Three and a half years ago, Dos Gringos Mexican Kitchen opened its doors, and my how far it’s come.
Owner Greg Quintiliano had a dream to open the BYO eatery, located at 113 South Olive Street in Media. Until then, Media craved an authentic Mexican restaurant. Along with former partner Alan Reh, who is exploring other career avenues, the duo made it happen in April of 2011. Now business is booming. The latest news to share is Dos Gringos’ house-made tortilla chips are now available to purchase at Whole Foods Market in Glen Mills. Up next, their fresh, house-made salsas will hit the shelves. Believe me, these salsas are truly authentic, created using the freshest vegetables and spices. The best part is when you dine in, the salsa bar is complimentary so you can try them all—Salsa Cruda and Verde are mild in flavor, Chipotle has medium heat and Habanero is, well, hot, hot, hot!
Whole Foods is the third market in the area to pick up Dos Gringos’ products. Wolff’s Apple House in Media and Swarthmore Co-op already carry the chips and salsa, and Quintiliano hopes to branch out even more.
“I’m looking to expand in the area’s stores. People like to see local brands and are attracted to locally made, fresh products,” he says.
While the salsas are tremendously popular, so is the house-made guacamole. In fact, it’s award winning, scoring the 2014 “Best Guacamole” Award as voted by critics for Main Line Today’s Best of the Main Line & Western Suburbs. It really is that good, made with perfectly ripe avocados and just the right amount of salt and lime juice. Just grab a chip and scoop away!
Dos Gringos is no stranger to amazing accolades. They won the Delaware County Times 2012 Readers’ Choice Award for Best Mexican Restaurant, the 2013 Open Table Diner’s Choice Award for Best Mexican and the Community Arts Center’s 2nd Annual Taste of Media event.
Quntiliano, a Delaware County native, says he’s always striving to be better and consistently give loyal customers something new and different.
“We’re always improving however we can; for example, we added the vestibule out front so the cold air doesn’t rush in during the winter,” he says. “For people with dietary restrictions, we serve gluten-free options, as well as vegan dishes.”
It’s all the little details that have made Dos Gringos a success, and a destination spot for many.
“I really enjoy the people. We have a great following and some that come in all the time. I look forward to what people think about the changes and new dishes, and appreciate their feedback,” he says. “In the three and a half years I’ve been here, it’s amazing to see how many people I’ve met that know us so well.”
Dos Gringos is open for lunch and dinner Tuesday through Saturdays, and recently added a Saturday brunch menu available 10 a.m.–2 p.m. Dinner is served on Sundays from 4:30–9 p.m.
The lunch menu features classic Mexican dishes, such as tacos, burritos and quesadillas made with shredded chicken, pork carnitas, shredded beef, grilled veggies, housemade chorizo or shrimp. For just under ten bucks, you can order a combo meal that includes a choice of two tacos, burrito or quesadilla, plus chips, salsa, a fountain drink and choice of soup, salad or rice and beans.
“The dinner selections are more upscale and a bit more expensive, and have more style and flavor than your average Mexican restaurant,” Quintiliano says.
Best-selling dishes include fish tacos, which are made with beer-battered tilapia, jumbo lump crab, jicama slaw, pickled red onions and corn tortillas. Surf and turf fajitas, chicken enchiladas and empanadas are also popular items. Plus, there’s unique specials daily and desserts made in-house.
Every Tuesday night, it’s Taco Tuesday. You can either dine-in and feast on tacos with your choice of house flavors, or order a complete take-out dinner for the whole family. It’s $24.95 for a family of four, and ten dollars more for a family of six. It includes a choice of two meats, tortillas, lettuce, cheese, chips, salsa, rice and black beans; for $5 more, you can add guacamole and sour cream, sautéed peppers and onions and a house salad.
Dos Gringos is BYOT—you supply the tequila, and for $10, they will mix up a pitcher of traditional lemon-lime margarita mix. For $11, you can try a seasonal flavor, such as hibiscus or mango. Of course, you’re free to bring your favorite wine, beer or other spirit of choice.
The busy Christmas holiday season may be over, but there’s still much to come on Dos Gringos’ full calendar. The Super Bowl is just weeks away, and Quintiliano expects to sell a lot of chips and salsa, as well as taco trays. There’s a whole catering menu offered for parties and events. Valentine’s Day is on a Saturday, so he’s preparing for a busy night and will serve a prix fixe menu. Media Restaurant Week (well, two weeks really) is set for February 22–26 and March 1–5. Dos Gringos will feature a three-course, $30 prix fixe menu, which is a decent deal considering you’ll get $40 worth of food. Then comes the unofficial spring kick-off on Cinco de Mayo, which is always a packed house and fun party atmosphere inside and out.
Last but not least, Dos Gringos is all over the world of social media. Make a reservation on OpenTable; download the Dos Gringos Mexican Kitchen app for exclusive, app-only coupons and get $5 off just by downloading it. Look them up on Facebook, Twitter and Instagram and learn about the latest news, specials, events and more.
Salud!
Find Dos Gringos Mexican Kitchen at 113 S. Olive Street in Media; phone: (610) 565-7794.
Exterior photo credited to Lauren Avellino Turton; additional photos credited to Dos Gringos.
