Tomatillo Amsterdam – Tex-Mex To Go

I have mentioned before how hard it is to find good Mexican food in Amsterdam and recommended Los Pilones as one of the only authentic options. So I immediately made a mental note when I read about Tomatillo on vegetarian duck.

Tomatillo is located on Overtoom, has a small dining room but mostly does take away. The menu has all the staples like burritos, fajitas and tacos. Most are available with different kinds of meat including steak, chicken and pork. There are also some vegetarian options such as a vegetarian tostada. Service is friendly and you can call in ahead and have your food ready for pick up. They don’t do deliveries.

The first time I tried Tomatillo I went for a fajita with pork, always one of my favorites. It was very good with plenty of pork, lettuce, beans all rolled up in a tasty soft tortilla. The burrito, filled with rice and meat is also very good. I liked the tacos that I tried on another occasion less as the tortilla was hard and had no flavor.

What’s most remarkable, as unlikely as it may sound to many readers, is that Tomatillo is one of the few places in Amsterdam that serves proper corn chips. Simple chips with a sauce, rather than greasy Doritos with some sort of cheese or paprika coating.

I’ve been back several times as Tomatillo has become my go to place for Mexican take out!

tomatillo amsterdam

Tomatillo – www.tomatillo.nl
Overtoom 261
1054 HW Amsterdam
Tel.: +31 (0)20 6833086

15 thoughts on “Tomatillo Amsterdam – Tex-Mex To Go”

  1. Hard to imagine a place as good as los pilones, but next time I am back in Amsterdam, I’ll give this a try!

  4. Hi Joe,

    Good one! I’ve indeed heard good things about The Taco Shop but haven’t had a chance to try it out yet.

    Sounds like I need to make a trip soon!

    –dutchgrub

  5. This is the best Tex-Mex food in Amsterdam bar none and I should know I lived in Texas for 37 years. I have had pretty the whole menu-my favorites are the Steak Burrito which I always think I will save half to put in my lunch box the next day (Texas size portions as well) but seem to polish it off in the one sitting because it is soooo good. I would walk a mile through hot coals for their HUEVOS RANCHEROS. Don’t forget their Mango Liquido…I take mine home and add a shot of vodka. Beats a los pilones mango margarita any day.

  6. Ha ha! Nice!

    The portions are definitely big and I will certainly try spicing up one of their Liquados next time!

    –dutchgrub

  7. No offense but Los Pilones is pretty bad and so is the Taco Shop.

    Tomatillo however is amazing.

    It was just down the street from me and it became a religious habit.
    Grilled chicken tacos with pineapple salsa on yellow corn tacos ( you have to ask for it ) – so good. Worth ordering there to get it nice and fresh.

    Also their rhubarb crumble is insanely good – it has aniseed in it!

    Still my favourite place, even over US tex mex joints.

  8. Hi Theo,

    Sounds like you’re a huge fan of Tomatillo!

    All of Los Pilones, The Taco Shop and Tomatillo have their flaws. So I guess I’m just glad that the availability of Mexican food has improved significantly since the days Rose’s Cantina on Reguliersdwarsstraat was the only option.

    I crave Mexican every now and then (especially lately before or after one of the beer fueled World Cup parties…) and finally have several good options!

    –dutchgrub

  9. Hey, there’s nothing wrong with the Taco Shop, except it’s mediocrity and the fact that it’s too far from my house.

    I make the pilgrimage once every couple months, and on my way I pass both Tomatillo and My Burrito. I check their menus, notice the burrito costs more than 8 euros (!), and proceed to the Taco Shop (6.50, I think). It’s true they have proper corn chips, but it’s also true that it’s quite mediocre. No tomatillo sauce (though they make a nice chile verde pork burrito), no black beans, and their hot sauce won’t wake the dead (as it should, right?).

    And they don’t sell beer (the only proper accompaniment to burritos), so I have to ride all the way home and re-heat before eating. Quite an ordeal, but it’s filling, reasonably good, and reasonably cheap.

    And this is my point: We Americans from Out West grew up with our own standard for Mexican food, which most places in Northern Europe just don’t do. And while Los Pilones is a welcome treat for their tomatillo and salsa mexicana, it’s kind of pricey, and maybe a bit too ‘authentic’ (ie really Mexican) for what we gringos crave: Lots and lots of beans and rice and spicy salsa for about a fiver. The gold standard is the giant, cheap burrito; the staple of San Francisco’s Mission district. Fajitas and flautas and mole can wait and in line until Amsterdam gets the burrito right.

    Organic ingredients? That price tag is a bit of a turn-off, but I’ll try Tomatillo next time for sure. I hope it hits all the other requirements.

  11. I’ve been here 12 years, having been transplanted directly from Denver, home of some of the best mexican man has known, and for the first 9 years I felt like I’d been doing penance for some terrible sin I’ve made… Los Margarita and Rose’s were the only ones I knew of and they were on a scale of bad that only Beelzebub could appreciate.

