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Amigos Grill Cocina Mexicana y Cantina
Category: Restaurants Mexican Mexican [Edit]
3130 Alpine RdSte 290
Portola Valley, CA 94028
(650) 851-3997
- Hours:
Mon-Sun 10 am - 10 pm
- Good for Kids:
- Yes
- Accepts Credit Cards:
- Yes
- Parking:
- Private Lot
- Attire:
- Casual
- Good for Groups:
- Yes
- Price Range:
-
$
- Takes Reservations:
- No
- Delivery:
- No
- Take-out:
- Yes
- Waiter Service:
- No
- Outdoor Seating:
- Yes
- Good For:
- Lunch, Dinner
- Alcohol:
- Full Bar
- Noise Level:
- Average
- Has TV:
- Yes
- Caters:
- Yes
- Wheelchair Accessible:
- Yes
J A. said: "I've become a bi-weekly regular at this place. The waitress is one of the nicest people and food is consistently good. My favorites: Carne Asada or shredded chicken super burrito Super nachos" read more »
71 reviews for Amigos Grill Cocina Mexicana y Cantina
Review Highlights
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"Try a burrito with half Carne Asada and half Al Pastor." In 5 reviews -
"makes his own Tequila." In 4 reviews -
"I also love the free chip and salsa bar." In 8 reviews
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71 reviews in English
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Review from Ashley G.
Los Altos, CA
3/1/2012
End up here a lot because it is open until 10pm. Good food, ceviche is a favorite. Sangria is good too. Eddie is awesome!
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Review from Kathy D.
9/16/2011 1 Check-in Here
Restaurant is fancier than any regular mexican joints. Of course, you have to know that it IS located in Portola Valley. They have a full bar from what it seems like. Nice outdoor patio. Order at the front and they bring to your table.
I ordered the amigo quesadilla with al pastor meat. This was a good $8. It is filling but not quite a delicious quesadilla as I expected. IT was basically like a burrito since it was so stuffed up with meat, sour cream, guacamole, and salsa. Might as well call it a Burrito at this rate. Most of what I tasted was the sour cream.
Freebies: Corn chips and salsa bar.
i don't think I would come back here. I rather spend that $8 towards a delicious lobster roll next door! -
Review from Gabby N.
Palo Alto, CA
10/22/2011
Went here after a hike and I think I only give it 3 stars because I ordered in correctly.
My family as rushing me to order so I figured the Amigos Burrito can't be bad right? I mean it is the name of the restaurant and it's a burrito...what can go wrong? Yea... it was not good. Meat was overcooked and overall there was no flavor.
My family however ordered some better dishes. The large plates are pretty tasty and good bang for your buck.
The horchata there is very good and I would definitely order a cup the next time I go.
Also free chips and salsa is usually a given at a mexican restaurant but it is always a nice little bonus :] Warms up your palate before your meal arrives.
The place is also pretty darn big, interesting decorations and they have outdoor seating just in case you have a dog :] -
Review from Jermaine R.
San Francisco, CA
9/1/2011
Low frills, just order at the counter and take the number to your table. The carnitas nortenas plate and al pastor are delicious here. The tacos especial are stuffed pretty good. Their corn tortillas are nice and fluffy. There's also a nice bar with house-made tequila.
I wanted to enjoy my meal in the patio outside, but the trees nearby are infested with yellow jackets! You can see the bee traps hanging from the branches. They must be attracted to the carnitas, because three of them were hovering around my plate as soon as the server dropped it off. I tried to shoo them away, but decided to bring my lunch back inside to avoid a man vs angry-swarm battle. Who knows how many of them would've come out from hiding if I tried to swat them down. -
Review from Sunil K.
Menlo Park, CA
9/6/2011 2 Check-ins Here
Great fresh, authentic mexican good. Nice location and atmosphere.
Love their guac and chips. The tacos are awesome, as is the snapper - which is awesome. Don't forget the bottled Coke with real sugar :) -
Review from Alayna L.
Portola Valley, CA
7/23/2011
Ambiance is beautiful. Outside patio is lovely. But the food? Yikes.
Being in the geographic location we're in, we get very spoiled with wildly delicious Mexican grub and this place puts that advantage to shame. Not sure how it has such high ratings from other Yelpers. I was optimistic about this place, seeing as I live up the street and thought that it would be awesome to have what appeared to be an authentic, colorful and exotic Mexican restaurant just a quick walk away.
