According to a sign posted on their door, Azteca (2319 NW Market St) is closing its doors for good at the end of February. The sign (pictured) points to their lease ending as the reason for the restaurant closure.
Azteca has been a fixture of Market Street for 40 years, and although the restaurant has franchised since then, the Ballard location has been the longest in operation.
The restaurant has been owned and operated by the Ramos family since its opening and the family wishes to “thank the Ballard community for 40 years of incredible support.”
Azteca is set to go out with a bang tomorrow night with a DJ and dance party until 2 a.m. Check out the Ballard Azteca Facebook page for more details.
Oh, no! This is the oldest location since the original Burien Azteca moved to a newer building and ditto the Bellevue location. They abandoned the Shilshole location for the same reason. The lease was up and they wanted too much money for a new one. Now it isn’t even a public business but a private residence. Another sad day for Ballard has it transforms away from its working class roots to its new urban village theme. !Adios mis amigos! I will see you in… Northgate?!
Actually I heard old man Goodman bought this location as well. His plan is to raze the current structure, then build a quasi-Mediterranean shrine to his realty company where he can sit on the rooftop deck with a cigar and scoff at the peons below looking for Mexican food.
Sad. I guess Ballard is getting to be too uppity for a middle-class, family place like Azteca.
Hey wait, the Azteca on Shilshole was Acapulco before Azteca and Golden Tides ( unfortunate name) before that. Now it’s a weird creepy giant house(?) with the ghosts of nachos and deck divers roaming around……I waited tables at Acapulco, and Hiram’s back when Ballard was fishermen and old folks, and Yuppies populated Shilshole.
Kath,
Goodman lives in that house that used to be Azteca.
He built it out as a personal residence some years ago.
the food at the market street location went way downhill about 10 years ago. I’m sorry, but it’s not loss to the street IMHO
Sad, enjoyed many birthdays and various dinners there nearly 20 years now. I dont care if its Americanized Mexican food I had some good memories there. I will miss it and I especially miss the one in the former Golden Tides location on Shilshoe. I guess Ballard is “too good” for a place like Azteca now.
I am sad to hear that azteca is closing and leaving ballard! I greatly miss the old Shilshole location as a restaurant period. I went there as a child when it was Golden Tides and Acapulcos. It really is a special location and miss it tremendously. All the changes in Ballard are overwhelming, but no Azteca? Wow.
Ballard is defiantly not the same. Good old ballard is gone. What’s next to go?
The Shilshole Azteca was the best. Great views and great bar upstairs. Anybody used to go there for Monday Night Football? It was hard to get a seat. Not expensive with drink and food specials and lots of friendly locals. People of all ages, in their 20’s to in their 60’s. I really miss that! It defied the clique-ish Seattle stereotype. What the heck happened?
I have a good memories of eating & celebrating birthdays. Its been a part of Ballard my whole life. Thanks for all the wonderful years!!! We miss your great food….
“Ballard is defiantly not the same. ”
Yes, it’s getting better and has learned how to spell.
Azteca was terrible, Americanized Mexican slop.
Good god you whining babies. In case someone forgot to tell you Seattle is a CITY. Do you know what cities do? They CHANGE. Deal with it or go move to the suburbs. Seattle isn’t a sleepy little suburb, it’s a semi-major city.
Good luck to the owners and thanks for the memories!
Quite possibly the worst Mexican restaurant in Seattle.
Thanks for your comments El Cam and jorgebob,
reading these posts I thought I had bought a one-way ticket to the Twilight Zone……