1 of 3
Photo by Jon Anderson
Customers eat dinner at the Hacienda Mexican Grill in the Caldwell Centre at the corner of Valleydale Road and Caldwell Mill Road on Friday, May 30, 2025.
2 of 3
Photo by Jon Anderson
Customers eat dinner at the Hacienda Mexican Grill in the Caldwell Centre at the corner of Valleydale Road and Caldwell Mill Road on Friday, May 30, 2025.
3 of 3
Photo by Jon Anderson
Customers eat dinner at the Hacienda Mexican Grill in the Caldwell Centre at the corner of Valleydale Road and Caldwell Mill Road on Friday, May 30, 2025.
The Hacienda Mexican Grill at the corner of Valleydale Road and Caldwell Mill Road has been offering customers traditional Mexican fare ever since Rick and Carolina Martinez opened there in 2004, but these days, you’ll find some newer items on the menu as well.
A little over a year ago, customers started asking for a more authentic Mexican dish called quesabirrias, said Armando Martinez, who took over ownership of the restaurant from his parents in late 2023. So he added it to the menu to meet the demand.
“It’s slow-cooked short rib meat, and it comes served on corn tortillas dipped in the broth that the meat is cooked in, and then it comes with cheese inside and cilantro and onion and the broth on the side to dip the quesadillas,” Martinez said. “Basically, it’s a quesadilla, but it’s with short rib in it.”
While he wants to evolve the menu, Martinez said he also doesn’t want to stray too far from what has made them successful. People especially love the street tacos, the chunky salsa, fajitas and margaritas with freshly squeezed lime, he said.
And consistently friendly customer service is key, he said. “We’ve gotten to know so many families over the years. There are so many people that we know on a first-name basis. They know us.”
Martinez’s parents are originally from Guanajuato, Mexico. They moved to California in 1982 and then to Chelsea in 1997. They opened their first Hacienda Mexican Grill in Chelsea in 2001 and then added the Valleydale location in 2004. The Chelsea restaurant closed in 2011, but the Valleydale spot has remained fruitful, he said.
