I frequented Ajuua at their previous location years ago. After they moved I stopped. Now I live near the new location and we've been coming here again. Great Mexican food here. The chili colorado is some of the best I've ever had, the fajitas are amazing and the salsa ain't nothin to sneeze at either! They make excellent margaritas and the chips are always warm and crisp, I really can't think of a bad thing about this place. And to top it all off, the service has always been impeccable! Everyone here is friendly and warm. If you are looking for good Mexican chow in Aurora, I highly recommend Ajuaa.
(4)
Justin M.
Service was lacking, food and flavor were also some of the worst I have had. I would rather have gone to Taco Bell. Everyone in the family was disappointed, the kids meals were pathetic, the burrito was bad, and the Arroz Con Pollo had no flavor. Waitress took away full plates minus one or two bites and never mentioned hey was something wrong with the food. Seriously disappointing, I paid my bill and left we will not be returning.
(1)
Cindy H.
I've eaten there three times. The food is excellent, especially the carnitas. The only issue I've had was with the service. The first two times I sat in the dining room and the service was extremely slow. Not just to get the meal served, but to have my order taken, drink refills etc. The wait staff seems preoccupied or distracted, not sure. I gave it another chance last night and sat in the bar thinking it would be quicker. My friend and I waited over 10 minutes to even be acknowledged by the bartender who was busy with 3 customers at the bar. We chose to have the all you can eat tacos thinking - how long could that take? It was more than 20 minutes to get food and only after we interrupted the bartender to inquire. On top of it he got the order wrong too (keep in mind it was tacos). We were so hungry we ate it as is. After he realized how long we were there the service improved slightly. He could tell we were a little annoyed. He was quick to bring the check. I can understand waiting when the restaurant is busy but that was not the case. The bartender sat at the table next to us with a couple of women swapping stories while we waited 5 feet away. Invisible.
(3)
Kelly G.
I had a $30 Groupon for this location. They were located on E Iliff Ave between S Chambers Ave and I-225 in Aurora. There is a location at Southlands mall which is closer to my house, but the Groupon was not valid at that location. The complimentary tortilla chips were light and crispy, like the ones served at Chevy's Fresh Mex. The salsa was good too. We started with the Guacamole Dip. It was served in a fried flour tortilla shell on a bed of lettuce and pico de gallo and garnished with queso fresco. There wasn't much actual guacamole. My husband ordered the Arroz con Pollo which included 3 warm tortillas. His chicken was a little dry. He had leftovers. I ordered the Carnitas Street Tacos which were 4 little tacos with plenty of toppings. The carnitas was a little dry, but the flavor was good. I liked the Ajuua Green Salsa that came with the entree. We would return if we had another Groupon.
(3)
Alan N.
I like that this place is themed to match the food, I've been here twice and it was never crowded. The food was pretty average, no complaints really. I would recommend ordering the sopapilla, real good here. The staff were friendly and the place was pretty clean. Both times I went, there were kids yelling and running around so get ready for that.
(4)
Elizabeth F.
We were there with a large group, we were seated in the back room and the entire restaurant had one waitress. The wait was long, food was good though! I had the two enchilada combination and my daughter had a wet burrito. Both were good! Pricing is a but high, but not outrageous. I would eat here again, and hope the next time the wait won't be as long!
(3)
David B.
Solid local Mexican fare. Watch for coupons and discounts. They have an excellent happy hour. Waitress was very attentive to the fact that my wife was vegan and made sure we had the right beans and rice.
(4)
Amanda B.
We will never be back. BAD BAD SERVICE AND BAD FOOD. What more can I say then we have been here many many times and will never come back
(1)
Msi D.
Everything was delicious! The chips and salsa the entrees.. Super. The portions were severly generous. The sopapilla were... Tiny. It was definetly a shocker. Though everything was excellent the waitress didnt let us know about items and substitutions that wld cost extra. She just expressed she cld do it. The restaurant is super clean. Everything taste home/hand made no jar sauces or canned menudo! We will most assuredly recommend and be back.
(4)
Lisa Beth M.
The restraunt is clean has good staff who attended to us very quickly. The Food was Good I ordered the street tacos it was a large portion. As for the free chips and Salsa the salsa wasn't that great not bad except I have had better. I ordered a beer with my meal was happy the beer was nice and cold as it is a very hot day. I recommend this place for all.
(4)
Liz V.
It's not a horrible place, but it's not great either. I had spinach enchiladas at Ajuua!! last night. The date ordered the Mexican burger, which I thought looked like a burrito, but seemingly contained a ground beef patty. It was somewhat odd in my opinion, but I didn't taste the date's food. I think the lime rice that came with my veggie dish was better than the usual rice that I had with the tacos I ordered last time. Our waitress was all right, not super attentive, but she did ask if I wanted a refill on my water once. I do think that for the food quality and portion sizes that it's a little overpriced; it definitely seems to be less of a value than Tequila's, which I think tastes better. I don't really like the dark interior of the restaurant, and when we sat at the bar a bit to watch the end of the Cavaliers win on one of the TVs, the bar area smelled funky. Thank goodness I didn't smell that before I dinner.
(2)
Stephen S.
The food here was fantastic. The portions were very generous. I came here with my wife and we started with the Queso Fundido, which tasted wonderful. The only drawback was it was was very thick, we'd have preferred it a bit creamier. For the meal, we each had a Medina; Chimichanga and Chalupa, and Smothered Burrito and Enchilada. Both were exceptionally good. The tortillas were homemade and fresh. The meals were delicious. The service was a little slow, but the dining experience made up for it. All in all, we had a fabulous experience at Ajuua today. We will be coming back next weekend for our daughter's birthday celebration.
(5)
Katie S.
I live nowhere near Ajuua!, but my best pal does so we went there for dinner on Saturday night. I went to eat Mexican food? Truly shocking! Okay, here goes my list of things I judge a Mexican place on during my first visit: 1. Green chille: It was good! Nothing special, but good. It had a nice, thick consistancy. 2. Chile rellano: Very tasty! Crispy and just cheesy enough. 3. Enchilada: I do not remember this enchilada at all. So I guess it was fine. 4. Chips and Salsa: Great chips--they remind me of the chips at Chili's, which are cripsy and amazing. The salsa was yummy and perfectly spicy. 5. Margarita: This margarita was whatever. I didn't hate it and I didn't love it. I took a sip of my friend's cucumber marg and it was really unique and tasty. I couldn't drink a whole one, though. The service here was bizarre. The waitress came to give us our check and she asked if we wanted it split up and we did. We each got a drink and food and there wasn't anything complicated about it. She literally fake cried at us about having to do it. I'm not even joking when I say she whined like a little kid who wants something they aren't getting. Annoying. Then my friend ordered a burrito to go for her hubby (before the check was even brought to us) and we sat there waiting for a long, long time for it. Also annoying. The waitress did put free sopapillas in our bag because the wait was long, which was nice. I'd go here again when I'm hanging out with my Aurora friends, but it didn't knock my socks off. One thing I really did enjoy was that you can get black beans instead of refried and that makes me happy! Both the refried and black beans were tasty.
(3)
Kenny T.
Had a good time here. Our server was really attentive and even generous when he didn't have to be.
(4)
Brandon L.
Buyer beware! Pay close attention to your bill. This is one restaurant I definitely will not be returning to. Service was poor, slow and food was mediocre. After getting our drinks, the waitress tells us not to put our mouths on the cups because they don't wash the outside of the cups and have been known to leave lip stick on the cups. Seriously?! So incredibly gross. That should have been our cue to leave. We sat around for a long time with all of our menus closed hoping the waitress would see this and return to take our order. After the food arrived we only saw the waitress once to check on us. Then it took forever to receive the check. Here's the part that is very annoying. With 4 people and ordering just under $60 she added a 20% gratuity to the bill. There was nothing on the menu nor did she ever say that gratuity was included. That is not ok! Especially for such a small group that didn't order much. Unfortunately we were in a hurry to get out of there since we had somewhere else to be that I did not notice it until I got home. That does partially fall on me for not paying closer attention, especially adding an additional tip since I didn't notice the gratuity in the first place. However, shame on this restaurant for adding their own tip. The service nor the food was worth the $12 they added on for themselves, in addition to the tip I added on to the check. Anyone going here be sure to pay very close attention to your bill!
(1)
Denise R.
This restaurant was very good second time I've been here will be coming here again they have everything from Mexican food and seafood very authentic and had the sopapillas with caramel.... amazing
(4)
Jenyfer K.
It's alright. Food was just mediocre. Not a lot of flavor. Service was good but food definitely not worth the price. Got the ultimate burrito and could taste nothing but eggs.
(2)
M K.
Slow service, lukewarm bland mexican food. There are many, many better options.
(2)
lynda t.
Our new favorite place! Love all our bartenders and servers! Well and of course our strawberry-jalapeño margaritas
(5)
Shwetha B.
My husband and I have visited this place twice for lunch. I liked the food here the most amongst the mexican restaurants i have visited till date. The warm chips and salsa are good. Being vegetarians, we had the veg fajitas and poblano pepper stuffed with spinach. The portions are enough to feed an army ;) We loved the fajitas. Yummy ! The stuffed poblano pepper is delicious! The desserts are not great, just mediocre. Our friends who are non vegetarians have also liked the place so I guess it is a place worth checking out.
(4)
Harris A.
Stopped in for happy hour today. Margaritas were delicious and cheap. Half Priced apps on happy hour. And the fish and pork tacos were delicious. Will be comming back for sure
(5)
Layla W.
First of all I must say the food here is AMAZING service is crappy, which is why I gave it a 3! Yes Service is VERY important to me!! I have been going to the Peoria location for years, it is my all time favorite authentic Mexican food around! I especially love them because I don't eat pork & their green chilli is vegetarian so for once I can get my food smothered!!! I have always had a WONDERFUL experience at the Peoria location. The staff is always friendly & very helpful! Now this place ...their food is equally as good as the Peoria location, BUT one of the worst customer service EVER! First it took forever to get our waitress over,. We could hardly get refills...we felt like we didn't exist...& when we did it was all wrong! Fist this lady FINALLY came over to refill my friends glass w/ water..."wait" I said "my friend has ice tea" she didn't care she told me I was wrong & filled it W/ WATER anyway. When my friend came back she was upset but of course it would be another 15-20 min before she came back so my friend quietly sipped her water. But what really pissed me off was what happened next! My friend used a groupon to pay for our meal. They lady took her phone & disappeared for another 10 min!!!!! WHO DOES THAT??? would you be ok w/ a stranger taking your phone & walking away? As if that wasn't bad enough it got better! We said screw it & walked to the bar/cashier area....where my friends phone was laying on the bar counter for ANYONE to walk by & swipe it! A guy (dressed different from the rest of staff) whom I assumed was the manager approached us as we picked up the phone he grabbed it out of my friends hand....my friend asked him why she would walk off w/ her phone like that he replied it was no big deal it was just right here!!! HORRIBLE HORRIBLE service I will NEVER return to this location I'll stick w/ Peoria location from now on! And if I were you I would too, unless u want to wait forever for the wrong drink & possibly have your phone lost/stolen if your using groupon! 2 STARS OFF FOR HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! 3 stars because Ajuua has the best food everrrrr!!!
(3)
Philip S.
My girlfriend is currently throwing up from a terrible half eaten meal at ajuuua. Not even joking. She actually just puked. Her chimichanga tasted like it was marinated with oil. I tried it and agreed. We returned it and got a burger for her instead. It was small, and wet with grease. The cheese looked off color, and clearish in one spot and slimy. The fries tasted like overused cooking oil as well. I got the steak tacos al carbon. I wish i would have gotten tacos at del taco instead. For $9 you don't even get rice or beans... but you do get green Chile which is so spicy you can barely eat it. This is the worst food I've ever purchased. Absolutely terribleÄ The only thing that wasn't awful was the service, but I have a feeling they may have put something in her burger given how it only took about 15 minutes before she started barfing her brains out... That and a clearish looking liquid I spotted in the cheese, but didn't think anything of it at the time. I wonder if they spit in burger after we returned the chimichanga. There was also mold growing on a plant at the table. Definitely ought to be a health code violation. Don't ever eat here. They may have been a good restaurant a few years ago but their quality has definitely gone downhill.
(1)
Mean Guy I.
We stopped going because they seem to have cut back on everything that made it good in the first place, Sad because you would think that a restaurant in such a bad location would want to reach for the stars. In all fairness it has a potentially great spot given the fact there's a retirement community right down the street.
(1)
Sheila D.
While visiting from TX we decided to have lunch here. We sat at the bar and service was great! (I should have asked the gentleman his name.) I had a raspberry margarita and chicken flautas - they were deeelicious! My partner in crime had a beer (it's beer - nothing exciting there) and the chimichanga marina. He was a happy camper with his food too! The only reason I didn't give this place 5 stars is because even though I liked the salsa, I didn't care for the chips. They're the light thin type and I simply don't like that kind, but other than that all was on point!
(4)
Kelsey M.
My go to place for delicious mexican food. Endless enchiladas are beyond worth it. The staff is always super friendly, they make awesome suggestions if you are trying to get a good drink with your meal. I came in one night about 30 minutes before they closed, and I was worried that I was going to be rushed or not get the same Grade A service that I usually do, but sure enough, they took extra good care of me, and made sure I was content with my meal. I would recommend this SPECIFIC Ajuua's to anyone! Thanks for being so awesome, guys!
(5)
Matthew S.
The food here is always consistent and tasty. The service is fast and friendly. One of the best Mexican spots in Aurora.
(5)
A W.
More like 3.5. I want to love them soooo much. They are close and great people! Lovely location. Great Groupon deals that they don't make you feel ashamed to use. I am rolling up bc sometimes Ajuua! is a 5-star. Unfortunately, the food is hit and miss. Traditional Americanized favorites lack flavor. The beef (esp ground) lacks seasoning and "umph". BUT others like the bacon wrapped jalapeños or seafood dishes are killer. I will go again because when they are off, it's decent. When they are on, it's fabulous.
(4)
Christian W.
