Mi Guadalajara

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By JEFF KORBELIK / GZO

If you find yourself cycling, walking or running on the Rock Island Trail, there’s a great place to stop for a taco or two.

Antonio and Georgina Sanchez opened Mi (Spanish for “my”) Guadalajara a month ago at 16th Street and Old Cheney Road.

The restaurant, which abuts a convenience store, is where Doozy’s sandwich shop used to be.

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Mi Guadalajara serves up a taco salad and mixtecas enchiladas along with many other Mexican options. (William Lauer)

Mi Guadalajara serves up a taco salad and mixtecas enchiladas along with many other Mexican options. (William Lauer)

Diners can enjoy Mexican favorites such as tacos, enchiladas, burritos and tostadas made from recipes handed down from the Sanchezes parents.

“These are our own recipes,” Antonio Sanchez said.

The Sanchezes have been in Lincoln for two years, moving here from California after Antonio was transferred. He works at Yankee Hill Brick Manufacturing Company.

He is originally from Pachuca, Mexico, while Georgina hails from Guadalajara, hence the restaurant’s name. The couple lived in California for 22 years before coming to Lincoln.

Antonio and Georgina both have restaurant experience. Georgina cooked for a year at the Lincoln Country Club before opening Mi Guadalajara. She handles most of the cooking for the restaurant.

The Sanchezes said they picked the southwest Lincoln location because they wanted to start small.

Indeed, it’s tiny. The 30-seat dining room looks into the convenience store. There’s also a counter with another half dozen or so seats.

Upon entering, customers order at the cash register and either wait or find a seat around the corner in the dining room. A small basket of chips and salsa is served to dine-in customers.

The Sanchezes have lunch and dinner menus, with prices a tad higher for dinner. Lunch entrees run from $4.95 to $7.95. Dinners start at $5.75. The most expensive thing on the menu is the shrimp fajitas at $13.95.

House specials include tamales, chile rellenos, chicken chipotle tostadas, taco salad, carnitas and burritos, primarily the chile verde and colorado.

Diners also can order a la carte. Tacos are $2.95, as are tamales and chile rellenos. A cheese enchilada is $1.95.

My companion and I stopped in Friday night for dinner. She enjoyed a chile colorado burrito ($7.25), which was filled with beef chunks and smothered with a homemade red sauce, cheese and sour cream.

I had the taquitos rancheros ($8.25) — three deep-fried corn tortillas stuffed with shredded beef and served with beans, rice, guacamole and sour cream.

Both of us enjoyed the food. The portions are sizable. My companion took half of her burrito home with her.

Our service was good, but we were the only customers at the time. Service may be slow at times because the help is primarily Georgina and her three children. So be patient if it looks busy.

The restaurant is in an unusual location but should be able to benefit from neighborhood patronage. Nearby Heidelberg’s and Culver’s have done well in the area.

Plus, it’s right off the bike path. If you’re hungry in the middle of a walk or ride, you might want to stop in and give Mi Guadalajara a try.

Reach Jeff Korbelik at 473-7213 or jkorbelik@journalstar.com.