Mis Amiguitos Market

CASH ONLY? What, are you trying to evade the IRS, get with the times already!
If I have to run to the bank or find an ATM first I may as well just go somewhere else while I’m at. Sorry but you lost a customer before even getting there with your lack of service.
Besides, there are tons of places that have Carne Asada fries, like everyone else seems to be boasting about, that do take cards, like Alberto’s.

Mis Amiguitos Market is not your typical taco shop. Some may not even call it a taco shop. There is a random sprinkling of market goods here like T-​shirts, hair gel, canned goods, chips, and soda. It’s safe to say that the majority of this store is dedicated to the fast food side though. There are a couple booths to sit in, but don’t count on that restaurant feel or even that hole-​in-​the-​wall feel. You are sitting in a neighborhood market.
-=-Carne Asada Fries-​=- There really wasn’t a menu to read, but writing on a couple plates on the wall. None of them said Carne Asada Fries (or fritas), but I knew that this place had it from the reviews here. It clocks in at $ 6.50.
PROS:
There were some distinguishable features of these Carne Asada Fries: for one, there was plenty of it. There was enough fries to feed 2 moderately hungry men (or 1 me… I’m a beast). The meat was fresh and had a good pepper-​y flavor to it. I liked the parmesan cheese that was sprinkled on top in addition to the other cheese melted in.
CONS:
The heavy heavy neg = fat fries. Sad to say, it does not work. There is a time for fat fries and thin fries, but Carne Asada Fries is too delicate to tinker. I want my meat to overpower my potato.
There were chunks of tomato in here, but it wasn’t really diced tomatoes, but pico de gallo. Wasn’t a fan. Purely only beef, cheese, guacamole, and sour cream is enough flavor. Pico de gallo threw it off.
James s., my bud, I love ya and all, but let’s make a trip to San Diego (oh wait we already did). Let’s order every single type of carne asada fries known to man (oh wait we already did). Let’s bust out into random salsa dance at one of my favorite carne asada fries shops (oh wait we already did). Yezzir everyone, you heard it here first:
CARNE ASADA FRIES IS A RELIGION.

Located in a cute little spot just outside the shopping strip of busy Old Town Pasadena.
I’m a huge fan of carne asada fries.
They have amazing carne asada fries.
⁵⁄₅ but sometimes when I go there, they don’t have any carne asada. So one time chatting it up with the lovely Latin owner, I asked her for «Pollo Asada Fries». ¾ trolling, ¼ curious, she cooked it up and it was quite interesting. The second time she gave me ½ carne asada, ½ pollo (chicken) and that was quite delicious.
edit: I was trying to take a buddy there recently to find out that they’re closed. Such a shame, but they said they’d re-​open in 3 months or so.

After reading all the reviews I went and try the asada fries. They are very good and you can share them at least with 3 people

Everyone pretty much goes here for the carne asada fries. It’s a little market, but I’ve never actually bought anything here other than their carne asada fries. The people that work here are really nice. After you come a few times, they’ll recognize you, and they also offer free aguas frescas, which are really refreshing on a hot summer day. Okay, so to the carne asada fries. They’re good, but I’ve had better. The fries are frozen, pre-​packaged ones, but all the toppings are pretty much from scratch. The first few bites taste really good, but then after getting the first few tastes, you realize that it’s nothing too memorable.

Went here believing that the carne asada fries would be the best thing ever. Wish they were. The bf & friends loved it, devoured it, but it was just too much, well, stuff, for me. It definitely is a beast that will take some help to conquer, but if your into fully-​loaded (!!!) then this is something for you. Quirky place inside, but it’s not like you’re going in here expecting five-​star quality.
Wait was substantially longer than expected. No one else was there and they didn’t give us a reason for the wait. We watched some dvd they had on while we waited.
Parking was a little tough, but after circling twice we got a spot right on the corner.
Won’t be back here for myself, but it seems like the boys love it too much for them not to get these again.