We just ate there to day for lunch and I pulled a twisty tie (like from a loaf of bread) out of my mouth! These people don't care about food quality or if you swallow an object. Straight up physical contamination in the food. F-ing AWFUL! They should change there name to AWFUAAA!!!
(1)
Marta J.
The food was good, however, after asking if happy hour was available in the dining room since there was no room in the bar, and being told yes, we were denied the specials upon sitting. The staff, particularly the manager, had no concern for the customer at all. When telling the manager we wouldn't come back because of the way they treat customers, who come in weekly, she says she doesn't see how one is related to the other. Well, if a manager can not see how customer service relates to a customer coming back, then I will no longer be one. And service sucked.
(2)
Jasmine M.
The fajitas are good, drinks are great. Prices not disclosed for some items. Waiter seemed unsure when asked about unknown prices. Not bad but probably would come here again.
(3)
Mike R.
Excellent chips & salsa, copious/tasty portions, and friendly service. I did not have one but saw a cougar with a HUGE margarita having a good time, so I'll guess the bar's ok, too. Our various Mexican dishes were well-prepared, but must be cooked to order since they took a little while (not terribly long) to come out.
(4)
Laura C.
The best, fresh home made salsa I have ever experienced dining out. Not to mention it comes in a larger than average bowl complete with a big platter of crispy tortilla chips. I had the traditional Mexican Chile Relleno. It was the best I have experienced in the Denver area. My husband got the Ajuua steak burrito (which he orders a similar burrito every time we go out to eat). It was loaded with steak and covered with the best VERY spicy green chili. He said it was the best burrito he has ever had!!!!! Yummy! They have a nice variety of choices on the children's menu. AMAZING MARGARITA menu! No mixes used here! We used a groupon. The server was very friendly and provided helpful suggestions. We will absolutely be back and will share with everyone how great the food is here!!!
(5)
Morgan B.
I went here on a friend's recommendation, he had only been here one time and remembered that it was good. Well, this time it was horrible. I thought I was safe getting fajitas but when it arrived the guacamole was salty, the chicken fajitas tasted like butter and we're saturated with oil. I will not be back. Waste of $14.00.
(1)
Jaana C.
They have a wide variety of different things on the menu. Amazing flavor in all of their dishes i have tried. Very good service and big plates with plenty of food. I would definitely recommend this.
(5)
James T.
Let me start by saying the marguerita came in a soda glass, but don't think quantity was making up for anything... it was all fresh lime and delicious. I had 'street tacos' with carnitas, pulled pork. 4, 4 inch soft tacos, it came with a fresh salsa verde, and tasted just enough of off the grill char and cilantro. It was a little odd the sopapilla desert came with sauce in a branded bottle, but I don't care, it was hot, crispy and delicious. Some of the best Mexican food I've ever had.
(5)
Jeffery C.
Terrible place I don't know what was worse the food or the service. I should have looked at the reviews before trying. The burrito looked like an enchilada and tasted like they were all out of spices. The service was incredibly bad when I complained about it the manager. Instead of apologizing, he said they were short staffed. I don't ever write reviews but this place was soooo bad it deserved a bad review.
(1)
Kirk H.
So the food would have been better if it was hot... What makes me give this 1 star is false advertising. Their website is about $2 an item under what they actually charge. when you question them on it they refuse to meet what the website says. The food is good, but with management that wont admit and fix their mistakes I wouldn't reccomend it.
(1)
Sarah H.
This is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants so this review is hard to write but the sad fact is that something is broken at Ajuua and hopefully enough bad reviews will get this squeaky wheel the attention it needs. I've been coming here for years and while the service has never been great, it was fine - polite, prompt, profession. The food is great, no complaints there. Unfortunately in the past few months service has taken a serious nose dive. The last three times I've come my servers were not at all attentive, letting drinks sit empty, letting food sit under the heat lamps for 15-20 minutes, ignoring or forgetting coupons, and taking FOREVER to collect payment and bring back change. To add insult to injury it's obvious why they're so distracted- they are all sitting at the bar that surrounds the kitchen in full view of the dining room loudly fraternizing with each other instead of paying attention to their customers. I swear I could have walked out the front door without anyone noticing I'd left. Ajuua, look at your recent reviews, recognize the problem, and do what it takes to live up to your reputation before your loyal customers get fed up and find somewhere else to go.
(2)
Rebecca L.
First time to Ajuua!! tonight. Food was really good! I had the street tacos al carbon, which is 4 steak, onion, and tomato tacos on corn tortillas served with lime slices, avocado, and a house green sauce. I love street tacos and these were great! My husband got the Discada, which has chorizo, beef, steak, ham, and i think chicken cooked with onion tomato and peppers and is served with homemade tortillas, and taco toppings. It was also way good! Highly recommend!
(4)
Clayton E.
Used to be a favorite! Something has changed since we were here last. We won't be back!!
(1)
Anna C.
Very very mediocre Mexican food. Not sure how this place will make it in the long run because the space is huge so I imagine the rent of this place and overhead costs to be rather expensive. I got their veggie fajitas which was under seasoned and overly buttery. It tasted like bland vegetables drenched in butter. I liked that they give you a basket of chips and salsa when you sit down but neither mine or my friend's entree was impressive. Very forgettable restaurant.
(2)
Jared L.
I didn't feel strongly one way or the other about this place. The food was good but not extraordinary. I liked our waitress but our food didn't come out super quick or anything.
(3)
Shannon D.
Let me start by saying I love Tex Mex, and I love Mexican food. I love the flavors of both and have a healthy respect for both. I'm not sure what the food at Ajuua is supposed to be! We ate on 3/14/2014 To start--We were seated, and were quickly given chips and salsa--There is a saying, if the salsa has no flavor-Nor will the food. This should have been our sign. After receiving the chips and salsa we waited for about 10 minutes with our menu's to be served. The waiter was a little shocked that we were going to order our drinks and food at the same time. Well, we sat for a long time waiting, of course we were going to do that, we were definitely prepared! I ordered the Pollo Asado and iced tea. This came with beans, rice, guacamole, grilled onions, grilled Jalapeno, and of course the chicken fillet. I was shocked at what I tasted----SO very bland food. The chicken had no taste. It had grill marks, it was pure white--Pollo Asado is normally marinaded and soaks up the flavor to have a slight red tint to the meat usually. There was a little adobo spice on it, but to me it seemed washed off. The beans tasted like they were right out of a can. If they weren't they were cooked to a nice softness, yet there was once again no flavor. No onion, no jalapeno, well--Yes--NO flavor.. The rice was slightly dry and again, no flavor to it. I was so disappointed. I wondered if it was me, and let my gent try it--He was just as disappointed. The corn tortillas were warmed well, and they were good. That was their one win with me. Back to my gentleman--He had Steak Fajita's, this came with beans, rice, guacamole, sour cream, and corn tortillas. The only bright spot, the corn tortillas. The rice and beans were very bland. The steak, was a nice cut, however--it was not seasoned! The onions and peppers were cut in squares?!! That I don't understand. That is lazy in my book, that they were not cut in strips to make them nicely fold into a tortilla. AND much to my surprise, it was also served with mushrooms. I was confused as to if it was Korean stir fry or a true fajita?! The guacamole was also bland, according to my gent. I can't eat it, because I am allergic, so I have to go by his thoughts and review. He was super disappointed in the food. I really wanted this to be a great place. I thought the decor was fun. They had some interesting sayings in Spanish on the walls. My gent was explaining them to me, and I found the atmosphere very nice. The food was not at all good. This is not a restaurant we will try again. I had hoped to like it!!! I really wanted this to be another go to place for us. I just can't do it again.. I have reviewed numerous tex-mex and Mexican rather high. I will stick to those for now, and look for something better in this area.
(1)
Tres T.
Terrible is an understatement. I came here with my wife and kids and never got my plate. They dropped off the food for my wife and children but never bothered to bring mine. Ten minutes went by without the waitress even checking in on us to see if all was ok. My wife eventually got up to ask if the food was coming and the waitresses response was "they dropped it off". They then got defensive about us wanting to leave and canceling my meal. We got to go boxes but still never got mine. Last time they will ever see our money.
(1)
Jimmie K.
I visited here on Mothers Day with my Mom. There was a line to get seated, but we were seated immediately because there were only two of us. That's when things went downhill. After sitting at the table for 15 minutes, I had to ask the bus boy to get us waters since no one had come to the table yet. At 25 minutes, I stopped a server to ask if she could take our order. She seemed apologetic and took our order. 40 minutes later, we still hadn't received our food, so I asked to speak to a manager. He apologized, but didn't seem to care too much about the issues. I will admit they were busy, but I've worked in the industry in the past and there were days we were slammed, but we just overlooked a table. Under no circumstances should it take that long to receive a burrito and chile rellano. Unrelated to my table, the table next to us sat for 10 or 15 minutes waiting on silverware AFTER they received their food. I would have to say this is up there as the worst service and poorest run restaurant I've ever been to. The food - The chips and salsa were fantastic. Everything else was average at best. They seem to have lots of sauces for the entrees, but maybe they should pare that down and focus on getting food out in a reasonable time frame. It is unlikely that I return.
(1)
Susie M.
The food and service are good. This is a great place for food, but caution "Happy Hour" drink prices. My family waited until this time of day to enjoy 1/2 price drinks. To our surprise a 16 oz Margarita is full price $16 and another $11. Prices are not listed on drink menu for Margaritas therefore we were shocked by 3 Margaritas for $13.50 "Happy Hour" price. Not worth it for us.
(2)
L R.
I really wanted to like this place. I had seen great reviews and I had the groupon, so I was all set and actually excited to go. Well, the best part of the entire meal was the chips and salsa and that's because I like the paper thin chips! I order a combo meal to try a few different things and had a shredded chicken burrito which instead of shredded chicken had hunks of dry white breast meat with a half hearted attempt to shred it. Next was a cheese and onion enchilada that really had no flavor except doe the bite of strong raw onion. The green chile smothering both was somewhat sweet and some salt, but no other flavored, just meh. Third was a crispy relleno that was ok, but no real sign of a pepper in it. When cut into the grease ran through the plate. The black beans looked and tasted canned mind the rice was mushy and overlooked, with the grains of rice fully opened grains. Yuck. I ate a couple of bites of each and the whole time was wishing I had spent my time, money and calories to eat at Senor Ric's restaurant instead. Ah well, had to give it a try!
(1)
Mariko A.
THE SERVICE: Finally giving a much deserved review after my 5th consistent visit here. We went on Saturday after Valentine's day. We were greeted immediately by the sweet hostess, and directed to a booth upon request. Our waitress was extremely friendly, attentive, professional, polite, and efficient. Our food runner was polite as well and actually greeted us, an often forgotten duty. Overall, the service was near the top of my lists of great service. 6 of 5. THE RESTAURANT: I am my no means an super-sized woman, but I honestly have to have a roomy, comfortable booth. The booths at Ajuua are spot on! To my delight, restaurant is decorative with a mixture of fun, history, art, and cheesiness. The restaurant is very clean, and you can watch some of the line cooks prepare your meal. The restrooms are always clean, but I prefer an updated, impeccably squeaky clean bathroom. So I don't take stars away unless it is not clean, or often unattended. Fortunately, Ajuua seems to keep on top of their restrooms. I usually see this second as I wash my hands before I eat.... And you REALLY should try and remember. HAHA especially if you are sharing your chips and salsa, and if you're not sharing your chips, you are sharing the door knob and all other people from your day. :) 5 of 5. THE FOOD: I had the Carne Asada dinner, which I've had twice before, cooked medium, and it came that way. My husband had the Carne Asada Ajuua burrito, which he has had twice before, and it was huge, covered in spicy chili sauce, just like he likes. He was delighted to find that they had a spicy option for the sauce. The chips are thin, warm, crispy, and salty. I actually prefer this to the fried corn tortilla that is often a little too thick and hard for my liking. The salsa has a grean tomato, onion, cilantro, chili flavor. Not very spicy, which I'm sure you could get if you asked, but just the right amount for me, maybe too spicy for some. that's always a hard estimate. I always say people who think table pepper is spicy are a 1 and people who aren't phased by habaneros are a ten. I am more of a 7, a Thai Chili girl. So I'd say the salsa is on my scale, a 3 or 4, and perfect. The tortillas were fresh, soft and warm, I got half corn, and half flour. Both were house made and delicious. I got my badly craved, grilled onion and jalapeno with my carne asada meal, it may seem small but I am extremely disappointed without these items. The beans were moist and savory, and the rice was flavorful, not too dry or too wet, Just right. I went 8 days ago, and I've craved it everyday since. Something I could not say about other sit down Mexican restaurants. 5 of 5. THE COST: Let's be honest, unless you are a hard working full grown man, or growing teenage boy, you really could not drink (and really shouldn't) your 24 ounce water and soda, 1/2 to a full basket of chips and salsa, and an entire dinner here. (Well I probably could because it is so delicious, but i would cry soon after in pain) So I always have leftovers to take home. I like to think of it as two meals for the price of one. You can get a standard dishes for 9-12 dollars, and specialty non-seafood items at 12-15 dollars. For me, huge beverages, complimentary chips & GOOD salsa, and an insanely filling, well prepared meal, this is a deal. We also used a 50% Groupon, and I almost felt guilty at the awesome deal we were getting. 4 of 5. OVERALL: There are times when I love a good, authentic, taqueria run, but most often than not, I love sitting down, relaxing, and being waited on. I would recommend this for any date night, family night, or even a night out of margaritas. 4.5 Stars for a Mexican-American restaurant? Customer service is the most important to me, after the food.
(4)
Oren S.
