When Gustavo Martinez and his wife Maribel Angel moved from Veracruz, Mexico to Petal approximately 10 years ago, they had the idea to bring a taste of authentic Mexican food from their hometown to The Friendly City.
To that end, on November 27 the couple opened El Volcan Mexican Restaurant, Grill & Bar at 223 West Central Avenue, in the former Verona Italian Grill and Pizza Hit location.
“We’re just trying to do something to make the customers happy,” Martinez said. “We thought downtown Petal was a great place to start a business, in the center of town.
“We got here at a young age, and our only goal was to thrive here and reach the goals we wanted. We wanted to raise our kids in a healthier and more educated place, where they had the chance to (excel).”
As far as the restaurant’s menu, customers can expect to find grilled items such as steak with shrimp, fajitas, quesadillas and nachos. Express lunch and other lunch items include carnitas plates, enchilada plates, tacos, chimichanga plates and other offerings.
Express lunch and regular lunch are both served from 10:30 a.m.-3 p.m. each day.
The restaurant also offers combination plates – with a mix of burritos, quesadillas, rice, beans and other options – along with salads and vegetarian fare such as Pollo de Plancha and a vegetarian taco salad. Guests also can choose from a variety of appetizers, street tacos, sides, tortas and items, along with several dessert offerings.
“The food here is more authentic,” Martinez said. “It’s more driven from the side that we come from in Mexico.
“It’s more traditional to our hometown, so that’s why we wanted to bring this restaurant here, so people can try it out. It’s real, authentic food.”
Martinez said although El Volcan has only been open for less than a month, the response from the community has been overwhelming so far.
“They love the food,” he said. “It’s different from everywhere else, and especially the salsa with chips is really different from other places.
“It’s a different tase and seasoning.”
Operating hours for El Volcan are as follows:
- From 10:30 a.m.-9 p.m. Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday; and
- From 10:30 a.m.-10 p.m. Thursday, Friday, Saturday and Sunday.
For more information, call (769) 223-6373 or visit the restaurant’s Facebook page at El Volcan Mexican Restaurant, Grill & Bar.