I LOVE THEIR CARNE ASADA FRIES!!! I tried it for the first time today and it was AMAZING! I loved it! The restaurant/​store is a food place, but it also sells party stuff and clothes/​shoes. Its kind of weird. There are maybe 4 tables with 4 chairs each so this place is more of a TO-​GO place. However, how can you eat your carne asada fries soggy. So I ate it at the place with a friend and it was to die for. I am a new fan and I will always make the drive to pasadena for carne asada fries. I want to try some other things on the menu. The food is good and cheap.
The carne asada fries is SOOOOOOO BIG! I can feed about 2 – 3 people so plan on sharing. The lady who works there, might be the owner, is soooo nice! OH, This place is cash only so come with enough money!
You have to street park so it is a bit of a hassle, but there seems to be plenty of parking on the street! :) I will come back again!

I went to Amiguitos after reading the rave reviews over the asada fries. No, my amiguitos, I cannot and will not recommend this weird little joint. Yes, the fries portion is ginormous. Yes, it feeds a family of eight. But no, it is not Unilocal worthy. The frozen fries are overly greasy, the meat is dry, fatty and crispy, and the guacamole. well, on the day I went, they were out of avocados so I can’t even say. My husband and I, big eaters both, couldn’t bring ourselves to finish the order and let it go to waste. We also tried their tacos and weren’t impressed.
In addition, I just didn’t feel comfortable in this make-​shift eatery. It looks like a converted garage, the tables were dirty, and the atmosphere was uninviting. The random cheap merchandise on the walls gave a bad impression, too — I’m talkin’ socks, t-​shirts, toys, what have you. It’s a micro-​swap meet in Pasa.
Listen, I hesitated to write this review because the place is owned by a hard-​working family, but they need to clean up their image and run a more professional looking business. Or at least, make better asada fries.
I hope I’m not flagged for this because I assure you I’m a legit Unilocaler, but for truly great asada fries try My Taco in Highland Park. Buen provecho.

My husband and I have been looking for a good carne asada fries place near our house. We both have eaten in San Diego so of course it’s hard not to compare. We went to this place after looking at some Unilocal reviews. It didn’t disappoint.
The carne asada fries were awesome! Looked like homemade guacamole and green salsa + sour cream + pico de gallo + carne asada (of course). It was a huge amount of food that we couldn’t even finish between the two of us. We also ordered a Guatemalan tamale which was pretty dang good too.
Parking seems to be street parking only, but there was plenty of space. Also, cash only so make sure you have enough when you go.

If you’re reading this, than you probably have an idea what Mis Amiguitos is about. Carne Asada Fries. They’re ginormous, delicious, and have guacamole and sour cream. Funny how their most well known item is nowhere on their menu.
Parking was fine, but cash only.

$ 6.50 for carne asada fries and it is a meal that could feed 2 – 3 people easily and have leftovers. From the lone picture that was up before I thought it was just a small meal but i was wrong, dead wrong.
Those fries were huge! I was stuffed just eating a quarter of it but I pushed on to get to the halfway point. Big Mistake I did it again and ate till i felt nausea but i only get to this point when i have something really tasty in front of me and i know if its too much and i have leftovers to bring it home, someone is going to commit a robbery a minute i turn my back. Shady people i tell ya!
So i ate enough of it to fill myself up for the day and if someone happens to sneak some during the night I wouldnt mind bc i had my fill.
I can’t say nothing bad about this place, except parking is not the greatest.
will i be back?
hell yeah ill be back !

Final Decision: Best Carne Asada Fries N of SD
So my buddy Melvin was craving some fries and decided to Unilocal spots in LA and discovered this hidden gem. You drive up here and you arrive you’re thinking, WTH, a market? You walk in you see a grill some tables and a small mart that basically can resemble an Italian Deli/​Mart, except this is Latin American. So I proceeded to order the fries with that luscious marinated carne asada steak. Out pops a nice big box of freshly fried steak fries covered with a heaping mound of carne asada and guacamole. I have to admit, nothing beats fries in SD, but this definitely is a good 2^nd replacement when you can’t go 100+ miles to the border. Truly a hidden gem in LA.

