Baltimore is dotted with Mexican restaurants just like Los Amigos. We have all seen it before, a choice of meat wrapped in a tortilla covered in red sauce, refried pinto beans, rice, shredded lettuce with a dollop of guacamole and sour cream and everything covered in cheese. So what sets Los Amigos apart from the rest? Located on a busy stretch of Harford Road this building is not hard to miss. The space is dimly lit but the typical festive colors of the Mexican decorations on the walls brightens the mood quite a bit. On our first outing to Los Amigos we sat outside on the patio which was quite nice as the sun was setting. The high gates allow enough privacy that we weren't distracted by the street noise. Outdoor seating was comfortable but a little wobbly. Tables are woven metal so expect few drops of salsa on your pants and some rice in your shoes. Our second visit, we stayed inside and were seated in a small alcove with a light hanging over the table.The table was not completely wiped down when we sat down. Our server greeted us with a big smile and chips and salsas. Thankfully the chips are 100% corn. This means gluten-free grumps won't have to sit idle while everyone else quells their low blood sugar mindlessly filling up on warm salty chips dipped in the fresh pureed tomato salsa and that mystery spiced white sauce. While many of the similar restaurants in the surrounding areas prefer to dumb down their salsa, not adding too much spice or too much onion, Los Amigos serves their salsa as it should be; pureed fresh ingredients with enough spice to whet your appetite for the meal to come. The guacamole its palatable but nothing special. My best guess tells me that it is not homemade; a little too green and pureed lacking the tender chunks of avocado that we all love so much. Do request the hot sauce though. It is a deep smoky sauce filled with spicy chili seeds and a acidic base. Our 2nd trip included the best entrees. My companion ordered the Quesadilla con Chorizo and when asked to describe it he simple said "it was HOLYBALLSLIKE". The chorizo was of the sweeter variety perfectly spiced without over powering the flavor of the meat. It was ground and stuffed evenly in a large flour tortilla. Rice, beans, salad on the side as expected. I would forgo the guacamole and see if they have plain avocado instead (doubtful). I ordered the Los Amigos Seafood Tacos. I never get seafood tacos... ever. But this night was different, I don't like chicken, I didn't want any more red meat, and the vegetarian options just seemed so ordinary. But seafood and tacos just didn't seem to ever go together but wtf, I went for it. I'm glad that I did! My 3 corn tortillas were completely filled with fish, small scallops, and shrimp. On the same plate were pico de gallo and more homemade hot sauce (the menu says tomatillo salsa however). Another plate with generous portion of smooth creamy refried pinto beans with just a small pinch of cheese on top completed the dish. While I was pleased with the abundance of seafood, I was disappointed with the pico being over salted to the point that I couldn't taste anything except the salt. I also would have liked to have some salad on the plate to add to the tacos. Instead I picked the salad from my companions plate. By this time we were stuffed but I ordered flan anyway. This beats El Salto's flan any day. Rich creamy custard with notes of vanilla and, was that coconut I picked up? I could have done without the fake whip-cream tufts on the side but I ate them anyway. The service throughout the meal was excellent. He remembered us from our first time and was attentive to our table without being overbearing. We stayed for a couple minutes to chat after our epic meal and found out that he had just taken over ownership from his mother and was planning on reworking the menu. He seemed very open to adding a few more gluten-free options after I told him "we are everywhere now!". Let's hope that a new guacamole is on the way as well. Overall, this is one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. Although on the surface it may seem like just another Mexican place, the quality of the meats, the portion sizes, the solid service, and the ease of camaraderie with the new owner makes up for the depressing guacamole and the generic interior. They also had my favourite soda: Jarritos Tamarindo. For $40 we will keep coming back.
(4)
Adrienne H.
The pico de gallo is disgusting, the food is terrible and the vibe is off. Overall very regrettable dining experience.
(1)
Robby F.
Let me start off by saying, this place used to be great. Any of the good reviews you are reading are based on the old version of the restaurant with the old management. Whatever the new management has done has completely ruined what once was one of the top Mexican restaurants in Baltimore. Let's start with the crazy lighting/DJ. Before this place used to be dimly lit and very comfortable.. then the new management decided to make this place more like a Disco, which included building a DJ stage and adding crazy moving color lights all over. I've been there multiple nights now where out of nowhere they turn these crazy lights on and all of a sudden a DJ will start playing insanely loud Mexican club music.. this would be ok if there were any warning beforehand.. also if there was ANYONE else in the place. But it was just me.. and the wait staff... Then the waitresses.. I'm not one to comment on clothing, I think anyone any gender should be able to wear whatever they want. No slut shaming coming from me. But yeah, it's a bit unprofessional and they really like to close talk and put their bodies on you, which is very uncomfortable.. especially when you are already uncomfortable from the loud music/dizzying lights and the incorrect orders. Sometimes there are nearly 6 waitresses working all at once.. but I'll be the only customer. THEN, there's the constant screwing up what you ordered.. which is strange since the menu is very simple traditional Mexican food.. it's not like I'm throwing them curve balls when I order. For example- my girlfriend ordered Steak Tacos.. which seems like the easiest thing to order. Wrong. The girl then grabbed the menu from her and asked where that was on the menu. After minutes of denying it was impossible to order because she didn't know what to charge for them, I pointed out to just make the chicken tacos but with steak. This seemed to clear things up.. until the food came out. ENCHILADAS... WITH CHICKEN?! Nowhere near what she ordered. So I point it out, the waitress (who might be 14 years old) gets flustered and starts talking crap about the cooking staff.. Goes over to the register.. then a different girl brings the food back over and I have to re-explain what was going on. 30 minutes later.. Tacos. Steak tacos (second time's a charm) The food honestly used to be way more consistent and was great, but now it tastes very bland. Not worth what they are charging. Speaking of charging... Multiple times I've been charged a bit more then I expected and when I ask to see the itemized receipt I'm denied it.. adding up the meals + tax generally is like almost $9 less than what they are charging. To be fair, this used to happen with the old management also. But still. Not cool. Bottom line, make the trip up the road a few miles to El Salto. Much better. Consistent. GREAT atmosphere. No creepiness.
(1)
Sarah S.
I've been here twice and had completely different experiences. The first time was for lunch and it was amazing! The second time after begging my boyfriend from the area that this was THE Mexican restaurant to go to, we went for dinner and it was not what I had built it up to be. It seemed more dingy, the waitress had no idea what I was saying and kept coming back multiple times to ask us what we ordered. There were only three tables and the food took forever. The food which was simple, was below average.
Very disappointed. The guacamole tasted like it came straight out of a can, and after two bites of the sketchy ceviche, I ordered tacos. The tacos were quite tasty. Unfortunately, the woman waiting on us did not notice or care that I couldn't consume the guacamole or ceviche. I speak Spanish fluently, and had a hard time communicating with her in either language. I asked for some extra lime and was told they're expensive. The tres leche cake was delicious. We would have liked coffee with it but were told the coffee machine was broken. There was one waitress in the entire restaurant. I found myself saying, "Paging Richard Irvine...Restaurant in distress."
(1)
Amber L.
Terrible, Terrible, Terrible. I will never ever go to this place again. The vibe was off, the food was the worst ever. If that was authentic, I never want authentic again. The hospitality was even bad. I wish I could give no stars, and to top it off the food was not even hot.
(1)
daniel c.
new management old Peruvian lady who ran it is gone! it is now a Club they are scaling down the menu. service has gotten worse if you can believe that, and food is ok just takes forever to get it... give up on the food.
(1)
Melissa S.
If I could give zero stars, I would. I can hardly put into words how awful this place is. Came here with my family for Father's Day, because my husband likes Mexican food, and my dad thought this place "looked authentic". My husband wanted to go to Don Pablo's, but my dad wanted to try this place. BIG MISTAKE. I cannot say this enough. DO NOT EAT HERE!!! We were the ONLY people in the place. This probably should have been a huge clue. The waitress came out and already looked like she had an attitude. She was trying to act like she was being nice ("you're very welcome" when I would say thank you). Trying to order was a nightmare. If we asked one question, she would say she has to go ask the chef (I asked if the soft tacos come on flour or corn tortillas, for instance). She clearly didn't know any of the menu, because if, for instance, you order the tacos, she would ask for the number on the menu. We could have lived with all of this, but every order except one (we were a group of 12), cam out completely wrong. My son can't eat tomatoes. We ordered a taco with no tomatoes & it came out loaded with tomatoes. I told her he can't eat tomatoes. She took the taco to the back, and someone pulled the tomatoes off of it (there were leftover remnants of tomatoes in it). My husband ordered fajitas with beef & shrimp. Out came chicken & shrimp. Okay, so normally you tell the waitress, and they fix it, right? No big deal! She rolled her eyes, walked into the back & came out with the same plate, just with a couple shrimp thrown on top. My husband asked to speak to a manager, and the waitress said "Okay, but you don't have to be a prick!" All he had said is he wanted to talk to the manager, because he knew if he sent it back again she would have spit in it or something, if she hadn't already! My husband was so furious, that by the time the "manager" came out, he was shaking! We had driven in two cars, so my husband left after talking to the manager. The minute he walked out the door, the waitress came to our table & said "I just want you to know, I did NOT insult him in any way. I said "You have had an attitude since the minute we got here!" (I failed to mention she rolled her eyes when my husband asked for a high chair and if they had covered cups for kids. And brought us a pack of hot chocolate mix & a cup of cold milk after saying they have chocolate milk... Among many other issues, and we never complained until the 4th wrong meal came out!!) Long story a tiny bit longer, the manager handed me the bill. Instead of taking my husband's meal off, they had TRIPLE charged for it! I guess they thought we were so upset we'd just serve up a credit card not looking at the bill! We were charged $110 on what should have been a $75 bill. So. Save yourself the trouble, don't even come here!! Or if you don't believe me, peek in the door & see how empty the place is. There's a REASON for it!! P.S. Am I the only one who has never heard of a Mexican place using mozzarella cheese on their tacos???
(1)
Marco S.
Literally a hooker with a 65 year old guy sitting next to us. There are four women trying to figure out one customer's check behind the bar. We have been sitting here for 20 minutes at the bar with no service. The girls at the bar are not bartenders they are just random girls. I don't even know if they work here. This is awful. I feel like I'm in an episode of bar rescue. Definitely illegal stuff going on here.
(1)
Tama V.
How is this place still open?! USED to be a good Mexican place, now it's so bizarre, overpriced terrible drinks, hookers (?) everywhere, but no other customers in the whole place besides us on a Saturday night at 7? Super disappointed, will never come back. Reading all the other recent reviews, i fully agree. Some weird shit happening here.
(1)
Kimberly N.
Under New Management...while the food is still good,t the drinks are weak and it has turned into what seems like a hang out spot for a younger clientel. The young ladies that are serving as waitresses seem more interested in their cells phone and entertaining the young men..I would rather spend my money somewhere else.
(1)
Noelle C.
This is no longer a restaurant! It's a bar/nightclub. Yes there's food and tables, but probably just enough to stay zoned/licensed the same. There's a flier on the table advertising a dance contest with cash prizes. I would not suggest bringing your family here-not really that kind of atmosphere. We have lived in the neighborhood for years and have eaten at Los Amigos fairly regularly-even taking out of towners there. Even though they weren't the same caliber of restaurant as the rest of the local spots, the food was okay. Now, it's barely passable. Bland and tasteless. I hate to give such a low rating, I can usually find a positive or two. But the service before was slow,now it's non-existant. The server didn't know the menu and seemed more interested in the tv show behind the bar, or her phone, or personal conversations. In a nutshell, don't waste your time unless you want a dance contest-not dinner.
(1)
I L.
Terrible. Bad service. Bad waitress. Bad everything. And they charged 1.50 for water with lemon???? NEVER AGAIN!!!
(1)
Ebony T.
Been here a few times with my family and the food was good but tonight we find out they have new management. By 8:30 the night life was beginning. Scantily clad women, not enough tables. This is now a nightclub. The DJ is setting up as we wait for our food. Not very family friendly in the evenings. The food was still good however.
(3)
Edward S.
Hadn't been to Los Amigos in a while, (I was craving their Carne Asada Tacos). My wife and I walked in and BAM! There are pool tables now, most of the dining tables are gone, it looks like a night club! We turned right around and when over to Hamilton Tavern. Sorry, I will miss you Los Amigo.
(1)
Yolie O.
Went in a couple days ago after nearly a year hiatus... AWFUL! just as previous reviewers have indicated, half the tables are gone, there is a dance floor, pool tables & terrible service! We didn't even wait for our food because the service was horrific! When the entire wait staff is giving you the side-eye because you requested a pitcher of water (because it was THAT slow), told no, and the waitress doesn't know the menu you know it's time to go! We got up from our table and walked out. Will NEVER return. So many better alternatives in the neighborhood. I can't even give them 1 star... How about NEGATIVE 4 stars.
(1)
Vera M.
SO DISAPPOINTED! We used to live in the neighborhood 2006/2010, back when this place was actually good and got great City Paper reviews. We went back recently to meet up with our old neighbors and this place was disgusting! Taco Bell is better tasting & looking. Everything was microwaved slop. The margaritas were watered down, probably made with the cheapest tequila available and passed off as top shelf. That nasty, rude little lady is still there too. We found it amazing that even though her restaurant was empty she was still trying to hurry us along. Don't waste your time or money.
(1)
Josh W.
Rounding back up to 4 stars because their chicken quesadillas are just that good. Still, it's best for pickup and you're paying more here than most Mexican places. The dining room is usually empty and the owner/manager is pretty into her telenovelas.
(4)
Devonshire B.
Not coming back here. The first experience was fairly positive but the second experience was just awkward and bad. There's 4 people in the whole place, so why are we waiting about 10 years for water?! So, about a decade later, we get our drinks (the water was normal, but our margaritas were obviously store bought mix), we got our chips (stale/cold, salsa burned my tongue off), we got our fajitas for two (which totally sucked this time. Flavourless, chewy, funky tasting), and we were ready to ditch the place. However, it wasn't that simple. The 70+ year old bartender/waitress/only person there thought she could sneakily overcharge us on almost every single item we ordered. We had to ask for the menu so we could point out that everything she rang us up for was extorted. She played dumb and said she was correct and was a stubborn you know what. After much debating and holding my tongue (I have a fiery disposition sometimes), we left there paying exactly what we should have in the beginning. It was obvious that their business is doing so poorly that they have to try to pull the wool over paying customer's eyes. Or maybe it was just that woman, who knows! Either way, I foresee a bleak future for this place.
(1)
Zarch C.
The food is terrible and over priced... not much else to say. I don't think the Margarita even had tequila in it. The carnitas meat was ok but the whole dish was small and had bland refried beans (not even salt) and dry rice. The one thing that may have been redeeming is that they have a play area for kids.... but I don't have kids! They messed up both of our drink orders, didn't give us straws, no hot sauce at the tables, bland salsa... the list goes on, YOUVE BEEN WARNED
(1)
James S.
Always had good food and great service. Been going since it opened in the 90's. Excellent family owned business.
(4)
Dolores B.
We realized as soon as we walked in the door that this was not the same Los Amigos we had eaten at before. Music was blaring loudly at 3:30 in the afternoon, the place was empty and a young girl behind the bar told us where we had to sit. We noticed a large bandstand had been built in the back of the restaurant and no longer were the quaint little out-coves appealing with one small table but they had two tables shoved in there to fit more drinking partying people in there at night I suppose. Gone is the Mexican atmosphere! We had a living social and were told by the young girl that they are under new management and do not accept the certificates any longer. I told her they should at least have put a sign on the door and contacted living social so living social could contact the people who purchased the certificates to refund their money. She said "well that is something the owner would have to do". I said "exactly, so why didn't they do that?". She then proceeded to say she would talk to the owner about it. She texted him on her phone. Then she nodded NO to me. I suppose that meant no we cannot use the living social. I got up and walked out. This is no longer a nice little Mexican restaurant but a loud club type facility used to lure in young people who want to spend their money on drinking.
(1)
Steve S.
Food came out quickly. Decent portions and good taste. Mango margarita was 10 bucks and had about a drop of tequila in it. Service was not so friendly. Didn't feel too welcomed here......
(3)
Nicki M.
Lively, fun and good "chips & salsa & cheese." I enjoyed my Beef Chimichanga & coconut margarita. Good service too. Super nice staff. I just may go back for Cinco De Mayo.
(3)
Lindsey H.
Bland, blah, boring terribleness.
(1)
Chelsea M.
My boyfriend brought me here because this is one of his favorite local spots. The last time he was here was over a year ago. I don't know if there was a change of ownership or staff. We walked in and the vibe was that of them getting ready to throw a huge party. We politely asked our waitress (who really didn't speak any English) if they were and she confirmed. We offered to pay for our drinks and leave. Of which politely declined and said we could stay. So we did. I ordered nachos and cheese, came out about ten minutes later. It was shredded Colby jack, on top of tortilla chips that had been microwaved. 5.99. Our food came out about 20 or so minutes later. It was the wrong food, they rook it back. Brought out the right food for my boyfriend and messed mine up. We politely took it and began to eat. The food was not good. And I'm slightly on the worried side of how my body's going to react to it. We also got two cokes which were both 2$ each which to me is completely assignin to charge for soda. Fountain soda, yes. But out of a can no. We asked for our check and it came out to be 48$ which was ridiculously high for the quality of our food. My boyfriend handed the owners daughter our check and she redid the math and it came out to be 44$ and handed her his credit card. She then informed us she would have to call her father at his Dundalk location and have him run my boyfriends card. Upon hearing that I pulled out a 50 and told her to keep the change. This was by the worst restaurant expierance either of us have ever had. And we will not be returning. It's really unfortunate and unfair that what I'm guessing a girl that is about 19 years old is left to run the location while her father is at another. And that she has to deal with unhappy costumers. I would never recommend this place to anyone. At all.
(1)
Shana W.
My in laws took me here for my birthday dinner! What a great time!! Had the Texas fajitas which were delicious along with an amazing Margarita and my niece really enjoyed the play area. We will definitely be back!
(5)
Jnes S.
Buyer beware! This place is ok, food authentic and pretty good BUT the 70+ year old Mexican waitress deliberately over charges you for food and adds a 'service ' charge as her tip! It's so dishonest and is a major turnoff for me, she does it every single time when me or my husband goes there. Beware of her! She's a sneaky thief!
(2)
Nathan B.
I used to live down the road from this place and my wife and I would eat there often. It may not be the best Mexican food I've ever had, but I always feel welcome and never leave hungry. positive: -portion sizes -atmosphere -friendly staff negative: -seems a little pricy for what it is -paid parking can be a hassle I would (And have) recommend this place to friends.
(4)
Nicky O.
Nope. The vegetarian combo was gross. Tasted like a pile of cheap, greasy cheese. Fajitas were okay. Beans were flavorless. Service was rude. I live down the street from here and you couldn't pay me to go back there.
(1)
Erin O.
What to say about my adventure - and it was certainly that - at Los Amigos? How do you properly describe that abandoned night club feel the place had going for its? What do you say about a "authentic" Mexican restaurant that serves guacamole that I'm pretty sure they bought frozen at the store? Nothing particularly positive, that's for sure. I had a chile rellano that was stuffed with, well I'm not really sure with what, but it didn't taste like cheese. My boyfriend had a fajita. The best thing that could be said about the fajita is that it did come out on a sizzling plate. That didn't actually make it taste like anything, but it did have that required sizzle. If pressed, I suppose the best thing I can say about this place is that I'm almost convinced they're running a brothel in the back. If that's your thing (and who am I to judge?), you can probably get a quickie in the back to help you get over the lackluster service and bland food they serve up front. In case I'm not clear, I don't suggest this place.
(1)
Fallon B.
Great food, cheap, and fast! Always a seat right when you walk in.
(5)
Alan T.
What a horrible experience! We have a groupon and wanted to check this place out. The server (presumably the owner) was a old small lady that was extremely rude and was in a hurry to chase us out. She DEMANDed a 20% tip after the bill and actually gave me the tip amount so I can give to give her. I never had this kind of service like this before in my life. Please do yourself a favor and DO NOT go there. Food is expensive and service is lousy and impolite! I anticipate this place to be out of business soon with this kind of service.
(1)
Dan C.
quaint mexican restaurant.... burritos are huge and delicious, chips are always fresh salsa great. great lunch place a must try and margaritas are great.
(5)
Stephanie P.
This restaurant is large and oddly-shaped. Unless you're seated at a wall booth it seems like all the tables are pretty awkwardly located. The salsa wasn't spicy so we asked for one that was. It was alright but one-note. The spicier salsas at El Salto are much, much better. We ordered guacamole and were served a weird hybrid of guacamole powder mix, pico de gallo, and a few pieces of chopped up avocado. Come on people. Just make guacamole. I ordered a margarita and it was weak and flavorless. Our dinners were from combo menu: predictable nukable slop. Nothing remarkable about it. Servicable enchiladas, burritos, and rice and beans. Did not look like the menu pictures. I should have ordered a mole or something interesting, and put this place to the test. The service was nice, friendly, and fast. Definitely not the worst imaginable Mexican experience but nothing resembled the great authentic food we were lead to expect.
(2)
A B.
I love this little place. The food is good, the staff is friendly and the prices are right. Its a little bit dive-y but in all the right places. :) p.s. Friday is live music. Order the veggie chimichanga and a pitcher of margs.
(4)
Christopher B.
Stay away! Los Amigos is under new ownership and the ship is sinking. Food is terrible, service is slow, and the host who takes your order doesn't know the menu or write anything down. It appears that the night club scene is what they're going for (considering the advertisement on the table says that the new name of the restaurant is Fantasy Bar & Lounge) which should be interesting in a neighborhood like Hamilton. This had been our favorite local Mexican place, but sadly we will never be returning.
(1)
Erin V.
I wanted to like this place; it has enough kitsch to be something special and is in an up-and-coming neighborhood; unfortunately, the service was awful. I'm pretty sure this was our waitress' first night on the job ever. The fact that we used a Groupon confounded her and we wound up never actually getting a bill. The food was nothing special, and certainly not worth the prices ($13.50 for a small plate of fajitas). My friend got a ten or eleven-dollar burrito but was turned off by the taste of the meat. If you're in the market for Mexican food in the Parkville/Hamilton area, you'd be much better served by heading up to El Salto in Perring Plaza.
(2)
Mark G.
If I could give this place less than 1 star, I would give it negative 5 stars. My experience at this place nothing short of awful. I should've known the moment I walked in and the place smelt like a bathroom. I tried the special lunch number 12 which was enchiladas. The tortilla wasn't warm and the sauce was basically orange water. I told the server I didn't like it and she recommended I try some burrito thing which I told her I would try. the burrito comes to me and I cut into it and grease explodes onto my plate. It was almost cartoony how much grease came out. When I showed her the grease, she tried telling me there wasn't any grease on my plate when you could clearly see all of the grease on my plate. I had an empty cup on my table and I filled the cup 1/4 of the way with grease and she just walked away. I decided at that point I wasn't gonna pay for it so I went to the bathroom and began to walk out. As I came out of the bathroom, the woman asked if I wanted a box for my food and I told her no and I wasn't paying for it. Some guy came out of the kitchen and they began arguing in Spanish. The guy told me if I didn't pay for both plates, hes calling the police. of course I refused and they told me to never come back. I thought experiences like this only existed on tv but apparently not. Never go here. Ever.
