GUAC'N AND ROLL'N. Formerly operating out of a food trailer based in Arcadia, Guac N' Roll has evolved into a brick-and-mortar eatery in downtown Eau Claire.

After announcing in early May their plans to open their first storefront in downtown Eau Claire, Guac N’ Roll officially opened its doors for business on July 15.

Located at 420 S. Barstow St. in the space formerly occupied by Teriyaki Madness, the family-owned Mexican eatery is thrilled to have grown from a food trailer into restaurant – and this is just the beginning.

Hoping to revamp the space to open as soon as possible, the Hernandez family officially signed a lease on June 9 and were in the building the very next day to nail down what work needed to be done. After picking paint colors – Guac N’ Roll green and an accent shade of black – and buying a new charbroiler and adding a flat-top griddle, the rest was “a lot of elbow grease,” Carlos Hernandez said.

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WE BRING THE AUTHENTICITY AND THE FLAVOR.

CARLOS HERNANDEZ

CO-OWNER OF GUAC N' ROLL

Now, the space is fresh yet simple, housing two booths, high-top window seating, and high-top tables, with a glowing Guac N’ Roll logo sign hanging from a wall.

“(This location) came about very spontaneously. We saw on the Eau Claire Foodies (Facebook Page) that (Teriyaki Madness) had permanently closed, and we instantly jumped on it to see who owned the building,” Carlos recalled.

Since operating the Guac N’ Roll food trailer mainly out of Arcadia for three or four years, the family had played around with the menu quite a bit, making the creation of the restaurant’s core menu a smooth process. Giving props to his mother – “she’s an excellent cook” – the menu features 11 entrees with four choices of meat and an array of side options, plus drinks.

From tacos to torta, to their Rockin’ Nachos and Guac ’N’ Loaded Fries dishes – and the appropriately named, Barstow Burrito – Guac N’ Roll is eager to continue offering its authentic food to the Chippewa Valley.

“We took into consideration what Eau Claire currently had and what we could bring and offer. We found that not a lot of places had birria, so we introduced that, and changed the ‘California Burrito’ to the ‘Barstow Burrito,’ ” Carlos said. “I’m really biased, but I believe that we have the best Mexican food in the area: We bring the authenticity and the flavor.”

Though the Hernandez family is still making the daily trip to and from Arcadia to run the restaurant, they plan on moving to Eau Claire very soon. “We’re fully committed to Eau Claire,” Carlos said.

Carlos’s favorite item on the menu is the burrito – his go-to meat being the al pastor – and it’s been customers’ favorite so far too, he said.

Looking to the future, the family is currently looking to hire additional staff members – they are holding walk-in interviews on Thursday, July 20, from 10am-3pm – and working on incorporating specials. They are hoping to offer barbacoa, carnitas, fish tacos, lengua, and more, though they are more focused on making sure the restaurant’s core menu and service is concrete first. “We’re thinking by the end of the summer we’ll hopefully have those (specials) figured out, and introduce them.”

Though posting their official farewell to Arcadia as a business was difficult, the whole Hernandez family is excited to continue their new chapter as a restaurant in Eau Claire. “There are endless possibilities,” Carlos said.

Guac N' Roll is open Tuesday-Saturday from 11am-9pm at 420 S. Barstow St., Eau Claire. Keep up with them on Facebook to hear about the latest updates.