Guatemex offers Guatemalan, Mexican food in new Cedar Rapids opening

CEDAR RAPIDS — You’ve probably heard of Tex-Mex. But how about Guatemex?

In a city where diners can’t seem to say “si” enough to Mexican food, a new restaurant is coining the term — at least locally.

Guatemex Restaurant Elenita, which opened June 27 in the former Brick City Grill at 1616 First Ave. NE, hopes to stand out in a sea of south-of-the-border options.

What’s on the menu?

With a large menu, a lot of Mexican favorites make the entry to Guatemalan food a little more familiar.

Lunch specials feature over a dozen options on a budget — for $8.75 — that even fast food has trouble competing with sometimes.

Try a chimichanga, get some enchiladas, or order burritos and tacos a la carte your way.

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Take a dip into the appetizers menu, where six chip dip options await. Nachos, enchiladas, mole dishes and taquitos are available in multiple varieties.

Full dinners — including pork carnitas; chuletas a la Mexicana pork chops with grilled onions; carne asada; and red chili grilled steak — bring a new variety to everyday meats.

If you’re feeling a little crazy, the "loco“ options offer a new style of grilled chicken topped with cheese dip and tortillas, or in a chorizo style. On the sweeter side the pina loca combines steak, chicken and shrimp with peppers, onions, tomatoes and grilled pineapple alongside a fajita salad.

Fajitas available in steak, chicken, shrimp and chorizo — a unique offering — are popular among diners so far, owner Porfirio Depaz said.

But for something unusual, dive into the “new dishes” section. Arroz con camaron, another popular item, offers well-seasoned shrimp with chopped veggies.

How is Guatemalan food different?

Guatemalan, when compared with Mexican food, is described by some as a little more “mellow,” with a greater embrace of Mayan and Spanish influences.

Less spicy than their North American neighbor’s cuisine, Depaz said they rely on different, more mild blends of seasonings.

With plates more common in Mexican restaurants, like fajitas, diners will notice a different mix of vegetables. In addition to the typical green and red peppers or onions, many plates at Guatemex include others like broccoli and mushrooms for a new flavor profile.

Rice on many plates is light, fluffy and with less heavy seasoning than you might expect at some Mexican restaurants.

The owners

Owners Porfirio and Elenita Depaz, new residents to Cedar Rapids, opened Guatemex as their second restaurant after moving to Iowa earlier this summer.

Previously, their family opened and ran a restaurant in Bluefield, W.Va., where Porfirio’s brother continues operations today.

With three children, the couple began their journey to the United States from their home region of Quiche in northern Guatemala, when Porfirio moved to Tennessee to install water towers in 2005. Later, they moved to Virginia, where they lived for 12 years.

They were trained in the restaurant industry by Porfirio’s brother, who encouraged them to start their first restaurant.

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