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.

Unfortunately, our initial impression of the staff wasn't great. Understandably, they were stressed and short-staffed. It was quite surprising to stand at the entrance for about 10 minutes without any acknowledgment or greeting; not even a “Hello” or “We’ll be with you shortly.” We nearly left but decided to stay and see if things improved once we were seated. They did. Our server was friendly despite being overwhelmed, which was a welcome relief. However, the drinks took about 20 minutes to arrive, even though we chose beer and wine for simplicity. This wait felt quite long; the vibe would have been completely different if we had received our drinks while waiting for our food. In fact, we noted that we would have happily ordered a second round if we had the chance. On a positive note, the beer selection was excellent, and the Imperial Stout was particularly outstanding. Now, onto the food—I can only praise the quality. The kitchen is truly talented, with creative flavor combinations that made the meal shine. I had cauliflower tacos and sampled several sides, all of which I'd gladly order again; they were that good. As for the atmosphere, there’s a lovely patio out back, complete with heat lamps and inviting lighting that makes you want to return in the evening. Although we had a rocky start, I’m happy to say it was just a matter of timing. The talent is definitely present; it just happened to be an off moment. I look forward to coming back soon.