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Categories: Latin American, Delis, Sandwiches [Edit]
Neighborhood: West UniversityMon-Thu. 11:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
Fri. 11:00 a.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sat. 9:00 p.m. - 11:00 p.m.
Sun. 9:00 a.m. - 10:00 p.m.
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(+) I love the Amazon burger here. Every bite tastes soooooO *high pitched* good.
When your tongue touches the The bread tastes slightly sweet.
The AmaZon Burger $9
1/2 pound beef with lettuce, tomato, smoked mustard,Provolone cheese, jalapeño (add avocado!)
Drink to get: Caipirinha (bartender makes em' strong)
(-) Did not like the Torta at all. Too bready, they gave me a small piece that was hard to eat.
I've been here several times for lunch, usually with people from work. Upon walking in, you order from the counter cafeteria style and seat yourself. The place is quite large, with patios to eat outside when it's nice out.
I think the best part of this place are the plantain chips. Damn I love those. The food itself is so so - nothing too impressive from what I've had there thus far. One note though, if your buzzer hasnt gone off signaling you to come pick up your food, it's probably sitting up on the counter and they just forgot to buzz you. This has happened to me twice now. Maybe I'm just lucky.
A good place to come for lunch. I've eaten here once before for dinner, and it's crawling with kids. If you dont like eating with children walking around everywhere, I wouldn't come here for dinner.
I really loved this place. It's pretty much ameicanized south American, but it works so well.
They have banana/plaintain chips with 3 different and mouth watering dips. The entrees are large and well suited for the standard diner.
You won't find anything authentic here, but it's perfect for the casual foodie.
Why go here? Two reasons... the totally addictive plantain chips and dips and the Tres Leches!
I have been here numerous times, most recently with a group of coworkers. The place is large and you can sit inside or out (though we opted for the AC inside since it's, oh Houston in the summer!). Some people got some alcoholic refreshments while we waited for everyone to arrive. Of course, while we waited, we munched on the completely addictive plantain chips and salsas. You seriously don't need to actually eat a real meal here, just get a drink, some chips and salsa, and then order dessert. Once we ordered, our food was fast. I ordered the Chicken Latino; it was very good. My friends all enjoyed their food, but the main food talk was about those addictive plantains. Seriously, people can't stop talking about how they need to stop eating them.
Ok, the important part. This is the BEST Tres Leches in town. Period. End. Of. Story. It comes in individual containers so you don't loose any of the milky goodness. The topping is really sweet (this is where I differ with my husband who wants a less sugary topping... well he can review this place himself!). I always get a Tres Leches to go, it's just that good.
One dessert I've never gotten is the S'mores, but it is intriguing. It is presented in a container with a fire in the middle and you actually toast your own marshmallows. It's an awesome treat for kids and adults alike! I believe I also saw cotton candy, even though it's not listed on the on-line menu.
If you haven't been here yet, what are you waiting for? The plantains are calling your name and the Tres Leches is calling to your thighs!
Ohhh man... so I went there with a friend this past weekend. It's been a few years since I was last there. I was recently impressed with America's and Artista and figured I'd hit up Amazon.
We're reading through the menu, and my friend noticed a roach crawl around two canisters near the front of the register. The two employees said thank you for letting them know. Ughhhhh. We order and ate anyway...
Of course the plantain chips and chimichurri sauce were fabulous! I ordered the Puntas (tender grilled beef with jalapeno or spicy black bean sauce - I had both sauces on the side). It was good, but the skirt steak was really thin and dry and you could tell it was precooked. We added the salad for $1 more - not worth it. Just iceberg lettuce and some diced tomatoes. The avocado salad dressing is also at the bar with the plantain chips, so you can get your fix there.
My friend ordered the Apoyo, it was just okay. Again, thin slice of chicken, nothing great.
I guess if I hadn't recently been to America's and Artista, this place wouldn't have been so bad. My expectations were just high.
Did you know that all tilapia is farm raised? I had no idea. Well, that was the expert advise of the manager/cashier who told me when I asked about the tilapia which seems to plague every fish dish at Amazon. I guess those tilapia that I caught off the coast of Venice Beach last year were farm raised before I caught it.
