From crepes to chamoyada, new SLO County restaurant has over 80 items on its menu

A new SLO County restaurant’s extravagant menu includes savory and sweet crepes, shaved ice, matcha and in-house Mexican recipes.

Fernando and Alma Avalos knew there were already plenty of Mexican restaurants in Atascadero.

The husband-and-wife duo have been working a catering business, Almis Eventos, since 2019, but would crave crepes and classic Mexican snacks like tostilocos and manzana loca, which they could not find in the city.

“What if we create the restaurant that offers those options that no one else does?” Alma Avalos told The Tribune. “So we were like, ‘You know what, we’re going to make the restaurant that sells those items.’ That’s pretty much how we got here.”

Enter Happy Bites, the Avalos’ restaurant that serves crepes, Mexican snacks and a flurry of other items like tortas, hamburgers, burritos and an array of drinks at 8075 El Camino Real in Atascadero.

The restaurant opened on Dec. 21, a feat that usually backfires, manager Cesar Bravo told The Tribune.

“It was a brave thing to do from the owners’ perspective, because Christmas is notoriously a very slow time in the restaurant business,” he said. “But they were so excited and enthusiastic to get their food out into the world and just to become a part of the Atascadero community.”

On the second day since its open doors, Happy Bites already received its first regular. The influx of community support and delight toward the restaurant’s grand menu was “unexpected,” especially so early on in the spot’s life, Bravo said.

“We already have a pretty good cycle of regulars that come in,” he said. “We recognize and remember their orders. We get fired up, they get fired up, which has been super awesome. All around, business has been way more steady than we could have ever imagined. It has been so good to us.”

What’s on the extensive menu of Atascadero Mexican restaurant?

Bravo said it has been the savory and sweet crepes like the Dubai chocolate crepe that have been taking the “leading charge” in terms of the fan-favorite menu item, although the large burritos and quesabirrias are a close second.

Happy Bites also serves omelettes, chilaquiles, enchiladas, burgers, tortas, soups, salads and Mexican corn cups, tostilocos, manzana loca and shaved ice.

Special drinks include matcha, milkshakes, chamoyada — a frozen spicy fruit blend, horchata and frappés.

“We get people that will try multiple sections of the menu,” Bravo said. “They’ll come back a different day and try something completely unrelated to what they got last because they were like, well, that was good. I want to try something else. That’s always super cool.”

While the restaurant’s menu has something for everyone and brings “happy bites,” the spot’s name is not related to its grub.

Alma’s son Mateo’s first phrase was “happy bites,” when she was trying to get him to say “happy smile.” The name stuck, and Alma now spends her time creating recipes at Happy Bites with fresh ingredients and sauces all made in-house.

“It’s such a cool story. I love when they tell it, because you can see the light in their eyes when they look around and realize how far they truly come,” Bravo said. “It’s such a wonderful thing to be a first-hand witness to be like, ‘Wow.’”

For more information

Happy Bites at 8075 El Camino Real in Atascadero is open Monday through Friday from 10 a.m. to 8 p.m. and Saturday and Sunday from 8 a.m. to 8 p.m.

For more information about the restaurant, visit its website at happybitesatascadero.com.