Mexican restaurant with 2 Hawaii locations opens its first mainland spot in downtown SLO
A new restaurant in downtown San Luis Obispo offers Mexican food with a Hawaiian twist.
Federico’s Mexican Food, which has two locations in Hawaii, opened 851 Higuera St., across the street from Doc Burnstein’s Ice Cream Lab and Ross Dress for Less.
The eatery held its first full day of business on Monday, offering outdoor dining and takeout.
The business, which flies in fish directly from Hawaii, features “Mexican food that’s a little different than what San Luis Obispo is used to,” said owner Maria Hernandez, who operates the business with her husband, Federico Hernandez.
Federico’s also has a deli where customers can buy fish from Hawaii at the counter.
“We first opened in Hawaii in 2009 during the recession and we were able to do well,” Hernandez said. “We opened our second restaurant there in 2013 and a lot of people who visited from the mainland said you have to open where they lived, places like California, Texas and Arizona.”
The Hernandezes picked San Luis Obispo because they have family in the area and had visited the city before, and enjoyed eating in the downtown.
The seafood-focused menu at Federico’s Mexican Food includes burritos, tacos, tostadas and dishes featuring crab, ahi, opah and monchong fish.
Dinner specials will range from $16 to $19, and lunch dishes are in the $14 to $15 range.
The Hernandezes will split their time between Hawaii and San Luis Obispo while operating their businesses.
“Hawaii is in quarantine right now, but it should open up again soon,” Hernandez said. “SLO is a cute town, and it has a close and tight-knit community, just like Hawaii. We look forward to being here.”
This story was originally published October 1, 2020 at 12:21 PM.
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