The Food at Ambriza Social Mexican Kitchen
Where do I even begin? How about with Ambriza’s famous margarita, the Cucumber Serrano Margarita. This is by far the greatest Margarita I’ve ever had. Ever. Period. End of story. And that’s saying a lot. You see, when I was younger, I had a pretty awful experience with Patron. One that involved way too many shots, and me basically swearing I’d never drink tequila again. Fun fact, I refuse to do tequila shots – as it brings back flashbacks of that one awful night. Granted, this traumatic night took place nearly 10 years ago, so I’m slowly working my way back into drinking Tequila. ANYWAYS! I’m rambling. But for me to say this is the greatest margarita I’ve ever had, and I’d willingly want to order this drink every night – says A LOT. Taylor told us the Cucumber Serrano Marg has been entered in 8 contests, and always comes out with 1st place. So it’s no coincidence that it’s been voted the best marg in Houston.
After indulging in our margaritas, we decided to roll with the Guacamole cart to start. We had the lovely Devyn (there a lot of ways to spell this name – so apologies if I spelt it wrong), who had an awesome personality, and made us laugh the entire time she whipped up some guac. She also knew it was B’s birthday, so she threw in some extra bacon too. Yum.
The guacamole was fresh and delicious, and I’d highly recommend it to anyone with a large appetite. There’s a lot, so it’s perfect to share. But we still had our meals coming, and I was starting to get full. After debating how I was going to finish the huge plate I ordered for dinner, Taylor showed up with some delicious street corn for us to try – and wow, was it ever fantastic #drool. So now, I’m even more full (very happy though), and our food arrives!
For our main dishes, I ordered the Cochinita Pibil Open Tamal; banana leaf braised pork shank served over a bed of roasted jalapeño, and cotija cheese polenta. My mother ordered the Pescado tacos; seared bass, topped with jicama, red cabbage, and cilantro, drizzled with raspberry chipotle aioli on flour tortilla. B ordered the Short Ribs en Salsa De Chiles Secos; short ribs braised for 5 hours, served over corn and cotija poblano polenta, topped with Ambriza’s dry-chile sauce. And my father order the Grilled Chicken Fajitas – which had a serious kick to them.
Thankfully my entire family already knows I like to try every dish at the table (thanks fam!), so I got to try everyones dish. And let me say, each and every dish ordered was spectacular. The chicken fajitas had a really nice underlying heat to them, and the chicken was some of the most tender chicken I’ve had. Normally I find the chicken in fajitas to be on the dryer side, but not the chicken at Ambriza. The braised pork shank just fell off the bone – it was so tender, and cooked to perfection. My father stated, “That’s one of the best dishes I’ve ever had – I’m getting that next time.” Don’t get me wrong, he loved the fajitas, that’s his usual go-to, but after trying this, I’d say the Pork Shank is now his go-to. The fish tacos were fresh, and the jicama atop the seared bass made for the perfect combo. And lastly, the short ribs. I don’t have enough space in this review to rave on and on about my love for them. You could slice into them like butter. Agh, my mouth waters as I think about them. Definitely a dish you need to order when you head to Ambriza.
After indulging and obsessing over every bite of our food, I had to throw the towel in. I was BEYOND stuffed. Like, saying a thank-you prayer that I wore I stretchy dress kinda stuffed. But then – out walks Taylor with dessert. I mean, regardless of how stuffed one person becomes, how can you say no to dessert? She placed a delicious Cuatro Leches cake down on the table, with 4 forks, and it was game over. Thank the Lord we were sharing it, because if I ate that all to myself, I’d have to be rolled out of Ambriza.
Overall
Ambriza Social Mexican Kitchen is a perfect place to kick back, and have some incredible food. The inclusive atmosphere is one of the best features of this place, along with the friendly staff and kick-ass margaritas. They’ve also recently opened another Ambriza, located in Cypress, Tx. which I’m excited to visit next time we’re in town. Check out their Instagram, or better yet, go stop by.
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