Amigos Tex-Mex now sits along the main strip of Ligongdi, opposite Ollie’s and just a few doors away from Tunnel Bar. The inside of the restaurant resembles an American diner of sorts; the walls are decked out with photos and memorabilia that seem to pay homage to a curious mix of celebrities and movie themes ranging from ACDC to Marilyn Monroe, Linkin Park, Audrey Hepburn, James Bond and Bruce Lee. The new premises are smaller than before, but the good news is that there is now a spacious outdoor area for al fresco dining.
The restaurant has always served up sufficiently authentic versions of classic Tex-Mex dishes such as chimichangas and burritos, but the kitchen also experiments occasionally with other options. We tried the vegetarian kebabs (RMB 48), which promised hummus, onion, lettuce and tomato, topped with mayonnaise garlic sauce.
If you’re used to kebabs on skewers, or kebabs in the style of the doner, the presentation of these might come as a surprise. The filling came stuffed and rolled in a soft flatbread—somewhat like a sandwich wrap. This, however, made it easy to handle as bar food. With a frozen margarita in one hand and an Amigos kebab wrap in the other, there was no mess dripping down our hands and leaving sticky fingers as we sipped on cocktails.
We also tried the barbeque ribs (RMB 98) and the chicken enchiladas (RMB 78). The barbeque sauce on the ribs was good, but both my dining companion and I felt like the meat was slightly on the tough side and could have been better seasoned. The enchiladas were a better pick. They came in generous portions and swimming in tomato sauce. Once again, however, we felt that the cook needed a heavier hand with the seasoning.