For me, mexican food comes with a truckload of childhood memories (ok, some adult ones too) associated with it — from the weird experimentations that eventually lead to a decent home-made burrito to trying a variety of taco and quesedilla makers in the market (none of them worked, incidentally), to eating them in all forms — the traditional Maria Bonita style, the fast food Taco Bell style (okay, not anymore) and a few others in between.

So when I was asked to check out Amerigos, I was excited — but I also didn’t look them up beforehand so I didn’t fully know what to expect. My previous experience in the Yas Marina Circuit was actually rather good; but taking your parents along when reviewing food can always be tricky, what with specific food preferences and them having to wait while I snap up pictures of life, the universe and everything.

Now for those of you who want the answer quickly, Amerigos passed!

To begin with, I was happily surprised by the atmosphere and setup. While it is part of the Park Inn by Radisson, Amerigos has a very casual and comfortable decor, a semi-outdoor setting, an indoor sports bar *and* a pool area. With the weather still holding up, the experience was enjoyable — this is a place that works for friends, family, a nice quiet evening or an after-work hours meet and greet.

Food wise, the menu has quite a bit to offer. The menu is modelled more on what I would call Tex-Mex rather than pure Mexican. The guacamole was wonderful and among the freshest I’ve had. The other surprise item — well, surprise because we added it on as an afterthough halfway through the maincourse — were the Fajitas.

Trust me, their ‘stir-fry’, for want of a better word was so good, I just kept eating the mix without having the patience to actually roll up the fajitas.

Overall, the food was on well done & fresh. The chef seems to like keeping things simple — something that works very well for Amerigos.

We were a bit intrigued by something called Hojaldre de Vegetales which was a puff pastry filled with vegetables and an escabeche sauce. While there was nothing really wrong with it at all, it just didn’t feel very Mexican compared to everything else we had and enjoyed.

Since I’m sure those of you who got this far will want to know, I’m doing the smart thing and attachingthe dessert menu for your comfort. I went for the lime, mint & rum sorbet since I was looking for something light — and in hindsight, perhaps the rice pudding might have been more traditional option.

In the end, it boiled down to the usual two suspects — the food and the atmophere, and Amerigos does really well on both counts. There was a healthy crowd through the evening — people out with family and friends, and football fans enjoying the large screens at the bar. Amerigos makes a great choice if you’re up for a leisurely drive across the Circuit followed by a satisfying meal or if you happen to be in the area.

Amerigos Mexican Restaurant & Bar

Park Inn by Radisson, Yas Island, Abu Dhabi
(Just drive down the Yas Island Leisure Drive until you hit the hotel area, Park Inn is the first one on your left)
+9712 656 2222