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| - After growing up in New Mexico, I admit that my only real food bias is probably towards Mexican food. I hesitate to criticize any ethnic restaurant for lack of authenticity because I operate under the philosophy that good food is good regardless of how "true" it is to the original; my experiences with Mexican food in the Midwest have caused me to seriously question that philosophy.
However, Mas Amigo has cured my hunger for great Mexican food in central Illinois.
Many Mexican restaurants grab pre-made tortilla chips out of bags and stick them in an oven before serving them to you, creating an illusion that your chips were made "fresh" in the restaurant. Not Mas Amigos! Their chips are actually fried in the restaurant, and thus have a heavenly flavor and aroma (I've seen the chip fryer in the back!).
I've sampled several items from the menu, but my favorite items have been the tortas, tacos, enchiladas, and tamales:
(1) If you've never tried a torta, but love hearty sandwiches that will send you into a food coma, I suggest ordering the Milanese (breaded steak) torta. The sandwiches are made with Mexican-style bread/buns, and though they don't come with standard side orders, they compensate with their awesome size.
(2) While Mas Amigos offers "Americanized" tacos (i.e., lettuce and tomatoes), you should really try them with cilantro, onion, and fresh lime juice. They serve the best pastor (pork) tacos in town, hands-down. I would also recommend the lengue (tongue) for more adventurous eaters--the meat is always tender and tasty.
(3) I prefer my enchiladas with either verde or mole sauce, and I appreciate that they offer more sauce options for their enchiladas besides "red or green."
(4) Lastly, I usually try to get a tamale on the side (if I have enough room for it after all those chips--oof!!). The tamale is served with a cheese sauce, which is good for off-setting the dryness that usually characterizes tamales.
The restaurant always has great wait staff who are attentive and rush your food over after it's prepared. Oh, and if they don't bring bottles of special chili sauce to your table, DEMAND IT. This stuff is probably the ambrosia of the Mexican gods. Most of the time, I find my dinner decision being manipulated by the ability to pour their special chili sauce on my meal (by the way, tortas, burritos, and tacos work best in this capacity).
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