10 | July 2010 Community Impact Newspaper • Northwest Houston Edition
Betsy Ellison Neighborhood Dining | Guayaba Latin Grill Guayaba Latin Grill owner Emmanuel Gonzalez enjoys sharing his Latin culture <strong>with</strong> the community through his restaurant. By Betsy Ellison When Guayaba Latin Grill owner Emmaunel Gonzalez opened his first restaurant in Katy six years ago, his main goal was to give customers an experience authentic to the food being served. “I strive <strong>real</strong>ly hard to give customers a Latin feel from the moment they walk in the front door,” Gonzalez said. “People can obviously look out the window and see where they are, but we hope the music, ambience and food bring the whole experience together.” In September 2008, Gonzalez expanded Guayaba to the Northwest Houston community and opened a second location on Hwy. 249 at Gessner Road. This is now the only location of Guayaba after the first restaurant in Katy closed earlier this year. With a menu busting at the seams, the restaurant has three fan-favorite dishes: Ropa Vieja ($10.95), Cuban hand-pulled beef; Pollo Con Crema de Jalapeño ($10.95), chicken breast marinated in chimichurri, topped <strong>with</strong> a jalapeño; and Pollo Guayaba ($15.95), a large chicken breast stuffed <strong>with</strong> shrimp and spinach, topped <strong>with</strong> a sweet guayaba. On Sundays, Guayaba has a brunch buffet ($11.95 for adults and $8.95 for children over 3) <strong>with</strong> more than 30 options that rotate weekly. Along <strong>with</strong> bottomless mimosas ($6), the buffet might include an omelet station, Gallo Pinto—white rice and black beans, tossed <strong>with</strong> onion, tomatoes and cilantro—and Chorizo Asado—Argentine chorizo sautéed <strong>with</strong> peppers and onions. Guayaba also has a large selection of wines, an award-winning mojito bar and a happy hour running Monday through Friday from 3 to 7 p.m. Upon entering Guayaba, the atmosphere from the busy Houston highways changes to a Latin-flavored ambience filled <strong>with</strong> vibrant greens and reds <strong>with</strong> low lighting to keep the mood intimate. “My wife actually threw out the name Guayaba,” Gonzalez said. “I told her no at first, but then, as I started to research the word a little more I found out it actually Betsy Ellison means a lot to people of Latin decent.” Guayaba is a tropical fruit indigenous to South and Central America, the Caribbean and Southeast Asia. “The word is beautiful,” Gonzalez said. “The way all of the A’s stand out and how it comes together when you look at it. After about six or seven months of business I told my wife the name was genius.” Ceviche, a marinated seafood cocktail, is a classic South American dish. Build-your-own ceviche An interesting and unique aspect of Guayaba is its ceviche bar ($9.95), where diners can custom order this authentic Latin dish to their liking, served <strong>with</strong> homemade plantains. • Choose a meat: shrimp, calamari, scallops or chicken • Pick a fresco marinade or cocktail sauce: Mexican, South American or Central American • Pick ingredients: red onion, white onion, tomato, cilantro, mint, jalapeño, red cabbage, bell pepper, avocado 1960 Mills Rd. Guayaba Latin Grill 17505 Hwy. 249, Houston 281-477-8555 www.guayabagrill.com Mon.–Thur. 11 a.m.–9 p.m. Fri.–Sat. 11 a.m.–11 p.m. Sun. 10:30 a.m.–9 p.m. Gessner Rd. 249 N Community Impact Newspaper • impactnews.com July 2010 | 11 SPYWARE/VIRUS REMOVAL, DATA BACKUP & RECOVERY, PC CHECK/CLEAN-UP PC & MAC REPAIR On-site Home or Business Repair Summer Specials! $ 49 00 VIRUS REMOVAL Summer Specials! FREE PC CHECK-UP Must present ad. 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