La Chingada, a new Mexican restaurant in the River Market, opened yesterday in the former Library Kitchen + Lounge at 313 President Clinton Ave.
If you ever visited Library + Lounge, you’ll likely remember the space is large and looks like it could double as a venue or club. There’s several tables that could accommodate large groups. A double-sided bar is situated in the middle of the room, and there’s a stage for bands or DJs in the southwest corner of the restaurant.
Rhett Brinkley
The menu includes many specialty items like the Molcajeta Mexicano, which features strips of carne asada, chicken, shrimp, cheese, green onions and fresh cactus leaves. The La Chingada Pasta pairs spaghetti with a creamy chipotle sauce that’s topped with chicken and fresh parsley. Additionally, you can find quesabirria tacos, asada fries, chicken wings and chorizo cheese dip on the appetizer side of the menu.
Rhett Brinkley
The lunch menu is served 11 a.m.-3 p.m. Mon.-Sat. and includes a breakfast burrito, fajitas, huevos con chorizo and a fajita taco salad.
La Chingada is owned by Juan Valadez and Veronica Mayorga, who both own separate Mexican restaurants in the area. According to an August press release, Valadez owns Cantina Cinco de Mayo (521 Center St.; 3 Rahling Circle; 10900 Stagecoach Road) and Mayorga owns Mojitos & Margaritas Grill & Bar in North Little Rock at 2629 Lakewood Village Dr.
The restaurant’s hours will be 11 a.m.-10 p.m. Sun.-Wed.; 11 a.m.-11 p.m. Thu.; 11 a.m.-2 a.m. Fri.; and 11 a.m.-midnight Sat.
One of the employees told us a grand opening is in the works about two weeks from now.
Many Facebook users commented on our previous post about the name La Chingada, which appears to have several different translations, some vulgar, according to our trusty Google translator. It’s also a town in the municipality of Perote in the Mexican state of Veracruz.
Embarrassingly, none of us in the editorial office are fluent in Spanish, or any other non-English language for that matter, so we’ll take the employee’s word for it who told us the restaurant’s translation isn’t a crass one. He said it can also refer loosely to a place — in this case, one that serves really fresh food.