Ate here 6/29/2014. I love Tex-Mex and Authentic Mexican, I lived in Texas 18 years. This place is clean and pretty, but the food is bad. I asked if they had Carne Guisada, the waitress said no. I asked if they had Machacado, the waitress said no. Then she said, "We're not really Mexican food" and I thought "Uh Oh." I ordered the beef steak fajitas. The guacamole was black. You get a tablespoon of guac and sour cream, half a tablespoon of white shredded cheese and enough tomatoes to cover half a taco. They give three flour tortillas, and these tortillas are ridiculous. I've never seen tortillas so thin! I wasn't sure which was thinner, the tortilla or the tissue paper it was wrapped in. Someones Abuela is rolling in her grave. The Fajita meat itself was tasteless and GREASY GREASY GREASY. There was a pool of oil in the bottom of the hot plate. Pretty gross. (I've wiped my hands with 3 napkins and my phone is still full of greasy fingerprints) The refried beans were bland and the rice was oily. The service was mediocre. (As I was walking out a waitress was walking past a table and, albeit accidental; she knocked a guys drink right out of his hand and all over the floor. She didn't even stop and apologize. She looked back in full stride and kept walking, telling another waitress to clean it up. Shocking!) The water I drank did come with ice, so I guess they deserve at least one star for that. Ajuua!! is close to my home, but next time I'll drive a little farther for a Mexican restaurant that actually serves Mexican food.
(1)
Never A.
The food at this place is great. Everything I've had has been really good, and I appreciate that they have a huge menu with lots of options, e.g. different fillings, different sauces. I haven't been disappointed yet. I never have to wait long to be seated and the service is pretty quick too. I love eating here.
(4)
jesse j.
Recently started going here and the food and all around experience was great. Food was prompt, hot, and most importantly, delicious. The marinated chicken in the fajitas was so refreshing as opposed to chain food joints that just throw in chicken scraps withe salt and pepper. As a former chef there were subtle things that made the food stand out and was a welcome difference. My wife and I live downtown and this place is worth the drive. Margarita's were potent yet fantastic. Staff was friendly and engaging but not overbearing. I've eaten at a majority of the Mexican restaurants around town and this place is in my top 5.
(5)
Sarah K.
Mediocre food in a mediocre part of town. We waited 15 minutes for our drinks to arrive; 40 minutes for our food. The waitress had an uncanny ability of overlooking our attempts to attract her attention. I ordered the adobado chicken salad. When I saw the cold chicken atop a bed of limp, fetid iceberg shreds, my first thought was, "is this safe to eat?" I ended up pushing the dirty mushrooms and faded tomato slices that framed the plate aside. Not appetizing. It was my dad's birthday so they made a huge scene by singing "happy birthday" in Spanish. My dad looked gleeful as he sang along with a gigantic sombrero atop his head. The birthday treat--a gelatinous, lackluster piece of flan--was a nice touch. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing. I had a bite of my sister's huevos rancheros, it wasn't anything remarkable. The fried corn tortilla lining the plate was excessively oily. The beans were fresh out of a can. Mmhmm. I do not wish to return.
Loved the food, loved the atmosphere, loved the patience of the waitress!!!! It always takes me forever to order mexican food because i cant handle spicy food very well, and she didnt rush me!
(5)
Doug B.
I was looking to find a good mexican restaurant this was no it. Poor service and bland food best describe this restaurant. The place is clean, and comfortable, but the service was poor. It took a long time for the waiter to come over and take our order. Had the steak fajitas and it was bland and I have never had fajitas with mushrooms. Very disappointed, not worth the time.
(2)
BJ K.
This place was so good that during our short visit to Denver, we ate here twice. We had the following: steak fajita (excellent), Mexican casserole (mmm, so yummy), chille rilleno (just right), crab meat enchilada (wow, just amazing), pollo asada (tasty). We can't help but to think that this restaurant must know how to cook Mexican, because EVERYTHING was good. Highly recommended.
(5)
Theresa C.
The food was more authentic than I expected It was very tasty and the service was excellent I will go back again
(4)
J C.
Beautiful new restaurant. Wish the food could match the decor. We've eaten here twice and each time the verdict was the same - the atmosphere is nice but somebody needs to hire a chef to revamp the menu. Everything is VERY salty and low on taste. How can the Denver metro area have such a large Hispanic population and such an abundance of mediocre Mexican restaurants??
(2)
Frank L.
The food is great, sometimes they have mariachi's, the issue is that the manager is racist and only says hello to the white people that go there and not the Blacks or the Hispanics that eat there. If you are white I would recommend this place, but if you are another race I would turn around and go to McDonalds, you will get better customer service there.
(1)
Jason N.
Given some of the other reviews I have read for Ajuua I may have had an unusually good experience or others are being way to hard on them. My experience was not perfect but I thought I had great service with a smile along with some good food. When I first walked in I noticed the beautiful decorations on the wall. The decorations were not over done and made it feel like you could have been eating in a spanish courtyard. I give 5 out of 5 for decor. I was immediately greeted at the door and brought to my table. Once at my table my drink order was taken immediately. I did have to wait a couple of minutes longer than I would have liked for my order to be taken, but the waitress was very nice and always had a great smile. Once my order was taken the food came out very quickly. My only very small complaint is that she could have given me my check a little sooner. I'll give the service 4 out of 5. I thought my food was very good, but there was a little room for improvement. I can see how other reviews may have said it was bland if you love more hot and spicy Mexican food. I found all of my food to be fairly mild which was perfect for me as I don't do very well with a lot of heat. I thought the chips and salsa were great. The salsa just had a little bit of heat but not too much and the chips were thin so you could not fill up on them as easily. For a main course I had the super chimi. When it arrived it was super sized. It was covered with a little bit of green chili. The green chili was good but they definately could have given me more as it was barely enough to coat my chimichanga, The rice on the side was average. The side of lettuce cheese and tomatoes were fresh and tasted good. The tortilla for the chimichanga tasted good but only the corners were crispy. I think they definitely could have cooked it more and made it more crispy. The filling was my favorite part. When I get chimichangas its usually just beans, rice, and meat. This one however had fried onions and green peppers which I think was a great touch that made it feel a little more healthy. I had the carnitas and as others have noted the meat was not really spiced that much. It could have used a little more spice even for someone who doesn't handle heat that well. Overall I gave the food 4 out 5. With a couple of small changes the food could be great.
(4)
Tiara Q.
Terrible food with matching service. I bravely tried the sopito. It wasn't edible, it was like a boat made of tamale masa that had been fried in old grease. It was flavorless and dry. It was filled with flavorless dry shredded chicken. The only decent thing on my plate were the black beans. The service was nonexistent. Our server didn't check on us because she probably knew the food was horrid. I wanted to like this place...what's it called? Oh, the sound I made when the food came back up.
(1)
Nicole S.
The food was good and the service was decent considering that our waiter was pulling triple duty as bartender, host, and waitstaff. The enchiladas veracruz were excellent--bursting with fresh seafood flavor. The crab and shrimp mixture was well seasoned and perfectly cooked. The black beans were a little on the salty side, but went well with the rice and enchiladas. I tried a bit of my husband's spinach enchiladas, which were drenched in lime juice but still very tasty. I enjoyed the food so much I ended up eating the entire plate! For dessert we ordered the apple chimi, which we were pleased to discover also came with a side of whipped cream and ice cream. The crust was crisp and flaky and went well with the tender-crisp, cinnamon-infused apple filling. A great way to end a hearty meal!
(4)
Allison F.
We came here last night for a Valentine's Day dinner. When we walked in, there was quite a line, but the wait time was only quoted as 10-15 minutes. We instead found seats at one of the two bars and settled in. Chips and salsa were immediately provided. We really enjoyed the salsa as it was fresh and had a good 'medium' level of spice. The chips tasted fresh, though quite few of them hadn't been fully fried and were chewy. My husband ordered a house margarita and I ordered a lime margarita with no salt. We received giant glasses and overall they were quite tasty. There was a unique taste that was as though they used fresh orange and lime juice instead of a mix. Definitely a bonus! My drink came with salt despite my request and when we later got our receipt, my drink was a higher price, even though I received the same product as my husband. Noted to ask for a house drink, and not a certain flavor. Tuesdays are 'all you can eat' tacos for $8. An excellent deal as a normal order for 4 is $11, and that excludes rice and beans. I tried the shredded beef and chicken and liked the shredded beef the best. Reminded me of spanish pot roast. The chicken was also a 'pulled' style and was very tender. I found a small bone shard in my chicken, which was the only thing that turned me off of it. Rice and our choice of beans were provided and while both were nicely cooked, they were very very salty. Service was sparse but our waitress was very nice. All staff were running around all night and looked to be in quite a rush. Understandable given the evening and the fact that the restaurant was full and there was a line of people waiting. Daily specials and happy hour make this a cheap night out. We'll return to try other dishes, I just hope the salt level isn't always that high.
(3)
Christine B.
I have been here a couple times and enjoyed the food. If you're looking for amazing authentic "only grandma would have made" this may not quite be the place, but they're definitely a step above the usual americanized fare. However, what knocks the review down one star is the service. I have never had a server who acted like they really liked what they were doing. I'm not sure what it is. I've never not liked something, never had to send anything back, have never gotten the wrong dish or had any kind of argument. But the servers so far have been minus a personality, not smiling, looking bored, monotone voice. Like they are there because everyone else is sick and they got dragged in to do a job they didn't want to do....It's disappointing, because I really want to like this place - it's so close to our house and I loved the Burrito a la Veracruz I got the last time I was there. I went with friends and they said that they'd never had great service either. If you guys want repeat business, maybe just try to work harder on the service/personality end of things. When I go in a place, I want to feel wanted. I don't want to feel like an inconvenience.
(3)
Tawnya W.
This is a favorite spot for my friends and family. They have great daily specials...the best being 1/2 of all margaritas on Thursday, small and large size...either guaranteed to hit that happy hour craving. Chips and salsa are delish and the food is fresh. My fav...the street tacos.
(4)
Dream L.
Ordered the chimi combo. Wasnt impressed! food was bland and servive was slooooow!! Took 2 hours and it was NOT busy. The waiter was Nice, when i did see him. Ordered drink, appitizer, n entree. The margaritas were not to my liking at all......
(2)
Sarah G.
I got a BOGO coupon in the mail for Ajuua and saw some good reviews here on Yelp, so my fam and I checked it out for din the other nite. I liked the appearance on the inside - large space, authentic decor without looking cheesy, and well lit. The mariachi band was cool too, but I was really looking forward to the food. The chips and salsa were yummy; thin and crispy chips and flavorful salsa with just the right amount of heat. We all ordered combo plates and enjoyed them for the most part. I was psyched to see a crispy taco on my plate instead of a soft one (yeah I know, I know I'm one of 'those' ), and the guacamole was noms. There were a few let downs, however. Hubs is a huge Horchata fan and was excited to see they had it, but the drink he was served tasted watered down (Little Anita's version remains the fave). I didn't love my chile rellenos either - the pepper tasted... I don't know... weird. So I stuck to my taco and the beans and rice. We finished with sopapilas for dessert and, while they were tasty, the tiny portion we got was way overpriced in my opinion. It was basically one sopapila cut into fourths. Four bucks for 4 tiny pieces of airy bread??? We left full, and i'd give them another half a star if i could, but the search for a favorite local Mexican spot will continue...
(3)
Jamie M.
This place is an oldie but a goodie! Always have the most friendly staff. Although our favorite guy that used to work at the old location seems to have disappeared. He was a fantastic employee and we really miss seeing him around. Food is always consistent and tasty. Never had a bad experience here! A little bit more Americanized in terms of their chili but still very good! Love their ooey gooey nachos! Great portions!
(3)
Luis M.
Mediocre place. I went with my family and was pretty disappointed. The food wasn't great, our waiter as nice but kind of slow. It's not that big of a deal, but the music they played didn't mesh well with trying to establish a authentic Mexican restaurant-- they played a lot of reggae. I would not recommend this place to anybody.
(2)
Michelle N.
This Ajuua doesn't compare to the one near Southlands on Gun Club. We've visited this location once and we experienced poor service. I'll stick with my usual one on Gun Club.
(3)
mary c.
I've heard great things about Ajuua in Denver and couldn't wait for this place to open as I live within walking distance. We went the opening Friday and it was packed. Understandable then our service was horrible. The portions were small but good. So, given the circumstances we waied and went back... on Valentines Day. It was no where near packed and it took about an hour to get served. Totally ruined the whole evening and folks next to us began complaining as well. Pretty good food but NOT worth the price or the wait. Never again.
(1)
Matthew V.
I've extremely disappointing that I have to write this review in the first place. The negative star rating has nothing at all to do with the food, but everything to do with management and the way things are handled. The food is out of this world every time I go, but this last time we received horrible customer service, and it truly affected us and how we will never go to this location again. Ajuua sends coupons to us every month, and we usually keep them on the fridge so we know where they are. This particular time we decided to go on a whim so we grabbed one of the coupons and left. We got there, ordered, ate, but when it came time to the bill- the waitress told us that we could not use the coupon because it was expired. Generally, working in retail, I understand for the most part that someone on that level can't really do anything about it. We asked for a manager and explained to him that we have two coupons and we simply grabbed the wrong one and asked to make an exception. He said there was absolutely nothing he could do for us and literally suggested that one of us stay at the table and the other DRIVE HOME TO GET THE OTHER COUPON. Are you freaking kidding me? My fiance was so upset and flustered, he told him to charge the full amount to his card and that we would never return, to which the manager replied "Whatever, my friend, you do what you gotta do." walked off, yelled at his server to take of it and left. How unprofessional. We attempted to contact the district manager after finding out that he was the General Manager, but even though their website says "You will hear back from someone within 24 hours", it's been a week and still no sign of them contacting us. They have some great mexican food, but there are PLENTY of other restaurants that have just as good food, with way better service. Save yourself the grief and eat at another one of their locations.
(2)
Robert C.
Don't eat here this place's food is horrible and serviced is not much to be desired. Cold food and bad service makes me wonder why people are still eating here. CEO Rick Garcia needs to review your restaurant's practice. Don't eat here!
(1)
Brenda P.
This is not my favorite Mexican food joint, but a friend likes it so I go with her from time to time. The last time we went, my hubby went with us. Both hubby and I had some digestive discomfort from the experience. We ordered the chili con queso, and it was quite bland. The carnitas were very tasty, as well as moist and tender. However, the onions and peppers served with the carnitas were practically raw. A little closer to the flame next time, guys! Please! While the food is tasty, for the most part, I feel it is overpriced.
