A taste of Key West is coming to downtown St. Pete. Known for churning out signature square tacos, the popular Amigos Tortilla Bar plans to launch at 681 Central Ave., expanding its take on ultra-fresh Mexican food to the 600 Block.
According to Samuel Haverl — who owns and manages the new restaurant, the taco joint’s first location outside of the Conch Republic — Amigos founders Eric Sindone, Jack Anderson and Jesse Anderson have a passion for Mexican cuisine. The trio wanted to bring that kind of grub to Key West because it wasn’t offered as much, and so they did in 2010.
“They wanted to do fresh, good Mexican food, like homemade tortillas, and be true to the concept of having a taqueria,” Haverl said.
Haverl began working at Amigos as a manager in Key West five years ago, then moved to St. Pete in 2015 to start sniffing out a second location. As he puts it, the 2,000-square-foot restaurant on Central is a good fit for the community. Why? Amigos is a grassroots concept.
“We’re not a chain restaurant, and we’re true to the food we’re serving. We want to keep it as authentic as we can,” he said. “Plus, we’re funky, and St. Pete is that kind of city.”
Amigos will take shape inside two buildings that’re becoming one: one property used to house a men’s clothing store, and the other a specialty boutique. By knocking down their separating wall, the space seats about 90 guests inside and an additional 15 out front. The restaurant will also feature an open kitchen, allowing diners to get a glimpse of how Amigos pulls off various menu items, including house-made tortillas.
The taqueria has developed a machine to cut its tortilla dough — a combination of freshly ground corn and water — into squares on-site, producing a folded shell that results in less spillage.
“We make our own tortillas on the spot so you can see that happening. You’ll be able to see your food being made in front of you. That’s something we’re also really excited about,” Haverl said.
On average, guests should expect to spend $15 or so per meal. Dishes range from traditional street-style tacos and elote (Mexican street corn) to fajitas and carne asada enchiladas. Larger groups can choose to do platters of burritos or tacos, too, priced between $9 and $15.
Tacos al pastor, seasoned layered pork on a spit topped with a pineapple, anyone?
“The concept of spit meat comes from the Lebanese settlers that came to Mexico, and the Mexican culture adapted it into their own thing. Tacos al pastor is something we’re excited to bring to the St. Pete market because nobody’s doing it,” added Haverl.
Amigos will operate 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday through Thursday, and 11 a.m. to midnight Friday and Saturday. Due to construction, the restaurant hasn’t determined a date for the grand opening, but October is the estimated debut.
“What we hope to do is build a brand and serve the Tampa Bay community with quality and a consistently good product,” Haverl said. “We hope that in the future this will be an avenue to open up other Amigos in the area at some point.”
This article appears in Jul 12-19, 2018.