We were very disappointed in Azu. The service was poor. The food is decent and the ambience, cozy and relaxed. The bacon-wrapped scallops were delicious, but the appetizer only included two of them. The Caesar salad was very generous, and the smoked salmon topping really added to the great flavor. The very small portion of Chilean sea bass had a very fishy taste and smell, not quite fresh, and was overly salted. The mashed potatoes were rather mushy and also too salty. We did enjoy the curly carrots and other grilled vegetables on the dish. We ordered a side of spinach, but only received a two- tablespoon portion, for the full side dish price. Our server seemed to disappear (or went on break) for most of our time here. Another waiter had to bring us some of our food. Halfway through the meal I reminded our server of the wine we ordered, but it never came. They also appeared to be rather removed and uninvolved, uninterested in their job, with a poor attitude. We informed our second waiter about the stale fish, but they (and the manager or owner at the bar) seemed quite unconcerned. This could be a great restaurant if they put more emphasis on customer service and adjusted the portions to be more in line with this type of restaurant and price range. It was definitely not a good value, considering the poor quality of the entrée and the service.
AlanP, July 11, 2007
No consistency. Good food most of the time and best when the owner is present. Service has been anything from great to horrible. On one occasion we sat in the waiting area for 20 minutes looking for service from a cocktail waitress before leaving and going to the Ojai Valley Inn. On another occasion - showed up on a Saturday evening at 8:15 pm and although approx 30 people sitting at tables we were told they were no longer serving - even though we could see a waitress taking an order. The explanation was that the owner was not there so they were closing early!
Have noticed a large turnover in employees. Give it a try. Caesar Salad, Tapas, Filet, thumbs up
BC, November 3, 2007
We are always sad to see a poor review for our family owned restaurant. We try very hard, but In some cases there is just no pleasing people.
Our portions are large, and much larger then those you would get in Spain or any major city. Unfortunately, some patrons can not understand anything other than the american style dining experience, where you get 2 pounds of pasta in a bowl. We firmly believe that quality counts, and quality costs, both ourselves, and the valued patron.
We love feeding people, and creating a "High End" atmosphere for Diners who enjoy treating themselves. Unfortunately, we also take a lot of abuse in the course of our business from people that simply won't understand that, sometimes you have to wait ten minutes for a table. Sometimes a charge will be attached once you've finished your 4th basket of high end locally baked bread between 2 people. Sometimes food takes 15 minutes to cook when it's being cooked fresh. For these things our wait staff and manager have been screamed at, threatened, had bread thrown at them, and been otherwise abused on a regular basis, only to find that these people have then come and posted a review about how unreasonable our service is.
If you like fine dining, and know roughly what it costs to eat well, anywhere outside of Ojai, then please do come and enjoy Azu.
If you are looking for larger portions and and lesser prices, Carrows is three blocks west of Azu on Main street.
Elizabeth Haffner, Azu Ojai, April 5, 2008
I have been eating at AZU since it opened a number of years to go. I always find the food to be excellent, the service to be good and the ambiance exciting. The stuffed dates, the calamari bilbao,and the finnochio salad are my favorites. I admire that this family owned restaurant has the insight to listen to their customers and make changes accordingly. I have watched this restaurant morph from one style to another and each time the change is smooth and transparent leaving the Ojai community with just what they were asking for. I highly recommend AZU for a memorable dining experience
Adrian Sweet, April 10, 2008
The best restaurant in the world is home cooking, the next best is AZU. Quality ingredients, enthusiasm for the eating experience, honest bar and an excellent wine list.
At home we make what we think is the best Caesar Salad, we’ve found another and it’s from AZU. No mayonnaise, real honest to goodness cool and crisp greens, fresh Spanish Olive oil, garlic, anchovy’s, Lemon, spices and freshly grated Reggiano Parmesan. Like any really good restaurant who cares about their cuisine, AZU makes theirs from scratch and sometimes is takes time for it to come out of the kitchen, being that we love our food to be prepared properly the wait is always worth it. At home a proper meal takes hours to prepare properly, if you expect less from a serious restaurant, you should eat fast food.
Up here in Ojai we don’t have an abundance of great food, or an abundance of experienced waitpersons. So AZU stands out like an oasis.
If you’re here for a visit, we suggest that you book a reservation and enjoy your visit, the food is consistently great.
Reviews from Publications and Diners
Love Sundays at Azu with Gina between 12 and 2. Good eats and bloodys.
