Acapulco Mexican Grill is set to open soon on North Boulevard and start serving home-style food inspired by that famous Mexican coastal hotspot. For 20-something couple Mahdi Jalil and Christina Casas, Acapulco is their first foray into the restaurant business, although both have family ties—not to mention helping hands—in the industry. Their café will serve breakfast and lunch daily, dinner and late-night dining on Fridays and Saturdays, and early afternoon lunch on Sundays.
Acapulco’s menu will offer familiar dishes—tamales, enchiladas, quesadillas and tacos—but will pull from its namesake’s zesty heritage. For example, an occasional lunch special will be roasted chiles relleno stuffed with white Mexican cheese and grilled beef. Casas will do the cooking, using recipes her mom used at a family restaurant in Acapulco, including fresh flour and corn tortillas.
Casas’ parents have helped set up the restaurant, as well as her sister Lucia Casas, who operates a café and grocery in Denham Springs called Glorida Tienda. Jalil, who’ll manage the café, is a cousin of Alex Choumar, who operated Grape Leaf Café in the same location until its recent closure, and Alex’s brother Moe Choumar, who runs Subway a few doors down. Will family competition get heated? Not likely. “All of us can get a piece of the cake,” Casas says. Plans are to open Acapulco Mexican Grill within the next week or two.—Tom Guarisco
