Azu Restaurant Bar - OJAI

We enjoyed lunch on the back terrace. It was a nice day to drink drinks with friends. We shared the guacamole with chips and a delicious salad. Great ambience, nice and helpful staff. Wish we lived closer so that we often visit and try other items on the menu!

Deliciously recommended. Ordnet Take Out: Pozole Soup, Chicken Mole Verde, and a Blackberry Sage Margarita for two. Everything was delicious, fresh and well done. Just some of the best chickens we've ever had. The drink had a good amount of tequila (a plus! . Pick-up service by phone was incredibly easy and the service was friendly. The only drawback could be the prices (it is moderate. But for a large upscale meal it is available and worth the splurge. Thank you for having us

Had a cocktail there and it was great! The staff was friendly and so nice. We had no food, but would definitely go back. Really cool atmosphere

I don't know about you, but I think putting a tree in the middle of a dining room is the epitome of the class. I am full here for the indoor outdoor vibes and also the wood. I'm not fighting with wood. Classic building materials, but it is worth saying that as a community we should make the greatest possible effort to harvest sustainably. You may already be aware, but about forty percent of the food produced in the mother country is wasted. In view of this, I was impressed by the portions at Azu. The Paella was the perfect amount for sharing four people. We also ordered the Carnitas (I forgot, but as a drink of the left broth for dessert), which was meaty fuss on a cast iron pan. Oh and for apps the Guac and the Ceviche are clutch. Our Noah server was a jewel. Friendly, funny, knowledgeable and the perfect amount of attention. Really stellar shirt game on this man. Right. I can't believe I almost forgot to mention the bathrooms. You know, make bathrooms or break the experience. Well. Azu only pulls a nice private toilet into every corner of the restaurant. I think under my family we used quite a lot of them, a pretty feat. One thing we learned during Covid is that when in public, ALWAYS take a bathroom on his offer. You never know how long it will be before you find someone else. Even naturalpees should not be illegal. Well, I can see how it could come out of hand, but it is certainly not predatory behavior if done right. Holy cow, I almost forgot to talk about the house Tortillas made. So soft. So thick. Some of the best I've ever pressed on my tongue. And you can take that to the bank.

We stopped by yesterday after having made a reservation a few days in advance. The curb appeal is good and the location is right on the main street running through downtown. The visual first impression was impressive; lots of hardwood and a well designed bar, complete with decorative taps and well displayed bottles. Of course, the ambiance is hard to pick up on right now due to the restrictive measures on distance and masks etc. You are required to wear a mask when you enter and as you leave along with any time you get up to use the restroom or venture outside of your immediate table. That 's not specific to Azu, but it is worth noting because the atmosphere would be a huge draw once the restrictions are removed. The initial impression of the staff was unfortunate. They were understandably stressed as they made us aware that they were short staffed. While this is understandable, it was really odd to stand in the door for truly 10 minutes without any eye contact. Not even a Hello, so sorry, but we will be with you shortly . Nothing. We would have left, but I wanted to see if the situation would improve once we were seated. It did. The server was pleasant despite being overworked. This was appreciated. The drinks took about 20 minutes to arrive even though we chose beer and wine to make things simple. So, the wait was really long. It would have been a completely different vibe if the drinks were brought while we waited for the food to arrive. In fact, we noted that we would have ordered a 2nd round happily if we had the opportunity. On the positive side, the beer was excellent. Great selection. The Imperial Stout was awesome. On to the food. I have nothing but praise for the quality of the food. Truly a talented kitchen; flavor combinations and creativity saved the day. I had the cauliflower tacos along with a sampling several sides. I 'd order the same again because this meal deserved a second round. As far as atmosphere, there is a beautiful patio out back, complete with heat lamps and lighting begging you to come back in the evening. This one started out rough, but in the end I am happy to say this was just bad timing. The talent is there; the moment was off. I 'll be coming back again soon.