Guzman Y Gomez: The Grand Opening

Yesterday was the grand opening of new Mexican restaurant Guzman Y Gomez (GYG) at the Emporium in Fortitude Valley, and it proved quite a stormy start for this franchise's first Brisbane outlet. Making my way there around lunchtime, I could already see the sky growing dark with storm clouds, and I prayed that it would hold off until my companion and I could get safely to the restaurant. It didn't. The rain began to pour down just before we stepped off the bus and we watched lightning flash uncomfortably close from the shelter of the bus stop. Sensing it would only get worse, we flicked up our collars and darted into the rain and across the road to the Emporium complex.

I'm not very familiar with this part of town. The Emporium is a little too far down Wickham St and a little too upper class for me to be a frequenter of its boutiqueries, whether they be of the food or fashion variety. Still, it wasn't hard to spot GYG; the bright yellow balloons and blaring music of the Mariachi band were kind of a giveaway. Getting under the safety of GYG's high and airy roof, we were a little disappointed to discover a very, very long queue of people waiting to place their order. The wait was, however, not unpleasant. The Mariachi band and the young señorita doing a somewhat-traditional dance to their music proved quite distracting. Meanwhile, the manager moved along the queue, stopping to reassure the hungry customers that there was definitely a free burrito waiting for them at the end of the line.


In the end, it took only about ten minutes for us to reach the counter. There was a good selection of fillings available: two chicken, two beef, pork, barramundi, and a vegetarian option. I ordered the Pork Chipotle burrito, while my friend decided on a D.F. Steak & Onion burrito. (I have no idea what "D.F." stands for. Possibly "Damn Fine", given my friend's reaction after biting into it.) On the counter were two frozen margarita machines (only $8), and studying the menu in greater detail I could see they had other Mexican alcoholic beverages available, including Corona beer ($7) and tequila shots ($6 or $8, depending on the brand). Having placed our order, we moved to a side counter and watched the hardworking staff in the kitchen assembling burritos while we waited for our order number to be called.


With burritos in hand, we wandered through the large open-plan seating area, looking for an empty table. The long wooden bench-style tables were mostly occupied, but right down the back we found a small table with two chairs free. By this time, the storm had taken on apocalyptic proportions. As we sat and nibbled our burritos we were assaulted by wind-borne napkins and wrappers, while the thunder and dull roar of the rain threatened to drown out the Mariachi band. The staff scrambled to drop the awnings and mop up the puddles that had suddenly appeared, and the señorita's dance steps faltered as everyone's attention turned from her to the raging skies outside.


There's only so long you can watch rain before you realise its not going to go in any direction other than down. And so I returned my attention to the delicious burrito in front of me and spent a moment examining its contents. The generous helping of pork was nicely tender and the chipotle marinade was very tasty. The menu had listed it as being spicy, and there was a little kick to it, but not enough for my rather jaded palate. Fresh salsa, cheese, rice and black beans made up the rest of the filling, and proved a perfect accompaniment to the richness of the pork. The flour tortilla was expertly wrapped, holding the filling together very well and didn't taste overly-floury or doughy. We had been warned by the manager not to unwrap it, because the filling would escape and the whole thing would fall apart. This was good advice that, looking at the people seated near me juggling handfuls of salsa, not everyone had followed.


For those who like their Mexican food with a little more spice, GYG have thoughtfully installed a condiment caddy in the centre of the seating area filled with bottles of Tobasco sauce. And not just one sort either, but three: jalapeno, smoked chipotle, and habanero. Next to the Tobasco were three bowls, with red onion, jalapenos, and some sort of diced green leafy stuff (possibly with coriander in it). My friend grabbed a couple of bottles of Tabasco and we liberally doused our last morsels of burrito in sauce, making those last few bites a pleasantly scorching experience.

We had to wait half an hour after finishing our lunch for the worst of the storm to pass before we could make a dash through the drizzle to the bus stop. The Mariachi band had long since given up trying to compete with the noise of the storm and taken a break for lunch, meanwhile the manager was moving among the tables, chatting with customers and making sure they were happy with the food. From what I could see, everyone was very happy with their free burrito, and I have no doubt that many of them will return in less stormy conditions to try some of the other items on the menu. With the prices so very good (no meals over $10!), and the food so tasty, fresh and authentic, I know I'll certainly be spending a lot more time in this part of town.


Address: Emporium, 1000 Ann St, Fortitude Valley.
Opening Hours: 11am - 10pm, seven days.
Check out the Guzman Y Gomez menu and prices here.