Cha-Cha's Express

Cha-Chas, a popular San Antonio restaurant that opened in 1984 and closed in 2017, has been reborn with a healthy, vegetarian twist under the direction of the new owner and chef Bania Ruiz on the Northwest Side.

Ruiz is the daughter of original Cha-Chas founders Margarita and the late Ricardo Ruiz and worked in the kitchen there since she was 16. The new spot in the former space of the Leon Valley Cafe on Evers is called Cha-Chas New Gen Cafe., and it has plenty of indoor and outdoor dining space. It opened quietly on Oct. 8, and the menu and set business hours are still being tweaked.

Ruiz, a graduate of Le Cordon Bleu College of Culinary Arts in Austin, has created a menu that includes legacy Cha-Chas menu items such as six different types of enchiladas, Caldo, fajitas, steak a la Mexicana and chalupas. But she is also has introduced a large selection of vegetarian options such as plant-based burgers and chicken, Thai eggplant red coconut curry, and a fresh pasta dish made with vegan ingredients.

Ruiz says that for San Antonians who've missed Cha-Chas, they can get a taste of the old, and the new.

The response so far has been overwhelming, Ruiz said.

Cha-Chas New Gen Cafe., 6417 Evers Road, call 210-451-0030 or text CHACHAS to 72727. Current hours: 11 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Tuesdays through Saturdays.

"Article by Chuck Blount, Staff Writer, San Antonio Express-News"

Cha-Cha's Express

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