I've been three times--enchiladas the first time, burrito the second, fajitas third. And despite my optimism and series of "second-chances", the food remains sub-par. Oh well. No más Amigos for me. -
Review from Jennifer H.
Fremont, CA
5/5/2011
Wow, had a wonderful staff outing at Amigos Grill Cocina thanks to Senor Don Pilar. Yes, the Tequila maker himself!
Our outing began with made to order Mexican cuisine that was paired with 2 pitchers of Margarita's and a pitcher of Mojitos. Service was quick and food was hot. All was delicious. Senor Don Pilar was very gracious and hospitable to us all (13 ladies and 1 gentleman). If you know Amigos, it fills up fast. Senor Don Pilar had his staff pull together a few tables to accommodate our group. And best of all Senor Don Pilar came over offering a shot and complimentary bottle of his own Tequila.
I must say the Tequila was (as critics put it) beautifully soft and rich without being spicy. It was a wonderful topper to our lunch. The weather was perfect, food was delicious, the hospitality was gracious and well received.
Salud Senor Don Julio, Gracias, fue maravilloso conocerte. -
Review from Tk C.
Fresno, CA
I'm sorry to report that this place was not as good to me as expected.
Upon walking in, I assumed it was self-seating/ordering as I just browsed the to-go menu. No big deal, I figured I'd order and find a place to sit inside. I walked up to the counter and placed my order...sadly, the acoustics of the place were very echoed, making it hard to hear anything we were saying to each other! It took several repeated message before the cashier was able to enter in my order. At least she assumed correctly that I wanted to eat here and not serve me to go. The tacos were tasty and the spice was how I like it. They were generous with the Avocado as well! Sadly, the beans and rice that were served to me were very cold. not ice cold, but it was as if their burners were off.
Disappointed and not too interested in trying again. Then again, maybe it was just an off-day for them. -
Review from kim n.
9/7/2011
They don't mess around here. Portions are what I'd say are hearty. I got a carnitas taco and an al pastor quesadilla and it was plenty of food for a big eater. The meats were well cooked and well seasoned. The taco has as much meat as any two taqueria tacos. The al pastor was certainly filling out the quesadillas normally flat structure into a patty like shape. The environment is actually a rustic upscale and they have a patio outside for the warm days. Just be careful of the yellow jacket swarm cause they're obviously Mexican food loving yellow jackets.
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Review from Kathleen W.
San Carlos, CA
3/8/2012
I got a bad case of food poisoning from this place in Jan. 2012. I filed a complaint with San Mateo county health department, and they found a number of health code violations, especially involving food storage temperatures. (I got sick from spoiled carnitas.) Check the health department's website before you dare to eat here.
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Review from Laughlin S.
Fremont, CA
2/23/2011
Good for groups. Fish tacos are great here, and it's not a bad mexican-American eatery. Full bar and outside seating is also available.
Private parking lot. -
Review from Amar K.
I normally order one veggie taco with no dairy, and black beans... gooo vegan fair!
its about the best thing ever.....
also, I ordered one fish taco the other day, also soo yummy
I saw an amzing platter of guac wiz by... I must try that at some point...
nice perks:
counter ordering, outdoor seating, fast service, not too $$, open late, chip bar, friendly staff
good in a pinch, as there's not much around Ladera
sometimes there's a line out the door but it always moves quick. -
Review from Eric C.
Palo Alto, CA
6/18/2010
A mexican place tucked in a shopping center in the middle of nowhere- seriously, middle of nowhere (yeah i said it Elizabeth w.)
But besides that fact, its still pretty good Mexican food. The interior was designed by a man with a massive copper fetish. But the seats are aplenty, and the salsa/chip bar fully stocked. Perfect place for a quick bite if you're in the area. -
Review from Jay E.
Santa Clara, CA
7/18/2010
This place has a few things going for it:
- Food is good. Not exceptional, but quite good.
- Outdoor eating area is pretty sweet.
- The owner? makes his own Tequila. Pretty cool. Huh?
- The Margaritas are really good. The bartender knows his stuff, so if you want some kind of special Margarita (like me) he will ask a few questions, and get to work. Love it. -
Review from Monica L.
