Monday Munchies is supported by Botanica.
Amelia’s Mexican Kitchen is a restaurant that pays homage to the rich heritage of Mexican cuisine while embracing innovation and creativity.
The first location, found at 5553 E. Grant Rd., has been open for three-plus years now, and the spot at 5851 N. Oracle Rd. next to Gourmet Girls opened in early 2024.
Each of their dishes offers folks a journey through time with recipes that have been lovingly passed down for generations.
Named after his beloved grandmother, Amelia, Owner and chef, Jose Contreras, infuses every dish with the spirit and flavors of his family’s culinary traditions. For instance, time-honored classics such as enchiladas, chilaquiles, quesabirria, and tamales, each crafted with his grandmother’s style in mind.
Tuesdays are dedicated to the tradition of Taco Tuesdays with taco deals stealing the spotlight, but you can order their tacos any day of the week. Monday Munchies, Tuesday Munchies, Wednesday Munchies — doesn’t matter when you’re hungry.
Amelia’s street tacos include onions, cilantro, and your choice of carne asada, carnitas, grilled chicken, chicken habanero, ground beef, birria, pastor, veggie, beer battered fish, beer-battered shrimp, jaas (asada, cheese, and green chili), and azteca (asada, cheese, and nopal).
If you’re in the mood for something extra special, check out the quesabirria tacos.
In recent years, the Amelia’s team has won awards at the Salsa, Tequila & Taco Challenge hosted by SAACA — they won an honor for their quesabirria tacos and then took first place for best salsa.
Amelia’s Mexican Kitchen is located at 5851 N. Oracle Rd. and at 5553 E. Grant Rd. For more information, visit ameliasfood.com and follow Amelia’s on Instagram.
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Article written by:
Matt Sterner
More about MattAt a very young age, Matt Sterner was gifted with the artistic ability to masterfully roll a burrito to the highest of standards, but the wrapped medley of delicious innards wasn’t his first love. Matt’s first true love was a combination of reading, writing, and creating. He grew up reading comics, the ingredients list of his shampoo and conditioner bottles, choose-your-own-adventure books, and the Scrabble dictionary — something he found useful when challenging his grandmother to a game.
He attended college at New Mexico State University and graduated with a degree in Digital Filmmaking. One of his favorite classes was screenwriting because he became responsible for the story’s birth before it came to life on-screen. After school, Matt took on numerous positions at a local television station in Tucson. From dealing out stories about heartbreak to producing “fluffier” content for a lifestyle broadcast, he learned what it takes to adapt to the many emotions the world of media can stir. Since 2017, Matt has dabbled in the culinary world of Tucson as well as San Diego, California from time to time.
If you’re in the mood for strange stories, head over to his pride and joy, wonkytimes.com. And in case you’re curious — yes, after all of this time, he still manages to roll a killer burrito.
