Amazing sums up our dinner this evening. Date night with my husband, this was my 3 rd time there but husband never was and we even had a living social deal. Â We started with drinks I got white sangria and my husband got an enamorda which was a margarita with coconut and mango the rim had toasted coconut, very good cocktails! Â We the ordered the guacamole traditional made table side which was devoured in 5 min! We could not resist the mussels special they had, best ever they were in this white cream sauce with tomatoes and cucumbers maybe, THE BEST ever!!! Â I got the steak marchudra or something like that which was cooked to perfection medium rare. Â Steak melted in your mouth. My husband got the Sea Bass which was incredible, I am not a fish eater but that can convert me!! Â Our waiter Octavio was incredible very friendly and personable. We asked for mgr before we left to pay them both a compliment. Â Definitely going back again soon! I have some <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a> coupons to use! Â You will not be disappointed!!
Review Source:Overly sheik for a strip mall in Columbia. Â In my humble opinion it looked like they were trying to recreate a Adams Morgan restaurant in the wrong place. Â Drinks were good, guac was tasty, but the chips were to thick. The Main dish was good but they tried to hard to make it fancy pants.. My girlfriend on the other hand has been throwing up since last night because of her enchiladas. I would like to go back for drinks and tacos but not a evening dining experience.
Review Source:I love mole. I have now been twice and couldn't help, but have the
Enmoladas  both times. I can see the enmoladas not being for everyone, but the flavor is so complex and delicious.  It would be an insult to explain all the flavor notes you will get. The drinks are good, but if you are a margarita person, you will love the selection. If I had to change one thing it is that some of the tables have weird chairs. Very awkward for a tall guy and I can see why people tend to avoid those tables if possible. That's it. Everything else is on point.
Despite the dark exterior, Azul 17 is open for business, at least as of writing this review. I figured that out six months ago, or so, and my wife and I were in the mood to try something different last night, so we went.
It was a pleasant surprise, walking into the restaurant; bright, fun decor and a prompt and courteous greeting really sets the tone right. I was surprised to see a full dining room, too!
Our drinks were very tasty, if a little light on booze, and the food we ordered was fantastic. My plantain-encrusted sea bass, was very well cooked, though the mango habanero sauce that accompanied it landed well on the sweet side of my tastes. I could have gone for more habanero and less mango.
Their tequila list is great, sporting a great variety of tequilas, usually with a plata, reposado, and añejo from each maker, which lets the drinker see the effects of time on a single tequila, I love that.
My only real quibble is that it's pretty expensive. Nine bucks got me a well made, but weak margarita, or about an ounce of reposado. For that price, I would expect about double what I got. Ceviche was $11. For the same price (or, perhaps, a little less) I'd recommend driving into Miguel's in Baltimore's Silo Point.
And, as good as the food was, and as courteous as the service was, I still can't shake the feeling that I got ripped off a little. I'd probably give them another shot, but I'd stick to beer and an entree, which is kind of a shame when they have such a good tequila list.
I must admit I was kind of underwhelmed by Azul. I was picturing a trendy, yuppie kind of mexican dining experience, but it was just a really crowded narrow room with people walking right between our table and the one next to us (which was close enough for me to reach out and put my arm around the dude next to me btw).
The consensus seemed to be order the guacamole and being a guac lover I was up on that. We got the rojo guacamole which was really amazing. When they ask if you want it extra spicy they aren't kidding. I'm pretty sure I went into shock, but I came out of it fine and wanting more. Really great flavors, loved the taste of chipotle peppers in it. Had veggie fajitas as our entree (carrots, squash, onions, green pepper). After the guacamole they really didn't hold up because there wasn't much flavor. I really wish there were mushrooms in the veggie selection and the sauce that they gave was kind of minty and didn't really go with it. The table was so cramped that it was really cumbersome to build and eat your fajita. It would have made for the most unsexy first date, but after six years we didn't even bat an eye at making a big mess while trying to maneuver our food as we dodged people walking up and down the narrow pathways on either side of our table.
I'd probably go again to sit in the bar, have a margarita and the guacamole, but the vegetarian options were underwhelming. It was worth the groupon price for sure, and I bet for meat-eaters it's a completely different experience. I would encourage the management to play around with different seating configurations. If our table was pushed against the wall, there would have been a much larger pathway for people to walk through and eliminate the claustrophobic feeling of people squeezing by on either side of you.
