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Address and Contact Information
Address: 853 Merrimon Ave, Asheville, NC 28804
Phone: (828) 505-0086
Website: https://aycarambagrillandbar.com/
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It makes me happy to have all my customers happy and satisfied with our food and service. Mexican Restaurant · $$.
Reviews
Brinson Rentz
Chips were very burnt, got the burrito cheese steak. It looked really small but I didn’t think much of it, half way through I felt like there was no meat in it, so I opened it up to find this…
… moreAnsleigh Banks
This has always been my go to spot! I normally get the “Quesabirria” but this time I chose the “Birria Burrito” It was so big you could’ve shared it with another person. I couldn’t even get half way through it without getting full. It’s stuffed with so much cheese. I was in heaven! 13.99 Thank you guys for the awesome drinks, service and food! It is always a pleasure. 10000/10
… moreLockie Hunter
Wildly inconsistent but excellent food much of the time.
I am giving this restaurant a rating of 4, because sometimes it’s excellent and is a 5+, and sometimes it hovers between a 2 and 3. We have been ordering takeout dishes here since they opened, and we really like the staff, and, for the most part, we really enjoy the food. We live quite close, so we order with some frequency when we don’t feel like cooking.
But the food is inconsistent! I always order the same two things. And I have likely ordered these two dishes 20 times each, and I receive very different dishes each time. The two things I order are the
1. Camarones a la Diabla
and
2. Ceviche Mixto
I’ll start with the Camarones a la Diabla.
Sometimes it’s wonderful and has a creamy sauce, sometimes it’s just the shrimp and very little sauce at all. Sometimes the shrimp are plump, and sometimes they are really overcooked and dry. And sometimes the sauce doesn’t taste creamy and just seems like it’s more spicy. We even say “can we have sauce on it, but not too much.” Because sometimes there is way too much sauce and it’s really swimming in cream and feels like it’s too heavy. When they get it right, it’s a perfect blend of spice and some sauce and juicy shrimp. When they get it wrong, it’s either just shrimp with no real seasoning or shrimp, swimming in cream. Always the offering of shrimp is generous. There are quite a few and the size of them is good.
Let’s move on to the ceviche. You can see the different photos of the ceviches. It’s not just the way they have decorated it with the avocado; it’s the amount of fish to onion/tomatoes ratio. Sometimes it’s really great with the fish being very forward and the onion and tomatoes just being a bit of a back up, like most ceviche. But, over the past several months, it is so full of onion, that I can barely eat it. We have even tried to say “no onions”, but they don’t do that. Or they don’t think it would be a ceviche without any onions. The onions just completely overwhelm the rest of the dish. It would be interesting for us to track it to see which nights we order to see if it’s a particular chef, because when they do the ceviche well, it’s really very very good, and it’s a large portion.
Also, when they cook the shrimp diabla dish nicely, it’s really great shrimp, juicy, with fresh toppings, and the perfect amount of sauce. When it’s not cooked well, it is shrimp that are overcooked, and hardly any sauce at all.
We just don’t know which dishes we are going to get!
All that said, the people are really nice, and friendly, and when we stay and grab a margarita, the drinks are good. We will often grab a margarita and sit at the bar while we wait for food, if we are driving by and just decided that night that this is what we want. And the bartenders are so so sweet. Really really nice people. Again, and the servers are great too. I just wish the food was more consistent.
… moreI am giving this restaurant a rating of 4, because sometimes it’s excellent and is a 5+, and sometimes it hovers between a 2 and 3. We have been ordering takeout dishes here since they opened, and we really like the staff, and, for the most part, we really enjoy the food. We live quite close, so we order with some frequency when we don’t feel like cooking.
But the food is inconsistent! I always order the same two things. And I have likely ordered these two dishes 20 times each, and I receive very different dishes each time. The two things I order are the
1. Camarones a la Diabla
and
2. Ceviche Mixto
I’ll start with the Camarones a la Diabla.
Sometimes it’s wonderful and has a creamy sauce, sometimes it’s just the shrimp and very little sauce at all. Sometimes the shrimp are plump, and sometimes they are really overcooked and dry. And sometimes the sauce doesn’t taste creamy and just seems like it’s more spicy. We even say “can we have sauce on it, but not too much.” Because sometimes there is way too much sauce and it’s really swimming in cream and feels like it’s too heavy. When they get it right, it’s a perfect blend of spice and some sauce and juicy shrimp. When they get it wrong, it’s either just shrimp with no real seasoning or shrimp, swimming in cream. Always the offering of shrimp is generous. There are quite a few and the size of them is good.
