Azteca Bakery, Torteria y Panaderia Mexicana

4 Reviews on “Azteca Bakery, Torteria y Panaderia Mexicana”

• Silvia Soper

  Went there this morning at about 11:30am. I wanted some bread and to inquire about their rosca de Reyes for next month. The steamer full of tamales catches my eye so I ordered one of each. They turned out the be mush, it happens when they are left to steam for long periods of time so they weren’t great, the flavors were there but the texture was kinda gross. I will give another try go right after they open to see if that changes anything. The sweet bread is delicious so I will going back for that.

  March 13, 2014, 8:40 pm

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• Chuck Bradley

  I split my lunch up today……….. Because I wanted to take advantage of Amecameca’s tip on the Tamales en hoja de plantano (Tamales wrapped in banana leaves). They had only two versions today. Both with Chicken Meat. One with Mole and one with Salsa Verde. The Mole was good, but the Salsa Verde was ambrosia! Buttery Masa wrapped around the tender Chicken Breast Meat and the Salsa was many Scoville heat units hotter than is usual. Delicious! Next time I’ll focus on those alone. Maybe with sides of Beans and Rice.Now, off a few doors down, to El Torito Market!30 Jan, 2012True to my promise…………… I returned today to try Azteca’s Tamales de Queso con Rajas. And true to Amecameca’s observation, they were just delicious.He described them most adequately in his review, so I won’t make you suffer the redundancy.The restaurant was bright, cheerful and clean, as always. If you like real deal Mexican food, Azteca Bakery and Torteria is for you.23 Jan, 2012After reading Amecameca’s review….. I drove across town to ask their Tamales de Queso con Rajas to the dance. Sadly they’re a weekend (Fri, Sat & Sun) only offering. A trip to Azteca Bakery is seldom fruitless as they do have their Molotes all the time. (Their Huaraches are very good too.) Amecameca commented that he didn’t think they were quite up to snuff yesterday and I concur. I thought the Masa was slightly overcooked and crunchier than I remembered last time. The Spicy Chorizo and Potato Stuffing mixture and toppings were very tasty all the same. Hopefully time and circumstances will allow a chance to take a couple of those Tamales for a spin next weekend!05 Jul, 2011Right again………. Amecameca zeros in on another winner. I further took his advice and ordered the Molotes lunch. I’m usually not a Chorizo fancier, but the Potatoes cut the greasiness into a rich, spicy melody on the tongue. I had never had this dish before and must thank him for this delicious tip. The place was clean and the people friendly. Three Salsa choices were provided on the table. I can’t wait to introduce family and friends to this great new (to me) dish!

  September 2, 2013, 8:56 pm

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• Amecameca

  This Place Gets Better and Better. Azteca is the place to go for Oaxacan dishes you can’t find anywhere else in Salem. They have expanded their dining area since our last visit and have had a nice mural painted on the wall. They now offer two kinds of tamales: the traditional tamale wrapped in corn husks and tamales wrapped in banana leaves (tamales en hoja de plantano). The latter were right on the counter in a steamer. They had three different kinds and all three were delicious. Only $1.50 each. They also have added a number of breakfast items to their menu and have extended their hours, opening at 6 a.m. for early birds who want to get a good Mexican breakfast. With all the competition on Lancaster this place tends to get overlooked, but they really have created a good niche with their unique dishes and long hours of operation.23 Jan, 2012Best Tamale I’ve Had in Awhile. Some foodie friends from Portland came down today to try real Mexican food. We hit a lot of the taquerias on Lancaster, sampling this and that. At Azteca I wanted them to try the molotes. Unfortunately they weren’t up to par today. BUT, they made up for it by having tamales, something not usually on the menu. We tried the rajas and queso tamales. Rajas are strips of roasted poblano peppers. Paired with the cheese and outstanding fresh masa, these were super delicious. Just $1.50 each. I’ll be back in hopes that they continue to offer these. [Note to Chuck: Check it out Monday — might still have some of these!]03 Jul, 2011Delicioso Oaxacan Food. Azteca Bakery in the Lancaster Rd. strip that is across the street from Borders is now Azteca Bakery and Torteria. Even better, their menu goes beyond tortas to include many dishes typical of the Mexican state of Oaxaca. I haven’t seen these anywhere else in Salem. While my dining companion was satisfied with a torta de milenesa (pork cutlet), I tried the molotes, a Oaxacan specialty sort of like crisp fried tamales stuffed with a mixture of potato and chorizo, topped with a bit of black beans and cheese. You get four on the big plate, with some crema (Mexican sour cream) for dipping, and they are rich, as you can imagine. This would almost feed two. Also on the menu are other Oaxacan specialties like garnachas and tlayudas, and Oaxacan-style chicken mole. The prices are cheap. We will be back for sure to try more tastes of Oaxaca.

  August 31, 2013, 4:47 am

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• Tabitha

  A place I’m happy to repeat. I guess I should frankly admit that I have never had the opportunity to sample the tortas here – which is what they’re named for. I also am not a huge fan of pan dulces – one of their other specialties – but tonight I tried a lemon beso for the first time. (Which was quite tasty. Dry, for my personal tastes, but it seems that that is my take away from a lot of pan dulces. Great flavor though.) What I come here for is the tacos and other food. The tortillas are made by hand and usually delicious. The garnish and sauce vegetables are always fresh. Depending on who puts your food together for the day will largely depend on whether you get an artfully arranged or tasty but messy looking meal. I’m slowly working my way through the menu but most everything I have tried is yummy. Not necessarily worthy of dragging everyone you know here, but a quality inexpensive authentic Mexican meal is easily had.In my visits here I have had to stand in line sometimes for a quite a while but I’ve never seen anyone (besides myself) who is not Hispanic eating or purchasing bakery items here. I say this simply to note that this place is nearly always busy, and it is busy with the people that love this cuisine & consider it home. Families from the neighborhood come in for a casual dinner, order their children’s birthday cakes and load up on giant bags of fresh baked bread rolls here. A TV in the dining room is always blaring a Hispanic soap opera and there’s inevitably a couple of women watchers transfixed by the latest explosive discovery. The lovely ladies who work here are always running (sometimes literally) from helping one customer to another & seem to know many of their regulars by name. Whether you’re grabbing takeout or a quick bite with friends, this is a great little place to visit.

  December 1, 2012, 6:29 am

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