Courtesy of Maria's Mexican Kitchen
A painting of the restaurant's namesake, Felipe Armenta’s mother, Maria
Having already established a name for himself in the Fort Worth food scene, chef Felipe Armenta is adding a new Mexican restaurant to his prolific repertoire.
Maria’s Mexican Kitchen, which eyes an opening in early March, is taking the place of the former Hoffbrau Steak & Grill House at 1712 S. University Drive, down the street from his own Pacific Table.
The restaurant received its name from Armenta’s late mother, Maria.
“I figured one day I would have a Mexican restaurant because my parents have always had Mexican restaurants, but I finally decided to do one and name it after her,” Armenta said in an interview. “She meant a lot to me, and she taught me so much about food and cooking.”
The menu will feature a fusion of authentic Mexican and Tex-Mex flavors, including classic offerings, like enchiladas, tacos, and salads, as well as signature dishes from Armenta’s mother.
“We’ll have a little bit of everything,” he said. “Being in Fort Worth, we kind of have to have both — Tex-Mex and Mexican food.”
Maria's Mexican Kitchen
Formerly home to Hoffbrau Steak & Grill House, the restaurant now sports a newly renovated exterior.
Opening a new restaurant, especially during a pandemic, can be challenging, but Armenta is anything but a novice. After working as an executive chef out of California for 10 years, he decided to go out on his own. Armenta has since opened 12 restaurants in the 13 years he’s been working alone.
“It’s been a wild ride,” he said.
While Armenta is preparing for the opening of Maria’s, he is also opening Towne Grill in Alliance Town Center.
“The next couple of months or so will be extremely busy," he said, "but we’ve been very fortunate to make sure we have good people and have a good team.”
