For all Plattsburgh State students who want Chipotle to deliver, there might be an alternative.
For breakfast, lunch and dinner, Lomeli’s, located at 20 Plattsburgh Plaza, has authentic Mexican cuisine for takeout and delivery.
“We are takeout. We do have some tables to dine-in, but we specialize in fresh takeout food. That’s our main concept,” said Suzette Lomeli, co-owner of Lomeli’s, alongside husband Armando Martinez.
The family-owned business dates back to when Lomeli’s mother taught her the family recipes.
Lomeli said her mother had five children and made a lot of food. Her mother also worked late hours and taught Lomeli her ways of cooking when she was 15. When Lomeli learned some of the recipes,she started cooking for her brothers and sisters.
After Lomeli and Martinez moved to Plattsburgh for Martinez’s job, the couple started out a Mexican cuisine delivery service but decided to open a restaurant when they noticed there weren’t any local Mexican restaurants in the area.
“All of our food is very fresh. Everything is made daily. Our beans are made daily,” Lomeli said, “At the end of the day, we donate our food.”
The restaurant has been open for just two months, but there are already some customer favorites.
Lomeli said their signature salsa is a favorite from the restaurant, as well as their marinated beef asada.
“Of course, our Fat Boy Burrito is a favorite, too,” Lomeli said.
The burrito is comprised of rice, cheese, beans, onions and chicken or asada.
Besides their lunch and dinner specials, Lomeli’s also offers breakfast with a Mexican flare. Chorizo burritos, Mexican omelettes and Mexican hot chocolate are three spins on a classic breakfast cuisine. Breakfast is served from 6-11 a.m.
Lomeli’s also offers many different specials throughout the week, which change every day depending on what they want to make. In the past, specials have included L.A.-styled hot dogs, fish tacos and their lightly fried corn tortilla dish chilaquiles. On Taco Tuesdays, customers can get three tacos for $5. They also host a Happy Hour on Fridays from 2-4 p.m. where drinks are offered and tacos are $1.
She said the response to the restaurant has been more than their family could imagine. Lomeli said businesses always start out slow, so only time will tell. She also said they haven’t advertised much for the restaurant, so all promotions have been from word of mouth or through their Facebook page.
“We’re just trying things out for now,” Lomeli said.
Julia Verdon, a sophomore finance major at PSUC, said she had never heard of Lomeli’s.
“Having part of my family be Mexican, coming to Plattsburgh, I didn’t know if I was going to get the full Mexican culture at a restaurant,” Verdon said.
However, after seeing some of the cuisine at Lomeli’s, Verdon said it looked like home. She said she’s excited about the nachos, tacos and especially the chorizo.Verdon said it’s really hard to find chorizo in supermarkets.
Verdon said that, being a college student, she usually gets food from Griddles or Clinton. She said if more college students heard about Lomeli’s delivery service, they’d be more inclined to check it out.
“They should have late-night deals for college students,” she said.
PSUC students Elaina Bertone and Taylor Adams both tried the new restaurant and had rave reviews. Bertone said the tacos were good.
“It’s not what you think a taco is. It’s more authentic with cilantro, fresh tortillas and onions.”
Adams said the food was outstanding and that she would go return to the restaurant.
“The nachos are messy but really good. They weren’t greasy, which was surprising,” Adams said.
Lomeli’s is open from 6 a.m. to 2 p.m. on Tuesdays, 3-8 p.m. on Wednesdays and Saturdays, and 6.am. to 8 p.m. on Thursdays and Fridays.
Lomeli’s accepts Cardinal Cash and will give a 10 percent discount if PSUC students show school IDs.
Email Kavita Singh at kavita.singh@carinalpointsonline.com