(2)
Carol For Real M.
I usually love this place. But last night the food was terrible service was bad. New waitress needs an additude ajustment. WARNING! do not show your coupon befor you order you will get left over food served cold and hard.
(2)
Mike I.
This is a hard review to post, I've even waited 24 hours to write it to make sure emotions did not influence my opinion. While I'm typically a positive person I feel as if it is only fair to be honest about my Ajuua experience. Your mileage may vary... We (the fam) were excited about having sushi at our favorite place, Bangkok Tokyo. I was to meet the others after I got off work. Received a call from the wife telling me that Bangkok Tokyo is closed on Monday but they would meet me in the place next door, Ajuua. Cool, I've been wanting to try it anyway. I arrived, the family was already in a booth and had ordered drinks. About five minutes pass since my arrival and drinks still not at the table. Wait staff nowhere to be found so I poked my head in the kitchen and asked if I could get extra napkins and our drinks. Our waiter said he would be right there. Another five minutes pass and the drinks arrive. The menu looked great, I'm a huge chimichanga fan so I get that, the wife gets her fav, the chili rellenos. Our daughter wanted chicken strips with ranch. Hey, she is two so what do you do. The son got his fav, the enchiladas. We blew through the chips which were actually tiny pieces that looked like they were from the bottom of the bag. Asked for more chips while we were waiting for the food, got another basket of tiny pieces. Oh well... The food finally arrived, they forgot the ranch though. We asked for the ranch and some additional napkins (again). My chimi, which was the super chimi, was loaded with steak, peppers, onions, etc. The meat however had absolutely no taste. No biggie, just add some salt and salsa and everything should be good. For the wife, we actually thought they forgot to put the chili rellenos on the plate but after poking on a lump under melted cheese we realized that was actually the chili rellenos. Ranch dressing and napkins still haven't shown up while our waiter is handling other tables. So, I poke my head in the kitchen again and ask for napkins and the ranch. The reply was, as soon as I have a chance... Nothing really improved for the rest of the meal but hey, the ranch and napkins finally arrived. We bailed as soon as we could. My opinion, the food is bland, no real spices, chips were just that, chips, salsa was good, beer was cold, margarita to sweet, wait staff sllloooowwww and not really polite. Prices weren't terrible. We love eating out as a family and are not picky eaters but I have to say I won't be back to Ajuua again. If you love the place, and after reading reviews I see there are some that do, that's cool, keep going. I'll just make sure to stay with the sushi place next door.
(1)
Jodi B.
This place had the BEST fajitas I've EVER had! Only down so far is they don't warn you the large margaritas should be shared with the friends you bring! I will DEFINITELY be back with reinforcements!
(5)
Sean S.
Been going here with family for years. Everything we have tried has been good. Service is a little slow at times. But we will be back.
(4)
Tom D.
fish taco was amazing! We had lunch here and enjoyed the food.
(4)
Linda M.
Had dinner here tonight as we were looking for a non-chain restaurant open on Easter. There we not many people there and we were hoping that was not a bad sign. Well, it wasn't. Our server was very friendly and checked with us often. My husband and I both had combination plates which were both excellent. We loved the fact that you could make your own combination and also pick your ingredients. I had a crispy rellendo and cheese enchilada while my husband had a tamale, burrito and cheese enchilada. We were both very pleased with our selections. One of the best things is that not everything is made with cheddar cheese. What a nice surprise. We were also pleased to find out that the combination plates are discounted on Sunday! I would definately recommend Ajuua's for both food and service.
(4)
Smidgie W.
Been here twice since moving to Denver last year. The food is good, though it can be quite salty a times, especially the enchilada sauce. I like when the tortillas are freshly made. The atmosphere is good and reminds me of our old cantinas back in Los Angeles. If they get too busy, service can be a little slow, but otherwise we like coming here.
(4)
Caitlin H.
Decent food. Best service I've had in a long, long time. I would definitely recommend this place!!
(4)
David C.
3.5 stars for this location. I've been here a few times and it's been pretty good each time, but not quite 4-star worthy. My favorite by far on this menu is the crab enchiladas, which I got the first time I came here - I purposely tried other things when I returned, but nothing else was as good. They're awesome. Burritos are decent (and enormous), and the casuela is an interesting casserole-type thing made with the red salsa you get on the table with your chips. Those used to come with both red and green salsas, which I prefer here, but now you just get the red, though you can order the green for $1. Ok then. Margs are huge and pretty tasty, though not super-strong. They get the extra half-star for having peach, which not a lot of places do. They're good for large groups too, so that's a plus. If I'm in the neighborhood I'll stop in, but I'll still drive to northwest Denver to my favorite Mexican place if all else is equal.
(3)
The D.
Great tasting food. The service was exceptional. Asked for habañero sauce to add into the salsa, was so delicious we ate it plain. Also asked for extra spicy salsa, and they made some fresh just for us! My wife and I will definitely return!
(5)
Carol W.
I don't know why the bad reviews but I love this place. Great happy hour, really good half price margs which are quite potent, even the house margarita is good... and strong. Great warm thin and crispy chips with good salsa, especially love their green salsa and chips. I love their Ultimate Breakfast Burrito (which you can get anytime of day) Camarones Primavera and Discada, pretty much everything I tried is good. They put bacon in a lot of their dishes so it has a nice smokey taste. Who doesn't love bacon! Service is always good. Check it out.
(5)
D F.
My wife and I stopped in after noticing a business took over the vacant Zios spot. Glad we did. The service was excellent and very friendly. The salsa is excellent. The top shelf margarita was awesome. The Discada and Alambre specials were excellent! The happy hour is great as well with specials on draft beers and margs. Worth a visit for sure.
(4)
Mindy K.
Went to dinner here tonight and was a bit underwhelmed. Service was decent, we were greeted and seated immediately and our waitress was nice but could have been a little more attentive. Being a Tuesday, it wasn't very busy. We're primarily vegetarian (eating meat is a rarity) so that limits our options, but we wanted to try it out because they actually had a dedicated vegetarian section on the menu. It was all you can eat taco night and for some reason they couldn't substitute beans for the meat. (first time we've had that happen...beans are cheaper than meat right?) The waitress said we could do guacamole tacos so my husband and son ordered those only to have the manager come back and tell them that they didn't do those anymore because of the cost. Ok, no worries, they looked at the menu again and got the vegetarian macho burrito and the California style chile rellenos (crispy). I got the vegetarian fajitas. Chips and salsa were decent, although we felt the salsa was pretty mild, barely any heat. I ordered some extra spicy salsa and that was pretty good. They mix habanero sauce into the salsa to give it heat. It was pretty hot after that which my husband and I enjoyed, my son ate a huge chip full and regretted it shortly thereafter. My fajitas were ok. Not the worst I've had, and not the best. I've had better in other parts of the country but have yet to find really, really good ones in Colorado. So my quest for awesome veggie fajitas continues. The cilantro lime rice that came with them was tasty. The guacamole left much to be desired and after tasting it, my husband was glad that he didn't have tacos full of it! It was brownish and tasted like it was made with older avocados, you know, when they start tasting funky but you can still probably eat them. The tortillas were your standard premade kind. I wish I could find a place out here that serves fresh ones that are made in house! The rellenos were meh. I've only been to once place here (Mexican place in Stapleton) that actually uses roasted poblanos instead of weak canned hatch chiles. The suiza sauce that was on them was tasty and the best part of the meal. The beans and rice were nothing special. My husband was rather unimpressed. My son's burrito had the same veggie mix in it as my fajitas plus black beans. It was smothered in red sauce and had melted cheese all over it. He liked it and could only eat half of it. It was literally as big as his head. We all agreed that it was ok, but not stellar. I'd probably give it a 2.5 if I had that option. Considering that I can make better at home, we probably won't be returning and our quest for a really good local Mexican place that has decent vegetarian options continues.
(2)
Shanah Z.
As of recently I have been frequenting this Ajuua location more than the others. Their food is still my absolute favorite. I have tried venturing out to different Mexican restaurants, but alas Ajuua is still at the top of my list. On my most recent visit I had the combination plate. Which is a big step as I always seem to order the spinach enchiladas. I had a ground beef enchilada and a California chili relleno. Both were tasty as usual. I love the flavor of their ground beef. We stopped in early enough to hit happy hour. So we both ordered margaritas. This location is not really any different from the other locations, as far as service is concerned. They have some amazing servers, but it is a 50/50 chance I will receive adequate service when I go in. This last time the waiter never came by to refill my water the entire meal. While I did have a margarita, I still like to have water. I overlook any chance of bad service because I love their food. I even dined here for my birthday last year.
(4)
Karen K.
We ate there on all you can Taco Tuesday. We ordered drinks during happy hour. When we told the waiter what we wanted to eat he proceeds to tell us that if you get the all you can eat taco special you don't get your drinks at happy hour price. Not anywhere in the place or on the menu does it state such a thing. Never have we heard of this at any other place we have eaten at. My husband had the all you can eat tacos and I ordered a regular meal. My meal was so full of butter and salt, the best part of my meal was the rice and beans. We ordered sopapillas to go. Not sure what they were but they sure aren't sopapillas, they need to have another Mexican place show them what true sopapillas are. The food has gone down hill a lot since we last ate there when the place was over on Hampden and Tamarac. We won't be going back again. Such a shame that they have such a scam going. So be aware when you go there to do an all you can eat night. Our favorite place to have good Mexican food is La Fogata's! They know how to make Mexican food and real sopapillas.
(1)
Kristine M.
I was in Colorado to visit the fam for the holidays, and being cheap, was taking a red-eye back home. (Seriously Delta? Who schedules a 1:10 am departure?) Anyway. After a four hour drive from the real South Park to Denver, I had time to kill before going to the airport, and little inclination to go the airport early, so I'd arranged to meet up with a friend in the area and hang out that evening. She stashed her kids and hubby away so we could have a girls night out. I wasn't driving anywhere, and was hoping to pass out on the plane, so my goal was margaritas. That's where Ajuua!! came in. (Really? Two exclamation points in the name?) I had one giant and very very tasty margarita, and it made me very happy. We started with queso, which I was a little meh on. I also go the chicken fajitas, because you just can't go wrong with those, and I judge Mexican places by their fajitas. Our server and the manager checked in on us periodically, but without seeming like they were trying to rush us out the door. I wasn't in love with the queso, and I think they should have mints by the door to prevent people from walking around with onion breath, but I would be happy to go here again.
(4)
Steve H.
I can say that both of the two times I have been here the food has been pretty good. I get the combo, ench, tamale and chili relleno and its always tasty. I also like the two types of salsas they bring out and normally eat the whole basket. The place still has the family feel even though there are multi locations. The staff is always really nice and helpful. Make sure you get there a bit before they close or you will be overtaken by the bleach smell as they clean.
(4)
Sarah S.
Meh. The tamale and meat in general was very dry. Not super authentic. Not the worst, but not worth going to twice.
(3)
Chris M.
They added a 20 % gratuity to a party of seven, did not bother to mention it. Luckily we glanced over the check because I doubt if we tipped twice that anything would have been said. I will never eat there again.
(1)
Joseph C.
This location is new, having recently moved from previous Tamarac Square location. I had not visited Ajuua before last night, so I didn't quite know what to expect. The menu is extensive, but not overwhelming like some can be. I finally decided on trying the Alambre. My taste buds soon confirmed my decision to be a good one. The combination of sirloin steak, bacon and ham mixed with green peppers, onions, and mushrooms, and melted cheese was perfect. This dish also comes with a second dish of charro beans and green chili. I can say that when the beans came I wasn't impressed as it looked more like a bowl of beanie weenies I once had as a kid many moons ago. If I had a complaint about Ajuua, it would be on this night, the service. The appetizer of chili con queso, was good, but it didnt hit the table until after the Alambre did, maybe by a minute or two. Plus there was a moment of confusion between the waitresses as to the orders placed. One time bringing the wrong plate to the table. Still the 4 star rating for myself is due to the Alambre. I can see myself returning to this location again.
(4)
Jay L.
When you can get a bowl of meat and strolling mariachis, this is the joint to go to. Every meal has been good (Find a coupon, never pay retail). Friendly, hot, good, drinks are cold. It's open, so it feels like eating in a warehouse, but I like it.
(4)
Gayle C.
Had a group of 5 on a Saturday night about 6pm. No lines, great food, the wait help was a little inexperienced but pleasant. Had the Carnitas,their signature dish, delicious. Way more that I could eat for $12!! Would definitely return when I am back in this area.
(4)
Leonard E.
This is a great place with great food and drinks. Check em out.
(4)
Paula S.
The food was awesome! We went for lunch. I had the fajitas and my husband had the carnitas burrito. The service by Ashton was awesome! We will defiantly go back.
(5)
Allan H.
The service was pretty good but the food less than than desirable,need to cook better food .I drive by here all the time ,less and less cars every time .
(2)
Rozalee S.
We went to Ajuuas to celebrate my husbands birthday with several family members, and our experience was pleasant. Our foods was tasty, and our waiter was very attentive. They have really transformed this place, since it was an Italian Restaurant before. My husband had a great birthday dinner and our family enjoyed the experience as well. Thank you Ajuuas!
(4)
Ana H.
Sad to say that this is nothing like our lovely experiences at the now-closed Tamarac location. The service was slow (despite the restaurant being pretty empty), the food took forever, and everything was mediocre at best. Under-done beans, bland meat, and sauces that didn't taste like what they were supposed to be. A very disappointing Father's Day meal.
Sorry, Store hours have not been updated. If you are the owner of this restaurants. Please update the store hours.
Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Lunch, Dinner Parking : Private Lot Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Average Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : No Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Jeff S.
I frequented Ajuua at their previous location years ago. After they moved I stopped. Now I live near the new location and we've been coming here again. Great Mexican food here. The chili colorado is some of the best I've ever had, the fajitas are amazing and the salsa ain't nothin to sneeze at either! They make excellent margaritas and the chips are always warm and crisp, I really can't think of a bad thing about this place. And to top it all off, the service has always been impeccable! Everyone here is friendly and warm. If you are looking for good Mexican chow in Aurora, I highly recommend Ajuaa.
