Family restaurant makes it fresh

Gabriela’s serves family recipes cultivated from the roots of Mexico City

Gabriela Gonzalez opened her first location in Prairie Grove in 2003. After years of customers requesting a restaurant closer to Fayetteville, she opened a second location in Farmington in June 2013.

Gabriela's Mexican Grill Restaurant is a family business operated by Gabriela Gonzalez, her three sons Rene, Yovany and Diego, and their long-time friend and manager, Arnulto Navarro.

LOCATION: 330 E. Main Street, Farmington

PHONE: (479) 267-3211

LOCATION: 121 N. Pittman Street, Prairie Grove

PHONE: (479) 846-3211

WEBSITE: http://www.gabriela…">gabrielasmexicangri…

NICE TO KNOW: 11 a.m.-9 p.m. Sunday-Thursday. 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Friiday and Saturday. Family-owned and opererated restaurant since 2003. Large menu with fresh ingredients and authentic recipes from Mexico City. Also serving Tex-Mex, grill items and kids menu. Lunch specials from 11 a.m.-3 p.m. weekdays.

"We first opened a location a few miles from here, but when she saw this location she knew this was it," Rene Gonzalez said, referring to the current Gabriela's at 330 E. Main Street in Farmington.

A new building was built less than two miles from Interstate 49. The restaurant has a spacious dining room with soaring ceilings. Wide, arched doorways define more intimate dining sections around the perimeter.

A covered patio off the back of the building provides additional dining space.

The back wall of the restaurant is a parody of the Diego Rivera's mural "Sueno de una Tarde Dominical en la Alameda Central, a.k.a. Dream of a Sunday Afternoon in Central Park."

Rivera was a famous Mexican painter, and the original mural was painted in 1946-47. The mural features significant historical figures and events gathered in the municipal park in Mexico City. The background is made up of the famous people's dreams and inspirations.

The depiction of the mural at Gabriela's was hand-painted directly onto the wall by a friend of the Gonzalez family.

"It's actually a dream come true for us, because we started in a small location and got to move closer in. It was always my mom's dream to have her own place," Rene Gonzalez said.

The Farmington location does have alcohol service, a provision not offered at the original Prairie Grove location. Designated as a private club, the lack of a bar area allows for more tables and a family-friendly atmosphere. The drink menu includes domestic and Mexican beer, wine, margaritas and sangria.

The full-service restaurant has waitstaff that delivers food and beverages to seated guests.

A children's menu contains both Mexican and American offering and is served to children younger than 10. The Mexican dishes are served with a side of rice and beans; the American dishes include French fries. All kids' plates are priced under $4.

The recipes served at Gabriela's have been modified throughout the years and originate from the roots of Mexico City, said Rene Gonzalez.

The four-page menu offers plenty of traditional Mexican fare, including fajitas, chimichangas, tacos and burritos. Specialties include tortilla soup, a sampler platter, tostadas Monterrey, vegetarian fajitas and spinach enchiladas.

Everything is prepared fresh daily -- the soups, salsa, chips and guacamole. Nothing is from the day before, Rene Gonzalez said.

"We prepare your food with the finest ingredients to provide you with the best meals around," said Gabriela Gonzalez.

Housemade desserts include flan and fried cheesecake. There is also dough-style sopapillas served with honey, strawberries or two scoops of ice cream.

Lunch specials are served 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Monday through Friday and include rice and beans. There are a total of 21 specialty priced items including Chile Verde or Colorado, shrimp quesadilla, flautas, fajitas, tacos, chimichanga, burritos and enchiladas.

In addition to fountain drinks, the restaurant also serves bottles of Jarrito.

Both locations are open every day at 11 a.m. Free Wi-Fi is available to guests.

Catering is also available.

More information is available online at gabrielasmexicangrill.com or by emailing [email protected].

The phone number for the Farmington location is (479) 267-3211. The Prairie Grove location, at 121 N. Pittman Street, can be contacted by calling (479) 846-3211.

NAN Dining Guide Cover on 02/06/2015

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