Mojarra, quesabirrias & more. New authentic Mexican restaurant opens in Warner Robins

A new restaurant offering authentic Mexican food is now open in Warner Robins.

Medina’s Mexican Grill, at 1281 South Houston Lake Road, is nestled between Aqua Lounge and The Vine Boutique in the former Zoner’s pizza spot.

The new restaurant is a dream come true for three friends who met while working at other Mexican restaurants in Middle Georgia and pooled their money to open one of their own.

“It’s exciting,” said Jesus Hernandez, who owns 50% of the restaurant, which he intends as a legacy for his 15-year-old son, Daniel Hernandez.

Antonio Medina, and his girlfriend, Yenny Aranda, own the other 50%. All work at the restaurant.

The food

The menu includes tacos, burritos, enchiladas, fajitas, quesadillas, steaks, salads, soups and seafood.

Among their specialties is mojarra, a whole fried fish with their special garlic sauce and served with lettuce, sliced avocado, red onion, tomatoes and cucumber.

Another specialty is molcajete, a dish served on a molcajete of grilled steak, chicken and shrimp with tortillas and a fajita salad with chorizo, onions, jalapenos, nopal, banana peppers, a roasted queso fresco and bathed in their special sauce.

Already popular are their quesabirrias, which consist of birria-style stewed meat folded into tortillas that have been soaked in the fat of the meat broth and served with a side of broth for dipping.

Among the seafood dishes is shrimp cocktail in a seasoned tomato sauce with avocado and cucumber that’s served with saltine crackers.

Ceviche may be ordered with shrimp, tilapia or a mix of the two. The seafood is marinated in lime juice with tomatoes, cucumber, avocado and pico del gallo.

They also offer house specials such as Danielito’s favorite of ground beef or stewed chicken on a bed of rice with white melted cheese on top.

The menu also features four vegetable-based dishes, including chiles poblanos. This dish consists of two poblano peppers stuffed with cheese, topped with burrito sauce and served with rice and black beans.

Among their six steak selections is a 10 ounce ribeye served with a baked potato, asparagus and cooked veggies.

Lunch specials

They also offer lunch specials such as a chimichanga, a fried tortilla filled with ground beef or stewed chicken, topped with lettuce, tomatoes, sour cream, white melted cheese and guacamole. There’s an upcharge to have the dish grilled instead of fried.

Customers also can create their own lunch special from 11 a.m. to 2 p.m. Monday through Friday by picking two or three from the following choices: taco, burrito, enchilada, tostada, tamale, quesadilla, chicken soup, tossed salad or guacamole salad.

These plates come with rice, refried black beans and a choice of beef or stewed chicken for the meat-based choices.

Open only a couple of weeks, they’re still experimenting with the menu — planning to add and subtract dishes as they get a feel for what their customers enjoy. The menu already is pretty extensive.

Capable of seating 120 people, the restaurant includes a small full-service bar area with high-top tables. Once the alcohol license is issued, the owners plan to specialize in margaritas, daiquiris and tequila.

Non-alcoholic beverages include Coca-Cola fountain products, Mexican Coke, Jarritos and Agua Frescas.

Hours are 11 a.m. to 9:30 p.m. Monday through Saturday and 11 a.m. to 9 p.m. Sunday. The number is 478-287-2264.

This story was originally published March 14, 2023 at 6:50 AM.