Amigo Mexican Restaurant was voted this year’s Chattanooga Times Free Press Best of the Best People’s Choice Award winner in two categories – Best Mexican Restaurant and Best Meal for the Money.
“At all our locations we serve authentic Mexican recipes,” says Christian Kozak, general manager of the Brainerd location that opened in 2001. “We believe if you have great food and service with a clean place it is the perfect equation for a successful business.”
Amigo Mexican Restaurant has locations in East Ridge, Brainerd, Red Bank and Hixson. With Christmas around the corner, Kozak says the restaurant sees larger groups of families and friends coming in to dine together. The menu offers a little bit of everything with entrées for everyone to share such as the Amigo nachos with flour tortilla chips covered with melted cheese, grilled chicken and steak, sautéed bell peppers, tomatoes and onions. Also popular for groups is the Amigo dip with fresh spinach, onions, tomatoes and cilantro sautéed to perfection and mixed with white cheese sauce and garnished with sour cream.
“We are popular for our flavor,” Kozak says. “That’s what keeps people coming back. About 95 percent of our customers come in and have to get the cheese dip. It is delicious.”
Monday nights are taco nights and Kozak says they are popular group nights, when from 5 p.m. to close, Amigo features 75-cent beef hard-shell tacos. Happy hour is from 3-9 p.m. every day with $2.99 domestic drafts, $2.25 domestic bottles and two-for-one margaritas.