Tucked in downtown, bar ama is a cute mexican restaurant. For lunch, they have a large variety of choices ranging from guac + chips, fajitas, enchiladas, ama specials, vegetarian options and more! We decided upon: made to order guac, shrimp ceviche, cauliflower + pesto, green enchiladas with short rib, taquitos with chorizo & the chile relleno. The guac + chips were a great starter! We then got the appetizers - the ceviche and cauliflower. I would highly recommend the cauliflower it had such a great flavor. The ceviche was okay, but there was a good amount of shrimp in the dish. The ingredients used seemed fresh. For our entrees, I liked the chile relleno the best. It was on a bed of beans and rice and topped with pomegranate seeds. I've never had this dish before so it was great to try it. I would definitely order again. The short ribs in the enchilada were soo tender and also a great addition to the dish. Unfortunately you have to pay extra for it, but I would highly recommend if you're looking for some meat dishes. The taquitos were my least favorite. It came with three taquitos topped with beef and guac. It had a good taste but just an okay dish. The food came out really fast and the service was good! They refilled our chips and drinks and checked on us every now and then. The place itself is a little pricey, but then again downtown always is. read more

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I've been wanting to try this place and was happy to secure a reservation Saturday night after a day in DTLA. We sat outside under the string lights, sipping margaritas anxiously awaiting our meals. We decided to go with the green chicken enchiladas and the mushroom birria. Both were absolutely delicious. It was hard to decide who's dish was better. The birria came with a side of puffy baco bread which was great for dipping in the sauce. Enchiladas were creamy tangy and some of the best I've had. We can't wait to come back! Service was great. Very chill ambiance. read more

Being Hispanic and encountering tacos throughout my whole life while going in with a mindset that these tacos were voted top 18th taco in the US, I was expecting a taco a little more flavorful and put together. The tortilla was really greasy and once bitten the whole taco fell apart. The tortilla did not hold the meat nor toppings put on the taco. The reason this place got 2 stars was because first the hot sauce was really good. It was a spicy, yet tangy flavor that still gave flavor to your taste buds apposed to burning your tongue. Second, the meat on the taco was seasoned and had a decent texture and taste. The total was about 15-16 dollars for 2 tacos! Talk about your overpriced food. I have experienced these tacos and that's the most I can say about it. read more

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Great music! Pharrell, Biggie, etc. No new bulls*t they're playing these days. Good atmosphere, pretty dead early on but it definitely picks up around 730-8pm. It's a late night crowd. Service was great! Food was perfect. My date was a vegetarian and they had plenty of options for her. They were also very accommodating and said they can customize some dishes for her as well. Drinks were great. Could be a little stronger but they were still delicious. read more

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Did you like Baco Mercat? If so, you should try his sister restaurant Bar Ama located around the corner of 4th & Main Street. I was looking around for a bar that I haven't check out yet in DTLA and was reading an article in Los Angeles Magazine regarding LA's top 10 new restaurants and Bar Ama caught my eye. The photos of the puffy tacos and homely food made me want to check this place out, however, just recently came here to grab some drinks. Bar Ama's is a dimly lit storefront restaurant along 4th Street. The interior is a neat Latin interior, open ceilings, brick and vintage tile walls with simple tables and chairs and an open bar with the kitchen in the rear. The cocktails here are handcrafted using fresh ingredients whereas most places use carton juices. Drinks are mainly tequila based, however, a few bourbon and vodka based. We orderd The Nacho, Ama's Margarita, La Brambla which were all very good. If you like spicy, I'd recommend The Nacho which will warm up your throat composed of chile lime shrub, tequila, campari, citrus and honey. It's a bit on the acidic side and not too sweet. The spiciness will tickle your throat. For something sweeter side, try La Brambla which is tequila, blood orange, citrus and blackberry. Honestly, I could drink this too day. It's like spiked juice and refreshing. There is a limited amount of draft beers but from good breweries: Mad River, Lost Coast, Dogfish Head to name a few. The staff here is very friendly. We were greeted warmly by the hostess. The bartenders here are also very friendly making sure we were good on drinks. He even gave us a little taste of the AsomBroso Exra Anejo Tequila as a sample. If you get a chance, get a shot. It's rated as Robb Report's best of the best tequila. Aged for 5 years with hints of vanilla, toffee, and butterscotch. It's great as a shot and not mixed. The bottle stands out from the rest and you'll notice it (think dirty and body part). Bar Ama is worth coming for the drinks. This place is busy for dinner as so the bar since it's used for dining as well but after 10 pm or so, the bar has more space for drinks. I'll have to come here again for the food but I did enjoy the drinks and warm staff. read more

