It’s like Mexico in my mouth. The spices from south-of-the-border tingle on my lips. I wash images of sombreros and ponchos down my esophagus with a crisp Corona. I have one thing to say: Me gusta la comida mucho!

Mexican bar and restaurant Amigos Locos has opened in Aghia Paraskevi. It’s everything an American living in Greece didn’t expect it to be: Mexican! Or Mexican-American, more fittingly. Anybody familiar with Mexican cuisine in the United States will definitely appreciate the menu.

There’s a little bit of everything for everyone. It combines the American favorites of TGI Friday’s and Applebee’s, and introduces a Mexican tequila twist to the Greek mélange of multicultural food choices. From onion rings, to loaded potato skins, to chicken Caesar salad, to beef burgers, to fajitas, to tacos and burritos, even the pickiest eaters will find something to appease their appetites.

I devoured the Tijuana Special. This dish includes an eyes-bigger-than-my-stomach slab of schnitzel blanketed in the most beautiful layer of melted cheese I’ve ever seen (and I’m a KRAFT kid!). As a starter, my meal companion and I split a chicken Caesar salad with REAL Caesar dressing! It was an awe-inspiring meal.

“The food was excellent. I had no idea what to expect. This place is nice. Very original,” said senior Aleksander Schwenzner. His platter of choice was the sizzling steak fajitas. “Wow,” is all he had to say.

And the environment couldn’t be more appropriate for this type of “spicy, but not too spicy” food, said Schwenzner.

An elaborate centerpiece of cacti greeted us when we first walked in. Mexican blankets, ponchos and sombreros adorn the walls. If it weren’t for the sweeping view of Starbucks across the street and the adjacent bar-restaurant, Octoberfest, I would’ve sworn I’d flown to the land of Tequila worms and over-the-counter drugs.

Our waiter, George Papadakis, asked us immediately if we were Deree students. Upon hearing our reply, he informed us that “all students from the American College receive a 10 percent discount on all of their meals if they present their IDs, everyday until 8 p.m.”

Not bad, eh?

Amigos Locos is definitely a pleasant surprise. Even if Mexican isn’t your tequila shot of choice, it’s worth checking out at least once or twice. Adios!