BEDFORD, Va. – “You don’t have to travel outside of Bedford to get really good food.”
Manager Jaime Bruce said it best. She and her sister, Lauren Siehien, are the dynamic duo behind Azul which burst onto the scene six years ago.
Siehen tells us, “We just thought there’s nothing in Bedford that has fresh Mex, so we thought we’d bring something new and fresh to the community.”
At first, this change was met with a little hesitation. Siehien recalls that, “A lot of people were thinking…who’s going to want to eat in an old garage?”
That quickly changed when people saw the variety of the food, including build-your-own burritos, tacos, bowls and quesadillas. Then, there was the amount of food they’d be getting for a very fair price point.
While Azul was originally designed as a build-your-own Tex Mex restaurant, that was only the beginning. Siehien and her husband are constantly, “Adding new menu items to keep it fresh, keep people interested. We just didn’t want to be a one-trick pony here.”
A recently popular item is the Saigon Street Tacos, which come with shredded pork, white rice, pickled onion, cucumber, cilantro and a spicy Chile lime sauce. This combination offers a savory flavor, which was echoed by our photographer, Chase, when he tried the Chorizo Burger. Topped with pepper jack cheese, tomato, lettuce, pickled onion and a la crema sauce, this has become a hit as well.
In addition to the frequently changing menu, other changes are being made. Outdoor seating has gotten a facelift in recent months.
Bruce tells us, “It’s good for people who wanted to eat outside, even during the summertime when it’s blazing hot…that they’re in a cooler, shaded area.”
Last but not least, a new bar is in the works. Right now, they’re just serving up lime margaritas, but more flavors will be added.
Bruce5: “Right now, it’s just lime margaritas until we get the bar up and running and then we’ll add other flavors.”
Keep looking out for more of Bedford’s gems as part of WSLS 10 News’ ‘In Your Town’ series.