KALAMAZOO, MI — Quekas, in common Mexican slang, means quesadillas.
So, one can trust that any restaurant named Quekas Authentic Mexican Food, has plenty of options when it comes to quesadillas. And not just your regular quesadillas, either.
Not that the Milwood eatery, located at 826 E. Cork St. in Kalamazoo, doesn’t have traditional grilled quesadillas. They do. And they also have fried quesadillas and Birria quesadillas.
But there’s one item most other places don’t have.
“Out signature dish is the Super Queka,” says waitress Claudia Tapia, describing a 17-inch-long, oval homemade tortilla that is stuffed with cheese, the guest’s choice of meat and grilled up with any extra ingredients of their choosing.
“They are really popular in Mexico City,” she said, while translating for the restaurant’s owner Adrian Rojo, who speaks limited English.
Rojo, who grew up in Mexico City, moved to Kalamazoo in 1999 with his late wife Laura, selecting the Southwest Michigan city because his uncle and parents had recently moved to Kalamazoo from Mexico.
After 10 years working construction and helping out at other restaurants, he realized a lifelong dream when the couple began serving authentic Mexican food at Huarache Kalamazoo, which they opened with their friend Hector Durazno in 2009.
The restaurant had a short shelf life, closing in 2010. Five years later, Rojo, now 53, opened up Quekas, introducing old family recipes to a legion of loyal customers that grows by the day.
“He always wanted to have his own restaurant,” Tapia said. “From the very beginning he knew he wanted to make it authentic, because a lot of the recipes are from his family. He makes things the way his family used to make them.”
Rojo learned his way around the kitchen from his grandmother and his mother and now keeps busy six days a week, cooking in his own restaurant. His partner, Carmen Alcaraz helps manage the restaurant’s online presence, serves and cooks food right alongside him.
“She’s my right hand,” Rojo says through Tapia, crediting her for a lot of new ideas and helping get the word out about their restaurant on social media.
Just a few months ago, Alcaraz introduced the addition of a vegetarian and vegan menu to Queka’s established favorites. It is something not a lot of other Mexican restaurants offer, she said.
From combo plates and fajitas to enchiladas, tostadas and sopes, there are numerous vegetarian and vegan options, that have quickly become a hit, Tapia said.
The restaurant has also gotten on board with the birria craze, offering birria tacos, quesadillas and birria Super Quekas to the menu. The birria recipe is also familial, coming from one of Alcaraz’ sisters.
No authentic Mexican restaurant is complete without Jarritos, raspados or horchata, the latter of which is also a house-made specialty, stemming from an old Rojo family recipe. The popular white rice and cinnamon drink is easy-drinking and refreshing, in part due to the fact it is a little lighter on the cinnamon than some other places.
“Everything we make, we make it here, it’s all made from scratch, the salsas, everything,” Rojo said.
In addition to dine-in and take-out service, Quekas also — as a result of the pandemic hampering in-person dining — recently began offering a free delivery option on orders over $20 for customers within a four-mile radius of the restaurant. The restaurant also offers catering for parties and events.
Quekas is open from 11 a.m. – 8 p.m. Monday-Thursday and 11 a.m. – 9 p.m. Fridays and Saturdays. For more information, daily specials, a complete menu or to order online, visit quekasmexicanrestaurant.com or follow the restaurant on Facebook. For information on catering, call 269-459-8521.
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