BUFFALO, N.Y. (WKBW) — Work hard. Be kind. Eat tacos.
It's that fun and simple motto that has helped establish Casa Azul as one of the most celebrated taquerias in Western New York.
"I thought there was a vacancy in Buffalo for contemporary creative Mexican food," says Zina Lapi, who is the owner and chef at Casa Azul, "A lot of what we had here in the past was like Tex-Mex, so I wanted to give the people of Buffalo something different."
It's a concept that Lapi originally opened on Genesee Street six years ago before the classically trained chef, and Buffalo native, decided to move Casa Azul to the crossroads of the Allentown neighbor in 2021.
"I've just always been in love with this area," says Lapi.
And that love is not hard to find at Casa Azul.
The full-service restaurant boasts a welcoming relaxed atmosphere and a creative menu that is packed with fresh house-made flavors. "We make our own tortillas, we make all of our salsas, all of our sauces. The bar does all fresh juice. We make everything daily. It's a lot to keep up with, but it definitely is worth it," says Lapi.
During our visit Lapi showed me how her incredible team uses a hand-press to make every tortilla using fresh masa. She then used several of the tortillas to put together one of Caza Azul's most popular dishes Tacos Al Pastor.
Tacos Al Pastor uses marinated pork that has been spinning in delight on an in-house rotisserie. The shredded pork is then added to the fresh tortilla and topped with marinated onions, fresh pineapple and cilantro.
It's a picture perfect taco that Lapi expected to make hundreds of times on the day of our visit. Casa Azul had prepared to crank out more than 3000 tacos as part of the restaurant's Cinco De Mayo Celebration.
"It's going to be fun, honestly one of my favorite days of the year."
Perhaps the only thing busier than the kitchen, is the bar. Bar Manager Danny Lickers told us he was ready to match every house-made taco with a carefully crafted margarita. Casa Azul's 'Casa Rita" uses Arette blanco tequila, Pueblo Viejo Anejo, Curacao, and freshly squeezed lime juice.
So whether you are looking for fresh made food, a refreshing cocktail, or one of the area's most incredible patios, Casa Azul says come celebrate, as the restaurant with a hometown chef has the perfect mix for a bright future.
"I think I'm just hoping to keep growing, and keep going in the right direction. That goes for the restaurant, that goes for Buffalo, and that goes for me personally. I think an upward trajectory is the move," said Lapi.
