Los Gavilanes Mexican Grill serves up delicious dishes with sizzling sauces

CHUBBUCK — A local couple is quickly approaching the first anniversary of opening their restaurant’s second location.

Juan Huícar and Lupe Villanueva, who have been married for 11 years, have owned and operated Los Gavilanes Mexican Grill in Blackfoot at 1217 Parkway Drive since 2021. The restaurant’s Chubbuck location, at 140 West Chubbuck Road, will soon have been open for one year.

“It’s been a crazy ride, because it’s not easy owning a business… but we’ve been really lucky enough that we’ve gotten the (attention) of the community,” Villanueva said. “We make it with love, and we think about quality.”

A week before the second location turns one year old, EastIdahoNews.com sat down with the couple to sample some of their most popular dishes.

The Seafood Tower is one of the most popular dishes offered at Los Gavilanes. It contains crab, shrimp, and fish, all prepared in citrus juices and various spices. The tower is served in layers and is meant to be eaten from top to bottom.

Thanks to the large portion size of the dish, it can be shared among a whole table of family and friends.

Los Gavilanes Ceviche is another popular dish at the restaurant. People can scoop the shrimp, octopus, fish, and avocado slices onto a tostada served on the side. The pre-cooked shrimp is mixed with pico de gallo, the fish is cooked in lime, and the octopus is cooked slowly in spices. The dish is topped with a house-made cocktail sauce.

Customers who order the Molcajete Mexicano will find the large bowl boiling with bubbles on its surface when it’s brought to their table. The molcajete sauce is made from scratch by boiling tomatoes and onions.

This dish, another that can be shared among the table, contains steak, chicken, bell peppers and onions under its boiling surface. It comes with a side of rice, beans, guacamole, sour cream, and tortillas. The restaurant can remove any of these ingredients to adjust for someone’s preferences or dietary needs.

The Los Gavilanes Steak is a 16-ounce Angus steak served with white shrimp and mushrooms. These hearty shrimp are cooked in butter with spices and garlic, and the steak can be cooked to the customer’s preference.

Los Gavilanes Mexican Grill also has a full bar, which can serve a variety of beers and mixed drinks. EastIdahoNews.com sampled a spicy Cantarito, a popular tequila-based drink served with Mexican candy. EastIdahoNews.com also sampled a Blue Hawaiian, a drink with pineapple juice, coconut, and blue curacao, a drink more suited to customers not equipped for spice.

The couple hopes that those who haven’t yet will come in and try the food and experience their restaurant.

“We want them to come in, sit down… have a great family time, or have (a great) experience with friends, or coworkers,” Villanueva said. “We’re just trying to provide you with a nice atmosphere so that you can sit down, relax, and have a good time.”