Mary Guevara, owner of South Mini Market at South Square Plaza on Carolina Beach Road, has opened a restaurant in the same shopping center, in the space formerly occupied by Tokyo Deli.
 
La Esquina Latin Grill opened quietly at the end of October but is seeing a steady uptick in business, according to Guevara’s daughter, manager Grey Bonilla.
 
“When we saw that Tokyo Deli was closing, my mom knew she wanted to give a restaurant a try,” Bonilla said. “And this was the perfect space to do it because of how close it is to the market.”
 
With a menu that features Guevara’s native Honduran cuisine as well as Mexican dishes, Bonilla said the dishes appeal to a wide range of customers.
 
“We have Hondurans who are excited to have a restaurant serving Honduran food on this side of town, but also folks who are excited to try something new,” Bonilla said. “And our customers at the mini mart have been very excited to try it out.”
 
Bonilla and her brother Kevin Funez work at both the restaurant and the mini mart, helping out wherever needed, while Guevara runs the kitchen at La Esquina. She serves family recipes such as baleadas, flour tortillas topped with beans, cheese, meat and sour cream, and fried chicken with crispy green plantains served atop rice with salad and homemade dressing.
 
Mexican offerings include fajitas, tortas, huaraches, quesadillas, sopes and tacos, as well as a carne asada plate.
 
Guevara also prepares homemade, slow-simmered chicken and beef soups served with a side of rice and homemade tortillas.
 
Seating is limited, and call-ahead orders for carry-out are encouraged. La Esquina serves soft drinks such as Mexican Coca-Cola and horchata, as well as Mexican beer.
 
La Esquina Latin Grill is at 2394 Carolina Beach Road, Suite 301, and is open 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. Monday through Thursday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Friday through Sunday.
 
Have a tip for Restaurant Roundup? Email [email protected].