You'll forget you parked in a shopping plaza when you step foot into Malinche. That's the goal of owner Angel Jimenez-Guitierez.
“When you walk in, we try to offer you an experience that gets you away from St. Louis. You're not looking at the parking lot, you're going to Mexico,” said Angel.
Angel’s mother is the head chef at Malinche. They are a dream team, earning a sparkling reputation for their former restaurant Senor Pique.
“We used to own Senor Pique, it was open for 13 years. Amazing experience but my mom and wife were ready for a break. So I went into restaurant consulting because I’m passionate for the industry myself. That place was huge, sat over 300 people. Took a break from that and now that we reopened, we remember what Senor Pique used to be at the beginning. It sat 80 people.”
In 2019, this dream team opened their dream restaurant concept, Malinche. It has limited seating and a cozy ambiance.
“We open at 5:30 during weekdays and 5 on weekends. That’s the difference. We come to work with passion, excitement,” said Angel.
The menu is different from their previous restaurant. It’s now Tapas-style.
He said, "It is authentic and traditional Mexican food. The only twist to it is that we present in modern way. But all salsas are authentic, all dishes tell a story."
The most popular dish is called Del Trompo. It’s made with pork that's been marinated and slow roasted, salsa roja, pineapple, onion, and lime. The lime charred to add a special touch. Another popular dish on the menu is Diabla where shrimp is served with creamy salsa.
With the size of the restaurant, reservations are encouraged.
“Every night, even if it’s a Monday or Tuesday we have plenty of reservations to fill restaurant two or three times. That makes it impossible for the walk ins,” he said.
So get your reservations now, you'll thank yourself later.
15939 Manchester Rd. Ellisville, MO
malinchestl.com