Carne asada fries!
Yes, okay, so I’ve been trying to save my carne asada fries cherry for San Diego but I just never seem to get to it whenever I’m in SD. So, I went over to Mis Amiguitos to check out this mysterious delight.
The guy saw me pulling up, looking around the block and then when he realized I was going into his store, he followed me in and asked what I wanted…“tacos, burritos?“
I looked at the signage and said hesitantly, «carne asada fries?» as it was nowhere on the menu. He lit up and said, «okay, 8 minutes!»
After about 3 minutes, he gave me some «Mexican water.» It was bright pink and vaguely punch like. It was very kind of him to give me the drink on the house which he told his daughter (?) later when she was ringing me up.
When the fries were ready, he asked if I wanted guacamole which of course I did. I didn’t add anything else but in retrospect, maybe some sour cream would have been even more decadent.
The carne asada were tiny pieces. Not ground beef small but definitely smaller than what would be in a carne asada taco. I’d have to try it to see if it comes the same way. It was good but I did want bigger pieces. The fries themselves were great. Freshly fried and seasoned, they were wonderful. There bits of chopped jalepeno and onion it as well. I think extra salsa would have been an overkill.
My friend and I could not finish the box though! $ 6.48 (tax included) for all that!
I am interested in the combination plates which comes with a lot of food! 3 tacos, chips, and a drink for $ 4.99 isn’t bad. Or 2 sopes, chips and a drink or maybe one of the other combos. But what was even better was the handwritten board of specialties. On Sundays, they serve menudo and posole.
The rest of the store is fairly small. They had a random assortment of general kitchen stuff, spices, Mexican bread, a wacky Hello Kitty pudding dispenser and other charming toys.
The rainbow striped walls outside, the cheerful attitude of the guy and the clean shelves made it a generally nice place. I’d come back here more often if I lived in the area. There’s fierce competition north of the 210 freeway on Fair Oaks for tacos (La Estrella is just a block away) so I can imagine the rest of the food must be good.
Or I can just come back for carne asada fries!

«A single order of carne asada fries to split with my love and a pork tamale to go please! «
Nestled snuggly between two stores lies this colorful building, the rainbow circus if you will. You certainly can’t miss it!
In search of establishments creating the infamously San Diego street meal of carne asada fries and reading other reviews on Unilocal,I was led to Mis Amiguitos where they do in fact treat you like friends. Star for that!
I appreciated that my fries were made to order instead of getting stale or heat lamp fries. The box wasn’t as full as I had anticipated in comparison to other places that serve this kind of fare so minus one for that.
The fries were seasoned well, the avocados for the guacamole were perfectly ripe and the steak was so full of flavor. I liked the components seperately but together as a whole made it just okay.
I had envisioned the tamales made with love, from an old family recipe and to taste out of this world and since it came straight from a smaller establishment and didn’t follow a corporate recipe I had hoped it would tast amazing. Sadly, it didn’t. Instead the masa was sparse and salty and the pork too was sparse and flavorless leaving for a thin tamale.
I had crossed my fingers in hopes of finding a little hole in the wall that served some great carne asada fries and tamales but left expecting better and wanting more –elsewhere.

This friendly little Mexican market serves up some rather tasty grub. I first came here just before Christmas, on Gerard’s suggestion. I accomplished my mission of procuring some tamales for the holiday, and they were pretty good — especially the pork & red sauce. Not quite Erica C.‘s mom’s (
), but they did the trick. And, they make them year round, in several varieties. $ 1.50 each.
Today, however, I was on a very different mission: carne asada fries. And once again, mission accomplished! I have to say, this one almost made my list of «The Top Ten Deadliest Meals I’ve Ever Eaten» — just barely bumped out of tenth place by three (3) bacon-​wrapped hot dogs (which this place also serves, by the way). Of course, any food that deadly must be delicious… and it certainly was. Delicious, I mean.

I went to this place after the thread about carne asada fries popped up. I, too, am from San Diego, and carne asada fries /​California burritos are my favorite of all foods, so finding somewhere in LA that allegedly has them was an immediate must-​visit.
As far as the carne asada fries go, they were ok. If you live in LA and haven’t had San Diego mexican food, you’ll probably love them. LA mexican food sucks. I don’t understand how just 2 hours away you can get the best mexican food anywhere and that none of it makes its way up here.
The carne asada didn’t taste like carne asada. It tasted like ground beef. The fries were good. Think fast food, like Rally’s fries. Get the sour cream. The salsa was decent.
This place is a much-​needed step in the right direction even carrying carne asada fries, but they do leave a little bit to be desired. It’s worth a try for sure if you haven’t had them before or just need some and don’t want to drive too far. but if you want the real deal, this is no comparison and no substitution.

