Dos Amigos Tacos offers ‘craft’ Mexican fare in a colorful casual setting in western Delray Beach
Outdoor seating is plentiful on Dos Amigos Taco’s 1,000 square foot patio.
Located in the Delray Market Place in western Delray Beach, Dos Amigos’ menu lists 18 taco variations, bowls, burritos and frozen margaritas. How about a Philly cheesesteak taco?
By ALAN J. WAX
You can’t beat the plentiful outdoor seating and the vibrant eye-popping interior at Dos Amigos Tacos in the Delray Marketplace at Lyons Road and Atlantic Avenue in western Delray Beach.
The fast-casual eatery, which opened in the former Shula Burger space in late November, dispenses 18 varieties of what its owners call “craft” tacos, along with burritos, bowls, quesadillas, salads, desserts, and frozen margaritas
Dos Amigos’ interior is colorful.
Order your food and drinks at the counter.
The interior is decorated colorfully with sugar skulls, Mexican art, and woven basket lights. Outside there’s a 1,000-square-foot patio with tables topped by bright yellow umbrellas and a couple of heaters just in case it gets chilly.
Order at the counter and find your seat, inside or outside, and a server will bring the food to you. You’ll have to be carefully carrying your own overflowing beverage and you’ll have to traipse to the back of the eatery for plastic utensils and fountain sodas.
The tacos served at Dos Amigos have been given an American twist by owners Derek Mazer and Michael Jameson, both culinary industry veterans, whose past credits include Lucille’s Bad to the Bone BBQ. You may see one or both of them in the kitchen or behind the counter.
The taco varieties include a selection of traditional tacos, such as chicken, carne asada, Baja shrimp, al pastor and mojo pork tacos. But you’’ll also find more adventurous offerings, including sliced tenderloin, crispy grouper, Buffalo chicken, wild mushroom and Philly cheese steak. They also offer vegetarian choices featuring brussels sprouts, mushrooms, and cauliflower.
The food coming out of the kitchen is made with non-GMO vegetables and ethically raised meat. “We strongly believe that great food begins with the most carefully selected and freshest ingredients on the market,” Jameson said in a press release issued at the time Dos Amigos Tacos opened its doors.
Frozen margaritas, including lime, prickly pear, strawberry, mango and passion fruit, come from a half dozen rotating Slushee machines and are served in 12-oz disposable plastic cups rimmed with salt, if you choose. I opted for the lime margarita ($7), since it appeared to be among the most popular based on the fill level of the machines. It was refreshingly citrus, to be sure, and potent. Alas, the cup turns out to be half filled with ice.
Menu prices can be a bit shocking compared to the Mexican food trucks a bit west on Atlantic Avenue, where tacos run $2 each. At Dos Amigos, the tacos will set you back $4.50 to $6 a piece. That shouldn’t be a surprise, given that rents in the Delray Marketplace rival those in Downtown Delray Beach. You also can argue that the apparent expensive build out of the store and the cost of ingredients also contribute to higher menu prices.
I will say the tacos at Dos Amigos are soft and overstuffed. Alas, there are no fresh hot sauces available, just bottles of commercial stuff that you’ll have to ask for when you order.
Crispy grouper taco.
Mexican street corn in a bowl.
When you’ll do order, you’ll have to be judicious as the kitchen is inconsistent.
Mexican street corn ($6), also known as elote, does not come on the cob or grilled, but rather as off-the-cob niblets in a small bowl topped with chipotle chile aioli, cojita cheese and tanjin – a chile-lime seasoning. The crumbly cheese is quite salty, but if you mix up the bowl, as I did, that saltiness disappears into a creamy blend that’s bursting with flavor.
Among the tacos, my favorite was the crispy grouper ($6). You’ll get a soft flour tortilla with a wedge of breaded, fried flaky fish at the bottom topped with chipotle chile aioli, citrus slaw, pico de gallo and a crescent of avocado. The contrasting textures – the flaky fish, crunchy julienned carrots, red cabbage and lettuce, and juicy diced tomatoes – add to its appeal.
Carne asada, Philly cheesesteak and pork al pastor tacos.
My second fave was a non-traditional taco, Philly cheesesteak ($5.50). Don’t expect any Whiz here. What you get is a cheese-crusted toasted flour tortilla stuffed with grilled, marinated steak bits, caramelized onions, wild mushrooms and topped with melted tangy Queso blanco cheese and horseradish aioli. It’s a bit salty and the horseradish aioli provides a surprising kick.
Both a pork al pastor taco ($4.50), a soft corn tortilla filled with marinated pork, pineapple salsa and cotija cheese, and the beef carne asada taco ($4.50), a corn tortilla stuffed with grilled marinated steak, shredded cheese and pico de gallo, could only be told apart by their toppings. In both cases, the meats were tiny chopped, dry bits. To be sure, many on Yelp echoed this sentiment.
Dining here can be a pleasant experience given the casual, hip environment and the fast service that a quick casual eatery such as Dos Amigo Tacos offers. If you order carefully and don’t mind the prices, you’ll walk out a satisfied diner.
Dos Amigos Tacos
14917 Lyons Road #114, Delray Beach, Fl 33446
561-450-7363