6/6/2010 1 Check-in Here
Came here for Cinco De Mayo this year and despite that place being TOTALLY crazy and crowded, it was a good time. They set up a lot of large tables out front since they knew they would have lots of customers. I am thinking this is the only Hispanic restaurant in all of Portola Valley because it was a massive crowd!
My group of us got lucky and got a table pretty quickly. We shared with other customers and that was okay with everyone! We were there to celebrate and have fun.
We all ordered a bunch of food and shared. The ceviche here is really great and they give you a ton of it for the price. We also tried the fajitas which was sizzling and delicious. Also the queso appetizer is to die for....but be careful not too eat too much of it. It will clog up your arteries in a few seconds. Of course my group ordered 2 orders of it ;) Mmmmmmmm!!
Drinks are great here and strong! I am not sure if it was because of Cinco De Mayo but my whole group got drunk...and fast! Also shared flan at the end of our night and it was a huge portion for $3 that was enough for the 5 of us who stayed to close down the place.
Definitely would be back in a heartbeat to come here again. Great food, excellent service and staff that really know what customer service is all about. Check it out! -
Review from Geoff D.
3/4/2008
I had my first Amigos Grill burrito this weekend (found it on Yelp Mobile) and enjoyed it.
Ordered my standard: chicken burrito with black beans, hot salsa and avocado. The ingredients all tasted fresh and the burrito was well wrapped. As minor downsides, the rice had that rice-a-roni quality to it and both the salsa and avocado servings were light.
Overall a solid burrito... and it's a very nice surprise to have that option in this neighborhood. -
Review from Anna L.
7/16/2008
I am on the fence with this place.
The service was great, quick, and accomodating to a large party of co-workers. Plenty of self service chips and salsa that are tasty and hit the spot.
My supervisor suggested this place for their ceviche salad. Plenty of healthy sized shrimp in this dish, but definitely lacking fish. I mean, I had to seriously pick through it to find some snapper. The meat and food quality was great, but the flavor was a little lacking. I say, it is a step up from Baja Fresh or Chipolte. I do want to mention that I had a co-worker buy the shrimp quesadilla which looked great. Otherwise, nothing else caught my eye.
Would I go back? Most likely not, but I can see why some people in that area would dig it. -
Review from Shannon B.
San Francisco, CA
7/31/2008
I have no complaints about the food. It is pretty good. I have an addiction to their refried beans. The sheer amount of unsupervised children however really pisses me off.
Who came up with the genius idea of offering a children's meal and throwing in a free ice cream cone? Hoards of needy children line up at the to-go window/wait staff station and slow down the service. Then they are on massive sugar highs as there parents are at the bar drinking, socializing or eating the free tortilla chips.Listed in: I have $10, where to eat in…
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Review from elizabeth w.
Portola Valley, CA
6/17/2010
Everything on the menu is phenomenal. It's a casual Mexican restaurant in a fun little shopping center. It's clean and delicious. The only downside is the popularity of the area, it makes it hard for parking.
There is a free chips and salsa bar, all you can eat. I leave full and happy every time. -
Review from Joe H.
Palo Alto, CA
6/14/2009
3.5 stars.
Pros: great look, large menu, good chips.
Cons: kinda lame flavors, it'll cost a bit more than a taqueria
Amigos is like a cleaned up taqueria. It has a warm interior that I suspect appeals to the locals. The food is solid, but not crazy authentic. The chips in the salsa bar are kept warm via water bath, but the salsas are lame. The "hot" isn't hot.
I don't want to make it sound like the food is bad. It really isn't. It's just a little more expensive than the taquerias I prefer, and the food isn't quite as good.Listed in: Burrito Royale -- Silicon…
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Review from Hok L.
Milpitas, CA
9/19/2011
Great place! Good food. I love their Taco de plaza. Highly recommend if you are in the area!!
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Review from Jim C.
Redwood City, CA
12/27/2007
Nice clean Mexican place in a lively little shopping plaza on Alpine Rd - West right off 280 that I never knew about! The secret's out!
This place doesn't scream "authentic Mexican" to me by its looks but the veggie burrito was really tasty and fresh. You order at the counter, get a number, and then bring your food to the table. They have booths as well as dark modern tables and chairs. Prices are a bit higher than your standard local Mexican place but not too bad.