I recently had a business lunch at Azul, and it could be best described as 'fine'. Â There was really nothing objectionable in my experience: Â The interior of the strip-mall location is very nicely decorated, (I actually really liked the ambiance), the restaurant was practically deserted at 12:30 on a weekday, and service was attentive. Â
The lunch menu gave a good number of options, with most priced in the $8-10 range, which was reasonable for the portions and food quality. Â The home-made chips served before the meal were tasty and plentiful, and service was as fast as you would expected in a restaurant with only two tables occupied.
The reason I give 3 stars is that I just wasn't 'wowed' by the food. Â From the presentation and appearance I expected it to be bursting with flavor, but everything on my plate seemed sort of bland and similar, without the heat or complex flavors or freshness I expect with Mexican food. Â It didn't give me that "I want to come back and try other things on the menu" feeling. Â It was.... fine. Â Totally edible, pretty ok, etc.
As I was there for a work function, I did not try the Tequila or cocktails, but from a glance at the menu I would not be surprised if they were the true heart of the place. Â They looked great, with a huge selection.
Wish you could do half stars on yelp. This place is more a 2.5 but I don't feel its bad enough to deserve a 2 but there were too many hiccups during my experience to give a solid 3. Consider this rating a "give a penny" 3, which means somewhere down the line I'll have to give a "take a penny" 3 to another review to balance the karmic change dish.
Anyway I went to Azul 17 on the suggestion of a friend of ours who lauded their outstanding tequila selection. So the group of us (6 people) got together on a Friday night for some authentic Mexican and tequila.
We made a reservation and we were seating promptly upon arrival. 2 of us got there before the others and already had drinks served when we arrived. As many other yelpers have noted here, Azul's adult beverage selection is outstanding. There is a rather large booklet of margarita and other mixed drinks suggestions. Most of the margaritas are on the pricey end (~$13) because they use 100% blue agave tequila and fresh ingredients (no Oasis syrupy concoctions here). The price isn't an issue when the quality is good. While the drinks were quite tasty, they were not as strong as I've had at other tequila bars (Blue Agave in Fed Hill comes to mind) so I don't feel that they were a good value. As for tequilas, the selection was outstanding. The menu listed probably over 75 different brands - almost all of which had their blanco, reposado and anejo products. A very nice touch was that the menu listed tasting notes for each one. Based on the tequila you like, it is very easy to find another one that is similar and you may enjoy. Prices were decent - $7-$13 - and the pours looked to be the standard 2.5 oz. I will comment that drink service was pretty slow for my taste. It took about 15-20 minutes to get our first 3 margaritas and my tequila. In fact, I ordered another one before the first came to ensure I would be able to try different ones.
From a food perspective, Azul was a bit of a let down. I will sing high praises for their tableside made guacamole. We order the regular and rojo version and they were both fantastic. Outside of that, it was ok. I order the steak tacos. The meat filling was good but could have used more seasoning. The tortillas used as taco shells were dry and doughy. They broke in half as soon as I took a bite. Rice and beans served as sides were average, although admittedly it takes a lot for me to be impressed with spanish rice and black beans. The rest of the table seemed relatively happy with their dishes. A couple people got a seafood dish in a broth that was good but the broth was a bit salty. My wife got empanadas that she thought were pretty solid. The final person in our party got the rack of lamb that was a special and was happy with it.
So I know what you're thinking at this point, if you've even read this far - Brian, this doesn't sound like a 2.5 review. Maybe a 3.5 but not a 2.5, well here's where Azul loses a point and it may be due to my skewed perspective but hey that's what yelp is all about right? I felt like Azul was more interested in extracting more money from our party than anything else.
So my friend who got the lamb likes to be a bit adventurous when he goes out. He's not picky so he'll tell the waiter to "bring him his favorite thing on the menu". Some servers will actually bring out what they think is the best thing, others will take the opportunity to pad their check and bring out the most expensive thing on the menu; the latter is what happened at Azul 17.
Second example is that I asked for hot sauce for the meal. They brought out a small dish of housemade habanero hot sauce - a little watery but flavorful. As any restaurant I go to, I don't expect a charge for hot sauce and if you're going to charge me, I expect you to tell me. I see a $1 charge for the hot sauce on the bill.
