Amaranto Mexican Restaurant

Cannot rave enough about this place! Absolutely delicious food for not too expensive of a price!

Being from California, I feel like there’s a void of great fish tacos in New York. Amaranto proved me wrong. Their fish taco is as good as fish tacos from California.
The fish is breaded with tempura= amazing
The taco has cauliflower in it as well. Great combination of flavors.

This was my first visit to this place. The food was mediocre. The mole poblano sauce was the most bland I’d ever eaten. A few of the Yucca fries weren’t fully cooked. My husband’s short ribs with green mole looked unappetizing. He confirmed they were bland but the reason I’m really writing this review is because he got FOOD POISONING from it and was throwing up all night long after we left. Worst thing a restaurant can do is serve bad (as in rotten) food. Never going back.

Just finished dinner here a few hours ago with little to no expectations. But I’m walking away, and I couldn’t be more pleased with my experience here! Details below.
Menu items:
1. Traditional Guac: Arrived with salted corn tortilla chips. The guacamole was a good starter and overall enjoyable. The flavors were well combined, however, the dish could have been slightly more elevated with blue corn chips or something with a hint more pizazz.
2. The Amaranto Salad: a Must order if you like exciting your palate and your eyes! The plating was a stunning surprise; I almost didn’t want to eat it. The jicama, dark greens, beets — all well tossed in their delicious dressing. It arrived with a pickled baby carrot that has marinated in some sort of apricot glaze. I believe this evening mine came with a beet purée that blanketed the plate.
3. Catch of the Day: today’s was grouper (from Mexico)! Over a bed of Brussels sprouts, mushrooms, carrots, grape tomatoes, and dark bold mole. Presentation was lovely, but the fish itself was perfect: cooked and seasoned. Fresh and flaky. I will be returning for this
4. My companion choose the Steak NY. He said it was juicy and tender, cooked well. But it was sauce that put has a nice finishing to the equation.
From the food to the service, and the capturing wall mural, Amaranto is a wonderful neighborhood staple.

This place is doing it right! I felt very relaxed and happy to be here.
When my bf and I were caught in between a show in deep Bushwick and our apt. and hungry, I was relieved to trust in the previous reviews that the food was going to be good no matter what you tried.
That was true.
I felt that they had an excellent variety of choices between aps & entrees to please many dietary needs in a way that highlighted quality fresh ingredients, a vegi or meat lover person.
We had guacamole. It was a lovely color and asked for house made Spicey sauce.

Wonderful. Please don’t change! Great food, great staff. Support this restaurant. Seems to be family owned. The chicken burrito is the best in the biz.

Amaranto served the best Mexican food I’ve had in recent memory. Came here on a Saturday night and they had plenty of tables open, so we got seated immediately.
I ordered the fish and beef tacos, the tortillas were a bit soggy but the filling was delicious so that made up for it. For an appetizer we had the crab tostada, which I highly recommend.
Service was a bit slow, but other than that everyone really enjoyed the meal. Will be back!

For starter, we went with the spice guacamole, which was a let down. It’s incredible they charge $ 9 for a small bowl portion of what I believe is store bought guacamole, instead of the fresh stuff. It lacked the fatty texture and bright flavor of fresh avocados, and instead was quite bland. However the queso fresco and pumpkins seeds were a fine addition, so a lesson for those who make homemade guac.
The burrito on the other hand was quite good. Big chunks of steak, a good amount of cheese, and well wrapped for consumption without a huge mess. I highly recommend their flavorful hot sauce, though when asked for hot sauce, they offered about a tablespoon for both my friend and I. I recommend asking for more than that.

So this seems like the best place to visit in the area being that my little cousins were in town from NC. Wrong decision!!! Our bill came to 69 dollars which was great we put in 40 cash and the rest debit which should only be a 29 dollar difference. This morning I wake up to a debit of 102.49 which I did not authorize. The food was great I am just upset at the fact that they charged my card more than the amount on the bill and pocketed the cash.
There’s plenty of other Mexican restaurants in the area. Make a better decision than I did!!!

