Authentic Enough

            Walking into a Mexican restaurant in the Midwest, one would expect piñatas hanging from the ceiling, loud mariachi music playing, the staff wearing long white buttoned up shirts with black pants, with a side feeling of happiness. That is not what you get when you walk into Los Amigos Mexican Food Restaurant on Gull Road in Kalamazoo, Michigan.

            Walking into the restaurant, you get a sense of Mexican authenticity. The furniture throughout was made out of wood, with carved in designs that caught the eye. While being walked to your table, the subtle sound of Tejano music fills your ear. It is loud enough to take notice, but low enough to be able to hear and have conversation with your party. Stained glass light fixtures along with open blinds on the windows light up the neatly set up booths and tables.

Immediately the waiter takes down drinks, and brings them fast enough to get a quick sip before conversation happens. The Coca cola brand drinks are then followed by a fresh basket of chips and a bowl of watered down salsa. If you’re not careful enough, you’ll get full solely on the complimentary refilling of the basket and drinks.

            Here the saying “I’m so hungry I could eat a horse” is taken literally, for the serving sizes are more than filling. If the unlimited chips as an appetizer weren’t enough, then the entrée will be. Large colorful glass plates held our entrees, already heavy with cheese. For the California burrito was as large as the big plate, smothered in melted Monterrey jack cheese. This particular burrito is stuffed with cooked fajita, rice and beans, guacamole, and something the resembles Pico de gallo. Depending on what end you begin from, you either are introduced to tender and chewy fajita or thick and creamy guacamole. Obviously because when it comes to burritos, these guys feel that you should have your meat and sides separated rather than mixed together in one bite.

            If you’re not trying to just eat everything wrapped in one tortilla, then the Pollo tapatio is the plate for you. Described as charred grilled chicken and shrimp with a side of rice and beans with a small lettuce and tomato salad topped with sour cream. This is the dish for someone who wants to taste everything on one plate. The overall dish looked delicious, the buttery glaze off the shrimp, the melted cheese topped beans and the rich lime green guacamole could appease anyone.

            For pure meat lovers, the Carnitas and Pollito fajita are the way to go. With the majority of the entrée grilled meat, this came with a small portion of red rice on the side and beans. In addition, grilled peppers and onions were caramelized and mixed with the meat, adding a rich taste to the seasoned fajita. The brown color gave way to a perfectly cooked fajita. The chicken (pollito) fajita gave the same amount of satisfaction: grilled to where the chicken was well done.

What these meals lack in flavor they make up in presentation.

The chicken tastes rubbery and dry, and when mixed with the rice, there was no way to swallow without sipping your drink first. The vegetables seem to be fresh, although having them drenched in lime juice caused them to be soggy, and eventually the juice spread to whatever else is on the plate. As a result, one could possibly get beans with a lemony flavor, the ideal combination for losing an appetite.

            Charred grilled is also taken literally; pieces of both fajita and chicken seem to be slightly burned on the edges. However, the grilled onions were perfectly caramelized, with a slight crisp but not raw flavor.

            The guacamole can speak for itself, for the ingredients seem to be a mystery. The color seemed authentic, for lime green is what guacamole should look like. It was how it tasted is what made me second guess it. The creaminess of it did not seem to be coming from pure avocado, but rather a puree of sour cream and avocado, which is not what true guacamole is. Scattered tomato and cilantro were also there, but overpowered by the sour cream.

            The most questionable part of my meal was most certainly the Pico de gallo. What is supposed to be fresh chopped tomato, cilantro, onions and minimal lime juice, seemed to be more of a soggy mess. The lime juice overpowered what seemed to be left out vegetables. There was also a mystery ingredient, I could not tell if it was either too much cilantro or another green leaf herb, but there was another component that made the small portion manageable to eat.

            As for dessert, do not think you will have enough room in your stomach for some. There will be plenty of left overs, and if you have school or work the next day, it is the perfect way to get out of having crappy cafeteria food or premade frozen meals. However, if you’re feeling up to it, the friend ice-cream is a good decision. Although extremely sugary and sweet, it is divine. To have a crunchy crust and a cool inside, the ice-cream is the perfect way to end your already fattening meal.

            In comparison to El Gallo Blanco or its sister restaurant on Stadium Drive, Los Amigos beats the competition. The truly authentic Mexican meals are a good starting point to be brought into a full on Mexican experience. The overall environment was nothing out of the ordinary, but had the expected images of Historical Mexican figures such as Emiliano Zapata and the Typical Pancho Villa. The service is amazing, for drinks re refilled when only half way empty. There also seemed to be what looked like a bar, which is good since an entire page of the menu is dedicated to the different alcohol choices they offer. Piece of advice: Do not come in a group of four with two guys and two girls and sit in a booth divided evenly for the waiter will assume it is a double date and charge two meals on one card leading to problems when paying. Other than that, they know how to make the dining out experiences worthwhile for hungry customers.