Maybe all of the tilapia on the Amazon menu is farm raised, which means it is trash. I decided to go for another option. The to go containers are really good, though, and they keep the foods in their separate compartments, so sauces don't meld together.
I liked my dish but the plantain chips were rather stale and the salsas not too tasty. I think I will go with Cafe Express in the future. At least their fast casual concept is more consistent.
Bottomless plantain chips? YUM! I thought the sauces to accompany them were great too (try the green). I also loved the puffy tacos I ordered! It was a huge portion with delicious fluffy soft taco shells similar to a gordita. Came with a big dollop of guac and sour cream as well. Topped high with cheese and the ground meat was well seasoned. I also had the sangria which was decent. The atmosphere left a little to be desired in my opinion, but it was clean and family oriented. Overall I realllyyyyy liked the food here.
Three words: plantains, plantains, plantains.
ummm ... the food is great and bellinis well they'll get your friends drunk at a bargain... =) try the plantains chips... yummy
HIGHLY RECOMMENDED!
Went to dinner for a friend's birthday. I had already read some Yelp reviews and was happy to read the place was pretty good. I got there at about 8:15 pm. The place looks like a typical Mexican restaurant. It has a nice fountain/waterfall looking piece in the center of the room. There is nice Mexican art all around the restaurant. There is outdoor seating ( from what I saw from inside). Parking was a little tough at first, but don't dis pair! They do have additional parking in the back.
The way the restaurant works is that you go to the counter, you look at what you want from the huge menu on top of the register and you order. They give you that little device that lights up and once your order is ready. Simple enough. They do have staff going around cleaning the tables etc. But, this is mostly a do it yourself kind of place.
My food was very good. I got an order of Churrascos (medium), which was served with rice and yuca frita. I also ordered empanadas, which to my surprise did not have any meat. My empanadas were made of spinach and cheese.. yet they were very good! I had tres leches for dessert and that was GGGGGRRRREEEEAAAAAAT! I love tres leches and now that I know they have great ones at Amazon, I like Amazon too!
Cool place. Go eat!
It's been a few years since my first visit, and my recent experience has convinced me to come back more often. I had the Amazon chicken (fried chicken patty encrusted with corn, in a white cream sauce) - which I really enjoyed and completely finished off. There are also complimentary plantain chips with three dipping sauces - all are yummy! The restaurant is counter-service and has a laidback atmosphere. We had the s'mores (ok - interactive and fun if you have kids), and I had a bite of my friend's tres leches, her favorite item at the restaurant, and it was a sweet way to end the meal.
If I had a last snack on earth (see my profile for the actual final meal), it would be plantains. I want them all the time...sweet, fried, used for coating meat....I'm a full supporter of the tropical banana!
So perhaps I'm partial to Amazon Grill for their all-you-can eat plantain chips...but they are yummy yummy! The salsa is pretty good too. The first time I went to AG, I went with the ceviche....and I love it so much that I have never tried anything else. Whoops!! But seriously, the ceviche is divine and could possibly be my last lunch on earth. It's so fresh and perfectly seasoned with citrus and cilantro. I crave it!
Next time I'll go and try some caprininahs (sp?)...and maybe those table top smores!
If you haven't experienced the Amazon Grill then you need to stop what you're doing and head on over. The food is out of this world, and you'll love the prices!! You must try for desert the tres leches, or the smores. The service is first-rate, and fast.
Happy hour here is great..everyday from 4-7, you can get cocktails for $2.50 (ritas, sangria, mojito)
two words: plantain chips.
holy wow. & all sorts of dipping sauces. & a good happy hour (caipirinha! margarita! paloma! hurrah!). oh, and the food is good, too.
the fare is latin american fusion, so there's south american dishes alongside traditionally more mexican fare (more baja than tex-mex, to be certain). all very yummy and healthy-seeming (fish tacos = healthy. fish tacos + amazon's delicious sauce that comes with them = not so healthy yet more delicious), and the food comes out fairly quickly.
the restaurant functions more like a fast food joint, with no real waitstaff to speak of, ordering at the counter, help-yourself sodas, tea, & chip bar. the food, atmosphere, & pricing, however, are more typical of a nicer, sit-down, leisurely spot. the portions are also huge, so bear that in mind when considering menu prices; it's sort of a two-meals-for-one deal on most entrees.