(1)
Amber G.
It was our first time here, and we had high hopes. The seating was really neat and private, and they had live music. We waited awhile to get seated and were kinda shoved off onto a waitress who did (indeed, like another review stated) seem like it was her first night. She took our drink order and we never saw her again. It took 20 minutes for someone else to come take our drink order, took another 10 minutes to get those drinks. I should mention there were only 2 of us, a water and a margarita each. Food came quickly, nothing special there. My husband's beans tasted off (he described them as cat urine-y). My fajitas were not worth $13.50. No one came to get us a refill for another 20 minutes, and even then we were only given margaritas and no water. When we asked for the check, he asked if we had a groupon (before giving us the check). He came back with a bill that charged us $8.50 per margarita. When I asked him to show me a drink menu with those prices, he couldn't produce one, he said it was because we ordered flavored margaritas. We will not be going again.
(1)
Lee C.
Service was terrible tonight. Handing hot plates down the table to people rather than walking around to serve them to us. Had to ask repeatedly for water and napkins. Food was so/so. The nail in the coffin was when we left the restaurant and our friend's car was towed from the pay Hamilton Business Association Lot behind the restaurant. We paid for parking, but apparently all of the spaces are not for the public, but are not clearly marked. I have no need to spend money in Hamilton ever again.
(1)
Nancy C.
We came here b/c we had a Groupon and since we just moved to the area a few months ago we are still experiencing different neighborhoods. I felt bad for the place actually b/c there was only one other table there when we got there - 6 pm on a Wed eve. I'd think there should have been more people there. The salsa wasn't the best, but the chips were warm which I appreciated. The guacumole was different, tasted like it had cucumbers in it ? Hubby ordered carnitas and carne asada taco's. He said they were pretty good, not the best, not the worst. I ordered Chix Enchilada Verde, and they were good with white meat chicken and verde salsa and melted cheese. No complaints on my end. Our waitress seemed a bit annoyed the whole time we had her, but she was authentic - older mexican woman who didn't seem happy to be there. the place is big, decorated appropriately, but it was sad no one was there. When we left there was a big party coming and it seemed they knew the waitress. Had to pay for parking, its on a main street, so that was a hassle. Maybe we'd come back? We'll see....
(3)
Chad B.
Sittin at Los Amigos right now! Great food. Currently there's live music, and good live music too! Not some overpowered kid rockin out while I'm trying to eat. This is my fifth time here, and I live a hour away! If you're a burrito fan like myself, the Gigante Burrito is a sure thing! But there's way more than just burritos being served here. There's all kinds of great food, and just as great hospitality. It's one of those places still around where the owner/bar tender will come out to make sure your meal is top notch. I'll keep comin' back!! Small tip: There's parking around the rear for $1.00!
(5)
Nikki V.
This has to be one of the worst restaurants in the city. The owner has no customer service skills whatsoever, and will try to rip you off every chance she gets. Margaritas are terrible, a horrible pre-mix with maybe a splash of tequila. All you taste is the sour flavor. The guacamole is overpriced for such a tiny serving. The salsa is okay, but if you run out of chips, expect to pay a lot more for another basket. Getting carry-out? You'll pay an upcharge. Using a coupon or Groupon? Prices will automatically be higher. Most of the food tastes like reheated slop. There are some things that are okay, but seriously, you're better off at Taco Bell. That's right. There's a reason this place is always empty.
(1)
D K.
Can't even give a single star to this Restaurant but without it I can't post my view, so giving single star. Most awful place ever visited. I had read reviews of this place with some very bad and some very good. I thought this place would at least worth trying, I had few friends with me and I was embarrassed and I don't have any more words. We were 4 people and three didn't finish their food. To rub salt to your wounds, the food was microwaved....
(1)
Tami B.
Los Amigos is my "go to" place to get my local Mexican food fix! The food is fresh and delicious and the portions are generous. They have a cute patio for outside seating and some nights they have live music. If you like hot sauce, ask them to bring out a cup of their homemade stuff - it's smoky and hot with visible pepper pieces in it - very different than the typical bottled sauce. The staff is very friendly and patient with me trying to practice my Spanish with them when ordering or making small talk! I think it's a hidden gem among the other fantastic restaurants on Harford Road.
(5)
Nick B.
The Good: The Carnitas are quite good. Tender chunks of meat, rice, refried beans and a pickled pepper. The chips, salsa, and milky white dipping slime are unsettlingly easy to eat and flow like wine. They usually have futbol on the viewscreen. The Meh: The Margaritas will get you drunk. The Bad: The Margaritas taste like they came out of an army surplus drum and are questionably priced. If you had a terrible day at the wage-slave cubicle plantation and need something sweet and intoxicating (and it's happy hour) pound a few, but don't expect more than a slight dulling of your lifepain. The menu is "À la recherche du temps perdu"esque in size, so don't set your sights on working your way through it. TL;DR While it's not my first choice, the carnitas are pretty excellent.
(2)
Scott F.
I went with my in-laws for lunch and we were all somewhat disappointed. The staff member was very attentive and friendly, the place was clean, and the food came out quickly. Unfortunately it was the food that was the disappointment. I had the Beef fajitas and they lacked flavor. The onions and peppers were nice and crisp which is how I like them and the flour tortillas were steaming hot and quite good but the main part of the dish fell flat. I tried my son's taco because he wouldn't eat it and the beef was watery and lacked any spice. My father-in-law got the huevos rancheros and seemed to enjoy that. My mother-in-law had the taco salad and made no comments about it at all (usually she oohs and aahs when she likes something). I usually prefer Tex-Mex over Mexican because I like the spice and standard Mexican can be more mild but this food was just flavorless and watery. If I go again it will probably be limited to a happy hour to enjoy some Negro Modelos with my friends.
(2)
D W.
I come from Atlanta, GA where there's a neighborhood mex place within 750 feet no matter where you are. Most of them are chains with 10-15 locations scattered around the city, all competing with similar chains, all with similar menus, very americanized for our dining pleasure, with 6 year old Cinco de Mayo streamers and crepe paper decorations hanging from the ceiling. Despite all this you would be guaranteed a filling mex meal and a level of satisfaction no matter what. Comparitively here in Baltimore there are few Mexican places to enjoy. The closest in food and scenary to my Atlanta memories is Los Amigos. Decent predictable food, competent service (under the watchful if not scary eye of "Mama") and notoriously empty of customers. Thus, I love it. Chile relleno Chile relleno Chile relleno Nuf said.
(4)
Jim H.
I've eaten here a handful of times and found one thing on the menu that I consistently like-the seafood tacos. I don't enjoy their runny refried beans, uninspired Spanish rice or the less than stellar servers who tend to mix up orders. I remember being seated once, ordered food, and then told I had to move because the table was reserved for another couple-Hello Fawlty Towers! The last time I was there I had that short little troll of a manager come to my table to ARGUE with me that I was to blame for an incorrect order-the NERVE! Haven't been back since...when you wish for Taco Bell you know there's something wrong.
(1)
Melinda B.
I hardly ever write reviews for restaurants but felt like the negative experience I just had warranted it. A friend recommended that we eat at Los Amigos because she liked the food and because there is a kid's room. I assumed that any restaurant with a playroom would be kid friendly but that did not turn out to be the case.... It took about 15 minutes for the owner/waitress to acknowledge us and take drink orders. She gave our kids dirty looks every few minutes while they played in the playroom. Did not bring water when asked. Did not bring salsa when asked. Did not offer refills, check to see how the food was etc. Refused to split check when given plenty of advance warning. Food was lackluster. The ground beef in the burrito had absolutely no flavor at all. There no spice to it. I am pretty sure most of it was reheated. So disappointing. I would probably give this place another chance if not for the surly demeanor of the owner. Perhaps her cranky attitude and the so-so food is why the place was empty at 6 on a Friday night. Go to El Salto on Joppa Road instead. They are friendly and their food is excellent!
(1)
Shannon S.
Finally some spice! I had a work lunch here and was a bit overwhelmed by all the choices. I was excited to see a chile relleno on the menu. The food was Mexican of the smothered variety, which I find most people in Baltimore just don't get. It's not the best Mexican, but you can get something above mild and it's pretty authentic.
(4)
Erin M.
I am always looking for a good place to get Tex-Mex style food, and in spite of the mixed reviews, i thought I would check this place out. First of all...they overcharged me, including some nebulous $1 for nothing. Second, I do not have a refined palate at all. I have had all kinds of Tex-Mex food from places that were simple and cheap to places that were fancier. The food I received from Los Amigos was inedible. I never thought I would say this, but there was too much cheese on parts of it, which turned into a gooey disgusting mess as it cooled, and the other part was so spicy, I couldn't taste anything but pain. Save your money and don't encourage those charlatans.
(1)
Drew F.
The food was great. My wife and I really enjoyed ourselfs. The salsa was amazing.
(4)
Chris V.
I used to live nearby but hadn't gone for a while until this weekend. Just as good as I remembered it. Traditional Latin American food, very friendly service. Got there are a weird time - 2:30 on a Saturday - still no problems. In fact the mole ranchero was even better than I remember.
(4)
Zahira P.
My worst dining experience to date. The waitress was just mean; I think it is because they require all patrons to pay an 18% gratuity which they tack on. I have never had a more rude waitress - inflexible and inhelpful like a bureaucrat to be. I regret not finding her manager to yell at them for this horrible, overpriced, tasteless and disgusting meal. I will recommend no one to enter this kitschy, shitty place that calls itself a restaurant. More like rip-off, with disrespect to boot. Why can't I give 0 or negative stars???
(1)
Kelley Q.
Love this place! Its our family's go-to spot for a night out of the kitchen. The kids enjoy the play room, although its nothing fancy. The service is very friendly and attentive and the food is quick. Its comfortable, casual and perfect for a low-key dinner.
(4)
Mike M.
On a Thursday, I went for dinner with the work peeps. Completely dead, but happy hour was from 4-7pm, so the pitchers of margaritas were flowing. Lots of chips and salsa were brought out, though only the first serving is complementary. Salsa had slight kick. White salsa also was served. It was a thinned sour cream concoction, which was good, but not as good as the regular salsa. Also ordered the guacamole for the chips too. Menu was extensive, making it difficult to choose. I chose the Mole Ranchero (chicken with mole sauce). I love mole, and while this one was good, it wasn't the best I've had. Now, the reason for three stars. Sopapillas. I ordered them, as I love them. They're just fried puff pastry drenched in honey and powdered sugar. This was not. It was a crispy FLAT flour tortilla drenched in chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and rainbow sprinkles. Extremely disappointed. Please don't raise my hopes of sopapillas only to flatten them (literally). I still enjoyed myself (and the company of course) and would go back for a cheap but tasty meal.
(3)
Stacey G.
Wow, reviews are all over the board here. Makes me think I must've been on an off night. I'm with the other negative reviewers. The food was awful. Flavors weren't there. Rice was bland. Salsa was the best thing but tasted like it was canned. I couldn't even tell you what we had because I didn't want to remember. Service was good. Seating was extremely uncomfortable. We were on rolling chairs atop tile floor. I felt like it was a workout to keep my chair at the table. I just cannot recommend this to anyone. It was so bad I couldn't even go back to give it a 2nd shot. Wish I could because I live in the neighborhood and want it to do well.
(1)
J H.
I'm going to break rank here and say THIS PLACE IS AWFUL. Uninteresting, nearly cold, sloppy and grey beans. Tasteless shredded government cheese. Watery Salsas with no kick. Does this place even have an oven or is everything microwaved? Is all the iceberg lettuce shredded and beginning to go bad around the edges? I was not impressed with my one visit. I can't understand how this place wins awards from the CityPaper. Someone is paying someone under the table..
(1)
Matthew R.
Went here because we had a groupon. I'm really ashamed that we didn't go sooner. We've lived in a few blocks over for more than a year and this is the best mexican we've had in a long longggg time. I can't wait to go back. The papas huancaina was excellent and the burritos and tacos were tasty.
(4)
Keme J.
Run for the Border... I'm glad I had groupon voucher or that would have been money wasted. When I walked in a family was coming out and the said good luck, so i asked what's wrong how was the food and service they said horrible. I should have listened
(1)
Angela G.
A very disappointing experience. I am new to Baltimore and pass this restaurant every day on the way to work. I wanted to try the place out on a Sunday for the "All You Can Eat Sunday Mexican Brunch." Last year Living Social offered a deal for pay $20 for $40 worth of food for dinner and pay $10 for $20 worth of food for lunch. I used this offer as an opportunity to try Los Amigos. I purchased one offer for lunch and two of the offers for dinner. My husband was out of town for business and I had two weeks before the vouchers expired, so I used one of the $40 vouchers for dinner. I entered the restaurant last Thursday at 3pm. The place was empty and I was greeted by the waitress. The place seemed pretty authentic and like your typical Mexican restaurant with the decor and music. I was seated and handed a menu. I started with a margarita. I don't know the price because the alcoholic drinks were not listed on the menu. The drink was tasty but the lime wedge served on the side of the glass was brown and dried out. Not very appetizing to look at. For the appetizer, the waitress suggested the Stuffed Shrimp prepared with monterey jack cheese for $9.95. I received six shrimp and they were your typical frozen processed breaded shrimp variety. The majority of each individual piece was cheese and breading. The inside was an entire shrimp (not chopped,) but small. Clearly not worth the price. The menu states "We prepare all our food fresh daily." Really? For the main course, the waitress suggested #104 Fajitas Del Mar for $17.95. This dish has fajitas with shrimp and scallops cooked with onions and green peppers; served with beans, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole and sour cream. I have never had an entree at a Mexican restaurant that did not serve rice with the beans, oh well. The black beans were old and dried up on the plate, the scallops were imitation and the three pieces of diced tomatoes were negligible with a huge mound of cheap iceburg lettuce. I told the waitress that the scallops were fake and she assured me that "ALL of our seafood comes in fresh daily." She seemed stunned when I questioned the scallops. After eating the fajitas, the waitress asked me if I wanted some dessert, I asked her how closed was I to my $40 minimum. She told me I was close, so I declined dessert and asked for the check. She told me to give her $7.50 for the tip. I asked for a breakdown of the items and for a receipt. She told me it didin't matter how far from $40 I was and that I owed her a tip. She mentioned I was near $40 because of the margarita, she said she had used the good tequila. Funny how she would NEVER tell me the cost of my drink. Upon leaving I asked about the "All You Can Eat Sunday Brunch" mentioned in the menu. She informed me they stopped the brunch six months ago. I asked her why it was still listed in the menu, she said they hadn't corrected the menus yet. I also mentioned to her that I had NEVER eaten at a Mexican restaurant that didn't serve me complimentary chips and salsa. She gave me a bag of chips and salsa to go. I got no receipt! Ironically, the chips and salsa were the best part of the meal. The salsa had a little bite to it and the chips were authentic. Needless to say, I contacted Living Social the next day and requested a refund for the two remaining unused vouchers. Taco Bell would had been a better choice.
(1)
Taylor C.
Excellent service, great food, fantastic drinks... ask for marco, you won't be dissappointed!
Try the carnitas tacos. No, seriously. TRY THE CARNITAS TACOS. Outstanding. The service was exemplary, the food was pretty special, and the whole visit was just a joy. I'll go back whenever I'm in the neighborhood.
(5)
Bob B.
Hadn't been to Los Amigos for a few years. Bar is much bigger now. Good service, good drinks, and good straight forward Mexican. I'd been going to El Salto for this kind of Mexican for a while, but Los Amigos is where it's at.
(5)
Jason M.
It wasn't worth the drive. The service was good. The food was decent. Kinda bland. I miss authentic Mexican food. Coming from Wisconsin, Mexican food was so good. Out here on the East coast I haven't found a Mexican restaurant that's rivals yet.
(2)
Mandeep S.
Overall, the vegetarian selection was good. I had the fajitas, red wine sangria, and veggie nachos. However the prices are really high for the area and the service is unfriendly. Although the lady at the door was pleasant, we had a waitress with a horrible attitude. On top of that they charge a required 18 % gratuity. No incentive for good service.
(2)
Zulay V.
This place is awesome, the decor is really cute, the service is great, the sauces and chips they give you in the beginning are really good. The food is deeeeeelicious and very well priced. I love the Carnitas tacos... pulled pork cooked in beer. MMmm!
(5)
Rick D.
Absolutely horrible food and service! As soon as they found out we had a Groupon they switched servers on us--from the friendly young woman who had initially greeted us to a sullen older woman (the owner?) who seemed to resent that we would actually bother to redeem our Groupon and patronize her nearly empty restaurant. The food was bland and completely unremarkable, and my wife got a margarita with an ice-to-liquid ratio of about 10-to-1. When the bill arrived, it was about $25 higher than I'd expected. First, they refused to honor the happy hour price for our margaritas, because we had a Groupon (there was nothing about specials being excluded on the Groupon itself, and our server didn't bother to mention this when we were ordering our drinks). Then they charged us $12 for my son's bean & cheese burrito. Granted, it was big, but it was nothing but refried beans, a tortilla, some cheese, and a side of rice. Twelve bucks?? It even cost more than my enchilada entree! When I questioned the amount on the bill, the server got very defensive. It was nearly impossible to make out what we were being charged for with the hand-scrawled bill, so we just cut our losses and paid up. But I'm never setting foot in the place again. It's tough enough to find decent Mexican food in Baltimore (outside of the excellent tacos at Tortilleria Sinaloa), but Los Amigos on Harford Rd. sets a new low!
(1)
Jessica W.
Would never come back! I'm sure Taco bell has fresher chips, and better service.
(1)
Sean B.
been here several time, not real impressed but was jonesing for some mexican. not sure what to expect because it was 'taco tuesday' at a neighboring very popular restaurant. greeted warmly when entering, large open space. 4-5 tables going, provided with a booth and a quickly delivered basket of fresh warm chips and 2 salsa's. (charge for additional chips) round of margs on the rocks. could taste and feel the alcohol but mixers not fresh/homemade. carnitas with rice/beans satisfying but no wow. chicken soft tacos had NO flavor. plain boiled chicken in warm corn tortillas. brown flavorless, gravy like sauce (called it poblano). side of iceberg shreds with some sour cream and bland rice. Thats it! no spice, peppers, onions, nothing. won't hurry back. I haven't tried any of the peruvian specialties so can't comment. watress/bartender/host was a delightful woman though. 2 barely adequate meals, 4 margs on the rocks. $55.
(2)
Albert B.
Outstanding food, warm and friendly service, awesome decor, a relaxed atmosphere, a full bar, and a groovy neighborhood. I love this place. Love it.
(5)
Heshan W.
Los Amigos, I think it should be Los Tres Amigos, right?! \ Anyways, my experience here is mainly with take out/carry out, not the restaurant itself. However, I did go inside, and its pretty large Mexican restaurant, with a good size bar too. I got the carne asada tacos (3) meal which included a bean dip w/ cheese, some freshly made chips, and a great hot sauce that burns my mouth, its very spicy and delicious. I will say this place to VERY EXPENSIVE for Mexican food, but the portion are good, not too little, and not too much. I thought my whole meal should have been $12 at least, but I paid $17. Overall, the carne asada tacos were good, but I have had better, and not bad for Baltimore standards of Mexican food. I also got some churros (2), and they were above average. I do recommend this place for anyone craving decent Mexican food, but don't drive too much just to eat here!
(4)
Ashlee K.
We bought a Living Social for this restaurant, so we figured we'd give it a shot despite negative reviews. That was a mistake. We came in fairly early, around 4:30, for dinner. We were one of two tables in the restaurant. I noticed one bartender and one server on the floor. We were seated quickly, but that's where the service stopped. Our server was more interested in checking her phone behind the bar than tending to guests. The salsa was good, so we ordered some cheese dip, too. It was $3.95 and about 2 ounces worth- a ripoff. My husband ordered a coke, and that took 10 minutes to arrive. Neither of us were offered refills during our entire dinner. When my husband asked for one, it took another 10 minutes to receive. The food was sub-par. I've had much better food from Taco Bell. There was little to no seasoning on the fajitas, though the portion was generous. About mid-way through dinner, our server turned on some music at a volume more appropriate for a night club. My husband and I were 2 feet away from each other and still couldn't hear what the other was saying. It wasn't even normal Mexican restaurant music- it was club music. Very distracting. Finally, we were informed at the end of our meal that the restaurant was under a new owner who no longer accepted Living Social vouchers. That would have been great to know before we ordered! Seriously, a sign should be posted on the door or something. We now had to pay the full price for a dismal meal and dining experience. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place. La Tolteca out in Cockeysville is a million times better, less expensive, and has great service.
(1)
Jessica W.
Would never come back! I'm sure Taco bell has fresher chips, and better service.
(1)
Adrienne H.
The pico de gallo is disgusting, the food is terrible and the vibe is off. Overall very regrettable dining experience.
(1)
Fallon B.
Great food, cheap, and fast! Always a seat right when you walk in.
(5)
Heshan W.
Los Amigos, I think it should be Los Tres Amigos, right?! \ Anyways, my experience here is mainly with take out/carry out, not the restaurant itself. However, I did go inside, and its pretty large Mexican restaurant, with a good size bar too. I got the carne asada tacos (3) meal which included a bean dip w/ cheese, some freshly made chips, and a great hot sauce that burns my mouth, its very spicy and delicious. I will say this place to VERY EXPENSIVE for Mexican food, but the portion are good, not too little, and not too much. I thought my whole meal should have been $12 at least, but I paid $17. Overall, the carne asada tacos were good, but I have had better, and not bad for Baltimore standards of Mexican food. I also got some churros (2), and they were above average. I do recommend this place for anyone craving decent Mexican food, but don't drive too much just to eat here!
(4)
Carol C.
Very disappointed. The guacamole tasted like it came straight out of a can, and after two bites of the sketchy ceviche, I ordered tacos. The tacos were quite tasty. Unfortunately, the woman waiting on us did not notice or care that I couldn't consume the guacamole or ceviche. I speak Spanish fluently, and had a hard time communicating with her in either language. I asked for some extra lime and was told they're expensive. The tres leche cake was delicious. We would have liked coffee with it but were told the coffee machine was broken. There was one waitress in the entire restaurant. I found myself saying, "Paging Richard Irvine...Restaurant in distress."
(1)
Kimberly N.
Under New Management...while the food is still good,t the drinks are weak and it has turned into what seems like a hang out spot for a younger clientel. The young ladies that are serving as waitresses seem more interested in their cells phone and entertaining the young men..I would rather spend my money somewhere else.
(1)
Sarah S.
I've been here twice and had completely different experiences. The first time was for lunch and it was amazing! The second time after begging my boyfriend from the area that this was THE Mexican restaurant to go to, we went for dinner and it was not what I had built it up to be. It seemed more dingy, the waitress had no idea what I was saying and kept coming back multiple times to ask us what we ordered. There were only three tables and the food took forever. The food which was simple, was below average.
