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Los Amigos adds a second location, this time to Smith Mountain Lake, creating generous helpings of both delicious food and beautiful settings.
Smith Mountain Lake has added a new restaurant to its lakeside offerings. And though it debuted at a most imperfect time, Los Amigos is proving to be the perfect fit for its new digs.
Jimmy Santos moved to Roanoke from Honduras in 2000, when he was 20 years old. He came to be with his family and quickly made the restaurant world his own. Santos worked in every facet of dining, from dishwashing to management. He spent time in Virginia Beach and Greenville, South Carolina, always with an eye for observing and a mind for learning, no matter what position he occupied.
In 2017, while managing a restaurant in Roanoke, Santos met Billy Orr, a local contractor and entrepreneur. The two discovered they had a mutual love for Latin American inspired food and a desire to see this cuisine find new levels of expression. After a week-long cooking frenzy in Santos’s kitchen where Santos wowed Orr with his culinary prowess, the two committed to a partnership and finding Santos’s cuisine a home.
Los Amigos–“the friends”–opened its first location in 2018 on Brambleton Avenue. Within months, Santos and Orr were looking for a larger location. In June 2019, they moved to Towers Shopping Center. Not only was their new place bigger, it had a large outdoor patio for extra seating–a feature Santos says in hindsight was a complete gift.
“I thank God every day for the vision to find a new location,” says Santos, reflecting on how their outdoor spaces–both at Towers and Smith Mountain Lake–would become a lifeline during the worldwide pandemic no one saw coming.
The Los Amigos Towers location had only been open five months when Santos received a phone call from the management of Crazy Horse Marina at Smith Mountain Lake. They knew Santos from his prior work managing the restaurant located there, and asked if he would be interested in taking it over. Before saying yes, Santos insisted they come to Roanoke and eat at Los Amigos. He wanted them to know exactly the quality of food, service and atmosphere they would be adding to their establishment.
On January 1, 2020, Santos and Orr took over the Smith Mountain Lake restaurant. After extensive remodeling work both inside and out, the second location of Los Amigos was ready to open. They chose March 16, 2020. It was an overwhelming and happy reception.
“We had a great response,” says Santos of their opening week. “Everyone was so glad we were here. I know this community from when I worked here before. So, it was lots of hugs and welcoming.”
One week later, Los Amigos, along with every other restaurant in Virginia, was ordered to close their doors. Santos says he was in shock. But his view of the COVID-19 pandemic was not without hope.
“I remember I sat down over in that corner,” says Santos pointing to a table and chairs set against a wall of windows. “And I looked out at the lake and said, ‘You know what? I’ve come so far for this. I’m not going to give up.’ In Honduras, people are always adjusting to the situation in front of them. They don’t have a lot. Every day they have to take as it comes. So, this COVID-19? I think, we have food, we can feed our staff, we’re still alive. This makes me very happy.”
Santos says he prayed for guidance and developed a plan. First, he considered how Los Amigos could serve the local community through delivery, curbside and dockside pick-ups. Next, he had an honest conversation with his staff. He told them the most he could offer were daily meals. There was no money to pay them. He would understand if they left. No one did. It was a rough way to start a restaurant for sure. But Santos kept believing and stayed patient.
Santos’s way of approaching life from an abundant mindset shows up in his food. The Los Amigos menu is built on a foundation of abundance: fresh, gluten-free, non-GMO and–as much as possible–organic ingredients. Santos says this means he’s paying much more for ingredients and has to search harder to find things like non-GMO tortilla shells. But these efforts are what sets Los Amigos apart.
When I dine at Los Amigos I take full advantage of its promise on freshness. I especially enjoy ordering those items where you can truly taste the difference. For me, this begins with a Los Amigos’ margarita, made with only freshly squeezed fruit and in-house made mixes. I’ve tried several different varieties and have yet to meet one I didn’t like.
Next are appetizers. My husband and I often order the seared ahi tuna de la playa. The seared ahi tuna is drizzled in a fine tasting soy ginger sauce with fresh avocado surrounding it. We also like the cheese dip and “Gring O” pico de gallo. The cheese dip is somewhat magical. It’s creamy without the heaviness; flavorful without being overly rich. And the pico de gallo is an easy harmony of garden flavors.
As for entrées, I usually choose from one of Los Amigos’ excellent fajita offerings. I love the abundance and crispness of the vegetables served in their fajitas. My two favorites are the mixed grill and the tropical fajitas. My husband likes their tacos. On our last visit, he had the tacos al pastor. The grilled pork seasoning is perfect for pairing with the sweetness of the pineapple adobo sauce, and then topped with chopped onion and lots of fresh cilantro with tomatillo sauce served on the side. All this, while taking in generous helpings of evening lake and mountain views.
Santos says he and Orr weren’t looking to expand Los Amigos to Smith Mountain Lake. And yet, with Santos’s passion for fresh cuisine coupled with the lake’s extravagant offerings of nature’s beauty, it’s hard to imagine it could be any other way.
Los Amigos at smith mountain lake
404 Crazy Horse Marina
Moneta, VA 24121
540-912-0221
Hours: Sun – Thurs: 11AM – 10PM
Fri – Sat: 11AM – 11PM
The story above is from our September/October 2020 issue. For the full story subscribe today or view our FREE digital edition. Thank you for supporting local journalism!