I just really wanted to like this place. I saw there menu on the internet and their interesting presentations of food like the puffy taco and the amacones seemed very tasty. So I headed over here one night after work. I'll have to preface this review with a warning that I do not like plantains in any shape or form or black beans etc... the sauces were very weird. I didn't realize the sauces would have such a fruity flavor. The puffy tacos were not very crunchy and all of the seasoning seemed to be very off from what I expected, too mild and yes kind of tasteless as another reviewer pointed out. The atmosphere was terrific, and the amacones were almost good, but I kept wanting to eat something crunchy with my food and the plantains just weren't it. I had never realized just how different the food would be and I couldn't enjoy it.
i wish this place was in san diego, i love it so much! my favorite dishes are the amazon chicken and the smores or the tres leches! yummmmyyy!
the cordua family is amazing at making wonderful, delicious dishes!
We probably should've skipped the place when they told us they were out of beef. Out of beef, that's like half the menu. It was 6:30 on Sunday but still, poor planning on their part.
But we pressed on. I got the corn-encrusted chicken which was pretty good. My companion got chicken covered with some tropical fruit and a sauce. His piece of chicken was quite small, extremely thin, and he said overcooked to boot. He compared it unfavorably to chicken from Chick-Fil-A. We both thought they were quite stingy with the cilantro rice. The remainder of the plate is covered with a sort of vegetable relish which was boring.
The free plantain chips were good and the salsas great, especially the green one. Not sure we'll be back though.
I love Churrasco's, so I wanted to check this one for a while and finally I did. Yes, plantains with the dips are still amazing! I can get full just eating that. We went there Saturday late afternoon, so it was not too crowded and the ordering was pretty simple. You have to order at the counter. We shared plantain crusted chicken and couple sides. I do prefer their side dishes. The cilantro rice was good and chicken empanadas were excellent. The chicken though was pretty dry and tasteless. Overall, the place lacks atmosphere (cafeteria style doesn't really help...) and the quality of food is not even close to Churrasco's or America's. So I think I'll skip this one next time, unless I badly crave plantain chips.
Before arriving at Amazon, I envisioned that I would receive the same level of service I got at Artista. Table linens, a host/hostess asking me if I had a reservation, piano player, wait-staff. Ha, ha, ha. No, not so much. This is fine with me, however it threw me initially and perhaps tempered my expectations on the quality of Amazon's food.
It reminds me of a fancy, overpriced Chacho's. There's a counter where you place your food order, a table to pick up plaintain chips and salsas, a small bar, and a variety of places to sit. I'm not certain how packed this place can get, but I went on a Friday evening, and there weren't many diners.
I ordered the Ceviche Caribe (ceviche atop a salad with avocado and tropical fruit). I should have stuck with just Ceviche. I envisioned (based on the description) something completely different. There were chips arranged around the perimeter of the salad (think rays of a sun). They basically just got in my way. It's a salad with lettuce for goodness sakes. Not really conducive to scooping up with chips. There wasn't much ceviche, and it was only just so-so. Also, I don't like pre-frozen or boiled shrimp, especially added to fish (tilapia) that was cooked with lime juice. Yuck! The tropical fruit was a few pieces of mango I think. It had lost all flavor. Avocado? A whole whopping two slices. The mixed greens were disgusting. They had drowned in the cilantro dressing.
The complimentary plaintain chips were the best thing I had. Definitely not enough to make me want to give the place another try.
I have had the enchiladas and talapia, both are very good. Amazon Grill is a Michael Cordua restaurant, and they seem to have a successful business going, paired with Churrascos and Americas. If you want something a little tamer, try the corn encrusted chicken or taco salad. The messy Tres Leches is not nearly as good as Churrascos, you might want to try S'mores for dessert instead.
It's good food at a good price, and casual enough for the whole family to eat in comfortably.
Meh indeed.
The free plantain chips are great, and the empanadas were decent. If everything else was like they were, it would be a great place.
