Camillus, N.Y. — Azteca Mexican Grill in Camillus possesses a few qualities that have kept us coming back over the years. There is the familiarity of the menu, a pages-long Tex-Mex/Americanized Mexican list of enchiladas, burritos, tacos and other dishes that has not changed much since its 2011 opening.
We have also come to appreciate its attention to dietary restrictions. As the parent of a child with celiac disease, they flag gluten-free items on the menu, work to prevent cross-contamination and fry their tortilla chips in separate oil from wheat-containing items.
What Azteca does offers is something few restaurants in the area can deliver: proximity. On a Friday night after working a full week, sometimes you’re willing to sacrifice other things for the restaurant closest to you. And with an abundance of local Mexican restaurants offering nearly identical menus, the shortest drive sometimes is the most important detail. I live in Camillus, so we alternate between Adelita’s Mexican Cocina and Tequila on West Genesee Street, and Azteca’s 15-year-old home at the corner of Milton Avenue and Hinsdale Road when Mexican food is on our minds…