Bottom line: Not the most authentic Mexcan food, but I liked it. (And there's a Chinese place, coffee shop, Mike's Cafe, local supermarket in the plaza that I need to try too.) -
Review from Brad P.
Redwood City, CA
12/28/2006
I've only been here once and it was totally by chance... and what a pleasant surprise.
First of all, they have a happy hour, and the bar makes very tasty hand made margaritas -- if a bit on the small side.
Second of all, their guacamole plate was generous and fresh and very nicely spiced.
My main course was perhaps unremarkable (I forget what it was) but I do remember them being so kind as to allow us to bring in a cheese pizza for my boys who were demanding Round Table next door... so we compromised thanks to the accommodating staff at Amigos.
Muchos gracias, Amigos. -
Review from Jen C.
Palo Alto, CA
5/22/2009
I got a bit ambitious after my long hike so I ordered three tacos (instead of my usual 2). boy was that a mistake, i feel like throwing up now. but not because the tacos were bad, moreso b/c i am STUFFED.
I ordered 3 amigo tacos, one carne asada, one pollo asado, and one carnitas (their specialty). the carne asada and the carnitas was EXCELLENT, the pollo was a bit too spicy for me. The service was extremely fast, the place was clean, and the food was CHEAP ($1.95 for a taco). I also got some horchata to wash down the tacos, that really put me over the edge. had it been a little bit later in the day, i would have fancied a tequila at their bar.
this place is legit. if i'm ever in yuppie portola valley again, i'll be sure to stop by. -
Review from Superduperpooperscooper T.
CA
4/29/2007
Great salsa. (A)
Good beef tacos (A), very lean and good salsa on top, warm tortillas
Baby bean and cheese burritos is ok (B)
Nice outdoor space
Free chips and salsa -
Review from Dev C.
Cambridge, MA
3/21/2010
Definitely my favorite casual Mexican restaurant in the Palo Alto / Menlo Park region. Always clean and efficient, its also one of the few places in the area that stays open past 9 PM. The Burrito Rojo (chicken burrito) is fairly priced and competes well with the better burritos I've had in Southern California (this is a serious compliment).
There are definitely some great places towards and in Redwood City, but bang-for-buck and local, I find myself at Amigos pretty frequently -
Review from Paulette F.
San Jose, CA
8/18/2011
Went here with a group, and it was a good place for chatting with 8 people. They have free chips and salsa, and the food was also pretty good. They make the quesadilla strangely but it still tasted good (although a little extra greasy.) I'd go back if I were in the area.
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Review from Jessica S.
Belmont, CA
1/7/2009
Come here for a killer ceviche salad. Also had a quesadilla with carmalized onions, corn, and chicken, superb! I think the chips are a bit on the greasy side and the salsa is weak.
Nice outdoor seating area on a sunny day, except for the mild fly infestation. Had to knock off a star because I accidently hit myself in the head while fighting the flys at our table. Not cool. -
Review from Rebecca N.
Portola Valley, CA
Updated - 8/5/2011
I used to frequent Amigos Grill on a pretty regular basis. However I've stopped in the recent months because the last five or so times I've gone, they have screwed up my order (giving me cheese & sour cream when I specify not to because of lactose intolerance), experience sub par food and have told me they don't/won't serve certain items on the menu that I've gotten previously. Example: about a month ago I asked for a burrito with fish, and they obliged (while forgetting my request for black beans) and the other day telling me they won't do a fish burrito. The flavor is lacking and they pack up chips & salsa nearly two hours before closing...really?
1 Previous Review: Show all »
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5/15/2008
I love this place. I go there a lot..probably because I live right up the hill. Sometimes they… Read more »
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Review from Noel S.
Foster City, CA
3/31/2011
I came here with my girlfriend on a Wednesday night about 30 minutes before closing. I stupidly gave a good tip thinking I would get good service like at my usual haunt in San Mateo, I was wrong. I ordered the shrimp burrito without rice and added black beans instead of refried with a side of guacamole and sour cream. The cashier (the lady with the braid) was extremely impatient and rude about me customizing my burrito. We picked up some salsa and chips and the salsa tasted off so I patiently waited for our food to arrive. My friend's chile verde platter arrived and the people who ordered behind us food arrived and about 10 minutes later, my burrito finally arrived. It was really bland. The margarita was good, but I don't think I'll be coming back for a good long time.
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Review from Gianna P.
