LUDLOW, Vt. – Last July, restaurateur Oscar Torres was ready to move forward with opening his new venture, Little Mexico, in Ludlow, Vt. He excitedly signed the lease to take over a vacant space in the Okemo Marketplace Plaza, a prime location at the base of Okemo Mountain Ski Resort.
One week after signing, Vermont experienced the epic July 2023 flood disaster, and the plaza took on a landslide of water, mud, and debris that filled the parking lot, flooded the shops, and left destruction in its wake.
Even though the restaurant was “a complete mess, with everything destroyed,” Torres was not deterred. “We had to start over, from the ground up,” he recalled, matter-of-factly.
When Torres and his team were finally able to celebrate the restaurant’s grand opening in late February 2024, the space was a renovated, functioning work in progress. Even today, as they prepare for Cinco de Mayo festivities, there are some final touches yet to be completed. But their kitchen is wholly operational, the restaurant and bar are fully staffed, and the general atmosphere is bright, friendly, and casual. The bar area has a celebratory feel – open, inviting, and sporty, with a pool table, and a big screen TV.
They offer a full bar, and the menu features classic Mexican dishes like tacos, burritos, and enchiladas, as well as Torres’ bar food recipes, like mozzarella sticks with Mexican marinara sauce, and jalapeño poppers. Torres plans to keep the menu ever-changing, implementing new ideas when they come to him, which is often. He admits he is always experimenting with new recipes.
Torres started working in kitchens when he was young. His parents were in the restaurant business, and he opened his first, small taco shop at 20 years old. His family’s roots are in Monterrey, Mexico, and Torres grew up mostly in Texas. He currently owns another restaurant located in Tewksbury, Mass., called Oscar’s Pinatas, and admitted he’s looking toward opening more Mexican American eateries in the future.
Working alongside Torres to run Little Mexico are Tim McEnaney, general manager Casey Crompton, and Katie Fitzpatrick, who works the front of the house, among others.
Fitzpatrick thinks people come to Little Mexico for the food, but also for the laid-back atmosphere. She said they plan to start hosting karaoke nights soon.
Little Mexico is open seven days a week, 3-9 p.m., and offers take out.