Restaurant Makeover

By Paul Zucca and John Newcomb
The El Mexicano restaurant has had a complete makeover and is under new management. Gone are the dusty old serapes draped over every window so nobody could see in or out. The grimy windows are all cleaned up. A completely new paint job has freshened and brightened things. Most of the walls are now a light blue with a sapphire-colored accent wall and cranberry-colored wainscoting, and there are new white plastic laminate countertops and trim. All the old broken vinyl tiles have been removed from the floor and it is now painted a light gray. All the old booths have been removed and replaced with tables which can be more easily arranged. Even the restrooms are clean – well, the men’s restroom is.
The new managers, husband and wife Octavio and Roxanna, moved here with their baby Nicky from Sacramento, California. Octavio is the cook, and the couple has come up with an all new menu based on California Mexican style.
We have been in there at least a half a dozen times and have had something different every time, and we really liked everything. We thought the prices were reasonable too.
Many people in the community know that Paul has been in the restaurant business for many years. He has been a partner in the IHOP restaurants and used to be seen at the old IHOP on North Avenue and Courtland before they closed some years ago. Paul still has an interest in the Buckhead IHOP. We like to go around to little cafes and family eateries and see what they have to offer. We like to try it out and sit around and drink our coffee. We think the new El Mexicano will appeal to many people in the area.