(2)
Vera M.
SO DISAPPOINTED! We used to live in the neighborhood 2006/2010, back when this place was actually good and got great City Paper reviews. We went back recently to meet up with our old neighbors and this place was disgusting! Taco Bell is better tasting & looking. Everything was microwaved slop. The margaritas were watered down, probably made with the cheapest tequila available and passed off as top shelf. That nasty, rude little lady is still there too. We found it amazing that even though her restaurant was empty she was still trying to hurry us along. Don't waste your time or money.
(1)
Josh W.
Rounding back up to 4 stars because their chicken quesadillas are just that good. Still, it's best for pickup and you're paying more here than most Mexican places. The dining room is usually empty and the owner/manager is pretty into her telenovelas.
(4)
Devonshire B.
Not coming back here. The first experience was fairly positive but the second experience was just awkward and bad. There's 4 people in the whole place, so why are we waiting about 10 years for water?! So, about a decade later, we get our drinks (the water was normal, but our margaritas were obviously store bought mix), we got our chips (stale/cold, salsa burned my tongue off), we got our fajitas for two (which totally sucked this time. Flavourless, chewy, funky tasting), and we were ready to ditch the place. However, it wasn't that simple. The 70+ year old bartender/waitress/only person there thought she could sneakily overcharge us on almost every single item we ordered. We had to ask for the menu so we could point out that everything she rang us up for was extorted. She played dumb and said she was correct and was a stubborn you know what. After much debating and holding my tongue (I have a fiery disposition sometimes), we left there paying exactly what we should have in the beginning. It was obvious that their business is doing so poorly that they have to try to pull the wool over paying customer's eyes. Or maybe it was just that woman, who knows! Either way, I foresee a bleak future for this place.
(1)
Zarch C.
The food is terrible and over priced... not much else to say. I don't think the Margarita even had tequila in it. The carnitas meat was ok but the whole dish was small and had bland refried beans (not even salt) and dry rice. The one thing that may have been redeeming is that they have a play area for kids.... but I don't have kids! They messed up both of our drink orders, didn't give us straws, no hot sauce at the tables, bland salsa... the list goes on, YOUVE BEEN WARNED
(1)
James S.
Always had good food and great service. Been going since it opened in the 90's. Excellent family owned business.
(4)
Dolores B.
We realized as soon as we walked in the door that this was not the same Los Amigos we had eaten at before. Music was blaring loudly at 3:30 in the afternoon, the place was empty and a young girl behind the bar told us where we had to sit. We noticed a large bandstand had been built in the back of the restaurant and no longer were the quaint little out-coves appealing with one small table but they had two tables shoved in there to fit more drinking partying people in there at night I suppose. Gone is the Mexican atmosphere! We had a living social and were told by the young girl that they are under new management and do not accept the certificates any longer. I told her they should at least have put a sign on the door and contacted living social so living social could contact the people who purchased the certificates to refund their money. She said "well that is something the owner would have to do". I said "exactly, so why didn't they do that?". She then proceeded to say she would talk to the owner about it. She texted him on her phone. Then she nodded NO to me. I suppose that meant no we cannot use the living social. I got up and walked out. This is no longer a nice little Mexican restaurant but a loud club type facility used to lure in young people who want to spend their money on drinking.
(1)
Steve S.
Food came out quickly. Decent portions and good taste. Mango margarita was 10 bucks and had about a drop of tequila in it. Service was not so friendly. Didn't feel too welcomed here......
(3)
Chelsea M.
My boyfriend brought me here because this is one of his favorite local spots. The last time he was here was over a year ago. I don't know if there was a change of ownership or staff. We walked in and the vibe was that of them getting ready to throw a huge party. We politely asked our waitress (who really didn't speak any English) if they were and she confirmed. We offered to pay for our drinks and leave. Of which politely declined and said we could stay. So we did. I ordered nachos and cheese, came out about ten minutes later. It was shredded Colby jack, on top of tortilla chips that had been microwaved. 5.99. Our food came out about 20 or so minutes later. It was the wrong food, they rook it back. Brought out the right food for my boyfriend and messed mine up. We politely took it and began to eat. The food was not good. And I'm slightly on the worried side of how my body's going to react to it. We also got two cokes which were both 2$ each which to me is completely assignin to charge for soda. Fountain soda, yes. But out of a can no. We asked for our check and it came out to be 48$ which was ridiculously high for the quality of our food. My boyfriend handed the owners daughter our check and she redid the math and it came out to be 44$ and handed her his credit card. She then informed us she would have to call her father at his Dundalk location and have him run my boyfriends card. Upon hearing that I pulled out a 50 and told her to keep the change. This was by the worst restaurant expierance either of us have ever had. And we will not be returning. It's really unfortunate and unfair that what I'm guessing a girl that is about 19 years old is left to run the location while her father is at another. And that she has to deal with unhappy costumers. I would never recommend this place to anyone. At all.
(1)
Shana W.
My in laws took me here for my birthday dinner! What a great time!! Had the Texas fajitas which were delicious along with an amazing Margarita and my niece really enjoyed the play area. We will definitely be back!
(5)
Jnes S.
Buyer beware! This place is ok, food authentic and pretty good BUT the 70+ year old Mexican waitress deliberately over charges you for food and adds a 'service ' charge as her tip! It's so dishonest and is a major turnoff for me, she does it every single time when me or my husband goes there. Beware of her! She's a sneaky thief!
(2)
Erin O.
What to say about my adventure - and it was certainly that - at Los Amigos? How do you properly describe that abandoned night club feel the place had going for its? What do you say about a "authentic" Mexican restaurant that serves guacamole that I'm pretty sure they bought frozen at the store? Nothing particularly positive, that's for sure. I had a chile rellano that was stuffed with, well I'm not really sure with what, but it didn't taste like cheese. My boyfriend had a fajita. The best thing that could be said about the fajita is that it did come out on a sizzling plate. That didn't actually make it taste like anything, but it did have that required sizzle. If pressed, I suppose the best thing I can say about this place is that I'm almost convinced they're running a brothel in the back. If that's your thing (and who am I to judge?), you can probably get a quickie in the back to help you get over the lackluster service and bland food they serve up front. In case I'm not clear, I don't suggest this place.
(1)
Stephanie P.
This restaurant is large and oddly-shaped. Unless you're seated at a wall booth it seems like all the tables are pretty awkwardly located. The salsa wasn't spicy so we asked for one that was. It was alright but one-note. The spicier salsas at El Salto are much, much better. We ordered guacamole and were served a weird hybrid of guacamole powder mix, pico de gallo, and a few pieces of chopped up avocado. Come on people. Just make guacamole. I ordered a margarita and it was weak and flavorless. Our dinners were from combo menu: predictable nukable slop. Nothing remarkable about it. Servicable enchiladas, burritos, and rice and beans. Did not look like the menu pictures. I should have ordered a mole or something interesting, and put this place to the test. The service was nice, friendly, and fast. Definitely not the worst imaginable Mexican experience but nothing resembled the great authentic food we were lead to expect.
(2)
A B.
I love this little place. The food is good, the staff is friendly and the prices are right. Its a little bit dive-y but in all the right places. :) p.s. Friday is live music. Order the veggie chimichanga and a pitcher of margs.
(4)
Nathan B.
I used to live down the road from this place and my wife and I would eat there often. It may not be the best Mexican food I've ever had, but I always feel welcome and never leave hungry. positive: -portion sizes -atmosphere -friendly staff negative: -seems a little pricy for what it is -paid parking can be a hassle I would (And have) recommend this place to friends.
(4)
Nicky O.
Nope. The vegetarian combo was gross. Tasted like a pile of cheap, greasy cheese. Fajitas were okay. Beans were flavorless. Service was rude. I live down the street from here and you couldn't pay me to go back there.
(1)
Erin V.
I wanted to like this place; it has enough kitsch to be something special and is in an up-and-coming neighborhood; unfortunately, the service was awful. I'm pretty sure this was our waitress' first night on the job ever. The fact that we used a Groupon confounded her and we wound up never actually getting a bill. The food was nothing special, and certainly not worth the prices ($13.50 for a small plate of fajitas). My friend got a ten or eleven-dollar burrito but was turned off by the taste of the meat. If you're in the market for Mexican food in the Parkville/Hamilton area, you'd be much better served by heading up to El Salto in Perring Plaza.
(2)
Coyote B.
Baltimore is dotted with Mexican restaurants just like Los Amigos. We have all seen it before, a choice of meat wrapped in a tortilla covered in red sauce, refried pinto beans, rice, shredded lettuce with a dollop of guacamole and sour cream and everything covered in cheese. So what sets Los Amigos apart from the rest? Located on a busy stretch of Harford Road this building is not hard to miss. The space is dimly lit but the typical festive colors of the Mexican decorations on the walls brightens the mood quite a bit. On our first outing to Los Amigos we sat outside on the patio which was quite nice as the sun was setting. The high gates allow enough privacy that we weren't distracted by the street noise. Outdoor seating was comfortable but a little wobbly. Tables are woven metal so expect few drops of salsa on your pants and some rice in your shoes. Our second visit, we stayed inside and were seated in a small alcove with a light hanging over the table.The table was not completely wiped down when we sat down. Our server greeted us with a big smile and chips and salsas. Thankfully the chips are 100% corn. This means gluten-free grumps won't have to sit idle while everyone else quells their low blood sugar mindlessly filling up on warm salty chips dipped in the fresh pureed tomato salsa and that mystery spiced white sauce. While many of the similar restaurants in the surrounding areas prefer to dumb down their salsa, not adding too much spice or too much onion, Los Amigos serves their salsa as it should be; pureed fresh ingredients with enough spice to whet your appetite for the meal to come. The guacamole its palatable but nothing special. My best guess tells me that it is not homemade; a little too green and pureed lacking the tender chunks of avocado that we all love so much. Do request the hot sauce though. It is a deep smoky sauce filled with spicy chili seeds and a acidic base. Our 2nd trip included the best entrees. My companion ordered the Quesadilla con Chorizo and when asked to describe it he simple said "it was HOLYBALLSLIKE". The chorizo was of the sweeter variety perfectly spiced without over powering the flavor of the meat. It was ground and stuffed evenly in a large flour tortilla. Rice, beans, salad on the side as expected. I would forgo the guacamole and see if they have plain avocado instead (doubtful). I ordered the Los Amigos Seafood Tacos. I never get seafood tacos... ever. But this night was different, I don't like chicken, I didn't want any more red meat, and the vegetarian options just seemed so ordinary. But seafood and tacos just didn't seem to ever go together but wtf, I went for it. I'm glad that I did! My 3 corn tortillas were completely filled with fish, small scallops, and shrimp. On the same plate were pico de gallo and more homemade hot sauce (the menu says tomatillo salsa however). Another plate with generous portion of smooth creamy refried pinto beans with just a small pinch of cheese on top completed the dish. While I was pleased with the abundance of seafood, I was disappointed with the pico being over salted to the point that I couldn't taste anything except the salt. I also would have liked to have some salad on the plate to add to the tacos. Instead I picked the salad from my companions plate. By this time we were stuffed but I ordered flan anyway. This beats El Salto's flan any day. Rich creamy custard with notes of vanilla and, was that coconut I picked up? I could have done without the fake whip-cream tufts on the side but I ate them anyway. The service throughout the meal was excellent. He remembered us from our first time and was attentive to our table without being overbearing. We stayed for a couple minutes to chat after our epic meal and found out that he had just taken over ownership from his mother and was planning on reworking the menu. He seemed very open to adding a few more gluten-free options after I told him "we are everywhere now!". Let's hope that a new guacamole is on the way as well. Overall, this is one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. Although on the surface it may seem like just another Mexican place, the quality of the meats, the portion sizes, the solid service, and the ease of camaraderie with the new owner makes up for the depressing guacamole and the generic interior. They also had my favourite soda: Jarritos Tamarindo. For $40 we will keep coming back.
(4)
Nick B.
The Good: The Carnitas are quite good. Tender chunks of meat, rice, refried beans and a pickled pepper. The chips, salsa, and milky white dipping slime are unsettlingly easy to eat and flow like wine. They usually have futbol on the viewscreen. The Meh: The Margaritas will get you drunk. The Bad: The Margaritas taste like they came out of an army surplus drum and are questionably priced. If you had a terrible day at the wage-slave cubicle plantation and need something sweet and intoxicating (and it's happy hour) pound a few, but don't expect more than a slight dulling of your lifepain. The menu is "À la recherche du temps perdu"esque in size, so don't set your sights on working your way through it. TL;DR While it's not my first choice, the carnitas are pretty excellent.
(2)
Mark G.
If I could give this place less than 1 star, I would give it negative 5 stars. My experience at this place nothing short of awful. I should've known the moment I walked in and the place smelt like a bathroom. I tried the special lunch number 12 which was enchiladas. The tortilla wasn't warm and the sauce was basically orange water. I told the server I didn't like it and she recommended I try some burrito thing which I told her I would try. the burrito comes to me and I cut into it and grease explodes onto my plate. It was almost cartoony how much grease came out. When I showed her the grease, she tried telling me there wasn't any grease on my plate when you could clearly see all of the grease on my plate. I had an empty cup on my table and I filled the cup 1/4 of the way with grease and she just walked away. I decided at that point I wasn't gonna pay for it so I went to the bathroom and began to walk out. As I came out of the bathroom, the woman asked if I wanted a box for my food and I told her no and I wasn't paying for it. Some guy came out of the kitchen and they began arguing in Spanish. The guy told me if I didn't pay for both plates, hes calling the police. of course I refused and they told me to never come back. I thought experiences like this only existed on tv but apparently not. Never go here. Ever.
(1)
Amber G.
It was our first time here, and we had high hopes. The seating was really neat and private, and they had live music. We waited awhile to get seated and were kinda shoved off onto a waitress who did (indeed, like another review stated) seem like it was her first night. She took our drink order and we never saw her again. It took 20 minutes for someone else to come take our drink order, took another 10 minutes to get those drinks. I should mention there were only 2 of us, a water and a margarita each. Food came quickly, nothing special there. My husband's beans tasted off (he described them as cat urine-y). My fajitas were not worth $13.50. No one came to get us a refill for another 20 minutes, and even then we were only given margaritas and no water. When we asked for the check, he asked if we had a groupon (before giving us the check). He came back with a bill that charged us $8.50 per margarita. When I asked him to show me a drink menu with those prices, he couldn't produce one, he said it was because we ordered flavored margaritas. We will not be going again.
(1)
Lee C.
Service was terrible tonight. Handing hot plates down the table to people rather than walking around to serve them to us. Had to ask repeatedly for water and napkins. Food was so/so. The nail in the coffin was when we left the restaurant and our friend's car was towed from the pay Hamilton Business Association Lot behind the restaurant. We paid for parking, but apparently all of the spaces are not for the public, but are not clearly marked. I have no need to spend money in Hamilton ever again.
(1)
Nancy C.
We came here b/c we had a Groupon and since we just moved to the area a few months ago we are still experiencing different neighborhoods. I felt bad for the place actually b/c there was only one other table there when we got there - 6 pm on a Wed eve. I'd think there should have been more people there. The salsa wasn't the best, but the chips were warm which I appreciated. The guacumole was different, tasted like it had cucumbers in it ? Hubby ordered carnitas and carne asada taco's. He said they were pretty good, not the best, not the worst. I ordered Chix Enchilada Verde, and they were good with white meat chicken and verde salsa and melted cheese. No complaints on my end. Our waitress seemed a bit annoyed the whole time we had her, but she was authentic - older mexican woman who didn't seem happy to be there. the place is big, decorated appropriately, but it was sad no one was there. When we left there was a big party coming and it seemed they knew the waitress. Had to pay for parking, its on a main street, so that was a hassle. Maybe we'd come back? We'll see....
(3)
Chad B.
Sittin at Los Amigos right now! Great food. Currently there's live music, and good live music too! Not some overpowered kid rockin out while I'm trying to eat. This is my fifth time here, and I live a hour away! If you're a burrito fan like myself, the Gigante Burrito is a sure thing! But there's way more than just burritos being served here. There's all kinds of great food, and just as great hospitality. It's one of those places still around where the owner/bar tender will come out to make sure your meal is top notch. I'll keep comin' back!! Small tip: There's parking around the rear for $1.00!
(5)
Nikki V.
This has to be one of the worst restaurants in the city. The owner has no customer service skills whatsoever, and will try to rip you off every chance she gets. Margaritas are terrible, a horrible pre-mix with maybe a splash of tequila. All you taste is the sour flavor. The guacamole is overpriced for such a tiny serving. The salsa is okay, but if you run out of chips, expect to pay a lot more for another basket. Getting carry-out? You'll pay an upcharge. Using a coupon or Groupon? Prices will automatically be higher. Most of the food tastes like reheated slop. There are some things that are okay, but seriously, you're better off at Taco Bell. That's right. There's a reason this place is always empty.
(1)
D K.
Can't even give a single star to this Restaurant but without it I can't post my view, so giving single star. Most awful place ever visited. I had read reviews of this place with some very bad and some very good. I thought this place would at least worth trying, I had few friends with me and I was embarrassed and I don't have any more words. We were 4 people and three didn't finish their food. To rub salt to your wounds, the food was microwaved....
(1)
Tami B.
Los Amigos is my "go to" place to get my local Mexican food fix! The food is fresh and delicious and the portions are generous. They have a cute patio for outside seating and some nights they have live music. If you like hot sauce, ask them to bring out a cup of their homemade stuff - it's smoky and hot with visible pepper pieces in it - very different than the typical bottled sauce. The staff is very friendly and patient with me trying to practice my Spanish with them when ordering or making small talk! I think it's a hidden gem among the other fantastic restaurants on Harford Road.
(5)
Scott F.
I went with my in-laws for lunch and we were all somewhat disappointed. The staff member was very attentive and friendly, the place was clean, and the food came out quickly. Unfortunately it was the food that was the disappointment. I had the Beef fajitas and they lacked flavor. The onions and peppers were nice and crisp which is how I like them and the flour tortillas were steaming hot and quite good but the main part of the dish fell flat. I tried my son's taco because he wouldn't eat it and the beef was watery and lacked any spice. My father-in-law got the huevos rancheros and seemed to enjoy that. My mother-in-law had the taco salad and made no comments about it at all (usually she oohs and aahs when she likes something). I usually prefer Tex-Mex over Mexican because I like the spice and standard Mexican can be more mild but this food was just flavorless and watery. If I go again it will probably be limited to a happy hour to enjoy some Negro Modelos with my friends.
(2)
D W.
I come from Atlanta, GA where there's a neighborhood mex place within 750 feet no matter where you are. Most of them are chains with 10-15 locations scattered around the city, all competing with similar chains, all with similar menus, very americanized for our dining pleasure, with 6 year old Cinco de Mayo streamers and crepe paper decorations hanging from the ceiling. Despite all this you would be guaranteed a filling mex meal and a level of satisfaction no matter what. Comparitively here in Baltimore there are few Mexican places to enjoy. The closest in food and scenary to my Atlanta memories is Los Amigos. Decent predictable food, competent service (under the watchful if not scary eye of "Mama") and notoriously empty of customers. Thus, I love it. Chile relleno Chile relleno Chile relleno Nuf said.
(4)
Jim H.
I've eaten here a handful of times and found one thing on the menu that I consistently like-the seafood tacos. I don't enjoy their runny refried beans, uninspired Spanish rice or the less than stellar servers who tend to mix up orders. I remember being seated once, ordered food, and then told I had to move because the table was reserved for another couple-Hello Fawlty Towers! The last time I was there I had that short little troll of a manager come to my table to ARGUE with me that I was to blame for an incorrect order-the NERVE! Haven't been back since...when you wish for Taco Bell you know there's something wrong.
(1)
Melinda B.
I hardly ever write reviews for restaurants but felt like the negative experience I just had warranted it. A friend recommended that we eat at Los Amigos because she liked the food and because there is a kid's room. I assumed that any restaurant with a playroom would be kid friendly but that did not turn out to be the case.... It took about 15 minutes for the owner/waitress to acknowledge us and take drink orders. She gave our kids dirty looks every few minutes while they played in the playroom. Did not bring water when asked. Did not bring salsa when asked. Did not offer refills, check to see how the food was etc. Refused to split check when given plenty of advance warning. Food was lackluster. The ground beef in the burrito had absolutely no flavor at all. There no spice to it. I am pretty sure most of it was reheated. So disappointing. I would probably give this place another chance if not for the surly demeanor of the owner. Perhaps her cranky attitude and the so-so food is why the place was empty at 6 on a Friday night. Go to El Salto on Joppa Road instead. They are friendly and their food is excellent!
(1)
Shannon S.
Finally some spice! I had a work lunch here and was a bit overwhelmed by all the choices. I was excited to see a chile relleno on the menu. The food was Mexican of the smothered variety, which I find most people in Baltimore just don't get. It's not the best Mexican, but you can get something above mild and it's pretty authentic.
(4)
Erin M.
I am always looking for a good place to get Tex-Mex style food, and in spite of the mixed reviews, i thought I would check this place out. First of all...they overcharged me, including some nebulous $1 for nothing. Second, I do not have a refined palate at all. I have had all kinds of Tex-Mex food from places that were simple and cheap to places that were fancier. The food I received from Los Amigos was inedible. I never thought I would say this, but there was too much cheese on parts of it, which turned into a gooey disgusting mess as it cooled, and the other part was so spicy, I couldn't taste anything but pain. Save your money and don't encourage those charlatans.
(1)
Drew F.
The food was great. My wife and I really enjoyed ourselfs. The salsa was amazing.
(4)
Chris V.
I used to live nearby but hadn't gone for a while until this weekend. Just as good as I remembered it. Traditional Latin American food, very friendly service. Got there are a weird time - 2:30 on a Saturday - still no problems. In fact the mole ranchero was even better than I remember.
(4)
Zahira P.
My worst dining experience to date. The waitress was just mean; I think it is because they require all patrons to pay an 18% gratuity which they tack on. I have never had a more rude waitress - inflexible and inhelpful like a bureaucrat to be. I regret not finding her manager to yell at them for this horrible, overpriced, tasteless and disgusting meal. I will recommend no one to enter this kitschy, shitty place that calls itself a restaurant. More like rip-off, with disrespect to boot. Why can't I give 0 or negative stars???
(1)
Kelley Q.
Love this place! Its our family's go-to spot for a night out of the kitchen. The kids enjoy the play room, although its nothing fancy. The service is very friendly and attentive and the food is quick. Its comfortable, casual and perfect for a low-key dinner.
(4)
Mike M.
On a Thursday, I went for dinner with the work peeps. Completely dead, but happy hour was from 4-7pm, so the pitchers of margaritas were flowing. Lots of chips and salsa were brought out, though only the first serving is complementary. Salsa had slight kick. White salsa also was served. It was a thinned sour cream concoction, which was good, but not as good as the regular salsa. Also ordered the guacamole for the chips too. Menu was extensive, making it difficult to choose. I chose the Mole Ranchero (chicken with mole sauce). I love mole, and while this one was good, it wasn't the best I've had. Now, the reason for three stars. Sopapillas. I ordered them, as I love them. They're just fried puff pastry drenched in honey and powdered sugar. This was not. It was a crispy FLAT flour tortilla drenched in chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and rainbow sprinkles. Extremely disappointed. Please don't raise my hopes of sopapillas only to flatten them (literally). I still enjoyed myself (and the company of course) and would go back for a cheap but tasty meal.
