Once the summer muggies descend on our hometown, Philadelphia, we head “down the shore” to the house we bought in Brigantine, on the first barrier island north of Atlantic City, New Jersey. When we brilliantly bought the house right before the 2008 real estate collapse caused by the financial crisis, our then 20-something sons incredulously asked us, “Why’d you buy a house in Brigantine? There’s nothing to do there.” (I guess they didn’t get the memo about how their parents came to be known as “Mr. and Mrs. Excitement“.) They changed their tune upon realizing they can spend the day enjoying the beach in Brigantine, prevail on us to drive them over to a casino in Atlantic City (15 minutes away) for a night out, and then return by taxi at some ridiculously late/early hour.
Los Amigos is definitely the most colorful restaurant on the block.
As you might probably imagine, Mr. and Mrs. Excitement aren’t casino people, but even we need to get off our relaxing island sometimes. In addition to casinos and an ocean-side board walk, Atlantic City is also home to the outdoor Tanger outlet mall (a/k/a The Walk), featuring well over 100 brand name factory outlet stores. A few times each summer, we head over there to search for the elusive pair of perfect travel shoes or a warmer coat than the one that just didn’t do the job during the last winter’s polar vortex. Although I am possibly the World’s.Worst.Shopper, I can be coaxed to accompany Mr. Excitement by the promise of dinner at our favorite Mexican restaurant.
Los Amigos can be found on the eastern edge of the Tanger Mall, behind the Bally’s Casino on Atlantic Avenue, wedged between the Atlantic City Medical Center and a shoe store, and across the street from the Atlantic City main bus terminal. Just follow a bus or ambulance. It’s hard to miss the brightly painted facade.
Upon entering the restaurant, you walk through the bar to be seated either in the mural covered first floor dining room or upstairs. The restaurant also has outdoor seating on a covered, dog friendly patio. If you’re claustrophobic, you’d probably be happiest upstairs or outside as there are no windows in the first floor dining room.
If you are as exciting as we are and arrive for dinner at 6:00 p.m., chances are you can be seated in the the brightly decorated first floor dining room.
Unfortunately, my taste buds are way over-sensitive to spicy hot food. Therefore, I usually like the idea and look of authentic Mexican food more than I actually enjoy eating it. At Los Amigos, the default spicing is not very spicy. You can add your own hot sauce. (Caveat: If you’re like me, always ask if a particular dish is spicy and if there’s some hesitation by your server because one person’s idea of bland could by another’s red hot, request that any sauce be served on the side.)
Is a pitcher of sangria too much for two people? Nah.
Los Amigos is open for lunch and dinner, but I’ve only ever been there at dinnertime. I’m a mojito snob and I’m not terribly impressed by their mojitos nor margaritas although other tables seemed to be enjoying margaritas by the pitcher full. However, the sangria is refreshing. Each table is provided with a basket of non-greasy, unsalted tortilla chips and a small bowl of red salsa. We enjoy their guacamole as an appetizer.
Montecristo actually seemed to prefer the fish tacos over the steak tacos. His people liked both.
On my recent last visit to Los Amigos, I was accompanied by travel blogger Montecristo, a well traveled, long haired chihuahua, and his people. They ordered fish tacos and steak tacos with which they were quite pleased. Our go to favorite entree was always salmon topped by crab which is no longer on the menu. On one occasion, our waitress had the chef prepare it for us anyway. On my last visit, I had another salmon entree which I enjoyed equally.
Entrees are plated with sides of rice and salad or rice and beans. The salad is topped by a tropical salsa (not spicy), perfect for wusses people like me. If you have a yearning for it, TexMex specialties are available. Portions are ample. Whenever I have room for dessert (and sometimes when I don’t), I order flan to share with Mr. E.
According to the Los Amigos website, the restaurant has been owned for nearly 40 years by the same family. We find the prices moderate compared to the high end chain restaurants in the area. We have always been satisfied with the service.
If you go to Los Amigos:
Location: 1926 Atlantic Ave, Atlantic City, NJ 08401 (Between Michigan & Ohio Avenues)
Hours: Lunch: Daily: 11:30am – 3:00pm 7 days a week
Dinner: Monday – Thursday: 3:00pm – 9:00pm, Friday 3:00: 10:30pm Saturday 3:00pm-10:30 Sunday: 11:30am – 8:00 p.m.
Dress: Casual
Reservations are accepted and can be made through the Open Table website or TripAdvisor or by calling 609-344-2293.
Credit cards accepted.
(I received no monetary nor in kind compensation for this review. Opinions are my own.)
{ 35 comments… read them below or add one }
I like that Los Amigos has been owned by the same family for almost 40 years. My favourite Mexican restaurant, Asi Es Mi Tierra in Mesa, Arizona, is also a family-run restaurant. It has typical diner decor and is located in a nondescript strip mall, but the food and service are great and the prices very reasonable.
I would imagine that there are lots of Mexican restaurants in Arizona—certainly more than in Philadelphia and Atlantic City, anyway. I love finding “gems” in strip malls.
What a fun place, and like Donna I love that’s it’s been owned by the same family for so long. Of course, being dog-friendly is a big plus:) Montecristo looks like he had a wonderful time… nothing is better than that:)
Thanks for the recommendation of Los Amigos! You know how much I love Mexican food and Atlantic City is just a short flight from Toronto on Air Canada. Flights are also a bargain right now. Good to know you can get a great fish taco and a pitcher of Sangria..with the ocean right there it will feel as though we’re back in Mexico
Well, maybe not quite like you’re back in Mexico, but it’s a lot closer!
Like everyone else I am impressed with the fact it has been in the same family for 40-years. That is Impressive! I love Mexican but like you, not to spicy. We will have to check out Los Amigos the next time we are down.