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I spent over $100 on food and everything except the chips and cheese was horrendously disgusting, I've had Taco Bell that tasted better. If you're a POC you'll hate this colonizer food. It's bland, weird tasting and odd ingredients, extremely untraditional and disappointing. read more

In short: Good food but not worth the price. But on par with the rest of LA! The location is easy to get to. $10 valet and parking lots nearby as well as metered parking on the street. We went for dinner on a Wednesday night about 730 and we all grabbed a meter spot since they end at 8 pm anyway. The restaurant was nice, high ceilings with a nice bar area and plenty of tables. We reserved a larger half-booth near the back of the restaurant. The menu was expansive and had most traditional Mexican dishes. To start we had the guac (I recommend at least 2 as the portions are small and go fast if you are in a group). We also shared the cauliflower and that was one of my favorite dishes. My top favorite wasn't even on the menu. My brother-in-law was told about it the previous time he went by the waiter: fluffy tacos. Basically it's a street taco but the taco itself is light and fluffy yet with just a hint of crispness on the outside. We tried to do this family style and it worked out okay. I had plenty of food but there were no leftovers and the food was pretty unhealthy so I did feel a little bloated after. But all in all, if my family wanted to go back again I wouldn't be disappointed. read more

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This place is my jam. I could talk about each food item I've ordered (which is a lot), but all of it is just going to be me gushing about how fucking delicious every thing is. Seriously. Everything. The guac, the ceviche, the beans. Fucking. Delicious. Do yourself a favor and stop in to eat, but make sure if it's a Thursday, Friday or Saturday that you make a reservation because waiting two hours is NOT my jam. Oh and get the sopadilla with hot chocolate for dessert. read more

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Who doesnt love mexican food?? who doesnt love tapas?? now imagine an Americanized mexican tapas place with good ambiance but not too fancy atmosphere...you wont feel underdressed coming with jeans and a tee but still holds up to date occasions and bday celebrations... I had a friends bday party here who was visiting from Canada so I made reservations for a party of 7 on a saturday night..they require you to book through their events email and you have to put down a CC for parties over 6.... Since we had a larger party, we kinda split the ordering up so each 2-3 pplz would order their section since its tapas style, its good for sharing among 2-4 per plate..i'm happy to say there were no misses of the night but a few things that were def overpriced for what you get... Guac app - this is 10.00 and its a small bowl...tasty but didnt have the value in the dish Puffy Tacos - these are 7.00 each and pretty decent size...they are not on the Menu, ask your server for the choices...we got the chorizo and carnitas...I love the homemade shells...its like a puffy wonton chip thats a taco shell but more sturdy...must get if its ur first time pig ears - another good app but nothing notable slow cooked beef belly - very tender, big size, has lots of flavor lamb shank - this is a big dish, takes about 20 mins to come out...the lamb has decent gamey flavor (yummm) and melts in ur mouth tender...comes w/ a special tortilia almost like a pita bread (more similar to a Gordita shell at taco bell)... pork belly chicharron - like a thick slice of deep fried port belly bacon.. a lil salty but everyone else really loved this dish...prob one of the table favorites Lengua - one of my favorites...i do wish they gave us the cooler tortilias but it comes w/ regular soft shells for Drinks - Snake's Blood, i dont even remember whats in it but its bright Red comes w/ a giant ice cube and sounds cool!! they have lots of parking lots surrounding the place thats only 6.00 or u can valet for 8.00 i think with validation read more

