One of the best meals in San Miguel de Allende can be found on a La Buena Vida baguette for $150 pesos: a Trakaloso Pepitos Prime. AND, the guy on the highway, the one making the sandwiches that everyone in SMA has been raving about, is none other than Luis Garcia; our former waiter at Atrio. How’s serendipitous is that?
As it turned out last week, I was communicating with Luis all morning about his business but didn’t realize it was him; it was under the name Trakaloso Pepitos Prime. He knew it was me but wanted to surprise me when I showed up for lunch. There was so much laughter when we finally reunited as the last time I saw him, he was brave enough to take on “the necklace” with a group of female customers at Atrio, including my good friend, Brenda Belmont.
Luis put his own twist of magic on the sandwiches to make them a one- of- a- kind; building them on a French baguette instead of a torta and serving them on Parisan tablecloths. But then, that’s Luis. As a really good waiter at Atrio, Luis had his own legion of fans and like most waiters at Atrio, he could never do enough for his customers.
Luis started the business 3 years ago, right after his 16 year old daughter, Viviana, died of Leukemia. A family affair, the aguas frescas are prepared by his mom, Hermelinda, and his niece Angela Veronica, and are bottled and delivered by his dad, Jose Luis. His wife, Evangelina Aguilar, works beside him every day, covering the front of the house, along with his sons, Valentin (Valentin is currently working at Live Aqua and studying to be a chef), Dilan, Demian and baby Luciana. You wouldn’t find a nicer family in SMA than the Garcias.
Trakaloso Pepitos Prime is open Monday through Saturday from 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM. Next year, he’ll find a small brick-and-mortar in Centro and move. His sandwiches are topped with a litany of fresh ingredients: guacamole, mayo, chipotle sauce, caramelized onion, lettuce, tomatoes, red onion and cucumber. He finishes them off with his own sauce and we’ve been sworn to secrecy.
Everyone loves the beef but I had the chicken and it’s equally as good after tasting Renee’s Rib Eye. He seasons it with his own blend of spices and the chicken is always fork tender. Luis prepares all the meat over fire, which is the method we prefer. We’re not crazy for Mexican potatoes but even his French fries are good and have their own blend of seasonings too.
Luis buys his bread from Melissa Sumner at Panaderia La Buena Vida, who seems to have the corner on great sandwich bread right now as the Vietnamese restaurant, Bánh Mi, buys its baguettes there too. The bread is always fresh; he gets deliveries daily.
We don’t think there’s anything else like them in town. Trakaloso Pepitos Prime has turned us into a sandwich addict again and we love seeing someone who has worked this hard savor the number one spot.
A feast for the eyes and the palette, Trakaloso Pepitos Prime puts the Beefsteak Torta at Tacos Ramirez at number two on our list of the best sandwiches in SMA; not a bad place to end up by any means and Lavanda is what’s coming next.
Trakaloso Pepitos Prime SMA
Calzada de Aurora; past Fabrica and just before the Glorieta.
Open: Monday through Saturday
Time: 10:30 AM – 5:00 PM
Owner/Cook: Luis Garcia
Delivery - WhatsApp +52 415 113 2868
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