Hmmm. Well. I’ve had better. I wanted this place to be a new find, and maybe if I was a carne asada eater, it would have been better.
So the banana water was great. As was the cheese/​poblano chile tamale. Really excellent: moist, flavorful, a few pieces of tomato thrown into the mix, the cheese nice and chewy/​flavorful.
But… the chilequiles? Yuck. I’ve never quite figured out how the good spots keep their tortilla pieces kind of crisp in the yummy sauce, but try them here, and you’ll know how important those factors are. The soggy tortilla chips with the so-​so red sauce? I’d only eat them if that was the last thing in the refrigerator on a desert island.
The black bean and cheese tamale — purchased at the urging of the very cool, friendly lady behind the counter — was dry, and the beans tasted like maybe the bottom layer in the bean pan got a little crusty burned before they got put in the tamale.
The side of refried pinto beans were ok. The rice on the side was frankly a little strange tasting.
I really have to say the ladies behind the counter were very friendly, and encouraging us to try new things, and I love the feeling they create in the little market…
But, would I go back? Maybe with my meat eatin’, high metabolism’d guy pals, and watch them drool over their carne asada fries… Or maybe in a desperate moment, hungry for a $ 2 cheese tamale. But there are more consistent tamale spots around here. Not a new spot for me.

The call went out yesterday. As soon as I walked in to work, the my staff hit me up, «where are the carne asada fries?» I was like, «come again»?
A few weeks ago I shot my mouth off and mentioned theses fries, it was time to cash in some chips.
Cool. I made a phone call and that’s all she wrote.
We have a really short crew (in terms of evening staff), so instead of buying individual orders of fries, I asked if they could be combined into a platter. Yes was the answer.
I picked up the platter (this afternoon) and they let me borrow the «charola» (platter), and away I went to fulfill my staff’s hungry appetities… or should I say rabies?
The carne asada fries, as usual, were paired up with some Jarritos Tamarindo and Sangria (non-​alcoholic) beverages.

Fries.
Seasoned fries.
Seasoned fries covered in carne asada.
Carne asada fries.
Carne asada fries covered in fresh salsa.
Carne asada fries covered in fresh salsa and a whole avacado’s worth of guac.
Awesome carne asada fries.
Awesome carne asada fries were in front of my face.
Awesome carne asada fries were in front of my face and are now in my belly.
Awesome…
(And that, my friends, is why I don’t write poetry.)
**SEE PICTURES POSTED**

Gerard, you are awesome.
_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​_​
You cant accidentally pass by this place. its painted bright colored stripes that make you feel obligated to walk right in. its hot and steamy inside… but thats because the two ladies are gettin down on the grill! dont think nasty… you perv. im talkin about them makin tamales and servin up some real home cookin.
i made the decision that i would travel far and wide to find some Carne Asada Fries that made me feel like i was down south in SD… and this was location #2. theres no menu, so you better know what you want when you get there. so i ordered what i wanted. well, actually, my asian bf ordered what i wanted because he was the one who spoke spanish. (3 years of spanish class did absolutely nothing for me.) i watched her put some fries in the deep fryer and throw some meat in an iron cast skillet on the stove… i could taste it already!
i looked around the store while the food was cookin. they seriously had everything i could ever need. if i wanted bananas, pan de leche, shampoo, or a toy for my little cousin… they had it.
we stood at the counter because she was almost done preparing the Fries… the container it was in wouldnt even close! «this is my favorite place» i said out loud and we all had a good laugh about it. we had picked out a few items as well
pelon: $ 0.50
bandanna: $ 1.00
AZ iced tea: $ 1.00(?) it was cheap, thats all i remember
AND $ 5 for an exploding styrofoam container of fries, meat, cheese, homemade guacamole, and chunky pico de gallo. they had sour cream but we forgot to ask for it… next time tho!
and the verdict?
the carne asada has probably be marinating for dayssssss. its the best meat ive ever had. i cant even find the words to describe it. and the pico de gallo wasnt just your typical tomatoes/​cilantro/​onion mixture, there were serrano chillies! it was spicy as hell itself and we really didnt need the salsa roja we had asked for. and thank gawd the fries were probably fried in trans fat-​included oil… it just tastes better that way!
i will be back soon… and i’ll ask for sour cream. and a california burrito next.