(4)Justin M.
Service was lacking, food and flavor were also some of the worst I have had. I would rather have gone to Taco Bell. Everyone in the family was disappointed, the kids meals were pathetic, the burrito was bad, and the Arroz Con Pollo had no flavor. Waitress took away full plates minus one or two bites and never mentioned hey was something wrong with the food. Seriously disappointing, I paid my bill and left we will not be returning.
(1)Cindy H.
I've eaten there three times. The food is excellent, especially the carnitas. The only issue I've had was with the service. The first two times I sat in the dining room and the service was extremely slow. Not just to get the meal served, but to have my order taken, drink refills etc. The wait staff seems preoccupied or distracted, not sure. I gave it another chance last night and sat in the bar thinking it would be quicker. My friend and I waited over 10 minutes to even be acknowledged by the bartender who was busy with 3 customers at the bar. We chose to have the all you can eat tacos thinking - how long could that take? It was more than 20 minutes to get food and only after we interrupted the bartender to inquire. On top of it he got the order wrong too (keep in mind it was tacos). We were so hungry we ate it as is. After he realized how long we were there the service improved slightly. He could tell we were a little annoyed. He was quick to bring the check. I can understand waiting when the restaurant is busy but that was not the case. The bartender sat at the table next to us with a couple of women swapping stories while we waited 5 feet away. Invisible.
(3)Kelly G.
I had a $30 Groupon for this location. They were located on E Iliff Ave between S Chambers Ave and I-225 in Aurora. There is a location at Southlands mall which is closer to my house, but the Groupon was not valid at that location. The complimentary tortilla chips were light and crispy, like the ones served at Chevy's Fresh Mex. The salsa was good too. We started with the Guacamole Dip. It was served in a fried flour tortilla shell on a bed of lettuce and pico de gallo and garnished with queso fresco. There wasn't much actual guacamole. My husband ordered the Arroz con Pollo which included 3 warm tortillas. His chicken was a little dry. He had leftovers. I ordered the Carnitas Street Tacos which were 4 little tacos with plenty of toppings. The carnitas was a little dry, but the flavor was good. I liked the Ajuua Green Salsa that came with the entree. We would return if we had another Groupon.
(3)Alan N.
I like that this place is themed to match the food, I've been here twice and it was never crowded. The food was pretty average, no complaints really. I would recommend ordering the sopapilla, real good here. The staff were friendly and the place was pretty clean. Both times I went, there were kids yelling and running around so get ready for that.
(4)Elizabeth F.
We were there with a large group, we were seated in the back room and the entire restaurant had one waitress. The wait was long, food was good though! I had the two enchilada combination and my daughter had a wet burrito. Both were good! Pricing is a but high, but not outrageous. I would eat here again, and hope the next time the wait won't be as long!
(3)David B.
Solid local Mexican fare. Watch for coupons and discounts. They have an excellent happy hour. Waitress was very attentive to the fact that my wife was vegan and made sure we had the right beans and rice.
(4)Amanda B.
We will never be back. BAD BAD SERVICE AND BAD FOOD. What more can I say then we have been here many many times and will never come back
(1)Msi D.
Everything was delicious! The chips and salsa the entrees.. Super. The portions were severly generous. The sopapilla were... Tiny. It was definetly a shocker. Though everything was excellent the waitress didnt let us know about items and substitutions that wld cost extra. She just expressed she cld do it. The restaurant is super clean. Everything taste home/hand made no jar sauces or canned menudo! We will most assuredly recommend and be back.
(4)Lisa Beth M.
The restraunt is clean has good staff who attended to us very quickly. The Food was Good I ordered the street tacos it was a large portion. As for the free chips and Salsa the salsa wasn't that great not bad except I have had better. I ordered a beer with my meal was happy the beer was nice and cold as it is a very hot day. I recommend this place for all.
(4)Liz V.
It's not a horrible place, but it's not great either. I had spinach enchiladas at Ajuua!! last night. The date ordered the Mexican burger, which I thought looked like a burrito, but seemingly contained a ground beef patty. It was somewhat odd in my opinion, but I didn't taste the date's food. I think the lime rice that came with my veggie dish was better than the usual rice that I had with the tacos I ordered last time. Our waitress was all right, not super attentive, but she did ask if I wanted a refill on my water once. I do think that for the food quality and portion sizes that it's a little overpriced; it definitely seems to be less of a value than Tequila's, which I think tastes better. I don't really like the dark interior of the restaurant, and when we sat at the bar a bit to watch the end of the Cavaliers win on one of the TVs, the bar area smelled funky. Thank goodness I didn't smell that before I dinner.
(2)Stephen S.
The food here was fantastic. The portions were very generous. I came here with my wife and we started with the Queso Fundido, which tasted wonderful. The only drawback was it was was very thick, we'd have preferred it a bit creamier. For the meal, we each had a Medina; Chimichanga and Chalupa, and Smothered Burrito and Enchilada. Both were exceptionally good. The tortillas were homemade and fresh. The meals were delicious. The service was a little slow, but the dining experience made up for it. All in all, we had a fabulous experience at Ajuua today. We will be coming back next weekend for our daughter's birthday celebration.
(5)Katie S.
I live nowhere near Ajuua!, but my best pal does so we went there for dinner on Saturday night. I went to eat Mexican food? Truly shocking! Okay, here goes my list of things I judge a Mexican place on during my first visit: 1. Green chille: It was good! Nothing special, but good. It had a nice, thick consistancy. 2. Chile rellano: Very tasty! Crispy and just cheesy enough. 3. Enchilada: I do not remember this enchilada at all. So I guess it was fine. 4. Chips and Salsa: Great chips--they remind me of the chips at Chili's, which are cripsy and amazing. The salsa was yummy and perfectly spicy. 5. Margarita: This margarita was whatever. I didn't hate it and I didn't love it. I took a sip of my friend's cucumber marg and it was really unique and tasty. I couldn't drink a whole one, though. The service here was bizarre. The waitress came to give us our check and she asked if we wanted it split up and we did. We each got a drink and food and there wasn't anything complicated about it. She literally fake cried at us about having to do it. I'm not even joking when I say she whined like a little kid who wants something they aren't getting. Annoying. Then my friend ordered a burrito to go for her hubby (before the check was even brought to us) and we sat there waiting for a long, long time for it. Also annoying. The waitress did put free sopapillas in our bag because the wait was long, which was nice. I'd go here again when I'm hanging out with my Aurora friends, but it didn't knock my socks off. One thing I really did enjoy was that you can get black beans instead of refried and that makes me happy! Both the refried and black beans were tasty.
(3)Kenny T.
Had a good time here. Our server was really attentive and even generous when he didn't have to be.
(4)Brandon L.
Buyer beware! Pay close attention to your bill. This is one restaurant I definitely will not be returning to. Service was poor, slow and food was mediocre. After getting our drinks, the waitress tells us not to put our mouths on the cups because they don't wash the outside of the cups and have been known to leave lip stick on the cups. Seriously?! So incredibly gross. That should have been our cue to leave. We sat around for a long time with all of our menus closed hoping the waitress would see this and return to take our order. After the food arrived we only saw the waitress once to check on us. Then it took forever to receive the check. Here's the part that is very annoying. With 4 people and ordering just under $60 she added a 20% gratuity to the bill. There was nothing on the menu nor did she ever say that gratuity was included. That is not ok! Especially for such a small group that didn't order much. Unfortunately we were in a hurry to get out of there since we had somewhere else to be that I did not notice it until I got home. That does partially fall on me for not paying closer attention, especially adding an additional tip since I didn't notice the gratuity in the first place. However, shame on this restaurant for adding their own tip. The service nor the food was worth the $12 they added on for themselves, in addition to the tip I added on to the check. Anyone going here be sure to pay very close attention to your bill!
(1)Denise R.
This restaurant was very good second time I've been here will be coming here again they have everything from Mexican food and seafood very authentic and had the sopapillas with caramel.... amazing
(4)Jenyfer K.
It's alright. Food was just mediocre. Not a lot of flavor. Service was good but food definitely not worth the price. Got the ultimate burrito and could taste nothing but eggs.
(2)M K.
Slow service, lukewarm bland mexican food. There are many, many better options.
(2)lynda t.
Our new favorite place! Love all our bartenders and servers! Well and of course our strawberry-jalapeño margaritas
(5)Shwetha B.
My husband and I have visited this place twice for lunch. I liked the food here the most amongst the mexican restaurants i have visited till date. The warm chips and salsa are good. Being vegetarians, we had the veg fajitas and poblano pepper stuffed with spinach. The portions are enough to feed an army ;) We loved the fajitas. Yummy ! The stuffed poblano pepper is delicious! The desserts are not great, just mediocre. Our friends who are non vegetarians have also liked the place so I guess it is a place worth checking out.
(4)Harris A.
Stopped in for happy hour today. Margaritas were delicious and cheap. Half Priced apps on happy hour. And the fish and pork tacos were delicious. Will be comming back for sure
(5)Layla W.
First of all I must say the food here is AMAZING service is crappy, which is why I gave it a 3! Yes Service is VERY important to me!! I have been going to the Peoria location for years, it is my all time favorite authentic Mexican food around! I especially love them because I don't eat pork & their green chilli is vegetarian so for once I can get my food smothered!!! I have always had a WONDERFUL experience at the Peoria location. The staff is always friendly & very helpful! Now this place ...their food is equally as good as the Peoria location, BUT one of the worst customer service EVER! First it took forever to get our waitress over,. We could hardly get refills...we felt like we didn't exist...& when we did it was all wrong! Fist this lady FINALLY came over to refill my friends glass w/ water..."wait" I said "my friend has ice tea" she didn't care she told me I was wrong & filled it W/ WATER anyway. When my friend came back she was upset but of course it would be another 15-20 min before she came back so my friend quietly sipped her water. But what really pissed me off was what happened next! My friend used a groupon to pay for our meal. They lady took her phone & disappeared for another 10 min!!!!! WHO DOES THAT??? would you be ok w/ a stranger taking your phone & walking away? As if that wasn't bad enough it got better! We said screw it & walked to the bar/cashier area....where my friends phone was laying on the bar counter for ANYONE to walk by & swipe it! A guy (dressed different from the rest of staff) whom I assumed was the manager approached us as we picked up the phone he grabbed it out of my friends hand....my friend asked him why she would walk off w/ her phone like that he replied it was no big deal it was just right here!!! HORRIBLE HORRIBLE service I will NEVER return to this location I'll stick w/ Peoria location from now on! And if I were you I would too, unless u want to wait forever for the wrong drink & possibly have your phone lost/stolen if your using groupon! 2 STARS OFF FOR HORRIBLE CUSTOMER SERVICE! 3 stars because Ajuua has the best food everrrrr!!!
(3)Philip S.
My girlfriend is currently throwing up from a terrible half eaten meal at ajuuua. Not even joking. She actually just puked. Her chimichanga tasted like it was marinated with oil. I tried it and agreed. We returned it and got a burger for her instead. It was small, and wet with grease. The cheese looked off color, and clearish in one spot and slimy. The fries tasted like overused cooking oil as well. I got the steak tacos al carbon. I wish i would have gotten tacos at del taco instead. For $9 you don't even get rice or beans... but you do get green Chile which is so spicy you can barely eat it. This is the worst food I've ever purchased. Absolutely terribleÄ The only thing that wasn't awful was the service, but I have a feeling they may have put something in her burger given how it only took about 15 minutes before she started barfing her brains out... That and a clearish looking liquid I spotted in the cheese, but didn't think anything of it at the time. I wonder if they spit in burger after we returned the chimichanga. There was also mold growing on a plant at the table. Definitely ought to be a health code violation. Don't ever eat here. They may have been a good restaurant a few years ago but their quality has definitely gone downhill.
(1)Mean Guy I.
We stopped going because they seem to have cut back on everything that made it good in the first place, Sad because you would think that a restaurant in such a bad location would want to reach for the stars. In all fairness it has a potentially great spot given the fact there's a retirement community right down the street.
(1)Sheila D.
While visiting from TX we decided to have lunch here. We sat at the bar and service was great! (I should have asked the gentleman his name.) I had a raspberry margarita and chicken flautas - they were deeelicious! My partner in crime had a beer (it's beer - nothing exciting there) and the chimichanga marina. He was a happy camper with his food too! The only reason I didn't give this place 5 stars is because even though I liked the salsa, I didn't care for the chips. They're the light thin type and I simply don't like that kind, but other than that all was on point!
(4)Kelsey M.
My go to place for delicious mexican food. Endless enchiladas are beyond worth it. The staff is always super friendly, they make awesome suggestions if you are trying to get a good drink with your meal. I came in one night about 30 minutes before they closed, and I was worried that I was going to be rushed or not get the same Grade A service that I usually do, but sure enough, they took extra good care of me, and made sure I was content with my meal. I would recommend this SPECIFIC Ajuua's to anyone! Thanks for being so awesome, guys!
(5)Matthew S.
The food here is always consistent and tasty. The service is fast and friendly. One of the best Mexican spots in Aurora.
(5)A W.
More like 3.5. I want to love them soooo much. They are close and great people! Lovely location. Great Groupon deals that they don't make you feel ashamed to use. I am rolling up bc sometimes Ajuua! is a 5-star. Unfortunately, the food is hit and miss. Traditional Americanized favorites lack flavor. The beef (esp ground) lacks seasoning and "umph". BUT others like the bacon wrapped jalapeños or seafood dishes are killer. I will go again because when they are off, it's decent. When they are on, it's fabulous.
(4)Christian W.
We just ate there to day for lunch and I pulled a twisty tie (like from a loaf of bread) out of my mouth! These people don't care about food quality or if you swallow an object. Straight up physical contamination in the food. F-ing AWFUL! They should change there name to AWFUAAA!!!
(1)Marta J.
The food was good, however, after asking if happy hour was available in the dining room since there was no room in the bar, and being told yes, we were denied the specials upon sitting. The staff, particularly the manager, had no concern for the customer at all. When telling the manager we wouldn't come back because of the way they treat customers, who come in weekly, she says she doesn't see how one is related to the other. Well, if a manager can not see how customer service relates to a customer coming back, then I will no longer be one. And service sucked.