(3)
Angela G.
A very disappointing experience. I am new to Baltimore and pass this restaurant every day on the way to work. I wanted to try the place out on a Sunday for the "All You Can Eat Sunday Mexican Brunch." Last year Living Social offered a deal for pay $20 for $40 worth of food for dinner and pay $10 for $20 worth of food for lunch. I used this offer as an opportunity to try Los Amigos. I purchased one offer for lunch and two of the offers for dinner. My husband was out of town for business and I had two weeks before the vouchers expired, so I used one of the $40 vouchers for dinner. I entered the restaurant last Thursday at 3pm. The place was empty and I was greeted by the waitress. The place seemed pretty authentic and like your typical Mexican restaurant with the decor and music. I was seated and handed a menu. I started with a margarita. I don't know the price because the alcoholic drinks were not listed on the menu. The drink was tasty but the lime wedge served on the side of the glass was brown and dried out. Not very appetizing to look at. For the appetizer, the waitress suggested the Stuffed Shrimp prepared with monterey jack cheese for $9.95. I received six shrimp and they were your typical frozen processed breaded shrimp variety. The majority of each individual piece was cheese and breading. The inside was an entire shrimp (not chopped,) but small. Clearly not worth the price. The menu states "We prepare all our food fresh daily." Really? For the main course, the waitress suggested #104 Fajitas Del Mar for $17.95. This dish has fajitas with shrimp and scallops cooked with onions and green peppers; served with beans, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole and sour cream. I have never had an entree at a Mexican restaurant that did not serve rice with the beans, oh well. The black beans were old and dried up on the plate, the scallops were imitation and the three pieces of diced tomatoes were negligible with a huge mound of cheap iceburg lettuce. I told the waitress that the scallops were fake and she assured me that "ALL of our seafood comes in fresh daily." She seemed stunned when I questioned the scallops. After eating the fajitas, the waitress asked me if I wanted some dessert, I asked her how closed was I to my $40 minimum. She told me I was close, so I declined dessert and asked for the check. She told me to give her $7.50 for the tip. I asked for a breakdown of the items and for a receipt. She told me it didin't matter how far from $40 I was and that I owed her a tip. She mentioned I was near $40 because of the margarita, she said she had used the good tequila. Funny how she would NEVER tell me the cost of my drink. Upon leaving I asked about the "All You Can Eat Sunday Brunch" mentioned in the menu. She informed me they stopped the brunch six months ago. I asked her why it was still listed in the menu, she said they hadn't corrected the menus yet. I also mentioned to her that I had NEVER eaten at a Mexican restaurant that didn't serve me complimentary chips and salsa. She gave me a bag of chips and salsa to go. I got no receipt! Ironically, the chips and salsa were the best part of the meal. The salsa had a little bite to it and the chips were authentic. Needless to say, I contacted Living Social the next day and requested a refund for the two remaining unused vouchers. Taco Bell would had been a better choice.
(1)
Taylor C.
Excellent service, great food, fantastic drinks... ask for marco, you won't be dissappointed!
Try the carnitas tacos. No, seriously. TRY THE CARNITAS TACOS. Outstanding. The service was exemplary, the food was pretty special, and the whole visit was just a joy. I'll go back whenever I'm in the neighborhood.
(5)
Bob B.
Hadn't been to Los Amigos for a few years. Bar is much bigger now. Good service, good drinks, and good straight forward Mexican. I'd been going to El Salto for this kind of Mexican for a while, but Los Amigos is where it's at.
(5)
Jason M.
It wasn't worth the drive. The service was good. The food was decent. Kinda bland. I miss authentic Mexican food. Coming from Wisconsin, Mexican food was so good. Out here on the East coast I haven't found a Mexican restaurant that's rivals yet.
(2)
Mandeep S.
Overall, the vegetarian selection was good. I had the fajitas, red wine sangria, and veggie nachos. However the prices are really high for the area and the service is unfriendly. Although the lady at the door was pleasant, we had a waitress with a horrible attitude. On top of that they charge a required 18 % gratuity. No incentive for good service.
(2)
Sean B.
been here several time, not real impressed but was jonesing for some mexican. not sure what to expect because it was 'taco tuesday' at a neighboring very popular restaurant. greeted warmly when entering, large open space. 4-5 tables going, provided with a booth and a quickly delivered basket of fresh warm chips and 2 salsa's. (charge for additional chips) round of margs on the rocks. could taste and feel the alcohol but mixers not fresh/homemade. carnitas with rice/beans satisfying but no wow. chicken soft tacos had NO flavor. plain boiled chicken in warm corn tortillas. brown flavorless, gravy like sauce (called it poblano). side of iceberg shreds with some sour cream and bland rice. Thats it! no spice, peppers, onions, nothing. won't hurry back. I haven't tried any of the peruvian specialties so can't comment. watress/bartender/host was a delightful woman though. 2 barely adequate meals, 4 margs on the rocks. $55.
(2)
Albert B.
Outstanding food, warm and friendly service, awesome decor, a relaxed atmosphere, a full bar, and a groovy neighborhood. I love this place. Love it.
(5)
Ashlee K.
We bought a Living Social for this restaurant, so we figured we'd give it a shot despite negative reviews. That was a mistake. We came in fairly early, around 4:30, for dinner. We were one of two tables in the restaurant. I noticed one bartender and one server on the floor. We were seated quickly, but that's where the service stopped. Our server was more interested in checking her phone behind the bar than tending to guests. The salsa was good, so we ordered some cheese dip, too. It was $3.95 and about 2 ounces worth- a ripoff. My husband ordered a coke, and that took 10 minutes to arrive. Neither of us were offered refills during our entire dinner. When my husband asked for one, it took another 10 minutes to receive. The food was sub-par. I've had much better food from Taco Bell. There was little to no seasoning on the fajitas, though the portion was generous. About mid-way through dinner, our server turned on some music at a volume more appropriate for a night club. My husband and I were 2 feet away from each other and still couldn't hear what the other was saying. It wasn't even normal Mexican restaurant music- it was club music. Very distracting. Finally, we were informed at the end of our meal that the restaurant was under a new owner who no longer accepted Living Social vouchers. That would have been great to know before we ordered! Seriously, a sign should be posted on the door or something. We now had to pay the full price for a dismal meal and dining experience. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place. La Tolteca out in Cockeysville is a million times better, less expensive, and has great service.
(1)
Tama V.
How is this place still open?! USED to be a good Mexican place, now it's so bizarre, overpriced terrible drinks, hookers (?) everywhere, but no other customers in the whole place besides us on a Saturday night at 7? Super disappointed, will never come back. Reading all the other recent reviews, i fully agree. Some weird shit happening here.
(1)
Robby F.
Let me start off by saying, this place used to be great. Any of the good reviews you are reading are based on the old version of the restaurant with the old management. Whatever the new management has done has completely ruined what once was one of the top Mexican restaurants in Baltimore. Let's start with the crazy lighting/DJ. Before this place used to be dimly lit and very comfortable.. then the new management decided to make this place more like a Disco, which included building a DJ stage and adding crazy moving color lights all over. I've been there multiple nights now where out of nowhere they turn these crazy lights on and all of a sudden a DJ will start playing insanely loud Mexican club music.. this would be ok if there were any warning beforehand.. also if there was ANYONE else in the place. But it was just me.. and the wait staff... Then the waitresses.. I'm not one to comment on clothing, I think anyone any gender should be able to wear whatever they want. No slut shaming coming from me. But yeah, it's a bit unprofessional and they really like to close talk and put their bodies on you, which is very uncomfortable.. especially when you are already uncomfortable from the loud music/dizzying lights and the incorrect orders. Sometimes there are nearly 6 waitresses working all at once.. but I'll be the only customer. THEN, there's the constant screwing up what you ordered.. which is strange since the menu is very simple traditional Mexican food.. it's not like I'm throwing them curve balls when I order. For example- my girlfriend ordered Steak Tacos.. which seems like the easiest thing to order. Wrong. The girl then grabbed the menu from her and asked where that was on the menu. After minutes of denying it was impossible to order because she didn't know what to charge for them, I pointed out to just make the chicken tacos but with steak. This seemed to clear things up.. until the food came out. ENCHILADAS... WITH CHICKEN?! Nowhere near what she ordered. So I point it out, the waitress (who might be 14 years old) gets flustered and starts talking crap about the cooking staff.. Goes over to the register.. then a different girl brings the food back over and I have to re-explain what was going on. 30 minutes later.. Tacos. Steak tacos (second time's a charm) The food honestly used to be way more consistent and was great, but now it tastes very bland. Not worth what they are charging. Speaking of charging... Multiple times I've been charged a bit more then I expected and when I ask to see the itemized receipt I'm denied it.. adding up the meals + tax generally is like almost $9 less than what they are charging. To be fair, this used to happen with the old management also. But still. Not cool. Bottom line, make the trip up the road a few miles to El Salto. Much better. Consistent. GREAT atmosphere. No creepiness.
(1)
Alan T.
What a horrible experience! We have a groupon and wanted to check this place out. The server (presumably the owner) was a old small lady that was extremely rude and was in a hurry to chase us out. She DEMANDed a 20% tip after the bill and actually gave me the tip amount so I can give to give her. I never had this kind of service like this before in my life. Please do yourself a favor and DO NOT go there. Food is expensive and service is lousy and impolite! I anticipate this place to be out of business soon with this kind of service.
(1)
Dan C.
quaint mexican restaurant.... burritos are huge and delicious, chips are always fresh salsa great. great lunch place a must try and margaritas are great.
Terrible, Terrible, Terrible. I will never ever go to this place again. The vibe was off, the food was the worst ever. If that was authentic, I never want authentic again. The hospitality was even bad. I wish I could give no stars, and to top it off the food was not even hot.
(1)
daniel c.
new management old Peruvian lady who ran it is gone! it is now a Club they are scaling down the menu. service has gotten worse if you can believe that, and food is ok just takes forever to get it... give up on the food.
(1)
Nicki M.
Lively, fun and good "chips & salsa & cheese." I enjoyed my Beef Chimichanga & coconut margarita. Good service too. Super nice staff. I just may go back for Cinco De Mayo.
(3)
Lindsey H.
Bland, blah, boring terribleness.
(1)
Melissa S.
If I could give zero stars, I would. I can hardly put into words how awful this place is. Came here with my family for Father's Day, because my husband likes Mexican food, and my dad thought this place "looked authentic". My husband wanted to go to Don Pablo's, but my dad wanted to try this place. BIG MISTAKE. I cannot say this enough. DO NOT EAT HERE!!! We were the ONLY people in the place. This probably should have been a huge clue. The waitress came out and already looked like she had an attitude. She was trying to act like she was being nice ("you're very welcome" when I would say thank you). Trying to order was a nightmare. If we asked one question, she would say she has to go ask the chef (I asked if the soft tacos come on flour or corn tortillas, for instance). She clearly didn't know any of the menu, because if, for instance, you order the tacos, she would ask for the number on the menu. We could have lived with all of this, but every order except one (we were a group of 12), cam out completely wrong. My son can't eat tomatoes. We ordered a taco with no tomatoes & it came out loaded with tomatoes. I told her he can't eat tomatoes. She took the taco to the back, and someone pulled the tomatoes off of it (there were leftover remnants of tomatoes in it). My husband ordered fajitas with beef & shrimp. Out came chicken & shrimp. Okay, so normally you tell the waitress, and they fix it, right? No big deal! She rolled her eyes, walked into the back & came out with the same plate, just with a couple shrimp thrown on top. My husband asked to speak to a manager, and the waitress said "Okay, but you don't have to be a prick!" All he had said is he wanted to talk to the manager, because he knew if he sent it back again she would have spit in it or something, if she hadn't already! My husband was so furious, that by the time the "manager" came out, he was shaking! We had driven in two cars, so my husband left after talking to the manager. The minute he walked out the door, the waitress came to our table & said "I just want you to know, I did NOT insult him in any way. I said "You have had an attitude since the minute we got here!" (I failed to mention she rolled her eyes when my husband asked for a high chair and if they had covered cups for kids. And brought us a pack of hot chocolate mix & a cup of cold milk after saying they have chocolate milk... Among many other issues, and we never complained until the 4th wrong meal came out!!) Long story a tiny bit longer, the manager handed me the bill. Instead of taking my husband's meal off, they had TRIPLE charged for it! I guess they thought we were so upset we'd just serve up a credit card not looking at the bill! We were charged $110 on what should have been a $75 bill. So. Save yourself the trouble, don't even come here!! Or if you don't believe me, peek in the door & see how empty the place is. There's a REASON for it!! P.S. Am I the only one who has never heard of a Mexican place using mozzarella cheese on their tacos???
(1)
Marco S.
Literally a hooker with a 65 year old guy sitting next to us. There are four women trying to figure out one customer's check behind the bar. We have been sitting here for 20 minutes at the bar with no service. The girls at the bar are not bartenders they are just random girls. I don't even know if they work here. This is awful. I feel like I'm in an episode of bar rescue. Definitely illegal stuff going on here.
(1)
Christopher B.
Stay away! Los Amigos is under new ownership and the ship is sinking. Food is terrible, service is slow, and the host who takes your order doesn't know the menu or write anything down. It appears that the night club scene is what they're going for (considering the advertisement on the table says that the new name of the restaurant is Fantasy Bar & Lounge) which should be interesting in a neighborhood like Hamilton. This had been our favorite local Mexican place, but sadly we will never be returning.
(1)
Noelle C.
This is no longer a restaurant! It's a bar/nightclub. Yes there's food and tables, but probably just enough to stay zoned/licensed the same. There's a flier on the table advertising a dance contest with cash prizes. I would not suggest bringing your family here-not really that kind of atmosphere. We have lived in the neighborhood for years and have eaten at Los Amigos fairly regularly-even taking out of towners there. Even though they weren't the same caliber of restaurant as the rest of the local spots, the food was okay. Now, it's barely passable. Bland and tasteless. I hate to give such a low rating, I can usually find a positive or two. But the service before was slow,now it's non-existant. The server didn't know the menu and seemed more interested in the tv show behind the bar, or her phone, or personal conversations. In a nutshell, don't waste your time unless you want a dance contest-not dinner.
(1)
I L.
Terrible. Bad service. Bad waitress. Bad everything. And they charged 1.50 for water with lemon???? NEVER AGAIN!!!
(1)
Ebony T.
Been here a few times with my family and the food was good but tonight we find out they have new management. By 8:30 the night life was beginning. Scantily clad women, not enough tables. This is now a nightclub. The DJ is setting up as we wait for our food. Not very family friendly in the evenings. The food was still good however.
(3)
Edward S.
Hadn't been to Los Amigos in a while, (I was craving their Carne Asada Tacos). My wife and I walked in and BAM! There are pool tables now, most of the dining tables are gone, it looks like a night club! We turned right around and when over to Hamilton Tavern. Sorry, I will miss you Los Amigo.
(1)
Yolie O.
Went in a couple days ago after nearly a year hiatus... AWFUL! just as previous reviewers have indicated, half the tables are gone, there is a dance floor, pool tables & terrible service! We didn't even wait for our food because the service was horrific! When the entire wait staff is giving you the side-eye because you requested a pitcher of water (because it was THAT slow), told no, and the waitress doesn't know the menu you know it's time to go! We got up from our table and walked out. Will NEVER return. So many better alternatives in the neighborhood. I can't even give them 1 star... How about NEGATIVE 4 stars.
(1)
Stacey G.
Wow, reviews are all over the board here. Makes me think I must've been on an off night. I'm with the other negative reviewers. The food was awful. Flavors weren't there. Rice was bland. Salsa was the best thing but tasted like it was canned. I couldn't even tell you what we had because I didn't want to remember. Service was good. Seating was extremely uncomfortable. We were on rolling chairs atop tile floor. I felt like it was a workout to keep my chair at the table. I just cannot recommend this to anyone. It was so bad I couldn't even go back to give it a 2nd shot. Wish I could because I live in the neighborhood and want it to do well.
(1)
J H.
I'm going to break rank here and say THIS PLACE IS AWFUL. Uninteresting, nearly cold, sloppy and grey beans. Tasteless shredded government cheese. Watery Salsas with no kick. Does this place even have an oven or is everything microwaved? Is all the iceberg lettuce shredded and beginning to go bad around the edges? I was not impressed with my one visit. I can't understand how this place wins awards from the CityPaper. Someone is paying someone under the table..
(1)
Matthew R.
Went here because we had a groupon. I'm really ashamed that we didn't go sooner. We've lived in a few blocks over for more than a year and this is the best mexican we've had in a long longggg time. I can't wait to go back. The papas huancaina was excellent and the burritos and tacos were tasty.
(4)
Keme J.
Run for the Border... I'm glad I had groupon voucher or that would have been money wasted. When I walked in a family was coming out and the said good luck, so i asked what's wrong how was the food and service they said horrible. I should have listened
(1)
Zulay V.
This place is awesome, the decor is really cute, the service is great, the sauces and chips they give you in the beginning are really good. The food is deeeeeelicious and very well priced. I love the Carnitas tacos... pulled pork cooked in beer. MMmm!
(5)
Rick D.
Absolutely horrible food and service! As soon as they found out we had a Groupon they switched servers on us--from the friendly young woman who had initially greeted us to a sullen older woman (the owner?) who seemed to resent that we would actually bother to redeem our Groupon and patronize her nearly empty restaurant. The food was bland and completely unremarkable, and my wife got a margarita with an ice-to-liquid ratio of about 10-to-1. When the bill arrived, it was about $25 higher than I'd expected. First, they refused to honor the happy hour price for our margaritas, because we had a Groupon (there was nothing about specials being excluded on the Groupon itself, and our server didn't bother to mention this when we were ordering our drinks). Then they charged us $12 for my son's bean & cheese burrito. Granted, it was big, but it was nothing but refried beans, a tortilla, some cheese, and a side of rice. Twelve bucks?? It even cost more than my enchilada entree! When I questioned the amount on the bill, the server got very defensive. It was nearly impossible to make out what we were being charged for with the hand-scrawled bill, so we just cut our losses and paid up. But I'm never setting foot in the place again. It's tough enough to find decent Mexican food in Baltimore (outside of the excellent tacos at Tortilleria Sinaloa), but Los Amigos on Harford Rd. sets a new low!
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Specialities
Takes Reservations : Yes Delivery : No Take-out : Yes Accepts Credit Cards : Yes Good For : Dinner Parking : Street Bike Parking : Yes Wheelchair Accessible : Yes Good for Kids : Yes Good for Groups : Yes Attire : Casual Ambience : Casual Noise Level : Quiet Alcohol : Full Bar Outdoor Seating : Yes Wi-Fi : No Has TV : Yes Waiter Service : Yes Caters : No
If you enjoy Taco Tuesday, then you have officially fallen in love with the Mexican Food. The main grain of Mexican cuisine is maize. Also known as corn, maize is grown for the past 9000 years after the crop was discovered by the people in Mayan civilization. Mexican empire flourished when they started growing beans, tomatoes, chili pepper, sweet potato and cactus. Till this date these ingredients are used in cooking authentic Mexican dishes and drinks.
Great use of spices, fresh chili pepper dishes like fajitas, tortilla chips, corn chips, salsa, chimichangas, burritos, nachos and quesadillas are invented in America. But when you are looking for authentic Mexican food then you must find a restaurant in the city that serves Rajas con Queso, Garbanzo in a Guajillo Chile Sauce, Pork Filled Chiles Rellenos, Chiles en Nogada, Molcajete Salsa, Pico de Gallo and Frijoles de la Olla. An eye-opening fact – Mexican don't like their food hot. They use fresh chili and other spices to create a flavor that lingers in your mouth.
Mexican food is great for those who are Gluten Intolerant as they use Corn instead of wheat in most of their dishes. Also, you can easily find many beans based Mexican dishes. Another dish which didn't get similar glory as tacos or nachos is the Mexican hot chocolate. If you love something hot on a chilly day, then go for Mexican Hot Chocolate. On merry days, you can enjoy the authentic Mexican Drinks like Tequila, Mezcal, Tecuí, Sotol, Bacanora, Charanda, Posh O Pox, Puebla and Pulque. Mexican Cuisine is for people who enjoy strong drinks and hearty meals.
Coyote B.
Baltimore is dotted with Mexican restaurants just like Los Amigos. We have all seen it before, a choice of meat wrapped in a tortilla covered in red sauce, refried pinto beans, rice, shredded lettuce with a dollop of guacamole and sour cream and everything covered in cheese. So what sets Los Amigos apart from the rest? Located on a busy stretch of Harford Road this building is not hard to miss. The space is dimly lit but the typical festive colors of the Mexican decorations on the walls brightens the mood quite a bit. On our first outing to Los Amigos we sat outside on the patio which was quite nice as the sun was setting. The high gates allow enough privacy that we weren't distracted by the street noise. Outdoor seating was comfortable but a little wobbly. Tables are woven metal so expect few drops of salsa on your pants and some rice in your shoes. Our second visit, we stayed inside and were seated in a small alcove with a light hanging over the table.The table was not completely wiped down when we sat down. Our server greeted us with a big smile and chips and salsas. Thankfully the chips are 100% corn. This means gluten-free grumps won't have to sit idle while everyone else quells their low blood sugar mindlessly filling up on warm salty chips dipped in the fresh pureed tomato salsa and that mystery spiced white sauce. While many of the similar restaurants in the surrounding areas prefer to dumb down their salsa, not adding too much spice or too much onion, Los Amigos serves their salsa as it should be; pureed fresh ingredients with enough spice to whet your appetite for the meal to come. The guacamole its palatable but nothing special. My best guess tells me that it is not homemade; a little too green and pureed lacking the tender chunks of avocado that we all love so much. Do request the hot sauce though. It is a deep smoky sauce filled with spicy chili seeds and a acidic base. Our 2nd trip included the best entrees. My companion ordered the Quesadilla con Chorizo and when asked to describe it he simple said "it was HOLYBALLSLIKE". The chorizo was of the sweeter variety perfectly spiced without over powering the flavor of the meat. It was ground and stuffed evenly in a large flour tortilla. Rice, beans, salad on the side as expected. I would forgo the guacamole and see if they have plain avocado instead (doubtful). I ordered the Los Amigos Seafood Tacos. I never get seafood tacos... ever. But this night was different, I don't like chicken, I didn't want any more red meat, and the vegetarian options just seemed so ordinary. But seafood and tacos just didn't seem to ever go together but wtf, I went for it. I'm glad that I did! My 3 corn tortillas were completely filled with fish, small scallops, and shrimp. On the same plate were pico de gallo and more homemade hot sauce (the menu says tomatillo salsa however). Another plate with generous portion of smooth creamy refried pinto beans with just a small pinch of cheese on top completed the dish. While I was pleased with the abundance of seafood, I was disappointed with the pico being over salted to the point that I couldn't taste anything except the salt. I also would have liked to have some salad on the plate to add to the tacos. Instead I picked the salad from my companions plate. By this time we were stuffed but I ordered flan anyway. This beats El Salto's flan any day. Rich creamy custard with notes of vanilla and, was that coconut I picked up? I could have done without the fake whip-cream tufts on the side but I ate them anyway. The service throughout the meal was excellent. He remembered us from our first time and was attentive to our table without being overbearing. We stayed for a couple minutes to chat after our epic meal and found out that he had just taken over ownership from his mother and was planning on reworking the menu. He seemed very open to adding a few more gluten-free options after I told him "we are everywhere now!". Let's hope that a new guacamole is on the way as well. Overall, this is one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. Although on the surface it may seem like just another Mexican place, the quality of the meats, the portion sizes, the solid service, and the ease of camaraderie with the new owner makes up for the depressing guacamole and the generic interior. They also had my favourite soda: Jarritos Tamarindo. For $40 we will keep coming back.
