Gourmet named Cafe Azul one of the 50 best restaurants in the United States. Claire Archibald earned a James Beard nomination in 2003 for her work.[2][3] Danielle Centoni included Cafe Azul in Eater Portland's 2014 list of the city's "most missed" restaurants, writing, "Chef Claire Archibald's Mexican spot Cafe Azul is now looked upon as 'ahead of its time' for its upscale-authentic approach to Oaxacan cooking, and many readers are still nostalgic."[4]