Cazador Mexican Restaurant - Ames

Sunday was Cinco de Mayo and since we love all things Mexican, we simply had to celebrate the Mexican army's unlikely victory over French forces at the Battle of Puebla. And besides, it's a great excuse to drink margaritas and eat Mexican food.

We chose to celebrate at Cazador Mexican Restaurant in Ames.

 Cazador's reopened in February at 3605 Lincoln Way in Ames after being closed for 8 months. They did some major renovations and turned it into a clean, bright spot for some good authentic Mexican food.

There is also another Cazador location in Ankeny, both owned by the same family.

The menu features all of your Mexican favorites - tacos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, several seafood selections, lots of great appetizers and a few desserts, including homemade flan. Margaritas were only $2 on Cinco de Mayo, so we enjoyed a couple with some chips and slightly spicy salsa.

I hadn't had fajitas for quite a while, so I ordered the chicken and steak combo. So delicious! They come, of course, on a sizzling cast iron dish, and were muy caliente! I loved that the hot pan created little bits of crunchy goodness on the veggies and meat. Served with rice, excellent refried beans, sour cream and guacamole, this was a huge meal. I had enough left over for lunch the next day. Totally awesome.

Here's a close-up of the steaming chicken and steak fajitas.

Grant went with the fish tacos. Crispy, fried fish was topped with a slaw and tasty sauce. The three big tacos come with rice and those yummy refried beans - another generous portion of great food.

Service was quick and efficient - we had barely sat down when we had our margaritas in front of us. Being Cinco de Mayo, it was busy in the restaurant, but we only waited about 10 minutes for our meals. Several waiters ensured our meal was satisfactory and brought us another margarita, of course!

If you're looking for a good place for Mexican in Ames, don't hesitate to stop in at Cazador Mexican Restaurant on Lincoln Way in west Ames. Great food, great service, we'll be back.

Cazador Mexican Restaurant

3605 Lincoln Way
Ames, IA 50014

515.296.1110

Hours

Monday - Thursday  11am - 2pm, 4:30pm - 10pm
Friday  11am - 2pm, 4:30pm - 11pm
Saturday - Sunday  11am - 10pm