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It's pretty hard to distinguish a good Mexican restaurant from a really good Mexican restaurant especially when you're Josef Centeno and are well known for pretty amazing Asian fusion fine dining experience. That being said, BAR Ama is really terrific. The flavors were simply terrific in all of the dishes and each one had a little extra "zing" that elevated it from a traditional dish. Also worth noting is their impressive list of vegetarian friendly options. I am not myself, but I know how hard it can be to find a place that does both meat and veggies well. Lastly, I would call out the portion sizes as being well sized for the price. Usually in nice priced places you get some dishes and end up spending way to much to be full, but I thought this was rather reasonable. All in all, would give it a 4.5/5 if I could! read more

BAR Ama - Some remains of guac, taquitos, shrimp tostada and a cocktail. Too good! - Tex-Mex Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Well well, after having a pretty good lunch some time ago at Baco MErcat, we have finally come around to trying Bar Ama...and, well...we were not that satisfied or impressed.. Upon entering the place is packed and tightly arranged, similar to Baco, no biggie there we were seated quick as our reservation and upon sitting, they turn on the music..WHY OH WHY, is there SHIT punk rock crap music BLASTING off huge speakers right in the middle of this small ass restaurant with 50+ people talking, it literally felt like a cheap club and the worst part, it would go on for some time, then the music would turn off, then on again, off again...throughout our dining 'experience'...like why, gave us headaches, couldn't hear one another sitting 1 foot away, and did not better the dinner. so, now on to the food..which is subpar for tonight we ordered the following: cashew poblano queso: this was actually the best thing we ordered and just for this i give 5/5 stars..a completely vegan queso made from cashews, mixed with poblanos and other salsa goodness, with fresh tortilla chips. it literally tasted like real queso and was ooey gooey as queso is, nice thick hot and savory; very interesting, very delicious next the cauliflower cilantro pesto: first, the menu is very misleading...it is written on the menu as i have typed it, 'cauliflower cilantro pesto' making us think, oh it is pesto made with caulfilowers...ya, no..it is cauliflowers coated with cilantro pesto..and it wasnt that good..just overpowering with the cauliflower taste huitlacoche taquitos: these were taquitos filled with basically moldy corn..a unique dish from spanish cultures, but considering how minimal there was in the taquitos, plus so much sour cream/guac topping, you could barely even taste the 'huitaloche' and lastly the chimichanga chill relleno: basically a chimichanga stuffed with a chill relleno..smallest chili relleno in the biggest chimichanga with the smallest fried egg on top. ya, not this was disappointing as well. for drinks we ordered the tamarind pop, which i actually love Baco's pops, interesting refreshing sodas, an the beer flight, which consisted of the 4 most disgusting beers i have ever had my god how can anyone drink that crap!! i was really hoping to like this place, and the fact i brought my parents here for their anniversary just did not stand up to the challenge.. serious improvements needed. read more

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*** 4.5 stars *** Why oh why does Josef Centeno have to live downtown and so far from me? Baco Mercat is still my favorite of his restaurants, but Bar Ama did not disappoint me. It is about half the price point, and sometimes you are just in the mood for some good Mexican food. At 9 pm on a Saturday the wait for a table (including communal tables) was an hour, but we were able to get seats at the bar in less than 15 minutes. Thank goodness I read the yelp reviews and knew about the PUFFY TACOS. These were hands down the best thing that we had. We opted for chicken, but you can choose any meat or potato option. Don't ask any more questions, just order them. The HUMMINGBIRD was delicious, but small (tequila blanco, mezcal, frais de bois). Oddly it was on the first drink menu we were given, but not the second. Another great item that they are hiding from the menu? GUACAMOLE (Made-To-Order Guacamole cilantro, serrano, celery) - a very large serving size and I wished I could have eaten more of it. Four+ people could easily split this as an appetizer. Some people said that it was the best guac that they'd ever had, and I don't know that I'd go that far, but I would say that it was delicious and very different than any other guac that I've ever had... creamy, it almost melts in your mouth. CEVICHE (Chile Shrimp Ceviche, pomegranate, red onion, lime, yam) - the chile gave it a bit of a kick which I highly enjoyed. CHORIZO (Chorizo & Red Shishito Peppers orange, cotija, radish) - the chorizo wasn't greasy at all and was extremely flavorful. CAULIFLOWER (Cauliflower & Cilantro Pesto cashew, lime, cotija) - I didn't really taste any pesto, which was disappointing. It was still very good, just not what I was expecting. I'd eat almost anything on the menu, and look forward to coming back and trying more things. While everything was good, the only must order item that I will definitely get next time is the Puffy Tacos. Otherwise, I'm going to leave room to try some new things. read more

