Amaranto serves an authentic selection of Mexican street food staples centered on high-quality corn tortillas. The kitchen focuses on traditional techniques to prepare protein-rich fillings like al pastor, carnitas, and barbacoa that prioritize depth of flavor over unnecessary complexity. Each taco arrives garnished with fresh cilantro, white onion, and house-made salsas that balance acidity with heat. The interior space reflects a functional and straightforward approach to casual dining, emphasizing speed and accessibility for those seeking genuine culinary craftsmanship. Diners encounter a menu that celebrates the versatility of regional Mexican ingredients while maintaining a focus on core preparations. Every element on the plate functions to provide a direct expression of classic culinary heritage without extraneous flair. This establishment offers a concise journey through essential flavor profiles rooted firmly in Mexican tradition.
Amaranto has established itself as a beloved local gem in the Monkland neighborhood, frequently praised for its authentic Mexican cuisine and cozy, vibrant atmosphere. Many visitors highlight the birria tacos and freshly made guacamole as standout menu items, often noting that the dishes are consistently flavorful and high quality. The cocktails, particularly the margaritas and various Mexican-inspired drinks, receive widespread acclaim for their refreshing taste. While most guests appreciate the friendly and welcoming nature of the staff and owners, some feedback points to occasional service delays during busy periods or varying opinions on portion sizes relative to the price. The restaurant maintains a strong following among neighborhood residents and newcomers alike, with many patrons expressing a desire to return for the warm hospitality and genuine culinary experience.
Lieu incontournable pour savourer de délicieux plats mexicains ! Je recommande les tacos birria & les quesadillas aux crevettes qui sont SU-CU-LENTS. Le service est très chaleureux & agréable ! Vous pouvez y aller les yeux fermés
We lived in the neighborhood & big fan of mexican food & when we saw this new place walking around we decided to give it a chance!
The cocktails are super good & the birria tacos are our go to for a quick lunch on the weekend. Specially with the patio during the summer, you can soak in the sun with a cocktail & good food.
The staff is always amazing specially the indian guy that always remember us & give us great service all the time. Keep it up guys & a go to place if you live around the neighborhood or just passing by.. you can stop for good food & cocktails!
Service was slow & my friend never got the drink she ordered. Never told us their card machine was broken until it was time to pay.
We had 3 entrees & 3 mains.
Entree portions good but were super small for the price. 15$ a small bowl of guac is criminal.
The mains we had were the potatos hardshell tacos, which were bland.
The hardshell chicken tacos, which were dry.
The birria tacos, which came with plenty of meat but no flavor.
It was also unbearably hot inside & not very lit up well.
Jul 19, 2026
on Google
🍽️
Know where to eat in Montreal before everyone else.
Get the first look at the hottest openings, secret menus, and RestoMontreal.ca's weekly top picks. Join 50,000+ foodies.
My amigos, I hope you take time of your day to try this because it's the best birria tacos I've ever tried in my entire life. The consommé feels like it's hugging your soul, caressing & healing all of your inner wounds. The conbination of flavors makes you realize the 8th wonders of this world can also be in a bite, closer than you think !
Server was rushing us since we took more than 40 sec to order for 4 people. Kept trying to close the order fast, answering 0 questions . Just take that it's good.
Came 0 times while we were eating to ask us if we needed service . Just at the end to make us pay ,cash or E transfer only
Food was ok , Birria was good, the rest was just ok
The serviced killed it for us
Seems there was 0 managers. Just employees that wanted to close up fast .
The food here is so good! Get the birria tacos it comes with a rich broth for dipping, you won't be disappointed it's bursting with flavour! They make great cocktails too. Service was super friendly, & attentive.
I'm fairly new to the area & I was told many times to check out this place. They just reopened in a larger location & the night we went it was packed. We were lucky to get a table for two, so be sure to reserve if you go. The menu is not huge, which I like, they specialize in a few things & they do it very well. They were actually out of a few items, I was quite pleased to see this local spot so busy. We had to switch one of our choices & the staff seemed a little overwhelmed, so we had the Birria & Baja tacos & I would say that the Birria were great & I need to go back to try the Al Pastor as they were out. The prices are very reasonable & I thought it was brilliant that they accept e-transfers instead of credit cards. I can totally understand that the fees from credit cards for a small business can really hit hard, so I'm happy to pay by e-transfer, I'm not sure why more places don't do this.
It has been just over 10 years since I first visited their basement hole in the wall. Since then they have moved into a beautiful location, hoping to avoid the curse that has befallen so any restaurants before it in that location.
We were 3 people & 2 of us started out with a Margarita on the rocks. It was insanely good, tart, sweet, salt-rimmed, & boozy.
Their lunch specials paired each plate of tacos with their in-house guac & homemade tortilla chips, both of which are insanely good. The complimentary homemade salsas & tortilla chips were divine, though they waste time telling you which of the two is the spicy & which was the mild as both left me burning...though the flavors were insane.
The Suadero, or brisket tacos were delicious, tender, juicy, & a solid 8/10.
The chorizo with melted mozzarella tacos were amazing, cheesy, spicy, oily & perfect, 9/10.
The start of the show was the 10/10 birria tacos. The meat had a bit of caramelization & the birria broth was perfectly made. I may or may not have drank the rest down it was that good.
The lunch special saw us finish with a freshly fried churro that was perfect.
Platters are 3 tacos for about 15-20, which some can say is expensive but the quality of the food is worth the price, & as someone who usually eats a lot, three tacos with the chips, guac, salsa & churro were enough. Barely had room for dinner.
