"A larger-than-life Elvis statue is at the door. The ceiling is plastered from end to end, and the walls from top to bottom, with framed movie posters for films like "Blue Hawaii," "Viva Las Vegas" and "King Creole," many in other languages. Tchotchkes, statues and framed news clippings about the King abound. A television flickers with grainy black-and-white Elvis performances. And the soundtrack to all of this? Yep, you guessed it."
"Unlike, say, the Mickey Mouse-shaped pancakes at a Disneyland area hotel, the food here sticks solidly to its lane, including well-prepared standards like taquitos, enchiladas and chile verde, as well as gigantic margaritas. It's a backdrop to, well, the backdrop."
"Stewart bought the restaurant in 2014 from second owner J.J. Jauregui, whose aunt Connie opened the restaurant in 1957 and passed it over to J.J. in 1993. The younger Jauregui was a lifelong fan of Elvis and purchased his first framed photo of the King - which still hangs over a booth in the restaurant's bar - in the mid-1990s."
"Current owner Jennifer Stewart estimates that there are "thousands" of Elvis-related trinkets housed in the restaurant - and, believe it or not, at one point there were more."
Azteca is a two-story Spanish-style Mexican restaurant in Garden Grove, near Anaheim, known for its Elvis-themed interior. A second-floor balcony overlooks Main Street with an Elvis figure, and the entrance features a larger-than-life Elvis statue. The ceiling and walls are covered with framed movie posters, statues, and news clippings, including references to Blue Hawaii, Viva Las Vegas, and King Creole. Grainy black-and-white Elvis performances play on television, and Elvis music fills the space. Despite the elaborate theme, the menu stays traditional, offering taquitos, enchiladas, chile verde, and large margaritas. The current owner estimates thousands of Elvis items, with the collection once even larger.
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