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Very cute and lively restaurant wit delicious food! Start with the guac! The cauliflower is devine Kanpache crudo - a beautiful looking dish - looks like art but this is not tex mex so I would pass on this unless you want something light and beautiful. mole enchilada was amazing!!!! Yes to this all day long!!! read more

First let me state that if I was giving a rating on the food, definite 4 star. Service however for our table of 9 was just NOT THERE! Ew. We went for lunch and three of us were the first to arrive, so while the host prepared our table, the bar tender was polite and I'd say she was the only one that knew she was working in a service based industry. We both became puzzled when we couldn't find the host who was supposedly setting up our table but disappeared like a Houdini trick. Anyhow, when she returned, she set the table, this time for real. We sat and the other 6 joined our party. I asked the host a question about something on the menu since we had them for a while, and she said she really has no idea but would send the server. Cue first clue here. Where is the server to begin with!!? We ordered 2 orders of chips and guac and other apps and main courses. Of course, after 20 minutes you'd think we'd get our guac. NOPE! Lord, these ppl that day. "uh hi, yeah, can we maybe have our appetizers?" Oh, sure, yeah, no problem. Chips and Guac and two minutes later, all the other food. Come on ppl! Yummy Items- brussel sprouts (buffalo tangy like..spicy) - lamb sope -mom's enchiladas Could be better - Chicken burrito -cauliflower is good, but needs more pesto....perhaps a bit stronger. Otherwise I feel like i'm just eating boiled or slightly roasted cauliflower. Huevos ranchero were fine. Anyhow, most of the food was pretty good. I don't remember the other itmes we had, but these were the ones that stood out to me. I hope they work on their service, because I'd be happy to come back, but will try other places just because of the terrible service from that day -- an unpresent server, hard to get a hold of, in a NOT busy restaurant is just a no no. Street parking or a lot are your choices. read more

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Alley outside seating is so nice!!! Margaritas is a perfect balance of not so sweet with a Chile salt rim that pairs well with puffy shrimp tacos. read more

BAR Ama - AMA Margarita - Tex-Mex Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Food is fine. Drinks are okay. The problem is the service. The waitress that worked Friday night was terrible. Yes, the same waitress that the other negative yelp comments are about. She was rude & dismissive. Made you feel like you were destroying her entire night by being there. read more

We went for the happy hour before a show downtown and had a great time. Drinks were really good and the service was amazing. Alex was especially helpful as well as the bartender that night! They made sure we got to the show on time and were super friendly. Thanks ! read more

I had been to Bar Ama before Covid and the food, drinks, service was amazing. I was excited to come back here and that they survived Covid but it's not the same :(. The food was very so so (except the vegan queso which was amazing). The food didn't have a lot of spice and flavor. The service was pretty bad too, we had pretty simple drink orders (the regular margarita) but we had to ask a few times to get the right drink/correct amount of drinks. There was also basic things like not bussing our appetizer plate for several minutes after our entrees came. read more

Damn, this place was great. Pretty empty for lunch during the week. Here's the rundown of what I tried: Gucamole and Chips - Guac had a great lime after taste. Chips taste homemade and lightly salted. Cauliflower & Cilantro Pesto - A huge fan of fried cauliflower, but topped with pesto? That was a freaking game changer and I could not stop eating this. Duck Enchilada - I usually get chicken enchilada, but I had to try this. It was everything that I expected it to be. Lots of duck packed inside with some great chipotle sauce. Churro Funnel Cake - Ugh, so amazing. A combination of every kind of dessert I like. I'm pretty sensitive to sweets, but even with the ice cream and chocolate sauce this was a great balance. Ama Ginger-Pineapple Fruit Mash - Eh, this was the only item I didn't feel strongly about. Too strong on the ginger for me and what flavor you get with it has a hint of the after taste. read more