(2)Jasmine M.
The fajitas are good, drinks are great. Prices not disclosed for some items. Waiter seemed unsure when asked about unknown prices. Not bad but probably would come here again.
(3)Mike R.
Excellent chips & salsa, copious/tasty portions, and friendly service. I did not have one but saw a cougar with a HUGE margarita having a good time, so I'll guess the bar's ok, too. Our various Mexican dishes were well-prepared, but must be cooked to order since they took a little while (not terribly long) to come out.
(4)Laura C.
The best, fresh home made salsa I have ever experienced dining out. Not to mention it comes in a larger than average bowl complete with a big platter of crispy tortilla chips. I had the traditional Mexican Chile Relleno. It was the best I have experienced in the Denver area. My husband got the Ajuua steak burrito (which he orders a similar burrito every time we go out to eat). It was loaded with steak and covered with the best VERY spicy green chili. He said it was the best burrito he has ever had!!!!! Yummy! They have a nice variety of choices on the children's menu. AMAZING MARGARITA menu! No mixes used here! We used a groupon. The server was very friendly and provided helpful suggestions. We will absolutely be back and will share with everyone how great the food is here!!!
(5)Morgan B.
I went here on a friend's recommendation, he had only been here one time and remembered that it was good. Well, this time it was horrible. I thought I was safe getting fajitas but when it arrived the guacamole was salty, the chicken fajitas tasted like butter and we're saturated with oil. I will not be back. Waste of $14.00.
(1)Jaana C.
They have a wide variety of different things on the menu. Amazing flavor in all of their dishes i have tried. Very good service and big plates with plenty of food. I would definitely recommend this.
(5)James T.
Let me start by saying the marguerita came in a soda glass, but don't think quantity was making up for anything... it was all fresh lime and delicious. I had 'street tacos' with carnitas, pulled pork. 4, 4 inch soft tacos, it came with a fresh salsa verde, and tasted just enough of off the grill char and cilantro. It was a little odd the sopapilla desert came with sauce in a branded bottle, but I don't care, it was hot, crispy and delicious. Some of the best Mexican food I've ever had.
(5)Jeffery C.
Terrible place I don't know what was worse the food or the service. I should have looked at the reviews before trying. The burrito looked like an enchilada and tasted like they were all out of spices. The service was incredibly bad when I complained about it the manager. Instead of apologizing, he said they were short staffed. I don't ever write reviews but this place was soooo bad it deserved a bad review.
(1)Kirk H.
So the food would have been better if it was hot... What makes me give this 1 star is false advertising. Their website is about $2 an item under what they actually charge. when you question them on it they refuse to meet what the website says. The food is good, but with management that wont admit and fix their mistakes I wouldn't reccomend it.
(1)Sarah H.
This is one of my favorite Mexican restaurants so this review is hard to write but the sad fact is that something is broken at Ajuua and hopefully enough bad reviews will get this squeaky wheel the attention it needs. I've been coming here for years and while the service has never been great, it was fine - polite, prompt, profession. The food is great, no complaints there. Unfortunately in the past few months service has taken a serious nose dive. The last three times I've come my servers were not at all attentive, letting drinks sit empty, letting food sit under the heat lamps for 15-20 minutes, ignoring or forgetting coupons, and taking FOREVER to collect payment and bring back change. To add insult to injury it's obvious why they're so distracted- they are all sitting at the bar that surrounds the kitchen in full view of the dining room loudly fraternizing with each other instead of paying attention to their customers. I swear I could have walked out the front door without anyone noticing I'd left. Ajuua, look at your recent reviews, recognize the problem, and do what it takes to live up to your reputation before your loyal customers get fed up and find somewhere else to go.
(2)Rebecca L.
First time to Ajuua!! tonight. Food was really good! I had the street tacos al carbon, which is 4 steak, onion, and tomato tacos on corn tortillas served with lime slices, avocado, and a house green sauce. I love street tacos and these were great! My husband got the Discada, which has chorizo, beef, steak, ham, and i think chicken cooked with onion tomato and peppers and is served with homemade tortillas, and taco toppings. It was also way good! Highly recommend!
(4)Clayton E.
Used to be a favorite! Something has changed since we were here last. We won't be back!!
(1)Anna C.
Very very mediocre Mexican food. Not sure how this place will make it in the long run because the space is huge so I imagine the rent of this place and overhead costs to be rather expensive. I got their veggie fajitas which was under seasoned and overly buttery. It tasted like bland vegetables drenched in butter. I liked that they give you a basket of chips and salsa when you sit down but neither mine or my friend's entree was impressive. Very forgettable restaurant.
(2)Jared L.
I didn't feel strongly one way or the other about this place. The food was good but not extraordinary. I liked our waitress but our food didn't come out super quick or anything.
(3)Shannon D.
Let me start by saying I love Tex Mex, and I love Mexican food. I love the flavors of both and have a healthy respect for both. I'm not sure what the food at Ajuua is supposed to be! We ate on 3/14/2014 To start--We were seated, and were quickly given chips and salsa--There is a saying, if the salsa has no flavor-Nor will the food. This should have been our sign. After receiving the chips and salsa we waited for about 10 minutes with our menu's to be served. The waiter was a little shocked that we were going to order our drinks and food at the same time. Well, we sat for a long time waiting, of course we were going to do that, we were definitely prepared! I ordered the Pollo Asado and iced tea. This came with beans, rice, guacamole, grilled onions, grilled Jalapeno, and of course the chicken fillet. I was shocked at what I tasted----SO very bland food. The chicken had no taste. It had grill marks, it was pure white--Pollo Asado is normally marinaded and soaks up the flavor to have a slight red tint to the meat usually. There was a little adobo spice on it, but to me it seemed washed off. The beans tasted like they were right out of a can. If they weren't they were cooked to a nice softness, yet there was once again no flavor. No onion, no jalapeno, well--Yes--NO flavor.. The rice was slightly dry and again, no flavor to it. I was so disappointed. I wondered if it was me, and let my gent try it--He was just as disappointed. The corn tortillas were warmed well, and they were good. That was their one win with me. Back to my gentleman--He had Steak Fajita's, this came with beans, rice, guacamole, sour cream, and corn tortillas. The only bright spot, the corn tortillas. The rice and beans were very bland. The steak, was a nice cut, however--it was not seasoned! The onions and peppers were cut in squares?!! That I don't understand. That is lazy in my book, that they were not cut in strips to make them nicely fold into a tortilla. AND much to my surprise, it was also served with mushrooms. I was confused as to if it was Korean stir fry or a true fajita?! The guacamole was also bland, according to my gent. I can't eat it, because I am allergic, so I have to go by his thoughts and review. He was super disappointed in the food. I really wanted this to be a great place. I thought the decor was fun. They had some interesting sayings in Spanish on the walls. My gent was explaining them to me, and I found the atmosphere very nice. The food was not at all good. This is not a restaurant we will try again. I had hoped to like it!!! I really wanted this to be another go to place for us. I just can't do it again.. I have reviewed numerous tex-mex and Mexican rather high. I will stick to those for now, and look for something better in this area.
(1)Tres T.
Terrible is an understatement. I came here with my wife and kids and never got my plate. They dropped off the food for my wife and children but never bothered to bring mine. Ten minutes went by without the waitress even checking in on us to see if all was ok. My wife eventually got up to ask if the food was coming and the waitresses response was "they dropped it off". They then got defensive about us wanting to leave and canceling my meal. We got to go boxes but still never got mine. Last time they will ever see our money.
(1)Jimmie K.
I visited here on Mothers Day with my Mom. There was a line to get seated, but we were seated immediately because there were only two of us. That's when things went downhill. After sitting at the table for 15 minutes, I had to ask the bus boy to get us waters since no one had come to the table yet. At 25 minutes, I stopped a server to ask if she could take our order. She seemed apologetic and took our order. 40 minutes later, we still hadn't received our food, so I asked to speak to a manager. He apologized, but didn't seem to care too much about the issues. I will admit they were busy, but I've worked in the industry in the past and there were days we were slammed, but we just overlooked a table. Under no circumstances should it take that long to receive a burrito and chile rellano. Unrelated to my table, the table next to us sat for 10 or 15 minutes waiting on silverware AFTER they received their food. I would have to say this is up there as the worst service and poorest run restaurant I've ever been to. The food - The chips and salsa were fantastic. Everything else was average at best. They seem to have lots of sauces for the entrees, but maybe they should pare that down and focus on getting food out in a reasonable time frame. It is unlikely that I return.
(1)Susie M.
The food and service are good. This is a great place for food, but caution "Happy Hour" drink prices. My family waited until this time of day to enjoy 1/2 price drinks. To our surprise a 16 oz Margarita is full price $16 and another $11. Prices are not listed on drink menu for Margaritas therefore we were shocked by 3 Margaritas for $13.50 "Happy Hour" price. Not worth it for us.
(2)L R.
I really wanted to like this place. I had seen great reviews and I had the groupon, so I was all set and actually excited to go. Well, the best part of the entire meal was the chips and salsa and that's because I like the paper thin chips! I order a combo meal to try a few different things and had a shredded chicken burrito which instead of shredded chicken had hunks of dry white breast meat with a half hearted attempt to shred it. Next was a cheese and onion enchilada that really had no flavor except doe the bite of strong raw onion. The green chile smothering both was somewhat sweet and some salt, but no other flavored, just meh. Third was a crispy relleno that was ok, but no real sign of a pepper in it. When cut into the grease ran through the plate. The black beans looked and tasted canned mind the rice was mushy and overlooked, with the grains of rice fully opened grains. Yuck. I ate a couple of bites of each and the whole time was wishing I had spent my time, money and calories to eat at Senor Ric's restaurant instead. Ah well, had to give it a try!
(1)Mariko A.
THE SERVICE: Finally giving a much deserved review after my 5th consistent visit here. We went on Saturday after Valentine's day. We were greeted immediately by the sweet hostess, and directed to a booth upon request. Our waitress was extremely friendly, attentive, professional, polite, and efficient. Our food runner was polite as well and actually greeted us, an often forgotten duty. Overall, the service was near the top of my lists of great service. 6 of 5. THE RESTAURANT: I am my no means an super-sized woman, but I honestly have to have a roomy, comfortable booth. The booths at Ajuua are spot on! To my delight, restaurant is decorative with a mixture of fun, history, art, and cheesiness. The restaurant is very clean, and you can watch some of the line cooks prepare your meal. The restrooms are always clean, but I prefer an updated, impeccably squeaky clean bathroom. So I don't take stars away unless it is not clean, or often unattended. Fortunately, Ajuua seems to keep on top of their restrooms. I usually see this second as I wash my hands before I eat.... And you REALLY should try and remember. HAHA especially if you are sharing your chips and salsa, and if you're not sharing your chips, you are sharing the door knob and all other people from your day. :) 5 of 5. THE FOOD: I had the Carne Asada dinner, which I've had twice before, cooked medium, and it came that way. My husband had the Carne Asada Ajuua burrito, which he has had twice before, and it was huge, covered in spicy chili sauce, just like he likes. He was delighted to find that they had a spicy option for the sauce. The chips are thin, warm, crispy, and salty. I actually prefer this to the fried corn tortilla that is often a little too thick and hard for my liking. The salsa has a grean tomato, onion, cilantro, chili flavor. Not very spicy, which I'm sure you could get if you asked, but just the right amount for me, maybe too spicy for some. that's always a hard estimate. I always say people who think table pepper is spicy are a 1 and people who aren't phased by habaneros are a ten. I am more of a 7, a Thai Chili girl. So I'd say the salsa is on my scale, a 3 or 4, and perfect. The tortillas were fresh, soft and warm, I got half corn, and half flour. Both were house made and delicious. I got my badly craved, grilled onion and jalapeno with my carne asada meal, it may seem small but I am extremely disappointed without these items. The beans were moist and savory, and the rice was flavorful, not too dry or too wet, Just right. I went 8 days ago, and I've craved it everyday since. Something I could not say about other sit down Mexican restaurants. 5 of 5. THE COST: Let's be honest, unless you are a hard working full grown man, or growing teenage boy, you really could not drink (and really shouldn't) your 24 ounce water and soda, 1/2 to a full basket of chips and salsa, and an entire dinner here. (Well I probably could because it is so delicious, but i would cry soon after in pain) So I always have leftovers to take home. I like to think of it as two meals for the price of one. You can get a standard dishes for 9-12 dollars, and specialty non-seafood items at 12-15 dollars. For me, huge beverages, complimentary chips & GOOD salsa, and an insanely filling, well prepared meal, this is a deal. We also used a 50% Groupon, and I almost felt guilty at the awesome deal we were getting. 4 of 5. OVERALL: There are times when I love a good, authentic, taqueria run, but most often than not, I love sitting down, relaxing, and being waited on. I would recommend this for any date night, family night, or even a night out of margaritas. 4.5 Stars for a Mexican-American restaurant? Customer service is the most important to me, after the food.
(4)Oren S.
Ate here 6/29/2014. I love Tex-Mex and Authentic Mexican, I lived in Texas 18 years. This place is clean and pretty, but the food is bad. I asked if they had Carne Guisada, the waitress said no. I asked if they had Machacado, the waitress said no. Then she said, "We're not really Mexican food" and I thought "Uh Oh." I ordered the beef steak fajitas. The guacamole was black. You get a tablespoon of guac and sour cream, half a tablespoon of white shredded cheese and enough tomatoes to cover half a taco. They give three flour tortillas, and these tortillas are ridiculous. I've never seen tortillas so thin! I wasn't sure which was thinner, the tortilla or the tissue paper it was wrapped in. Someones Abuela is rolling in her grave. The Fajita meat itself was tasteless and GREASY GREASY GREASY. There was a pool of oil in the bottom of the hot plate. Pretty gross. (I've wiped my hands with 3 napkins and my phone is still full of greasy fingerprints) The refried beans were bland and the rice was oily. The service was mediocre. (As I was walking out a waitress was walking past a table and, albeit accidental; she knocked a guys drink right out of his hand and all over the floor. She didn't even stop and apologize. She looked back in full stride and kept walking, telling another waitress to clean it up. Shocking!) The water I drank did come with ice, so I guess they deserve at least one star for that. Ajuua!! is close to my home, but next time I'll drive a little farther for a Mexican restaurant that actually serves Mexican food.
