Edmonton is home to a lot of incredible options when it comes to Mexican food but the amigos have…read morebeen around since 2005 and are probably one of the earlier additions of this cuisine to the city's food scene. And yes, there really are three amigos - three brothers, actually. The Rosales brothers are from Oaxaca and have been treating Edmonton to their vibrant flavours for nearly twenty years. It's no surprise that the Edmonton Journal voted them as Favourite Mexican Restaurant 2023 after becoming such a long-lasting and trusted name in Mexican fare.
What better day of the week to visit a bumpin' Mexican joint than on Tuesday! Taco Tuesday, that is! I highly recommend making a reservation at Three Amigos because every time that I visit I watch people get turned away at the door because the restaurant is often full. This is especially true on a Tuesday, the day of my recent dinner. You'll find Three Amigos in a strip mall in Duggan, not far removed from all of the south side hustle and bustle. You can't possibly miss them with their awesome sign with a giant lit-up number three on it. Stepping into the space is like a portal straight to Mexico! The colours! The energy! The smells! The restaurant is positively alive with the vibration of Mexico and it's a feast for the senses. No inch of the dining area is spared from a bright splash of paint, an interesting piece of art, or something else that feels incredibly authentic. I love the corrugated tin walls, the tabletops made out of metal Corona signs, and the Latin music filling the air. And I especially love the bathrooms, which you need to see for yourself. Let's just say that they have leaned into an entire unexpected Simpsons theme down in that end of the restaurant and it's hilariously wonderful. You will certainly not be short on atmosphere at Three Amigos.
The servers are warm and friendly, offering a glow of hospitality that makes every customer feel welcome. Seated at my table, I was treated to an excellent view of the entire room and I watched as each and every table filled and became occupied for the evening. I could think of no better way to start the meal than with a Horchata Aguas Frescas ($5.00) and Totopos (House made corn tortilla chips, salsa - $12.00). Horchata is my forever favourite and I order it every time (if I'm not drinking alcohol). A traditional Mexican beverage made up of white rice soaked in water and then flavoured with cinnamon. It's sweet, nutty, and milky but also somehow quite refreshing. The horchata at Three Amigos is very good, however I did find that the bottom of my drink was very dense with ground cinnamon. I found the grainy sips to be a bit much and could have used for the cinnamon to have been dialed back a bit.
The totopos seem simple enough but are not to be missed. The heaping mountain of tortilla chips are the perfect thing for everyone to munch on, and let me tell you, these housemade chips are addictive. You can tell that they taste freshly fried and are salted just the right amount. Nothing like the bagged kind from the grocery store. I also really enjoyed the three salsas that were served with the chips, each a different level of heat. The bright red one (Roja) was the mildest, while the darker red one (Diablo) was spicy, smoky, and full of deep chipotle flavour. My favourite is the creamy green salsa (Verde) which is medium in spice.
The menu at Three Amigos is HUGE. It can be overwhelming to consider all of the options from starters to mains to tacos (an entire section all its own) to tortas. The best way to sample a lot of different things (especially if you're undecided) is to try the Amigo Plato (Empanada, taco dorado, tostada, gordita, chicken tinga taco, guacamole, crema, pico de gallo, refried beans, rice - $29.00), a sampler plate which consists of a surprising number of items. The food all arrived extremely quickly, and placed in front of us, this platter summed up Three Amigos in one single dish. Exciting, bursting with colours, each option enticing in its own way. I wasn't quite sure where to begin but I just started eating! The empanada, a stuffed corn pastry with chicken on the inside, was fried to a golden perfection. However, of all of the items, I did find it the least exciting. Next to the empanada was the taco dorado, a rolled fried corn tortilla stuffed with chicken and potato. The shape made it easy to eat, but again the overall flavour wasn't so interesting. Things kicked up a notch with the tostada, this crispy fried corn tortilla is topped with refried beans, braised chipotle chicken, queso fresco, avocado, and pico de gallo. I find a tostada pretty difficult to eat because as soon as you pick it up and bite it the whole thing often shatters and falls apart! But I love them anyway because you get the satisfaction of a crunchy tortilla paired with a fresh and delicious flavour combo piled high on top. The gordita might have been my favourite, a corn tortilla pressed pancake stuffed with
