OUR
STORY
Born and raised in Watsonville (Northern California), our co-owner Eric Flores spent most of his life in this coastal farming and surf town, rich in Mexican culture. From the unassuming mom & pop taquerias, lowrider / Chicano street scene, casual family BBQ, and farm fresh produce - {antojitos} is a story our team wishes to share with you.
MARKET
BEGINNINGS
From humble beginnings in 2014, {antojitos} was born - a 3m x 3m market stall offering street-style tacos and mulitas at local farmers markets. 'Antojitos' (which loosely translates to mean "street food") reflects our stencil-style identity, born from the basic necessity of spray painting our logo on our market stall.
carrington
Young street
After developing a loyal Newcastle following, Eric and sister-in-law Bernadette recognised a much larger need for casual Mexican street food, so we took a chance and moved {antojitos} into bricks and mortar - a “hole in the wall” butcher shop in Carrington in September 2015. But our focus remained clear - to share the story and offer simple, fresh California-Mexican street food.
Patronage grew and grew, spilling out onto the street and into the backyard... so we began collecting extra furniture from the side of the road and added seating wherever possible. We “made do” with what we had at Carrington, and invested where we thought it mattered most - great staff, fresh food, and good vibes.
newcastle
STEEL STREET
Times must change, so fast forward to April 2018 and 11 Steel Street. Our new restaurant (ex-fruit/veg market & Asian grocery) has been inspired by the mercados of California and Mexico. Make do with what you have; be proud of what you have to offer. So again, we have recycled and repurposed in order to make our dream a reality.
The old Asian grocery store cold room has been repurposed into our kitchen, light fixtures recycled, and furniture salvaged or inherited. Still no bullshit... we simply strive for great food and service in a unique atmosphere. Steel Street now offers a lot more space than our original 3m x 3m market stall...we've even got a project VW Kombi parked inside the shop.
MAITLAND ROAD
MAYFIELD
We move to 2024, where we start our next project, a second store in Mayfield!
We found an old pie shop that used to be a Milk Bar, and saw the potential that could be developed.
It's taken a looooong time to get everything done right and bring the street-food vibe back to our store. Again, we salvalge and discover materials and furniture to help build this store and let it show you its history. In 2025, it will be completed.
This is only the next step in our journey!
But no matter how big we go, our mission and culture will ALWAYS remain the same.
the ANTOJITOS FAMILY
Who is the {antojitos} team? They are a select group of chosen people that are dedicated to our mission to provide excellent Mexican street food, genuinely attentive service, and a family friendly atmosphere. But don't let their laid back nature fool you...they take their jobs very seriously.
Bernadette
Owner
Eric
Owner
Kristy
Owner
Gem
Hope
Ez
Angie
Pedro
Michelle
our mission
Our mission reflects our story
Our mission is to combine fresh and vibrant ingredients with the time-honoured techniques of authentic Mexican cooking.
We strive to highlight California/Mexican culture and our interpretation of Mexican food - basic “people food” accessible to all, characterized by freshness, simplicity and bold flavours.
We recognise and honour the Mexican people’s significant contribution to the food, culture, and farming industry of California.
