Restaurant Review: El Amazonas

El Amazonas is a quaint, unassuming Mexican restaurant in the heart of Largo.  Lined in multicolored lights with a dim ambiance and the smell of heated grease wafting through the air, it feels festive, even in the desolate time between lunch and dinner. 

The servers are nice, dare I say motherly, and the menu is as large as it is affordable, but does that make it worth it?

Well, maybe.  Like I mentioned, the atmosphere is delightfully un-boistrous and relaxing.  A big LCD TV behind the full bar makes it a nice haven for anyone looking for a tall, cold Tecate or Modelo while watching the game.  The food though, left much to be desired.

One great thing about Mexican restaurants is the complimentary chips and salsa provided before the meal. They're almost too great when you eat too many and fill up, by the time your meal comes. But that’s a whole ‘nother issue. 

Amazonas, sadly, did not have this problem.  Bagged chips and jarred salsa are fine at home, but, come on, if you’re an authentic Mexican restaurant you should almost be lawfully required to make both those components fresh, but I digress.

A banner outside reading “99 cent tamales” definitely piqued interest and all (beef, chicken, cheese) were definitely quite tasty and well portioned for such an awesome price.

The carne asada plate’s ($9.99) monstrosity was only matched by its uninspiring lack of complexity or intriguing flavor.  The dish's over-salted onions and peppers sat atop the thin, but tough, strips of steak.  The rice was decent, as were the refried beans, but they definitely weren’t intended as the stars of the show here (I hope).  

The flour tortillas were, to best guess, homemade and a nice option if you wanted to make your own fajitas out of the whole schmorgasboard of ingredients.

Strictly judging from this single meal, El Amazonas might have a little to work on.   The service was quick and amicable, which is always appreciated.  As far as the food goes, the potential is there.  The chips and salsa and carne asada definitely weren’t terrible by any means, but some tweaking in their execution is definitely in order. 

The tamales were great and worth the trip for anyone fond of tamales, and cheap ones at that. Overall, the experience was somewhat satisfactory but nothing out of this world.  Here’s to next time, guys.