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.
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.
May 27, 2026
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We went to this restaurant at 1pm, a groupe of 6. They brought the salsa & tomatillo salsa to the table, then brought the nachos to nibble on before ordering. The waitress took our orders & they had a lunch special which consists of either Guacamole or pico de gallo with nachos as an entrée with our meal, in addition to 1 Churro at the end for dessert. The ambiance is good, not noisy. The food was very good, typical of good quality food as in Mexico. The Birria tacos was so delicious! 3 tacos & I could only eat 2, very filling & lots of meat, slightly good spicy. The Tacos al pastor & the fish tacos were very good also. Tacos with cactus leaves also good. The horchata was good & refreshing. The pico de gallo was delicious with plenty fresh cilantro. The churro was good, but not fully fried, the inside was still not fully cooked. We will definitely return soon to try other choices. Good typical Mexican food. The only thing I have to mention is the black door, the entrance from the street to the restaurant. There is a black door & on it is written 5626 which is the address of the restaurant. It is very hard to pull & open that door! When I arrived, I tried to open it, there is no good grip on it to pull. For an instant, I thought this is not the entrance & I was going to leave. I waited till someone came out of that door so I entered. My friends had the same experience trying to open that door. I had to go myself to the door & opened it so they could enter!
To the Owner: please fix that door handle or change the handle to have a good grip to be able to pull it open to enter the restaurant.
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.
ALERT: Amaranto has moved. Their new address is 5626 Monkland. The food & uplifting ambiance is better than ever! Authentic Mexican dishes (I love the tacos Al Pastor,) friendly service, & awesome guacamole with homemade tortilla chips! If you want the best Mexican food in Montreal, Ameranto's is the place to be.
First of all I must say that I almost never write reviews of any kind. But after reading some of the comments & ratings for Amaranto on this website, I felt compelled to do Amaranto some justice. I find it hard to believe that somebody would wait 2.5 to 3 hours for their meal to be served. I think those reviewers are either grossly exaggerating or they are simply not telling the whole story. My experience was that of a fair time for meals to be served, great authentic mexican dishes & a professional & friendly service. You have to take into account that this is a small family-run restaurant. Owners do most of the work & I think they do it to the best of their abilities. Do they have the fastest service in town? Probably not, but there are some ways to get around this: you can order in advance, order for take out or simply enjoy an entrée while waiting for the main course (I´ve heard that their guacamole is one of the best, in town). The place is small, 4 to 5 tables but I think it is safe to say that in this case the size of the restaurant is inversely proportional to the taste & authenticity of the dishes. I haven't really tried other mexican joints in Montreal, but as a mexican myself, I can say without any hesitation, that the dishes are as authentic & tasteful as can be, outside of Mexico. I tried the Sopa de Aguacate (Avocado soup), Tacos de Pastor, Tacos de Carnitas, Agua de Jamaica (hibiscus tea), Agua de Chía (very refreshing kind of lemonade) & they were all very well prepared, delicious & brought to our table in a timely manner. The menu is rather small, but what they offer is made at the moment (even their chips & salsas, which by the way are also excellent), which gives it even more taste & freshness (both of these elements are essential to mexican cuisine). It is true that they have an open kitchen & the smell of food might find it´s way to your clothes, but I wouldn't say this is overwhelming. Besides, many food joints in Mexico have open kitchens. We mexicans like to see what's going on with the food we're about to be served!! They also play authentic mexican folk music at Amaranto making it so much more enjoyable!!
So, in a nutshell, take the poor reviews with a grain of salt, give Amaranto a try & not only will you not regret it, I´m pretty sure you'll keep coming for more. If TASTY & AUTHENTIC mexican food is what you're looking for with a good & friendly service, then go to Amaranto.
