The wraps came off the windows, the lights turned on, and the savory aroma of Mexican home cooking beckoned as the much-anticipated Santa Fe Mexican Restaurant threw open its doors to the community Monday evening for what will go down in the books as one of the most festive ribbon-cuttings ever in Edmonds.
Guests began arriving well before the 4 p.m. ceremony, filling the new restaurant to capacity. A multi-generational family operation, the owners kept a steady stream of tempting food platters coming as they enthusiastically played host to the community in true family style.
No strangers to the business, the uncle/nephew team of Javier Bobadilla and Hector Olguin have been serving up Mexican food in Richmond Beach for the past two years, where they’ve earned an enthusiastic local following.
“We’re starting out with the same menu as our Richmond Beach location,” said Olguin. “But we’re always open to suggestions from our patrons and for trying new things. We’ve got all your Mexican favorites, plus special lunch plates and select items for kids and seniors.”
Occupying the former El Puerto space at the corner of Fifth and Main, Santa Fe is about as ideally located as you can get in Edmonds, ensuring customer traffic on market days, art walks, and during annual array of Edmonds community events from Halloween to Fourth of July.
For more information, see the previous story in My Edmonds News or the Santa Fe website at www.santafeshoreline.com.
A friend and I tried the new Sante Fe Grill on 5th and Main. The seafood soup I ordered, served tepid with stale saltines, was inedible. The margaritas were watery. The atmosphere noisy. The bill excessive. I see no reason to return.