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We ended up here one night because we tried to get into Badmaash and the wait was about a hour so we wandered around until we ended up here. We decided to stop in for a drink at the bar. There was a wait for tables but the bar had some spots open. Once we sat down we decided on drinks then I thought since were already here and food looks great on Yelp why not just eat here? We ordered the quesadilla with the stewed meat and it was really good. The conchinita pibil (I know I spelled this wrong but you get the drift) was delicious. However the dish was not worth the price. It seemed too expensive for the amount...must be that downtown resurgence cool tax. It was however really good and I was starving. We also ordered the mamas enchiladas... they were strange... partly good and partly not. The sauce was super sour and was gritty like it had a ton of little seeds in it. It was interesting, part of me liked it and part of me hated it. I wouldn't get this again. The drinks were decent but also too pricey. This place has that cool downtown vibe that is appealing but too me it fell a little short. It's not bad but it's not great. read more

BAR Ama - Tex-Mex Near Me - Los Angeles, California

Food was delish, the servings were good for sharing. The service was awesome too ! Made reservations the day of, and we got in at the time that we wanted . Was doing a dry January so I didn't get drinks ... but now that it's February, will be back .... :) read more

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This is a really nice, cute place BUT their "happy hour" prices aren't even good! They ran out of a few items as well. Additionally, you have to be seated at the bar in order to order happy hour priced items as well so you're out of luck if it's full! The super nachos were good & filling but pricey. There is metered parking right outside (with confusing signs) and $10 lots down the street. I overall like this place but it's definitely on the pricier side. read more

BAR Ama - Tex-Mex Near Me - Los Angeles, California

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I went here for dinner and the experience was just "ok". I ordered the chips + guacamole, Chile relleno, and a classic Margarita. I want to start by agreeing with other reviews- the patio gets really cold in the evening, so bring a sweater or jacket! There was only one heater available for the entire patio. I asked our waiter if our table could have a heater brought out and he told me that the manager said that there weren't any left. I found this hard to believe, but I didn't argue the point. At the end of the day, this wasn't a big deal for me. I really enjoyed the chips and guacamole. The guacamole was very fresh and had large chunks of avocado. They give you enough guacamole for at least 2 baskets of chips. I didn't care for the chips as much, too thick in my opinion, but this matters less when the guacamole is so good. The Margarita was not exciting, but not disappointing either. I didn't get buzzed at all, but I could definitely taste the tequila in the drink. Like the Margarita, the Chile relleno was just "ok". Not the best, but certainly not the worst by far. I would definitely try something else on the menu if I were to go again. read more

If you're hungry, this is the wrong place. Food was underwhelming. Such a bland taste. This is a hipster Latin rip off. Desert was pretty good tho. read more

Great food and great service. The menu is a bit tricky for a solo diner. I'd love to see nachos on the dinner menu and some chips that weren't so pricey. But everything is tasty and a very sexy place. read more

I really wish that I could give this more stars because I love the food and energy here (also the super nachos) but the service needs some work for sure. The interaction always feels rushed and uncomfortable with the wait staff. The food is yummy but the service kills it and I'm not really sure why everyone seems so grumpy. But I'd try it one more time. read more

I love this place in terms of food, everything you get here is tasty and you can never go wrong. Based on the food by itself, I would give 5 stars, but deduction of 2 stars come from their service. There is always this one female waiter with dark hair and tattoo on Friday and Saturday so I don't know if it's the individual or the restaurant as a whole, but we keep getting attitude from the waiter. First we are always told by this waiter that we have to order appetizers and rest of the food all at once, and we are not allowed to order a few dishes first and see how we feel, unlike any other restaurants would allow you to do. I wonder what will happen, if we decide to order a few more dishes. Will they turn us down and say that we can't order, while they know it's going to contribute to their sales? Doubtful. Secondly, the restaurant charges 18% service charge, and this waiter told us that we had to tip on top of it. Why would we do that, when we are already paying hefty amount on top of the food we ordered? Her explanation was if we tip they make more than minimum wage. Ok, so then where does the 18% service charge go? Isn't that the whole point of it? And this waiter overall just had attitude towards us, and it's not just one time but it's every time we go. For example, when we ask if they still have a certain dish that we used to like, her response is "what you see is what you get" while she could be a bit nicer. The fact that she could demand us for more tips on top of the service charge with that attitude was quite shocking. Overall, I would have loved to come back because the food is amazing, but unfortunately the bad service may prevent me from going back, not to mention the service charge here again. read more

Came with a large group and got to try a bunch of different dishes. Some of the ones I really liked are the tex-mex queso dip, fried squash blossoms, and the cauliflower. Some things I didn't care for were the taquitos (too hard), chicken mole fajitas (no flavor), and my spicy margarita. Cool spot to hang out for drinks, happy hour, and group gatherings. It was pretty busy on a Monday night so try to make reservations. read more

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Get the Puffy Tacos, and the nachos. Big portions when you order delivery.