The yuca fries were really awful. They over-boiled the yuca to a mashed-potato consistency, and then battered it and fried it, so it was like limp-battered mashed potato sticks.
I had "puffy" tacos that were not actually puffed-then-stuffed tortillas as advertised, but instead were battered and fried, again with this pale, almost mushy batter. The filling needed a lot of salt and pepper to taste like anything at all.
The ceviche was acceptable, but nothing special.
Perhaps the dishes we had were the worst of the lot, or it was a bad day in the kitchen, although I'm not sure if battered tortillas and yuca is ever a good idea.
I absolutely love Amazon Grill! They have so many good dishes. The unlimited plaintain chips are perfect and always fresh. The refillable sauces are great too, the green sauce is to die for, the red-salsa is ok and the green oil based is my least favorite. I have tried many dishes like their (spicy) tortilla soup and refreshing salad, which is dressed in their green sauce used with the plantains also. I have also tried the puffy tacos- which are great. The puffy tacos are stacked to the core with meat, cheese, lettuce and tomatoes. They are genergous enough to supply you with guacamole and sour cream, which is rare for restaraunts these days. My favorite entree on the menu is the Apoyo, it is to-die-for. It is chicken marinated in a mango sauce that is just delicious! If you are looking for a good meal, definetly try that. The only desert I have had there, which I get every time, is the S'mores. They are so fun to have with a group of people. They give you a little fire, about 6 marshmellows, roasting sticks, hersheys chocolate and graham crackers to create your own S'more right at your table...for a reasonable price of $6.00. Not bad, especially if you are splitting it witha group!
If you havent been to a "Cordua" restaurant but dont want to spend as much as you would at Americas definetly go to Amazon. Good food, relaxing place and helpful staff when deciding what to order.
They also have a covered and an outdoor patio so its pefect for evenings in Houston.
I'd been talking about doing a UYE for Peruvian ceviche for quite some time. I loved Lemon Tree (http://www.yelp.com/bi...) and planned to take people out there, but after reading the review by Jax, I figured I'd take a gamble and have everyone meet up at Amazon instead.
The first thing to mention is that this is an order-at-the-counter type of place, not a waiter joint. When I called to make a reservation, I was shocked to hear that they wouldn't take my name down and she seemed kind of weirded out by the request. Once I got there (ahem, 40 minutes early to ensure our group got a table), I realized why--the place is pretty spacious and since you just order at the front, the service is prompt.
Thanks to Janelle's suggestion, we moved up the party a bit and got to enjoy the happy hour--$2 drinks! Any true Peruvian place will have Pisco Sours and they had them here (I'm still waiting for Lemon Tree to get a liquor license). Sure, they weren't fantastic and they weren't blended like I've always seen them, but they hit the spot and at $2, who is complaining? I had a sip of the mojito and the caipirinhas and they were also decent.
They had a little cart with complimentary food (maybe just for happy hour?)--I managed to gorge myself on a truckload of fried plantains and salsa. They replenished this cart pretty often and the food stayed fresh.
I, of course, went for the ceviche here. I was disappointed to see that they only had one kind and it was a combo of fish (tilapia) and shrimp. The hubby is allergic to fish and after tasting my shrimp, I didn't think it was really worth it for him to special order a ceviche with just shrimp. Don't get me wrong, the ceviche tasted fine, but the shrimp didn't taste like it was marinated with the rest of the ingredients and reminded me of cold shrimp cocktails.
So, I complained quite a bit yesterday about little deviations from more traditional Peruvian ceviche. One of which is that it came with chips. And pineapples. And avocados. Umm, none of these really belong, but I felt like the Mexican ceviche influence couldn't be ignored in Houston. And it wasn't a terrible mix.
The yucca fries were delicious though the lack of mayo at the counter was disturbing. I'm sure they had some in the back, but what self respecting South American restaurant serves fries without mayo?
The service was friendly and incredibly prompt. The free wi-fi seems convenient and I have a feeling that when classes start up again, I'll be here to study. I'm not really sure the place warrants a 4 star review, but since they're the main game in town for Peruvian ceviche, I have to be somewhat generous. Next time though, I may just drag the hubby out to Lemon Tree so we can enjoy our pulpo (octopus) in all its glory.
