Just a Taste:
Los Azulejos has a polished look.
Note: This is a Just a Taste review, which the Express-news does soon after a restaurant or bar opens to give our first impressions.
Los Azulejos Restaurante Bar has surfed into town on a wave that’s brought several polished Mexican restaurants to San Antonio’s shores in recent months, and the Castle Hills newcomer appears poised to shred with the best of them.
Los Azulejos opened in December in a busy shopping strip unit that’s hosted a revolving door of restaurants over the past few years. The latest occupant lives up to its name — “azulejos” translates as “tiles” — with a stylish dining room lined in colorful, patterned tiles, quirky light fixtures and muted gray furniture evoking a modern-meetstraditional Mexican vibe.
The restaurant is still waiting on its alcohol permits, but the complimentary margarita offered in the meantime was icing on top of a recent visit.
On the menu: From appetizers to entrees, Los Azulejos’ seafood game is strong in both presentation and flavors. The Camarón en Costra de Chicharrón ($16.95) was a zesty line of plump, juicy shrimp crusted in crumbled pork rinds over a bed of chorizo-studded refried black beans spread across a plank of lightly charred wood and splashed with a tangy habanero sauce. Huachinango al Guajillo ($26.95) was a delight of fresh and tender roasted red snapper fillet accompanied by cauliflower puree, paprika-roasted potatoes, shards of crispy guajillo chiles and a vibrant, fruity guajillo sauce.
The oft-mundane also gets an elevated touch, as seen in
the Nachos Don Jaime ($10), chips individually dressed with beans, cheese, chicharrones, pickled onions, petite piped mounds of guacamole and a scattering of fried leek strips. Same goes for the Crema de Poblano Tatemado ($8.50), a luxe bowl of silken soup with a bright taste of poblano chiles and a cache of panela cheese lurking under its verdant surface.
The Enchiladas Suizas ($16.95) were the only wipeout to hit my table, a forgettable trio of lackluster tortillas enveloping parched chicken shreds splashed with green salsa. A garnish of edible flowers and pumpkin seeds couldn’t hide what this plate was: a straightforward Texmex combo with gummy rice and refried beans.
Los Azulejos’ Hamburguesa ($11.95) will likely become one of the restaurant’s calling cards. It arrives on a hulking cutting board, a steak knife skewered through a big, juicy beef patty capped with chorizo and a slice of ham. Guacamole, pickled onions and jalapeños, Oaxaca cheese and a tangle of tequila-spiked caramelized onions all conspire to make this a surprise hit of a burger in a place where it wouldn’t be expected.
pstephen@express-news.net | Twitter: @pjbites | Instagram: @pjstephen