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.
Beautiful restaurant. We loved everything we ordered. We started with margaritas: on ice, frozen & Virgin. All great!
The nachos & guacamole are dangerously good. It is hard to stop once you start.
Our mains were fish tacos, chicken quesadilla, potato taco. The fish tacos we're excellent. The potato taco was so surprisingly delicious.
Unfortunately we ate so much that we did not have room for dessert.
The biggest surprise is that we tried fried crickets. To be honest they aren't good but also not terrible. 😁
I cannot wait to return!
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
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A super authentic Mexican gem. Everyone working was warm & welcoming. The food is excellent. No matter what you get, you won't be disappointed. We had the shrimp quesadilla, the birria tacos, fish tacos, & the chicken tacos. Everything was a 10/10.
Amazing! The best Mexican restaurant in town. The food is amazing. My husband & I had the chicken enchiladas, the birria tacos, & the refried beans & they were delicious. The staff & owners are super kind & welcoming. The restaurant is clean, comfortable with a vibrant decor. We are so happy that they came back to Monkland!!!
Only tried their chicken pastor so far. It was fine but dry & lacked flavor a bit. Their tortillas chips however were really damn cripsy & quite enjoyable. I'm willing to give their tacos another chance, maybe the porc would be less dry.
Loved them on Monkland & my husband & I made a special trip to them on St. Laurent. Very nice restaurant, great staff, so friendly & welcoming. & the food was DELICIOUS. Truly authentic homemade Mexican food. We were served chips & salsa verde & a regular homemade salsa that was the best Ive ever had. We ordered the chicken tacos & it was sooo good! You can tell that ingredients are fresh, & it is made on the spot. The owner told us about the last Thursday of each month they have flamenco dancers to feel free to come by & check it out. That made us feel special & it sounds like fun. HIGHLY RECCOMMEND, will definitely return.
I cant imagine i was visiting the same restaurant as the other reviewers here.
Upon arrival, we were struck by the..ahem..barren decor? & that there was only 1 other couple there.
The waitress seemed barely able to crack a smile or greet us, & told us to sit anywhere.
We sat, received our menu, & were told there was no more of the daily special, but the guacamole was recommended, without a price mentioned (8$ for a small bowl) but we ordered it anyway. It was decent, thank goodness, otherwise we would have ended up starving, as our dishes were basically inedible. I had the chicken tacos, which were incredibly dry, flavorless & unseasoned, with some lettuce & cheesish sour cream. Thankfully we had salsa, so i dipped for some flavor. I never received a knife. My bf had the chicken enchiladas, which were soggy, unseasoned, & unpleasant. The rice was, no exaggeration, the worst i have ever tasted in my life, vomity mush. We were as you can imagine, severely disappointed. The waitress never asked us how we were doing, took away our plates without asking how they were, didn't offer us dessert, more drinks, or our bill, all while acting like we were putting her out for being there.
A fail across the board.
Ho my god... do you copy/past your comments on every websites? I was only looking around for that restaurant and I saw that same message more than once. https://plus.google.com/114190324344404533226/about?gl=ca&hl=en
If you want to try traditional meals, maybe you should be a little bit open mind, and less arrogant. For sure you don't know avocat's price, do you? And i guess you don't know anything about traditional mexican food, You can't eat 'tacos dorados de pollo' whit a knife!