I’m thoroughly impressed! This is not your standard Mexican food. It’s top notch dining in Bushwick and you really should come here!
The first time I came here I have the pork chop… It was pretty good.
Today however, I had the steak, pork, and fish tacos… And they were the best Flippin’ tacos I’ve ever had !!
As for drinks… I’m in love with the Jicama!

Top 3 best Mexican food restaurant in the area. Just wish there was more to choose from. The lady and gentleman that work here seem very cool. Food is a lot flavorful and filling than other spots, but it comes at a price of course. Well worth checking out.

If you love Mexican food, and you are you in New York, this place is a must visit. At the time of this reviews drafting I can with confidence state that this is the best Mexican I have had in or anywhere around NYC (or anywhere else on this coast for that matter), period! While the influx of immigration from Interior parts of Mexico over the last decade or a half or so has undoubtedly improved the overall quality of the cuisine in the metropolis by many many times since my formative years, claims by some starry-​eyed food-​critic types that the city is approaching or matching the overall quality of Mexicuisine to be found in California and other Western Cities is wildly overblown to the point of being just silly and embarrassing. This place however, should give those homers some hope that we are at least on our way there.
Probably nothing else really need more be said about this places greatness than this simple fact: It is entirely run by a family from the Puebla region with none other the the matriarch abuela behind the stove turning literal home-​cooked goodness. And oh how good it is. Do yourself a favor and skip the workaday offerings of tacos and burritos that probably account for a good deal of the places business, and go with some of the authentic regional specialties, chances are they will elevate your ideas of Mexican food. Two of the seafood based starters are surely among the best things I’ve eaten during the past year. First would be aa delicate and complexly flavored crab tostadas, which instantly transported us to a perfect secluded cove on the Gulf with its delicious flavors, the most striking and enigmatic turning out to be dehydrated and pulverized black olives, which simply blew my mind!
Joining that starter on the short list of hands down the best things I ate in 2015 were the melt in your mouth super slowly cooked short rib doused in a brilliantly complex mole verde created from a vast multitude of chiles as well as cinnamon and the licorice like herb called hoja santa. Add to this another starter that also brilliantly resonated the flavors of the sea, but in an altogether darker and more murky yet equally delicious way. That would be the huitlacoche (a delicious corn fungus) tamale laced with the fragrant he Mexican tea leaf epazote, swimming in a broth made with a combination of crab broth and beautifully accompanied by mussels and chorizo.
While much acclaim has been given to the similar cuisine doled out at Long Island City’s Casa Enrique and considerable higher prices, I think that establishment in fact is overrated, particularly considering the cramped unattractive environs and harried service. If you looking for the Mexican place in our fair city that would best serve to easy the well founded doubts of any West Coast transplant to the possibility that good Mexican could be found I would suggest taking them here instead, of there or anywhere else for that matter.

Three of us came here on a Friday night, and much to our surprise, it wasn’t crowded at all. The spice guacamole was great because I loved the little kick the hot sauce gave me, but I didn’t care much for the pumpkin seeds. My fish with green rice was flavorful and light (can’t believe I am using «light» for Mexican food). I also had a bit of my friend’s salad, and the vegetables tasted really fresh. Service was a little «meh», because our waitress kept on forgetting things, but we also kept on forgetting to remind her because we were preoccupied with the food…