(1)Never A.
The food at this place is great. Everything I've had has been really good, and I appreciate that they have a huge menu with lots of options, e.g. different fillings, different sauces. I haven't been disappointed yet. I never have to wait long to be seated and the service is pretty quick too. I love eating here.
(4)jesse j.
Recently started going here and the food and all around experience was great. Food was prompt, hot, and most importantly, delicious. The marinated chicken in the fajitas was so refreshing as opposed to chain food joints that just throw in chicken scraps withe salt and pepper. As a former chef there were subtle things that made the food stand out and was a welcome difference. My wife and I live downtown and this place is worth the drive. Margarita's were potent yet fantastic. Staff was friendly and engaging but not overbearing. I've eaten at a majority of the Mexican restaurants around town and this place is in my top 5.
(5)Sarah K.
Mediocre food in a mediocre part of town. We waited 15 minutes for our drinks to arrive; 40 minutes for our food. The waitress had an uncanny ability of overlooking our attempts to attract her attention. I ordered the adobado chicken salad. When I saw the cold chicken atop a bed of limp, fetid iceberg shreds, my first thought was, "is this safe to eat?" I ended up pushing the dirty mushrooms and faded tomato slices that framed the plate aside. Not appetizing. It was my dad's birthday so they made a huge scene by singing "happy birthday" in Spanish. My dad looked gleeful as he sang along with a gigantic sombrero atop his head. The birthday treat--a gelatinous, lackluster piece of flan--was a nice touch. Maybe I ordered the wrong thing. I had a bite of my sister's huevos rancheros, it wasn't anything remarkable. The fried corn tortilla lining the plate was excessively oily. The beans were fresh out of a can. Mmhmm. I do not wish to return.
(2)Leigh J.
We had a Groupon and decided to give it a shot despite the mixed reviews. Like many others, I so wanted to really like the place so we'd have a new Mexican joint close to home. We went for dinner on a Friday evening, quite early. Despite the place being relatively empty, it seemed to take forever to get our drinks despite the waitress having taken the order relatively quickly. I kept looking toward the bar area and large clusters of employees were fraternizing and not paying any attention to the customers. The atmosphere was very meh. It felt almost cafeteria like and the lighting was entirely too bright. A plus for those with kids is that the place is very family friendly. The décor was a hodgepodge of what the previous Italian restaurant appeared to have left behind, along with some Mexican décor. The tables have these gross rubbery tablecloths that stick to your skin, so while the table may not have been dirty, it felt that way. My husband's fork was dirty, which did not help matters. I ordered the carne asada and I must say that I was fairly content with my meal. It came with nice, thin, partially-browned flour tortillas that I enjoyed. The rice and beans were typical run of the mill, but my meal was fairly enjoyable overall. My husband's ground beef burrito--not so much. The beef had no flavor whatsoever and about a third of the way into it, the pooled grease in the beef killed it for him. Sorry to say that we won't be returning, but I'm glad we had a Groupon to soften the blow.
(2)Allison G.
Loved the food, loved the atmosphere, loved the patience of the waitress!!!! It always takes me forever to order mexican food because i cant handle spicy food very well, and she didnt rush me!
(5)Doug B.
I was looking to find a good mexican restaurant this was no it. Poor service and bland food best describe this restaurant. The place is clean, and comfortable, but the service was poor. It took a long time for the waiter to come over and take our order. Had the steak fajitas and it was bland and I have never had fajitas with mushrooms. Very disappointed, not worth the time.
(2)BJ K.
This place was so good that during our short visit to Denver, we ate here twice. We had the following: steak fajita (excellent), Mexican casserole (mmm, so yummy), chille rilleno (just right), crab meat enchilada (wow, just amazing), pollo asada (tasty). We can't help but to think that this restaurant must know how to cook Mexican, because EVERYTHING was good. Highly recommended.
(5)Theresa C.
The food was more authentic than I expected It was very tasty and the service was excellent I will go back again
(4)J C.
Beautiful new restaurant. Wish the food could match the decor. We've eaten here twice and each time the verdict was the same - the atmosphere is nice but somebody needs to hire a chef to revamp the menu. Everything is VERY salty and low on taste. How can the Denver metro area have such a large Hispanic population and such an abundance of mediocre Mexican restaurants??
(2)Frank L.
The food is great, sometimes they have mariachi's, the issue is that the manager is racist and only says hello to the white people that go there and not the Blacks or the Hispanics that eat there. If you are white I would recommend this place, but if you are another race I would turn around and go to McDonalds, you will get better customer service there.
(1)Jason N.
Given some of the other reviews I have read for Ajuua I may have had an unusually good experience or others are being way to hard on them. My experience was not perfect but I thought I had great service with a smile along with some good food. When I first walked in I noticed the beautiful decorations on the wall. The decorations were not over done and made it feel like you could have been eating in a spanish courtyard. I give 5 out of 5 for decor. I was immediately greeted at the door and brought to my table. Once at my table my drink order was taken immediately. I did have to wait a couple of minutes longer than I would have liked for my order to be taken, but the waitress was very nice and always had a great smile. Once my order was taken the food came out very quickly. My only very small complaint is that she could have given me my check a little sooner. I'll give the service 4 out of 5. I thought my food was very good, but there was a little room for improvement. I can see how other reviews may have said it was bland if you love more hot and spicy Mexican food. I found all of my food to be fairly mild which was perfect for me as I don't do very well with a lot of heat. I thought the chips and salsa were great. The salsa just had a little bit of heat but not too much and the chips were thin so you could not fill up on them as easily. For a main course I had the super chimi. When it arrived it was super sized. It was covered with a little bit of green chili. The green chili was good but they definately could have given me more as it was barely enough to coat my chimichanga, The rice on the side was average. The side of lettuce cheese and tomatoes were fresh and tasted good. The tortilla for the chimichanga tasted good but only the corners were crispy. I think they definitely could have cooked it more and made it more crispy. The filling was my favorite part. When I get chimichangas its usually just beans, rice, and meat. This one however had fried onions and green peppers which I think was a great touch that made it feel a little more healthy. I had the carnitas and as others have noted the meat was not really spiced that much. It could have used a little more spice even for someone who doesn't handle heat that well. Overall I gave the food 4 out 5. With a couple of small changes the food could be great.
(4)Tiara Q.
Terrible food with matching service. I bravely tried the sopito. It wasn't edible, it was like a boat made of tamale masa that had been fried in old grease. It was flavorless and dry. It was filled with flavorless dry shredded chicken. The only decent thing on my plate were the black beans. The service was nonexistent. Our server didn't check on us because she probably knew the food was horrid. I wanted to like this place...what's it called? Oh, the sound I made when the food came back up.
(1)Nicole S.
The food was good and the service was decent considering that our waiter was pulling triple duty as bartender, host, and waitstaff. The enchiladas veracruz were excellent--bursting with fresh seafood flavor. The crab and shrimp mixture was well seasoned and perfectly cooked. The black beans were a little on the salty side, but went well with the rice and enchiladas. I tried a bit of my husband's spinach enchiladas, which were drenched in lime juice but still very tasty. I enjoyed the food so much I ended up eating the entire plate! For dessert we ordered the apple chimi, which we were pleased to discover also came with a side of whipped cream and ice cream. The crust was crisp and flaky and went well with the tender-crisp, cinnamon-infused apple filling. A great way to end a hearty meal!
(4)Allison F.
We came here last night for a Valentine's Day dinner. When we walked in, there was quite a line, but the wait time was only quoted as 10-15 minutes. We instead found seats at one of the two bars and settled in. Chips and salsa were immediately provided. We really enjoyed the salsa as it was fresh and had a good 'medium' level of spice. The chips tasted fresh, though quite few of them hadn't been fully fried and were chewy. My husband ordered a house margarita and I ordered a lime margarita with no salt. We received giant glasses and overall they were quite tasty. There was a unique taste that was as though they used fresh orange and lime juice instead of a mix. Definitely a bonus! My drink came with salt despite my request and when we later got our receipt, my drink was a higher price, even though I received the same product as my husband. Noted to ask for a house drink, and not a certain flavor. Tuesdays are 'all you can eat' tacos for $8. An excellent deal as a normal order for 4 is $11, and that excludes rice and beans. I tried the shredded beef and chicken and liked the shredded beef the best. Reminded me of spanish pot roast. The chicken was also a 'pulled' style and was very tender. I found a small bone shard in my chicken, which was the only thing that turned me off of it. Rice and our choice of beans were provided and while both were nicely cooked, they were very very salty. Service was sparse but our waitress was very nice. All staff were running around all night and looked to be in quite a rush. Understandable given the evening and the fact that the restaurant was full and there was a line of people waiting. Daily specials and happy hour make this a cheap night out. We'll return to try other dishes, I just hope the salt level isn't always that high.
(3)Christine B.
I have been here a couple times and enjoyed the food. If you're looking for amazing authentic "only grandma would have made" this may not quite be the place, but they're definitely a step above the usual americanized fare. However, what knocks the review down one star is the service. I have never had a server who acted like they really liked what they were doing. I'm not sure what it is. I've never not liked something, never had to send anything back, have never gotten the wrong dish or had any kind of argument. But the servers so far have been minus a personality, not smiling, looking bored, monotone voice. Like they are there because everyone else is sick and they got dragged in to do a job they didn't want to do....It's disappointing, because I really want to like this place - it's so close to our house and I loved the Burrito a la Veracruz I got the last time I was there. I went with friends and they said that they'd never had great service either. If you guys want repeat business, maybe just try to work harder on the service/personality end of things. When I go in a place, I want to feel wanted. I don't want to feel like an inconvenience.
(3)Tawnya W.
This is a favorite spot for my friends and family. They have great daily specials...the best being 1/2 of all margaritas on Thursday, small and large size...either guaranteed to hit that happy hour craving. Chips and salsa are delish and the food is fresh. My fav...the street tacos.
(4)Dream L.
Ordered the chimi combo. Wasnt impressed! food was bland and servive was slooooow!! Took 2 hours and it was NOT busy. The waiter was Nice, when i did see him. Ordered drink, appitizer, n entree. The margaritas were not to my liking at all......
(2)Sarah G.
I got a BOGO coupon in the mail for Ajuua and saw some good reviews here on Yelp, so my fam and I checked it out for din the other nite. I liked the appearance on the inside - large space, authentic decor without looking cheesy, and well lit. The mariachi band was cool too, but I was really looking forward to the food. The chips and salsa were yummy; thin and crispy chips and flavorful salsa with just the right amount of heat. We all ordered combo plates and enjoyed them for the most part. I was psyched to see a crispy taco on my plate instead of a soft one (yeah I know, I know I'm one of 'those' ), and the guacamole was noms. There were a few let downs, however. Hubs is a huge Horchata fan and was excited to see they had it, but the drink he was served tasted watered down (Little Anita's version remains the fave). I didn't love my chile rellenos either - the pepper tasted... I don't know... weird. So I stuck to my taco and the beans and rice. We finished with sopapilas for dessert and, while they were tasty, the tiny portion we got was way overpriced in my opinion. It was basically one sopapila cut into fourths. Four bucks for 4 tiny pieces of airy bread??? We left full, and i'd give them another half a star if i could, but the search for a favorite local Mexican spot will continue...
(3)Jamie M.
This place is an oldie but a goodie! Always have the most friendly staff. Although our favorite guy that used to work at the old location seems to have disappeared. He was a fantastic employee and we really miss seeing him around. Food is always consistent and tasty. Never had a bad experience here! A little bit more Americanized in terms of their chili but still very good! Love their ooey gooey nachos! Great portions!
(3)Luis M.
Mediocre place. I went with my family and was pretty disappointed. The food wasn't great, our waiter as nice but kind of slow. It's not that big of a deal, but the music they played didn't mesh well with trying to establish a authentic Mexican restaurant-- they played a lot of reggae. I would not recommend this place to anybody.
(2)Michelle N.
This Ajuua doesn't compare to the one near Southlands on Gun Club. We've visited this location once and we experienced poor service. I'll stick with my usual one on Gun Club.
(3)mary c.
I've heard great things about Ajuua in Denver and couldn't wait for this place to open as I live within walking distance. We went the opening Friday and it was packed. Understandable then our service was horrible. The portions were small but good. So, given the circumstances we waied and went back... on Valentines Day. It was no where near packed and it took about an hour to get served. Totally ruined the whole evening and folks next to us began complaining as well. Pretty good food but NOT worth the price or the wait. Never again.
(1)Matthew V.
I've extremely disappointing that I have to write this review in the first place. The negative star rating has nothing at all to do with the food, but everything to do with management and the way things are handled. The food is out of this world every time I go, but this last time we received horrible customer service, and it truly affected us and how we will never go to this location again. Ajuua sends coupons to us every month, and we usually keep them on the fridge so we know where they are. This particular time we decided to go on a whim so we grabbed one of the coupons and left. We got there, ordered, ate, but when it came time to the bill- the waitress told us that we could not use the coupon because it was expired. Generally, working in retail, I understand for the most part that someone on that level can't really do anything about it. We asked for a manager and explained to him that we have two coupons and we simply grabbed the wrong one and asked to make an exception. He said there was absolutely nothing he could do for us and literally suggested that one of us stay at the table and the other DRIVE HOME TO GET THE OTHER COUPON. Are you freaking kidding me? My fiance was so upset and flustered, he told him to charge the full amount to his card and that we would never return, to which the manager replied "Whatever, my friend, you do what you gotta do." walked off, yelled at his server to take of it and left. How unprofessional. We attempted to contact the district manager after finding out that he was the General Manager, but even though their website says "You will hear back from someone within 24 hours", it's been a week and still no sign of them contacting us. They have some great mexican food, but there are PLENTY of other restaurants that have just as good food, with way better service. Save yourself the grief and eat at another one of their locations.