The last thing that soured me was the auto-grat that was added. Not a fan of auto-grat in general but I understand for larger parties. Personally 6 people isn't considered a large party for my tastes but whatever, house rules. The bigger complaint was that the auto-grat was added at 20% instead of the standard 18%. I'll make note that other than the initial delay with the drinks and perhaps the questionable "favorite thing on the menu", we had no issues with the service. The amount really wasn't the issue but if you're going to go an auto-grat, it takes cahones to drop it at 20%. Our group generally tips at 20% or higher but last time I recall, industry standard is 15%. It's bad enough auto-grats are already standardized at 18%. What's next? Just make it an even 25%! Why not?!
So overall, Azul 17 is the place in Columbia for margaritas and tequila tastings. Get some drinks and guacamole. I'd consider trying another dish there since the food was ok. I've only had one thing so maybe something else will come over better. The questionable billing makes me leary of the place though. Caveat emptor.
I'll admit I was in love with the blue agave tequila, But the mixed drinks with the coconut on the rim sealed the deal. The waiters really know the menu and can advise the confused but curious like me. Great South Florida night club decor. You really would not expect it to look so vibrant and sexy from the outside since it's nestled in a small strip-mall store front. There's so much I want to go back and try now. I loved everything except the empanadas that seemed very tough.
Review Source:5 for their cocktails.
I had this place bookmarked for a while and was waiting on the time to go. It's next to my fave pho place and always looks closed from the outside.
So one fine evening I was looking for a place to go. My BFF told me explicitly "No asian" so I had to look elsewhere. This is what we came up with. (I needed a drink anyway).
When you walk in, it looks like a place in Miami which I LOVE and never want to leave when I visit. The staff were friendly, we sat in the bar area with every intention to "get it in" for the rest of the night.
There were a few other people in the restaurant, not too crowded. Our waitress promptly came and we looked at the drink menu. OMG. Best drink selection I've seen in this area. Including a lot of places in DC. Better than Victoria's for sure. I ordered the "hot and bothered" per advice of fellow yelpers and it was HOT but REALLY good.
They had other selections I can't wait to go back and try...should have taken a picture of the menu. My BFF got the mojito and it was the best one I had. Not overly sweet and nasty. Just perfect and refreshing.
For dinner I got a spicy soup with seafood, came with cilantro rice. AMAZING. Seafood was fresh, flavor was great.
I can;t wait to go back and try some of the other foods.
The guac was REALLY good, too. DEFINITELY go here for drinks/food with the girls or a nice date!
BTW, the lights flicker with the music in the bar which is no bueno. It feels like they are trying to induce a seizure instead of creating ambience.
while this place is situated in columbia, the inside has the ambience of a city restaurant. I expected a REALLY REALLY small place from the other reviews and I guess having to sit  NEAR other guests is a big deal if you are from the surburbs. It's a nice little lounge and it wasnt crowded at all while we were there on grammy night.
We liked the drinks and the cerviche. Service was very friendly. I would go back.
Okay, first and foremost I must say that our waiter was phenomenal. I didn't want that to get lost in my negative review. None of what I am about to write about has anything to do with his service.
So here we go:
The scene is meant to look posh, but when there is a bootleg hostess dressed like a gothic hooker...Azul 17...REALLY?
We sat at a table in the bar area. Â Our waiter/bartender begins to take orders...but alas there are NO side salads...why? because they want you to buy a big @ss salad instead...did I fall for it?....yesh I did. My boyfriend asked for Costillas de Cordero but there were NO costillas de cordero (even though its on the menu); actually it seemed that 40% of what was on the menu was not actually available to order. What kind of restaurant is this? So I ordered whatever, I don't even remember that unmemorable dish.
Lets be real, I came for the drinks.....except this visit.... they had NO coronas and NO Grand Marnier.... disappointing. A good margarita calls for...let say it together people...Grand Marnier! The waiter made a different suggestion on drinks...................FINALLY.... heaven in an alcoholic beverage!
The rest of the night was a blur...the restaurant emptied and the bar area filled with our laughter and delight. They played music for us since our party all of a sudden wanted to dance. So the waiter accommodated us accordingly. He pushed away all the tables and chairs from the center of the bar area just so we could dance the night away....and yes sir, we did just that. I think I even gave my boyfriend a lap-dance (yeah I know, CLASSY!).
We completed the night dancing to Oppan Gangnam Style like true fools we laughed our @$$e$ off!
All of a sudden the night didn't seem to go as bad as I thought. The pleasant night was due to our waiter...not the restaurant itself. Personally Azul 17 represented to me the 17 dishes that are on the menu but not available! So if you come to drink...drink up, but if you come to dine........pass. I will not be back.
