Mexican Flavor Returns to Newport

By Dylan Marsh
EAGLE TIMES STAFF
NEWPORT -The long awaited restaurant Mi Jalisco has opened its doors in Newport, finding its home inside the former Country Kitchen location at 339 Sunapee Street.

The family owned restaurant offers authentic Mexican fare with a fun atmosphere.The owners, originally from Myrtle Beach, moved to New Hampshire to start their first restaurant after working for other people for many years. This establishment is number five in a string of Mi Jalisco’s that span across the state of New Hampshire, with their first opening in Milford in 2011. They also have popular locations in Peterborough, Keene, and Manchester.

The eatery, originally intended to open in August 2021, had some trouble starting out. The Covid-19 pandemic restrictions made it difficult for any restaurant to operate and opening one even more so. “We wanted to do it right and not open half heartedly. So we thought it was better to wait,” said Junior Quezada, manager of the Newport location.

Quezada also stated that finding staff was an initial issue. “We had to have cooks come up to open the restaurant.” Bringing in staff from their Milford and Keene locations was essential in opening the business. After acquiring the staff and receiving final inspections the restaurant officially opened February 11, 2022.

Until recently there weren’t many options for dining out in Newport and the town is certainly welcoming of the new restaurant. “People are loving it so far. The parking lot has been so full, people have had to park out on the street,” said Quezada of the popularity. The menu, curated by co-owner and “expert in the kitchen” George Huerta, features many popular Mexican dishe. “It’s all about the different spices though,” said Quezada of what makes their food special.

They have found that the price of ingredients continues to go up but through coordination and planning with distributors they are able to keep their prices affordable.

Quezada loves meeting new guests and having first timers come in and try their food. “We want everyone that comes in here to feel like a regular, and to be as welcoming as possible, and that’s the kind of feedback we’ve gotten. It’s been really nice.”