(2)Robert C.
Don't eat here this place's food is horrible and serviced is not much to be desired. Cold food and bad service makes me wonder why people are still eating here. CEO Rick Garcia needs to review your restaurant's practice. Don't eat here!
(1)Brenda P.
This is not my favorite Mexican food joint, but a friend likes it so I go with her from time to time. The last time we went, my hubby went with us. Both hubby and I had some digestive discomfort from the experience. We ordered the chili con queso, and it was quite bland. The carnitas were very tasty, as well as moist and tender. However, the onions and peppers served with the carnitas were practically raw. A little closer to the flame next time, guys! Please! While the food is tasty, for the most part, I feel it is overpriced.
(2)Carol For Real M.
I usually love this place. But last night the food was terrible service was bad. New waitress needs an additude ajustment. WARNING! do not show your coupon befor you order you will get left over food served cold and hard.
(2)Mike I.
This is a hard review to post, I've even waited 24 hours to write it to make sure emotions did not influence my opinion. While I'm typically a positive person I feel as if it is only fair to be honest about my Ajuua experience. Your mileage may vary... We (the fam) were excited about having sushi at our favorite place, Bangkok Tokyo. I was to meet the others after I got off work. Received a call from the wife telling me that Bangkok Tokyo is closed on Monday but they would meet me in the place next door, Ajuua. Cool, I've been wanting to try it anyway. I arrived, the family was already in a booth and had ordered drinks. About five minutes pass since my arrival and drinks still not at the table. Wait staff nowhere to be found so I poked my head in the kitchen and asked if I could get extra napkins and our drinks. Our waiter said he would be right there. Another five minutes pass and the drinks arrive. The menu looked great, I'm a huge chimichanga fan so I get that, the wife gets her fav, the chili rellenos. Our daughter wanted chicken strips with ranch. Hey, she is two so what do you do. The son got his fav, the enchiladas. We blew through the chips which were actually tiny pieces that looked like they were from the bottom of the bag. Asked for more chips while we were waiting for the food, got another basket of tiny pieces. Oh well... The food finally arrived, they forgot the ranch though. We asked for the ranch and some additional napkins (again). My chimi, which was the super chimi, was loaded with steak, peppers, onions, etc. The meat however had absolutely no taste. No biggie, just add some salt and salsa and everything should be good. For the wife, we actually thought they forgot to put the chili rellenos on the plate but after poking on a lump under melted cheese we realized that was actually the chili rellenos. Ranch dressing and napkins still haven't shown up while our waiter is handling other tables. So, I poke my head in the kitchen again and ask for napkins and the ranch. The reply was, as soon as I have a chance... Nothing really improved for the rest of the meal but hey, the ranch and napkins finally arrived. We bailed as soon as we could. My opinion, the food is bland, no real spices, chips were just that, chips, salsa was good, beer was cold, margarita to sweet, wait staff sllloooowwww and not really polite. Prices weren't terrible. We love eating out as a family and are not picky eaters but I have to say I won't be back to Ajuua again. If you love the place, and after reading reviews I see there are some that do, that's cool, keep going. I'll just make sure to stay with the sushi place next door.
(1)Jodi B.
This place had the BEST fajitas I've EVER had! Only down so far is they don't warn you the large margaritas should be shared with the friends you bring! I will DEFINITELY be back with reinforcements!
(5)Sean S.
Been going here with family for years. Everything we have tried has been good. Service is a little slow at times. But we will be back.
(4)Tom D.
fish taco was amazing! We had lunch here and enjoyed the food.
(4)Linda M.
Had dinner here tonight as we were looking for a non-chain restaurant open on Easter. There we not many people there and we were hoping that was not a bad sign. Well, it wasn't. Our server was very friendly and checked with us often. My husband and I both had combination plates which were both excellent. We loved the fact that you could make your own combination and also pick your ingredients. I had a crispy rellendo and cheese enchilada while my husband had a tamale, burrito and cheese enchilada. We were both very pleased with our selections. One of the best things is that not everything is made with cheddar cheese. What a nice surprise. We were also pleased to find out that the combination plates are discounted on Sunday! I would definately recommend Ajuua's for both food and service.
(4)Smidgie W.
Been here twice since moving to Denver last year. The food is good, though it can be quite salty a times, especially the enchilada sauce. I like when the tortillas are freshly made. The atmosphere is good and reminds me of our old cantinas back in Los Angeles. If they get too busy, service can be a little slow, but otherwise we like coming here.
(4)Caitlin H.
Decent food. Best service I've had in a long, long time. I would definitely recommend this place!!
(4)David C.
3.5 stars for this location. I've been here a few times and it's been pretty good each time, but not quite 4-star worthy. My favorite by far on this menu is the crab enchiladas, which I got the first time I came here - I purposely tried other things when I returned, but nothing else was as good. They're awesome. Burritos are decent (and enormous), and the casuela is an interesting casserole-type thing made with the red salsa you get on the table with your chips. Those used to come with both red and green salsas, which I prefer here, but now you just get the red, though you can order the green for $1. Ok then. Margs are huge and pretty tasty, though not super-strong. They get the extra half-star for having peach, which not a lot of places do. They're good for large groups too, so that's a plus. If I'm in the neighborhood I'll stop in, but I'll still drive to northwest Denver to my favorite Mexican place if all else is equal.
(3)The D.
Great tasting food. The service was exceptional. Asked for habañero sauce to add into the salsa, was so delicious we ate it plain. Also asked for extra spicy salsa, and they made some fresh just for us! My wife and I will definitely return!
(5)Carol W.
I don't know why the bad reviews but I love this place. Great happy hour, really good half price margs which are quite potent, even the house margarita is good... and strong. Great warm thin and crispy chips with good salsa, especially love their green salsa and chips. I love their Ultimate Breakfast Burrito (which you can get anytime of day) Camarones Primavera and Discada, pretty much everything I tried is good. They put bacon in a lot of their dishes so it has a nice smokey taste. Who doesn't love bacon! Service is always good. Check it out.
(5)D F.
My wife and I stopped in after noticing a business took over the vacant Zios spot. Glad we did. The service was excellent and very friendly. The salsa is excellent. The top shelf margarita was awesome. The Discada and Alambre specials were excellent! The happy hour is great as well with specials on draft beers and margs. Worth a visit for sure.
(4)Mindy K.
Went to dinner here tonight and was a bit underwhelmed. Service was decent, we were greeted and seated immediately and our waitress was nice but could have been a little more attentive. Being a Tuesday, it wasn't very busy. We're primarily vegetarian (eating meat is a rarity) so that limits our options, but we wanted to try it out because they actually had a dedicated vegetarian section on the menu. It was all you can eat taco night and for some reason they couldn't substitute beans for the meat. (first time we've had that happen...beans are cheaper than meat right?) The waitress said we could do guacamole tacos so my husband and son ordered those only to have the manager come back and tell them that they didn't do those anymore because of the cost. Ok, no worries, they looked at the menu again and got the vegetarian macho burrito and the California style chile rellenos (crispy). I got the vegetarian fajitas. Chips and salsa were decent, although we felt the salsa was pretty mild, barely any heat. I ordered some extra spicy salsa and that was pretty good. They mix habanero sauce into the salsa to give it heat. It was pretty hot after that which my husband and I enjoyed, my son ate a huge chip full and regretted it shortly thereafter. My fajitas were ok. Not the worst I've had, and not the best. I've had better in other parts of the country but have yet to find really, really good ones in Colorado. So my quest for awesome veggie fajitas continues. The cilantro lime rice that came with them was tasty. The guacamole left much to be desired and after tasting it, my husband was glad that he didn't have tacos full of it! It was brownish and tasted like it was made with older avocados, you know, when they start tasting funky but you can still probably eat them. The tortillas were your standard premade kind. I wish I could find a place out here that serves fresh ones that are made in house! The rellenos were meh. I've only been to once place here (Mexican place in Stapleton) that actually uses roasted poblanos instead of weak canned hatch chiles. The suiza sauce that was on them was tasty and the best part of the meal. The beans and rice were nothing special. My husband was rather unimpressed. My son's burrito had the same veggie mix in it as my fajitas plus black beans. It was smothered in red sauce and had melted cheese all over it. He liked it and could only eat half of it. It was literally as big as his head. We all agreed that it was ok, but not stellar. I'd probably give it a 2.5 if I had that option. Considering that I can make better at home, we probably won't be returning and our quest for a really good local Mexican place that has decent vegetarian options continues.
(2)Shanah Z.
As of recently I have been frequenting this Ajuua location more than the others. Their food is still my absolute favorite. I have tried venturing out to different Mexican restaurants, but alas Ajuua is still at the top of my list. On my most recent visit I had the combination plate. Which is a big step as I always seem to order the spinach enchiladas. I had a ground beef enchilada and a California chili relleno. Both were tasty as usual. I love the flavor of their ground beef. We stopped in early enough to hit happy hour. So we both ordered margaritas. This location is not really any different from the other locations, as far as service is concerned. They have some amazing servers, but it is a 50/50 chance I will receive adequate service when I go in. This last time the waiter never came by to refill my water the entire meal. While I did have a margarita, I still like to have water. I overlook any chance of bad service because I love their food. I even dined here for my birthday last year.
(4)Karen K.
We ate there on all you can Taco Tuesday. We ordered drinks during happy hour. When we told the waiter what we wanted to eat he proceeds to tell us that if you get the all you can eat taco special you don't get your drinks at happy hour price. Not anywhere in the place or on the menu does it state such a thing. Never have we heard of this at any other place we have eaten at. My husband had the all you can eat tacos and I ordered a regular meal. My meal was so full of butter and salt, the best part of my meal was the rice and beans. We ordered sopapillas to go. Not sure what they were but they sure aren't sopapillas, they need to have another Mexican place show them what true sopapillas are. The food has gone down hill a lot since we last ate there when the place was over on Hampden and Tamarac. We won't be going back again. Such a shame that they have such a scam going. So be aware when you go there to do an all you can eat night. Our favorite place to have good Mexican food is La Fogata's! They know how to make Mexican food and real sopapillas.
(1)Kristine M.
I was in Colorado to visit the fam for the holidays, and being cheap, was taking a red-eye back home. (Seriously Delta? Who schedules a 1:10 am departure?) Anyway. After a four hour drive from the real South Park to Denver, I had time to kill before going to the airport, and little inclination to go the airport early, so I'd arranged to meet up with a friend in the area and hang out that evening. She stashed her kids and hubby away so we could have a girls night out. I wasn't driving anywhere, and was hoping to pass out on the plane, so my goal was margaritas. That's where Ajuua!! came in. (Really? Two exclamation points in the name?) I had one giant and very very tasty margarita, and it made me very happy. We started with queso, which I was a little meh on. I also go the chicken fajitas, because you just can't go wrong with those, and I judge Mexican places by their fajitas. Our server and the manager checked in on us periodically, but without seeming like they were trying to rush us out the door. I wasn't in love with the queso, and I think they should have mints by the door to prevent people from walking around with onion breath, but I would be happy to go here again.
(4)Steve H.
I can say that both of the two times I have been here the food has been pretty good. I get the combo, ench, tamale and chili relleno and its always tasty. I also like the two types of salsas they bring out and normally eat the whole basket. The place still has the family feel even though there are multi locations. The staff is always really nice and helpful. Make sure you get there a bit before they close or you will be overtaken by the bleach smell as they clean.
(4)Sarah S.
Meh. The tamale and meat in general was very dry. Not super authentic. Not the worst, but not worth going to twice.
(3)Chris M.
They added a 20 % gratuity to a party of seven, did not bother to mention it. Luckily we glanced over the check because I doubt if we tipped twice that anything would have been said. I will never eat there again.
(1)Joseph C.
This location is new, having recently moved from previous Tamarac Square location. I had not visited Ajuua before last night, so I didn't quite know what to expect. The menu is extensive, but not overwhelming like some can be. I finally decided on trying the Alambre. My taste buds soon confirmed my decision to be a good one. The combination of sirloin steak, bacon and ham mixed with green peppers, onions, and mushrooms, and melted cheese was perfect. This dish also comes with a second dish of charro beans and green chili. I can say that when the beans came I wasn't impressed as it looked more like a bowl of beanie weenies I once had as a kid many moons ago. If I had a complaint about Ajuua, it would be on this night, the service. The appetizer of chili con queso, was good, but it didnt hit the table until after the Alambre did, maybe by a minute or two. Plus there was a moment of confusion between the waitresses as to the orders placed. One time bringing the wrong plate to the table. Still the 4 star rating for myself is due to the Alambre. I can see myself returning to this location again.
(4)Jay L.
When you can get a bowl of meat and strolling mariachis, this is the joint to go to. Every meal has been good (Find a coupon, never pay retail). Friendly, hot, good, drinks are cold. It's open, so it feels like eating in a warehouse, but I like it.
(4)Gayle C.
Had a group of 5 on a Saturday night about 6pm. No lines, great food, the wait help was a little inexperienced but pleasant. Had the Carnitas,their signature dish, delicious. Way more that I could eat for $12!! Would definitely return when I am back in this area.
(4)Leonard E.
This is a great place with great food and drinks. Check em out.
(4)Paula S.
The food was awesome! We went for lunch. I had the fajitas and my husband had the carnitas burrito. The service by Ashton was awesome! We will defiantly go back.
(5)Allan H.
The service was pretty good but the food less than than desirable,need to cook better food .I drive by here all the time ,less and less cars every time .
(2)Rozalee S.
We went to Ajuuas to celebrate my husbands birthday with several family members, and our experience was pleasant. Our foods was tasty, and our waiter was very attentive. They have really transformed this place, since it was an Italian Restaurant before. My husband had a great birthday dinner and our family enjoyed the experience as well. Thank you Ajuuas!
(4)Ana H.
Sad to say that this is nothing like our lovely experiences at the now-closed Tamarac location. The service was slow (despite the restaurant being pretty empty), the food took forever, and everything was mediocre at best. Under-done beans, bland meat, and sauces that didn't taste like what they were supposed to be. A very disappointing Father's Day meal.
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