(4)Adrienne H.
The pico de gallo is disgusting, the food is terrible and the vibe is off. Overall very regrettable dining experience.
(1)Robby F.
Let me start off by saying, this place used to be great. Any of the good reviews you are reading are based on the old version of the restaurant with the old management. Whatever the new management has done has completely ruined what once was one of the top Mexican restaurants in Baltimore. Let's start with the crazy lighting/DJ. Before this place used to be dimly lit and very comfortable.. then the new management decided to make this place more like a Disco, which included building a DJ stage and adding crazy moving color lights all over. I've been there multiple nights now where out of nowhere they turn these crazy lights on and all of a sudden a DJ will start playing insanely loud Mexican club music.. this would be ok if there were any warning beforehand.. also if there was ANYONE else in the place. But it was just me.. and the wait staff... Then the waitresses.. I'm not one to comment on clothing, I think anyone any gender should be able to wear whatever they want. No slut shaming coming from me. But yeah, it's a bit unprofessional and they really like to close talk and put their bodies on you, which is very uncomfortable.. especially when you are already uncomfortable from the loud music/dizzying lights and the incorrect orders. Sometimes there are nearly 6 waitresses working all at once.. but I'll be the only customer. THEN, there's the constant screwing up what you ordered.. which is strange since the menu is very simple traditional Mexican food.. it's not like I'm throwing them curve balls when I order. For example- my girlfriend ordered Steak Tacos.. which seems like the easiest thing to order. Wrong. The girl then grabbed the menu from her and asked where that was on the menu. After minutes of denying it was impossible to order because she didn't know what to charge for them, I pointed out to just make the chicken tacos but with steak. This seemed to clear things up.. until the food came out. ENCHILADAS... WITH CHICKEN?! Nowhere near what she ordered. So I point it out, the waitress (who might be 14 years old) gets flustered and starts talking crap about the cooking staff.. Goes over to the register.. then a different girl brings the food back over and I have to re-explain what was going on. 30 minutes later.. Tacos. Steak tacos (second time's a charm) The food honestly used to be way more consistent and was great, but now it tastes very bland. Not worth what they are charging. Speaking of charging... Multiple times I've been charged a bit more then I expected and when I ask to see the itemized receipt I'm denied it.. adding up the meals + tax generally is like almost $9 less than what they are charging. To be fair, this used to happen with the old management also. But still. Not cool. Bottom line, make the trip up the road a few miles to El Salto. Much better. Consistent. GREAT atmosphere. No creepiness.
(1)Sarah S.
I've been here twice and had completely different experiences. The first time was for lunch and it was amazing! The second time after begging my boyfriend from the area that this was THE Mexican restaurant to go to, we went for dinner and it was not what I had built it up to be. It seemed more dingy, the waitress had no idea what I was saying and kept coming back multiple times to ask us what we ordered. There were only three tables and the food took forever. The food which was simple, was below average.
(2)Erin S.
This used to my fiancé's and my favorite Mexican spot for dinner and place for a nice quiet meal. The lighting was dim, never really crowded, the service was just OK, but the food was really solid. Good spot overall. Them they got new management... This place just plain ol' sucks now. Despite having a ton of people on staff (as opposed to the usual one waiter under the previous owner), the service is somehow worse. The wait to get seated took too long (despite the hostess apparently being immediately next to us talking with family). And while I don't have a beef with slight language barriers between servers and patrons, the woman did not speak a word English and we had to point on the menu what we wanted after she clearly had no clue what we said (fajitas for two). Somehow she couldn't even understand queso dip. I had to whip out my high school Spanish and Google to explain that our queso was cold and we wanted it heated up more. It was a bit of a fun challenge but the job is probably not suited to her until she can acquire a little more English given that most patrons speak it. (not slamming the language barrier, just that it's a customer service role that she clearly can't do at this point in time). She was obsessed with rearranging the table whenever food came out and kept moving my fiancé's drink across the table. She also was too eager to clear the table and took away his beer when it was only half finished. And they didn't have any one else there so it wasn't like they were trying to flip tables fast. Our food came out properly (she did get that right), but she didn't bring us silverware and plates despite us asking 3 times. We waited 5 minutes while the food (which was sizzling when it came out) got cold. The food, while not drastically different, was nowhere near as good. They took the pork out of the fajitas which is the best part. They stopped serving rice on the side too. The meal just was mediocre and disappointing. To top it off, they painted the place magenta and teel to completely strip it of the authentic vibe it had going. I hate that I was so disappointed given that we loved this restaurant, but I will not be coming back here again.
(2)Carol C.
Very disappointed. The guacamole tasted like it came straight out of a can, and after two bites of the sketchy ceviche, I ordered tacos. The tacos were quite tasty. Unfortunately, the woman waiting on us did not notice or care that I couldn't consume the guacamole or ceviche. I speak Spanish fluently, and had a hard time communicating with her in either language. I asked for some extra lime and was told they're expensive. The tres leche cake was delicious. We would have liked coffee with it but were told the coffee machine was broken. There was one waitress in the entire restaurant. I found myself saying, "Paging Richard Irvine...Restaurant in distress."
(1)Amber L.
Terrible, Terrible, Terrible. I will never ever go to this place again. The vibe was off, the food was the worst ever. If that was authentic, I never want authentic again. The hospitality was even bad. I wish I could give no stars, and to top it off the food was not even hot.
(1)daniel c.
new management old Peruvian lady who ran it is gone! it is now a Club they are scaling down the menu. service has gotten worse if you can believe that, and food is ok just takes forever to get it... give up on the food.
(1)Melissa S.
If I could give zero stars, I would. I can hardly put into words how awful this place is. Came here with my family for Father's Day, because my husband likes Mexican food, and my dad thought this place "looked authentic". My husband wanted to go to Don Pablo's, but my dad wanted to try this place. BIG MISTAKE. I cannot say this enough. DO NOT EAT HERE!!! We were the ONLY people in the place. This probably should have been a huge clue. The waitress came out and already looked like she had an attitude. She was trying to act like she was being nice ("you're very welcome" when I would say thank you). Trying to order was a nightmare. If we asked one question, she would say she has to go ask the chef (I asked if the soft tacos come on flour or corn tortillas, for instance). She clearly didn't know any of the menu, because if, for instance, you order the tacos, she would ask for the number on the menu. We could have lived with all of this, but every order except one (we were a group of 12), cam out completely wrong. My son can't eat tomatoes. We ordered a taco with no tomatoes & it came out loaded with tomatoes. I told her he can't eat tomatoes. She took the taco to the back, and someone pulled the tomatoes off of it (there were leftover remnants of tomatoes in it). My husband ordered fajitas with beef & shrimp. Out came chicken & shrimp. Okay, so normally you tell the waitress, and they fix it, right? No big deal! She rolled her eyes, walked into the back & came out with the same plate, just with a couple shrimp thrown on top. My husband asked to speak to a manager, and the waitress said "Okay, but you don't have to be a prick!" All he had said is he wanted to talk to the manager, because he knew if he sent it back again she would have spit in it or something, if she hadn't already! My husband was so furious, that by the time the "manager" came out, he was shaking! We had driven in two cars, so my husband left after talking to the manager. The minute he walked out the door, the waitress came to our table & said "I just want you to know, I did NOT insult him in any way. I said "You have had an attitude since the minute we got here!" (I failed to mention she rolled her eyes when my husband asked for a high chair and if they had covered cups for kids. And brought us a pack of hot chocolate mix & a cup of cold milk after saying they have chocolate milk... Among many other issues, and we never complained until the 4th wrong meal came out!!) Long story a tiny bit longer, the manager handed me the bill. Instead of taking my husband's meal off, they had TRIPLE charged for it! I guess they thought we were so upset we'd just serve up a credit card not looking at the bill! We were charged $110 on what should have been a $75 bill. So. Save yourself the trouble, don't even come here!! Or if you don't believe me, peek in the door & see how empty the place is. There's a REASON for it!! P.S. Am I the only one who has never heard of a Mexican place using mozzarella cheese on their tacos???
(1)Marco S.
Literally a hooker with a 65 year old guy sitting next to us. There are four women trying to figure out one customer's check behind the bar. We have been sitting here for 20 minutes at the bar with no service. The girls at the bar are not bartenders they are just random girls. I don't even know if they work here. This is awful. I feel like I'm in an episode of bar rescue. Definitely illegal stuff going on here.
(1)Tama V.
How is this place still open?! USED to be a good Mexican place, now it's so bizarre, overpriced terrible drinks, hookers (?) everywhere, but no other customers in the whole place besides us on a Saturday night at 7? Super disappointed, will never come back. Reading all the other recent reviews, i fully agree. Some weird shit happening here.
(1)Kimberly N.
Under New Management...while the food is still good,t the drinks are weak and it has turned into what seems like a hang out spot for a younger clientel. The young ladies that are serving as waitresses seem more interested in their cells phone and entertaining the young men..I would rather spend my money somewhere else.
(1)Noelle C.
This is no longer a restaurant! It's a bar/nightclub. Yes there's food and tables, but probably just enough to stay zoned/licensed the same. There's a flier on the table advertising a dance contest with cash prizes. I would not suggest bringing your family here-not really that kind of atmosphere. We have lived in the neighborhood for years and have eaten at Los Amigos fairly regularly-even taking out of towners there. Even though they weren't the same caliber of restaurant as the rest of the local spots, the food was okay. Now, it's barely passable. Bland and tasteless. I hate to give such a low rating, I can usually find a positive or two. But the service before was slow,now it's non-existant. The server didn't know the menu and seemed more interested in the tv show behind the bar, or her phone, or personal conversations. In a nutshell, don't waste your time unless you want a dance contest-not dinner.
(1)I L.
Terrible. Bad service. Bad waitress. Bad everything. And they charged 1.50 for water with lemon???? NEVER AGAIN!!!
(1)Ebony T.
Been here a few times with my family and the food was good but tonight we find out they have new management. By 8:30 the night life was beginning. Scantily clad women, not enough tables. This is now a nightclub. The DJ is setting up as we wait for our food. Not very family friendly in the evenings. The food was still good however.
(3)Edward S.
Hadn't been to Los Amigos in a while, (I was craving their Carne Asada Tacos). My wife and I walked in and BAM! There are pool tables now, most of the dining tables are gone, it looks like a night club! We turned right around and when over to Hamilton Tavern. Sorry, I will miss you Los Amigo.
(1)Yolie O.
Went in a couple days ago after nearly a year hiatus... AWFUL! just as previous reviewers have indicated, half the tables are gone, there is a dance floor, pool tables & terrible service! We didn't even wait for our food because the service was horrific! When the entire wait staff is giving you the side-eye because you requested a pitcher of water (because it was THAT slow), told no, and the waitress doesn't know the menu you know it's time to go! We got up from our table and walked out. Will NEVER return. So many better alternatives in the neighborhood. I can't even give them 1 star... How about NEGATIVE 4 stars.
(1)Vera M.
SO DISAPPOINTED! We used to live in the neighborhood 2006/2010, back when this place was actually good and got great City Paper reviews. We went back recently to meet up with our old neighbors and this place was disgusting! Taco Bell is better tasting & looking. Everything was microwaved slop. The margaritas were watered down, probably made with the cheapest tequila available and passed off as top shelf. That nasty, rude little lady is still there too. We found it amazing that even though her restaurant was empty she was still trying to hurry us along. Don't waste your time or money.
(1)Josh W.
Rounding back up to 4 stars because their chicken quesadillas are just that good. Still, it's best for pickup and you're paying more here than most Mexican places. The dining room is usually empty and the owner/manager is pretty into her telenovelas.
(4)Devonshire B.
Not coming back here. The first experience was fairly positive but the second experience was just awkward and bad. There's 4 people in the whole place, so why are we waiting about 10 years for water?! So, about a decade later, we get our drinks (the water was normal, but our margaritas were obviously store bought mix), we got our chips (stale/cold, salsa burned my tongue off), we got our fajitas for two (which totally sucked this time. Flavourless, chewy, funky tasting), and we were ready to ditch the place. However, it wasn't that simple. The 70+ year old bartender/waitress/only person there thought she could sneakily overcharge us on almost every single item we ordered. We had to ask for the menu so we could point out that everything she rang us up for was extorted. She played dumb and said she was correct and was a stubborn you know what. After much debating and holding my tongue (I have a fiery disposition sometimes), we left there paying exactly what we should have in the beginning. It was obvious that their business is doing so poorly that they have to try to pull the wool over paying customer's eyes. Or maybe it was just that woman, who knows! Either way, I foresee a bleak future for this place.
(1)Zarch C.
The food is terrible and over priced... not much else to say. I don't think the Margarita even had tequila in it. The carnitas meat was ok but the whole dish was small and had bland refried beans (not even salt) and dry rice. The one thing that may have been redeeming is that they have a play area for kids.... but I don't have kids! They messed up both of our drink orders, didn't give us straws, no hot sauce at the tables, bland salsa... the list goes on, YOUVE BEEN WARNED
(1)James S.
Always had good food and great service. Been going since it opened in the 90's. Excellent family owned business.
(4)Dolores B.
We realized as soon as we walked in the door that this was not the same Los Amigos we had eaten at before. Music was blaring loudly at 3:30 in the afternoon, the place was empty and a young girl behind the bar told us where we had to sit. We noticed a large bandstand had been built in the back of the restaurant and no longer were the quaint little out-coves appealing with one small table but they had two tables shoved in there to fit more drinking partying people in there at night I suppose. Gone is the Mexican atmosphere! We had a living social and were told by the young girl that they are under new management and do not accept the certificates any longer. I told her they should at least have put a sign on the door and contacted living social so living social could contact the people who purchased the certificates to refund their money. She said "well that is something the owner would have to do". I said "exactly, so why didn't they do that?". She then proceeded to say she would talk to the owner about it. She texted him on her phone. Then she nodded NO to me. I suppose that meant no we cannot use the living social. I got up and walked out. This is no longer a nice little Mexican restaurant but a loud club type facility used to lure in young people who want to spend their money on drinking.
(1)Steve S.
Food came out quickly. Decent portions and good taste. Mango margarita was 10 bucks and had about a drop of tequila in it. Service was not so friendly. Didn't feel too welcomed here......
(3)Nicki M.
Lively, fun and good "chips & salsa & cheese." I enjoyed my Beef Chimichanga & coconut margarita. Good service too. Super nice staff. I just may go back for Cinco De Mayo.
(3)Lindsey H.
Bland, blah, boring terribleness.
(1)Chelsea M.
My boyfriend brought me here because this is one of his favorite local spots. The last time he was here was over a year ago. I don't know if there was a change of ownership or staff. We walked in and the vibe was that of them getting ready to throw a huge party. We politely asked our waitress (who really didn't speak any English) if they were and she confirmed. We offered to pay for our drinks and leave. Of which politely declined and said we could stay. So we did. I ordered nachos and cheese, came out about ten minutes later. It was shredded Colby jack, on top of tortilla chips that had been microwaved. 5.99. Our food came out about 20 or so minutes later. It was the wrong food, they rook it back. Brought out the right food for my boyfriend and messed mine up. We politely took it and began to eat. The food was not good. And I'm slightly on the worried side of how my body's going to react to it. We also got two cokes which were both 2$ each which to me is completely assignin to charge for soda. Fountain soda, yes. But out of a can no. We asked for our check and it came out to be 48$ which was ridiculously high for the quality of our food. My boyfriend handed the owners daughter our check and she redid the math and it came out to be 44$ and handed her his credit card. She then informed us she would have to call her father at his Dundalk location and have him run my boyfriends card. Upon hearing that I pulled out a 50 and told her to keep the change. This was by the worst restaurant expierance either of us have ever had. And we will not be returning. It's really unfortunate and unfair that what I'm guessing a girl that is about 19 years old is left to run the location while her father is at another. And that she has to deal with unhappy costumers. I would never recommend this place to anyone. At all.
(1)Shana W.
My in laws took me here for my birthday dinner! What a great time!! Had the Texas fajitas which were delicious along with an amazing Margarita and my niece really enjoyed the play area. We will definitely be back!
(5)Jnes S.
Buyer beware! This place is ok, food authentic and pretty good BUT the 70+ year old Mexican waitress deliberately over charges you for food and adds a 'service ' charge as her tip! It's so dishonest and is a major turnoff for me, she does it every single time when me or my husband goes there. Beware of her! She's a sneaky thief!
(2)Nathan B.
I used to live down the road from this place and my wife and I would eat there often. It may not be the best Mexican food I've ever had, but I always feel welcome and never leave hungry. positive: -portion sizes -atmosphere -friendly staff negative: -seems a little pricy for what it is -paid parking can be a hassle I would (And have) recommend this place to friends.
(4)Nicky O.
Nope. The vegetarian combo was gross. Tasted like a pile of cheap, greasy cheese. Fajitas were okay. Beans were flavorless. Service was rude. I live down the street from here and you couldn't pay me to go back there.
(1)Erin O.
What to say about my adventure - and it was certainly that - at Los Amigos? How do you properly describe that abandoned night club feel the place had going for its? What do you say about a "authentic" Mexican restaurant that serves guacamole that I'm pretty sure they bought frozen at the store? Nothing particularly positive, that's for sure. I had a chile rellano that was stuffed with, well I'm not really sure with what, but it didn't taste like cheese. My boyfriend had a fajita. The best thing that could be said about the fajita is that it did come out on a sizzling plate. That didn't actually make it taste like anything, but it did have that required sizzle. If pressed, I suppose the best thing I can say about this place is that I'm almost convinced they're running a brothel in the back. If that's your thing (and who am I to judge?), you can probably get a quickie in the back to help you get over the lackluster service and bland food they serve up front. In case I'm not clear, I don't suggest this place.
(1)Fallon B.
Great food, cheap, and fast! Always a seat right when you walk in.
(5)Alan T.
What a horrible experience! We have a groupon and wanted to check this place out. The server (presumably the owner) was a old small lady that was extremely rude and was in a hurry to chase us out. She DEMANDed a 20% tip after the bill and actually gave me the tip amount so I can give to give her. I never had this kind of service like this before in my life. Please do yourself a favor and DO NOT go there. Food is expensive and service is lousy and impolite! I anticipate this place to be out of business soon with this kind of service.
(1)Dan C.
quaint mexican restaurant.... burritos are huge and delicious, chips are always fresh salsa great. great lunch place a must try and margaritas are great.
(5)Stephanie P.
This restaurant is large and oddly-shaped. Unless you're seated at a wall booth it seems like all the tables are pretty awkwardly located. The salsa wasn't spicy so we asked for one that was. It was alright but one-note. The spicier salsas at El Salto are much, much better. We ordered guacamole and were served a weird hybrid of guacamole powder mix, pico de gallo, and a few pieces of chopped up avocado. Come on people. Just make guacamole. I ordered a margarita and it was weak and flavorless. Our dinners were from combo menu: predictable nukable slop. Nothing remarkable about it. Servicable enchiladas, burritos, and rice and beans. Did not look like the menu pictures. I should have ordered a mole or something interesting, and put this place to the test. The service was nice, friendly, and fast. Definitely not the worst imaginable Mexican experience but nothing resembled the great authentic food we were lead to expect.
(2)A B.
I love this little place. The food is good, the staff is friendly and the prices are right. Its a little bit dive-y but in all the right places. :) p.s. Friday is live music. Order the veggie chimichanga and a pitcher of margs.
(4)Christopher B.
Stay away! Los Amigos is under new ownership and the ship is sinking. Food is terrible, service is slow, and the host who takes your order doesn't know the menu or write anything down. It appears that the night club scene is what they're going for (considering the advertisement on the table says that the new name of the restaurant is Fantasy Bar & Lounge) which should be interesting in a neighborhood like Hamilton. This had been our favorite local Mexican place, but sadly we will never be returning.
(1)Erin V.
I wanted to like this place; it has enough kitsch to be something special and is in an up-and-coming neighborhood; unfortunately, the service was awful. I'm pretty sure this was our waitress' first night on the job ever. The fact that we used a Groupon confounded her and we wound up never actually getting a bill. The food was nothing special, and certainly not worth the prices ($13.50 for a small plate of fajitas). My friend got a ten or eleven-dollar burrito but was turned off by the taste of the meat. If you're in the market for Mexican food in the Parkville/Hamilton area, you'd be much better served by heading up to El Salto in Perring Plaza.
(2)Mark G.
If I could give this place less than 1 star, I would give it negative 5 stars. My experience at this place nothing short of awful. I should've known the moment I walked in and the place smelt like a bathroom. I tried the special lunch number 12 which was enchiladas. The tortilla wasn't warm and the sauce was basically orange water. I told the server I didn't like it and she recommended I try some burrito thing which I told her I would try. the burrito comes to me and I cut into it and grease explodes onto my plate. It was almost cartoony how much grease came out. When I showed her the grease, she tried telling me there wasn't any grease on my plate when you could clearly see all of the grease on my plate. I had an empty cup on my table and I filled the cup 1/4 of the way with grease and she just walked away. I decided at that point I wasn't gonna pay for it so I went to the bathroom and began to walk out. As I came out of the bathroom, the woman asked if I wanted a box for my food and I told her no and I wasn't paying for it. Some guy came out of the kitchen and they began arguing in Spanish. The guy told me if I didn't pay for both plates, hes calling the police. of course I refused and they told me to never come back. I thought experiences like this only existed on tv but apparently not. Never go here. Ever.
(1)Amber G.
It was our first time here, and we had high hopes. The seating was really neat and private, and they had live music. We waited awhile to get seated and were kinda shoved off onto a waitress who did (indeed, like another review stated) seem like it was her first night. She took our drink order and we never saw her again. It took 20 minutes for someone else to come take our drink order, took another 10 minutes to get those drinks. I should mention there were only 2 of us, a water and a margarita each. Food came quickly, nothing special there. My husband's beans tasted off (he described them as cat urine-y). My fajitas were not worth $13.50. No one came to get us a refill for another 20 minutes, and even then we were only given margaritas and no water. When we asked for the check, he asked if we had a groupon (before giving us the check). He came back with a bill that charged us $8.50 per margarita. When I asked him to show me a drink menu with those prices, he couldn't produce one, he said it was because we ordered flavored margaritas. We will not be going again.
