Taqueria Guadalajara, a new Mexican restaurant, is adding some variety and spice to the dining scene in downtown Oneonta.
The new restaurant at 291 Main St. took over the space that Hill City Grill once occupied. A steady stream of new customers has been sampling the new Mexican restaurant, which opened about three weeks ago.
Taqueria Guadalajara is named after Guadalajara, a city in western Mexico, known for mariachi music, tequila and bull fighting. The name Taqueria was chosen because the restaurant specializes in tacos. Their recipes are modeled after comfort food for which Guadalajara is well-known. Crispy corn tortilla chips and fresh salsa are served free to all diners.
“This is an authentic Mexican restaurant,” said co-owner Salvador Valenzuela, who was born in a town about two hours south of Guadalajara. Valenzuela’s cousin in Pennsylvania taught him to cook Mexican dishes and run a restaurant many years ago.
The owners applied for a liquor license to serve beer and wine. These alcoholic beverages should be available soon. Virgin pina coladas and virgin strawberry daiquiris are currently available along with a list of many different smoothies.
Taqueria Guadalajara specializes in chicken, steak and pork tacos. Other popular dishes include beef and chicken fajitas and chimichangas and quesadillas, Valenzuela said. Homemade tortilla soup, loaded with chicken and topped with fresh avocado slices, is one of many appetizers.
Vegetarian dishes are available upon request. Entrees are served with rice and salad topped with sour cream and guacamole.
Taqueria Guadalajara employs nine people — four cooks and five waitstaff. Valenzuela is doing some of the cooking and overseeing the dining room. He hired all new people from the local area.
Valenzuela and his partner, Patricia de la Paz, wanted to open a Mexican restaurant in Oneonta 10 years ago he said, but decided against it when they saw that Fiesta Mexican Grill and Cantina was already open in Clinton Plaza, which closed last year.
They opened two Mexican restaurants in Oswego instead. When they visited Oneonta again, they noticed that Fiesta had closed and that the old Hill City Grill restaurant property was available.
“It was perfect timing,” Valenzuela said. “The customers have been very welcoming and glad to have us here.”
In order to finance the new business, the partners sold their two Mexican restaurants in Oswego. Valenzuela estimated that opening a restaurant costs about $30,000 to $40,000. He contributed half of that investment and borrowed the rest as a small business loan.
The owners of Taqueria sampled the food at Azul, the Mexican restaurant in the Southside Mall, before opening their own place.
Valenzuela found that the spices and ingredients vary.
“The food is not the same,” he said. “Just like the cooking in New York is different than Chicago, Mexican cooking varies depending upon what part of Mexico you come from.”
Taqueria Guadalajara’s dishes are influenced by those in Guadalajara, the 10th largest city in Latin America and the second most populous metropolitan area in Mexico. The flavors of this region in Mexico are bold, savory and often spicy.
Taqueria has a separate dessert menu with at least 10 options. The tres leches, flan and chocolate flan are made in-house, Valenzuela said.
Three sombreros, a symbol of Mexican culture, hang on the wall at Taqueria Guadalajara. At Taqueria Guadalajara, a birthday guest can borrow an ornate sombrero for a photo opportunity. The staff will sing “Happy Birthday” to them, mariachi style. There have already been five birthday parties celebrated on the premises.
The restaurant is open seven days a week, from 11:30 to 9 p.m. Monday to Saturday and noon to 8 p.m. Sunday.
For more information, find “Taquería Guadalajara II” on Facebook.