Mexican food is my husband’s favorite food, part of the reason he wants to settle here in Mesa (where I met Donna Janke,by the way). Last Mexican restaurant we liked was Nando’s Mexican Cafe. But, like you, I don’t like too much spice. We were in this area you are describing in 2012 but didn’t chance upon Los Amigos. Next time!
Make me want to shlepp down to the Jersey Shore just to eat (6pm of course) at Los Amigos.
SANGRIA!!!!!
If you need someone to share your pitcher with, I’m volunteering.
Shocked to see you reviewing a Mexican restaurant given your well-known spice issues. Salmon with no sauce sounds like a safe, if boring option. As you know- my retrained Santa Fe palate loves spice. I love the colorful exterior of Los Amigos- looks like a Chinese restaurant that should be in San Francisco not Atlantic City.
The salmon has sauce, I just get it on the side until I’m sure it won’t ruin my appreciation of the salmon by being too “hot” for me. As you know, my eating out diet was severely limited in Santa Fe because even when a waiter would assure me that something didn’t have chile in it, usually there was chile. I don’t think they were purposely misleading me. I just think chile is so ubiquitous in Santa Fe cuisine that people don’t even realize it’s there. I’m sort of the “Princess and the Pea” poster child for hot, spicy food.
Love eating at Los Amigos. My husband loves spicy food. Growing up in Sante Fe, New Mexico he was always having beans and hot peppers with everything. The blood orange margarita’s are so refreshing. Haven’t tried the other margarita’s. Glad to hear they have an upstairs. I thought the restaurant was just the lower level.
They have the upstairs and the outside dining is also quite pleasant except for the occasional bus and ambulance. It’s in a covered (and therefore shaded) place and there are even ceiling fans.
We are complete Mexican food freaks, and this looks good. We usually go for the really funky little joints though, or street food. Bucket o’ crickets anyone?
My memory of you and Mexican food had something to do with a flaming drink. Not a cricket in sight. 😉
I love Mexican food and Los Amigos looks like such a fun restaurant—with the relaxing style of the Jersey shore.
How fun to read your crossed out asides and I enjoyed seeing the return of Montecristo featured in your post! We love Mexican food and are doing our best to discover new Mexican restaurants while we’re back in the US for a bit – one spicy dish at a time. Los Amigos sounds like a place we would love and, like you, we always eat at an unexciting early hour (our nightlife ends at 10-ish!) so we’d find the colorful main dining room very appealing!
Thanks, Anita. I’m glad you enjoy the crossed out asides. Some people don’t “get” what that’s all about and think I forgot to delete the crossed out words. Oh well.
We are just glad we got invited back!! 🙂 Loss Amigos was wonderful and the pet friendly patio a HUGE extra star in our books.
Can you believe I’ve never been to Atlantic City? I think we have a lot more in common than I ever realized. I dislike shopping too and although I like Mexican food I’m not a fan of spicy. Los Amigos sounds like the perfect place for me too. Another tasty spot to add to our list.
We can start the Wimpy Mexican Food Likers’ Club. 😉
I have heard that Brigantine is lovely. This restaurant looks fantastic and with such authentic and delicious food!
You and Mr. Excitement sound a lot like my husband and I which our children call us boring! I hate to shop and would only be talked into it with dinner as well and then it’s an early dinner like you because well we’re boring and don’t like to be out at night. Heck usually we’re in bed by about 8 although he is sleeping and I am well you know what I am doing!
I like Los Amigos in Berlin but have never been to the one in Atlantic City. Will have to try it. We especially like Cuba Libre in the Tropicana.
I love the way Los Amigos is painted! And I miss good Mexican food. Here in Groningen, the Netherlands, there are a couple of Mexican restaurants, but they’re not very impressive.
Sounds delightful! And the beautiful wall art in Los Amigos rivals any we’ve seen lately.
Did you only have chips this time? No dinner? I’m with you on the chips arriving at the table unsalted as too often they will wayyyy over do it. That’s a shame on the salmon topped with crab no longer being available because I would have definitely considered that even though I should be looking at more specific Mexican options. I’m a big, get the sauce on the side, person frequently myself, Suzanne. Have a great day, my friend! 🙂
WE really enjoyed our meal. Pets are suppose to remain on the ground but the staff is not outside the entire time. Montecristo is so little once settle on a lap that you can’t see him. It all worked out nicely. The guacamole was really good and the chips were light, not too salty and I would venture a guess in saying they were not “store bought”. The tacos were fabulous as well. We would return. Thank you Suzanne for taking us!
The food looks yummy, and the fact they have been able to keep Los Amigos in the family and open for 40 years says a lot about the restaurant. Especially in Atlantic City where so much change has taken place. I grew up on the Jersey Shore and people always have negative things to say if they’ve never been there. We can thank reality TV for that-I am glad you and Mr Excitement enjoy it so much!
There is no such thing as too much Sangria- in my humble opinion. But I do like my chips salted. 😉
Unsalted tortilla chips are a little bland. OTOH, you don’t walk away from the table dying of thirst. OTOH, I guess you the more salt you consume, the more sangria you “need”.
The food at Los Amigos looks great! Being open for 40 years proves they’ve been doing it right.
I LOVE spicy Mexican food, and the décor at Los Amigos is so colorful and cheery — definitely my kind of place, north of the border!
They even have flan and as you know, I’ll walk many miles for flan.
Sounds delish! Alpha Hubby is a mega HOT and spicy type guy, the hotter the better (i.e., on the Scoville heat scale, he eats the hottest). Me? NO. I like a bit spicy but I hate my tongue going numb! Haven’t had a good sangria in years – will have to make some later this month.