"Her backyard shop, which she started during the COVID-19 pandemic, has been closed since the end of December in order to focus on her new place, and the regulars have noticed. "They're eager to come in and have the food, and have been calling nonstop for the past few weeks," Varela told Nosh in an interview a few weeks prior to soft opening, as she was setting up her new restaurant."
"Varela's family is from Jalisco and her menu focuses on regional specialities from the central Mexican state. Her signature dish is the tostada raspada, which the New York Times hailed as one of the best dishes in the country in 2023. The tostada is an elongated, crispy, thin tortilla shell imported from Mexico, topped with a bean sauce, sliced cabbage, cotija and fresco cheese, a protein such as shredded pork, and a red sauce."
Elvira Varela is opening her first brick-and-mortar restaurant in Jack London Square on Feb. 21 after more than five years selling tostadas, enchiladas, and tacos from her East Oakland backyard. The soft opening runs Wednesday through Sunday, 11 a.m. to 9 p.m., with indoor and patio seating in a space featuring peach-colored walls and straw-colored lamps. Varela's family is from Jalisco and the menu emphasizes regional specialties from central Jalisco, including the signature tostada raspada, pozole, fried tacos, and enchiladas. The backyard shop, started during the COVID-19 pandemic, closed at the end of December so Varela could concentrate on the new restaurant, and regular customers have been calling nonstop ahead of opening.
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