Our food reviewer Mark Heath and his wife Liz visited Amigos Mexican restaurant in Bury St Edmunds for a Monday night dinner. Here's what they made of it...
Ok, let's start with the obvious. Bury St Edmunds is not the first location which springs to mind if one were asked to predict where the best Mexican restaurant in England is based.
But the town, fast becoming something of a foodie hotspot, can now lay claim to that too - Amigos was named Best Mexican Establishment by the Food Awards England earlier this year.
And thus, having not even realised Bury had a Mexican eatery until news of that award reached me, we duly headed to Amigos on Monday night to check it out for ourselves.
Before we get going, full disclosure: You could fit what I know about Mexican cuisine on the head of a pin, so I'm probably not the best-qualified of reviewers in this sphere.
However, I like to think I know a bit about good food, good restaurants and good service - and it was in hope of finding all three that we walked through the doors.
First thing to mention - Amigos is fairly easy to walk past. It's been open since 2016 but - in line with my lack of awareness of it - has a fairly modest frontage on Brentgovel Street, apart from the sombrero sitting atop the G in the sign.
That's because the restaurant is on the first floor and, once up the stairs, it all opens up to what is quite a large, loud and colourful space.
I mention the time and day, because even at 6.15pm on a Monday, it was already busy and buzzing, which is always a good sign.
We were seated quickly and furnished with menus and a smile by our waiter, James, who glowed with positivity and warmth. A wonderful welcome, which immediately made us feel good about the meal to come. More on James later...
First up, we ordered a pair of Amigos tequila-flavoured beers - sadly they were out of their unique chilli-infused beer, which is made specially for the restaurant by Elveden Ales. These were good though, shandy vibes with a refreshing effect on a hot day.
For starters, Liz opted for the calamari de amigos (£6.50), while I went with the beef taquitos (also £6.50) - which, I must be honest, I had never heard of before. Still, when in Rome...
At this point, it's also worth noting that Amigos has an excellent vegan menu, covering both starters and mains, which was good to see, if not applicable to us.
So, back to the starters. Liz's calamari, while not the most visually appealing dish, was tasty. Crispy but not greasy, and not rubbery as it so often can be. The chipotle mayo brought a lovely kick to proceedings too.
My taquitos, meanwhile, were decent too. A crispy corn tortilla filled with a goodly portion of shredded beef and lathered in an 'olvera' street sauce. I thought at first the dish was a bit tame, but upon adding some of the complimentary hot sauce provided on the table, it really lifted the experience.
A good start, then, and on to the mains. Having done a bit of pre-visit research, we'd been advised that Amigos portions are large and generous and, if one wanted to ensure they could accommodate three courses, sharing a main could be the way to go.
We took that advice, and ordered up the dinga's fajitas (£16.95) to share as the main, with James suggesting adding extra tortillas (50p) to round out the dish.
It arrived sizzling on a skillet, hefty chunks of chicken and beef sitting on a bed of onions and peppers, accompanied by three tortillas each, rice and cheese-topped refried beans, plus cheese, home-made salsa and sour cream.
This was cracking, good fun to eat, and a really social dish. The meat had a nice smokiness to it from the grill, and obviously building your own tortilla is both a matter of personal taste and tremendously entertaining. Again, I found the hot sauce really lifted the eating, if, like me, you enjoy a good kick of heat and spice.
Two courses down then, and plenty of room for dessert. Liz had already identified that she wanted the fried ice cream (£5.95) - another first for us, every day is a school day - while I opted for the churros with chocolate sauce (also £5.95).
These were a good, sweet end to the meal. Liz was very taken with her fried ice cream - vanilla crumbed ice cream topped with dulce de leche. It was rich, creamy and ruddy indulgent.
I love the idea that somewhere, at some point in time, the inventor of this dish said to themselves 'sure, ice cream is great, but it's just not naughty enough.... so let's chuck it in the deep fat frier.' What a time to be alive.
My churros were good too, a full on injection of sugar direct into my bloodstream which I polished off with no regrets.
As you may have gathered, both dishes were very sweet and rich - like the main, sharing would be a good option if you're looking to save a bit of coin, or stave off diabetes.
And thus, our meal was over. All told it came to £58.60, which I thought was good value for what we consumed - and sharing that main really is a pocket-friendly idea to consider.
I can't complete this review without coming back to our friend James, who was a real highlight of our visit. Warm, friendly and genuinely interested in you, he's a huge asset to the restaurant.
So, final thoughts time. Here they are.
Amigos isn't refined or subtle, nor is it fine-dining - but it is fun, friendly and filling in droves.
And that's a good thing. We'll be back.
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here