By Gina Horan
Fresh Jalapeño Creates a Cuisine & a Vision as Bold as its Namesake
The average jalapeño may weigh only half an ounce, but it packs a punch with a reputation for heat that both scares and seduces diners. It’s also the spark behind one of Lady Lake’s most popular cantinas. At Fresh Jalapeño, Manuel Tovar and his family built a restaurant around this fiery little symbol of flavor.
“Growing up in a Mexican family, everything we eat revolves around spice—it’s in our DNA. Even our candy is spicy,” Manuel says. “So, it just made sense that we would integrate the jalapeño into the brand.”
They opened in April 2024 when the right property came along.
“We seized the opportunity, and at last, my mom, Maria Corona, saw her dream come true of owning her own restaurant.”
Originally from Puerto Vallarta, the close-knit Tovar/Corona family has worked in the restaurant industry for decades. Now Maria builds on recipes passed down from her mother, Guadalupe, giving every dish a direct line back to the family kitchen.
Maria provides the culinary backbone while Manny’s sister Lupita plays a key role in daily service. Together they keep the restaurant grounded in authenticity while Manny drives its modern edge.
He manages the social media presence, and his strategy has paid off. Word of mouth spread quickly. Facebook groups and local chatter praise the generous portions, attentive service and welcoming family feel.
What started as simple outreach has turned into influencers and YouTubers contacting them to participate in his most provocative promotion yet: the “Burrito Challenge.”
“This is a timed contest where the contestant must eat a ten-pound, 24-inch burrito loaded with beef, chicken, rice, beans, guacamole, pico, sour cream, lettuce and cheese dip,” he says. “It must be finished within 60 minutes with no bathroom breaks, no outside help, no hiding food and no mercy for acute nausea.”
Winners get the $49.99 meal free, a T-shirt and their photo on the Wall of Fame.
Fresh Jalapeño’s menu covers the staples like street tacos, fajitas, queso dip, taco salad and a full burrito lineup from supreme to chile to fajitas. Chile mango, pozole, enchiladas and tamales round out the menu. It’s all fresh and prepped daily. There’s enough variety for people like me, (I’m allergic to capsaicin) and for Manuel, who was raised on the hottest peppers from the Scoville scale.
Normally when Nicole starts taking photos at our Fork on the Road excursions, we are blessed to get a few dishes and drinks for tasting. Here, the team began by setting out multiple cocktails in beautiful ceramic dishes. Thirty minutes later there was a feast so big she had to climb a ladder to shoot it.
We dug right in.
My allergy didn’t keep me from hoarding the fresh, chilled guacamole Jalisco with bits of chopped jalapeño, cooled down with queso fresco.
The street tacos with carne asada were also amazing, but the birria tacos were our favorite. They dip the tortilla into guajillo sauce before grilling, turning it reddish in color, and serve barbacoa drippings on the side for dipping.
Did you know?
The jalapeno pepper is loaded with fiber, potassium and vitamins C, K & B. It’s also low in calories and tied to improved metabolism, better circulation and reduced inflammation.
The Montezuma is a generous portion of savory pork al pastor with small, diced pineapple, cheese, onion and cilantro for a build-your-own taco. I built three, and the sweetness of the pineapple stole the show. They also served the signature molcajete and mojarra frita, at which point I begged for takeout containers.
Lurking throughout the meal was a giant fried Oreo ice cream that Manuel tucked back into the freezer before bringing it out again as we were finishing. Sweet-tooth Nicole usually enjoys the desserts with me, but she was so busy sipping on the cucumber jalapeño margarita that I happily managed most of it myself. Her take on the margarita? “Yummy cucumber with a slight kick and smoke from the dried jalapeño garnish.”
I will go back for the cheesecake chimichanga.
The full bar is colorful and impressive and features margaritas of the week like prickly pear or watermelon. They also serve margarita flights, sangria, micheladas, Palomas, a lavender margarita, plus a full range of wines and Mexican beers.
Of course, Taco Tuesday is a hit, with a lineup of $2 tacos in many styles.
While there are quite a few Mexican restaurants in the area, Manuel embraces them all and is proud of how much the community loves this vibrant cuisine.
“There is something for everyone, and as long as we give our best, everyone will have a seat at our table,” he says.
Photos: Nicole Hamel
Gina moved to Central Florida in August 2021 from the San Francisco Bay Area. She has a degree in linguistics and worked as a fashion editor, photo stylist lifestyle columnist and food writer for the Knight Ridder Newspaper Group. She also covered and photographed music festivals, fashion shows and sports throughout Northern California. In 2000, she joined KSAN radio as a morning show co-host and produced the news and sports content there for four years. She later covered travel, events and the restaurant scene for KRON-Bay TV. A veteran bartender, Gina has worked in hospitality on and off since high school. She has been with Akers Media since 2022 and hosts the Healthy Living Central Florida podcast. Her passions include travel, road trips, baseball, history books and podcasts, tasting menus and arriving in a new city without a map or guidebook.