I absolutely love this place. Owned and operated by a husband and wife, the cute factor is through the roof. The décor is simple but inviting with a gorgeous mural of the Aztec deity Quetzalcoatl on the walls that I can’t stop staring at every time I’m there. Noticeably clean dining area and bathroom, this place gets 4 stars for the atmosphere. But if you know me or read my reviews, you know atmosphere is not what brings me to a place.
I too often find that menu’s at Mexican restaurants look the same but Amaranto is a wonderful diversion from the típico. Maybe I’m eating at the wrong places and I’ll admit to being the whitest of the gringo’s but I am so happy to find Mexican food that surprises my taste buds. I’ve been here a few times and I always like to try new things whenever I return to restaurants but for the appetizers you have to get the Crab Tostadas and the Tamale with mussels. The crab tostadas, served cold and beautifully plated, come with two big crispy tortillas that are loaded with crab meat and bursting with fresh flavors. Despite the fried tortilla, you will feel healthy while eating this because of the fresh crab and cool crunchy veggies that top it. If you come with 4 people, I’d recommend ordering two so you each get your own tostada. You’ll thank me later.
The tamale is equally as appetizing and is also plated with the utmost care. One tamale is served in a bowl with 5 or 6 mussels in a rich seafood broth that you’ll want to finish with a spoon. This dish has flavor profiles that you don’t normally get with Mexican food but somehow still tastes like it belongs here.
For entrée’s I have ordered something different every time, just so that I can get a full profile of what Amaranto has to offer. I’ve had the tacos (fish being the favorite), Chicken Enchiladas with Mole Poblano, the pork chop and the Short Ribs with mole verde. I wish I could pick a favorite, but it’s tough. Definitely get the fish tacos if you’re in the mood for that but if you want to venture out a bit, try the Mole Poblano or the Short Ribs. Extremely different dishes but equally as satisfying. The Mole Poblano is rich and chocolaty while the short ribs are melt in your mouth tender with a welcome tang from the tomatillo. My cookie cutter Mexican trained mind wanted gooey cheese in the enchiladas but they didn’t need that thanks to the velvety mole poblano. The simple queso fresco crumbled on top is all you need.
Every dish here is plated beautifully, and is extremely appetizing. I don’t know the history of the chef here but it’s as if he is working for a Michelin starred restaurant. Kudos to him. Screw Cosme, I’ll take Amaranto any day for the service, value AND food!

Probably one of if not the best lunch I have had in Brooklyn. I strolled in around 2 yesterday sarvingggg and freezzzing. I saw this joint on my Unilocal app and it looked pretty yummy. I love Mexican food but what I loved was the fact that everything was fresh and not heavy. Its Jan 7 so of course im still on my new years resolution kick to loose 10lbs. I went with the Salmon. Great choice. I was hesitant since it was lunch time not dinner but the portion was perfect and cost me it only 14 bucks. Dropping 20 on a nice lunch in Brooklyn is not out of the norm.
So back to the salmon. My mother always told me as a kid «slow down no one is going to take your food away» due to the fact that I get so overly excited and sove my food in like its a contest. As an adult I make an effort to restrain myself… Welllll most of the time. The salmon had so much going on and it all worked so well together. I couldn’t decide what bite to take first I found myself scrambling to make a perfect balanced bite each time. I had to have it all in my mouth immediately.
Check this place out.

Decent Mexican restaurant situated in bushwick. Weekends were also not so crowded.
The pumpkin seed guacamole was good! Ask for more slice of that’s your taste, cuz gal I tell you their spicy sauce is SPICY! Like Mexican style spicy lets get a yayyyyyha!
Chicken taco was all fancied and dressed up for that tender worth of three tacos. All the dishes looked decent, borderline try hard ~fusion~ Tex mex food. Though not in a bad way. The from the garden dish was delicious with nice green verde sauce. Again, ASK FOR HOT SAUCE.
Overall it’s a ‘not so bad’ Mexican restaurant that gives you a full bar for those of you alcoholicistasssss. Food came fairly quick, they take card (hi5!), and is one of the more sit down and chillable spots from around the hood.