We had the tasty Spicy Jalapeño Margarita. The barbacoa tacos were tender and the salsa was great. The chips were freshly fried and they went well with the salsa. The servers are friendly. I am looking forward to trying other items on their menu! read more

Average Tex-Mex. Has some good vegetarian options. We tried a few options of the happy hour menu and the normal dinning menu: - the squid tostada: overpowering flavors (capers, green olive, celery and dill???) that overtook the squid and other flavors. Not a fan, would not recommend. Also it is served cold. It basically seemed like ceviche on a chip - the sweet potato mole: again the flavors were not complimentary. It was sweet and sweet. It had a big cinnamon punch. Maybe we are not mole people. - the nachos were good but note that the happy hour nachos do not come with meat. Wish they came with the carne con Guiso - carne con Guiso taco: excellent flavor but very runny so extra messy to eat. Also the amount of cabbage on the taco was ridiculous... pretty to look at but that was it. read more

This spot is a DTLA gem! From the cocktails to the chips and guac to the main entrees, the whole experience is on point! I have been to Bar Ama twice now and safe to say both dining experiences were great! It is walking distance from The Last Bookstore, The Regent and other bars nearby so it makes for a great place to grab dinner or drinks before/after. The ambiance is fun and cozy with dim-lit lighting setting the mood for a date night or happy hour with friends. The service is fast and friendly and the bartenders have a generous pour. DRINK I would highly recommend treating yourself to one of their delicious cocktails, you can't go wrong with any of them but try the Nacho or the Cava Guava - tasty and strong! APP You have to get the queso and chips! ENTREE The Beef Chile Pepper Fajitas is a great option to split for 2- large portion. Get the flour tortillas! Another enjoyable dish was the mole enchiladas, smaller portion but super flavorful! Next time I go back I am trying the much hyped about Nachos! read more

We loved this place and we've been going to a bunch of places. Cocktails were all excellent read more

I've been here two times and I am in love with this restaurant. My first visit was a brunch experience. I ordered the mole enchiladas with the grilled cabbage and the rice and beans. I even ordered the guacamole with chips. Meanwhile my friends ordered dishes like the toad in a hole and grandma's chorizo. Absolutely amazing dishes all around. Would order the same dishes again for sure because they were that good. Because of the awesome brunch, I wanted to go here for the Super Nacho Happy Hour and give it a try. I went there on a Thursday night with the same friends that went to brunch. I didn't think that I would find another reason to love this place even more, but that Nacho happy hour made me fall head over heels. I've always loved the chips here, super crunchy! Then when you get a giant pile of it with all the fixings... I'm in heaven. Chorizo, guacamole, queso, sour cream, ahhhh. I can't even with all of this goodness. I even tried the Shrimp Chalupa and the Short Rib Taquitos. Don't forget the drinks either, order the Snake's Blood and the Baja Vacation! We finished the night with ordered the churro funnel cake that is topped with ice cream. You can't go wrong with this restaurant. The service is impeccable. The food and drinks are amazing. I truly love this restaurant and look forward to being back here again. read more

