Nearly a decade into its run on Lexington’s north side, Maria’s Kitchen is making a leap to larger quarters while working to retain what’s made the spot a success.
Opened in 2007 in a tiny, open-air storefront with patio seating on Broadway just north of Loudon Avenue, Maria’s Kitchen has cultivated a loyal following with delicious Mexican fare.
The lunchtime crowds were often at capacity and then some, with customers sitting on picnic tables or standing to enjoy the tacos, burritos and enchiladas along with homemade tortillas, Jarritos soda and Mexican Coca-Cola.
Now Maria’s Kitchen is welcoming customers to a much larger location. In March, the restaurant moved just a few doors down, into the space occupied by Willie’s Locally Known, at 805 N. Broadway, before the ribs-and-music venue’s recent move to Southland Drive.
Fans of the old Willie’s are likely to feel right at home at the new Maria’s, at least for now, as the same equine and UK basketball-themed décor remains.
Zulema Hernandez, daughter of owner Maria Hernandez, explained that the memorabilia belongs to the building’s landlord, who asked her to not to take them down.
“We agreed because we really wanted to lease the space. We had been looking for a while, and when this location became available, we knew it was perfect,” she said.
Since opening the new location, Zulema has taken on a management and co-ownership role. Her father, Manuel Hernandez, works in the equine business and is a co-owner as well. Her brother and sister also work in the restaurant alongside other family members and friends.
While the menu has largely remained the same (they’ve added new platters and flour gorditas), subtle improvements can be seen throughout. Carry-out will always be available, but Maria’s has graduated from a “grab and g
o” place to a full service restaurant. While the original location (still used for baking and food preparation) seated about 20, the new location has seating for more than 100 guests, including the bar and covered patio areas.
Zulema says the restaurant is the longtime dream of her mother’s.
“She loves to cook, and she always has a gift for knowing how much food to make for family parties. When we lived in Mexico, she would sell her food at taco stands and bakeries,” Zulema said. “She always had a food business on the side, in addition to her full-time job.”
But what really propelled Maria’s dream into reality was her now-famous trés leches (three milk) cake – a traditional Mexican sponge cake soaked in evaporated milk, condensed milk and heavy cream. Maria first made trés leches cake for one of Zulema’s birthday parties, and soon thereafter started receiving orders from family, friends and referral customers as far away as Cincinnati.
When the original North Broadway location became available, the Hernandez family intended for it to be a bakery but didn’t foresee cakes and pastries as being enough to sustain the business. They decided to shift the menu to include Mexican dishes commonly served in their hometown of Nazareno, in the Mexican state of Durango.
Zulema is hesitant to use the word “authentic,” but she explained that their dishes might differ from what many people are used to eating in local Mexican restaurants. For example, their tacos don’t contain sour cream, tomatoes, cheese or lettuce. Instead, they’re filled with a generous portion of carne asada (seared skirt steak), barbacoa (braised beef ), el pastor (marinated pork), or chicken alongside fresh minced onions and cilantro. The result is, if not authentic in every sense, certainly expertly crafted and infused with deep flavor. Zulema said the tacos with homemade tortillas are a favorite, particularly with the barbacoa filling. Their burritos and platters also are as popular, with options such as the enchiladas rojos with cheese or chicken. And vegetarian customers are big fans of the poblano pepper and cheese burrito. Any dish can be topped with either red or green salsa.
Zulema said she is most excited about the opportunity to expand their hours and bring another nightlife option to the north side of the city. In addition to offering their customers a place to sit down, relax and enjoy a great meal, Maria’s Kitchen now has a full bar menu, including appetizers and cocktails. Evening entertainment will include live bands and karaoke on the patio, with more announcements to come.
“This is truly a family business,” she said. “We are just looking forward to what the future will bring, and we want to thank the community for helping us get here.”