for filling. I had a wet chicken burrito which was coated in just enough cheese with salsa verde and filled with HAND SHREDDED chicken and rice and sides of cool sour cream and uber-fresh onion/tomato/cilantro mixture. As if we were not stuffed enough, we had a crunchy and sugary churro with a teasing line of chocolate syrup down the middle. This meal was by far the best Mexican meal we have had in any restaurant in Pittsburgh or anywhere else for that matter. If you love Mexican food (and who doesn't?) you MUST make the drive to Azul, grab a Sangria, order some spicy fun and say, ""Ole!"" Pros: Delicious and FRESH food, friendly accommodating staff, perky (not stuffy) ambiance Cons: Might be difficult to find and...more salsa verde next time, ok?! more