(1)Lee C.
Service was terrible tonight. Handing hot plates down the table to people rather than walking around to serve them to us. Had to ask repeatedly for water and napkins. Food was so/so. The nail in the coffin was when we left the restaurant and our friend's car was towed from the pay Hamilton Business Association Lot behind the restaurant. We paid for parking, but apparently all of the spaces are not for the public, but are not clearly marked. I have no need to spend money in Hamilton ever again.
(1)Nancy C.
We came here b/c we had a Groupon and since we just moved to the area a few months ago we are still experiencing different neighborhoods. I felt bad for the place actually b/c there was only one other table there when we got there - 6 pm on a Wed eve. I'd think there should have been more people there. The salsa wasn't the best, but the chips were warm which I appreciated. The guacumole was different, tasted like it had cucumbers in it ? Hubby ordered carnitas and carne asada taco's. He said they were pretty good, not the best, not the worst. I ordered Chix Enchilada Verde, and they were good with white meat chicken and verde salsa and melted cheese. No complaints on my end. Our waitress seemed a bit annoyed the whole time we had her, but she was authentic - older mexican woman who didn't seem happy to be there. the place is big, decorated appropriately, but it was sad no one was there. When we left there was a big party coming and it seemed they knew the waitress. Had to pay for parking, its on a main street, so that was a hassle. Maybe we'd come back? We'll see....
(3)Chad B.
Sittin at Los Amigos right now! Great food. Currently there's live music, and good live music too! Not some overpowered kid rockin out while I'm trying to eat. This is my fifth time here, and I live a hour away! If you're a burrito fan like myself, the Gigante Burrito is a sure thing! But there's way more than just burritos being served here. There's all kinds of great food, and just as great hospitality. It's one of those places still around where the owner/bar tender will come out to make sure your meal is top notch. I'll keep comin' back!! Small tip: There's parking around the rear for $1.00!
(5)Nikki V.
This has to be one of the worst restaurants in the city. The owner has no customer service skills whatsoever, and will try to rip you off every chance she gets. Margaritas are terrible, a horrible pre-mix with maybe a splash of tequila. All you taste is the sour flavor. The guacamole is overpriced for such a tiny serving. The salsa is okay, but if you run out of chips, expect to pay a lot more for another basket. Getting carry-out? You'll pay an upcharge. Using a coupon or Groupon? Prices will automatically be higher. Most of the food tastes like reheated slop. There are some things that are okay, but seriously, you're better off at Taco Bell. That's right. There's a reason this place is always empty.
(1)D K.
Can't even give a single star to this Restaurant but without it I can't post my view, so giving single star. Most awful place ever visited. I had read reviews of this place with some very bad and some very good. I thought this place would at least worth trying, I had few friends with me and I was embarrassed and I don't have any more words. We were 4 people and three didn't finish their food. To rub salt to your wounds, the food was microwaved....
(1)Tami B.
Los Amigos is my "go to" place to get my local Mexican food fix! The food is fresh and delicious and the portions are generous. They have a cute patio for outside seating and some nights they have live music. If you like hot sauce, ask them to bring out a cup of their homemade stuff - it's smoky and hot with visible pepper pieces in it - very different than the typical bottled sauce. The staff is very friendly and patient with me trying to practice my Spanish with them when ordering or making small talk! I think it's a hidden gem among the other fantastic restaurants on Harford Road.
(5)Nick B.
The Good: The Carnitas are quite good. Tender chunks of meat, rice, refried beans and a pickled pepper. The chips, salsa, and milky white dipping slime are unsettlingly easy to eat and flow like wine. They usually have futbol on the viewscreen. The Meh: The Margaritas will get you drunk. The Bad: The Margaritas taste like they came out of an army surplus drum and are questionably priced. If you had a terrible day at the wage-slave cubicle plantation and need something sweet and intoxicating (and it's happy hour) pound a few, but don't expect more than a slight dulling of your lifepain. The menu is "À la recherche du temps perdu"esque in size, so don't set your sights on working your way through it. TL;DR While it's not my first choice, the carnitas are pretty excellent.
(2)Scott F.
I went with my in-laws for lunch and we were all somewhat disappointed. The staff member was very attentive and friendly, the place was clean, and the food came out quickly. Unfortunately it was the food that was the disappointment. I had the Beef fajitas and they lacked flavor. The onions and peppers were nice and crisp which is how I like them and the flour tortillas were steaming hot and quite good but the main part of the dish fell flat. I tried my son's taco because he wouldn't eat it and the beef was watery and lacked any spice. My father-in-law got the huevos rancheros and seemed to enjoy that. My mother-in-law had the taco salad and made no comments about it at all (usually she oohs and aahs when she likes something). I usually prefer Tex-Mex over Mexican because I like the spice and standard Mexican can be more mild but this food was just flavorless and watery. If I go again it will probably be limited to a happy hour to enjoy some Negro Modelos with my friends.
(2)D W.
I come from Atlanta, GA where there's a neighborhood mex place within 750 feet no matter where you are. Most of them are chains with 10-15 locations scattered around the city, all competing with similar chains, all with similar menus, very americanized for our dining pleasure, with 6 year old Cinco de Mayo streamers and crepe paper decorations hanging from the ceiling. Despite all this you would be guaranteed a filling mex meal and a level of satisfaction no matter what. Comparitively here in Baltimore there are few Mexican places to enjoy. The closest in food and scenary to my Atlanta memories is Los Amigos. Decent predictable food, competent service (under the watchful if not scary eye of "Mama") and notoriously empty of customers. Thus, I love it. Chile relleno Chile relleno Chile relleno Nuf said.
(4)Jim H.
I've eaten here a handful of times and found one thing on the menu that I consistently like-the seafood tacos. I don't enjoy their runny refried beans, uninspired Spanish rice or the less than stellar servers who tend to mix up orders. I remember being seated once, ordered food, and then told I had to move because the table was reserved for another couple-Hello Fawlty Towers! The last time I was there I had that short little troll of a manager come to my table to ARGUE with me that I was to blame for an incorrect order-the NERVE! Haven't been back since...when you wish for Taco Bell you know there's something wrong.
(1)Melinda B.
I hardly ever write reviews for restaurants but felt like the negative experience I just had warranted it. A friend recommended that we eat at Los Amigos because she liked the food and because there is a kid's room. I assumed that any restaurant with a playroom would be kid friendly but that did not turn out to be the case.... It took about 15 minutes for the owner/waitress to acknowledge us and take drink orders. She gave our kids dirty looks every few minutes while they played in the playroom. Did not bring water when asked. Did not bring salsa when asked. Did not offer refills, check to see how the food was etc. Refused to split check when given plenty of advance warning. Food was lackluster. The ground beef in the burrito had absolutely no flavor at all. There no spice to it. I am pretty sure most of it was reheated. So disappointing. I would probably give this place another chance if not for the surly demeanor of the owner. Perhaps her cranky attitude and the so-so food is why the place was empty at 6 on a Friday night. Go to El Salto on Joppa Road instead. They are friendly and their food is excellent!
(1)Shannon S.
Finally some spice! I had a work lunch here and was a bit overwhelmed by all the choices. I was excited to see a chile relleno on the menu. The food was Mexican of the smothered variety, which I find most people in Baltimore just don't get. It's not the best Mexican, but you can get something above mild and it's pretty authentic.
(4)Erin M.
I am always looking for a good place to get Tex-Mex style food, and in spite of the mixed reviews, i thought I would check this place out. First of all...they overcharged me, including some nebulous $1 for nothing. Second, I do not have a refined palate at all. I have had all kinds of Tex-Mex food from places that were simple and cheap to places that were fancier. The food I received from Los Amigos was inedible. I never thought I would say this, but there was too much cheese on parts of it, which turned into a gooey disgusting mess as it cooled, and the other part was so spicy, I couldn't taste anything but pain. Save your money and don't encourage those charlatans.
(1)Drew F.
The food was great. My wife and I really enjoyed ourselfs. The salsa was amazing.
(4)Chris V.
I used to live nearby but hadn't gone for a while until this weekend. Just as good as I remembered it. Traditional Latin American food, very friendly service. Got there are a weird time - 2:30 on a Saturday - still no problems. In fact the mole ranchero was even better than I remember.
(4)Zahira P.
My worst dining experience to date. The waitress was just mean; I think it is because they require all patrons to pay an 18% gratuity which they tack on. I have never had a more rude waitress - inflexible and inhelpful like a bureaucrat to be. I regret not finding her manager to yell at them for this horrible, overpriced, tasteless and disgusting meal. I will recommend no one to enter this kitschy, shitty place that calls itself a restaurant. More like rip-off, with disrespect to boot. Why can't I give 0 or negative stars???
(1)Kelley Q.
Love this place! Its our family's go-to spot for a night out of the kitchen. The kids enjoy the play room, although its nothing fancy. The service is very friendly and attentive and the food is quick. Its comfortable, casual and perfect for a low-key dinner.
(4)Mike M.
On a Thursday, I went for dinner with the work peeps. Completely dead, but happy hour was from 4-7pm, so the pitchers of margaritas were flowing. Lots of chips and salsa were brought out, though only the first serving is complementary. Salsa had slight kick. White salsa also was served. It was a thinned sour cream concoction, which was good, but not as good as the regular salsa. Also ordered the guacamole for the chips too. Menu was extensive, making it difficult to choose. I chose the Mole Ranchero (chicken with mole sauce). I love mole, and while this one was good, it wasn't the best I've had. Now, the reason for three stars. Sopapillas. I ordered them, as I love them. They're just fried puff pastry drenched in honey and powdered sugar. This was not. It was a crispy FLAT flour tortilla drenched in chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and rainbow sprinkles. Extremely disappointed. Please don't raise my hopes of sopapillas only to flatten them (literally). I still enjoyed myself (and the company of course) and would go back for a cheap but tasty meal.
(3)Stacey G.
Wow, reviews are all over the board here. Makes me think I must've been on an off night. I'm with the other negative reviewers. The food was awful. Flavors weren't there. Rice was bland. Salsa was the best thing but tasted like it was canned. I couldn't even tell you what we had because I didn't want to remember. Service was good. Seating was extremely uncomfortable. We were on rolling chairs atop tile floor. I felt like it was a workout to keep my chair at the table. I just cannot recommend this to anyone. It was so bad I couldn't even go back to give it a 2nd shot. Wish I could because I live in the neighborhood and want it to do well.
(1)J H.
I'm going to break rank here and say THIS PLACE IS AWFUL. Uninteresting, nearly cold, sloppy and grey beans. Tasteless shredded government cheese. Watery Salsas with no kick. Does this place even have an oven or is everything microwaved? Is all the iceberg lettuce shredded and beginning to go bad around the edges? I was not impressed with my one visit. I can't understand how this place wins awards from the CityPaper. Someone is paying someone under the table..
(1)Matthew R.
Went here because we had a groupon. I'm really ashamed that we didn't go sooner. We've lived in a few blocks over for more than a year and this is the best mexican we've had in a long longggg time. I can't wait to go back. The papas huancaina was excellent and the burritos and tacos were tasty.
(4)Keme J.
Run for the Border... I'm glad I had groupon voucher or that would have been money wasted. When I walked in a family was coming out and the said good luck, so i asked what's wrong how was the food and service they said horrible. I should have listened
(1)Angela G.
A very disappointing experience. I am new to Baltimore and pass this restaurant every day on the way to work. I wanted to try the place out on a Sunday for the "All You Can Eat Sunday Mexican Brunch." Last year Living Social offered a deal for pay $20 for $40 worth of food for dinner and pay $10 for $20 worth of food for lunch. I used this offer as an opportunity to try Los Amigos. I purchased one offer for lunch and two of the offers for dinner. My husband was out of town for business and I had two weeks before the vouchers expired, so I used one of the $40 vouchers for dinner. I entered the restaurant last Thursday at 3pm. The place was empty and I was greeted by the waitress. The place seemed pretty authentic and like your typical Mexican restaurant with the decor and music. I was seated and handed a menu. I started with a margarita. I don't know the price because the alcoholic drinks were not listed on the menu. The drink was tasty but the lime wedge served on the side of the glass was brown and dried out. Not very appetizing to look at. For the appetizer, the waitress suggested the Stuffed Shrimp prepared with monterey jack cheese for $9.95. I received six shrimp and they were your typical frozen processed breaded shrimp variety. The majority of each individual piece was cheese and breading. The inside was an entire shrimp (not chopped,) but small. Clearly not worth the price. The menu states "We prepare all our food fresh daily." Really? For the main course, the waitress suggested #104 Fajitas Del Mar for $17.95. This dish has fajitas with shrimp and scallops cooked with onions and green peppers; served with beans, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole and sour cream. I have never had an entree at a Mexican restaurant that did not serve rice with the beans, oh well. The black beans were old and dried up on the plate, the scallops were imitation and the three pieces of diced tomatoes were negligible with a huge mound of cheap iceburg lettuce. I told the waitress that the scallops were fake and she assured me that "ALL of our seafood comes in fresh daily." She seemed stunned when I questioned the scallops. After eating the fajitas, the waitress asked me if I wanted some dessert, I asked her how closed was I to my $40 minimum. She told me I was close, so I declined dessert and asked for the check. She told me to give her $7.50 for the tip. I asked for a breakdown of the items and for a receipt. She told me it didin't matter how far from $40 I was and that I owed her a tip. She mentioned I was near $40 because of the margarita, she said she had used the good tequila. Funny how she would NEVER tell me the cost of my drink. Upon leaving I asked about the "All You Can Eat Sunday Brunch" mentioned in the menu. She informed me they stopped the brunch six months ago. I asked her why it was still listed in the menu, she said they hadn't corrected the menus yet. I also mentioned to her that I had NEVER eaten at a Mexican restaurant that didn't serve me complimentary chips and salsa. She gave me a bag of chips and salsa to go. I got no receipt! Ironically, the chips and salsa were the best part of the meal. The salsa had a little bite to it and the chips were authentic. Needless to say, I contacted Living Social the next day and requested a refund for the two remaining unused vouchers. Taco Bell would had been a better choice.
(1)Taylor C.
Excellent service, great food, fantastic drinks... ask for marco, you won't be dissappointed!
(5)Jessica L.
When you enter Los Amigos you are welcomed with your typical Mexican Restaurant décor and a nice large bar. Also as soon as you walk in one of the staff sings out "Welcome, amigos!" and then the staff calls you "amigo" at every opportunity. We went for an early dinner at 5:00 and were the only people there. The menu offers more than the usual Mexican and Peruvian cuisine with taco/burrito/enchilada suspects, serving up smoky moles and jalapeño-packed pico de gallo, lime-drenched ceviche, tender chile-rubbed carnitas, and much more. I started off my night with a Margarita on the rocks. I LOVE margaritas but I must say I was disappointed in this one. I could tell they didn't use fresh ingredients and used a sweet and sour mix. No matter how many times I stirred it each time I took a sip I got a blast of sickly sweetness, or puckering sourness or tequila. I finished it but there was no way I was getting a second one for the price of around $6.00 per drink. My husband got his typical soda and was surprised that for $1.50 there were no refills. The chips and salsa they serve you while you gander the menu is addicting. We were not sure if the salsa was house made but it had a nice kick and was very fresh tasting! My husband got the Carnitas ($12.95)- Pork chunks cooked golden brown, delicately seasoned with secret spices, herbs and beer and served with rice, beans and tortillas. The meat was tender and sweet. We were very impressed with it but we think it may have been the Carnitas form the day before- but it still tasted good. I had the La Favorite ($10.95) - One burrito with beef tips, one chicken enchilada, and one special tostaguac (A flat crisp corn tortilla covered with beef and beans, lettuce, cheese, guacamole and chopped tomatoes). Overall everything was cooked well but was lacking something- it was very bland I thought. I did squeeze some fresh lime juice on it and some salt which both helped but it was still missing that something that made it good. Overall, the atmosphere is nice and friendly but the majority of the food was below average. The price for food was good but I thought a bit high for their drinks for what it was and the serving. It is in a great location of the Hamilton/Lauraville area but we aren't sure if we would go back again. Note: They took our email for some reopening?????? They didn't give us any details on that. Sorry no pictures on this visit.
(2)christian b.
Try the carnitas tacos. No, seriously. TRY THE CARNITAS TACOS. Outstanding. The service was exemplary, the food was pretty special, and the whole visit was just a joy. I'll go back whenever I'm in the neighborhood.
(5)Bob B.
Hadn't been to Los Amigos for a few years. Bar is much bigger now. Good service, good drinks, and good straight forward Mexican. I'd been going to El Salto for this kind of Mexican for a while, but Los Amigos is where it's at.
(5)Jason M.
It wasn't worth the drive. The service was good. The food was decent. Kinda bland. I miss authentic Mexican food. Coming from Wisconsin, Mexican food was so good. Out here on the East coast I haven't found a Mexican restaurant that's rivals yet.
(2)Mandeep S.
Overall, the vegetarian selection was good. I had the fajitas, red wine sangria, and veggie nachos. However the prices are really high for the area and the service is unfriendly. Although the lady at the door was pleasant, we had a waitress with a horrible attitude. On top of that they charge a required 18 % gratuity. No incentive for good service.
(2)Zulay V.
This place is awesome, the decor is really cute, the service is great, the sauces and chips they give you in the beginning are really good. The food is deeeeeelicious and very well priced. I love the Carnitas tacos... pulled pork cooked in beer. MMmm!
(5)Rick D.
Absolutely horrible food and service! As soon as they found out we had a Groupon they switched servers on us--from the friendly young woman who had initially greeted us to a sullen older woman (the owner?) who seemed to resent that we would actually bother to redeem our Groupon and patronize her nearly empty restaurant. The food was bland and completely unremarkable, and my wife got a margarita with an ice-to-liquid ratio of about 10-to-1. When the bill arrived, it was about $25 higher than I'd expected. First, they refused to honor the happy hour price for our margaritas, because we had a Groupon (there was nothing about specials being excluded on the Groupon itself, and our server didn't bother to mention this when we were ordering our drinks). Then they charged us $12 for my son's bean & cheese burrito. Granted, it was big, but it was nothing but refried beans, a tortilla, some cheese, and a side of rice. Twelve bucks?? It even cost more than my enchilada entree! When I questioned the amount on the bill, the server got very defensive. It was nearly impossible to make out what we were being charged for with the hand-scrawled bill, so we just cut our losses and paid up. But I'm never setting foot in the place again. It's tough enough to find decent Mexican food in Baltimore (outside of the excellent tacos at Tortilleria Sinaloa), but Los Amigos on Harford Rd. sets a new low!
(1)Jessica W.
Would never come back! I'm sure Taco bell has fresher chips, and better service.
(1)Sean B.
been here several time, not real impressed but was jonesing for some mexican. not sure what to expect because it was 'taco tuesday' at a neighboring very popular restaurant. greeted warmly when entering, large open space. 4-5 tables going, provided with a booth and a quickly delivered basket of fresh warm chips and 2 salsa's. (charge for additional chips) round of margs on the rocks. could taste and feel the alcohol but mixers not fresh/homemade. carnitas with rice/beans satisfying but no wow. chicken soft tacos had NO flavor. plain boiled chicken in warm corn tortillas. brown flavorless, gravy like sauce (called it poblano). side of iceberg shreds with some sour cream and bland rice. Thats it! no spice, peppers, onions, nothing. won't hurry back. I haven't tried any of the peruvian specialties so can't comment. watress/bartender/host was a delightful woman though. 2 barely adequate meals, 4 margs on the rocks. $55.
(2)Albert B.
Outstanding food, warm and friendly service, awesome decor, a relaxed atmosphere, a full bar, and a groovy neighborhood. I love this place. Love it.
(5)Heshan W.
Los Amigos, I think it should be Los Tres Amigos, right?! \ Anyways, my experience here is mainly with take out/carry out, not the restaurant itself. However, I did go inside, and its pretty large Mexican restaurant, with a good size bar too. I got the carne asada tacos (3) meal which included a bean dip w/ cheese, some freshly made chips, and a great hot sauce that burns my mouth, its very spicy and delicious. I will say this place to VERY EXPENSIVE for Mexican food, but the portion are good, not too little, and not too much. I thought my whole meal should have been $12 at least, but I paid $17. Overall, the carne asada tacos were good, but I have had better, and not bad for Baltimore standards of Mexican food. I also got some churros (2), and they were above average. I do recommend this place for anyone craving decent Mexican food, but don't drive too much just to eat here!
(4)Ashlee K.
We bought a Living Social for this restaurant, so we figured we'd give it a shot despite negative reviews. That was a mistake. We came in fairly early, around 4:30, for dinner. We were one of two tables in the restaurant. I noticed one bartender and one server on the floor. We were seated quickly, but that's where the service stopped. Our server was more interested in checking her phone behind the bar than tending to guests. The salsa was good, so we ordered some cheese dip, too. It was $3.95 and about 2 ounces worth- a ripoff. My husband ordered a coke, and that took 10 minutes to arrive. Neither of us were offered refills during our entire dinner. When my husband asked for one, it took another 10 minutes to receive. The food was sub-par. I've had much better food from Taco Bell. There was little to no seasoning on the fajitas, though the portion was generous. About mid-way through dinner, our server turned on some music at a volume more appropriate for a night club. My husband and I were 2 feet away from each other and still couldn't hear what the other was saying. It wasn't even normal Mexican restaurant music- it was club music. Very distracting. Finally, we were informed at the end of our meal that the restaurant was under a new owner who no longer accepted Living Social vouchers. That would have been great to know before we ordered! Seriously, a sign should be posted on the door or something. We now had to pay the full price for a dismal meal and dining experience. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place. La Tolteca out in Cockeysville is a million times better, less expensive, and has great service.
(1)Jessica W.
Would never come back! I'm sure Taco bell has fresher chips, and better service.
(1)Adrienne H.
The pico de gallo is disgusting, the food is terrible and the vibe is off. Overall very regrettable dining experience.
(1)Fallon B.
Great food, cheap, and fast! Always a seat right when you walk in.
(5)Heshan W.
Los Amigos, I think it should be Los Tres Amigos, right?! \ Anyways, my experience here is mainly with take out/carry out, not the restaurant itself. However, I did go inside, and its pretty large Mexican restaurant, with a good size bar too. I got the carne asada tacos (3) meal which included a bean dip w/ cheese, some freshly made chips, and a great hot sauce that burns my mouth, its very spicy and delicious. I will say this place to VERY EXPENSIVE for Mexican food, but the portion are good, not too little, and not too much. I thought my whole meal should have been $12 at least, but I paid $17. Overall, the carne asada tacos were good, but I have had better, and not bad for Baltimore standards of Mexican food. I also got some churros (2), and they were above average. I do recommend this place for anyone craving decent Mexican food, but don't drive too much just to eat here!
(4)Carol C.