Let’s move on to the ceviche. You can see the different photos of the ceviches. It’s not just the way they have decorated it with the avocado; it’s the amount of fish to onion/tomatoes ratio. Sometimes it’s really great with the fish being very forward and the onion and tomatoes just being a bit of a back up, like most ceviche. But, over the past several months, it is so full of onion, that I can barely eat it. We have even tried to say “no onions”, but they don’t do that. Or they don’t think it would be a ceviche without any onions. The onions just completely overwhelm the rest of the dish. It would be interesting for us to track it to see which nights we order to see if it’s a particular chef, because when they do the ceviche well, it’s really very very good, and it’s a large portion.
Also, when they cook the shrimp diabla dish nicely, it’s really great shrimp, juicy, with fresh toppings, and the perfect amount of sauce. When it’s not cooked well, it is shrimp that are overcooked, and hardly any sauce at all.
We just don’t know which dishes we are going to get!
All that said, the people are really nice, and friendly, and when we stay and grab a margarita, the drinks are good. We will often grab a margarita and sit at the bar while we wait for food, if we are driving by and just decided that night that this is what we want. And the bartenders are so so sweet. Really really nice people. Again, and the servers are great too. I just wish the food was more consistent.
Kevin Schwartz
I had lunch here with a friend who recommended Ay Caramba and enjoyed my experience.
It’s not a giant menu but it appears the do a good job with what they do prepare for us.
There are daily lunch specials and I tried the Pollo Popeye, with grilled chicken in a cream sauce with spinach and mushrooms along with lettuce, tomato, guacamole, and Spanish rice. Delicious meal!
Our server was friendly and helpful and service was quick. I will definitely be back to this place.
… moreIt’s not a giant menu but it appears the do a good job with what they do prepare for us.
There are daily lunch specials and I tried the Pollo Popeye, with grilled chicken in a cream sauce with spinach and mushrooms along with lettuce, tomato, guacamole, and Spanish rice. Delicious meal!
Our server was friendly and helpful and service was quick. I will definitely be back to this place.
Tracey Ogle
We love Ay Caramba on Merrimon Ave. Highly recommend the Texas Dip, Mexican Corn, tacos al pastor, and the quesabirria. The tortas are delicious and enormous! The salsa bar is always well-stocked, clean, and kept very cold.
The staff have always been nice when we have dined in, and the food has always been fresh when we ordered through Takeout Central.
… moreThe staff have always been nice when we have dined in, and the food has always been fresh when we ordered through Takeout Central.
Jamie Wilhelm
Enjoyable Friday night meal here. The chipotle Salsa, queso & steak tacos were all excellent. The shrimp tacos were very yummy as well. Service was good.
Chips could use some salt.
… moreChips could use some salt.
Miriam Leyva
I’ve placed multiple to go orders and online orders and every time I go I’m always missing part of my order. I’ve caught it a couple of times but it’s just annoying it happens every time I go. A few months ago they forgot 3 sides for us and they offered me a free side of beans and rice. I live to far to go back for my food and I love the food here. Yesterday I placed an order and was missing my side of fries that I ordered.
… morePatrick Hester
I will never go back. They charged us more than the menu said for our lunch. When confronted, the server doubled down and just said, sorry, that’s the price. I showed her the website, which had yet another price, which was different from the menu. Definitely felt like we were getting ripped off.
… moreScott Bort
Visiting area from Texas, so we’re always skeptical. But this place is pretty tasty. I love their Salsa Bar and the Bean Puree Dip w/ chips are a nice touch. You simply can gorge on those. I will say that I think they flatten their meat too thin which leaves it a bit dry (beef fajitas). But that may be just how they’re made here. They were still good and fajitas for 2 is really like fajitas for 4…LOL. I love the mix of zucchini in it as well. I would definitely go back here. Oh and their Ay Caramba Margarita is a nice offering.
… moreSteve Crayne
Best Texas Fajitas I’ve had. Wife and I split the Fajitas for one and it we are stuffed. Laura, our waitress was wonderful. Prices very reasonable.
… more