Abuela's Little Kitchen moves, new Mexican street food restaurant opening in Arden

Tiana Kennell, Asheville Citizen Times

February 1, 2023 at 5:11 AM·4 min read

ASHEVILLE - It’s a season for growth and new beginnings for a local couple who’s in the process of expanding their first restaurant while preparing to open a new one.

Julio Guadalupe and Tania Trejo, owners of Abuela’s Little Kitchen, have moved the restaurant to a larger brick-and-mortar less than a mile away at 6 Long Shoals Road in Arden.

Previously, the building was occupied by JK’s Kitchen, which closed last August after 15 years in business.

The restaurant serves Hispanic and American-style cuisine with breakfast and lunch offered.

“We wanted to do something different in Asheville, not just a regular Mexican restaurant that you go to,” Trejo said. “Let’s do breakfast. Let’s do American breakfast with some Hispanic flavor and Hispanic breakfast dishes you haven’t seen here in Asheville.”

More:2023 food trends, where to find them at Asheville restaurants

In March, the restaurateurs plan to introduce a new concept at their former storefront, at 200 Julian Lane, called Abuela’s Cravings.

The eatery will offer tacos, tortas, burritos and Mexican street food, from subs to snacks like corn-on-a-cob chicharrones, made with pork skins, avocado, tomatoes and other toppings.

“It’s different food that we haven’t seen here,” Trejo said.

Big breaks for Abuela's

Before opening Abuela’s Little Kitchen, Guadalupe and Trejo worked in the service industry ― Trejo as a server and Guadalupe as a cook ― for more than 15 years, which is how they met.

“My dream was to own a restaurant one day. I didn’t know when,” Trejo said.

Then, in December 2020, they were presented with the chance to open Abuela’s Little Kitchen, though challenged by the low customer traffic that came with the winter season and the COVID-19 pandemic.

“We took the opportunity and we said, ‘Let’s try it,’” she said. “Everybody was scared because everybody was closing because it was the middle of COVID, but we’re like, ‘Let’s try it. What do we have to lose?’ We tried it and people loved it.”

Now, the husband and wife are seizing the opportunity to expand the existing restaurant into a new, spacious dining room and kitchen, and branch off into a second concept.

More:Food News: Bonfire BBQ closes, restaurant openings, chef releases retail line in Asheville

Previously, Abuela’s Little Kitchen had a capacity of about 60 people at its 12 tables and a bar that seated 10 guests, and there was only one restroom.

Now, the restaurant has a capacity of 120 people inside and about 40 more on the patio, and there are two restrooms.

“Over there, it was so tiny,” Guadalupe said. “Two people couldn’t be in the kitchen at the same time. It had to be one by one. Over here, there’s a lot of space, so it’s better than that.”

However, the smaller space is ideal for the casual Mexican street food and snack eatery.

On the menu

Abuela’s Little Kitchen’s menu is the same, for now, but new entrées will be added, and a seniors menu is in development, Trejo said. The restaurant’s bar service will resume soon.

Guadalupe heads the kitchen, preparing a menu of Mexican and American classics, dishes unique to the area, and “secret recipes” from Trejo’s grandmother ― for whom the restaurant is named. The matriarch’s recipes include the popular green salsa, pancakes and signature French toast sauce.

More:French charcuterie, wine bar opening in S&W Market in downtown Asheville

Abuela’s Little Kitchen’s top three sellers are chilaquiles, huevos rancheros and pambazos.

“Yeah, you can get chilaquiles, but with our chilaquiles, you can add chicken and chorizo to them. You don’t get that at other places, and that’s the difference. I think a lot of people like that,” Trejo said.

Chilaquiles are the couple’s favorite, too. They attribute their popularity to spices.

Chilaquiles, deep fried tortillas soaked in homemade green sauce made with tomatillos, topped with chorizo, sour cream, Queso Fresco and onion with scrambled eggs and potatoes on the side.

“Working in the back in the kitchen, it’s kind of hard for me as a cook to eat because I’m working all the time. I barely sit down and eat. But when I have time and eat it, it’s like, ‘Wow, this is really good,’” Guadalupe said.

The breakfast menu features pancakes, crepes, French toast and waffles with a variety of topping options, as well as omelets.

Lunch entrées consist of burgers, sandwiches, quesadillas and more.

“You’ll find the food is amazing. Come try my grandmother’s green salsa. People love it,” Trejo said.