Very disappointed. The guacamole tasted like it came straight out of a can, and after two bites of the sketchy ceviche, I ordered tacos. The tacos were quite tasty. Unfortunately, the woman waiting on us did not notice or care that I couldn't consume the guacamole or ceviche. I speak Spanish fluently, and had a hard time communicating with her in either language. I asked for some extra lime and was told they're expensive. The tres leche cake was delicious. We would have liked coffee with it but were told the coffee machine was broken. There was one waitress in the entire restaurant. I found myself saying, "Paging Richard Irvine...Restaurant in distress."
(1)Kimberly N.
Under New Management...while the food is still good,t the drinks are weak and it has turned into what seems like a hang out spot for a younger clientel. The young ladies that are serving as waitresses seem more interested in their cells phone and entertaining the young men..I would rather spend my money somewhere else.
(1)Sarah S.
I've been here twice and had completely different experiences. The first time was for lunch and it was amazing! The second time after begging my boyfriend from the area that this was THE Mexican restaurant to go to, we went for dinner and it was not what I had built it up to be. It seemed more dingy, the waitress had no idea what I was saying and kept coming back multiple times to ask us what we ordered. There were only three tables and the food took forever. The food which was simple, was below average.
(2)Vera M.
SO DISAPPOINTED! We used to live in the neighborhood 2006/2010, back when this place was actually good and got great City Paper reviews. We went back recently to meet up with our old neighbors and this place was disgusting! Taco Bell is better tasting & looking. Everything was microwaved slop. The margaritas were watered down, probably made with the cheapest tequila available and passed off as top shelf. That nasty, rude little lady is still there too. We found it amazing that even though her restaurant was empty she was still trying to hurry us along. Don't waste your time or money.
(1)Josh W.
Rounding back up to 4 stars because their chicken quesadillas are just that good. Still, it's best for pickup and you're paying more here than most Mexican places. The dining room is usually empty and the owner/manager is pretty into her telenovelas.
(4)Devonshire B.
Not coming back here. The first experience was fairly positive but the second experience was just awkward and bad. There's 4 people in the whole place, so why are we waiting about 10 years for water?! So, about a decade later, we get our drinks (the water was normal, but our margaritas were obviously store bought mix), we got our chips (stale/cold, salsa burned my tongue off), we got our fajitas for two (which totally sucked this time. Flavourless, chewy, funky tasting), and we were ready to ditch the place. However, it wasn't that simple. The 70+ year old bartender/waitress/only person there thought she could sneakily overcharge us on almost every single item we ordered. We had to ask for the menu so we could point out that everything she rang us up for was extorted. She played dumb and said she was correct and was a stubborn you know what. After much debating and holding my tongue (I have a fiery disposition sometimes), we left there paying exactly what we should have in the beginning. It was obvious that their business is doing so poorly that they have to try to pull the wool over paying customer's eyes. Or maybe it was just that woman, who knows! Either way, I foresee a bleak future for this place.
(1)Zarch C.
The food is terrible and over priced... not much else to say. I don't think the Margarita even had tequila in it. The carnitas meat was ok but the whole dish was small and had bland refried beans (not even salt) and dry rice. The one thing that may have been redeeming is that they have a play area for kids.... but I don't have kids! They messed up both of our drink orders, didn't give us straws, no hot sauce at the tables, bland salsa... the list goes on, YOUVE BEEN WARNED
(1)James S.
Always had good food and great service. Been going since it opened in the 90's. Excellent family owned business.
(4)Dolores B.
We realized as soon as we walked in the door that this was not the same Los Amigos we had eaten at before. Music was blaring loudly at 3:30 in the afternoon, the place was empty and a young girl behind the bar told us where we had to sit. We noticed a large bandstand had been built in the back of the restaurant and no longer were the quaint little out-coves appealing with one small table but they had two tables shoved in there to fit more drinking partying people in there at night I suppose. Gone is the Mexican atmosphere! We had a living social and were told by the young girl that they are under new management and do not accept the certificates any longer. I told her they should at least have put a sign on the door and contacted living social so living social could contact the people who purchased the certificates to refund their money. She said "well that is something the owner would have to do". I said "exactly, so why didn't they do that?". She then proceeded to say she would talk to the owner about it. She texted him on her phone. Then she nodded NO to me. I suppose that meant no we cannot use the living social. I got up and walked out. This is no longer a nice little Mexican restaurant but a loud club type facility used to lure in young people who want to spend their money on drinking.
(1)Steve S.
Food came out quickly. Decent portions and good taste. Mango margarita was 10 bucks and had about a drop of tequila in it. Service was not so friendly. Didn't feel too welcomed here......
(3)Chelsea M.
My boyfriend brought me here because this is one of his favorite local spots. The last time he was here was over a year ago. I don't know if there was a change of ownership or staff. We walked in and the vibe was that of them getting ready to throw a huge party. We politely asked our waitress (who really didn't speak any English) if they were and she confirmed. We offered to pay for our drinks and leave. Of which politely declined and said we could stay. So we did. I ordered nachos and cheese, came out about ten minutes later. It was shredded Colby jack, on top of tortilla chips that had been microwaved. 5.99. Our food came out about 20 or so minutes later. It was the wrong food, they rook it back. Brought out the right food for my boyfriend and messed mine up. We politely took it and began to eat. The food was not good. And I'm slightly on the worried side of how my body's going to react to it. We also got two cokes which were both 2$ each which to me is completely assignin to charge for soda. Fountain soda, yes. But out of a can no. We asked for our check and it came out to be 48$ which was ridiculously high for the quality of our food. My boyfriend handed the owners daughter our check and she redid the math and it came out to be 44$ and handed her his credit card. She then informed us she would have to call her father at his Dundalk location and have him run my boyfriends card. Upon hearing that I pulled out a 50 and told her to keep the change. This was by the worst restaurant expierance either of us have ever had. And we will not be returning. It's really unfortunate and unfair that what I'm guessing a girl that is about 19 years old is left to run the location while her father is at another. And that she has to deal with unhappy costumers. I would never recommend this place to anyone. At all.
(1)Shana W.
My in laws took me here for my birthday dinner! What a great time!! Had the Texas fajitas which were delicious along with an amazing Margarita and my niece really enjoyed the play area. We will definitely be back!
(5)Jnes S.
Buyer beware! This place is ok, food authentic and pretty good BUT the 70+ year old Mexican waitress deliberately over charges you for food and adds a 'service ' charge as her tip! It's so dishonest and is a major turnoff for me, she does it every single time when me or my husband goes there. Beware of her! She's a sneaky thief!
(2)Erin O.
What to say about my adventure - and it was certainly that - at Los Amigos? How do you properly describe that abandoned night club feel the place had going for its? What do you say about a "authentic" Mexican restaurant that serves guacamole that I'm pretty sure they bought frozen at the store? Nothing particularly positive, that's for sure. I had a chile rellano that was stuffed with, well I'm not really sure with what, but it didn't taste like cheese. My boyfriend had a fajita. The best thing that could be said about the fajita is that it did come out on a sizzling plate. That didn't actually make it taste like anything, but it did have that required sizzle. If pressed, I suppose the best thing I can say about this place is that I'm almost convinced they're running a brothel in the back. If that's your thing (and who am I to judge?), you can probably get a quickie in the back to help you get over the lackluster service and bland food they serve up front. In case I'm not clear, I don't suggest this place.
(1)Stephanie P.
This restaurant is large and oddly-shaped. Unless you're seated at a wall booth it seems like all the tables are pretty awkwardly located. The salsa wasn't spicy so we asked for one that was. It was alright but one-note. The spicier salsas at El Salto are much, much better. We ordered guacamole and were served a weird hybrid of guacamole powder mix, pico de gallo, and a few pieces of chopped up avocado. Come on people. Just make guacamole. I ordered a margarita and it was weak and flavorless. Our dinners were from combo menu: predictable nukable slop. Nothing remarkable about it. Servicable enchiladas, burritos, and rice and beans. Did not look like the menu pictures. I should have ordered a mole or something interesting, and put this place to the test. The service was nice, friendly, and fast. Definitely not the worst imaginable Mexican experience but nothing resembled the great authentic food we were lead to expect.
(2)A B.
I love this little place. The food is good, the staff is friendly and the prices are right. Its a little bit dive-y but in all the right places. :) p.s. Friday is live music. Order the veggie chimichanga and a pitcher of margs.
(4)Nathan B.
I used to live down the road from this place and my wife and I would eat there often. It may not be the best Mexican food I've ever had, but I always feel welcome and never leave hungry. positive: -portion sizes -atmosphere -friendly staff negative: -seems a little pricy for what it is -paid parking can be a hassle I would (And have) recommend this place to friends.
(4)Nicky O.
Nope. The vegetarian combo was gross. Tasted like a pile of cheap, greasy cheese. Fajitas were okay. Beans were flavorless. Service was rude. I live down the street from here and you couldn't pay me to go back there.
(1)Erin V.
I wanted to like this place; it has enough kitsch to be something special and is in an up-and-coming neighborhood; unfortunately, the service was awful. I'm pretty sure this was our waitress' first night on the job ever. The fact that we used a Groupon confounded her and we wound up never actually getting a bill. The food was nothing special, and certainly not worth the prices ($13.50 for a small plate of fajitas). My friend got a ten or eleven-dollar burrito but was turned off by the taste of the meat. If you're in the market for Mexican food in the Parkville/Hamilton area, you'd be much better served by heading up to El Salto in Perring Plaza.
(2)Coyote B.
Baltimore is dotted with Mexican restaurants just like Los Amigos. We have all seen it before, a choice of meat wrapped in a tortilla covered in red sauce, refried pinto beans, rice, shredded lettuce with a dollop of guacamole and sour cream and everything covered in cheese. So what sets Los Amigos apart from the rest? Located on a busy stretch of Harford Road this building is not hard to miss. The space is dimly lit but the typical festive colors of the Mexican decorations on the walls brightens the mood quite a bit. On our first outing to Los Amigos we sat outside on the patio which was quite nice as the sun was setting. The high gates allow enough privacy that we weren't distracted by the street noise. Outdoor seating was comfortable but a little wobbly. Tables are woven metal so expect few drops of salsa on your pants and some rice in your shoes. Our second visit, we stayed inside and were seated in a small alcove with a light hanging over the table.The table was not completely wiped down when we sat down. Our server greeted us with a big smile and chips and salsas. Thankfully the chips are 100% corn. This means gluten-free grumps won't have to sit idle while everyone else quells their low blood sugar mindlessly filling up on warm salty chips dipped in the fresh pureed tomato salsa and that mystery spiced white sauce. While many of the similar restaurants in the surrounding areas prefer to dumb down their salsa, not adding too much spice or too much onion, Los Amigos serves their salsa as it should be; pureed fresh ingredients with enough spice to whet your appetite for the meal to come. The guacamole its palatable but nothing special. My best guess tells me that it is not homemade; a little too green and pureed lacking the tender chunks of avocado that we all love so much. Do request the hot sauce though. It is a deep smoky sauce filled with spicy chili seeds and a acidic base. Our 2nd trip included the best entrees. My companion ordered the Quesadilla con Chorizo and when asked to describe it he simple said "it was HOLYBALLSLIKE". The chorizo was of the sweeter variety perfectly spiced without over powering the flavor of the meat. It was ground and stuffed evenly in a large flour tortilla. Rice, beans, salad on the side as expected. I would forgo the guacamole and see if they have plain avocado instead (doubtful). I ordered the Los Amigos Seafood Tacos. I never get seafood tacos... ever. But this night was different, I don't like chicken, I didn't want any more red meat, and the vegetarian options just seemed so ordinary. But seafood and tacos just didn't seem to ever go together but wtf, I went for it. I'm glad that I did! My 3 corn tortillas were completely filled with fish, small scallops, and shrimp. On the same plate were pico de gallo and more homemade hot sauce (the menu says tomatillo salsa however). Another plate with generous portion of smooth creamy refried pinto beans with just a small pinch of cheese on top completed the dish. While I was pleased with the abundance of seafood, I was disappointed with the pico being over salted to the point that I couldn't taste anything except the salt. I also would have liked to have some salad on the plate to add to the tacos. Instead I picked the salad from my companions plate. By this time we were stuffed but I ordered flan anyway. This beats El Salto's flan any day. Rich creamy custard with notes of vanilla and, was that coconut I picked up? I could have done without the fake whip-cream tufts on the side but I ate them anyway. The service throughout the meal was excellent. He remembered us from our first time and was attentive to our table without being overbearing. We stayed for a couple minutes to chat after our epic meal and found out that he had just taken over ownership from his mother and was planning on reworking the menu. He seemed very open to adding a few more gluten-free options after I told him "we are everywhere now!". Let's hope that a new guacamole is on the way as well. Overall, this is one of our favorite Mexican restaurants. Although on the surface it may seem like just another Mexican place, the quality of the meats, the portion sizes, the solid service, and the ease of camaraderie with the new owner makes up for the depressing guacamole and the generic interior. They also had my favourite soda: Jarritos Tamarindo. For $40 we will keep coming back.
(4)Nick B.
The Good: The Carnitas are quite good. Tender chunks of meat, rice, refried beans and a pickled pepper. The chips, salsa, and milky white dipping slime are unsettlingly easy to eat and flow like wine. They usually have futbol on the viewscreen. The Meh: The Margaritas will get you drunk. The Bad: The Margaritas taste like they came out of an army surplus drum and are questionably priced. If you had a terrible day at the wage-slave cubicle plantation and need something sweet and intoxicating (and it's happy hour) pound a few, but don't expect more than a slight dulling of your lifepain. The menu is "À la recherche du temps perdu"esque in size, so don't set your sights on working your way through it. TL;DR While it's not my first choice, the carnitas are pretty excellent.
(2)Mark G.
If I could give this place less than 1 star, I would give it negative 5 stars. My experience at this place nothing short of awful. I should've known the moment I walked in and the place smelt like a bathroom. I tried the special lunch number 12 which was enchiladas. The tortilla wasn't warm and the sauce was basically orange water. I told the server I didn't like it and she recommended I try some burrito thing which I told her I would try. the burrito comes to me and I cut into it and grease explodes onto my plate. It was almost cartoony how much grease came out. When I showed her the grease, she tried telling me there wasn't any grease on my plate when you could clearly see all of the grease on my plate. I had an empty cup on my table and I filled the cup 1/4 of the way with grease and she just walked away. I decided at that point I wasn't gonna pay for it so I went to the bathroom and began to walk out. As I came out of the bathroom, the woman asked if I wanted a box for my food and I told her no and I wasn't paying for it. Some guy came out of the kitchen and they began arguing in Spanish. The guy told me if I didn't pay for both plates, hes calling the police. of course I refused and they told me to never come back. I thought experiences like this only existed on tv but apparently not. Never go here. Ever.
(1)Amber G.
It was our first time here, and we had high hopes. The seating was really neat and private, and they had live music. We waited awhile to get seated and were kinda shoved off onto a waitress who did (indeed, like another review stated) seem like it was her first night. She took our drink order and we never saw her again. It took 20 minutes for someone else to come take our drink order, took another 10 minutes to get those drinks. I should mention there were only 2 of us, a water and a margarita each. Food came quickly, nothing special there. My husband's beans tasted off (he described them as cat urine-y). My fajitas were not worth $13.50. No one came to get us a refill for another 20 minutes, and even then we were only given margaritas and no water. When we asked for the check, he asked if we had a groupon (before giving us the check). He came back with a bill that charged us $8.50 per margarita. When I asked him to show me a drink menu with those prices, he couldn't produce one, he said it was because we ordered flavored margaritas. We will not be going again.
(1)Lee C.
Service was terrible tonight. Handing hot plates down the table to people rather than walking around to serve them to us. Had to ask repeatedly for water and napkins. Food was so/so. The nail in the coffin was when we left the restaurant and our friend's car was towed from the pay Hamilton Business Association Lot behind the restaurant. We paid for parking, but apparently all of the spaces are not for the public, but are not clearly marked. I have no need to spend money in Hamilton ever again.
(1)Nancy C.
We came here b/c we had a Groupon and since we just moved to the area a few months ago we are still experiencing different neighborhoods. I felt bad for the place actually b/c there was only one other table there when we got there - 6 pm on a Wed eve. I'd think there should have been more people there. The salsa wasn't the best, but the chips were warm which I appreciated. The guacumole was different, tasted like it had cucumbers in it ? Hubby ordered carnitas and carne asada taco's. He said they were pretty good, not the best, not the worst. I ordered Chix Enchilada Verde, and they were good with white meat chicken and verde salsa and melted cheese. No complaints on my end. Our waitress seemed a bit annoyed the whole time we had her, but she was authentic - older mexican woman who didn't seem happy to be there. the place is big, decorated appropriately, but it was sad no one was there. When we left there was a big party coming and it seemed they knew the waitress. Had to pay for parking, its on a main street, so that was a hassle. Maybe we'd come back? We'll see....
(3)Chad B.
Sittin at Los Amigos right now! Great food. Currently there's live music, and good live music too! Not some overpowered kid rockin out while I'm trying to eat. This is my fifth time here, and I live a hour away! If you're a burrito fan like myself, the Gigante Burrito is a sure thing! But there's way more than just burritos being served here. There's all kinds of great food, and just as great hospitality. It's one of those places still around where the owner/bar tender will come out to make sure your meal is top notch. I'll keep comin' back!! Small tip: There's parking around the rear for $1.00!
(5)Nikki V.
This has to be one of the worst restaurants in the city. The owner has no customer service skills whatsoever, and will try to rip you off every chance she gets. Margaritas are terrible, a horrible pre-mix with maybe a splash of tequila. All you taste is the sour flavor. The guacamole is overpriced for such a tiny serving. The salsa is okay, but if you run out of chips, expect to pay a lot more for another basket. Getting carry-out? You'll pay an upcharge. Using a coupon or Groupon? Prices will automatically be higher. Most of the food tastes like reheated slop. There are some things that are okay, but seriously, you're better off at Taco Bell. That's right. There's a reason this place is always empty.
(1)D K.
Can't even give a single star to this Restaurant but without it I can't post my view, so giving single star. Most awful place ever visited. I had read reviews of this place with some very bad and some very good. I thought this place would at least worth trying, I had few friends with me and I was embarrassed and I don't have any more words. We were 4 people and three didn't finish their food. To rub salt to your wounds, the food was microwaved....
(1)Tami B.
Los Amigos is my "go to" place to get my local Mexican food fix! The food is fresh and delicious and the portions are generous. They have a cute patio for outside seating and some nights they have live music. If you like hot sauce, ask them to bring out a cup of their homemade stuff - it's smoky and hot with visible pepper pieces in it - very different than the typical bottled sauce. The staff is very friendly and patient with me trying to practice my Spanish with them when ordering or making small talk! I think it's a hidden gem among the other fantastic restaurants on Harford Road.
(5)Scott F.
I went with my in-laws for lunch and we were all somewhat disappointed. The staff member was very attentive and friendly, the place was clean, and the food came out quickly. Unfortunately it was the food that was the disappointment. I had the Beef fajitas and they lacked flavor. The onions and peppers were nice and crisp which is how I like them and the flour tortillas were steaming hot and quite good but the main part of the dish fell flat. I tried my son's taco because he wouldn't eat it and the beef was watery and lacked any spice. My father-in-law got the huevos rancheros and seemed to enjoy that. My mother-in-law had the taco salad and made no comments about it at all (usually she oohs and aahs when she likes something). I usually prefer Tex-Mex over Mexican because I like the spice and standard Mexican can be more mild but this food was just flavorless and watery. If I go again it will probably be limited to a happy hour to enjoy some Negro Modelos with my friends.
(2)D W.
I come from Atlanta, GA where there's a neighborhood mex place within 750 feet no matter where you are. Most of them are chains with 10-15 locations scattered around the city, all competing with similar chains, all with similar menus, very americanized for our dining pleasure, with 6 year old Cinco de Mayo streamers and crepe paper decorations hanging from the ceiling. Despite all this you would be guaranteed a filling mex meal and a level of satisfaction no matter what. Comparitively here in Baltimore there are few Mexican places to enjoy. The closest in food and scenary to my Atlanta memories is Los Amigos. Decent predictable food, competent service (under the watchful if not scary eye of "Mama") and notoriously empty of customers. Thus, I love it. Chile relleno Chile relleno Chile relleno Nuf said.
(4)Jim H.
I've eaten here a handful of times and found one thing on the menu that I consistently like-the seafood tacos. I don't enjoy their runny refried beans, uninspired Spanish rice or the less than stellar servers who tend to mix up orders. I remember being seated once, ordered food, and then told I had to move because the table was reserved for another couple-Hello Fawlty Towers! The last time I was there I had that short little troll of a manager come to my table to ARGUE with me that I was to blame for an incorrect order-the NERVE! Haven't been back since...when you wish for Taco Bell you know there's something wrong.
(1)Melinda B.
I hardly ever write reviews for restaurants but felt like the negative experience I just had warranted it. A friend recommended that we eat at Los Amigos because she liked the food and because there is a kid's room. I assumed that any restaurant with a playroom would be kid friendly but that did not turn out to be the case.... It took about 15 minutes for the owner/waitress to acknowledge us and take drink orders. She gave our kids dirty looks every few minutes while they played in the playroom. Did not bring water when asked. Did not bring salsa when asked. Did not offer refills, check to see how the food was etc. Refused to split check when given plenty of advance warning. Food was lackluster. The ground beef in the burrito had absolutely no flavor at all. There no spice to it. I am pretty sure most of it was reheated. So disappointing. I would probably give this place another chance if not for the surly demeanor of the owner. Perhaps her cranky attitude and the so-so food is why the place was empty at 6 on a Friday night. Go to El Salto on Joppa Road instead. They are friendly and their food is excellent!
(1)Shannon S.
Finally some spice! I had a work lunch here and was a bit overwhelmed by all the choices. I was excited to see a chile relleno on the menu. The food was Mexican of the smothered variety, which I find most people in Baltimore just don't get. It's not the best Mexican, but you can get something above mild and it's pretty authentic.
(4)Erin M.
I am always looking for a good place to get Tex-Mex style food, and in spite of the mixed reviews, i thought I would check this place out. First of all...they overcharged me, including some nebulous $1 for nothing. Second, I do not have a refined palate at all. I have had all kinds of Tex-Mex food from places that were simple and cheap to places that were fancier. The food I received from Los Amigos was inedible. I never thought I would say this, but there was too much cheese on parts of it, which turned into a gooey disgusting mess as it cooled, and the other part was so spicy, I couldn't taste anything but pain. Save your money and don't encourage those charlatans.
(1)Drew F.
The food was great. My wife and I really enjoyed ourselfs. The salsa was amazing.
(4)Chris V.
I used to live nearby but hadn't gone for a while until this weekend. Just as good as I remembered it. Traditional Latin American food, very friendly service. Got there are a weird time - 2:30 on a Saturday - still no problems. In fact the mole ranchero was even better than I remember.
(4)Zahira P.
My worst dining experience to date. The waitress was just mean; I think it is because they require all patrons to pay an 18% gratuity which they tack on. I have never had a more rude waitress - inflexible and inhelpful like a bureaucrat to be. I regret not finding her manager to yell at them for this horrible, overpriced, tasteless and disgusting meal. I will recommend no one to enter this kitschy, shitty place that calls itself a restaurant. More like rip-off, with disrespect to boot. Why can't I give 0 or negative stars???