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I came here last night with 4 friends for dinner. We couldn't make a reservation since they only have 5:30 and 9:00 available so we all met at 7:00 PM and hoped they could squeeze our party of 5 in. We were seated around 7:40. We ordered guacamole & chips for the table and man oh man you get a MOUNTAIN of guac! It's also served in a piggy container! Super fresh and light and we kept asking for refills for our bowl of chips. I ordered: - Ellie's Brown Ale - served in the bottle, very nutty and quite good! - Shrimp puffy tacos (shared with another person) - DELISH! Nice spice and great texture, although a bit messy to eat. - Mama's green enchiladas - flavorful and limey - although VERY filling! I only ate half and that was with my friends taking bites too! I think it was the abundance of cheese. - some sort of caramel-dulce dessert that I took one bite of and declared too sweet for my tastes Service was very good - we had several servers checking on us throughout our meal although the guy at the end messed up the bill (charged the wrong amount on the credit card even though we wrote it on the receipt) The place itself is pretty small and rather dim, but nice ambiance. I was told that the chef is very famous so I guess my expectations were rather high? I just feel like I've had better Tex-Mex and/or Mexican food. Parking - street (the meters take credit card, yay!) or in one of those flat rate lots if you prefer. I'd give the food 3.5 stars, but the service 4. read more

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Food is amazing! But they lost me when the server told me the 18% service charge is IN ADDITION to the tip, which we are expected to pay also. So with tip we paid 38% in service charges and tip. Also, it's 2023, they need to have a better selection of non alcoholic drinks. Hibiscus tea and coke is not enough. read more

I've been here tons of times and it's always great. Their food is so delicious and their drinks are so great, with an excellent selection of tequila and mescal. But this post is about a recent visit with my bf and two friends for Saturday brunch. We didn't have a reservation and were able to walk in and be seated. (I think it's likely only because it was Night on Broadway and people were avoiding the area or coming later - usually, this place is packed!) I ordered something I hadn't seen on the menu before: the toad in a hole. I expected it to be delicious but wasn't sure how big it would be. Thankfully, it was a large flour tortilla, with bountiful strips of bacon, a whole egg (not quite centered which threw me off a bit), and half an avocado. Tasty and very filling. I would certainly order it again. I didn't order one that day, but my go-to drink there is the Snake's Blood - beautiful deep ruby color and a unique flavor with the hibiscus. read more

BAR Ama - Toad In A Hole on the brunch menu. - Tex-Mex Near Me - Los Angeles, California

We stopped by for Sunday brunch. Started off with the Tex-Mex Queso with Chorizo.. Delicious! At first, I thought there wouldn't be enough home made tortilla chips to match the queso, but they didn't hesitate to offer more when they saw the chip supply dwindle. The salsa served with it was really good too. Then we tried one of each of the breakfast taco's. I thought $6 was kinda steep for tacos - but after getting them, they are huge! A lot of taco for your money. Two, three if you're hungry, would be plenty. Overall - I thought the taco's were just OK, with my favorite being the Carne Taco. We also tried Mom's Green Enchiladas - kinda spicy (good!) but overall just kinda blah. And that rice & beans were an additional $3 on top of the $15 for two enchiladas, kinda made the value sub-par. Overall - decent food, service wasn't overly friendly - almost like they were too busy for us. Even though everything was obviously home made, and I'm willing to pay a premium for that - the value for the price paid was just a tad under what I would expect. read more

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Food tastes good, but the price does not match the portion size. If the portions we're bigger or price was lower I would say this is a solid 4 star restaurant. Service was excellent. They have valet out front, but I was lucky enough to find street parking. read more

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Just around the corner from the Last Bookstore, this cozy, dark bar features tequilas and mezcals as well as modern spins on Mexican cuisine. While I just missed their happy hour (5-7pm), I sampled a cocktail called The Nacho with a smoky and spicy flavor. Happy hour prices would have been about $3 less, however, the complimentary chips and salsa more than offset the difference. I decided to get the taquitos after eyeing the lady next to me at the bar put her order down. No need to add meat, the potato, cheddar and Jack filling were complimented by guacamole and poblamo pepper puree with fresh queso to top it off. Surprisingly rich, I could only eat two of the three. At first I thought $11 might be a tad steep, but now I'm certain the quality of ingredients and fill factor make them my top pick. The nachos are apparently the draw here during happy hour, but I think I'd need a partner in crime. At first my neighbors kept to themselves but eventually we got chatting and I decided this place would be a regular stop in the future. I loved the dark lighting and after talking to the bartenders and a few other employees it definitely escalated the score to 5-stars. It gets crowded so reservations for a table are recommended. I was happy to grab a spot at the end of the bar. Cheers! read more

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