From Food Truck to Broadway: Azteca Opens in South Portland
South Portland has a fresh spot for Mexican cuisine. Azteca Mexican Restaurant officially opened its doors last Thursday, October 22, 2026, bringing an established local culinary team into a permanent brick-and-mortar storefront on Broadway, according to reports from Q97.9.
The 36-seat restaurant occupies 1422 Broadway, a commercial space with a rotating history that previously housed Caribbean Taste, Mainely Wraps, and Willows Pizza and Restaurant. Behind the new venture are co-owners Jamie Rodriguez and Karina Contreras, familiar names to local diners who previously built a following through their Tacos La Poblanita food truck and their Maine Mall food court location.
A Culinary Evolution Rooted in Local Food History
The path to the Broadway storefront spans seven years of local food service. Rodriguez and Contreras launched the Tacos La Poblanita food truck in 2019, eventually expanding to the Maine Mall in 2022. They also operated a brick-and-mortar version of Tacos La Poblanita in Westbrook until it closed last year, setting the stage for their return to a full sit-down restaurant format in South Portland.
The menu at Azteca features traditional Mexican dishes, including enchiladas verdes and rojas, tamales, burritos, tacos, huaraches, and carne asada. For dessert, the kitchen serves churros and tres leches cake. The beverage program features Mexican-style cocktails such as margaritas, micheladas, and mojitos alongside standard beer selections.
Restaurant Operates Six Days Weekly with Varying Hours
The restaurant operates six days a week, remaining closed on Tuesdays. Regular operating hours are set from 11 a.m. to 8 p.m. on Sunday, Monday, and Wednesday, with extended hours closing at 8:30 p.m. from Thursday through Saturday.
As the local dining scene absorbs another transition at the 1422 Broadway address, the success of Azteca will test whether the owners’ established customer base from the Eastern Prom and the Maine Mall can sustain a neighborhood storefront.
