A restaurant whose mission is to show residents what authentic Mexican food really tastes like opened their doors last week, soft launching Mexcalito Taco Bar in downtown Northampton.
The business, which has another location in Amherst, replaces Mama Iguana’s, which closed at the beginning of April. The Mexican restaurant is still awaiting its liquor license, which Antonio Marquez, co-owner and chef of Mexcalito, said he expects in the next week or two.
“I’m very excited to have a new restaurant opening there so soon. Love that it’s Mexican, have heard amazing things about the chef and they have quite a following in Amherst, so I’m super excited to have them on this side of the bridge,” said Amy Cahillane, executive director of the Downtown Northampton Association.
While business hasn’t been “crazy” since opening last Tuesday, Marquez said they still have had many customers ordering their food.
Marquez said he will be putting more effort toward advertising for their grand opening once they acquire their liquor license, holding not only a ribbon cutting but also a party potentially with a DJ.
Mexcalito is currently open 11:30 a.m. to 9 p.m. seven days a week. This will change once the restaurant is fully open, switching to 11 a.m. to 10 p.m. Sunday to Thursday and Friday and Saturday until 1 a.m.
During the late night hours, the restaurant will turn into a bar and taco stand, serving up $2 tacos with no table service.
Although there are other Mexican restaurants in Northampton already, including La Veracruzana and Bueno y Sano, Marquez said his restaurant has something important to add. Born and raised in Guadalajara, Mexico, Marquez is dedicated to producing authentic Mexican cuisine and drink.
Once it gets a liquor license, Mexcalito will be offering mezcal and tequila from Mexico, using agave to sweeten their drinks and fresh squeezed lime to add a bit of tang.
Marquez believes Mexcalito has the largest selection of tequila and mezcal in all of Western Massachusetts and is planning to open his own farm in the next year in Mexico to produce their own mezcal. In the meantime, Marquez is working with mezcal producers in Mexico to help expand their reach to Massachusetts.
Bringing drinks from Mexico is important to Marquez because it allows for him to continue to connect with his land and roots in Mexico.
“I think sometimes I’m too authentic for people,” Marquez said, referring to Mexcalito’s food. Marquez isn’t worried about Northampton’s reaction to his food, however, believing that Northampton customers crave that authenticity.
Marquez said he has been cooking as long as he can remember, working in the restaurant industry at the age of 16 and opening up his own bar four years later. In 2011, he opened a pizza restaurant in Mexico before moving to Amherst in 2016 with his wife.
The restaurant will have the same menu as their first storefront, offering dishes such as carne asada to vegetarian and vegan options like portobello tacos. Marquez said 99% of his menu is gluten free.