I can't name how many times I've been here while I was still in college. Despite the crap food they serve for those prices (it's really not that good), you should ONLY come here for the half price happy hour. Then it's muy bueno in terms of happy hours. There are mixed drinks, which include off of the list of 5 or something drinks, margaritas, caipirinhas, sangrias, and MOJITOS.
Once you've double fisted, find a table outside, have a friend sit there and grab mounds of food off the little island inside, which includes banana chips, dip, pita bread with butter and whatever on top, and fried fish and jalepenos. Wow, what a deal! You can easily get buzzed and just merrily chatting away with your colleagues/friends with this deal.
Amazon Grill is an especially good choice for workdays lunches or happy hours with friends. During lunch, the service is quick (as long as the initial ordering line isn't too long) and the plantain and salad bar will keep you happily munching away while you wait the five to ten minutes it takes for your entrees to come out. During happy hour (which only runs during the week), you can't beat the $2 mojitos or margaritas.
Particular favorites include the Amazon, the Peru and the Latino. This says a lot to me, since all are chicken dishes and I notoriously avoid ordering the chicken in most restaurants in an attempt to avoid eating dried-out chicken pucks. But these three dishes are consistently wonderful, especially with the jicama-tomato salad and thick, juicy plantains that are served on the side.
I've not been impressed with the Puntas or the Churrascos steak that they've recently started serving. The beef always seems to be overdone and slightly chewy. However, the fish (such as the fantastic salmon Tamarindo and the pecan-crusted tilapia) more than make up for the strikes against the beef.
You can't leave Amazon Grill without trying a dish of Tres Leches; the Cordua boys really do make the best Tres Leches in town. If you're not a Tres Leches fan, though, that's okay: they also have tabletop "make your own" s'mores. Parking gets a little crazy during lunch, and occasionally during happy hour, so be prepared to perch for a spot. The Gessner location definitely has more parking, though, which makes your trip that much more enjoyable.
This place is good for a casual meal. The setting is casual, it actually has become popular because of the decor, food presentation and quality, and interesting meals that is inspired by Latin spices (such as cilantro rice which is good).
People here can have free salad and plantain chips in addition to the meal they order at the front.
Children also have interesting food choices, including delicious popcorn chicken that is interestingly mixed with pieces of cotton candy and popcorn. They also can order S'mores and roast them on their own.
Prices are reasonable and affordable. The portions is okay, not big..
The owner of this place also owns Churrasco's, Artista and America's.
Sunday through Thursday, 11 am - 10 pm
Friday & Saturday, 11 am - 11 pm
I was going to go to Churrasco's tonight and check out the ceviche - since it's listed as Peruvian ceviche on the menu I saw online, and I have been searching for a good inner loop Peruvian ceviche for a while. But when I looked again at the menu, the price kind of scared me away. Then I noticed that here is a place owned by the same people called "Amazon Grill", and it was even closer to me, and it had Peruvian ceviche on the menu, and it was cheaper (under $10). So I decided to check it out.
I was actually pretty impressed. The fact that it wasn't a tomato based sauce with shrimp in it was a good start. The fish wasn't quite as good as what you get at Lemon Tree, but still it was quite satisfying. The ceviche was made in the classic Peruvian style with red onions and lime juice, but with some chunks of tomatoes and pineapple as well. The pineapple was kind of unexpected but it wasn't too bad (although my Peruvian company stayed away from it). The tortilla chips that garnished the ceviche tasted like they came out of a a bag, and slightly stale, but it didn't matter too much because I went for the ceviche not the chips. Next time I'll ask for them to hold the chips.
In summary, the ceviche was satisfying, and I am happy to know I don't have to drive an hour just to get my favorite Peruvian delicacy. I know I'll be going back, especially since it's so close.
I am shocked about the awful reviews! I loved it here, lots of tasty food for the price! Everything was light and fresh, not greased out. The patio is so nice when the weather is good. I love the plantains and the various dipping sauces for them. I would have gone there so much more if I wasn't a poor grad student at the time.