Arrived at 6:30pm on Saturday. Our party of 2 was seated immediately in Juan's section. Â Both of us had excellent margaritas. Â
We ordered the ceviche from the nightly Special's menu. WOW. Blackberries, onions, grouper, peppers, cilantro. Exceptionally fresh, exceptionally tasty. We also shared an order of Chile Relleno with steak. Flavorful, great texture and just the right amount of heat at the end.
Juan's service was excellent. He knew when to visit the table, when to leave us alone, and came by to offer another round of drinks right when we needed them.
Neighborhood gem!
Good little lunch spot in Columbia.  The fresh guacamole had cilantro, red onions, jalepenos and shredded cheese, with chunks of avocados.  The chips were crispy so the two meshed well.  The margaritas (its was  Friday lunch!) traditional and Don Julio's Cadillac were tasty.  The tortilla soup tasted of fresh ingredients although my friend didn't fall in love.  The Huevos rancheros were served on a corn tortilla and were solid, bigger lunch meal, although the rice and beans lacked some spunk. Bottom line- try it out if you are in the mood for Mexican- especially if you want a decent drink.
Review Source:Had a nice dinner here with the SO and a friend. I was the DD, so I didn't get to try out the drink menu, but they seemed to really enjoy the drinks they had (pisco sour, wine). We tried the guacamole, which was made fresh at the table, and was very tasty. I had a nice seafood enchilada, which was very rich and tasty. Our friend had some scallops that looked quite nice as well. I would definitely like to go back and try some more items from the menu...
This is located in the strip mall off of Snowden that has the clock tower (there are two strip malls next to each other and I'm always pulling into the wrong one...)
Tried this place out with Groupon. Recommend everyone to call ahead for a reservation to get one of only three booths in the restaurant. Otherwise expect to sit next to other guests on both sides. The rest of the dining area, while not unpleasant, is small and crowded if they have a full house. Â The side by side tables don't give the servers much room for their guacamole carts. Not sure pushing around the carts is the best way to do their live guacamole in this space.
Overall staff is friendly, the drinks are delicious and my food was average. Overall I would say it's neat to try this place once to check off your Columbia bucket list but I won't go back regularly. I might come back just for happy hour.
The first time I came here with a deal. Great drinks, great server, and great guacamole. We actually came back because it was so good, even though I'm a cheapo and this was on the expensive side for me. Again I must reinforce how good the guacmole is. The first time I also ordered some other food, quesadillas I think, that weren't so great. Second had a delicious, though expensive, steak. It's a little far but I still would like to return again.
Review Source:The drinks here are five star. Be sure to try their seasonal cocktail specials. They make them with house-made infusions and fresh-squeezed juice, which makes all the difference. Hands down, this is the best margarita I've had in the Baltimore region.
Unfortunately, the food is not always four star. The guacamole is always good, and I love the home made chips. The salsa has gotten better, and is currently boasting a nice, smoky flavor. However, I've had some mediocre experiences ordering traditional Mexican fare, like the devil's cauldron (a bunch of meats and veggies served in one of their volcanic rock guac bowls) and mole enchiladas that were supposed to be pork, but I swear were made with chicken, and not so tasty chicken at that. The ceviche is also hit or miss. One time it was so bad we had to send it back. I haven't tried it since, but saw it come out last night and it looked pretty good, so maybe it's worth another shot. Fajitas and steak are a safe bet, so just order these and you'll be satisfied. Oh, and the queso fundido is phenomenal.
From the outside its just another restaurant in a strip center, which we all know Columbia has no shortage of. But inside, it's a swank Latin restaurant with a very cool bar and an clectic, unique menu. For starters, the table-prepared guacamole is a great beginning overpriced). The FREE chips and salsa are more addicting than crack and the cuisine itself is always different and tantalizing to the taste buds. I've only eaten here a few times but I've yet to have a dish that I wouldn't order again. The skirt (flank) steak is really incredible as well as the Seafood casserole. The portions are very mixed.. sometimes I want more and sometimes I want less. It really depends on the dish you order. The service is always good and the restaurant is always full (at least when I go during the week). I hear they do a salsa night so I'll be back for that shortly as well.
