Little Amigos | Mexican

About Little Amigos | Mexican

Little Amigos is a Mexican restaurant and bar on Weld Street in Redwoodtown, Blenheim, serving fresh, home-cooked Mexican food prepared with the freshest ingredients. Corn chips are made in-house, salsas are roasted in the kitchen, and the fillings take their time — pork slow cooked for carnitas, beef braised in the restaurant's own chipotle marinade, prawns flash fried to order.

The menu covers all the Mexican favourites: starters from queso fundido to ceviche tostadas, tacos in flour or corn tortillas, griddled quesadillas, oversized burritos and fajitas arriving sizzling on cast iron plates. There's a specials board with loaded nachos, carne asada and a chipotle beef burger, a dedicated kids menu, and a dessert list built around deep-fried chimichangas, churros and sopapillas. Behind the bar, the team pours great flavoured margaritas.

Little Amigos takes reservations online, offers online ordering for those eating at home, and sells gift vouchers. It is open Wednesday evenings and Thursday to Sunday for lunch and dinner sessions, with last main course food orders at 8pm.

Little Amigos Blenheim: Home-Cooked Mexican, Sizzling Fajitas and Margaritas on Weld Street

Little Amigos is a Mexican restaurant and bar on Weld Street in Redwoodtown, Blenheim, and its kitchen runs on a simple idea the team puts plainly on their website: fresh, home-cooked Mexican food, all prepared with the freshest ingredients. That promise shows up in the small things — corn chips made in-house, salsas roasted in the kitchen, avocado smashed to order with lime and coriander — and in the slower things, like pork shoulder cooked down for carnitas and beef braised in the restaurant's own chipotle marinade.

The room is casual and family-friendly, with a bar pouring what the owners describe as great flavoured margaritas. It is the kind of place where a basket of warm corn chips lands on the table first and dinner arrives on sizzling cast iron.

From warm corn chips to sizzling fajitas

The starters and snacks list sets the tone. There are popper bites of spicy jalapeno and cheese served with homemade salsa and sour cream, Mexican spiced shoestring fries, and queso fundido — a homemade cheese dip studded with Mexican chorizo and peppers. Seafood makes an early appearance too, with ceviche tostadas of fresh fish and prawns cooked in lime juice and finished with cucumber, chilli and pickled jalapeno.

Then come the plates the kitchen is best known for. Fajitas arrive on a sizzling cast iron plate, a mix of sliced onion and red, green and yellow capsicum in the house spice blend, with three tortillas, guacamole, sour cream and cheese on the side — choose beef steak, chicken, prawns or vegetables. Carne asada pairs thinly sliced marinated steak with Mexican rice, refried beans and pickled red onions, while beef enchiladas come wrapped in corn tortillas under a rich red sauce. Nachos can be loaded with pork, beef, chicken, carne con chilli or vegetables and smothered in cheese queso. For something unexpected, the Mexican beef burger stacks a homemade chipotle and cumin brisket patty with smoked cheese and avocado sauce, served alongside Mexican fries.

Tacos, quesadillas and burritos

The taco list covers pork carnitas made from slow cooked Boston butt, pulled and crisped; chipotle-marinated beef; buttermilk fried chicken; grilled vegetables; and flash fried prawns tossed in a spicy habanero sour cream — all served in your choice of flour or corn tortilla. Quesadillas fold the same fillings into cheese-stuffed, griddled tortillas, while the burritos go large: big flour tortillas rolled around carnitas, slow cooked beef, buttermilk chicken, prawns or Mexican spiced vegetables with lettuce, cheese, guacamole, salsa, sour cream and refried beans.

Younger diners get a menu of their own, with a mini quesadilla and chicken nuggets and fries, and vegetarian eaters are catered for across nearly every section of the menu.

Deep-fried desserts and margaritas

Dessert is where Little Amigos leans fully into the fryer. The sopapilla is a crisp fried tortilla dusted in cinnamon sugar with melted butter and a lime-and-honey drizzle; churros come with chocolate and caramel sauces and cream. The chimichangas are the signature — an apple pie version rolled with cinnamon and brown sugar apples and served with caramel, and a giant banana chimichanga built for sharing, drizzled with chocolate sauce and served with cream. Ask at the counter which ice cream flavours are on for a sundae.