Nice cheap Latin food in a casual setting. Place your order at the counter, then grab a table to wait for your food to be brought to you. There is a free iceberg lettuce salad bar and the yummy plantain chips. I've been happy with most of the meals I've had here. The make-your-own s'mores dessert is fun! Good place for groups, especially since you pay for your food when you order so you don't have to worry about coming up short on the bill at the end of the evening.
Updated 5/6/08: who knew they had happy hour? $2 drinks including sangria, pisco sours, and caipirinhas and of course, their free plaintain chips. There were a couple of new free appetizers (more fried goodies?) I forgot to try.
this place is AH-MAY-ZINGGG
its sooo good. everytime i go i get the taco kit, and the fajitas are probably some of the best i've ever tasted. tender, juicy, and cooked to perfection, each and every time. the free plantain chips are yummy! and teh smores kit for desert is also pretty neat! you actually have a mini fire to roast them on!
Food: Good
Selection: Good
Location: Good
Ambience: Good
Price: OK
=4.5 stars
Rec: funnel cake
This used to be one of my FAVE places but has since gone down down down! First off, they do not have "to go" menus or physical paper menus which I think is ridiculous for people who can't see that well or want a to go menu. The service at the counter was rude and she couldn't understand me very well. Then, I told my friend to order the Amazon which I remember as being a "good" dish but then we she got it, it was covered with corn kernels which i think is really weird. I don't recall it actually being covered with corn kernels. I got the side salad and soup which I thought would be a safe healthy bet. The side salad already came tossed with dressing and they don't let you know that so be sure to ask for dressing ON THE SIDE. Then, the tomato basil soup was overly salty, too creamy and too cheesy. But the saltiness was the killer. Their tres leches use to be one of my favorites because it had a good texture but was always too sweet. Today, it seemed that instead of putting an actual piece of cake in there, they put a bunch of crumbled pieces from the edge and there was way too much condensed milk. This is my FIRST yelp review but i had to write it because Amazon was SO bad! I don't think I'll be going back there anymore.
Have been here a few times (not by choice) and each time it has been a disappointment. The menu is interesting but the execution is terrible. Had the puntas (tender grilled beef), which is supposed to be one of their signature dishes, the cut was not great (chewy at times), the sauce was a bit above average but overall disappointing. I think the prices are high for what is essentially quality just a cut above fast food. The sangria is watered down and the tres leches was nothing special. The complimentary banana chips are good, if I had to say one good thing about this place.
Good food, good prices. The soups are so-so, but the rice I got on my Mixed Grill entree was superb (and I do not eat rice); I left a clean plate, it was that good. Got sweet potato fries, too, which were pretty good. I ate too much, though, so this may prove too much of a temptation. The food was so-so: 50-50 chance of coming back.
We live near this restaurant and it looks like a dump. We tried it after reading several reviews. I loved it. Very random mix of things. The pork sandwiches were tasty, but not very big. I wouldn't call the salad bar a full bar seeing how it only had lettace, onions, and bacon bits, but it was tasty enough with the cilantro dressing. My husband loved his moijito that was only $2 before 7 pm. Not only do they have decent drinks for a good happy hour price, but you can make your own smores and they have funnel cake. Did you hear that....MAKE YOUR OWN SMORES. Random, but fun and cheap.
FYI... Amazon Grill is used to be Tortuga's. Great spot ; however, due to existing construction in the back, be careful backing out your car.
Great casual dining lunch spot. Had a pulled pork sandwich, which was very tasty, and loved the plantain chips & salsa. Coming from San Francisco, I wish we had a place like this that was cheap and delicious.
If you like America's or Churrasco's, check out Amazon Grill for lunch or a casual dinner. You'll get practically the same food for a lot less money. You get free salad (the cilantro dressing is awesome) and plantain chips with a red salsa and a green sauce (my favorite). The chicken, spinach and artichoke empanandas rock and the Latino chicken is delicious. Yum!
A friends took me to Amazon Grill right after I moved here from Miami. It was so good!! and don't forget the s'mores for dessert!!
Very good food with good prices.
Neighborhood: Westchase
Category: Latin American
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Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Upper Kirby
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: Fourth Ward
Category: Latin American
Neighborhood: West University
Category: American (Traditional)
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