P.S. this restaurant is on <a href="/redir?url=http%3A%2F%2Frestaurant.com&s=c5fe485af4df376130bee54f875814d79c4d7913e1258123b1206d2bdbf4873b" target="_blank" rel="nofollow">http://restaurant.com</a>. This means that for $25 you can get a $40 credit towards your bill. Since this is a fairly expensive Latin restaurant I highly advise buying this coupon before your first visit. This way, if you don't like it (which I doubt will be the case) you at least got a killer deal out of the experience!
Decor decent -- modern/trendy//hip music.
Food above average. Service bad -- Elizabeth our waitress had an attitude problem -- I was asking for description of some food items and her response was "it's self explanatory" then she walked off right in the middle of speaking to me and didnt come back. Only her kind coworker was very helpful as he took our order.
There are nights when you know you're going to a five-star restaurant for a five-star experience. You get dressed up, block out an evening and are generally prepared for excellence. Then there are nights when you just want dinner, and a five-star experience sneaks up on you. If possible, I think I enjoy those surprises even more.
My husband and I went to Azul 17 because 1) we had just come back from the beach and didn't feel like cooking, and 2) we had a Groupon we wanted to use up. We knew nothing besides the type of cuisine (Mexican.) In our chlorine-perfumed clothing with sunburned cheeks, we just wanted to fill our bellies and relax a little.
Upon arrival, we immediately felt underdressed next to the hipster couples who whispered and smiled at each other across the starkly modern tables. A colorfully-backlit bar, iridescent wall finishes and folk art had struck an uneasy alliance, none dominating the others for control of the ambience. We selected drinks and a few dishes to share, made small talk and then spent the rest of the night picking up our jaws off the floor. Each new course had a completely different flavor, accompanied by a rich sauce and impeccably fresh garnishes. I have never, ever had Mexican food like this before!
Drinks: several Mexican beers, but trust me, the margaritas are the main star here. I chose the Lola, with guava nectar and cilantro (cilantro in a cocktail?! Might be the new sliced bread.)
Meal: Tortilla soup was in a wide, shallow bowl, a spicy red base studded with chicken and tortilla strips, topped with avocado and crema. We fought each other for every bite. Then came shrimp taquitos with a pepita-laced mole sauce. For an entree, we split the barbacoa enchiladas, served in a spicy, chocolatey mole with crumbles of cheese and ribbons of crunchy lettuce. Every dish was a spectacular, unique experience.
Now is where it gets truly magical: our waiter had been cordial and professional all evening, not making us feel the least bit out of place (even though, truly, we were!) I ordered a coconut flan for dessert, and in the spirit of the delightfully complex dishes we had been enjoying all evening, was emboldened to ask whether they served cafe de olla. A bit of background: my father traveled to Mexico City on business several decades ago, and since then has not faltered in a quest to find this transcendent drink in the US. So far we've struck out: because it has to be made fresh every 30 minutes or so, most kitchens don't want to keep a burner out of commission all night. But I'm sure you can guess that Azul 17 makes it, and that it was the best I'd ever had -- served in a silver pot with cinnamon and a delicious caramel flavor from the raw cones of sugar they use to sweeten the brew. Drunk alongside bites of the creamiest, most decadent flan I've ever tasted, it was the perfect ending to the perfect -- surprise! -- five-star meal.
Next time? We're definitely trying the homemade guacamole, prepared tableside. Despite our incredible experience, we had major appetizer envy!
Whoa! I had no idea that Columbia had such a swank place tucked away in a strip mall. I found this place via Living Social. Â I'm really glad I got the deal!
Got the fish of the day. Sea bass with a spicy mango sauce. YUM! Â It was amazing! Â The fish was fresh and crusted with plantains. Â Not only does it taste good, but they do a really good job with presentation! (See my posted pic of this dish). Their chips and salsa were also house made so they were super fresh and highly addictive. Â No bueno for us on a diet!
We went during the weekday and it was pretty much dead at around 6PM. Â I hope this is not the case on the weekends. Â This is a very nice place. Â Almost something you would find in downtown DC...but its in Columbia.
They also have a very extensive tequila menu....so one of these days I will have to be back to do a tequila tasting.
Went here with a friend. We got some margaritas which tasted very strong but did not get us tipsy at all! Next time I will avoid the margaritas and try the sangria.
For the food, we got the guacamole which they make in front of you and it was pretty good. Then my friend and I shared the fish tacos which were very good, but you can't ever really go wrong with fish tacos. Overall, I feel like it was a little overpriced for mediocre drinks and food. Service was good though.
Azul 17 has been a place I've wanted to try for a while. Â Finally, a colleague and I went for lunch.