Petaluma, CA
9/16/2007
I went into this place by chance (I board my horse at a barn nearby and was STARVING on my way out one day).
I have to say, I am a burrito fan, but prefer light/healthier varieties over the heavy, full-for-the-rest-of-the-day lard options. This place fit the bill. I have eaten here several times now and have decided the food is fresh, of good quality, and consistent. Though the burritos could stand to be a bit bigger (hence the loss of one star - my hubby has to order a burrito plus two tacos in order to get full), we are making this our new Mexican restaurant. -
Review from Travis D.
Palo Alto, CA
4/14/2008
This place gets a higher review because of my low expectations based solely on its location. Alpine road is about the last place i expected to find decent mexican fare. I ride the Sand Hill, Portola Rd., Alpine Rd. loop on my bike 3 or 4 days a week and only realized that this place existed a few weeks ago. I saw the decent reviews on yelp and thought i would check it out, even though i was really skeptical.
My girlfriend and i split a burrito and some pork tacos. The burrito was good, but didn't get me too excited. The tacos came on the little corn tortillas you tend to only find at little taquerias in the barrio, which gets you major points in my book. The pork was tender and delicious. I also love the free chip and salsa bar.
I was thinking about getting a margarita but eventually decided against it when i didn't see a price listed anywhere and i refuse to ask about drink prices at bars because its such bad form. I've ordered so many over priced mediocre margaritas in my life that im probably a little too conservative when it comes to pulling the trigger and ordering one.
Prices were pretty good for the area. The place gets really crowded with large families on the weekends so don't plan on going here for a romantic date on Friday or Saturday. -
Review from Nate H.
San Francisco, CA
6/2/2008
Had a great burrito here that was made to order. It was flavorful and had huge chunks of fresh avocado; they clearly don't skimp at Amigos Grill.
Top that off with free chips and salsa (not the case with other close-by Mexican places), and lightning fast service (my Burrito Rojo was delivered to our table just after I returned from the salsa bar), and Amigos earns a high rating. It's my new go-to stop for Mexican food.
Slightly on the pricey side, but since the quality is there, I am a big fan. -
Review from Tone M.
Sunnyvale, CA
5/3/2009
This is arguably the best taco/burrito spot in Portola Valley.
I'm addicted to their carnitas and canre asada tacos. The tacos are $1.80 each. Good luck getting that kind of deal anywhere else in this zip code.
I work in Town and eat here at least twice a week, I've ordered all kinds of things over the last three years and have never been disappointed.
The staff is friendly, hardworking, the place is clean, it's a good spot for lunch or dinner.
I was noticing that just about everything is under 10 dollars, most are under 8.
yum. -
Review from Alexandra N.
CA
2/15/2010 1 Check-in Here
Fresh, tasty food. lots of options. the chips are great. Friendly people and clean place. Drinks are the usual high-end price - $9 for a margarita made with the restaurant owner's own tequila.
(price range below doesn't include bar) -
Review from Bonnie D.
San Francisco, CA
1/15/2011 1 Check-in Here
The food here was not that good and it wasn't worth the 30 minute drive from San Francisco to get to this place.
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Review from Liz G.
Sunnyvale, CA
5/13/2008
This place is yummy!
My fiance and I pretty much eat here once a week.
Chicken Enchiladas - awesome
Chicken Burritos - awesome
Chicken soft tacos - awesome
Best Salsa! And they give you lots of chips! -
Review from David B.
Menlo Park, CA
10/26/2007
margarita - 3
Chips - 3
burritos - cold - 2
order mis-q - 2
taquito - 1 -
Review from Chiemi K.
Sunnyvale, CA
6/19/2010
Very good food and stylish interior. I love this place very much.
I ordered a vegetable burritto, that was tasty. A good mixture of fresh vegetables and beans. I didn't find much sour cream that is my favorite, but it was still just yummy! Am happy. : )
PS I didn't see many restaurants in my previous neighborhood in East Coast like this place, having diners order and pay first, but I like this system very much. 1. Speedy (no patience is required, except for standing in the line for casher.) 2. We are not bothered by servers, and 3. Tips not required (If this is wrong, please advise me.). -
Review from Scott H.
San Carlos, CA
4/1/2011
Great burritos, salsa & chips. Indoor & outdoor dining. Well populated by locals. Very convenient to I-280. Reasonable prices.