    Taco Shop was a lifesaver – say what you want to disparage it, but once I dug into a pork burrito there, I decided I could actually live in this town.

    I’ve tried Los Pilones, and perhaps it’s “more authentic” to central Mexico, but not to my midwestern gringo tex-mex sensibilities. I’ve been three times, twice too many, and I always found myself back at the Taco Shop.

    Yesterday however, I tried Tomatillo for the first time – and loved it. It’s got better quality ingredients than Taco Shop (which is still fine for what it is), closer to Los Pilones, but not nearly as expensive or pretentious. If Taco Shop is your Amsterdam-knockoff of a cheap-and-cheerful taquería, Tomatillo is a knockoff-Chipotle. Like you said, there are tradeoffs to all these joints, but I feel the most at home with Tomatillo and the Taco Shop; they hit me square in the comfort-food zone.

    Sure, Tomatillo is more fresh and natural, like the ideal girl-next-door, but sometimes you just want the cheap-and-fun cheerleader. Taco Shop will always have a place in my heart, but I think I’d go home to Tomatillo…

  12. My NYC friend and I just ate lunch at Tomatillo for the first time today and loved it. Excellent, we already have been checking out what’s on the menu for next time. Great that a lot of ingredients are organic, including the meat. Everything seems to be made with love and good ingredients. Has the best guacamole I have ever tasted in the Netherlands. Non alcoholic drinks are yummy too. Good value, good sizes – inexpensive considering they are using organic foods. Friendly service.

  13. I have been to Los Pilones and i dont know where the word “authentic” comes into play. Im not trying to be mean because I have been living in Europe now for about 8 years (in Germany 5 years before NL) so you will never find a Mexican equivalent to a good Taco truck in California where I’m from, but honestly I found better “Mexican”(more like tex mex)in Germany than here.

    I went to Los Pilones based of reviews from here and was disappointed. If you dare use the term “authentic” than the chips you serve when i sit down should be deep fried tortillas, ideally freshly fried. The chips we got were store bought, A non flavored dorito like chips, the salsas were good from what i remember. I think i ordered the enchiladas and asked what kind of cheese came on them , hoping to get an answer like of Queso Mexicano ,cotija , but the server just said she didn’t know and she assumed it came with a dutch cheese…….

    I didn’t try there burrito but after that first experience i don’t know if i would go back,good Tequila doesn’t make up for that. Again I know i am setting my standard to high but that partly comes from the word “authentic” being used for this place.

    I have been to Tomatillo and that was better the basics were there but I do wish they would add a bit more flavor. I don’t know if they don’t marinade the chicken or maybe it wasn’t marinaded long enough the day i came in but it lacked punch and flavor that could be simply added with time and simple ingredients.

    i had the carnitas burrito and I have the same comment a good base of ingredients as far as meat was concerned but needed the flavors that come with long slow cooking process and proper marinade. Again i put them to harder standard because they are actually good By European Mexican food standards and because I feel they could easily make it better with the right adjustments.i would go there again though since its the closest so far to a decent tex mex style food in Amsterdam, right now i would compare it too a watered down version CHIPOTLE in the US, i am going there again just to see if i got them on an off day as far as flavors are concerned

    I know there will never be a true Mexican restaurant as it seem from my time here the Dutch palette seems too be muted for some reason and they don’t tend to go for spicy. I will try the Taco Shop as i have heard some goo things here and from some British friends but to be honest i don’t trust British taste buds when it comes to Mexican food so i think Tomatillo will be better. I trust them for Curries as i have learned a ton about curries from my British friends and am more likely to follow their rec. for a curry joint.

    I know i sound maybe harsh but know this i come in wanting to love the place because i want a go to Mexican like place that is decent. I am not coming in with a bad attitude im pulling for for the restaurant to do good because that would make me happy. I guess until then i can try Tomatillo and luckily I have a standout Indian food place around the corner to take care of my spiciness cravings.

  14. Hi mrarandia,

    No worries, we appreciate all opinions, especially the more critical ones, and I definitely give you a lot of credit for explaining very well and in much detail where you’re coming from.

    I lived in Arizona a long time ago and know exactly what you’re looking for. But I’ve also lived in Amsterdam for a long time and can assure you that the availability of Mexican food has improved incredibly due to Los Pilones, Tomatillo and the Taco Shop. A few years ago, you were simply out of luck. Today I feel like you have at least an Amsterdam-authentic option available, and I know many people who had been frustrated about the lack of good Mexican fare but now have found a way to satisfy that burrito with a XX craving!

    I guess people who’ve been here for a while have learned to put things into perspective…

    –dutchgrub

  15. I am from Texas, and for my money, Tomatillo is much, much MUCH better than Los Pilones. And I still tend to go to Los Pilones a lot. Important tip: Tomatillo delivers! I live in Westerpark, so not in Tomatillo’s immediate hood but service is always speedy.

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