And then there are the margaritas, the first thing the team mentions about the venue — a proper adult counterpoint to all that cinnamon sugar.

Planning your visit

Little Amigos sits at 91 Weld Street in Blenheim. It opens Wednesday evenings from 4.30pm, then runs two sessions Thursday through Sunday — lunch from noon to 2pm and dinner from 4.30pm — with last main course food orders at 8pm. Monday and Tuesday the kitchen is dark. Reservations can be made online, there is an online ordering service for those eating at home, and gift vouchers are available. Keep an eye on the restaurant's Facebook and Instagram pages for the latest.

Signature items

• Fajitas
• Carnitas Burrito
• Habanero Prawn Taco
• Nachos
• Apple Pie Chimichangas
• Margaritas

Menu

Tacos

• Pork Carnitas Taco — Slow cooked pork shoulder, pulled and lightly crisped, topped with onion, tomato, coriander, cheese, cabbage and sour cream.
• Beef Taco — Slow cooked beef in the house chipotle marinade with spring onions, coriander, cheese, shredded cabbage and sour cream.
• Buttermilk Chicken Taco — Marinated chicken breast in Mexican spices, deep fried crispy, topped with lettuce, tomato, onion and chipotle sour cream.
• Vegetarian Taco — Grilled mixed vegetables in Mexican spices with lettuce, tomato, onion, homemade salsa and sour cream.
• Habanero Prawn Taco — Flash fried prawns tossed in spicy habanero sour cream with shredded cabbage, tomato, red onion and cheese.

Burritos

• Carnitas Burrito — Large flour tortilla rolled with carnitas pork, cheese, guacamole, roasted salsa, sour cream, refried beans and lettuce.
• Beef Burrito — Large flour tortilla rolled with slow cooked beef, cheese, guacamole, roasted salsa, sour cream, refried beans and lettuce.
• Chicken Burrito — Large flour tortilla rolled with buttermilk fried chicken, cheese, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, rice and refried beans.
• Prawn Burrito — Large flour tortilla rolled with flash fried prawns, cheese, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, rice and refried beans.
• Vegetarian Burrito — Large flour tortilla rolled with Mexican spiced vegetables, cheese, guacamole, salsa, sour cream, refried beans and lettuce.

Desserts

• Sopapilla — Crisp fried tortillas dusted with cinnamon sugar, served with melted butter and a lime and honey drizzle.
• Giant Banana Chimichanga — A whole banana in cinnamon sugar and chocolate sauce, wrapped in a tortilla, deep fried crisp and served with chocolate sauce and cream.
• Apple Pie Chimichangas — Apple cooked with cinnamon and brown sugar in a deep fried flour tortilla, served with caramel sauce and icing sugar.
• Churros — Served with chocolate sauce, caramel sauce and cream.
• Ice Cream Sundae — Ask for the flavours available on the day.

Specials

• Nachos — Warm corn chips topped with pork, beef, chicken, carne con chilli or vegetables, smothered in cheese queso with guacamole, salsa and sour cream.
• Mexican Beef Burger — Homemade chipotle and cumin infused brisket patty in a toasted bun with smoked cheese, pickled jalapeno and avocado sauce, served with Mexican fries.
• Carne Asada — Thinly sliced marinated steak with Mexican rice, refried beans, pickled red onions, three tortillas, sour cream and coriander.
• Fajitas — Sizzling cast iron plate of onions and capsicum in the house spice blend with three tortillas, guacamole, sour cream and cheese; beef, chicken, prawns or vegetarian.
• Beef Enchiladas — Slow cooked beef wrapped in corn tortillas, coated in a rich red sauce with cheese, sour cream and coriander, served with rice and refried beans.

Kids Menu

• Mini Quesadilla — Flour tortilla filled with cheese and pulled pork, beef or vegetables, folded and grilled crisp, served with sour cream.
• Chicken Nuggets & Fries — Seven crispy fried nuggets served with shoestring fries and ketchup.

