Guac Shop Mexican Grill opens in Garden City
Guac Shop Mexican Grill has opened in Garden City. Credit: Sergio DeCiantis
The appeal of fast-casual Mexican food never seems to wane, and a new spot in Garden City is the latest to carry the torch.
At Guac Shop Mexican Grill — which opened on Seventh Street in the former Feldis Florist — guacamole is but one player on an assembly line of proteins, toppings, cheeses and salsas that are combined for tacos, burritos, quesadillas and salad bowls ($8.50 to $12.50), all built to order.
Fillings at Guac Shop include slow-cooked beef (barbacoa) and pork (carnitas), as well as turkey, chickpeas and chicken. Quesadillas are stuffed with a Monterey Jack-based cheese mix, and chimichurri and a garlicky green salsa are among the sauces.
The namesake guacamole can come as a $3 add-on or on its own with chips ($7), and was recipe tested at one of co-owner Sergio DeCiantis’ other restaurants, Park Place Restaurant & Bar in Floral Park. “It’s basically the recipe from Park Place, but a little less spicy,” said DeCiantis, who also asserts that all of the meats at Guac Shop are pasture-raised.
Customers can eat in at a handful of indoor tables, or grab a seat on one of two outdoor patios (at least, once the weather warms up). When Guac Shop gets its liquor license, DeCiantis says batched red sangria, house margaritas, spiked Arnold Palmers and two draft Mexican beers will start pouring.
DeCiantis, something of a serial restaurateur, also runs the Seaford ice-cream-and-cereal shop Spoons and its adjacent Cara Mia Restaurant, as well as co-owns Park Place. He will open two more Spoons later this year, he said — but in the meantime, has partnered with his father, Carlo DeCiantis, and friends Patrick O’Halloran and Matthew Tesoriero on Guac Shop.
Guac Shop opens daily at 11 a.m., staying open ’til 9 p.m. Sunday to Thursday, and 10 p.m. Friday and Saturday.
Guac Shop Mexican Grill, 160 Seventh St., Garden City. 516-274-3380. guacshopmexicangrill.com