(1)Kelley Q.
Love this place! Its our family's go-to spot for a night out of the kitchen. The kids enjoy the play room, although its nothing fancy. The service is very friendly and attentive and the food is quick. Its comfortable, casual and perfect for a low-key dinner.
(4)Mike M.
On a Thursday, I went for dinner with the work peeps. Completely dead, but happy hour was from 4-7pm, so the pitchers of margaritas were flowing. Lots of chips and salsa were brought out, though only the first serving is complementary. Salsa had slight kick. White salsa also was served. It was a thinned sour cream concoction, which was good, but not as good as the regular salsa. Also ordered the guacamole for the chips too. Menu was extensive, making it difficult to choose. I chose the Mole Ranchero (chicken with mole sauce). I love mole, and while this one was good, it wasn't the best I've had. Now, the reason for three stars. Sopapillas. I ordered them, as I love them. They're just fried puff pastry drenched in honey and powdered sugar. This was not. It was a crispy FLAT flour tortilla drenched in chocolate sauce, whipped cream, and rainbow sprinkles. Extremely disappointed. Please don't raise my hopes of sopapillas only to flatten them (literally). I still enjoyed myself (and the company of course) and would go back for a cheap but tasty meal.
(3)Angela G.
A very disappointing experience. I am new to Baltimore and pass this restaurant every day on the way to work. I wanted to try the place out on a Sunday for the "All You Can Eat Sunday Mexican Brunch." Last year Living Social offered a deal for pay $20 for $40 worth of food for dinner and pay $10 for $20 worth of food for lunch. I used this offer as an opportunity to try Los Amigos. I purchased one offer for lunch and two of the offers for dinner. My husband was out of town for business and I had two weeks before the vouchers expired, so I used one of the $40 vouchers for dinner. I entered the restaurant last Thursday at 3pm. The place was empty and I was greeted by the waitress. The place seemed pretty authentic and like your typical Mexican restaurant with the decor and music. I was seated and handed a menu. I started with a margarita. I don't know the price because the alcoholic drinks were not listed on the menu. The drink was tasty but the lime wedge served on the side of the glass was brown and dried out. Not very appetizing to look at. For the appetizer, the waitress suggested the Stuffed Shrimp prepared with monterey jack cheese for $9.95. I received six shrimp and they were your typical frozen processed breaded shrimp variety. The majority of each individual piece was cheese and breading. The inside was an entire shrimp (not chopped,) but small. Clearly not worth the price. The menu states "We prepare all our food fresh daily." Really? For the main course, the waitress suggested #104 Fajitas Del Mar for $17.95. This dish has fajitas with shrimp and scallops cooked with onions and green peppers; served with beans, lettuce, tomatoes, guacamole and sour cream. I have never had an entree at a Mexican restaurant that did not serve rice with the beans, oh well. The black beans were old and dried up on the plate, the scallops were imitation and the three pieces of diced tomatoes were negligible with a huge mound of cheap iceburg lettuce. I told the waitress that the scallops were fake and she assured me that "ALL of our seafood comes in fresh daily." She seemed stunned when I questioned the scallops. After eating the fajitas, the waitress asked me if I wanted some dessert, I asked her how closed was I to my $40 minimum. She told me I was close, so I declined dessert and asked for the check. She told me to give her $7.50 for the tip. I asked for a breakdown of the items and for a receipt. She told me it didin't matter how far from $40 I was and that I owed her a tip. She mentioned I was near $40 because of the margarita, she said she had used the good tequila. Funny how she would NEVER tell me the cost of my drink. Upon leaving I asked about the "All You Can Eat Sunday Brunch" mentioned in the menu. She informed me they stopped the brunch six months ago. I asked her why it was still listed in the menu, she said they hadn't corrected the menus yet. I also mentioned to her that I had NEVER eaten at a Mexican restaurant that didn't serve me complimentary chips and salsa. She gave me a bag of chips and salsa to go. I got no receipt! Ironically, the chips and salsa were the best part of the meal. The salsa had a little bite to it and the chips were authentic. Needless to say, I contacted Living Social the next day and requested a refund for the two remaining unused vouchers. Taco Bell would had been a better choice.
(1)Taylor C.
Excellent service, great food, fantastic drinks... ask for marco, you won't be dissappointed!
(5)Jessica L.
When you enter Los Amigos you are welcomed with your typical Mexican Restaurant décor and a nice large bar. Also as soon as you walk in one of the staff sings out "Welcome, amigos!" and then the staff calls you "amigo" at every opportunity. We went for an early dinner at 5:00 and were the only people there. The menu offers more than the usual Mexican and Peruvian cuisine with taco/burrito/enchilada suspects, serving up smoky moles and jalapeño-packed pico de gallo, lime-drenched ceviche, tender chile-rubbed carnitas, and much more. I started off my night with a Margarita on the rocks. I LOVE margaritas but I must say I was disappointed in this one. I could tell they didn't use fresh ingredients and used a sweet and sour mix. No matter how many times I stirred it each time I took a sip I got a blast of sickly sweetness, or puckering sourness or tequila. I finished it but there was no way I was getting a second one for the price of around $6.00 per drink. My husband got his typical soda and was surprised that for $1.50 there were no refills. The chips and salsa they serve you while you gander the menu is addicting. We were not sure if the salsa was house made but it had a nice kick and was very fresh tasting! My husband got the Carnitas ($12.95)- Pork chunks cooked golden brown, delicately seasoned with secret spices, herbs and beer and served with rice, beans and tortillas. The meat was tender and sweet. We were very impressed with it but we think it may have been the Carnitas form the day before- but it still tasted good. I had the La Favorite ($10.95) - One burrito with beef tips, one chicken enchilada, and one special tostaguac (A flat crisp corn tortilla covered with beef and beans, lettuce, cheese, guacamole and chopped tomatoes). Overall everything was cooked well but was lacking something- it was very bland I thought. I did squeeze some fresh lime juice on it and some salt which both helped but it was still missing that something that made it good. Overall, the atmosphere is nice and friendly but the majority of the food was below average. The price for food was good but I thought a bit high for their drinks for what it was and the serving. It is in a great location of the Hamilton/Lauraville area but we aren't sure if we would go back again. Note: They took our email for some reopening?????? They didn't give us any details on that. Sorry no pictures on this visit.
(2)christian b.
Try the carnitas tacos. No, seriously. TRY THE CARNITAS TACOS. Outstanding. The service was exemplary, the food was pretty special, and the whole visit was just a joy. I'll go back whenever I'm in the neighborhood.
(5)Bob B.
Hadn't been to Los Amigos for a few years. Bar is much bigger now. Good service, good drinks, and good straight forward Mexican. I'd been going to El Salto for this kind of Mexican for a while, but Los Amigos is where it's at.
(5)Jason M.
It wasn't worth the drive. The service was good. The food was decent. Kinda bland. I miss authentic Mexican food. Coming from Wisconsin, Mexican food was so good. Out here on the East coast I haven't found a Mexican restaurant that's rivals yet.
(2)Mandeep S.
Overall, the vegetarian selection was good. I had the fajitas, red wine sangria, and veggie nachos. However the prices are really high for the area and the service is unfriendly. Although the lady at the door was pleasant, we had a waitress with a horrible attitude. On top of that they charge a required 18 % gratuity. No incentive for good service.
(2)Sean B.
been here several time, not real impressed but was jonesing for some mexican. not sure what to expect because it was 'taco tuesday' at a neighboring very popular restaurant. greeted warmly when entering, large open space. 4-5 tables going, provided with a booth and a quickly delivered basket of fresh warm chips and 2 salsa's. (charge for additional chips) round of margs on the rocks. could taste and feel the alcohol but mixers not fresh/homemade. carnitas with rice/beans satisfying but no wow. chicken soft tacos had NO flavor. plain boiled chicken in warm corn tortillas. brown flavorless, gravy like sauce (called it poblano). side of iceberg shreds with some sour cream and bland rice. Thats it! no spice, peppers, onions, nothing. won't hurry back. I haven't tried any of the peruvian specialties so can't comment. watress/bartender/host was a delightful woman though. 2 barely adequate meals, 4 margs on the rocks. $55.
(2)Albert B.
Outstanding food, warm and friendly service, awesome decor, a relaxed atmosphere, a full bar, and a groovy neighborhood. I love this place. Love it.
(5)Ashlee K.
We bought a Living Social for this restaurant, so we figured we'd give it a shot despite negative reviews. That was a mistake. We came in fairly early, around 4:30, for dinner. We were one of two tables in the restaurant. I noticed one bartender and one server on the floor. We were seated quickly, but that's where the service stopped. Our server was more interested in checking her phone behind the bar than tending to guests. The salsa was good, so we ordered some cheese dip, too. It was $3.95 and about 2 ounces worth- a ripoff. My husband ordered a coke, and that took 10 minutes to arrive. Neither of us were offered refills during our entire dinner. When my husband asked for one, it took another 10 minutes to receive. The food was sub-par. I've had much better food from Taco Bell. There was little to no seasoning on the fajitas, though the portion was generous. About mid-way through dinner, our server turned on some music at a volume more appropriate for a night club. My husband and I were 2 feet away from each other and still couldn't hear what the other was saying. It wasn't even normal Mexican restaurant music- it was club music. Very distracting. Finally, we were informed at the end of our meal that the restaurant was under a new owner who no longer accepted Living Social vouchers. That would have been great to know before we ordered! Seriously, a sign should be posted on the door or something. We now had to pay the full price for a dismal meal and dining experience. Do yourself a favor and avoid this place. La Tolteca out in Cockeysville is a million times better, less expensive, and has great service.
(1)Tama V.
How is this place still open?! USED to be a good Mexican place, now it's so bizarre, overpriced terrible drinks, hookers (?) everywhere, but no other customers in the whole place besides us on a Saturday night at 7? Super disappointed, will never come back. Reading all the other recent reviews, i fully agree. Some weird shit happening here.
(1)Robby F.
Let me start off by saying, this place used to be great. Any of the good reviews you are reading are based on the old version of the restaurant with the old management. Whatever the new management has done has completely ruined what once was one of the top Mexican restaurants in Baltimore. Let's start with the crazy lighting/DJ. Before this place used to be dimly lit and very comfortable.. then the new management decided to make this place more like a Disco, which included building a DJ stage and adding crazy moving color lights all over. I've been there multiple nights now where out of nowhere they turn these crazy lights on and all of a sudden a DJ will start playing insanely loud Mexican club music.. this would be ok if there were any warning beforehand.. also if there was ANYONE else in the place. But it was just me.. and the wait staff... Then the waitresses.. I'm not one to comment on clothing, I think anyone any gender should be able to wear whatever they want. No slut shaming coming from me. But yeah, it's a bit unprofessional and they really like to close talk and put their bodies on you, which is very uncomfortable.. especially when you are already uncomfortable from the loud music/dizzying lights and the incorrect orders. Sometimes there are nearly 6 waitresses working all at once.. but I'll be the only customer. THEN, there's the constant screwing up what you ordered.. which is strange since the menu is very simple traditional Mexican food.. it's not like I'm throwing them curve balls when I order. For example- my girlfriend ordered Steak Tacos.. which seems like the easiest thing to order. Wrong. The girl then grabbed the menu from her and asked where that was on the menu. After minutes of denying it was impossible to order because she didn't know what to charge for them, I pointed out to just make the chicken tacos but with steak. This seemed to clear things up.. until the food came out. ENCHILADAS... WITH CHICKEN?! Nowhere near what she ordered. So I point it out, the waitress (who might be 14 years old) gets flustered and starts talking crap about the cooking staff.. Goes over to the register.. then a different girl brings the food back over and I have to re-explain what was going on. 30 minutes later.. Tacos. Steak tacos (second time's a charm) The food honestly used to be way more consistent and was great, but now it tastes very bland. Not worth what they are charging. Speaking of charging... Multiple times I've been charged a bit more then I expected and when I ask to see the itemized receipt I'm denied it.. adding up the meals + tax generally is like almost $9 less than what they are charging. To be fair, this used to happen with the old management also. But still. Not cool. Bottom line, make the trip up the road a few miles to El Salto. Much better. Consistent. GREAT atmosphere. No creepiness.
(1)Alan T.
What a horrible experience! We have a groupon and wanted to check this place out. The server (presumably the owner) was a old small lady that was extremely rude and was in a hurry to chase us out. She DEMANDed a 20% tip after the bill and actually gave me the tip amount so I can give to give her. I never had this kind of service like this before in my life. Please do yourself a favor and DO NOT go there. Food is expensive and service is lousy and impolite! I anticipate this place to be out of business soon with this kind of service.
(1)Dan C.
quaint mexican restaurant.... burritos are huge and delicious, chips are always fresh salsa great. great lunch place a must try and margaritas are great.
(5)Erin S.
This used to my fiancé's and my favorite Mexican spot for dinner and place for a nice quiet meal. The lighting was dim, never really crowded, the service was just OK, but the food was really solid. Good spot overall. Them they got new management... This place just plain ol' sucks now. Despite having a ton of people on staff (as opposed to the usual one waiter under the previous owner), the service is somehow worse. The wait to get seated took too long (despite the hostess apparently being immediately next to us talking with family). And while I don't have a beef with slight language barriers between servers and patrons, the woman did not speak a word English and we had to point on the menu what we wanted after she clearly had no clue what we said (fajitas for two). Somehow she couldn't even understand queso dip. I had to whip out my high school Spanish and Google to explain that our queso was cold and we wanted it heated up more. It was a bit of a fun challenge but the job is probably not suited to her until she can acquire a little more English given that most patrons speak it. (not slamming the language barrier, just that it's a customer service role that she clearly can't do at this point in time). She was obsessed with rearranging the table whenever food came out and kept moving my fiancé's drink across the table. She also was too eager to clear the table and took away his beer when it was only half finished. And they didn't have any one else there so it wasn't like they were trying to flip tables fast. Our food came out properly (she did get that right), but she didn't bring us silverware and plates despite us asking 3 times. We waited 5 minutes while the food (which was sizzling when it came out) got cold. The food, while not drastically different, was nowhere near as good. They took the pork out of the fajitas which is the best part. They stopped serving rice on the side too. The meal just was mediocre and disappointing. To top it off, they painted the place magenta and teel to completely strip it of the authentic vibe it had going. I hate that I was so disappointed given that we loved this restaurant, but I will not be coming back here again.
(2)Amber L.
Terrible, Terrible, Terrible. I will never ever go to this place again. The vibe was off, the food was the worst ever. If that was authentic, I never want authentic again. The hospitality was even bad. I wish I could give no stars, and to top it off the food was not even hot.
(1)daniel c.
new management old Peruvian lady who ran it is gone! it is now a Club they are scaling down the menu. service has gotten worse if you can believe that, and food is ok just takes forever to get it... give up on the food.
(1)Nicki M.
Lively, fun and good "chips & salsa & cheese." I enjoyed my Beef Chimichanga & coconut margarita. Good service too. Super nice staff. I just may go back for Cinco De Mayo.
(3)Lindsey H.
Bland, blah, boring terribleness.
(1)Melissa S.
If I could give zero stars, I would. I can hardly put into words how awful this place is. Came here with my family for Father's Day, because my husband likes Mexican food, and my dad thought this place "looked authentic". My husband wanted to go to Don Pablo's, but my dad wanted to try this place. BIG MISTAKE. I cannot say this enough. DO NOT EAT HERE!!! We were the ONLY people in the place. This probably should have been a huge clue. The waitress came out and already looked like she had an attitude. She was trying to act like she was being nice ("you're very welcome" when I would say thank you). Trying to order was a nightmare. If we asked one question, she would say she has to go ask the chef (I asked if the soft tacos come on flour or corn tortillas, for instance). She clearly didn't know any of the menu, because if, for instance, you order the tacos, she would ask for the number on the menu. We could have lived with all of this, but every order except one (we were a group of 12), cam out completely wrong. My son can't eat tomatoes. We ordered a taco with no tomatoes & it came out loaded with tomatoes. I told her he can't eat tomatoes. She took the taco to the back, and someone pulled the tomatoes off of it (there were leftover remnants of tomatoes in it). My husband ordered fajitas with beef & shrimp. Out came chicken & shrimp. Okay, so normally you tell the waitress, and they fix it, right? No big deal! She rolled her eyes, walked into the back & came out with the same plate, just with a couple shrimp thrown on top. My husband asked to speak to a manager, and the waitress said "Okay, but you don't have to be a prick!" All he had said is he wanted to talk to the manager, because he knew if he sent it back again she would have spit in it or something, if she hadn't already! My husband was so furious, that by the time the "manager" came out, he was shaking! We had driven in two cars, so my husband left after talking to the manager. The minute he walked out the door, the waitress came to our table & said "I just want you to know, I did NOT insult him in any way. I said "You have had an attitude since the minute we got here!" (I failed to mention she rolled her eyes when my husband asked for a high chair and if they had covered cups for kids. And brought us a pack of hot chocolate mix & a cup of cold milk after saying they have chocolate milk... Among many other issues, and we never complained until the 4th wrong meal came out!!) Long story a tiny bit longer, the manager handed me the bill. Instead of taking my husband's meal off, they had TRIPLE charged for it! I guess they thought we were so upset we'd just serve up a credit card not looking at the bill! We were charged $110 on what should have been a $75 bill. So. Save yourself the trouble, don't even come here!! Or if you don't believe me, peek in the door & see how empty the place is. There's a REASON for it!! P.S. Am I the only one who has never heard of a Mexican place using mozzarella cheese on their tacos???
(1)Marco S.
Literally a hooker with a 65 year old guy sitting next to us. There are four women trying to figure out one customer's check behind the bar. We have been sitting here for 20 minutes at the bar with no service. The girls at the bar are not bartenders they are just random girls. I don't even know if they work here. This is awful. I feel like I'm in an episode of bar rescue. Definitely illegal stuff going on here.
(1)Christopher B.
Stay away! Los Amigos is under new ownership and the ship is sinking. Food is terrible, service is slow, and the host who takes your order doesn't know the menu or write anything down. It appears that the night club scene is what they're going for (considering the advertisement on the table says that the new name of the restaurant is Fantasy Bar & Lounge) which should be interesting in a neighborhood like Hamilton. This had been our favorite local Mexican place, but sadly we will never be returning.
(1)Noelle C.
This is no longer a restaurant! It's a bar/nightclub. Yes there's food and tables, but probably just enough to stay zoned/licensed the same. There's a flier on the table advertising a dance contest with cash prizes. I would not suggest bringing your family here-not really that kind of atmosphere. We have lived in the neighborhood for years and have eaten at Los Amigos fairly regularly-even taking out of towners there. Even though they weren't the same caliber of restaurant as the rest of the local spots, the food was okay. Now, it's barely passable. Bland and tasteless. I hate to give such a low rating, I can usually find a positive or two. But the service before was slow,now it's non-existant. The server didn't know the menu and seemed more interested in the tv show behind the bar, or her phone, or personal conversations. In a nutshell, don't waste your time unless you want a dance contest-not dinner.
(1)I L.
Terrible. Bad service. Bad waitress. Bad everything. And they charged 1.50 for water with lemon???? NEVER AGAIN!!!
(1)Ebony T.
Been here a few times with my family and the food was good but tonight we find out they have new management. By 8:30 the night life was beginning. Scantily clad women, not enough tables. This is now a nightclub. The DJ is setting up as we wait for our food. Not very family friendly in the evenings. The food was still good however.
(3)Edward S.
Hadn't been to Los Amigos in a while, (I was craving their Carne Asada Tacos). My wife and I walked in and BAM! There are pool tables now, most of the dining tables are gone, it looks like a night club! We turned right around and when over to Hamilton Tavern. Sorry, I will miss you Los Amigo.
(1)Yolie O.
Went in a couple days ago after nearly a year hiatus... AWFUL! just as previous reviewers have indicated, half the tables are gone, there is a dance floor, pool tables & terrible service! We didn't even wait for our food because the service was horrific! When the entire wait staff is giving you the side-eye because you requested a pitcher of water (because it was THAT slow), told no, and the waitress doesn't know the menu you know it's time to go! We got up from our table and walked out. Will NEVER return. So many better alternatives in the neighborhood. I can't even give them 1 star... How about NEGATIVE 4 stars.
(1)Stacey G.
Wow, reviews are all over the board here. Makes me think I must've been on an off night. I'm with the other negative reviewers. The food was awful. Flavors weren't there. Rice was bland. Salsa was the best thing but tasted like it was canned. I couldn't even tell you what we had because I didn't want to remember. Service was good. Seating was extremely uncomfortable. We were on rolling chairs atop tile floor. I felt like it was a workout to keep my chair at the table. I just cannot recommend this to anyone. It was so bad I couldn't even go back to give it a 2nd shot. Wish I could because I live in the neighborhood and want it to do well.
(1)J H.
I'm going to break rank here and say THIS PLACE IS AWFUL. Uninteresting, nearly cold, sloppy and grey beans. Tasteless shredded government cheese. Watery Salsas with no kick. Does this place even have an oven or is everything microwaved? Is all the iceberg lettuce shredded and beginning to go bad around the edges? I was not impressed with my one visit. I can't understand how this place wins awards from the CityPaper. Someone is paying someone under the table..
(1)Matthew R.
Went here because we had a groupon. I'm really ashamed that we didn't go sooner. We've lived in a few blocks over for more than a year and this is the best mexican we've had in a long longggg time. I can't wait to go back. The papas huancaina was excellent and the burritos and tacos were tasty.
(4)Keme J.
Run for the Border... I'm glad I had groupon voucher or that would have been money wasted. When I walked in a family was coming out and the said good luck, so i asked what's wrong how was the food and service they said horrible. I should have listened
(1)Zulay V.
This place is awesome, the decor is really cute, the service is great, the sauces and chips they give you in the beginning are really good. The food is deeeeeelicious and very well priced. I love the Carnitas tacos... pulled pork cooked in beer. MMmm!
(5)Rick D.
Absolutely horrible food and service! As soon as they found out we had a Groupon they switched servers on us--from the friendly young woman who had initially greeted us to a sullen older woman (the owner?) who seemed to resent that we would actually bother to redeem our Groupon and patronize her nearly empty restaurant. The food was bland and completely unremarkable, and my wife got a margarita with an ice-to-liquid ratio of about 10-to-1. When the bill arrived, it was about $25 higher than I'd expected. First, they refused to honor the happy hour price for our margaritas, because we had a Groupon (there was nothing about specials being excluded on the Groupon itself, and our server didn't bother to mention this when we were ordering our drinks). Then they charged us $12 for my son's bean & cheese burrito. Granted, it was big, but it was nothing but refried beans, a tortilla, some cheese, and a side of rice. Twelve bucks?? It even cost more than my enchilada entree! When I questioned the amount on the bill, the server got very defensive. It was nearly impossible to make out what we were being charged for with the hand-scrawled bill, so we just cut our losses and paid up. But I'm never setting foot in the place again. It's tough enough to find decent Mexican food in Baltimore (outside of the excellent tacos at Tortilleria Sinaloa), but Los Amigos on Harford Rd. sets a new low!
(1)