The ambiance is pretty cool. Â Even though it is in a small shopping center, they've tried to really make it nice. Â And I think they did a great job with it.
Our server efficiently went over the specials, and when he asked if we had been there before (neither of us had), he described the cuisine. Â They use fresh ingredients, and are authentic Mexican.
I love guacamole, and ceviche, so off the bat I ordered both. Â The guac, made table side, was amazing. Â They give you three options of types (traditional, with chipotle, and one with crab), but you can pick whichever and tweak it to your liking. Â We got traditional, and it was wonderful as is. Â The red snapper ceviche we ordered was equally as good.
I ordered a steak burrito, and it was huge. Â Besides the generous portion, the steak was good quality and marinated. Â It wasn't your typical Tex Mex burrito, and the flavors were amazing. Â My colleague raved about his steak quesadilla, and dessert-a chocolate cake layered with flan on top.
I didn't find the prices extravagant. Â For the guacamole, ceviche, two dishes, and one dessert, it was less than $50. Â And I had plenty to take home.
Throughout our experience, the service was very good. Â We had our drinks refilled frequently, and were paid attention to regularly but without being too much. Â At the end, our server explained the happy hour (daily from 4-6) and also let us know about salsa lessons every Thursday.
The only thing that I didn't understand was how there weren't more people in the restaurant. Â This place is great, and I plan on going back many times!
Ate here last night for the first time and had a pretty good time. Â We brought our daughter, and they were incredibly accommodating. I was afraid it wouldn't be kid-friendly, but it was just fine!
Drinks:
I had a mojito and my husband had the Mexican mojito. Â Both were pretty standard. Drinks were priced on the high end, but not outrageous.
Food:
This is where they are losing some stars. Â Both meals were just okay, but neither of us really liked our entrees. Â We tried the chicken and shrimp in a cream sauce - it needed just a bit more flavor. I really liked the rice though. Â We also had the chicken enchiladas (forget what they were called). The sauce was a bit too chocolatey for our liking. Â Loved the chips and dip. Tasty, and different than regular salsa.
Service:
Great! Both the hostess and our waitress were friendly and attentive.
So overall, didn't love it, but maybe we just unlucky with what we ordered. We might give it 1 more shot sometime in the future.
If you want the same old Tex-Mex menu, just head for the dozens of other "Mexican" restaurant offerings you'll find in Columbia.
If you want authentic interpretations of Mexican cuisine with a chef's presentation, Azul 17 is your place....Tableside Guacamole custom made to order... A creative list of Margarita's made with premium tequila's & the freshest ingredients... And everything on the main menu from Fresh Ceviche's, to Tapas, to the wonderful signature dishes that are all modern interpretations of Traditional Mexican flavors.
If you want a spicy kick to accompany your meal I HIGHLY recommend their "La Raspa" Margarita that uses chili infused premium tequilla and fresh ingredients along with a chili/salt rimmed glass.
Service was BAD! Our server scolded us when we told him he brought the wrong food!! He argued with us, Â then actually brought a menu to us to prove we order differently! WTF!?!? I set him straight and left him a bad tip.
Side Note: I tip awesome if you are good!
With that said - Food was really yummy - but over priced. Got the Fish Taco and veggie tacos (surprisingly fresh and flavorful!!) Rice and beans on the side were good too.
Just don't know if i could go back - but if i do, i will choose a lady waitress and hope for a much better experience!!
Four ladies out to dinner on a Friday night. Our reservation was for 8 o'clock, the place was pretty much packed. The ambiance was nice, the decor was simple and clean, really liked it a lot.
We did wait a little for a server to come join us, but he turned out to be more than attentive - Carlos rocked!! :)
I tried the drink La Diabla - excellent hot pepper and mango infused Tequila - with cayenne pepper on the rim - If you love spicy, this is the way to go! Yum!! Another girlfriend tried the La Inamorata - toasted coconut on the rim - also excellent.
For starters we had ceviche - delicious! We also tried the guacamole rojo - guac & chipotle - also decious. Their salsa is very tasty.
At dinner - the opinions were a bit different. One of us had the most delicious meal - a leg of lamb on top of spicy mashed potatoes and spicy creamy sauce - don't remember the exact name - it was HUGE and DELICIOUS!
We also had the Carnitas Patria - roasted pork sautéed until crispy with a trio of bell peppers & onions served with boniato mash over a black bean chorizo broth. The meat was cubed, very dry - totally different than expected.