If there was an award for this, best tacos would go to this place. Honestly though, best tacos i’ve ever had.
A friend recommended me to this place. She described this place as a hidden gem of Bushwick with great priced DELICIOUS tacos. And she was so right.
It’s a cozy restaurant with candle lit tables. There was a lot of seating, so I was able to take my family here with no problem. My mom and I split a ½ pitcher of sangria for like, under 10 bucks, which is so worth the cost. It was delicious too, actually perfect, since it wasn’t too sweet but just sweet enough. Even got a good buzz off of it.
We each ordered two tacos which was just PERFECT. I love tacos, but this place made me fall in love with tacos all over again. They’re open faced tacos made with fresh, savory ingredients. It left me satisfied, but wanting more.
So, of course, this place deserves 5 stars just for that alone. To top it off, the service was very warm and friendly. Our waiter was so nice and very welcoming, which always makes for a pleasant experience.

I’ve walked by this place everyday for months and I had no idea how wonderful it was. Tonight we checked Unilocal and saw that it was highly rated and that people recommend the pork burrito and the slow ribs.
First, let me say that the guac here is amazing. We also ordered the pork burrito and the slow ribs– just like Unilocal recommended– and they were incredible as well.
In addition to the wonderful food: The place was super clean. Everyone was really nice. My glass was always full.
I will definitely be back.

Ok so I had this place bookmarked on here and managed to order takeout today. I called ahead and ordered one fish, one steak, and one chicken taco as well as the chicken enchiladas and a side order of the green rice. Everything came out to about $ 29.00.
The fish taco I ended up throwing away but that was my own fault; I forgot to ask and when I got back home with it I had to call them to ask what kind of fish was in it and it ended up being catfish which I don’t eat because the fish doesn’t have scales; it was probably good though, I just tasted a piece of the cauliflower in it. In the steak taco the meat wasn’t tender like I expected, it was very chewy and I didn’t like the cheese on in but that’s just me. The chicken taco was good; the only problem was the tortilla being kinda soggy but maybe I took too long to pick up my order so i’m not faulting them for that.
The enchilada was the best thing I ordered and I’d give that about a ⁶⁄₁₀ since I asked for hot sauce to go with my food without the hot sauce to add a little dimension I wouldn’t have liked the enchilada because the flavor of the poblano mole is very lacking and it would’ve become a chore to eat. (it’s a spicy pepper sauce, not that tangy hot sauce)
The green rice was the worst mistake. They gave me a small container, half full and the rice was dry and chewy and you could tell by looking at it that it wasn’t fresh… I’ll add photos because it’s hard to explain. It looked unappetizing and I only ordered it because reading the menu and looking at photos on Unilocal had me dying to try this «creamy green rice»
This order was made at 2:05PM on a Friday and when I got there the place was totally empty; there was not one customer at all so maybe that’s why I didn’t get fresh rice, not that this makes it ok; just my guess. I’d try again to dine-​in at a busier time when I’m not getting last night’s left over rice and twice-​cooked steak.

What a gem! This completely changed my view of Mexican food. The food, atmosphere, and especially the service were exceptional. I was blown away by the flavors and the price is so reasonable. The staff is attentive and very friendly.
This is what I ordered:
— Short ribs with green mole — the mole verde was bright, a little acidic but still flavorful and suprisingly paired well with the short ribs. Short ribs are usually paired with very heavy sauces but this mole was earthy, yet sparkled with little hits of something citrusy. The yellow rice it came with also did a great job of sopping up all the leftover mole. It’s slightly fried so you get some crunch and texture.
— Pork chop with mole Queretaro — this was different than the short ribs’ mole. It was savory but not heavy. The pork chop was quite substantial and thick. The star of this dish was that green rice… It was stir fried so it had that endearing crunch that gave the yellow rice character. But this green rice was stir fried with some flavor bomb green culantro/​chili sauce (but not spicy), roasted diced squash and cherry tomatoes, and smoked bacon! Sprinkled sparingly were sliced olives that gave it a little hit of that briny salt flavor to bring it all harmoniously together. I want more of that rice!!!
All the dishes were cooked with such delicacy and dedication. The waiters and waitresses were all happy to be there and attentively refilled water and took away empty dishes. The place is clean and welcoming. I’d gladly go again the very next day!