Meet the new Antojitos: same flavour, fresh new chapter
Good things come to those who wait, and in the case of Antojitos in Mayfield that is 100% correct.
We caught up with owner Eric Flores who took us on the Antojitos Mayfield journey, and just what the second space means to him and the Antojitos team.
Taking over the building in 2021, Eric explained that they sat on it for quite some time, changing their plans to open as takeaway only, instead going all out and renovating the whole building so it could be reimagined exactly the way they envisioned.
Cleverly designed so as to create the illusion the venue has been there forever, this rustic style appearance may look to have been easily achieved, yet as Eric explains a lot of work has gone into the build to ensure the atmosphere of the venue is kept true to the Antojito’s brand.
“We had to get the whole ceiling engineered, so whilst it looks like it’s been there for a long time, and the big steel beam is a part of the original building, but most of the steel in the ceiling, and the black cross-bracing are all new additions.”
For those familiar with Antojitos, whether it’s from the OG in Carrington or the now Steel Street location in the CBD, what you can be assured of from the second iteration is the same fresh flavours, and awesome experience. You’ve only got to take one look at the size of the kitchen to get the picture that food is a big priority.
Whilst the kitchen is huge, there’s a separate space dedicated to the tortilla machine, which when in action can punch out 1000 tortillas per hour, and it’s this machine that’s integral to what Antojitos is so loved for. Eric goes onto to explain in more detail,
“Back in the Carrington days we were pressing the tortillas by hand, which was really hard, and doing it that way was tough to make a living. This machine not only allows us to make more, but allows us to get the thickness consistent."
“We don’t only use the machine for the tortillas and tacos but also for all the corn chips. We're not serving corn chips out of a bag, they're all made fresh here, and we go through a lot of corn chips.”
Whilst the kitchen and tortilla room are impressive, it doesn’t leave a whole lot of space for seating, but that was something Eric wasn’t prepared to compromise on.
“We really do wish we had more seats because I think the atmosphere is such an important part of what we do, but we didn't want to sacrifice the space needed to cook and make the tortillas in, which requires quite a lot of space, and essentially what was left is what we had for seating.”
Originally launching in Carrington in 2015, a big part of the success of Antojitos is not just the food, but the people that work there, as Eric goes onto explain,
“There was a big question mark around what it’s going to be like to go from one store to two, but what we really identify by, is not just our food, it's about the people that are here - the people that are making the food, the people that are eating the food, and when we do a good job with making sure we've got the right people here, everything else will be success.”
So what can you expect to find on the menu at Antojitos Mayfield? Eric explains,
“All your favourites are there - tacos, nachos, burritos and mulitas, for all you Antojitos fans out there, you’ll be happy to hear that you can get them all. The venue is licensed which means you can enjoy all your Mexican flavours with an icy cold beer or margarita."
“We wanted to make sure the offering was the same. All of our recipes, the way we make them, everything is the same.”
“When we first started the business it was always about making sure we had fresh tortillas, fresh salsas, and that's really just carried into everything we do.”
Whilst we’ve had to be patient, the wait has been more than worth it. Antojitos Mayfield feels like a natural evolution of the business - yet has its own look and unique feel with both venues bringing their own distinct atmosphere and character, each offering something a little different while staying true to the overall vision.
