Four longtime friends and entrepreneurs turned their shared vision into reality with Cantina’s Mexican Kitchen, a vibrant and popular Clermont restaurant. 

Ivan Mauricio and Nora Mendez, owners of Stone Experts in Tavares, and Jaime Solis and Lucia Alvarado, owners of Solal Painting in DeLand, first entertained the idea when a casual conversation after a soccer game between Ivan and Jaime led to the realization that they both had dreamed of opening a restaurant. 

“So many nights, I’d tell my wife, ‘One day I’ll have a restaurant that brings people together,’” Ivan recalls.

Jaime had also dreamed of it but had never found the right business partner.

“I’ve been friends with Ivan for years, so when I found out we were on the same page, I felt working together would be a blessing,” he says. “I knew it was the right time.”

That conversation quickly turned into action. The two couples pooled their skills to create a welcoming space where customers and employees feel at home. 

“I always imagined a place where customers are treated like family,” Jaime says. “We also have a good team, and it’s very important that they feel we care about them, too.”

Nora says she’s proud of what they’ve built. 

“We’re committed to serving our community with care and passion every day,” she says. “We want our guests to come in, enjoy a meal and feel like they’re becoming part of the family.”

With the unwavering support of their wives, the team transformed an old space into a modern yet cozy restaurant. Together, the couples knocked down walls, laid flooring, built tabletops and counters, painted the walls — you name it.

A beautiful mural proudly showcases their Zacatecas heritage, honoring their deep Mexican roots and the restaurant’s colorful yet classy décor that lends itself to the happy, festive vibe, felt inside and out on the porch.

“We support our husbands, our dreamers, in whatever ways we can,” Lucia says. 

As for food, Cantina’s stays true to authenticity, serving traditional dishes made only using the highest quality ingredients. Nora says Mexican staples like refried beans are made fresh every day from pinto beans they simmer every night. The kitchen crew never uses frozen ingredients and instead of cooking huge batches of side items like their rice, they make smaller batches as needed to ensure it always tastes fluffy and fresh. 

Signature dishes like the Burrito California, Enchiladas Supreme, Shrimp Cocktail, fajitas, the Carnitas Platter and more have quickly become customer favorites and the full bar offers seasonal cocktails and two-for-one margaritas on Mondays.

Recently, Akers Chief Photographer Nicole Hamel and I visited Cantina’s and were delighted.

We tried several dishes, including the Cantina’s Sampler Platter—crispy nachos topped with cheese sauce and chicken, a quesadilla, a flauta, guacamole, sour cream and pico de gallo that was almost like a full meal in itself. Still, we kept going with very delicious Birria Tacos and Molcajete, a hot lava mortar filled with beef strips, chicken, pork, shrimp and chorizo topped with cheese, peppers, onions and grilled cactus, all served with rice and beans.

Being from Arizona originally, one may think I’ve tasted cactus, but this was my first experience, and it was delicious, especially with enough protein in the molcajete to enhance every bite!

My favorite dish of the day, however, was the bone-in ribeye smothered with roasted poblano butter, complete with a side of diced potatoes, zucchini and squash we shared. The dish was paired with an Espresso Martini and a Pineapple Margarita on the rocks we enjoyed every drop of.

The steak was cooked beautifully and the roasted poblano butter added the perfect amount of creamy decadence that I hope didn’t translate to added inches to my waistline.

With that said, if you haven’t been to Cantina’s yet, Cinco de Mayo may be the perfect time to visit. The owners are planning a celebration that includes live mariachis, DJ sets, special drinks, decorations and exclusive T-shirts for customers.

If weekday outings are not your thing, Saturdays Sundays bring a popular brunch from 10am to 2pm featuring hearty Mexican breakfast favorites like chilaquiles, huevos rancheros, avocado toast, bottomless mimosas and more.

Looking to the future, the partners are excited about the next steps in their culinary adventure, including enhancements such as a redesigned patio with enclosures for year-round enjoyment, regardless of weather.

They’ve also opened Guajillos Taqueria, a second restaurant in Deland to further celebrate their heritage.

“The most important thing that you can do when running a business is not to think like an owner, but like a customer and that’s really why I believe this restaurant has been so successful,” Ivan says. “We’re always thinking, ‘What do our customers need? What are they expecting when it comes to service, quality food, drinks and presentation?’”

Photos: Nicole Hamel