Another meal was a crusted chilean seabass over pesto rice and mango sauce. It was pretty good, except the fish needed a bit more flavor - rather small portion, also.
The last meal was a skirt steak accompanied by a roasted tomatoes, grilled cactus and hot sauce - this was delicious as well. Don't care much for the cactus though, personal preference, I suppose.
Overall we had fun, Carlos was a great host, would go back for appetizers and drinks.
This was one of the best Mexican food experiences I've had in a long time. Â Guacamole they make at your table (we had the rojo, so good and fresh), good chips and salsa, and excellent margaritas. Â Yeah, the decor is a little too hipster for it's own good (the funky chairs are kind of murder on your back). Â But the food makes up for it in spades. Â My wife had the Enchilada de Mole Colorado, while I had the Carnitas (can't remember the exact name, but it's not the Paritas). Â her dish was divine, mine was good;the pork was a titch sweet, and I could have used a few more tortillas.
And yeah, the margaritas...  It's hard to pick just one.  I had the diabla (which uses a habañero-infused vodka) and another one that used prickly pear puree (very tasty).  My wife had the Mexicana (with watermelon) and the Horny (crap name, but looked good with the blueberry puree).  Definitely want to come back again and try the rest of their menu.  And our server was very attentive and took great care of us (apparently, his uncle's the chef).
The place is a titch expensive, especially if you order drinks, but still, I thought it was worth it. Â One of the few great Mexican places in the area in my humble opinion.
I can't speak to the authenticity, but it's tasty as all hell.
We popped in early one evening for dinner. We were really looking at the Indian place next door (see Victoria's comment about the best ways to get rid of a cold) but they weren't open yet. So we tried this place out. Such a good idea.
Ups: Excellent carnitas, great fresh ingredients, a salsa that left my head smoking (not the stuff on the table, ask them for the habanero salsa in the kitchen!). And it was just as good the next day. I tried Rogue's Chipotle beer and found it a little disappointing, then followed it up with a Green Flash (IPA fans, write this down) and was happy as hell. Spicy food with spicy beer? Yes.
Downs: Now I'm gonna have to brew a chilibeer just to prove that they can be good. :D
It tries way too hard
I'm a little conflicted about because the food was pretty good but it has some issues
Décor- So the place in a strip mall but looks like an overly trendy DC type of place inside. They have white leather seat(and they really don't hide the dirt), a lot of murals and strange looking modern art is off putting.
Service- It was just really bad extremely slow and the staff was really snooty.
Food- it was pretty good. Authentic Mexican no Tex Mex. The table side guacamole was really good. Â I had the Tarahumara Steak which I found a little ironic since the Tarahumara don't eat much meat. It was good but honestly I had way better Mexican food in a gas station a few miles away.
So go if you must. I don't think you'll hate it just temper your expectations and break out your wallet because it pretty pricey
When I have a bad cold, I like to play fire with fire and eat the spiciest food I can find to try to clear it out.
Luckily, one day when we were out and about in Columbia, I had a cold, and we found Azul 17.
It had just opened for the night, thus was very quiet. Our waitress was very attentive, and when I asked for hotter salsa, she brought a dish of their homemade habanero sauce - which properly lit my face on fire. It was spicier than your mom.
The food was delicious, and well-presented. However, evidently I insulted them by asking for hot sauce with my dinner... because the waitress then scoffed at me and told me to use the habanero sauce that came with our chips.
After two margaritas, I wasn't even buzzed. I was the saddest panda with a cold, but the food and atmosphere were good enough on their own to warrant 4 stars.
I can't believe Azul 17 only has a three-star rating. WTF, Maryland Yelpers? It looks like some early reviews are dragging it down. You owe it to yourself to try this place again if you were "meh" the first time around. We enjoyed great food and service on our recent trip -- I guess they worked out the new restaurant kinks.
Our group tried probably a half-dozen different types of margaritas, and while we did have our favorites, they were all winners. The food was absolutely delicious, but I felt a little overpriced for traditional Mexican (my skirt steak special was $25). There are less expensive menu options, so don't be scared off... just choose wisely, because with the booze, your bill can add up *fast*.
The service was excellent. Our waiter made one heck of a good guacamole for a white guy! We were not rushed -- plenty of time to enjoy our drinks and chat between courses -- but our food always arrived hot and fresh.
If you were disappointed the first time around, give them another shot. If you've never been, go now!
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