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Sopes, thick corn tortillas with vegetable and meat toppings, are available at both the El Chido trailer and its brick-and-mortar location. (Photo by Eileen Mellon)
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Owner Cruz Albanil stands outside his trailer on Staples Mill Road. (Photo by Jay Paul)
After operating a popular trailer dishing out authentic Mexican fare on Staples Mill Road, owner Cruz Albanil and his family have done something that seems impossible during times like these — open a brick-and-mortar restaurant.
The 41-year-old opened Taqueria Y Antojitos El Chido at 7568 W. Broad St. in the Westwood Shopping Center on May 1. The business is open for call-ahead pickup orders and delivery while restaurant restrictions remain in effect amid the coronavirus pandemic.
Albanil first began parking his black trailer outside El Gran Tucanazo nightclub a couple years ago, operating as a cash-only takeout venture. Business began to pick up, and after the club shuttered, he relocated across the street. Where many saw an abandoned parking lot, Albanil saw opportunity.
Outside the trailer at 6715 Staples Mill Road, he added plastic chairs and tables so that customers could sit and eat. He adorned El Chido with string lights that caught the eyes of passing drivers. He began to accept credit cards and eventually launched call-ahead ordering. He watched as the lines grew and diners became regulars, from fellow Mexican immigrants to Shagbark chefs Walter Bundy and Brandon MacConnell, all seeking out Albanil's suadero tacos and tortas.
Albanil has played the role of restaurant owner before. Almost 15 years ago he opened the first iteration of Taqueria Y Antojitos El Chido, a short-lived venture that closed during the recession in the late 2000s.
“We are taking a risk to open [another] place, but I think I’ve gained a lot of experience, I’m feeling more prepared,” he shares. “My wife and I are excited; we know it's more responsibility to own two businesses, but we’re excited.”
Albanil says that he is staying positive, and since the closure of dining rooms, the trailer has experienced a surge in business, even extending its hours.
“Right now the trailer is doing really well. It was already pretty much to-go all the time, and it’s actually been busier, a lot of people call in,” he continues.
The opening of the new location allows Albanil to expand menu offerings and be less restricted by space as in the trailer.
“We can offer more there,” Albanil says. “The main thing we tried to do is soups that are very popular in Mexico. They come with homemade tortillas made to order, so really fresh.”
Sopas are also served with cilantro, onions and jalapenos. A dedicated pastry section at the restaurant features flan, tres leches cake and churros, while a drink menu includes aguas frescas, horchata, milkshakes, margaritas and micheladas.
Albanil says diners can expect antojitos, Mexican street staples from elote to chicharrones piled high with cabbage, pico de gallo, pickled jalapeños, cheese and sour cream as well as pambozas — bread dipped in a red guajillo pepper sauce, then fried and stuffed with potatoes and chorizo. Menu items found at both the brick-and-mortar spot and the trailer: a variety of tortas, sopes and tacos, with meats ranging from classic al pastor to adventurous lengua and a Mexico City staple, suadero, made with thin cuts of beef.
Albanil says he is happy to be open in time for Cinco De Mayo, but one of the main reasons he sought out a permanent location was for guests to come in and stay a while, whenever that becomes feasible again.
“To me, El Chido is more like a taqueria, I was not thinking a restaurant, more social — we want to have people come, sit, eat and relax,” Albanil says.
Taqueria Y Antojitos El Chido is open for call-ahead pickup orders (804-755-1363) and delivery via DoorDash from 11 a.m. to 11 p.m. daily. The trailer on Staples Mill Road operates from noon to 11:30 p.m. daily.