Chris, OjaiMedia
We were very disappointed in Azu. The service was poor. The food is decent and the ambience, cozy and relaxed. The bacon-wrapped scallops were delicious, but the appetizer only included two of them. The Caesar salad was very generous, and the smoked salmon topping really added to the great flavor. The very small portion of Chilean sea bass had a very fishy taste and smell, not quite fresh, and was overly salted. The mashed potatoes were rather mushy and also too salty. We did enjoy the curly carrots and other grilled vegetables on the dish. We ordered a side of spinach, but only received a two- tablespoon portion, for the full side dish price. Our server seemed to disappear (or went on break) for most of our time here. Another waiter had to bring us some of our food. Halfway through the meal I reminded our server of the wine we ordered, but it never came. They also appeared to be rather removed and uninvolved, uninterested in their job, with a poor attitude. We informed our second waiter about the stale fish, but they (and the manager or owner at the bar) seemed quite unconcerned. This could be a great restaurant if they put more emphasis on customer service and adjusted the portions to be more in line with this type of restaurant and price range. It was definitely not a good value, considering the poor quality of the entrée and the service.
AlanP, July 11, 2007
No consistency. Good food most of the time and best when the owner is present. Service has been anything from great to horrible. On one occasion we sat in the waiting area for 20 minutes looking for service from a cocktail waitress before leaving and going to the Ojai Valley Inn. On another occasion - showed up on a Saturday evening at 8:15 pm and although approx 30 people sitting at tables we were told they were no longer serving - even though we could see a waitress taking an order. The explanation was that the owner was not there so they were closing early!
Have noticed a large turnover in employees. Give it a try. Caesar Salad, Tapas, Filet, thumbs up
BC, November 3, 2007
We are always sad to see a poor review for our family owned restaurant. We try very hard, but In some cases there is just no pleasing people.
Our portions are large, and much larger then those you would get in Spain or any major city. Unfortunately, some patrons can not understand anything other than the american style dining experience, where you get 2 pounds of pasta in a bowl. We firmly believe that quality counts, and quality costs, both ourselves, and the valued patron.
We love feeding people, and creating a "High End" atmosphere for Diners who enjoy treating themselves. Unfortunately, we also take a lot of abuse in the course of our business from people that simply won't understand that, sometimes you have to wait ten minutes for a table. Sometimes a charge will be attached once you've finished your 4th basket of high end locally baked bread between 2 people. Sometimes food takes 15 minutes to cook when it's being cooked fresh. For these things our wait staff and manager have been screamed at, threatened, had bread thrown at them, and been otherwise abused on a regular basis, only to find that these people have then come and posted a review about how unreasonable our service is.
If you like fine dining, and know roughly what it costs to eat well, anywhere outside of Ojai, then please do come and enjoy Azu.
If you are looking for larger portions and and lesser prices, Carrows is three blocks west of Azu on Main street.
Elizabeth Haffner, Azu Ojai, April 5, 2008
I have been eating at AZU since it opened a number of years to go. I always find the food to be excellent, the service to be good and the ambiance exciting. The stuffed dates, the calamari bilbao,and the finnochio salad are my favorites. I admire that this family owned restaurant has the insight to listen to their customers and make changes accordingly. I have watched this restaurant morph from one style to another and each time the change is smooth and transparent leaving the Ojai community with just what they were asking for. I highly recommend AZU for a memorable dining experience
Adrian Sweet, April 10, 2008
The best restaurant in the world is home cooking, the next best is AZU. Quality ingredients, enthusiasm for the eating experience, honest bar and an excellent wine list.
At home we make what we think is the best Caesar Salad, we’ve found another and it’s from AZU. No mayonnaise, real honest to goodness cool and crisp greens, fresh Spanish Olive oil, garlic, anchovy’s, Lemon, spices and freshly grated Reggiano Parmesan. Like any really good restaurant who cares about their cuisine, AZU makes theirs from scratch and sometimes is takes time for it to come out of the kitchen, being that we love our food to be prepared properly the wait is always worth it. At home a proper meal takes hours to prepare properly, if you expect less from a serious restaurant, you should eat fast food.
Up here in Ojai we don’t have an abundance of great food, or an abundance of experienced waitpersons. So AZU stands out like an oasis.
If you’re here for a visit, we suggest that you book a reservation and enjoy your visit, the food is consistently great.
Bruce and Marie Botnick
Bruce and Marie Botnick, April 28, 2008