There is a new Mexican restaurant coming to the Inner Richmond, courtesy of the team that opened Panuchos in North Beach last August. Taqueria Los Mayas is moving into a former Quickly at 331 Clement Street (between 4th and 5th avenues) with a full Mayan-inflected menu, and it expects to open later this week.
Co-owner Juve Carrillo, who grew up in the Yucatan, told us he was planning a second location all along.
“I’ll be able to do a lot more with the menu, ceviche, brunch and other things," Carrillo said, "and I really want to make micheladas too.” For the uninitiated, a michelada is a popular Mexican cocktail made with beer, lime juice and a variety of spices, believed to cure a hangover.
For Carrillo it has been a busy year, and the 27-year-old chef is looking forward to the challenge of running two restaurants.
“We’ve really been accepted by North Beach,” he told us. “and I’m excited to bring our recipes back to [the Richmond].”
Before starting the North Beach restaurant, Carrillo also spent nine years managing Italian favorite Bella Trattoria on Geary, just a few blocks from Los Mayas' new location. He left Bella Trattoria to open Panuchos with partner Morgan Anderson last summer, and their emphasis on regional Mayan cuisine quickly made the place a hit.
Once they open up at Los Mayas, they’ll have a lot more room—the space seats 48—and the menu will expand, but patrons will still be able to enjoy the Mayan favorites that they've come to expect at Panuchos.
Standouts include the cochinita pibil (pork slow-roasted in banana leaves for six hours) and poc chuc (pork cooked in Negra Modelo beer). They also plan to serve a host of seafood options and full dinner plates like carne asada and pollo con mole poblano for “people who want to take some time for their meal.”
If you’re craving the usual standbys, not to worry, Los Mayas has burritos, quesadillas and tacos aplenty—and staff at the restaurant will be making tortillas by hand. For vegetarians, they'll also be serving tofu achiote and salads.
Their beer and wine license should be approved shortly, and in the meantime, agua fresca will be available to enjoy.
Los Mayas will be open seven days a week, Monday-Saturday from 11am-10pm and Sunday from 10am-9pm. They plan to be serving brunch by June, and brunch hours will be announced in mid-May.