Quesadillas

• Pulled Pork Quesadilla — Flour tortilla filled with cheese and pulled pork, folded and grilled crisp, with guacamole, sour cream and salsa.
• Beef Quesadilla — Flour tortilla filled with slow cooked shredded beef and cheese, grilled crisp, with guacamole, sour cream and salsa.
• Chicken Quesadilla — Flour tortilla filled with buttermilk fried chicken and cheese, grilled crisp, with guacamole, sour cream and salsa.
• Vegetarian Quesadilla — Flour tortilla filled with grilled vegetables and cheese, grilled crisp, with guacamole, sour cream and salsa.
• Prawn Quesadilla — Flour tortilla filled with prawns and cheese, folded and grilled crisp, with guacamole, sour cream and salsa.

Starters & Snacks

• Popper Bites (8) — Spicy jalapeno and cheese bites served with homemade salsa and sour cream.
• Salsa & Chips — Basket of warm homemade corn chips with homemade roasted salsa.
• Chimichangas — Flour tortillas filled with cheese and a choice of beef, pork or vegetables, deep fried until crisp and golden, served with salsa.
• Guacamole and Corn Chips — Smashed avocado with tomato, onion, lime juice and coriander, served with homemade corn chips.
• Pico de Gallo and Corn Chips — Chopped tomato, onion, jalapeno and coriander with fresh lime juice and homemade corn chips.
• Ceviche Tostadas — Fresh fish and prawns cooked in lime juice with peppers, red onion, cucumber, chilli and pickled jalapeno on crisp tostadas.
• Queso Fundido — Homemade cheese dip with Mexican chorizo, peppers and coriander, served with warm corn chips.
• Mexican Fries — Basket of Mexican spiced shoestring fries served with aioli or ketchup.
• Carne con Chilli — Beef mince cooked with herbs, spices and red kidney beans, served with sour cream and warm corn chips.

Frequently asked questions

Where is Little Amigos located?

At 91 Weld Street, Blenheim 7201, New Zealand.

What are the opening hours?

Closed Monday and Tuesday. Wednesday opens 4.30pm to 8pm; Thursday to Sunday run two sessions, 12pm to 2pm and 4.30pm to 8pm. 8pm is the cut-off for last main course food orders.

Can I book a table?

Yes, reservations can be made through the online booking system on the website, or by calling 03 577 5677.

Can I order takeaway or delivery?

Online ordering is available through the Little Amigos website for those who would rather eat at home.

Are there vegetarian options?

Yes — vegetarian tacos, quesadillas, burritos, nachos and fajitas, plus starters like guacamole, pico de gallo and salsa with homemade corn chips.

Is there a kids menu?

Yes, it includes a mini quesadilla with a choice of pulled pork, beef or vegetables, and chicken nuggets served with shoestring fries.

Do they sell gift vouchers?

Yes, gift vouchers can be purchased online via the website.

Tips

• {"body":"Thursday to Sunday service runs 12pm to 2pm and again 4.30pm to 8pm, and the kitchen takes last main course orders at 8pm — arrive with time to spare.","title":"Mind the split sessions"}
• {"body":"The restaurant opens just one evening session on Wednesdays (4.30pm to 8pm) and is closed completely on Monday and Tuesday.","title":"Wednesday is dinner only"}
• {"body":"Tables can be reserved online or by phone on 03 577 5677, which is handy for the popular Thursday-to-Sunday dinner sessions.","title":"Book ahead for dinner"}
• {"body":"The apple pie chimichangas and the giant banana chimichanga come deep fried to order with sauces and cream — ideal for splitting.","title":"Share a dessert chimichanga"}
• {"body":"Use the online ordering link on the website to get your tacos, burritos and nachos to go.","title":"Skip the wait with online ordering"}

Good to know

• {"family":"Kids menu with mini quesadillas and chicken nuggets & fries","dietary":"Vegetarian choices across the tacos, quesadillas, burritos, nachos and fajitas"}