Old Mexico to Become Mountain Mike’s?
After more than 50 years of serving Santa Rosa, the venerable Old Mexico Restaurant & Bar (4501 Montgomery Dr., Santa Rosa) is closing. The restaurant will serve its last margarita Sunday, May 1, 2016, according to owner Gus Lopez. Burgeoning restaurant mogul Sonu Chandi’s restaurant group has purchased the space, and is reportedly planning a Mountain Mike’s Brewpub for the location after an extensive remodel. This is the first brewpub concept for the pizza chain, and will include craft brews and a full bar.
The Chandi Restaurant Group, which includes his two brothers and wife, currently own five Mountain Mike’s Pizza restaurants in Sonoma County, as well as Santa Rosa’s Stout Brothers, the recently-opened Bibi’s Burgers and the soon-to-open Craft 535 Kitchen + Bar (late May) in the former Caffe Portofino.
Lopez will continue with his barbecue catering company, Big Boy’s Bar-B-Que, and has plans for a future restaurant in Windsor.
thanks a lot
I’m going to miss the Lopez family’s food and hospitality. They were doing Mexican food the right way early on; back in the day when you could get a steaming bag of tortillas for $.75 from Refugio’s on Petaluma Hill Road (Now another pho place).
If you expose the photo for your subject and not the background you might find the results “read”?better.
I worked at the original Old Mexico as a waitress when I was in high school for the Lopez family. They were really nice to me always making me sit down and eat before my shift. The original was located in the little strip mall right below the Villa hill, same strip mall where Lepe’s is now. Hopefully they still have a stand at the Sonoma County Fair. Mrs. Lopez helped me with my Spanish and I helped with English.
Thanks uncle Mike. It’s a place like Cheers. So very sad.
Nooo.. I LOVED THIS PLACE!!! Sad You guys made the BEST BOWLIA Drinks!!! We lived on Sonoma Ave. Sorry to see you leave. 🙁
Old Mexico is legendary in my Family. Remember when they first opened, near Dale’s Bicycle shop. Been eating there since I was in high school, gonna miss their Friendship and hospitality. Just a reminder–there’s still Martha’s Old Mexico in Sebastopol. Every time I’ve been in Santa Rosa–I have their chicken tacos everyday I’m in town. My LOve and thanks to the Lopez family for all the memories, Mike MacDevitt Reno,Nv
It’s a pizza joint / tap room
Are they actually going to have a brewery on-location? I ask because I thought that Mountain Mike’s was primarily a pizza restaurant that happens to sell distilled beer. If they’re not brewing on the premises, it’s wrong to call it a “brewpub”.
Distilled beer is called whiskey.
I love it when people act like experts and prove their own ignorance in the process. There is no distillation involved in beer production.
Ah, ease up a notch. Beer is made before it’s turned into whiskey, but he got his wording goofy.
So I wanted small dice, and you gave me medium: I’ll have half of it then!
That’s what they are calling it. I’m not actually sure at this point.
Noooo! I moved from Santa Rosa 9 years ago but every time I make it back, this place is on my must stop list! I LOVE their fish tacos and have been looking for an equivalent here in north Texas to no avail 🙁 please continue serving your fish tacos in some shape or form in the future!
Hope they keep the bowlas
Just what we need, another brew pub! Really?